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Last month you’ll recall the fury that erupted over an Uber exec’s cunning plan to spend $1 million on a ‘counter attack’ squad to tackle nasty journalists who chose to pick on the company, a plan revealed to the world at an event attended by…er, journalists.
The cab firm at first tried to squirm out of that one by turning to that age-old and utterly useless plea of ‘It was off-the-record’. First rule of media relations - nothing is off the record and every microphone is live!
That was followed by a bizarre Twitter stream ‘apology’ which then turned out to be an internal messaging document split into multiple chunks, with a last minute sort-of-apology stuck on the very end. Second rule of media relations - the first thing you say is sorry, not the last.
But for sheer bad taste publicity, Uber will have to go some to beat its decision to impose surge pricing in Sydney yesterday as terrified residents tried to flee the business district as news of the terrible cafe siege spread. Uber’s pricing shot up to four times the normal rates.
Now the surge pricing element of Uber’s business model is automated, but surely someone at some point should have realized that a life-and-death situation such as this would inevitably occur at some point and insisted on some kind of instant ‘off switch’ for such occasions.
It doesn’t really matter if that situation is a criminal action such as that in Sydney or a natural disaster. What happens if, for example, there’s an earthquake or an imminent flood or some such? How far will Uber’s prices bump up then?
But it only seems to have sunk in to the Uber management that they had another PR nightmare on their hands after the price rises were exposed to mass criticism on social media networks several hours into the hostage crisis.
At that point, to some small credit, the company announced it would be offering refunds to anyone who already paid for a ride and released a statement on Uber’s blog announcing that all rides out of Sydney’s Central Business District would be free until the hostage situation was resolved:
Uber Sydney will be providing free rides out of the CBD to help Sydneysiders get home safely.
But the damage was done long before that as the first response from the company was unrepentant as it explained in a tweet:
Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.
What may well be particularly galling for those caught up in yesterday’s incident in Australia is that the surge pricing wouldn’t have happened if the crisis had occurred in the US.
In July the firm announced a US national policy on surge pricing for US cities that means that Uber’s pricing algorithms will be capped during disasters and relevant states of emergency. This followed mass criticism after Uber fares increased eight-fold during a December snowstorm in New York.
Travis Kalanick, Co-Founder & CEO, Uber, said at the time:
This policy intends to strike the careful balance between the goal of transportation availability with community expectations of affordability during disasters…a model for technology companies and regulators in local, state and federal government.
Will this latest PR debacle lead to that same careful balance now being extended to countries other than the US? If not, the only conclusion that many will come to is that price gouging under any circumstances is acceptable outside of US zip codes. Surely that can't be the case?
My favorite question to my chums in PR this year has been: how’d you fancy picking up the Uber account? To a man and woman, the immediate response is panicked expression and a vigorous shaking of the head.
The economics theory underlying the surge pricing model is transparent enough and in a free market economy, you pays your money, you makes your choice. If people are daft enough to put up with vastly inflated prices at peak times, then that’s down to them.
But Uber’s response yesterday once again suggests a company with an arrogance and insensitivity hardwired into its very being. Being the disruptive enfant terrible is only viable for so long. That time is long past for Uber.


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The Internet has long ceased to be a luxury. If you want to participate in modern society, you need a decent Internet connection. Unfortunately, there are huge swathes of the world that are essentially cut off from this. This is especially true of rural India, where Internet penetration levels remain dismally low.
To combat this, the Indian government is installing 1,050 new Wi-Fi hotspots in areas that lack fast, accessible broadband. The program is expected to cost $62 billion, and will see towers installed in villages which locals can connect to via their cell phones.
The pilot program is called Digital Village, and according to Aruna Sundararajan
, an official at the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Services, https://www.brainyservices.com/unlimited-hosting, Technology, aims to “provide basic development services to rural areas using digital technology.”
Digital Village follows a recent initiative from the Indian government that saw it deploy a significant amount of fiber-optic cabling.
Indias economy is one of the worlds fastest growing, and it’s buoyed by a technology sector that encompasses innovative startups, as well as the outsourcing giants India is known for. By making Internet access more inclusive to a greater swathe of the population, it only serves to grow this.

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5 Mins Read
Plant-based food retail sales in the U.S. grew double-digits to reach US$7 billion in 2020, outpacing sales of its animal counterparts for the third year in a row, according to new data. The statistics, released by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Good Food Institute (GFI), also showed that much of the increase was driven by surging demand from mainstream consumers, with nearly 6 in 10 households now swapping out animal-based products for plant-based alternatives.
New SPINS data published on Tuesday (April 6) by the PBFA and GFI shows that total U.S. retail sales of plant-based meat, dairy and egg alternatives grew 27% over 2020 to top US$7 billion in market value. The sales increase, which was consistent across the entire country, represents almost twice the growth recorded in the overall U.S. retail food market, marking the third consecutive year the plant-based category has outperformed conventional animal products.
With coronavirus social distancing restrictions and closures giving all retail channels a boost, the plant-based category in particular benefited from the parallel pandemic-driven rise in awareness of nutrition, food safety and supply chain vulnerabilities.
The top cited reasons for choosing plant-based foods were health, taste and dietary variety, while environmental and ethical reasons ranked lower for U.S. shoppers, though these drivers were more prominent with younger demographics. By contrast, a Veganuary 2021 global poll found sustainability-driven concerns and animal welfare tended to be more important motivators for people to make plant-based dietary changes.
The data tells us unequivocally that we are experiencing a fundamental shift as an ever-growing number of consumers are choosing foods that taste good and boost their health by incorporating plant-based foods into their diet.Julie Emmett, Senior Director of Retail Partnerships, PBFA
Mainstream consumers began purchasing more plant-based products, with the latest data showing that a majority of all U.S. households – 57% – are now actively choosing these alternatives to replace animal-based items, up 5% from the year before. The data, based on a consumer panel of roughly 100,000 households, was custom refined by SPINS to reflect sales that directly displaced purchases from the animal-based category.
“The data tells us unequivocally that we are experiencing a fundamental shift as an ever-growing number of consumers are choosing foods that taste good and boost their health by incorporating plant-based foods into their diet,” remarked Julie Emmett, senior director of retail partnerships at PBFA.
By segment, plant-based meat sales grew 45% to hit US$1.4 billion in 2020, a marked increase from US$962 million recorded in 2019. Nearly a fifth of all households now purchase plant-based meat alternatives, with as many as 63% new shoppers continuing to do so and categorised as “high-repeat” customers.
It aligns with previous survey findings in the U.S. suggesting that as many as 92% of first-time buyers of plant-based meat plan on doing so in the long-term, even after the pandemic ends.
“2020 was a breakout year for plant-based foods across the store. The incredible growth we saw in plant-based foods overall, particularly plant-based meat, surpassed our expectations and is a clear sign of where consumer appetites are heading,” said Kyle Gaan, GFI research analyst.
The largest plant-based category, plant-based milk, now represents for 35% of the market with a US$2.5 billion market value after recording 20% growth in dollar sales over 2020. Leading the category is almond milk, with oat milk following closely behind after a tripling in sales over the year and an astonishing 25-fold increase since 2018. A strong indication of the incredible mainstreaming of dairy-free alternatives, almost 40% of all U.S. households now stock vegan milk in their fridge as opposed to having the traditional dairy-based version.
2020 was a breakout year for plant-based foods across the store.Kyle Gaan, Research Analyst, GFI
Other plant-based dairy products, which include dairy-free yogurt, butter and cheese, had also grown significantly and are together reaching around US$2 billion. These smaller but fast-growing segments strongly outperformed its traditional animal-based counterparts, with plant-based yogurt, for instance, growing at 7-times the rate of dairy yogurt.
2021 offers many opportunities for retailers to appeal to more customers and expand their plant-based offerings.Dawn Valandingham, Head of Retail, SPINS
Plant-based eggs, on the other hand, recorded triple-digit growth in 2020, with the category as a whole growing 700% since 2018 to outpace conventional eggs by 100-fold.
Commenting on the latest plant-based data, Dawn Valandingham, head of retail at SPINS, said: “The plant-based category has evolved to the point that retailers can’t limit who they consider the plant-based shopper. They should now assume everyone is a potential plant-based buyer.”
Valandingham added that the research predicts that plant-based food consumption trends will continue on in the coming months and years.
“Between the innovation in plant-based products and the gradual return to less restrictive shopping measures, 2021 offers many opportunities for retailers to appeal to more customers and expand their plant-based offerings.”
Lead image courtesy of Alpha Foods.


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Administrators for Safestyle have sold its order book to Anglian Windows in a move they say will enable the completion of homeowners installations.
Anglian has also confirmed it will honour the terms of all contracts, including prices and will prioritise any part-completed installs to make them safe and secure before going on to contact all other customers.
Joint administrator Rick Harrison, also managing director at Interpath Advisory, said: “We understand the uncertainty felt by customers following Safestyle UK falling into administration last week. We’re therefore pleased to have reached this agreement with Anglian Home Improvements which gives Safestyle UK customers the certainty and peace of mind that their home improvement projects can now be completed by Anglian.”
Anglian executive chairman Peter Mottershead said: “We were keen to support in what we know is a very difficult situation, and so hope that this will go some way towards alleviating the concern and burden on those Safestyle UK customers who have been impacted.
“Our customer service teams will be making contact with customers in the coming days and weeks to arrange completion of orders, prioritising those who were part-way through the installation process. I can also confirm that Anglian will honour the terms of the contract, including the price, that had previously been agreed with each customer.”
Anglian has also given a contact point for customers caught up in the collapse of Safestyle: safestylecustomers@Angliangroup.com.


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According to DigiTimes, the tech giant's upcoming 9.7-inch iPad will be priced at around $259 for 2018. They are saying that Apple is now working on an iPad which may cost even less than the current model. At this pricing, the iPad will become even more attractive for consumers who have desired an iPad, but dreaded Apple's premium pricing scheme. It could also spark price competition among rivals including Samsung, Amazon, Huawei and Lenovo. Apple has recently claimed that the company has exported 10 million units of tablet every quarter of this year.
Rumor has it that Apple is preparing its cheapest iPad ever for a 2018 release.
Knee injury expected to sideline Spurs' Anderson two to three weeks
Injury Report: The Pistons enter play relatively healthy outside of Jon Leuer, who will miss the game with an ankle injury. The Spurs held the Pistons to 33 percent shooting in the second half, including 7 for 20 in the fourth. "It's been good.
For fans and anyone coveting an iPad at a more affordable rate, there is still a few months to wait to find out.
The sources pointed out that Apple's new iPad may arrive in the second quarter of 2018 and in addition to regular consumers Apple is also looking to expand the affordable iPad into the industrial and service sectors.
Wind Advisory issued for state; 50 miles per hour gusts expected
Friday night , the low will be around 22 with partly sunny skies, according to the weather service. Mostly cloudy and still breezy on Thursday , with some snow showers possible.
The step is being taken to revive the sales of the flagship tablet which have been falling since the year 2014. Selling iPad at a lower price will help the brand reach out to the industrial and service sectors. Analysts have also predicted in the past that these markets are the future for Apple products, which is why a cheaper iPad next year could attract more consumers in these markets. This distinction will provide users a better decision-making power regarding the kind of iPad they want to go for.
Alabama-Clemson III Make 2018 Sugar Bowl Tickets The Most Expensive Ever
No. 4 Alabama (11-1), teams that have slugged it out to the bitter end in the last two national championship games. For a chance at the national championship and they do without having to face Georgia along the way.


text: Linux is everywhere at MWCI earlier wrote about how Linux invaded CES 2015. The domination continues at Mobile World Congress, which kicked off this week in Barcelona. Here are some of the major announcements from MWC that show that Linux has become an unstoppable force.\n\nEditor's Note: If you are unable to advance to the next slide, try disabling adblock. We apologize for the inconvenience.\n1 Ubuntu PhoneImage by Meizu2015 is certainly 'A Good Year' for Canonical, the parent company of Ubuntu. Spanish phone-maker Bq started selling the first Ubuntu phonesthis year in the European market. Now Chinese vendor Meizu is debuting their first Ubuntu powered smartphone at MWC. The good news is that unlike Bq, Meizu will be selling the phone globally, including in the US, and their hardware is much more powerful than that of Bq.What makes Ubuntu phones unique is that the same code will power all of the Ubuntu devices - from smartphones, to desktops to TV sets. Canonical has been working hard to make their \u2018convergence\u2019 story a reality and with Unity 8 (the UI they use for phone and which will be used in future Ubuntu desktop OS ) they are inching towards that reality.Canonical has created many new technologies for their phones, including the Unity interface as well as MIR, their own display server. At the same time they also didn\u2019t shy away from using many of the open source technologies to build their platform.Canonical has also created a Chrome OS-like transitional upgrade model where users will be able to upgrade their operating systems without carriers slowing down, delaying or denying it -- something often seen in the Android ecosystem.Looking at the current mobile landscape where major companies are working towards creating their walled gardens, Ubuntu seems to be more open and flexible. As far as \u2018Linux\u2019 on mobile is concerned, Ubuntu is the community\u2019s biggest hope.\n\nEditor's Note: If you are unable to advance to the next slide, try disabling adblock. We apologize for the inconvenience.\n2 AndroidImage by LGAndroid remains a leader in the mobile space and it's seen at MWC in different shapes and forms.One of the most exciting devices are wearables or smart-watches. Many companies are showcasing their Android Wear powered smart watches at MWC and two of the most notable are from Huawei and LG.Huawei is calling its device simply Huawei Watch. It features a round display, carved out of sapphire crystal.LG is showcasing its LG Urbane watch, which also has a round display and is powered by Android Wear.The smartwatch fever is going to rise in 2015 as Apple will start selling its own not-so-round Apple Watch this year as well.3 Firefox OSImage by MozillaMozilla once again has a major presence at Mobile World Congress. Its Linux-based mobile operating system Firefox OS is now also powering Smart TVs.At MWC the organization announced the arrival of new partners and devices to its Firefox OS ecosystem. Some of the partners will take Firefox OS beyond smart phones to unchartered territories.One such example is Monohm, which is showcasing Runcible, a pocket watch\/smartphone device powered by Firefox OS.4 Sailfish OSImage by JollaSailfish OS is an open source operating system based on the Linux kernel. Developed by the Finnish firm Jolla, Sailfish powered devices are already available in many parts of the world; mostly in Eurasia.At Mobile World Congress, Jolla is displaying their Linux powered tablet that was made possible through a recent Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.The tablet also introduces version 2 of Sailfish OS, which brings many new features, including 'convergence' so that it can scale between phone and tablet form factors.Jolla was created by former Nokia employees who were not happy with the now Microsoft-owned company killing most of their promising open source projects.5 Cyanogen OSImage by CyanogenAnother Linux-powered OS to make waves at MWC is Cyanogen OS. Cyanogen Inc, the community-turned-company recently shook the Android MOD community when Microsoft started investing in it. The company made a bold statement that they wanted to take Android away from Google, which wasn\u2019t received very well within the Android community.At MWC, Cyanogen again shook us by announcing the rebranding of its product. Its commercial operating system will now be called Cyanogen OS, while CyanogenMod will become a community distribution.I am assuming that Cyanogen OS will be the OS that will ship with partner devices and CyanogenMOD will be available for anyone to flash on their devices. I wonder if Microsoft's investment in Cyanogen will result in 'bundling' Microsoft services with Cyanogen OS as we have seen with the Samsung Galaxy S6 phone.At MWC Cyanogen also announced their partnership with Qualcomm to develop software for its Reference Design (QRD) products coming out later this year.Cyanogen MOD & Cyanogen OS are forks of Android Open Source Project created by Google under which Google makes the entire OS available for free download as an Open Source Project.6 WebOSImage by LGLG is showcasing its smart watches, branded Urbane. There are two models of Urbane - regular and LTE. LG has made a strange decision: while Urbane regular is powered by Google's Android Wear, Urbane LTE runs on LG's own WebOS. Though LG is not mentioning the term WebOS and instead calling it "powered by LG Wearable Platform."Unlike other \u2018smart watches,\u2019 which pair with a compatible phone and work more or less like an accessory to the smartphone, Urbane LTE comes with its own cellular chip and doesn\u2019t need to be paired with any device to perform basic tasks.LG, like Samsung, is toying with its own operating system to gain more control over the OS, to build an ecosystem around it, and to customize it to suite the needs of its own partners.WebOS was initially developed by Pal, which was later acquired by HP. Hewlett-Packard played with it and then open sourced it as Open WebOS. The OS was later sold to LG Electronics and now LG is trying to bring the OS to its devices.


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Plans to close every Carphone Warehouse store have been revealed - throwing dozens of jobs in the region in doubt.
There are more than 500 Carphone Warehouse stores in the country, including in Upper Precinct and the Arena Park Shopping Centre in Coventry.
Retailer Dixons Carphone has said it will axe 2,900 jobs under plans to close all 531 of its standalone Carphone Warehouse stores.
It comes as the latest blow to the High Street after the collapse of the likes of Mothercare, Karen Millen and Coast.
The company will focus on selling mobile devices and connectivity through its shop-in-shops in 305 big Currys PCWorld stores and online.
The small standalone stores, representing 8% of Dixons Carphone’s total UK selling space, will close on April 3, 2020.
The business expects almost 40% (1,800) of affected colleagues to take new roles internally, but expects 2,900 redundancies as the businesses are brought together.
The company said today’s announcement is an essential next step in Dixons Carphone’s turnaround of its mobile business as part of its strategy outlined in December 2018, to return this part of the business, which will make a £90m loss this year, to profitability.
Dixons Carphone said the move is "essential" to help turn around its UK mobile arm, which is set to make a £90 million loss this year.
Carphone Warehouse group chief executive Alex Baldock said: "There's never an easy time for an announcement like this, but the turbulent times ahead only underline the importance of acting now."
He added: "We're working hard to look after those colleagues we can't find new roles for, financially and otherwise.
"We'll pay enhanced redundancy, any bonuses, honour their share awards, and help them find new jobs through an outplacement programme."


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The gap in the market left by Semble has been filled. New Zealand’s first mobile wallet app pulled the plug on contactless payments back in July, but now, Apple Pay has gone live. The mobile wallet service allows shoppers to load their credit card details onto their iPhone, Apple watch or late-model iPad and use the device to pay in stores via contactless terminals.
Young Male Entrepreneur of the Year, law student and New Zealand representative in business strategy, Jesse Medcalf, discusses why retailers need to keep up to date with technology to retain Millennial engagement and loyalty.
Is it time to invest in a wireless payment terminal? Mobile payment app company Semble thinks contactless payments may soon equal eftpos in popularity.
Approximately one million NFC-enabled smartphones are in use in New Zealand and as more and more humans become accustomed to paying via contactless terminals, those two technologies are edging ever closer.


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Some years ago, we discovered that Sweden was going to establish E-Krona, a national cryptocurrency, and India appears to be following suit. 2017 was the year that marked for Dubai to create its own national cryptocurrency.
Emcash: Dubai’s Cryptocurrency
The announcement was made in the local newspaper Arabian Business, and it would be known as “EmCash.” The deputy director-general of the Dubai economy, Ali Ibrahim, described what this cryptocurrency may be used for. The token will be used to pay for “various government and non-government services, ranging from their daily coffee and children’s school tuition to public services and money transfers.” »
Dubai Welcomes Blockchain Technology
Because of cryptocurrencies’ flexibility and ease, this is a win-win situation for Dubai. The government is enthusiastic about blockchain technology. He sees these new technologies as the next major paradigm change in technology. Dubai wishes to be at the forefront of this movement.
"The rapid evolution, together with the incredible willingness to adopt innovative technologies, has made Dubai the perfect place to do business. This project is a very good example of the ambition we are achieving here, together we are, so to speak, creating a whole new economic ecosystem. We will harness Blockchain technology to make financial transactions cheaper, faster and more secure while demonstrating the enormous benefits for governments, businesses and individuals to adopt these new technologies." Ali Ibrahim
EmCash, based on the most recent blockchain technology, will be the digital money in Emcredit’s emPay wallet, which will facilitate contactless payments. emPay enables UAE citizens to pay for anything from their daily coffee and children’s school fees to energy bills and money transfers using the near field communication (NFC) feature on their phones. emCash gives emPay consumers the choice of a safe digital currency, and merchants receive such payments in real-time without the use of intermediaries.
Object Tech has officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Economy to collaborate with Emcredit on the development and implementation of emCash. According to Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director-General of Dubai Economy, emCash will give contactless transactions a financial identity, establish Dubai as a competitive business location, increase consumer pleasure, and expedite Dubai’s transition towards a smart economy.
Emcredit and Object Tech will collaborate to create a competitive, responsible, and legally compliant emCash ecosystem. A variety of related technologies will be created to safeguard the emCash wallet and digital documents, enabling direct real-time settlement and peer-to-peer lending, and giving credit ratings based on the emCash distributor ledger.
Blockchain technology has been accepted in the country as a method for numerous services. Dubai is attempting to become a financial powerhouse for the rest of the Western world and has just inked contracts that allow property deals to be conducted solely in Bitcoin.
How does emCash work
emCash is bundled with emPay. It is a mobile wallet that may be used for everyday transactions such as movies, bill payments, meals, school fees, grocery, leisure, and so on. If you wish to do any anonymous transactions without disclosing your identity to anyone. So, before making a transaction, one can select between emPay or emCash. The transactions will be handled in a timely and secure manner.
Emcash impacts on Bitcoin
Because emCash is a product of the Dubai government, it will appeal to the majority of people, as this is the first time a government has undertaken such an initiative. Transactions in Dubai might thus be carried out using emCash rather than bitcoins. This has the potential to have a significant impact on bitcoin. We’ll have to wait and see how emCash influences bitcoin and what benefits we may obtain from it aside from anonymous transactions and regular payouts.
Is it legal to use cryptocurrency in Dubai?
The UAE Central Bank has neither approved or recognized cryptocurrencies as legal money. There are no restrictions on crypto assets, and they may be exchanged on crypto exchange platforms. Citizens of the UAE can hold, deposit, and exchange cryptocurrencies.
It is Binance’s second city of approval; the business acquired a cryptocurrency license in Dubai last month. The action also comes after Binance was approved by Bahrain’s national bank.
Are there any Bitcoin ATMs in Dubai?
Unfortunately, there are currently no Bitcoin ATMs in Dubai. However, there is one Bitcoin teller at the Coinsfera Bitcoinshop on 14th Road in Baniyas Square. You may use our Bitcoin ATM discovery tool to check in on a regular basis to see if one has opened.
Is Ethereum legal in UAE?
There is currently no crypto legislation in the UAE. The FSRA’s “Regulation of Crypto Asset Activities in ADGM” is the most complete guidance regarding cryptocurrencies in this country.


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The rumors are true. T-Mobile and MetroPCS this morning confirmed that they will combine forces.
T-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, announced that it has signed an agreement to "combine" T-Mobile and MetroPCS. "This transaction will create the leading value carrier in the U.S. wireless marketplace, which will deliver an enhanced customer experience through a wider selection of affordable products and services, deeper network coverage and a clear-cut technology path to one common LTE network," Deutsche Telekom said in a statement.
The boards of Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS have approved the transaction. Under the deal, MetroPCS will make a cash payment of $1.5 billion to its shareholders for a 26 percent ownership in the combined company; Deutsche Telekom will own 74 percent.
When the deal is complete, the combined firms will be known simply as T-Mobile, though Deutsche Telekom said it will operate T-Mobile and MetroPCS as separate customer units, led by Jim Alling, currently COO of T-Mobile, and Thomas Keys, currently president and COO of MetroPCS.
John Legere, the new CEO of T-Mobile, will serve as the president and CEO of the combined firm. J. Braxton Carter, now CFO and vice chairman of MetroPCS, will be CFO.
Company headquarters will be in Bellevue, Washington though it will "retain a significant presence" in Dallas, Texas.
The firms said the combined company will have about 42.5 million subscribers.
"The T-Mobile and MetroPCS brands are a great strategic fit both operationally and culturally," René Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, said in a statement. "The new company will be the value leader in wireless with the scale, spectrum and financial and other resources to expand its geographic coverage, broaden choice among all types of customers and continue to innovate, especially around the next-generation LTE network. We are committed to creating a sustainable and financially viable national challenger in the U.S., and we believe this combination helps us deliver on that commitment."
"MetroPCS and T-Mobile have the same network strategies and LTE networks in the same spectrum bands, which we believe will accelerate the deployment of advanced services to our customers," said Roger D. Linquist, chairman and CEO of MetroPCS. "Ultimately, this combination will create a stronger wireless provider nationally with broader value offerings to better serve our combined customers and drive shareholder value."
MetroPCS and T-Mobile did not mention specific post-merger wireless plans or devices, except to say that the combined firms will offer "a wider selection of attractive, competitively priced plans to better serve the marketplace, including contract, no-contract monthly, SIM-only, pay-as-you-go and mobile broadband services."
The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2013, subject to regulatory approval. The merger is not likely to face the same scrutiny that AT&T and T-Mobile were subjected to last year during their merger efforts given that a combined T-Mobile/MetroPCS will not create as big a wireless behemoth as a combined AT&T/T-Mobile.
Sprint and Verizon declined to comment on the deal.
Back in February, T-Mobile announced plans to roll out its 4G LTE network in 2013, thanks in part to the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum it gained from the failed AT&T merger deal as well as a $4 billion investment.
The effort has been dubbed T-Mobile's "Challenger Strategy" and is expected to reach the "vast majority" of the top 50 markets. The carrier has been installing new equipment at 37,000 cell sites and refarming spectrum in preparation for the LTE launch.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission approved a deal whereby T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless will purchase and swap spectrum in the AWS band.
MetroPCS was the first carrier to launch 4G LTE in the U.S. back in September 2010 via the Samsung Craft phone. Recently, it unveiled the first commercially available Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) service in the U.S. and a new handset that will support it. For more, see Who Leads Wireless Tech Race? MetroPCS.
For more, see 5 Reasons MetroPCS and T-Mobile Are a Good Match.


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Jackson’s Robbed Overnight
Boise Police say the Jackson’s convenience store near Hillcrest Country Club was robbed overnight.
Police say a man entered the store on Nez Perce at about 1:18 a.m. Tuesday, displayed a gun and demanded cash.
The suspect was described as wearing a dark hoodie, mask and gloves he reportedly fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Anyone with information that could be helpful in locating the suspect is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 343-2677 (COPS).


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Dish Network suffers worst-ever quarterly subscriber losses
Dish Network logged its worst-ever quarterly loss of subscribers amid the coronavirus crisis, shedding 413,000 total pay-TV customers in the first quarter of the year.
The satellite TV giant closed the first quarter with 11.3 million pay-TV subscribers, down 6 percent over last year. That included a sequential decline of about 132,000 satellite subs to 9 million. It also recorded a net loss of 281,000 Sling TV subscribers, marking the acceleration of the streaming service’s erosion from the fourth-quarter of 2019.
Charlier Ergen’s Dish has been steadily losing subscribers, as consumers are cutting back on pay-TV services and opting to stream content instead, but the company blamed the pandemic on the unusually steep declines.
“The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption in certain commercial segments served by Dish, including the hospitality and airline industries,” the company said Thursday. “We have faced, and could continue to face, fewer subscriber activations and increased subscriber churn rate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worsening of the global business and economic environment.”
As of March 31, Sling TV had 2.3 million customers, down 4.7 percent from last year, even as the service launched some free promotions during the pandemic to win new subscribers.
Net income attributable to Dish fell 79 percent to $73.1 million, or 13 cents a share, from $339.8 million. Excluding items, EPS was 55 cents. Revenue rose nearly 1 percent to $3.22 billion. Analysts were looking for EPS of 58 cents on revenue of $3.15 billion.
Currently, Dish is creating a wireless 5G network that is estimated to cost $10 billion. It has until 2023 to provide wireless coverage to 70 percent of the US population or it faces $2.2 billion in fines from the Federal Communications Commission.
Analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson, who has a “sell” rating on the company’s stock, said Dish has an uphill battle if it wants to succeed in building a wireless network, while stemming the losses from its TV unit.
“History tells us that it is difficult, and rarely advisable, to fight a war on multiple fronts. Dish is fighting a multiple-front war,” the analyst said. “It would be nice to imagine that the satellite TV business won’t matter for Dish’s wireless business…but the COVID-19 crisis gives all this a wartime feel, as there is a new urgency for all businesses.”


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Verizon Confirms HTC Droid Incredible Getting Android 2.2 Froyo Starting Today
Verizon Wireless has confirmed for Phone Scoop that the company will be pushing out the Android 2.2 Froyo update to the HTC Droid Incredible starting today, August 27. This update will include Flash Player 10.1 pre-installed, the 3G Mobile HotSpot feature, support for 720p video recording and more. Verizon will test the over-the-air update to a small set of users before beginning the full-scale update.
Hands On with the Motorola Droid Maxx 2 for Verizon
The Maxx 2 from Motorola is the less expensive of Verizon's two new Droids, but it is no less compelling. The phone offers incredible battery life, customizable rear shells, and specs to spare.
Verizon's Moto Z Droid Scores Security Update
Verizon Wireless has begun distributing a minor system update to the Motorola Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid. According to the change log, the update applies the most recent security patch (Jan.
HTC's Unlocked 10 Snags Android 7 Update
HTC said the unlocked variant of its HTC 10 smartphone should receive Android 7 Nougat beginning today. The update is being pushed out over-the-air to the U.S.
Verizon Says Droid Turbo Lollipop 5.1 Update Pushing Wednesday
Verizon Wireless said the Motorola Droid Turbo will be updated to Android 5.1 Lollipop beginning the afternoon of Wednesday, July 1. The update will be delivered in phases over a few weeks.
Verizon's Moto Z2 Force Scores Android 8 Oreo Upgrade
Verizon Wireless today began rolling out the Android 8 Oreo system update to the Motorola Moto Z2 Force. In addition to the core Oreo features, including notification dots and picture-in-picture, the update makes improvements to productivity, performance, and notifications.
Maybe you'll get lucky though.


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After partnering with Guillemot Brothers Limited, Ubisoft's largest shareholder, Tencent hopes to bring more of the company's games to mobile.
Ubisoft revealed that a closed alpha test is starting on May 3, 2022 for Android users that are selected.
A new job listing hints at yet another VR project from Ubisoft. At the very least, it signifies the publisher's big push into the VR space.
At today's Ubisoft Forward, the company showed that it's still supporting Stadia in a big way. Here's why that's important for the struggling cloud streaming service.
Ubisoft has launched its own subscription service for its large library of games. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Far Cry 6 is the latest in the series of sandbox shooters from Ubisoft. Here's what we know so far about its setting, villain, story, and more.
We got to spend four hours with Watch Dogs: Legion, the latest game from Ubisoft. There's a lot going on, from the gameplay and open-world mechanics to the story. Here's what we thought.
Ubisoft is bringing a ton of games to Google's Stadia game streaming service, including brand-new games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla coming to the service day one.
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Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android


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CareZone sues Express Scripts over pharmacy contract
CareZone, an online service that delivers prescriptions to people's homes, is suing Express Scripts for allegedly engaging in anticompetitive behavior by locking out mail-order firms.
The bottom line: This dispute shines another light on how pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts profit from the drug supply chain — in this case, how it is more beneficial for PBMs to prefer their own mail-order pharmacies over others. Express Scripts denies CareZone's allegations.
The details: Express Scripts just threatened to end its contract with CareZone, CNBC reported this week. And now CareZone is retaliating by arguing Express Scripts took that action "to steer as many patients as it can to its own mail-order pharmacy, in order to thwart competition from innovative market entrants, and thereby increase profits."
- PBMs determine which pharmacies are in-network for health insurance plans. Express Scripts specifically owns pharmacies that mail drugs to people at home.
- Owning mail-order pharmacies and controlling contracts with insurance plans gives PBMs an incentive to direct patients to their own mail-order pharmacies even if cheaper options exist — thus, keeping all revenue.
- The lawsuit alleges Express Scripts "allows pharmacies to sell prescription drugs to consumers through the 'retail, storefront' channel only, and expressly prohibits pharmacies from making sales to consumers through 'mail order.'"
Yes, but: CareZone's "innovative" model also is a complex business arrangement. The pharmacy, CZ Services, is separate from the mail-order company, CareZone, but they work together. Express Scripts' contract termination comes against CZ Services even though CareZone technically mails the drugs.
- Express Scripts created a website that maintains CareZone broke the law with how it dispenses drugs.


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Check out Cara Delevingne's new pink hair - love love love!
The 22-year-old revealed her brand new pink hair colour while watching her girlfriend St Vincent perform at the Osheaga Music and Art Festival on Saturday in Montreal, Canada.
We're pleased to see the model/actress have a little fun, especially after the crazy week she had last week.
Anyway, what do you think of Cara's candy floss pink hair?
Rainbow hair is as rebellious as it is feel-good (plus Lizzo and Katy Perry are doing it)


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FCC Announces Broadband Privacy Proposal
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced that a proposed rulemaking is being circulated among the Commissioners that would establish privacy and data security requirements applicable to providers of broadband Internet access service (BIAS). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) itself will not be released to the public until the end of March when it is scheduled for a vote, but Chairman Wheeler released a summary of his proposal on Thursday.
In adopting the Open Internet Order, which reclassified BIAS as a telecommunications service subject to Title II of the Communications Act, the FCC determined that the privacy provisions of Section 222 of the Communications Act that govern how call detail and call record information are used and protected by providers of telecommunications services also would apply to BIAS providers. The Commission concluded, however, that its rules implementing the privacy provisions of that Title were ill-suited for broadband privacy, and opted to forbear from applying those rules to BIAS providers. Instead, the Commission stated that it would establish a new privacy framework applicable to BIAS providers, and last week’s announcement represents the start of that process.
The summary claims that ISPs have “an unobstructed view of all of their [customers] unencrypted online activity,” and that a “consumer’s relationship with her ISP is very different than the one she has with a website or app.” As with the net neutrality rules adopted in the Open Internet Order, the proposed FCC broadband privacy rules would apply exclusively to providers of BIAS and not to “edge providers” like Amazon and Facebook, online ad networks or others in the broadband ecosystem. The summary notes that the proposed rules also would not apply to other types of online services offered by a BIAS provider, “such as operation of a social media website.”
BIAS providers have emphasized the importance of avoiding prescriptive rules that could stifle innovation and of harmonizing any new FCC broadband privacy obligations with the Federal Trade Commission’s existing privacy framework. They maintain that Internet Service Providers do not have unique access to broadband customer data, citing a recent paper published by Georgia Institute of Technology professor Peter Swire titled “Online Privacy and ISPs: ISP Access to Consumer Data is Limited and Often Less than Access by Others,” and therefore should not be subject to privacy obligations that differ materially from those applied to others in the broadband ecosystem.
The FCC’s proposal is built on three principles:
- • Choice – consumers have a right to exercise meaningful control over the personal data collected by their broadband provider;
- • Transparency – consumers have a right to accurate disclosures of broadband providers’ privacy practices; and
- • Security – broadband providers have a responsibility to protect consumer data.
The proposed FCC framework would require that:
- • Customer data necessary to provide broadband services (such as billing) and for marketing the types of broadband services purchased by the customer (such as a larger data plan) would not require additional customer consent.
- • Customer data could be used by broadband providers to market other “communications-related services” and could be shared with their affiliates that provide other communications-related services for marketing such services, so long as the providers offer the customer an opt out opportunity. Any other use or sharing of customer would require “express, affirmative opt-in consent.”
- • Broadband providers must take reasonable steps to safeguard customer information from unauthorized use or disclosure, including risk management practices, employee training, customer authentication requirements, the appointment of a senior manager to oversee privacy, and other practices.
- • Broadband providers would be required to notify customers, the FCC, and potentially the FBI and Secret Service of breach within 7-10 days of discovery.
Several key issues were left unaddressed in the summary, including the scope of broadband customer data covered and the treatment of de-identified information. More visibility on these issues will likely need to wait until at least March 31 when the FCC holds its next open meeting, and where it is expected to vote on the NPRM.


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Bishkek, Feb. 20, 2018 / Kabar/. Kazakhstan produced over 2,000 vehicles worth 12.1 billion tenge in January 2018, according to the Union of Enterprises of the Automobile Industry of Kazakhstan (KazAvtoProm), Kazinform reported.
“In January 2018, 2,105 units of vehicles (including passenger cars, trucks, buses, special vehicles and trailers) totaling 12.1 billion tenge were produced in Kazakhstan. The volume of output in physical terms exceeded the last year's indicator by 3.6 times. The production of passenger cars increased by 3.7 times, reaching 2,041 units,” the message said.
The sale of domestic car factories in the first month of 2018 reached 1,340 vehicles, which is 77.7 percent higher than last year's figure (754 vehicles).
The market share of enterprises of the auto industry increased to 41.2 percent compared to 30.5 percent in the same period last year.
Lada (763 cars), KIA (128), Hyundai (125), Ravon (96) and Chevrolet (46) are among the five most popular brands of passenger cars of Kazakh assembly in January.
As many as 99 cars in January were purchased by participants of the state program of preferential auto loans. They accounted for 7.4 percent of sales of cars of local production.
“The second year of restorative growth of Kazakhstan car production started with high indicators. The market share of KazAvtoProm exceeded 41 percent. And this is the second best figure in the history of the industry: two out of five Kazakhstanis who bought a new car in January, chose the offers of domestic enterprises,” Oleg Alferov, chairman of the board of KazAvtoProm said.
In January, the automakers provided a fifth of the total output of the machine-building industry. Against the backdrop of a 4 percent growth of the Kazakh economy, the contribution of the auto industry to the country's GDP grew 2.4 times and exceeded twice that of the light and pharmaceutical industries.
KazAvtoProm is a union which was established in 2015 and unites the largest participants of the Kazakh automotive industry. The share of enterprises-members of the union accounts for over 60 percent of the output of the Kazakhstan automobile industry and more than 40 percent of those employed in the automobile industry of the republic.
Car manufacturing is growing at an unprecedented rate in Kazakhstan and significant expansion is planned in coming years.
As of November 2015, the number of registered vehicles reached 5 million automobiles, a 63 percent growth from 2013 (a 10 percent compound annual growth rate). On average, there is a car in every second household in the country.


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A new Nintendo Switch leak has given us our first look at what the new console will look like.
According to a new leak on WinFuture, Bigben is getting ready to release a Nintendo Switch silicon sleeve.
While it doesn’t feature the new console itself, the silicon sleeve gives us our first look at the design of the console and its features.
For starters, the packaging suggests that the new console will be known as the Mini Switch 2.
As you can see from the images below, the new console will feature an almost identical design to the current model, only slightly smaller.
Interestingly, however, it doesn’t look like the Joy-Cons will be detachable in the new model.
With local multiplayer such a big selling point of the Switch, the lack of removable Joy-Cons would be disappointing, so hopefully there’s a workaround.
The Bigben case is the latest in a long line of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks.
Spanish retailer GAME recently listed nine new items for the Nintendo Switch Mini, leading to speculation that an announcement is imminent.
This includes protective cases, screen covers and starter kits for the new console.
The rumours of a new Nintendo Switch began when The Wall Street Journal told fans to expect two new models in the near future.
According to a post, one of the new models will be the aforementioned portable-only handheld.
Launching at a cheaper price point, the handheld Switch is said to omit the vibration function and is described as a follow-up to the Nintendo 3DS.
The post also suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 – or Nintendo Switch Pro – will launch as a premium alternative to the regular Switch.
The upgraded console will reportedly come with an improved processor and a higher resolution touchscreen.
Expect an official announcement by Nintendo in the coming months – perhaps during the next Nintendo Direct conference.
Source: Read Full Article


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CHICAGO — Greg Mandolini has a sign sitting prominently on his desk in his office at Mandolini Co. at the Chicago International Produce Market.
He smiles and gives a half-hearted chuckle when it’s brought to his attention, but beneath the veneer is a man who strongly believes every word.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
Mike Ruffolo, salesman for Michael J. Navilio & Son Inc., Chicago, displays a package of Earthbound Farm organic spring mix. Ruffolo says profits are down despite normal sales.
It’s Mandolini’s mantra for dealing in the produce industry during these difficult economic times, and it might as well be for all of his peers in Chicago and beyond.
“It’s been difficult,” said Mandolini, president of the company. “Volume has been down, you can’t deny it. We’re forced to be more proactive with our accounts receivable. You don’t want to chase away customers, but you also have to take care of your business.
“I want to be your produce supplier, not your banker.”
Mandolini said there have been days over the last year where he’s been left “scratching my head and saying, ‘Give me a break.’ I just think people are being a lot more cautious now with what they’re doing with their money.”
He said his situation has been made more difficult by the fact Mandolini Co. Inc. deals mostly with fresh fruits, especially tree fruits and citrus.
“I think it’s maybe easier to be a distributor in vegetables,” he said, “because when you open a cookbook, it’s not telling you to throw a package of grapes into a recipe.”
True enough. But the last year and a half haven’t been easy for distributors of fresh produce of any kind.
“We always thought we were recession-proof,” said Rich Domagala, vice president of Evergreen International Inc., also located on the Chicago International Produce Market. “We got a rude awakening. We have a good mix of foodservice and independent retail customers, and I know all of their profit margins are hurting. Everyone’s looking to save money.”
Breck Grigas, president of World Wide Produce Inc. on the terminal market, said the produce industry is in the same condition as business on the whole — no worse, no better.
“It’s been tough on everybody,” he said. “In economic conditions like this, you just have to tighten up and pay attention to the smaller details. Everybody’s in the same boat.”
Grigas said some of the finer details he’s addressed to take care of business at World Wide have been to maintain a diverse customer base, especially when it comes to servicing the company’s many independent retailers, which serve a wide array of culturally diverse groups among the Chicago metro area’s 9 million inhabitants. That means keeping on hand a wide variety of commodities.
“This market (which opened in November of 2002) has changed a lot since the old South Water Market,” Grigas said. “People have a lot more room to deal in a lot more commodities.”
Mike Ruffolo, salesman at Michael J. Navilio & Son Inc. on the terminal, said his company, which deals primarily in specialty produce items, is selling the same amount of produce during the economic downturn, just not for as big a profit.
“People have to eat,” Ruffolo said. “I’m not saying we’re recession-proof. We’re selling the same, but we’re not making as much money. We’re holding our own, but I think that’s due to adding salesmen, adding commodities, working on customer service, getting our orders out properly.
“It’s how you manage your Xs and Os. Profit isn’t as high. We’re working on smaller margins. But people are still going to buy it.”
Dave Watson, president and chief operating officer of Strube Celery & Vegetable Co., also on the terminal, said as much as the economy has hurt the produce marketplace, a couple of developments in the Chicago area produce industry have affected it even more.
Certified Grocers Midwest Inc., for instance, merged its business with Central Grocers Cooperative early this year.
Central Grocers, a large wholesale supplier of independent retailers and foodservice businesses in the Chicago market, then built a new facility in Joliet, Ill., and decided to source from outside the market.
“That took two large customers out of the terminal market,” Watson said.
Just another challenge for the “tough people” of the Chicago produce market to endure, he said.
“We just have to continually find ways to stay relevant to our core customer base,” he said.


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SophiaTX, an open source platform to integrate blockchain technology with enterprise systems, announced that they have been chosen to integrate blockchain technology with the Malaysian automotive industry on November 27, 2018.
A Memorandum of Agreement was finalized between Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) that functions as the focal point, coordination centre and think tank for Malaysia’s automotive sector and Crypto Valley Malaysia (CVM) an organization whose goal is to combine industries with the implementation of Hybrid Exponential Technologies such as Blockchain, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, to create business solutions. The aim of the agreement is drive forward blockchain technologies to support the national Industry4WRD policy.
Co-founder of CVM, Effendy Zulkifly commented:
“Through the deployment of SophiaTX blockchain, we aim to deliver greater efficiencies, enable higher collaboration along the value chain and reimagine new business models, especially when it comes to ownership and use of shared assets.”
Using the SophiaTX Blockchain, the collaboration hopes to solve many obstacles, such as supply chain transparency, inventory, delivery times, and the effectiveness of the system as a whole.
Dato’ Madani Sahari, CEO of Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), addressed the partnership:
“As the industry begins to recognize the immense potential of blockchain and how it can redefine the automotive industry, it is essential for governments and businesses alike to adapt as technology evolves through strategic partnerships to make transportation more efficient, affordable, accessible, safer, and greener. This is what we would like to advance together with CVM and we’re pleased to be part of this collaboration.”


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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was the best-selling game of 2014, to absolutely nobody’s surprise.
NPD December 2014
Total industry spend for December down 1% year-on-year.
Total industry spend for 2014 up 1%.
Big increases in hardware compensate for drops in software.
Compare month on month: November 2014
Compare year-on-year: December 2013
The NPD has released its December and full year 2014 reports on the US market, and they’re desperately unsurprising.
The PS4 was the best-selling console of the year, which we expected, as it was the best-selling console for ten consecutive months before a price cut allowed the Xbox One to take the top spot in November.
According to a statement from Sony, the PS4 was also the best-selling console globally. It remains the fastest selling PlayStation console yet, and has sold 18.5 million units in the 14 months since its launch, including 4.1 million holiday sales across 123 countries.
We’ll see how that pans out in the coming months now that Microsoft has announced it intends to keep the Xbox One price low, having been the best-selling console in December.
The NPD Group said that PS4 and Xbox One combined sales continue to outpace the PS3 and Xbox 360 during the same period.
The Wii U had a good time over the holidays, Nintendo said, enjoying its best month of sales to date in December. Total December Wii U hardware sales increased 29%, and software sales jumped by 75%, year-on-year.
The 3DS also established a record for greatest single month first-party software sales, thanks to Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.
This year’s Call of Duty, Advanced Warfare, was the best-selling game of the year, which is deeply unsurprising. Activision must be pleased as Ghosts, last year’s entry, has a somewhat poor reputation (it did sell like hotcakes but was outpaced by GTA 5). The Xbox 360 version of Advanced Warfare was the most popular, followed by Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and PC.
Over the course of the year, new-gen software sales increased 70% (unsurprising, as they were on sale for ten more months than in 2013), and last-gen software sales dropped 33%. Portable software dropped 16% over 2013.
You’ll notice there’s no Assassin’s Creed or Just Dance game on the top ten. Happily for Ubisoft, Watch Dogs is still doing pretty well.
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, PC)
- Madden NFL 15 (Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS3)
- Destiny (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3)
- Minecraft (Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4)
- Super Smash Bros. (3DS, Wii U)
- NBA 2K15 (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
- Watch Dogs (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U)
- FIFA 15 (Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Wii, 3DS, Vita)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, PC)
For December 2014, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was the tops seller, and Activision was rather pleased with the shooter topping both charts and Destiny being included on each.
“We’d like to thank our fans for making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare the number one, top-selling video game in the world and Destiny the number one new video game IP of 2014,” said CEO Eric Hirshberg in a prepared statement. “As much fun as we had making these games, we’ve had even more fun playing alongside you.”
Grand Theft Auto 5 came in second during December, Madden 15 came in third for the month, and Nitendo’s Super Smash Bros. landed in the top five in fourth.
Ubisoft’s Far Cry 4 and Just Dance landed in top 10 and Destiny was there as well in ninth place.
Below is the software chart for December.
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)
- Grand Theft Auto V (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)
- Madden NFL 15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3)
- Super Smash Bros.(NWU, 3DS)
- NBA 2K15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)
- Minecraft (360, XBO, PS3, PS4)
- Far Cry 4 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)
- Just Dance 2015 (Wii, 360, NWU, XBO, PS4, PS3)
- Destiny (XBO, 360, PS4, PS3)
- FIFA 15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, Wii, 3DS, PSV)
December 2014 saw “relatively stable” sales, with a negligible 1% year-on-year decline in hardware and software sales.
For the year as a whole, overall sales increased 1% with total spend of $13.1 billion.
Hardware increased 20% ($838 million) to $5.07 billion, making up for a 13% ($808 million) decline in software sales to $5.3 billion. Accessories grew $132 million, perhaps thanks to Amiibo and Disney infinity.
As ever, these figures only include traditional physical retail, so don’t get depressed about the downswing in software in particular – especially as there was a 10% decline in new releases over 2013, and last year saw the juggernaut launch of GTA 5.


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It may be on the other side of the country, but the devastating drought happening in California right now could soon have a major impact on grocery budgets in Maryland.
Hackers are targeting millions across the country. Companies nationwide have fallen victim to data breaches. Now the U.S. Attorney General is calling on Congress to take steps to protect consumers.
Target, Neiman Marcus, Michaels and the University of Maryland. They’re all major retailers and institutions hit by hackers.
Legislation encouraging vendors to make local fruits and vegetables more available in “food deserts” moved through the House and on to the Senate on Friday.
Giant Food, LLC announced it removed from sale Hot Pockets Philly Steak & Cheese as a result of the Rancho Feeding Corporation recall of meat products. The USDA announced a recall of Rancho Feeding Corporation meat products because they were produced without all required inspections.
This week’s storm brought much of the city to a halt. For retailers that usually thrive the day before Valentine’s Day, the snow cost them thousands in sales.
Shoppers in Maryland who purchase qualifying Energy Star products will get a break from the state’s 6 percent sales tax this weekend.
As the storm ramps up, most of Maryland is thinking the same thing–not again! People crowd grocery stores and gas stations, bracing for more.
Amtrak will suspend some services between New York and south of Washington, D.C., due to the latest winter storm forecast for the Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino is dealing out jobs: 1,700 positions need to be filled.
A study on raising the minimum wage in Maryland is warning about some of the negative impacts an increase would have on businesses, particularly on the hospitality industry and food services.
First Mariner Bancorp, a holding company that owns 1st Mariner Bank, says it has filed for bankruptcy and plans to sell 1st Mariner to a group of investors.
Sometimes, great deals are just too good to be true.
Suppose you won the lottery, what happens next? Check out these amazing tax havens where you can stow your money without worrying about the tax hit.
You’re making small talk at a party, and then you ask the big question, “So what do you do for a living?” The answer determines if you exchange phone numbers or say goodnight. A survey on the Careerbuilder website asked which occupations are the sexiest. Here is the top 10 list. …
Find out what colors you should be wearing this summer.


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Zips Car Wash expands on the East Coast
from Professional Carwashing & Detailing
Zips Car Wash grew on the East Coast with the acquisition of four Wash Wizard Car Wash locations in Charleston, South Carolina, according to a press release. Before the acquisition, the growing company operated just eight stores in South Carolina, the release continued, but Zips will now operate 12 stores across the state and 28 locations up the Eastern Seaboard from South Florida to North Carolina.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


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Chief who made Google £550bn firm stands down after 17 years
Eric Schmidt is stepping down as the top boss of Google’s parent company Alphabet
Eric Schmidt is stepping down as the top boss of Google’s parent company after 17 years at the helm.
The 62-year-old helped take Google from a start-up of about 200 people to a technology giant worth £550billion and employing 72,000.
He oversaw its reorganisation into the Alphabet group two years ago, which separated the internet-related business from the other sprawling interests ranging from life sciences to artificial intelligence and airships.
Schmidt, who was executive chairman, stays on Alphabet’s board as an adviser when he steps down next month.
His replacement is likely to be a non-executive chairman.
The businessman and former software engineer was brought in in 2001 by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, after previously being chief executive of a software company that was later bought by UK rival Micro Focus International.
The three of them agreed to stay with the company when it went public three years later, until at least 2024.
Schmidt is now worth about £10.3billion, according to Forbes.
He said he reached his decision after discussions with Page and Brin, and chief executive Sundar Pichai.
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Just a few days ago, Verizon Wirelessannounced that they would be offering a new unlimited data plan. Shortly after, T-Mobile responded by adjusting its unlimited plan so it could keep up with what Verizon was offering. Sprint didn't take too long to join in on the trend by improving the unlimited data plan it was already offering. So where does that leave AT&T?
AT&T has announced this week that it is planning to introduce its first 5G wireless service in the next few months in the United States mobile market, particularly in the cities of Austin in Texas and Indianapolis in Indiana. On top of that, the second biggest wireless carrier in America is also looking to set up a couple of new 5G test beds that should launch in spring of this year at the AT&T Labs also located in Austin.
Here is some good news for customers under AT&T’s prepaid brand -- Cricket Wireless has decided to boost the data cap on its $50 a month plan. From 5 gigabytes of data, mobile users now get to enjoy 8 gigabytes of data monthly. Also, the mobile operator has also done well to make the $50 a month plan a permanent option, instead of remaining as a special offer previously.
T-Mobile is at it again. The third biggest wireless carrier in the United States is once again launching a new promotional deal that takes a dig at AT&T’s DirecTV Now service. This time around, T-Mobile is offering a whole year’s subscription to Hulu absolutely free of charge to former AT&T users who have switched to T-Mobile.
AT&T has no shortage of international roaming plans. But for its subscribers who frequently travel to other countries, they have plenty of reason to want a little more than what the major US wireless carrier is currently offering.
Just like Verizon Wireless, the second biggest wireless carrier in America has decided to increase its activation and upgrade fees. According to a report published by Droid Life, AT&T has hiked the charge for activating or upgrading a device on its network from the previous $20 to $25.
This piece of news may not be welcome for those owning the original iPhone or the BlackBerry Pearl. AT&T has confirmed that it has indeed discontinued its 2G services as of January 1st of this year. To its credit, the second biggest wireless carrier in the United States did promise more than four years ago that it would do so. Well now, it has been made official.
It is not just Verizon Wireless subscribers getting some bit of unpleasant news today. For those currently subscribing to AT&T, know that the wireless carrier has decided to increase the prices of its legacy unlimited data plans by $5 a month.
AT&T is launching a new special offer for new and existing subscribers this week, specifically a buy one get one promo on the major US wireless carrier’s best selling mobile devices. In this deal, customers who decide to purchase a brand new smartphone will get another device and only get to pay for one unit. This offer is good until December 24th.
Wirefly Is America's Most Trusted Source For All Cell Phones, Plans, TV, and Internet Deals
Wirefly offers great deals on a large selection of smartphones, cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other wireless devices for the nation's most popular carriers. Use Wirefly’s innovative cell phone and plan comparison tools to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market. Shop with confidence knowing that Wirefly wants to help you find the best prices on cell phones, cell phone plans, TV, and Internet service.


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- Stitch Fix's CEO and cofounder, Katrina Lake, has shares worth more than $250 million following the company's IPO.
- However, Stitch Fix has another cofounder who has been scrubbed from its history: Erin Flynn.
- Flynn filed a complaint against Lake in 2012, alleging that the cofounder was trying to force her out of the company.
Fashion startup Stitch Fix's IPO left one cofounder a very wealthy woman, with shares that are reportedly worth more than $250 million.
However, there's another cofounder who has been scrubbed from the company's history and cut off from the $1.63 billion IPO.
While CEO Katrina Lake has taken on the role as the visible founder and figurehead for the company, Stitch Fix's regulatory filings show that the company was cofounded by Erin Morrison Flynn, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In 2010, Lake and Flynn started a company called Rack Habit that would later rebrand as Stitch Fix, according to a complaint filed by Flynn. When the pair founded the company, Lake was still in school at Harvard Business School, while Flynn says she ran the business full time without taking a salary.
In a post in Rack Habit's blog from 2011, Flynn is described as the founder "responsible for making the creative decisions that shape not only rack habit as a company, but also what's inside the rack habit packages." In the post, Flynn says she was living her dream as the startup's cofounder.
"[F]rom day one kat and my mantra has been 'we are going to do this.' and we haven't looked back," Flynn said.
Flynn originally owned a substantial portion of the company, which raised $750,000 in seed funding from Baseline Ventures in 2011.
In a complaint filed in 2012, Flynn accused Lake of trying to dilute her shares in the company, a storyline that's familiar to anyone who knows Facebook's history or who has watched "The Social Network." The complaint states that Lake tried to force Flynn out of the company after Flynn had her lawyer talk to Lake about rumored changes at Stitch Fix.
The case was settled out of court for an unknown amount of money in 2014. Flynn is not mentioned in almost any company records, while Lake has taken on the role of Stitch Fix's very visible figurehead and CEO.
Lake currently owns roughly 15% of the company, which was valued at $1.63 billion when it went public on Friday. That means Lake's share in Stitch Fix is now worth almost $250 million. Lake also sold one million shares in the IPO, racking up almost $17 million on Friday morning.
Flynn was not listed as a major shareholder in the company's regulatory filings.
Neither Stitch Fix nor a lawyer for Flynn immediately returned Business Insider's request for comment.


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Business Travel Show Europe Kick Off, 23 February,
Global Travel Risk Summit Europe, May 2023,
3rd Annual Sustainable Business Travel Summit
Many tourists visiting London remain unaware of the lower fares available on the Oyster card, meaning some are still paying more than they need to when travelling around the capital, the London Assembly heard today (20 May).
In a meeting to discuss the London Development Agency’s (LDA) draft Tourism Action Plan, Members of the Assembly’s Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism (EDCST) Committee were told that not enough was being done to promote the cost benefits of the Oyster card for both overseas visitors and those from other parts of the UK.
Committee Members also heard that high prices on the Heathrow Express were affecting first impressions of the capital.
Simon Calder, Travel Editor for the Independent told the Committee: "When you arrive in London you have the choice, if you land at Heathrow, of having to unravel the difficult system of getting an Oyster card or buying a ticket on the most expensive domestic train anywhere in the world: the Heathrow Express. Those are very difficult first impressions to overcome."
Encouraging London’s 20 million transit passengers to spend time in the capital rather than simply changing planes could also boost tourism in London. Measures could include free tours and overnight accommodation for transit passengers, similar to initiatives currently used in Dubai and Singapore, the Committee heard.
Dee Doocey AM, Chair of the EDCST Committee said: “It seems we’re missing a few tricks here when it comes to getting transport right for tourists. The draft Tourism Action Plan needs to include simple measures to address some of the problems we’ve heard today. It could dramatically improve the visitor experience and boost the tourism industry, which is crucial to London’s economic success.”
Today’s meeting will inform the Committee’s response to the LDA’s consultation on the draft Tourism Action Plan.


text: The US publisher of the Reader's Digest has announced its intention to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Reader's Digest Association, owned by the New York private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings since 2007, has reached an agreement in principle with the majority of its secured lenders on the terms of a restructuring plan that aims to significantly reduce its current $2.2bn (£1.3bn) debt burden, through a pre-arranged Chapter 11 protection filing. Only the US brand will be affected while operations in Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia-New Zealand are set to continue as usual. RDA's international operations are expected to have adequate funding based on continuing operations and access to proceeds from the Debtor-In-Possession financing, which involves $150m provided by certain members of the senior lender group. The Association's chief executive officer Mary Berner said that the company will operate normally for now: 'This agreement in principle with our lenders follows months of intensive strategic review of our balance sheet issues to financially strengthen the company. We are gratified to have this support from our secured lender group. The company has strong brands and products, a leadership position in many markets around the world and a solid plan for the future. Restructuring our debt will enable us to have the financial flexibility to move ahead with our growth and transformational initiatives,' she added. The RDA has offices in 44 countries, and produces 50 editions of the magazine.


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THE MARKET SEEMS to have found its footing when it comes to inflation. Friday’s Consumer Price Index report was roughly in line with expectations. Recently, there haven’t been any major shifts in the experts’ inflation forecasts. The bond market has also calmed down. Just a few weeks ago, the 10-year Treasury yield neared 1.7%. It settled at 1.49% on Friday.
Volatility could reemerge later this week, however. Data on producer prices post on Tuesday,
MY YEAR BEGAN WITH a fulltime job at an energy trading company. But I knew my days were numbered. I’d spent six years trading, working with clients and helping to manage risk, all while being surrounded by smart and fun people. But as side gigs, I’d also spent several years writing about finance and teaching as an adjunct professor. Writing became my passion—one that didn’t mesh well with my day job.
That’s how, in January,
FINANCIAL MARKETS had a lot to digest in recent days: Retail analysts are keeping a close eye on holiday spending, economists got their latest dose of employment data—and traders are coming to grips with the current bout of volatility.
The VIX, the S&P 500 Volatility Index or “fear gauge,” surged above 30 on Friday. That was the highest end-of-week close since January. For perspective, the VIX climbed to 80 during 2020’s COVID-19 stock market crash.
DRIVING PART of the nation’s labor shortage is a wave of early retirements dubbed the “Great Resignation.” A red-hot housing market and booming stock market have made it financially easier for many to quit traditional nine-to-five employment, as has employers’ embrace of part-time, work-from-home positions. Add to that virus concerns and parents’ difficulty finding child care, and you’ve had a perfect storm for the labor market.
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal,
COVID STRIKES AGAIN. The new Omicron variant found in parts of southern Africa was the reason cited for Friday’s stock market freefall. It was the worst day for the S&P 500 since late February. So far this year, the U.S. stock market has endured a 2% one-day drop on six occasions.
This most recent market plunge felt similar to declines in February and March 2020, making investors extra jittery and prompting traders to reopen their playbook from 22 months ago.
THERE’S BEEN MUCH talk in 2021 about the future of work, with a big focus on remote and hybrid office arrangements. But I’m more intrigued by another major trend: job hopping. Each month, labor economists get a fresh read on the pace of hirings, firings and quits. In fact, the “quit rate” has become a household term in 2021, as workers change jobs to snag higher pay.
That got me thinking about conventional personal finance wisdom,
THE BOND MARKET has had a turbulent year. Interest rates, which move in the opposite direction of bond prices, spiked in early 2021 on hopes of an economic reopening. The 10-year Treasury yield, which started the year under 1%, surged above 1.75% in March, before subsiding in the second quarter and the third quarter’s initial weeks.
Today, 10-year Treasury buyers can earn a smidgen more than 1.5%, far less than the 6.2% inflation rate.
BORED ONE WEEKEND, I took up actor Ryan Reynolds on his offer to switch cellphone carriers. Frugal guy that I am, I’d been a loyal Republic Wireless subscriber for several years before my recent change. My new plan is on the Mint Mobile platform.
Perhaps you’ve seen Mint’s commercials on NFL Sunday or when perusing YouTube videos, with its offer of four gigabytes of data with unlimited text and calls. This will cost me a measly $201 a year,
IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, you want to stick with your long-term investment plan, while remaining open to new ideas. It’s a balancing act—to avoid missing a new, long-lasting trend, while not getting caught up in a bubble.
That’s how I feel about cryptocurrencies. Their market cap has swelled to $2.6 trillion. But what does that mean? Contrast that to the value of the global stock and bond markets: Each is about $125 trillion.
IT’S CRUNCH TIME for retailers. Black Friday, it’s said, is the day many stores finally turn a profit for the year. While that’s a myth, there’s no doubt analysts will be watching closely to see how consumers spend the extra cash generated by stimulus checks and an improving economy.
Americans sure seem ready to spend. According to Creditcards.com, approximately four in 10 shoppers are willing to go into or add to debt for this year’s holiday spending.
OCTOBER’S EMPLOYMENT report was impressive: 531,000 jobs were created, beating economists’ expectations. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.6%, while average hourly earnings increased a solid 0.4% from September.
Across the board, the data from the U.S. labor market show the economy is humming along, with no signs of stagflation. I like to dig into the wage numbers to see which segments of the workforce are enjoying the best pay increases. Leisure and hospitality pay rose the most,
HEALTH SAVINGS accounts are frequently praised on HumbleDollar—with good reason. A lesser-known benefit: Health savings accounts, or HSAs, can be a boon for new employees, thanks to the last-month rule.
What’s that? If you have a qualifying high deductible health plan (HDHP) as of Dec. 1, you’re eligible to make a full-year HSA contribution, even if you only just bought an HDHP. On top of that, if you continue HDHP coverage,
THE 2017 TAX CUTS and Jobs Act doubled the standard deduction. It’s estimated that 90% of households took the standard deduction in 2018, rather than itemizing, up from 69% in 2017.
The tax-code overhaul essentially means it costs more to donate to your favorite qualifying charities—unless you’re among the 10% whose itemized deductions exceed their standard deduction. To be sure, we shouldn’t give to charity solely for the potential tax benefit. Even if you itemize and hence you can deduct your gift,
IT WASN’T LONG AGO that a saver could make a few bucks in a money market fund. In late 2018, the Federal Reserve had hiked short-term interest rates. By early the next year, Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (symbol: VMFXX) was sporting a yield near 2.5%.
While it might take years to see that sort of juicy risk-free rate again, market observers now believe the Fed will begin a tightening cycle that will lead to higher short-term interest rates.
WE SPEND TOO MUCH time worrying about stagflation. The term describes a period of high inflation with stagnant growth—a disastrous economic condition. It was seen at times during the worst of the mid-1970s recession, and again when inflation spiked in the early 1980s.
Do we see it today? No way.
Everyone over 60 surely recalls how difficult it was decades ago. Consumer prices were out of control. The unemployment rate jumped. Real wages were on the decline,


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Released November 23, 2022
Shop Local This Bank Holiday Weekend!
Another $15,000 Morris County Small Business Grant was presented today by the Morris County Commissioners who, along with the Mayor and Council President of Parsippany Township and the Morris County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), highlighted the importance of shopping local when the Nation recognizes Small Business Saturday.
“Small businesses are the backbone of Morris County. They are the backbone of the entire New Jersey economy, which is why my fellow commissioners developed the Morris County Small Business Grant Program earlier this year. We need to support our local entrepreneurs, and this weekend everyone can get involved by shopping locally during the annual Small Business Saturday,” said Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen.
He joined commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus and Commissioner Stephen Shaw today in providing a $15,000 grant Rajeev Chopra at Chopra Car Care in Parsippany. They were joined Parsippany Mayor Jamie Barberio, Council President Michael dePierro, EDC Director of Business Resources and Professional Development Ed Ramirez, and businessman Mickey Chopra, the shopkeeper’s brother.
“During the pandemic, I had no business at all. People didn’t drive, so they didn’t bring their cars in. That will help me a lot. I have some machines to update. My tire machine is very old and my wheel balancer will cost a lot. So I am very grateful,” said Rajeev Chopra, who was surrounded by his family when he received the scholarship.
Morris County launched its Small Business Grant Program on Valentine’s Day with $10 million in American Rescue Act Plan funding, and the commissioners have approved 782 applications so far.
“I know the Mayor of Parsippany, the Council President, myself and other Commissioners, we’ve been putting out application forms for this grant program all over the place and we’ve held events here in Parsippany and Dover and Morristown and elsewhere to reach the world – and we’ve been like that successful in that we not only put $10 million into the program, but had to add another $1.3 million,” said Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus.
The additional funds were approved last month on the back of a spate of applications submitted just before the program closes on September 30. Commissioners wanted to ensure that those companies that applied late and ultimately qualify are covered. Morris County is still processing approximately 85 additional applications.
“Parsippany is full of small businesses. They make up a large part of our economy and we are very grateful to the Commissioner for this grant scheme. It’s helped a lot of our local businesses, and I hope everyone gets out this weekend to shop locally on Small Business Saturday,” Mayor Barberio said.
The Morris County Commissioners passed a resolution Monday night designating this Saturday, November 26, as Morris County’s Small Business Saturday. Since 2010, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been nationally recognized as “Small Business Saturday” after it was created by American Express. The national campaign encourages holiday shoppers to patronize local businesses.
The Morris County Chamber of Commerce and EDC helped Morris County sponsor the Morris County Small Business Grant Program this year.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our inner cities and an essential part of our economy,” said Craig Schlosser, managing director of the Morris County Economic Development Society. “We are proud that New Jersey ranks 11th in the United States with over 861,000 small businesses.”
Meghan Hunscher, President of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce in Florham Park, added, “We are excited to support all of the ‘Shop Local’ initiatives that benefit business owners in Morris County.”
According to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 32.5 million small businesses in the United States, accounting for 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States, and they are responsible for creating 1.5 million jobs annually and representing 64 percent of new jobs created in the US
Despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, US consumers said they spent a record $23.3 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday 2021.
Above right: Director Selen presents a check for $15,000 to Rajeev Chopra of Chopra Auto Care, who is surrounded by his family. Also present are Deputy Director Krickus (far left) and (far right) Ed Ramirez of EDC, Commissioner Shaw, Council President dePierro and Mayor Barberio
Center Left: Director Selen with Rajeev Chopra. Both men immigrated to the United States and began pumping gasoline as their first jobs. Both men became successful businessmen.
Bottom right: Director Selen, surrounded by the Chopra family, spoke about the United States offering opportunities for people to succeed in business.


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Cleveland Retail Market Shows Signs Of Recovery From Last Recession
- Mar 26, 2015
A recent report by CBRE shows that the Cleveland retail market has stabilized, if not fully recovered from the recession. In 2014, the area has experienced positive net absorption for the second consecutive year, vacancies have continued to drop, falling under 10 percent, lease rates have improved, and shopping center sales have continued to increase.
The overall Cleveland-area vacancy rate started to decrease in 2012 and has continued the same downward trend. CBRE reports that, at the end of 2014, the vacancy rate reached 9 percent, down from 12.4 percent at the end of 2013. Although, as a whole, Northeast Ohio has not yet returned to pre-recession levels, some submarkets have shown signs of improvement over the past few years. These include Portage County, where vacancy dropped to 8.5 percent at the end of last year, from 13.5 percent in 2011, as well as Stark County, with a vacancy rate of 9.6 percent at the end of 2014. Other areas, such as Lake County or Medina County, are still under the effects of the recession, holding vacancy rates of over 12 percent.
Lease rates have improved steadily over the past six years. And, according to CBRE data, neighborhood shopping centers, power centers, and malls are performing well at the moment. The region’s average asking lease rate has reached $12.39 per square foot at the end of 2014.
There has also been an increase in shopping center sales in Northeast Ohio, with grocery-anchor centers in high demand over the past year. Two Cuyahoga Falls properties changed hands last November. Devonshire REIT Inc. bought the 456,044-square-foot Plaza at Chapel Hill together with two other properties, in Tennessee and Indiana, for a total of $88.4 million. And two affiliates of Boca Raton-based Pebb Enterprises, Akron Jupiter L.L.C. and Akron NPR L.L.C., paid $10.5 million for the Shoppes at Chapel Hill.
Retail construction activity has also come back to life in 2014, as a result of the improving employment and the shrinking Northeast Ohio residential and office markets. Some important projects have broken ground last year and, although developers are still looking for pre-lease commitments to justify new construction financing, several other projects are being planned in the region.
Chart courtesy of CBRE