text:
Announced earlier this year alongside a new partnership with the AFL, the rosters for each team competing in the 2018 League of Origin have now been officially announced.
There are more games coming out than ever, from indie gems to huge sprawling Triple A titles. But what if you’re on a budget and still want to enjoy a wide variety of high quality games? Well, you’re in luck, as the free to play games scene is better...
Latest News Articles
- PCWorld is streaming Atlas on Twitch and YouTube!
- For some, the glory days of Microsoft are ending in about a year
- Creative Super X-Fi review: A 'holographic audio' eargasm
- iOttie’s iON Wireless Stand review: A reliable wireless charger with the looks to match its speed
- Top 10 Apple and Android smartphones you can buy for under $300
Most Popular Articles
- 1 'Collection #1' reveals 773 million email addresses, passwords in one of largest data breaches ever
- 2 For some, the glory days of Microsoft are ending in about a year
- 3 Ring's founder says he's open to working with Google Assistant
- 4 LG V50 release date, price, specs and news rumours
- 5 Top 10 Apple and Android smartphones you can buy for under $300
Join the newsletter!
- CES 2019 Round-Up:
- Oppo R17 Pro review: Full, in-depth, Australian review
- Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will launch on Feb 20, and we only have one question.
- Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7: find out which cpu is better
- Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?


text:
BOSTON (CBS) – Imagine parking your brand new car in a parking garage only to return and find it sitting on blocks with all four wheels gone.
The I-Team found it’s happening quite a bit these days. Thieves appear to be targeting a particular model.
The Honda Fit is, as the TV ads say, a “small car of heroic proportions.”
But, many Fit owners are actually throwing a fit these days because the wheels are being stolen right off of the car.
A staggering number of shocked owners have found their cars sitting on milk crates, cinder blocks or just the pavement.
Thieves are feasting on the cars’ small alloy wheels and tires, which detectives say are easy to sell because they also “fit” the very popular Honda Civic.
WBZ-TV Chief Correspondent Joe Shortsleeve reports.
One Boston woman told the I-Team she left her brand new car in a parking garage in the South End only to return and find it sitting on cinder blocks.
She had owned it for six days.
“My car is sitting on a masonry white brick on one side and a jack on the other with just the axles… tipped down… pretty horrifying!” she said.
“I actually did cry a little, like a little girl. It was scary. I was thinking how this could happen in broad daylight?”
It has happened before at that garage, so now Honda Fit owners are warned only to park in certain spots.
There are even web sites devoted to the sad tales of Honda Fit owners.
Sgt. Kenny Lamb of the Boston Police is an expert on stolen cars.
He said there has been a “spike” in recent years. In fact, he said since January in Boston, there have been 71 similar thefts. The tires and rims are then often sold on Craigslist.com.
The experienced detective added that one East Boston thief was running quite the business.
“We found stacks of four tires in the house. They were all stacked together. They were stacked in the living room. They were stacked in the kitchen. They were stacked in the bedroom. There were more than 28 tires that we found in that house,” said Sgt. Lamb.
Documents obtained by the I-Team suggest thieves are also hitting the suburbs.
Weymouth Honda was hit the first week of June and three people from Boston were arrested.
Sgt. John Concannon is with the Weymouth Police.
“They say there is a very good secondary market for the tires and rims stolen off these vehicles. The rims are worth $400 each and the tires anywhere from $150 to $200 each,” said Sgt. Concannon.
You will never guess whose car it was that was hit that night in Weymouth. That is right. The exact same woman from Boston (interviewed above). This is where she bought the car and during the first week of ownership, it was here one night and all four wheels were stolen.
“It is crazy. I wish there was some way to compensate victims because after you buy a car it is a euphoric experience. You are excited but within a few days it was a nightmare. I had no car. I was better off with my 13- year-old yucky car,” said the woman.
So far, she has been hit with more than $3,500 in repair bills and insurance won’t cover it all. Needless to say, for her, it has not been a good fit.
Police suggest people purchase locks for the lug nuts on the wheels.
Dealers offer a package for about $75.
Also, police advised motorists to get a motion-activated alarm system, which sounds if the car is jostled or moved.

domain: news


text:
Japan’s gross domestic product grew in the July-September period for the first time in three quarters, marking annualized growth of 6 percent, the Cabinet Office said Monday.
Economists remain skeptical, however, that the recovery will keep up in the next few quarters, citing uncertainties both at home and in the global economy, particularly over the European debt crisis and the yen’s surging strength.
The GDP rise last quarter was led by the automobile industry, which recovered from the March 11 disasters and boosted exports by 6.2 percent.
Consumer spending also rebounded from March 11, growing by 1 percent from March-June.
It was the first GDP growth since the triple disasters devastated the Tohoku region and halted production and supply chains nationwide.
“The level of GDP growth is substantial, but it was within our range of predictions. There is no surprise,” Japan Research Institute economist Yusuke Shimoda told The Japan Times.
Shimoda said the growth of 6 percent is a clear sign that both the supply chain and consumer spending sentiment are on the path to recovery and that GDP could continue to rise for the time being.
But he also warned that the economy won’t be able to sustain that powerful rate.
“The recovery will continue, but such strong growth is unlikely to persist” in the next few quarters, he said, explaining that Europe’s sovereign debt crisis as well as the yen’s strength against other major currencies will inevitably hurt the Japanese economy.
“The cost of rebuilding Tohoku will begin to take effect on household incomes. That is also a reason” to expect a dip in consumer spending, Shimoda added.
“Restoring the supply chain following the Great East Japan Earthquake made progress quickly in the summer,” economic and fiscal policy minister Motohisa Furukawa said Monday.
But Furukawa also acknowledged that signs of a slowdown are already visible.
The yen remains at a historic high despite government interventions taking place as recently as last month, and Japan’s exporters say they are being hit awfully hard.
“We must watch closely the risks of overseas economies deteriorating and the yen’s quick rise as well as other factors such as the impact of the flooding in Thailand,” Furukawa said.
Hidenobu Tokuda, an economist at Mizuho Research Institute, agreed.
“The GDP’s high growth announced Monday shows that the supply chain is recovering strongly following the quake,” he said, but the momentum will eventually wear out.


text:
Domino moves into brand licensing with dinnerware maker Lenox
Domino Media Group’s first brand-licensing partnership is one the publisher expects to dine on for a long time — literally. On Sept. 19, the lifestyle publisher will announce a partnership with Lenox, the dinnerware company behind brands including Dansk and several brand-licensed lines for celebrities including fashion designer Kate Spade and chef Rick Bayless.
The two companies are working on a tabletop collection, the first brand licensing deal Domino has forged since the onetime Condé Nast shelter magazine was reborn in 2013 as a print magazine with an e-commerce focus. While this collaboration is still coming together — the plates, glasses and coffee mugs are expected to hit store shelves in the summer of 2018 — it adds Domino to a group of publishers taking brand licensing more seriously as they look to build diversified revenue streams.
“I really do think the future of a media brand has to include revenue streams that are independent of advertisers’ dollars,” said Nathan Coyle, Domino Media Group CEO. “This is, to me, a great proof point of that strategy.”
Since Coyle’s arrival at Domino last year, the publisher has developed new revenue streams, including a staging consulting business, pop-up shops and influencer network.
Brand licensing was part of Domino’s plans before Coyle arrived — it hired its first brand-licensing agent in 2015 — but Coyle, who spent many years as an agent at Creative Artists Agency before his stops at AOL and Refinery29, decided he wanted to take charge of that business, and let the 2015 firm go.
For this first partnership, Coyle chose an advertiser Domino already worked with, in the hopes of deepening a relationship, rather than cannibalizing one. It already sells Lenox plates in its online store and has done advertising with them. It’s a move designed to get around the conflict brand licensing often poses for publishers: putting their names on products that compete with what their advertisers sell.
“That confuses the channel,” said Coyle, who summarized the problem like this: “Are we a vehicle, or are we a competitor?”
Lenox’s size in the dinnerware market helped allay Coyle’s concerns. The company’s deep relationships with retailers added to the appeal. “I would not have been so quick to get into business with a smaller, more boutique-y brand,” Coyle said.
This deeper relationship requires a hefty marketing commitment. Domino is putting what Coyle estimated is worth $200,000 in advertising into a promotional campaign, which will include advertorial in Domino’s print edition, branded video and shelf space at a forthcoming Domino pop-up shop, will launch when the plates reach store shelves next year.
“We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” he said.
‘It has to be built in’: How agencies strive to advance their diversity goals
There often is no blueprint for diversity in the corporate world, and many initiatives at media agencies have been works in progress over the last few years.
Publishers tout generative AI opportunities to save and make money amid rough media market
Generative AI technology will be an area of focus for some media companies this year as they work to cut costs and find new revenue opportunities amid a tough media market.
Digiday+ Research: Video ads are a growing business for publishers large and small
Video advertising's potential rings most true among small publishers, while data points to video advertising already reaching its potential among large publishers — but also not, at the same time.
SponsoredBrands are optimizing video production to drive user acquisition
Sponsored by QuickFrame by MNTN With brands increasingly investing in video ads on social media, marketers are enhancing their video production capabilities to unlock growth on Facebook and Instagram. Especially urgent in an uncertain economic climate, brands must minimize production costs while creating a high enough volume of social media videos to identify the creative […]
How The Guardian’s Luis Romero is selling the legacy U.K. publication in the U.S.
The Guardian U.S.'s Luis Romero is working to grow the U.K.-based publishers' ad business in North America while combating the pervasive brand safety problem facing all news publishers.
In graphic detail: Publishers’ full year 2022 earnings
Looking back at 2022, the hits to publishers' revenue were partially staunched, but by the end of the year nearly all areas of the business felt the impact of the economic downturn.


text:
Three things to do in Toronto this weekend
What to do in the city this weekend.
|Report an Error|
Share via Email
The latest home trends and innovations are on display this weekend as the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front St. W.) hosts the Interior Design Show. Running until Jan. 27, the show features more than 300 companies, architects and designers, including Canadian pop culture icon Douglas Coupland. Tickets start at $19. For more, visit www.interiordesignshow.com .
Classic and modern Japanese cinema take the screen at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St. W.) as part of the city-wide Spotlight Japan festival, which runs until April 17. Features include a film retrospective of Nikkatsu, Japan’s oldest movie studio, and a look at iconic Japanese actresses such as Setsuko Hara and Kinuyo Tanaka. Tickets start at $12. For more, visit tiff.net/spotlightjapan.
Prix fixe plates
Much like the cold weather, Winterlicious makes its annual return to 191 restaurants on Friday. Eateries throughout the city offer prix fixe menus with starters, entrees and desserts until Feb. 7. The experience costs about $15 to $25 for lunch and $25 to $45 for dinner. Reservations are recommended. For menus and participating restaurants, visit Toronto.ca/winterlicious.
- Updated TTC accelerating full review of bus and streetcar operators after teen's death
- Video Updated Rock singer Joe Cocker dead at 70
- Even those who earn $250K think Union-Pearson Express costs too much
- John Tory on garbage, the TTC and his plans for 2015
- NEW Walmart stores busy, Target stores, not so much
- How Peel Region’s new chair voted himself into the job
- Updated North Korea threatens to strike U.S. over 'reckless' hacking rumours
- NEW Queen’s Park Christmas cards endure in digital age


text:
TEWKSBURY — It’s business as usual at U-Save Car Sales, which opened on Route 38 last April.
Co-owners Ken Mackey and Don Coffin are finalizing a sale on a used car. Outside on the street, traffic is backed up right in front of the lot where they do business, with a sign in plain view of all those who are stopped in traffic.
“If you’re going to be in business in Tewksbury, you want to be on 38. It’s the busiest road in town,” Mackey said.
For many small-business owners, there is a love-hate relationship with Route 38. The visibility along one of the region’s most heavily traveled routes is invaluable for bringing in customers. But the traffic can also cause problems for delivery trucks, make it difficult for customers to get in and out of parking lots and discourage new investment on the strip.
Mackey and Coffin used to own a car-rental shop in Lowell, but chose to relocate to Tewksbury last year. Although the market was smaller, they say it had better demographics, including a higher average income.
That process wasn’t always easy, though, they said, with some “hoop jumping” required to get all permits approved.
“They could probably streamline it, so it’s a little easier,” Coffin said. “We’ve been in business for a long time, so we’re a little more worldly, but for a new business coming in it could be a little intimidating.”
The bigger problem they’ve seen is evident at their other property, an Orange Leaf yogurt franchise at 345 Main St. At that plaza, several storefronts have never been filled.
“They need to stop building these strip malls and fill the ones they have,” Coffin said.
Among those still empty are a former Friendly’s (759 Main St.), the former location of Wicked Cheesy (725 Main St.) and the old Funland site (1879 Main St.), in addition to smaller vacancies within strip malls.
Gary Brown opened the Merrimack Valley Pavilion, a mini-golf and laser-tag entertainment complex, on the site of the old Grand Prix race track, which had sat abandoned for at least 10 years. A Tewksbury resident for the last 20 years, he said the available location on 38 was key to his decision to open up a business.
“We think 38 has a lot of visibility, the car count is high,” Brown said. “Route 38 toward the Wilmington side is kind of a depressed area, there’s not a lot of retail, so we’re hoping this could maybe be the start of better things to come.”
While Brown said town officials were welcoming, the process was not particularly intuitive.
“It went relatively smoothly but it did seem like it was in a million pieces,” Brown said. “We found out so many different things at so many different places. It was almost like a jigsaw puzzle.”
He said he’d like to see the town develop some sort of manual for new businesses. He’d also like to see the development of a Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce, tax rebates for new businesses and fewer vacant storefronts.
“We’re accessible, but not very inviting,” he said. “When you drive through town, there’s not a lot of curb appeal. A lot of vacant properties.”
At Jimbo’s Roast Beef, Amit Saini, a manager, whose family owns the business, said the road occasionally creates problems for his delivery trucks, which get stuck in traffic, but is otherwise fine.
Dawn Callahan, owner of T.J. Callahan’s Pub, said she doesn’t see any major problems.
“We get people form a lot of different towns. A lot of business from the hotels,” she said.
For Mark Angluin, who opened Italian restaurant Al Fresca in 2012, the town was welcoming and helpful, and his business has been successful enough to warrant an expansion, which was recently completed.
“The demographics were great in the town of Tewksbury. It’s a high-traffic road, a great family town,” Angluin said. “And it’s the main travel route between 495 and 128.”
Potential improvements to Route 38, however, could be both good and bad for business, he said.
“A turn lane in the middle would be great, but to get there, I don’t know,” he said. “If you shut down any section of the road for even a week or two, the impact to local businesses would be tough. It kind of feels like it needs it, but it’s a busy road.”
Though Angluin said selectmen needed to be careful not to overburden businesses with regulations on things like signs and landscaping, he commends the work they had been doing to try to make improvements. But ultimately, he said, it’s up to local business owners like himself.
“It’s got to start with the community,” Angluin said. “You can’t put it all on the shoulders of the selectmen.”
Follow Chelsea Feinstein on Twitter and Tout @CEFeinstein.


text:
Ever since talk of a recession became prominent, retail has suffered.
And those worrisome opinions have, not surprisingly, knocked down the retail stock sector over the past couple of years.
Even high-flying Lululemon (LULU) wasn’t immune.
From the end of 2021 to the start of 2023, LULU fell quite a bit.
But 2023 has been different.
First, after falling a bit more to start 2023, retail has come roaring back.
Here’s the Retail ETF:
It’s been red-hot since June. A break above $67.50 could lead to excellent gains.
And LULU’s been hot, too. It’s risen from $288 to over $380 in the past few months:
A break above $389.05 could lead to a nice run.
Possibly in yoga pants.
— Scott Welsh


text:
By Sabina Mollot
Tal Bagels, which earlier this year Town & Village learned would be replacing the now-closed Ess-a-Bagel alongside a new Bank of America, should open in June, one of its owners said.
Mohammed Kamal, who, with a partner owns three other Tal Bagels shops in New York, also explained why signs announcing the small chain’s newest location have been seen on other storefronts. (One sign’s next door to Ess-a-Bagel at the former Rose, a chicken restaurant, the other at a space nearby on First Avenue last occupied by kiddie salon Beehives & Buzzcuts.)
The owner of the Ess-a-Bagel/Rose building, an LLC owned by L&M Development CEO Ron Moelis and others, will be chopping down the wall inside that separates the two aforementioned storefronts, so that Tal and Bank of America will both be able to fit, Kamal said. Another partner at Tal, Sam Zebib, explained that the bank will only occupy 350 square feet for ATM machines. The rest of the space at 359 First Avenue, about 1,000 square feet, will be for the bagel shop. Along with bagels, Tal will also offer some pastries and espresso.
Additionally, Kamal said that with other partners, Tal will be opening a shop/restaurant for smoked fish, similar in style to downtown institution Russ & Daughters. That business will go into the space at the former Beehives & Buzzcuts at 365 First Avenue, which has about 2,000 square feet, Kamal said. It may not be called Tal and there is not yet a planned opening date.
“It’ll be fish and salads, European smoked fish like herring,” said Kamal. He explained that in just the bagel shop space, there wouldn’t have been enough room for bagels as well as “the full line” of fish.
At one point, while this reporter was on hold during the phone conversation, a recorded message touted Tal’s smoked fishes, which include sturgeon, baked salmon and whitefish.
Tal’s other locations in New York are at 86th Street, Lexington Avenue and 54th Street. There are also two locations in Tel Aviv, where Kamal is from. Zebib is from Lebanon.
On the move to First Avenue, Zebib said, “It’s an opportunity for us to expand and move downtown and see what happens. I really like the area.”
Town & Village first reported in January how Ess-a-Bagel, the neighboring Rose restaurant and another restaurant around the corner on 21st Street, Grill 21, did not get their leases renewed. Rose and Grill 21 closed, but Ess-a-Bagel’s owner vowed to open nearby. Ess-a-Bagel’s owner had said he was told by the landlord that he took too long to sign on the dotted line while the landlord said Ess-a-Bagel wouldn’t budge when presented with a rent increase that brought the space up to market rate.


text:
IBSSA was invited again as Guest of Honour to the International Exhibition of Security Technology „MILIPOL” Paris 2011
MILIPOL is a security technology sales exhibition organised by the French-Dutch company Unibeil-Rodamco, which is the largest commercial real estate company in Europe. The Milipol exhibition is reserved for professionals, access is only available with an official invitation card from an exhibitor or from the organizer or with an electronic badge. The exhibition is organised by EDS Milipol.
The roots of the Milipol go back to the 1983 EXPOL Winter exhibition. The Milipol brand is owned by a group of companies – COFREXPORT, PROTECOP, THALES, VISIOM and CIVI.POL Conseil, a consultancy and service company of the French Ministry of Interior.
Called Milipol until 1996, Milipol is presently an annual event organized in Paris (France) and Doha (Qatar). The 2008 and 2010 Milipol exhibitions were organized in Qatar, while the 2009 and 2011 Milipol were organized in Paris, France.
The 2012 Milipol will be organized again in Qatar between 26-28 November 2012.
RESULTS OF MILIPOL PARIS 2011
An Ideal Forum for Exchange, a Concentration of Innovation, an Essential International Event.
The 17th Milipol Paris trade fair, which took place between 18-21 October 2011, ended with very positive results. A total of 888 exhibitors, of which 66% were international from 47 countries, presented their innovations to 27,243 trade visitors from 150 countries, 110 Official Delegations (+55% on 2009) from 53 countries, and 469 journalists from 31 countries.
Milipol Paris once again lived up to all its promises: 888 exhibitors, whether institutions, large corporations or SMEs (34% French and 66% from other countries), showcased their latest innovations in terms of products and/or services at their stands.
The 27,243 visitors (of whom 39% came from abroad), for their part, enjoyed the highly technological and innovative range of solutions on display at Milipol Paris 2011 in the fields of Technology, Information, Communications, Mobility, Road Safety, Arms, Fabrics, Special Equipment and Major Risks. The high quality of visitors, who came from 150 countries (+14% more countries compared with 2009) was also highlighted by exhibitors.
The institutional dimension of the show was also one of the highlights of Milipol Paris 2011. Mr. Claude Guéant, French Minister of Interior, accompanied by his counterpart from Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, officially opened the exhibition in the presence of many VIPs, and the visit of 110 official delegations from 53 countries clearly shows that Milipol Paris is the international meeting place for Internal State Security for all public and industrial security professionals.
It should also be noted that this year, the Major Risks area, created in 2009, was expanded in response to the growing expectations of all sector stakeholders. This area hosted 37 companies, all with their solutions in the event of natural, technological or industrial disasters. Also, and this was the great innovation of the 2011 event, the French Civil Defence, National Gendarmerie and National Police organized demonstrations based on various scenarios illustrating their actions, interventions and innovations.
Figures in Brief:
Number of exhibitors: 888 from 47 countries (34% French and 66% international)
Number of admissions: 27 243
French visitors: 16 875
International visitors: 10 368 from 150 countries
Official Delegations: 110 from 53 countries
Journalists: 469 from 31 countries
Next Milipol exhibitions: Doha – Qatar between 26-28 November 2012
Paris – France in November 2013


text:
Another Store in Rochester’s Apache Mall Closing
The news for some national retail chains continues to be bad, with another closing set to impact Apache Mall here in Rochester.
The news broke Tuesday that national children's apparel retailer, Gymboree, is filing for bankruptcy and is set to close its 900 stores across the country-- including the Gymboree location right here in Rochester.
According to the Fortune.com story, this filing is the second time Gymboree has filed for bankruptcy in the last two years, after first doing so back in 2017. In corporate filings, the chain appeared to be doing better last year, "with a focus on better quality products and merchandise" the story noted as well as updating its stores and online sites and adding a mobile shopping app.
But, the story also said, those measures didn't appear to do enough to keep the chain from filing for bankruptcy. The story said the closings also affect Gymboree's Crazy 8 and Janie and Jack-branded stores.
Here in Rochester, according to the Apache Mall website, Gymboree is located on Level 1 near the Food Court, between Riddle's Jewelry and Forever 21. There was no word on an exact date the Rochester store will be closing.


text:
Department of Business and Professional Regulation Unveils 2011-2012 Unlicensed Activity Media Campaign
December 13, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) today unveiled its annual media campaign to educate the public about the dangers of unlicensed activity. The campaign focuses on encouraging Florida consumers to check for professional licensure before hiring someone to do any work that would require a professional license.
"Unlicensed activity can threaten the livelihood of law-abiding, state-licensed professionals and can pose serious personal or financial harm to consumers." said DBPR Secretary Ken Lawson. "The most effective way to stop unlicensed activity is to hire only licensed Florida professionals."
The Department unveiled its campaign today with support from the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association, which assisted the Department by providing donated billboard space from its members throughout the state. The billboards are part of the multi-component campaign that will focus on the professional areas that received the highest number of unlicensed activity complaints last fiscal year, including barbers, cosmetologists and contractors.
"Billboard advertisements catch the attention of prospective consumers like no other type of advertising can," said Charlotte Brand Audie, President and CEO of the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association (FOAA). "Our members have a long history of working with local communities, businesses and governments to promote programs that protect public welfare, FOAA is proud to partner with DBPR in helping to educate consumers on the dangers of unlicensed activity in Florida."
Last fiscal year, the Department received more than 1,700 legally sufficient complaints about unlicensed construction, electrical and contractor activity; 300 legally sufficient complaints about unlicensed cosmetology activity; and 167 legally sufficient complaints about unlicensed barber activity.
The Department is running similar educational campaigns to educate Floridians about the importance of hiring licensed real estate professionals and licensed certified public accountants. Last fiscal year, the Department received 969 legally sufficient complaints about unlicensed real estate or unlicensed appraisal activity and 35 legally sufficient complaints about unlicensed public accounting activity.
Unlicensed activity occurs when an individual offers to perform or performs services that require a state license and the individual does not hold the required license. Florida law sets specific rules and guidelines for obtaining professional licensure, and the people who have met these requirements are held to professional standards. Consumers can verify professional licenses online at www.myfloridalicense.com.
Unlicensed activity is illegal and can result in misdemeanor or felony charges if an individual is convicted. Floridians should report any suspected unlicensed activity by emailing ULA@dbpr.state.fl.us or calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1-866-532-1440.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The Department licenses and regulates more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from hotels and restaurants, real estate agents and accountants to veterinarians, contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com.


text:
The last Mi Note phone, the Mi Note 3 was announced in 2017. When it launched, we were surprised it was not a flagship device like its predecessor however an upper mid-range smartphone. Xiaomi didn’t release a successor last year, and a handful of months ago they said the series together with the Mi Max series won’t be having fresh models this year, but that will replace later this month, at least for the Mi Note series.
It has been reported that Xiaomi will truly announce a new Mi Note smartphone by the end of October. This new smartphone will release as the Mi Note 10 (yes, that is a massive jump from 3). Evidence of the phone’s existence has now surfaced online.
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 retail box
Today, Twitter user @TechytMr broadcasted a photo of the Mi Note 10’s retail box lending further credence to the device’s existence. Sad to say, the retail box does not reveal any of the phone’s specs.
Other than the Mi Note 10, it has Furthermore been noted that Xiaomi will announce the Mi CC9 Pro by the end of the month. The Mi CC9 Pro is expected to pack some pretty interesting digital camera features this kind of as a 108MP sensor.
Chinese blogger and leaker who goes by @Digital chat station posted on Weibo earlier Presently that Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphone will not be offered small and will not follow the company’s tradition of price-performance ratio. However, “users who as to take pics could check it out,” he said. Although he does not specifically mention the name of the smartphone, he is most going talking about the Mi CC9 Pro and not the Mi Note 10 due to the fact the Mi CC9 series is aimed at digital camera lovers.


text:
European auto makers are driving into 2011 with the anticipation of an upcoming new industrial policy that will set a competitive strategy for sustainable growth through cooperative efforts among all European Union stakeholders.
The European Commission’s latest move in this direction is to re-launch the “CARS 21 High Level Group on the Competitiveness and Sustainable Growth of the Automotive Industry in the European Union,” a long title for an advisory group of auto industry and government specialists formed several years ago.
The EC has decided to regroup this team and have it write another report for release in 2012 that is expected to make a major impact on European automotive-industry policy.
That’s because the EC believes the industry is facing the challenge of a generation: designing and manufacturing electric, hybrid-plug-in and biofuels-capable vehicles, along with the infrastructure each requires.
EU Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani thinks a revised CARS 21 group is needed to bring these interests together so they don’t work in divergent ways. "The automobile industry is crucial for Europe as an economy and as a society,” he says in a statement.
“We need an ambitious and comprehensive strategy to foster its competitiveness and growth worldwide, while ensuring sustainability. By bringing all relevant interests to the same table, we will identify policies fit for the future."
The reconstituted 40-member expert group will assist and advise the Commission on boosting the industry’s competitiveness and environmentally friendly performance. This includes drafting specific policy recommendations for EU institutions, national governments, industry associations, business-and-consumer groups.
One key task will be developing principles of good conduct in writing contracts and agreements between auto makers, energy firms, governments, research groups and others.
This is to ensure all parties have a clear idea of what each is doing so work is not duplicated and advanced technology is more likely to be compatible – a key issue considering the need for major re-fueling and recharging networks.
The group also is being asked to conduct economic and statistical analyses of the changes facing the automotive industry.
Members will be appointed for two years and will be representatives of automotive and energy industry groups, consumers, environmental groups, governments, the European Parliament and the EC. There also will be sub-groups and technical panels reporting to the primary CARS 21 team.
It remains to be seen whether the new members can deliver on such an ambitious undertaking. Analysts question whether the new rules will force change and how many innovative technologies auto makers will agree to share.
The ACEA, the European auto makers association, appears upbeat. This time around, it says, CARS 21 will be broader in scope, offering a better opportunity for all industry players to be heard.
By linking different policy areas, such as vehicle manufacturing, energy, climate and trade, the revised policy advice should be better unified, which should produce more-concrete benefits.
“CARS 21 acknowledges the damaging effects of overregulation on the competitiveness of the auto sector,” says an ACEA spokesman, who hopes the new group will ease burdensome regulations.
Given the funding the EU and its institutions have available for loans and subsidies, along with the legislative impact on how auto makers work, a well-designed and executed EU industrial policy can make a tangible difference, the ACEA stresses.
It helps that the new CARS 21 goals agree with those of the ACEA, namely to “strengthen competitiveness and safeguard employment in the automotive sector in Europe and to (boost sales) of clean and energy-efficient vehicles,” the manufacturing group says.
ACEA President, Dieter Zetsche, who also is chairman of the board ofAG and head of the Mercedes-Benz car division, has no apparent doubts about reconvening and expanding CARS 21. “It is a positive sign of commitment that the group of participating EU commissioners has been enlarged,” he says.
Likewise, in a time of considerable economic downturn, the U.K.’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is positive about the CARS 21 re-launch: “We welcome this,” a spokesman says. “The group has a new form and a new mission for developing a competitive, sustainable industry.”
Despite the initial good will, analysts see a potential problem regarding the willingness of auto makers to share technology and design ideas.
Another concern is whether fringe groups will be satisfied their interests are included in any resulting industry policy shifts.
The European Metal Workers Federation, for instance, wants the new CARS 21 group to work with a planned Automotive Skills Council, which would ensure workers are well-equipped to deal with technical challenges of an auto industry becoming cleaner, greener and increasingly high tech.


text:
Team Fortress 2 goes free-to-play
Posted: 24 Jun 2011, 09:20
See you online
Valve announced yesterday that their online title Team Fortress 2 has switched over to a free-to-play model for both PC and Mac gamers. According to the news release the “F2P announcement comes as part of the "Über Update"


text:
Bandhan Bank stock gained nearly 3.5 per cent to snap six-session losing streak after its third-quar..
NEW DELHI: The equity market snapped its winning streak of last four sessions on Thursday as investo..
NEW DELHI: The Nifty50 snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday. The NSE barometer formed a ..
What: Ana Acevedo, RCIs senior vice president of marketing and Portada Travel Marketing Board Member..
NEW DELHI: IT heavyweight Tata Consultancy Services will release its third quarter earnings on Thurs..
One has to look at nature of order book and return ratios of companies rather than blindly follow th..
The FTSE 100 has climbed one per cent in early trading as US-China trade talks and a housebuilder bo..
Trade talks in Beijing between China and the US have concluded, with the results of the negotiations..
Kolkata: The deal to buy Gruh Finance in a stock-swap merger would offer little respite to Bandhan B..


text:
Unedited news and product information from vendors.
Adap.tv Named One of the World's 250 Hottest New Technology Companies
Jul 21, 2008 (10:07 AM EDT)
SAN MATEO, Calif., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Adap.tv ( http://www.adap.tv/ ), creators of OneSource, the first platform to help publishers fully monetize their online video content, today announced that it has been selected by Silicon Valley venture organization AlwaysOn (AO) as one of the top 250 private technology companies in the world. In addition to being named a Global Top 250 Winner for 2008, the 18-month old company was named to the OnMedia 100 and OnHollywood 100 lists, making Adap.tv the youngest and one of only nine companies to win all three awards in 2008.
Inclusion in the AO Global 250 indicates major accomplishments by emerging technology companies in creating new business opportunities in global technology industries. The AlwaysOn editorial team, in conjunction with KPMG's emerging business practice, KPMG VC Practice, surveyed over 500 venture investors, investment bankers, and technology insiders, who nominated hundreds of companies to determine the AO Global 250 winners.
Adap.tv OneSource empowers publishers to make the most of their online video inventory by providing them the ability to add, configure and optimize video advertising across all ad sources and all formats. Using Adap.tv's innovative technology and simple interface, leading publishers are maximizing revenue while increasing the overall user experience of online video.
Adap.tv, along with the rest of the Global 250 select, will be honored at the The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at , July 22-24 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center at . All winners are also featured in AO's quarterly print "blogozine" and on the AlwaysOn website.
"The Global 250 winners have proven themselves to be leaders in pursuing strategic new business opportunities in the global technology industries," said Tony Perkins, founder and CEO of AlwaysOn. "We congratulate them for demonstrating significant market traction and pursuing game-changing technology in the following sectors: Consumer and Entertainment, Devices and Components, Enterprise, Greentech, Mobile and Wireless, Network and Infrastructure, and Services and Enablers"
"We are honored to have been chosen for the highly coveted AlwaysOn 250 award as a global innovator and leader in the growing online video advertising space," said Amir Ashkenazi, founder and CEO of Adap.tv. "Today's recognition is a testament to our innovative technology and unwavering commitment to help publishers maximize video revenue, while protecting user experience and quality."
About Summit at 2008
The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at is a two-and-a-half-day executive gathering that highlights the significant economic, political and commercial trends disrupting the global technology industries. The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at features the most innovative companies, eminent technologists, influential investors and journalists in keynote presentations, panel debates and private company CEO showcases. The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at goal is to identify the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.
Adap.tv ( http://www.adap.tv/ ) is the creator of OneSource, the first platform to help publishers fully monetize their online video content. Based in San Mateo, CA, the company is privately held and is backed by Redpoint Ventures and the Gemini Israeli Fund.
AlwaysOn ignited the open-media revolution in early 2003 by being the first media brand to launch a global blog network. In 2004, AlwaysOn continued to lead the media industry in innovation by introducing a social network where members can connect and engage. AlwaysOn is also revolutionizing the media business by applying its open-media principles to its executive event series (Stanford Summit, AlwaysOn Hollywood, AlwaysOn Media and GoingGreen) and quarterly print "blogozine" by empowering its members to post and share their ideas and meet each other online. As our loyal readers know, AlwaysOn is committed to the free-market, merit-driven approach to reporting and event programming. No other media brand has dared to create such open interaction with its readers and event participants.
CONTACT: Evan Goldberg of Horn Group, +1-646-202-9768, email@example.com, for Adap.tv
Web site: http://adap.tv/


text:
The numbers: Orders for long-lasting or “durable” goods jumped 2.6% in March, riding a big increase in contracts for Boeing planes. Yet orders were flat minus transportation and business investment fell for the third time in four months.
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast a 2.5% increase in orders for durable goods — products made to last at least three years.
Stripping out planes and cars, orders minus transportation were unchanged, the government said Thursday. Transportation often exaggerates the ups and downs in orders because of lumpy demand from one month to the next.
What happened: Orders for commercial jets surged last month after the usual slow period at the start of a new year. Bookings leaped almost 45%.
Orders for autos rose just 0.1%, however.
In a bit of an oddity, orders for machinery sank 1.7% to mark the biggest drop in two years. That explains why order excluding transportation were below Wall Street’s forecast.
It’s possible the recently announced steel tariffs played a role, though orders for primary metals actually rose sharply in March. That could reflect companies stockpiling supplies ahead of the tariffs.
More worrisome, business investment fell for the third time in four months based on a closely followed measure known as orders for core capital goods. Core orders dipped 0.1%.
Yet even after the decline, business investment is still up a healthy 7% over the past year.
Big picture: The economy got off to a slow start in 2018 as reflected by the recent softness in business investment. Gross domestic product is likely to come in at 2% or less in the first quarter.
Yet signs are emerging that growth is likely to speed up in the spring, with GDP perhaps returns close to 3%. Firms are increasing production and hiring at a rapid clip despite the lowest unemployment rate since 2000. The rate of layoffs in April fell to the lowest level since 1969.
A stock-market selloff and rising tensions spawned by President Trump’s aggressive stance on trade deals has dimmed some of the good cheer, but probably not enough to significantly shackle an expansion now almost nine years old.
Market reaction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.52% and Standard & Poor’s SPX, -0.31% were set to open higher in Thursday trades. The 10-year Treasury yield TMUBMUSD10Y, -1.46% was little changed at 2.99%.


text:
J.Crew CEO's Drastic Attempt to Win Back Lost Customers
J.Crew is getting personal to fix its problems. CEO Mickey Drexler sent out an email to all customers on the company's mailing list, Racked reports, with a very specific request: to email him directly. His email address, Racked notes, is email@example.com. Drexler reportedly revealed this information because he wants to hear customers' thoughts on how the retailer's website and stores look.


text:
Multi-platform casual game developer Oberon Media has laid off 100 employees and COO Don Ryan has departed the company, according to reports.
Ryan has apparently confirmed the report as well as his exit from Oberon in order to start up his own business in New York.
According to a former employee of the firm talking to Business Insider, staff from all areas of the company have been affected.
"Today and yesterday they laid off about 100 folks across the globe. Mostly in NYC where about 15-20 per cent of the workforce. Not just the little guys but the big guys, several VPs, every one in ad sales except for like 1 person," they revealed.
"Don Ryan, the COO and the most respected executive amongst employees and, some would say, in casual gaming, quit."
Infinity I-China Fund has invested USD 20 million in Oberon, and its other investors include Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Oak Investment Partners and Lehman Brothers Venture Capital.
Ryan was promoted to COO in June 2008 and this year the company announced its GameSaver online subscription programme had hit half a million members within one year.
Oberon, which is also the parent company of publisher I-Play, was founded in 2003 and has offices in New York, Seattle, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo.


text:
“A Lannister always pays his debts,” was a line oft-uttered by the good Tyrion Lannister – usually in some varied state of inebriation.
Soon fans of the iconic ‘Game of Thrones’ series will be able to do the same whilst hoisting steins of delicious ale that pay tribute to the popular HBO series.
The Danish brewery Mikkeller has teamed up with Warner Bros to produce ‘Game of Thrones’-themed beer in celebration of the series’ 10th anniversary on April 17.
“From the very beginning, collaborations have been one of the key elements in Mikkeller’s universe and are one of the things we have the most fun with and love the most,” said Mikkel Bjergsø, the head of Mikkeller.
“We have done a lot of them, but this is without a doubt the biggest so far, and we are extremely proud and happy to get this opportunity. We are looking forward to brewing a lot of fantastic beers and sharing them with the series’ dedicated fan base and other beer lovers.”
12-15 editions planned
Indeed, it is only fitting that the Danish brewery takes on the suds challenge, given that the eight-season series was littered with Danish actors.
The initial effort will be named the ‘Iron Anniversary IPA’, which will be the first of a series of GoT-themed beers to trickle out of Mikkeller casks.
The label (in the image above) has been designed by Mikkeller’s long-time art director, Keith Shore, and depicts a three-eyed raven perched on the blade of a sword held aloft by a kneeling soldier or knight of some order.
Two more editions of the GoT-themed line are scheduled to be introduced later in 2021 and a total of 12-15 variations are expected to be released in the coming years.
Initially, the Iron Anniversary IPA will be made available in limited quantities in Denmark, Sweden, the UK and the US, as well as on Mikkeller’s webshop.


text:
PCeU shuts down 2,000 fraudulent sites
On the run up to Christmas, the PCeU cuts off 2,000 fraudulent websites.
The Met's Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) has shut down over 2,000 fraudulent websites which were either flogging knock-off gear or selling nothing at all.
Online shoppers had been duped into paying fraudsters for purported designer goods from the likes of Nike and Ugg. Items either didn't show up or consumers were sent counterfeit goods.
In the run up to Christmas the PCeU will continue to work with Nominet and other registries to disable as many such sites as possible.
The PCeU worked in conjunction with registrars to find and close the websites, which were generating criminals "millions of pounds," the Met said today.
"The sites suspended are registered in bulk by crime groups with the sole intention of duping consumers into parting with their money for, at best, poor quality counterfeit goods, at worst, nothing at all," said DI Paul Hoare, from the PCeU.
"In the run up to Christmas the PCeU will continue to work with Nominet and other registries to disable as many such sites as possible but I would urge customers to take all precautions to ensure they buy from legitimate sites only."
Registrants were notified before having their sites shut down, Nominet revealed.
".uk deserves its reputation as a trusted online space for British consumers, and we are committed to tackling cybercrime to keep it that way. The .uk domain name industry has come together to protect consumers and maintain their trust in the .uk internet space," said Lesley Cowley, Nominet CEO.
The Met warned those affected by the scams could have had their identities stolen, or their bank details used for "criminal activity elsewhere."
No arrests were made in connection with the websites.
In that case, the suspects were not warned before their operations were crippled.
Security experts have noted the need to catch the criminals, as if they remain on the prowl they will only continue to carry out illicit acts.
Seven steps to connect and empower your frontline workers
How business leaders can improve communication with a secure platformFree download
Create what’s next
The future of collaboration and productivityFree Download
Leveraging the cloud without relinquishing control
Your data. Their cloud.Free download
Re-architecting for nonstop innovation
Unlocking productivity, scalability, and lower costs for cloud nativesFree Download


text:
This three-speed bike retailed for $399.99 at Target but is already out of stock. Fashionable cyclists can still score this ride, which comes with a brown leather seat and front basket, for up to $1,500 on Craigslist and $1,300 eBay.
Like many Americans these days, these seven people are doing whatever they can to make extra money.
|Upgrading from Windows 7 or 8? You'll love Windows 10|
|Windows 10 is seriously great|
|Samsung misjudged demand for its flagship smartphone|
|Fears over China's market crash are overblown|
|Facebook earnings: It's now the world's most-used tech product|


text:
Plea for pickers to help bag a record year at Belvoir Fruit Farms
The boss of Belvoir Fruit Farms says he is keeping his fingers crossed for a bumper harvest and another record year.
Pev Manners, managing director of Belvoir, based at Bottesford, is hoping that sales of the company’s bottled drinks will rise by 10 per cent this year.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for a very good year.
Last year the business sold a staggering 19 million bottles with many sales going overseas to Europe, Asia, America and Australia.
Mr Manners was speaking as he made his annual call to pickers to help bring in this year’s elderflower harvest, which is scheduled to arrive by May 26.
He said: “I am keeping my fingers crossed for a very good year.”
The ongoing popularity of elderflower drinks and the growth in sales for the family-run business means Belvoir sold record amounts last year and has invested £4.5 million in a new bottling factory.
But success still hinges on the willingness of volunteers to help by picking the elderflower by hand.
Keith Challen, farm manager, has been working closely with a local weather expert who uses the lunar cycles and sea temperatures to predict what the weather will do and its impact on the elderflowers.
He said: “It’s been a funny season this year. Three weeks ago we had slower than average growth due to the lack of rain but now we have faster than average growth thanks to the combination of recent heavy rainfall and sunshine.
He said: “It is fascinating how nature has just balanced it all out and we’re now right back on schedule for what I think will be a very good harvest.”
From May 26 Belvoir Fruit Farms is open from 3pm to 6.30pm, six days a week for pickers to bring their blossoms to the weighing point at Barkestone Lane, Bottesford. Elderflower collections will also be accepted at Sacrewell Farm Centre just off the A47 near Peterborough from May 26 between 3.30pm to 5pm.
Belvoir Fruit Farms needs more than 50 tonnes of elderflowers or three million elderflower heads to produce the cordial and pressé for the coming year.
This has to be achieved in a very short time as the elderflower harvest only lasts four to six weeks.
It means there is an urgent need to recruit as many people as possible to help pick the frothy blossoms that erupt throughout Belvoir’s own 84 acres of elderflower bushes, but also those growing wild in the hedgerows across the countryside.
Belvoir invites anyone to join in, but it tends to be folk from the surrounding counties; Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire who take part.
Belvoir offers pickers £2 cash per kilo and an experienced picker can harvest up to 45 kilos of elderflowers a day.


text:
Every business in Texas has the right to protect its intellectual property in order to steer clear of unfair competition. Therefore, the state allows its businessmen and entrepreneurs to file a business litigation claim in the event of an intellectual property dispute. In 2012, a Canadian-based patent licensing firm sued Apple Inc. for allegedly using its patents in iPhones and iPads without its consent. However, recently, a federal jury in Texas has announced that Apple did not infringe on any patents owned by the firm.
The city of Houston, Texas, offers several business development programs. The Bonding Education Program is one such program, which was initiated to help contractors improve their work capacity. The participants are offering various tips and tricks as to the best practices of the industry.
Business owners in Houston, Texas, know that for a new or expanding business, leasing a commercial space is a most cost-intensive task because contract disputes between landlords and tenants can have detrimental effects on a business's prospects. Therefore, it is important for business owners to have a foolproof landlord-tenant agreement, so that future disputes arising from tenancy agreements can be avoided.
Business families of Houston, Harris, Texas often make plans for their businesses to expand and earn higher profits. They may have dreams such as going public, selling their businesses to the highest bidder, or preparing and training the next generation to take over the family business.


text:
Ranveer, Deepika to get married in November?
The latest buzz is that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are all set to tie the knot in November this year— November 19, to be precise. There have been murmurs that Deepika has been busy with wedding shopping as she was snapped stepping out of a jewelry shop with her mother in Bandra, Mumbai.
It is being said the couple will have a South Indian style wedding followed by a grand reception in Mumbai for the film fraternity. Watch this space for more.
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
- Key Competitors: MINI E, BMW ActiveE.
- Power: 82kW (111-hp) electric-motor.
- Performance: 0-62 mph in 10.5 seconds.
- Total Range/Charge Time: 93 miles / 8 hours (230V).
- Production: No mass production planned, 50 units to be built for testing.
Today in Detroit, the next-version electric Volvo C30 concept was introduced at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. The Swedish automaker, which will be sold to Geely later this year, plans on producing 50 units, which will be used in real-time traffic starting in 2011.
The program will run the 50 unit test-fleet for two-years to study how consumers use the vehicle.
“Our test-fleet data will be valuable in Volvo Cars” development of electric cars. It will also provide crucial input for the infrastructure planners and help define which services are needed to make rechargeable cars the most attractive choice in the future,” says Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.
The program is sponsored by the Swedish Energy Agency with a SEK 150 million funding.
2010 Detroit: Volvo C30 BEV:
All Photos Copyright © 2010 Stephen Calogera ““ egmCarTech.
Volvo C30 BEV:
– By: Stephen Calogera


text:
If you grew up in the '90s, there are a few things you definitely remember having a big impact on your life. Things like pogs, boy bands, and Beanie Babies.
(Maybe things got a little out of control with that last one.)
And you probably remember spending time at Chuck E. Cheese. Whether it was your birthday, your sibling's birthday, one of those "everybody in the second grade class is invited" birthdays, or just a special treat on a Friday night, few things probably brought you as much joy as playing a couple games of skee-ball and eating that surprisingly delicious pizza.
And of course, there was that big animatronic band, featuring Chuck E. Cheese and his pals. Know what those robotic animals are up to now?
Heading to the dumpster. (Sorry to crush your childhood memories.)
Yes, your favorite childhood playplace Chuck E. Cheese announced some changes it's making at several of its southwestern locations on a trial basis. The shake-ups include an updated and expanded menu (it now includes wraps, as well as gluten-free and thin crust pizza), a sleek redesign of the interior, a dance floor, and most importantly: the removal of that iconic/creepy animatronic band.
This announcement was met with mixed reviews by nostalgic parents who seem to fall into one of two camps.
1) “No! The animatronics are an important part of my childhood—don’t take them away!”
2) “Jeeeez the animatronics still exist? Those things are nightmare-inducing.”
Both arguments are completely valid, but the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, CEC Entertainment, says love for the animatronics has been dwindling for years among kids. According to Spin, CEC’s chief executive Tom Leverton explained that today's kids much prefer dancing with employees dressed in mascot costumes over the animatronic band. “The kids stopped looking at the animatronics years and years ago, and they would wait for the live Chuck E. to come out,” he said.
The changes are being implemented in four locations on a trial basis, but Leverton says he has a "strong hypothesis" that other franchise locations will follow suit before long.
In the meantime, if you need one last nostalgic boogie with those furry robotic musicians, YouTube has got you more than covered.
The Feast is Bravo’s digital destination serving culinary inspiration and essential food news. Like us on Facebook and visit daily for diet and wellness trends, kitchen hacks and tools — and the buzziest celebrity, chef, and restaurant happenings you need to know about right now.


text:
- Apple gave Uber access to undocumented entitlement, report says
- That entitlement could have allowed Uber to record a user’s screen
- Uber says it is working with Apple to remove the access
Apple provided Uber with code, called an “entitlement,” which could have allowed the ride-hailing company to record a user’s iPhone screen, a security researcher says.
Will Strafach, a security researcher, has reported that Apple gave Uber an undocumented private app permission allowing it access to the screen-recording feature. In his experience of combing through binaries of thousands of apps, Strafach said, he has not found any other third-party app with access to such entitlement.
Apple gave Uber access to the entitlement so that it could launch an app for the Apple Watch, the researcher said. A security expert told ZDNet that having access to the aforementioned entitlement is “the equivalent of giving keylogging ability to apps,” he said. Keyloggers are applications that can glean everything a user types on a machine, and everything that is displayed on the machine.
“Essentially it gives you full control over the framebuffer, which contains the colours of each pixel of your screen. So they can potentially draw or record the screen,” Luca Todesco, a researcher and iPhone jailbreaker, told news outlet Gizmodo. “It can potentially steal passwords etc.”
Uber told Gizmodo that it is working with Apple to completely remove the API, and that it was no longer in use. Apple didn’t comment. It wasn’t immediately clear how Apple missed to see the potential abuse of the API, and how often does the company treat certain third-party apps differently for its own advantage.
The revelation comes on the heels of a report in the New York Times which claimed that Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook told then Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick that Apple would kick Uber out of the Apple App Store if the ride-hailing company was caught violating any rules.


text:
MEAT lovers have been urged to be cautious when cooking lamb amid an increase in sheep-related salmonella cases.
The Food Standards Agency have urged consumers to ensure all diced and minced lamb or mutton is "properly cooked".
The watchdog's advice comes after more than 300 people have fallen ill since July last year from the bug - including 165 cases since June.
Lamb chops and steaks are fine to eat pink but minced meat, kebab, sausage and burgers pose a risk, the FSA warns.
Salmonella typhimurium is one of a group of bacteria that live in animal intestines and are shed through faeces.
People can become infected through contaminated water or food and may experience "tummy bug" symptoms.
A spokesperson for the FSA said: "We’re quite clear that people can still enjoy their steaks, chops, joints and cutlets pink on the inside but cooked fully on the outside.
"If it’s minced meat, a kebab, sausage or a burger then cook it thoroughly throughout so there’s no pink meat at all, making sure it’s steaming hot and the juices run clear."
They also pointed out that lamb chops are safe to be cooked pink because the salmonella bacteria only exists on the outside of the meat.
Cases of the strain first started to appear in the UK in July 2017. By May this year, 118 people had fallen ill from it.
But since June, a further 165 cases have been reported – meaning a total of 283 people have been struck down by the nasty bug.
WHAT IS SALMONELLA?
Salmonella is a bacteria infection that can be transferred from many domestic and wild animals including birds, sometimes causing illness in them.
Salmonella infection usually results from ingestion of the bacteria from contaminated food, water or hands.
Eggs, milk, meat or poultry are particularly high risk foods.
Fruit and vegetables can also be contaminated, especially if manure has been used as fertiliser.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection may include fever, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, headache, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.
Recovery from Salmonella infection usually takes a week and antibiotic treatment isn't usually required.
Prior to July 2017, only two cases of this strain had ever been detected in England, according to a release issued by the FSA.
Colin Sullivan, chief operating officer at the FSA, said the advice was being given to reduce the likelihood of catching salmonella typhimurium.
He said: "Our advice is to purchase food as normal but to take care when storing, handling and cooking raw meat."
MOST READ IN UK NEWS
As well as cooking lamb thoroughly, he urged people to wash their hands after handling raw meat.
Lamb should be stored separately in the fridge to avoid contaminating other food in the kitchen, Mr Sullivan warned.
The news comes after officials last week announced a case of mad cow disease on a farm in Scotland, which is currently under lockdown.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at email@example.com or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


text:
Toyota rules out any prospect of taking Chinese facilities elsewhere: Report
At a time when there is growing suspicion that multi-national companies could wrap up their facilities in China due to the fallout caused by Covid-19 pandemic, Toyota Motor Co has expressly denied having any such plans due to the costs involved.
The Covid-19 pandemic, believed to have originated in a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, resulted in massive disruptions in the country which had ramifications which are being felt around the world till date. The global auto industry felt the pain in particular because China is both the world's largest auto market and the world's largest auto manufacturer. Parts made here are shipped the world over but when China took aggressive measures to contain the virus, supply chains in many countries were hit, prompting speculation that auto makers would eventually look at reducing their reliance on facilities in the country.
Also check these Vehicles
Toyota, however, has no such plans.
In a statement issued recently, the Japanese car maker has denied any plans of moving out of China in the times to come. This despite the Japanese government offering attractive subsidies to companies that come calling out of China, or elsewhere. "Toyota has no plans to change our strategy in China or Asia due to the current situation. The auto industry uses a lot of suppliers and operates a vast supply chain and it would be impossible to just switch in an instant. We understand the (Japanese) government’s position, but we have no plans to change our production," Toyota said in its official statement, according to This Week in Asia.
Relocating out of China could also involve significant costs, something Toyota and major auto manufacturers struggling from present challenges would look at avoiding. Reuters recently reported that Toyota is expecting profit to drop by 80% to its lowest in nine years. The company is expected to take a mammoth 1.5 trillion yen ($13.95 billion) hit from a fall in global vehicle sales this year. (Full report here)
While it may still be too early to predict if or not other major car makers would look at shifting facilities out of China, industry experts highlight how the country will remain extremely relevant for them as they look at getting their respective global sales numbers to bounce back. Add to it the cost of shifting and it could well turn out to be an additional hassle not many would want to take.


text:
Interpol seeks 5 ex-VW managers over emissions fraud, report saysThu, 22, Jun 2017
The U.S. has issued international arrest warrants for five former VW managers accused of wrongdoing in connection with the carmaker's diesel emissions-cheating scandal, a German newspaper reported.
Lamborghini boss uses F1 experience to push brand furtherThu, 22, Jun 2017
Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali is trying to instill a sense of urgency in the supercar maker.
Former VW design chief de Silva joins Edag to style EVs for ChinaMon, 19, Jun 2017
Volkswagen Group's former design chief, Walter de Silva, is styling electric cars for a Chinese company in his new role as design boss for German automotive engineering company Edag.
VW waves green flag for Microbus-styled electric MPVTue, 20, Jun 2017
Volkswagen's long-awaited Microbus-styled MPV will see production as an electric vehicle, Auto Express reported.
Audi to star in new Spider-Man movieTue, 20, Jun 2017
Audi is giving moviegoers an exclusive first look at the 2018 Audi A8 on July 7 as Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters. Audi also plans to show off two other vehicles in the movie.
Brands brace for diesel bans in EuropeSat, 17, Jun 2017
European automakers have put their money on diesels to meet regulations there. Thanks to fahrverbote, they could be in trouble.
AutoNews Now: Marchionne: FCA's bench 'wide and deep'Fri, 16, Jun 2017
Marchionne: FCA's bench 'wide and deep'; Exec predicts strong 2018 for Volkswagen; Calif. demands EV infrastructure in poor areas; Car hues trending blue; A luxury feat, for feet.
A VW homecoming for Neumann?Mon, 19, Jun 2017
Karl-Thomas Neumann's resignation from Opel immediately touched off speculation about where he might land.
First Shift: F-150, Expedition gain power, lose weightFri, 16, Jun 2017
F-150, Expedition gain power, lose weight; Conquering self-driving anxiety: Adaptive cruise control, ride-sharing may help; VW replacing plant boss in Tenn.; Takata bankruptcy soon?
VW told by California legislators to build EV charging stations in poor areasFri, 16, Jun 2017
California legislators tightened rules requiring VW to spend a portion of clean car infrastructure funds in disadvantaged communities.
VW to offer extended guarantee but no money back for European diesel customersWed, 14, Jun 2017
Volkswagen agreed to offer an extra two-year guarantee but no compensation to European customers in talks with Europe's consumer rights chief after the German automaker was caught violating diesel emissions tests, a European Commission spokesman said.
Toyota CEO mulls deals 'to survive in the future'Wed, 14, Jun 2017
Toyota may consider mergers or acquisitions to procure new automotive technologies, including self-driving technologies, the company's president said, adding that it had to compete more aggressively against its rivals.


text:
The Nokia N950 is a rare device that was only available to a handful of developers. Luckily, if you are in the market for the N950, one has popped up on eBay.
Windows 11 build 23545 fixes a number of File Explorer bugs and more
windows 11 insider preview
Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices and Services division but there are still some divisions working under Nokia. A new rumor is that Nokia will re-enter the smartphone market with a flagship Android.
Three years ago today, Nokia announced the N9. We look back at the company's first, and last, MeeGo OS device - widely celebrated as one of the best smartphones ever launched, but ultimately doomed.
As Nokia's devices and services business transitions to Microsoft's care, we take a look back at some of the most significant and interesting handsets from the company's history.


text:
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission sued the executives of the long-defunct MoviePass app over allegations that they had fraudulently blocked customers from using the service as advertised, while failing to protect their data privacy. The FTC also announced that it had reached a settlement with MoviePass and its executives following the investigation.
Under the proposed settlement, MoviePass, parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics, CEO Mitch Lowe and chairman Ted Farnsworth are prohibited from falsely presenting their business and data security practices to customers. All companies controlled by these entities are also required to deploy comprehensive information security programs to protect consumers.
“MoviePass and its executives have gone to great lengths to deny consumers access to the service they paid for, while also failing to secure their personal information,” said Daniel Kaufman, FTC’s acting director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement Monday. “The FTC will continue to work to protect consumers from being misled and to ensure that companies keep their promises.”
Last year, MoviesPass was declared bankrupt after a tumultuous two years of trying to disrupt the cinema business. The company offered users one movie ticket a day for every movie in every theater for less than $10 a month. The edge reported in 2019 that MoviePass would purchase tickets at box office prices and then give them to consumers for the small monthly fee, ultimately driving the company out of business.
Throughout its existence, MoviePass was briefly discontinued, subscription costs increased, and the number of movies users could watch per month became more limited.
The FTC’s complaint accuses the company of deceptively marketing its “one movie a day” service to subscribers and prohibiting customers from using the service as advertised. The company also alleges that the company falsely invalidated customers’ passwords due to “suspicious activity or potential fraud” in order to ban frequent moviegoers from the service. The FTC also says MoviePass has launched a ticket verification program to discourage people from using the service.
As part of the settlement, MoviePass operators must implement comprehensive data security programs in future enterprises after storing MoviePass customer data in plain text, the FTC said.
Since MoviePass went bankrupt before the FTC took action, the agency plans to open a file for public comment on the proposed order, FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra said in a tweet Monday.


text:
Tobacco stocks slid this week after the government considered a proposal to pass legislation for regulating the contents of tobacco products. Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM), which is transitioning from conventional cigarettes to smoke-free products, bounced back from the initial dip quickly after its positive first-quarter results triggered a stock rally.
The New York-based tobacco giant managed to navigate through the pandemic effectively so far, reporting stronger-than-expected earnings consistently since the virus outbreak. The resilience can be partly attributed to the growing demand for the company’s heated tobacco device IQOS, which is viewed as a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes that is rapidly losing popularity. In the current scenario, it is very likely that tobacco companies would further expand their smokeless product portfolios.
For the second half, assuming that many of our key markets will have largely emerged from COVID restriction, we expect continued robust topline growth. This includes the contribution of higher expected device shipments, which will result in less gross margin expansion, compared to the first half. New product launches, investments in distribution, and the phasing of productivities will also play a role. We will also step up our commercial investment in the future growth of RRP through portfolio and geographic expansion, including product launches such as IQOS ILUMA.Emmanuel Babeau, chief financial officer of Philip Morris
The new trend in tobacco consumption is expected to gain more traction in the coming years, providing a fillip to Philip Morris in terms of product sales. Meanwhile, prospective investors can take a cue from the positive sentiment surrounding the company’s stock and grab the opportunity, for PM looks poised to create handsome returns during the remainder of the year. Experts overwhelmingly recommend buying the stock.
A recent proposal by the Biden administration to reduce nicotine content in cigarettes to non-addictive levels and to ban menthol could be a concern for manufacturers if the government goes ahead with the plan. While the move is unlikely to have any immediate effect, the market will be closely watching how the investor community would react to the debate.
Impressive revenue performance in key markets, including Europe and East Asia, more than offset weakness in the other regions in the first quarter of 2021. Consequently, the company’s topline gained 6% annually to $7.6 billion, surpassing the market’s projection. Earnings grew sharply to a record high of $1.57 per share and topped expectations. IQOS accounted for about 28% of total revenues. Buoyed by the positive outcome, the management raised its full-year 2021 earnings outlook.
The company’s shares maintained a steady uptrend during the pandemic, unlike the majority of Wall Street firms that experienced weakness early last year. The stock, which is hovering near the $100-mark currently, closed Wednesday’s session slightly higher.
Discount store chain Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG) will be reporting third-quarter results next week. Operating nearly 20,000 stores across the US, it is one of the largest supermarket chains
Shares of Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) were up over 1% on Thursday. The stock has dropped 13% year-to-date. The discount retailer delivered third-quarter 2023 earnings results that did not
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) reported its third quarter 2023 earnings results today. Total company sales were $34 billion compared to $34.2 billion for the same period last year. Identical sales


text:
Disneyland’s reopening will be delayed beyond July 17, Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday, saying it will wait for state guidelines before specifying a new target date.
The Anaheim destination, along with sister park Disney California Adventure, has been shut since mid-March in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the newly announced delay, it was slated to reopen in time for its 65th anniversary.
But coronavirus infections have been rising, and park workers have stood up against the mid-July date, referring to wellbeing concerns.
“California has now indicated that it will not issue theme park reopening guidelines until sometime after July 4,” Disney said in a statement, of one reason for the delay.
The company had also received pushback from unions representing 17,000 workers at its Disneyland Resort in Southern California, who said they were not persuaded the amusement park would be sufficiently protected to revive by the organization’s deadline.
Disney started shutting its amusement parks the world over in January because of the spread of the novel coronavirus. Disney toward the beginning of May said that measures to contain the pandemic had cut its benefits by $1.4 billion, most from its covered amusement parks.
Disney started reviving its amusement stops in May, beginning with Shanghai Disneyland, and a week ago revived Hong Kong Disneyland. In Florida, it has mostly revived its Disney Springs diversion and shopping complex.
“The governor appreciates Disney’s responsiveness to his concerns about reopening amid the recent increases in COVID-19 infections across many Southern California counties,” spokesperson Nathan Click said in a statement. “The state and our general wellbeing specialists keep on being in contact with the organization and their laborers just as other amusement parks in the state as we track and battle the spread of the infection.”
Andrea Zinder, leader of the United Food and Commercial Workers Association Local 324, which speaks to Disney’s bleeding-edge retail laborers, said Wednesday that while the gathering has consented to Disney’s review procedure, the organization still can’t seem to address a considerable lot of its interests.
“We have indicated several times that we are not convinced that adequate safety measures have been completely put in place,” Zinder said. “There’s more work to be finished. We think this is a decent sign, that Disney is eager to reevaluate and look more extensive at a portion of the things we have proposed.”
“Our response to Disney postponing it’s not about whether they open July 17 or July 5, it’s about taking necessary steps like testing workers and ensuring proper cleaning,” read a Unite Here statement. The labor group added that it had gained up the “affirmation that face shields will be given to the individuals who need them, yet significant issues stay uncertain.”
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.


text:
By JOE SHARKEY
Published: October 11, 2005
INTERNET BOOKING IS UP -- More business travelers are booking trips online, whether through in-house corporate systems or through commercial booking sites, according to a new survey by Accenture, the consulting firm. Almost three-quarters of business travelers now say they use Internet booking as their primary method for arranging air travel, Accenture said. That is up from virtually zero five years ago. ''Adoption of the travel tools provided by the corporate travel department is up significantly'' over the previous Accenture survey last spring, Paul C. Chiu, an Accenture partner, said in an interview. One surprising finding that could be a boon for major airlines: 38 percent of the respondents cited frequent-flier programs, especially the component that provides elite-status privileges, as the most influential factor in choosing a carrier. That's up from 33 percent in the previous survey.
FOR ENTREPRENEURS, TIME IS MONEY -- The convenience of an airline's schedule is almost as important as the price of the airplane ticket to small-business travelers. That's according to a survey by the American Small Business Travelers Alliance, which found that 87 percent of its members identified price as the No. 1 concern, while 74 percent cited flexible, convenient scheduling, a close second. One reason for that, according to Chet Gray, the group's vice president of marketing, is that entrepreneurs take many day trips, and unreliable schedules can add time and expense to a trip. ''Small-business travelers have made it clear that without flexible schedules, cheap airfares have little value,'' he said.
HOTELS PROSPER AND PRICES RISE -- With tourism and business travel surging this year in New York City, visitors have been complaining about the difficulty of finding hotel rooms, not to mention the sticker shock. And no wonder: PKF Consulting reports that occupancy rates are way up this year, to 79.6 percent for luxury hotels, from 71.3 percent in 2004, with room rates surging 11.5 percent in the same period, to $409.31 a night. The average occupancy rate for all price categories of hotels in New York City rose to 84.7 percent, from 80.5 percent, while room rates increased by 13.9 percent, to $214.77 a night, from $188.57.
JETBLUE ARRIVES AT NEWARK -- JetBlue Airways began regular service out of Newark Liberty International Airport last week, with flights to and from five cities in Florida. The airline said it planned to add service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, later this year. JetBlue's chief executive, David Neeleman, said that New Jersey customers had been clamoring for JetBlue service since the airline began operating in 2000. Previously, the closest airports with JetBlue service were Kennedy and La Guardia, both a time-consuming commute from North Jersey. Meanwhile, JetBlue will show off the first of its new Embraer 190 aircraft today at Kennedy. JetBlue has ordered more than 100 of the new 100-seat planes, which are roomier and more fuel-efficient than smaller regional jets, to augment its existing fleet of 77 bigger A320's. JOE SHARKEY


text:
If you own an iPhone, I invite you to check out the Brooklyn Bridge on Apple Maps. In the 3D view, you can see exactly how it stretches across the East River, overhanging the freeway at the edge of Manhattan and towering over its namesake park at the tip of Brooklyn. Turn on Apple’s Flyover Tour and the camera will slowly move around the bridge in a satellite view on a bright, sunny day, letting you peek into the surrounding pavilion, over the trees of Liberty Island and across the East River.
Sure, the bridge may look a little blocky from a few angles, but this is clearly the Brooklyn Bridge—a far cry from when Apple Maps first launched and it looked like the bridge was melting into the ground.
The liquefied Brooklyn Bridge was just one of many irregularities — to put it mildly — since the launch of Apple Maps, a product that celebrates its 10th anniversary later this month. The app has had one of the roughest launches of any Apple product in recent memory, but the company has invested enough in it to make it a great mapping app and a capable competitor to Google Maps. The changes represent one of the biggest product changes in a decade.
Apple Maps emerged after a rift between Apple and Google. It might be hard to remember now, but the two companies were pretty close in the early years of the iPhone. When the iPhone first launched, Google’s CEO at the time, Eric Schmidt, was on Apple’s board of directorsand Google Maps and YouTube were two of the few apps that came pre-installed on every iPhone.
However, as Google quickly began building its own iOS competitor in Android, Apple and Google became bigger rivals. Maps, in particular, has been a sore spot: Google appears to be holding back critical features from the iOS version of Maps, leaving iPhone users without turn by turn guidance. Suddenly, Apple had a good reason to remove its dependence on Google, and creating its own mapping app was one of their biggest breakthroughs.
On September 19, 2012, Apple replaced the Google Maps app with its own Apple Maps app. Right from the jump it was an absolute disaster. Statue of Liberty it was mostly just a shadow. In Ireland, Apple has mistakenly labeled a park as an airport. The road passed through one of the the hanging towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. Although Apple Maps was one of the banner features of iOS 6, the app was clearly not ready for prime time.
Apple is racing to fix the most glaring bugs right after. But the situation was bad enough that just 11 days after Apple Maps launched, CEO Tim Cook (who had only been in the role for just over a year at the time) published a remarkable open letter apologizing for the botched launch.
“At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that provide the best possible experience for our customers,” Cook wrote. “With the launch of our new cards last week, we failed to deliver on that commitment. We’re extremely sorry for the disappointment this has caused our customers, and we’re doing everything we can to make Maps better.” A month later, iOS software chief Scott Forstall was fired, reportedly for refusing to sign that letter . Apple also reportedly fired a senior manager from the Maps team shortly after Forstall’s departure.
From stumbling off the starting line, Apple began the long and winding road to improving Maps. At first there were small things like fixing the originally warped Brooklyn Bridge and the missing Statue of Liberty. But the app was still far behind when it came to basic features and mapping quality, so Apple started bringing in companies to help fix big holes. One was a location data crowdsourcing company. Several offered apps for public transportation. one was a GPS launch.
This helped Apple to start reducing key features. iOS 7 added a prompt asking users to help improve the service by sharing their frequently visited locations. Public transit directions were finally added with iOS 9 in 2015, three years after Apple Maps debuted. The app got a major redesign a year later, making navigation much better in iOS 10. Apple added indoor navigation in iOS 11. (That same year, it changed the app icon to also show the company’s spaceship campus.)
But the company could only go so far. Apple Maps wasn’t even close to Google yet, and that was partly because it relied on third-party data for much of what it showed on Maps. So, starting in 2018 with iOS 12 — six years after Maps first launched — Apple began rebuilding Maps with its own data. This includes deep investment in mapping anywhere Apple wanted to improve its coverage. The company began sending out its own mapping vans loaded with lidar arrays, cameras and an iPad connected to the dashboard. It also unfolds “pedestrian studies”, or people on foot to collect data. Some are equipped with sensor-laden backpacks.
The spread of the new cards was slow — it started with California Bay Area only — but the updated maps looked much better. They made nature much more visible, with patches of green highlighting parks and wooded areas more thoroughly, and also made it easier to distinguish roads, thanks to different sizes and additional labels. You can see several examples in this blog by Justin O’Beirnewhich detailed the progress of the improved maps.
It took Apple to January 2020 to say that he covered the entire US with the new, revised maps (slightly later than his prediction of end of 2019). But Apple didn’t just revamp the way Maps looks. In recent releases, it has also started to add a lot more functionality. Apple introduced a Google Street View-like mode called Look Around so you can see places at street level in iOS 13 in 2019. It also added real-time public transit directions and the ability to share your ETA with friends in same version.
With iOS 14, Apple introduced cycling directions, something Google Maps has also had for a very long time, and EV routing, which could be useful if the long-rumored Apple Car comes to fruition. In iOS 15, Apple added beautiful 3D details to several cities, augmented reality pedestrian directions (also in several cities), and improved driving directions. And the big Maps feature coming with iOS 16 is multi-stop routing, so you can figure out directions for a trip with multiple stops.
All of this means that Apple is rapidly increasing the speed of adding features to Apple Maps, and I think the product is much better for it: for me in Portland, Oregon, Apple Maps became my go-to maps app a few years ago. Yes, I’ll admit that the experience is much better because my primary devices of choice are the iPhone and MacBook Air, but for what I need, Apple Maps almost always points me in the right direction.
You’ll notice I said almost. While Apple has caught up to Google Maps on many fronts, it still lacks the ability to download maps for offline access. Until Apple adds this, I’ll continue to download Google Maps for long trips away from home so I can keep a map of where I’ll be, just in case.
I’m also lucky enough to use Apple Maps while living in a large metropolitan area of the US. One of my colleagues in Europe is not happy that Apple does not yet offer directions for cyclists in Amsterdam, the cycling capital of the world. And Apple’s redesigned cards are only available in a few countries outside the US, incl Great Britain, Canada, Australiaand New Zealandalthough Apple first started talking about the new cards in 2018.
Although it still has room to grow (Apple, please ditch the Yelp integration for reviews!), nearly 10 years after the release of Maps, the company has turned it from a total joke to something quite usable for many people. If you had told me this would be the case the day Maps launched, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But here we are and Apple Maps is, like XKCD recently wrote, okay now.


text:
Australian Jack Cooksey was the first person in Perth, Australia, to get the new iPhone 6, making him one of the first people in the world to get a new iPhone. So he was interviewed on TV. And it all went wrong.
Struggling with the lid of the box, and no doubt nervous at being the subject of a TV interview just for being the first person to have the iPhone 6, Jack applied a little too much force and saw his new iPhone 6 slipping out of the box and onto the ground.
When Jack grab the iPhone 6 from the ground, it didn't seem to be damaged, and Jack said "It's all good" - but it hit the ground with such force it's hard to imagine it escaping without a scratch, at least. Jack told the Perth Sunday Times, "I dropped it in a panic to get it open, luckily it's covered in plastic, so it's fine."
He also said he was looking forward to sitting down and playing with the new phone.


text:
FedEx pilots plan informational picket
FedEx Express pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, will conduct informational pickets in Memphis, Los Angeles and…
Memphians line up for iPhones at Apple store
At the Germantown Apple store, shoppers were still lined up around the corner into the afternoon Friday.
Senators lauded for pro-small business votes
The National Federation of Independent Business has named U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker 'Guardians of Small Business.'
State unemployment rate for August: 7.4 percent
Tennessee's preliminary unemployment rate for August was 7.4 percent, up from 7.1 percent in July but down from a year ago, when 8.4…
Airport bond outlook improves
A bond rating agency on Friday reaffirmed its A rating on Memphis International Airport bonds and upgraded a negative outlook to stable.
Alibaba poised to surge on the NYSE
Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba will say "open sesame" to the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, as its shares begin trading in a…


text:
Every day, eco-friendly products face a persistent battle to win the consumer over against a more affordable, often less environmentally friendly, version of itself. Yet, according to the chairman of food company Nestlé, the tide could be turning when it comes to consumer tastes.
"If you look at the millennials, they are the first generation now who are willing consciously to spend more for better quality, for sustainability, for traceability. I think there is a change," Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Nestlé told CNBC.
"I think that if you're looking at the success stories in the food industry lately you will see that those successes are normally in products which have a relatively high price and it's basically a [success] coming from the new generation. So I would say from this respect there is a change."
A 2015 global online survey by Nielsen reflected Brabeck-Letmathe's comments, with research showing that 66 percent of the 30,000-plus respondents said they would be willing to pay extra for sustainable goods.
Brabeck-Letmathe's comments come on the back of the historic Paris climate change agreement that was adopted by almost 200 countries last December, going into effect on Friday.
And Nestlé itself is part of that charge: it has long played on its own selection of eco-friendly and sustainable goals, including optimizing the environmental impact of its products and improving the environmental performance of its packaging.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Energy for Tomorrow conference in Paris, Brabeck-Letmathe told CNBC that there had been a shift compared to 20 years ago when the only argument was price, however retailers needed to embrace this new dynamic, where price isn't the only factor.
"Twenty years ago, where the only argument was price, this has moved a little bit. Doesn't mean that — in the big mainstream you still have price and unfortunately I would say retailers have not realized this sufficiently."
"Retailers are still fighting only on price, that's why we have this deflationary environment. If you see the confrontation we still have—whether that's in the U.K. or whether it's here in France—it's all about one single thing: price."
"So retailers are living 20 years in the past but the modern consumers are really much more willing to recognize quality, sustainability, and traceability."


text:
If Apple is really prepping to launch its own “Apple Car” vehicle(s), as press reports suggest, then the company will very likely decide to outsource assembly, as it does with the iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. Apple designs the hardware and operating systems but employs suppliers like Foxconn to build the finished products.
A red-hot trend in the car industry is for new entrants such as Fisker Inc. to hand over the complicated and capital-intensive work of engineering and building vehicles to a contract manufacturer.
There’s at least one big contract manufacturer ready to take advantage of these seismic industry changes: Canada’s Magna International Inc. “If Apple is serious about building a car … Magna Steyr should build it,” says Evercore ISI analyst Chris McNally. Even if Apple doesn’t come knocking, the manufacturer is already advising tech groups and start-ups looking to enter the automotive business, and investors have taken notice. Magna’s share price has almost trebled since March, giving it a $21 billion market value.
In 2019 Magna assembled almost 160,000 vehicles – more than many carmakers produce — and generated $6.7 billion of revenue from these activities. Together with joint venture partner Beijing Automotive Group Co. (BAIC) it recently added another facility in China, which is capable of producing 180,000 vehicles yearly. A north American plant might be next.
MacDailyNews Take: In October 2020, Wards Auto reported that beyond Magna Steyr’s home base in Graz, Austria, the contract vehicle assembler has expanded recently with new plants in China and Slovenia, and is eager to set up shop in North America, likely to assemble BEVs (battery-electric vehicles).
Regardless of where, it makes sense that Magna Steyr would be strongly in the running to build the Apple Car.
Beyond hybrids, BEVs and internal-combustion vehicles, Magna Steyr is looking to build vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, perhaps both commercial trucks and passenger cars.
[Frank Klein, Magna Steyr president] predicts there will be more than 1 million fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2030.
“I strongly believe that hydrogen plays an important role in the auto industry in years to come,” he says. “We will see it first on the truck and bus side, but we have a clear strategy to also engineer and produce hydrogen vehicles in the future.”
Chemistry and physics have laws that can’t be broken… What if the secret to the “Apple Car” isn’t the battery, but the fuel cell? — MacDailyNews, February 25, 2015