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Three months after starting as Chief Technology Officer, I was delighted to take the 50-strong technology team in PDS away for a day in mid-December.
Our twin objectives were to celebrate a year of working with colleagues across Parliament and discuss the value that technology could unlock for Parliament.
Our work this year
Tracey Jessup, our Director, spoke about the achievements throughout the year and thanked the team for its commitment and collaborative working style.
Among the many projects we worked on in 2017, Tracey called out eight successes:
- the rapid recovery from the cyber attack and work to reduce cyber risk
- working together to make a snap general election happen
- the relocation of our data centre
- transforming Parliament’s IT network
- introducing Skype for Business
- migrating multiple services into Microsoft Azure
- upgrading to Microsoft Office 365
- providing IT architectural support to the digital portfolio team who manage all of the projects in PDS
In all these successes, a focus on excellent service for the user shone through along with the tireless efforts of the group.
Tracey also talked about how she sees the team evolving through three main changes:
- moving to technology platforms in order to simplify our users’ experience of technology
- using a product owner model for accountability of the IT services we provide to the organisation
- monitoring our five year roadmap for Parliament and make sure we’re staying on track
What a product owner model means to us
The team were then asked to discuss what being a product owner means for us. We started with a thoughtful presentation and Q&A session led by Claudia Wootten of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). She talked about her role as product owner for Unified Communications.
The group then debated the advantages, challenges and skills needed to move to a product owner model in the Digital Service.
The feedback will help my senior team shape our operating model. We'll share more on this later in the year.
Opportunities for Parliament
A number of thought-provoking presentations and demonstrations from our suppliers followed. Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Microsoft and Samsung helped us think about the opportunities for Parliament. From virtual reality, chatbots, and voice interaction, to cyber defence and scalable compute resources, the expertise shared during the day has set the stage for 2018 and beyond.
The event was well received and we got a score of 4.6 out of 5 from participants, with outstanding scores given for the presentations by DWP, Amazon and Tracey.
I'm looking forward to a busy and successful 2018.


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By Stefanie Jackson
The fifth generation of mobile internet is coming to Northampton County, and Exmore will be home to the first tower to transmit it.
Abbreviated 5G, it’s the latest generation of the mobile web to keep people connected using their cellphones to check email, search the internet, stream video and more when they’re away from home and out of range of their wireless routers.
Exmore’s director of utilities and zoning administrator, Taylor Dukes, made the announcement Monday night.
“I think it looks good for Exmore that … they think Exmore’s a good spot to go,” he said of the “worldwide telecommunication company” that will build the tower.
Experts project that 5G will be 10 or even 20 times faster than 4G, the most powerful generation of mobile internet currently available on the Eastern Shore, allowing more users to connect more mobile devices.
New 5G technology will help power what is termed the “internet of things” – devices other than computers and cellphones that access the internet, from smart thermostats to driverless cars. It will also enable “smart cities” to use the internet to monitor infrastructure and increase operational efficiency.
As with every next generation of the mo-bile web, a next generation cellphone will be required to access it. Consumers who choose not to upgrade their phones will still be able to use 3G and 4G networks.
The fifth generation of the mobile internet will increase the capability of consumers to use their phones as mobile routers and create Wi-Fi hotspots that give them internet access on other devices like laptops and smart tablets.
Some consumers use the mobile internet at home as an emergency backup in case they lose electricity and/or their internet connection. Others use the mobile web for all their internet needs.
In either case, consumers should keep in mind that they must pay a cellphone service provider for both internet access and the data used to download content from the web. Dukes said the 195 foot tower will be located behind the Shore Plaza shopping center. Three 5G cellphone towers are also planned for Accomack.
Exmore’s planning commission will hold a public hearing about the tower on Feb. 11, 7 p.m., followed by another public hearing at the March town council meeting, where the planning commission will seek the council’s approval for the project.
By Stefanie Jackson

domain: news


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This past week has seen a lot of news focusing on Microsoft, but one story I think a lot of people missed is this gem here. That story says that Microsoft expects the next generation of consoles to sell over one billion units collectively. A lot of people misinterpreted this as Microsoft saying that the Xbox One would sell a billion units on its own, but it's still an ambitious target to say the least.
With the current generation of console sitting at around 250 million units sold, it's hard to see how they can reach this target. Even looking at the three best selling consoles of all time (the PS2, PS1 and Wii) that's still only around 355 million units. And with the Wii U sitting at around 5 million units sold, we're not exactly off to a flying start this generation.
What do you guys think? Personally I think Microsoft have been stealing their sales expectations form Square Enix.
Thanks for reading,


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The rap trio appear as Angry Birds characters in the game’s new trailer.
‘Action!’ is a new song the trio have made for Angry Birds Action!, the latest edition of the popular mobile phone game series. Developer Rovio even released a new trailer featuring the group reimagined as the titular birds. De La Soul seem to be pretty excited about video games lately: their recent single with Snoop Dogg, ‘Pain’, was released with a game of its own.
Find the trailer and ‘Action!’ below. Look for And The Anonymous Nobody August 26.


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An hour later the company posted about the problem again, but offered no timetable on when it would be fixed.
The system outage is the second time this month that people have been unable to effectively use their services.
Wells Fargo customers were tweeting about the issues they were experiencing and some were saying that they could not gain access to their money through ATMs and that their debit cards weren't working either. "We apologize for the inconvenience", it said.
'We apologize to our customers who may be experiencing an issue with our online banking and mobile app, ' Wells Fargo tweeted initially.
Some customers also reported the issue was impacting credit cards.
A customer service representative reportedly said it is a nationwide outage. The bank has been fined more than a billion dollars for its customer service failures.
The company said customers should check Wells Fargo social media for updates on the outage.
'Thank goodness I don't need money this morning for anything!' one Twitter user quipped. There are some rumors Wells Fargo's servers may be offline until Friday.
As Business Insider points out, it's been less than a week since Wells Fargo's last technical difficulties.


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Posted on October 25, 2018
When an app is uploaded to the Google Play Store, the Google Play Console provides the developer with insights and controls to keep everything running and monitor its success. With all the data and controls the Play Console provides, it’s important to understand what there is and how it can inform App Store Optimization.
Posted on October 23, 2018
Slack is a team collaboration app designed to help companies and employees communicate online. Yet while it helps bring coworkers together, does it have an App Store Optimization strategy that can bring users to its app? This week, we shine a spotlight on Slack to see if its ASO is working hard or slacking off.
Posted on October 20, 2018
It’s safe to say that app developers would love getting their app featured on the App Store. It’s well-known that being featured can help improve an app’s visibility and increase its downloads. Apple features curated content on anything from brand-new games and apps to developer stories that give a behind the scenes look at app development. But, are there any steps app developers should take to help their app get featured? Does being featured all
Posted on October 19, 2018
Google has announced new features and functions for Google Play, which will be made available for its Early Adopter Program (EAP) soon before rolling out worldwide. These were revealed at the Google Playtime event in Berlin in addition to official announcements on the company’s Twitter.
One of the announcements is a new API that enables apps to prompt updates without having to leave the app itself. The immediate in-app updates create
Posted on October 18, 2018
In-app purchases are important methods of earning money through an app. Whether they’re large purchases for premium content, subscription renewals or microtransactions for in-app currency, every dollar spent in the app helps make it more of a success. To get the most out of your in-app purchases, you should be sure to name each of them – this will appeal to users better and help your App Store Optimization.
Posted on October 16, 2018
Tile is an app that works with a phone’s Bluetooth connection and GPS to help keep track of objects. Users can place a tag on keychains, boxes or other things they don’t want to misplace and find them through the app. While it’s useful for helping users find their things, can users find it on the App Store and Google Play, or does its App Store Optimization leave it lost? For this week’s App Store Spotlight, we take a look at Tile and examine its
Complete ASO Solution
Gummicube addresses every aspect of ASO from technology to execution and measurement
Posted on October 13, 2018
Since the release of iOS 10, the App Store for iMessage has been available to users and developers. That means developers have more opportunities to expand their horizons by creating and submitting an iMessage app. This addition opened a whole new market for developers, but they’ll still need to make sure that they have an App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy in place to ensure that users are finding their iMessage apps and sticker packs.
Posted on October 12, 2018
The competition between the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is always fierce, but Apple has typically maintained a lead in profits. That lead has grown even further, as the App Store has earned93% more than Google Play in Q3. With that said, it’s important to understand what this means for the app economy and App Store Optimization.
Posted on October 11, 2018
With the release of tvOS 12, developers with apps built for Apple TV will be preparing their apps and their App Store Optimization strategies for the new operating system. There are several guidelines and suggestions to remember for developing and launching Apple TV apps, as understanding them is key to a successful submission.
Posted on October 9, 2018
While Pokemon GO may be the Pokemon app that took the world by storm, The Pokemon Company has released other apps and mobile games. One such game is Magikarp Jump, a light game where players raise up a weak little fish Pokemon to jump high into the sky. In this week’s App Store Spotlight, we reel in Magikarp Jump and see if its App Store Optimization is super effective or a flop.
Posted on October 6, 2018
Users are the reason that apps find success. When users thoroughly enjoy an app, or experience difficulties such as performance issues, bugs, glitches, etc., they leave app ratings and user reviews to make sure their voices are heard. Both the iOS and Android platforms allow developers to respond to user reviews and ratings, but not all understand the importance behind it. Apps that are plagued by negative reviews and ratings are at risk of losing
Posted on October 5, 2018
Earlier this year, Google Play began testing redesigns for the Google Play Store. It seems the testing is complete, as the new design is rolling out to more and more Android devices. With this change, it’s important to understand what the impact will be on App Store Optimization and what developers should do to ensure their apps stay optimized.


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Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!
EU may file formal complaint against Microsoft Teams’ bundling, despite latest efforts.
Microsoft is currently under scrutiny by the European Union due to concerns surrounding the bundling of its Teams app with other services. Despite Microsoft’s attempts to alleviate these concerns by offering Teams separately at a discounted annual rate, the EU remains unsatisfied, preparing to issue a formal complaint in the coming months. Furthermore, Microsoft is facing investigations regarding the licensing of its cloud infrastructure and the bundling of its OneDrive cloud system with Windows. The EU is also examining whether Microsoft’s Bing, Edge, and advertising services should be regulated under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
Starfield will soon get DLSS upscaling, FOV slider, ultrawide monitor support, and more.
A week following its full launch, Bethesda has released the first update for Starfield, hinting at more updates in the near future. The initial update focuses on minor stability and performance fixes, along with addressing some quest-related issues. Upcoming features, as indicated in the Steam patch notes, include brightness and contrast controls, an HDR calibration menu, and Nvidia DLSS support for PC users. Additionally, Bethesda is working on built-in mod support for Starfield, planning to launch this full support early next year, as well as support for ultrawide monitors and an ‘Eat’ button.
A new Xbox Mastercard is soon rolling out for Xbox Insiders members.
Xbox has announced the introduction of a new Xbox Mastercard credit card in collaboration with Barclays. This card will enable members to accumulate points through purchases, which can be redeemed for Xbox-related rewards. The card offers various benefits, including a bonus of 5,000 points after the first purchase and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new members. The card, featuring contactless payments and digital wallet compatibility, will be available to Xbox Insider Program members in the US from September 21.
Time magazine names Microsoft world’s best company.
Microsoft has been recognised as the top company in TIME’s inaugural list of the World’s Best Companies. This accolade is based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors including employee satisfaction, revenue growth, and sustainability efforts. Notably, Microsoft secured the first position in employee satisfaction, indicating a positive work environment and engaged workforce. The company, along with others like Accenture, has been working towards improving diversity and inclusion within their workforce.
That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.


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I’ve been a pretty satisfied customer of the Chevy Volt for three years now. It’s a plug-in hybrid, meaning that it will go for about 50 miles on battery power and then switch over to a gas engine. It’s quiet, well-equipped, fairly spacious, and has good zoom. 50 miles lets me drive electric about 80% of the time.
My lease is almost over, and I’ll be getting an all-electric car next time. Their battery range is well over 200 miles these days, so I don’t need the backup engine. I pulled into a gas station yesterday and realized that this might well be the last time I ever fill up. One more tank will take me through the end of this lease, and the next won’t use gas. Good! As I was thinking about this in the gas station, I noticed just how awful they smell.
But that next car will not be from GM. They stopped building Volts last April. Everyone told them to build a CUV, but instead they gave up on plug-ins altogether. They do have an all-electric, the Chevy Bolt, but it hasn’t been updated for three years. The Tesla Model 3 costs about as much and is outselling it 13 to 1. It has more electric range, more acceleration, more space, and looks sleeker:
GM says that they’ll be coming out with more electric models soon, but they haven’t for a long time even as Tesla has been rolling over them.
Worse still, GM just sided with the Trump administration in trying to stop improving mileage standards. Trump wants to freeze them, while Obama then and California now want them to improve by about 4% per year. Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW sided with California in maintaining the Obama increases, but GM decided to go with the least popular president in American history. He’ll only be president for another year, and maybe not even that. Any Democrat is certain to reinstate the standards. California is now actually saying that they will refuse to buy GM for state car fleets.
The Volt was their bid to get back into the good graces of blue states. When GM went under in 2009, it was a big reason why the Obama administration bailed them out. It was a sign that GM really could adapt to the future. The whole world needs to get off gasoline cars, and the Volt was a strong first step. They sold about 155K of them total, and another 50K Bolts. But the Volt and Bolt together were only 2% of unit sales to Chevrolet, and their profit margins weren’t great either. They’re now going to drive that bloated SUV/truck product line right into the guardrail.
I also wonder whether the Administration threatened them. Trump has made open threats against GM in the past when they have closed plants in districts that voted for him. Maybe he extorted them just as he extorted Ukraine. He also apparently denied Amazon a $10B cloud computing contract at the Pentagon, just because Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post writes mean stories about him. Extortion seems to be his standard operating procedure these days.
In any case, this GM customer won’t be buying again. I really, really want mainline US companies to stay competitive for the sake of the country, but they’re just not keeping up.
Pingback: What Has the US EV Tax Credit Cost? | A Niche in the Library of Babel


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SEOUL, Feb. 10 -- Posco, Asia's biggest stainless steelmaker by 2008 output, may increase throughput of the product by 22 percent this year because of economic recovery.
Production of stainless steel may rise to 1.80 million metric tons from 1.47 million tons last year, Choi Youn Joung, a spokeswoman for the Pohang, South Korea-based company, said today in an interview.
"The news may provide a brief boost to help sentiment for nickel given that stainless steel usage is essential to determine nickel prices," said Yi Seong Je, an industrial metals analyst at Tong Yang Securities Inc. in Seoul.
Demand for nickel will recover on rising stainless-steel usage and restocking by consumers, Societe Generale SA said last week. The steel market will grow by 9.2 percent in 2010 as the global economy rebounds from the recession, according to the World Steel Association.
Nickel has dropped 14 percent in the last six months. The metal for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.1 percent to $17,300 a ton at 1:41 p.m. Seoul time. Shares of Posco climbed 1 percent to 521,000 won at 1:42 p.m. in Seoul trading, outperforming a 0.4 percent advance in the benchmark Kospi index.
Key Raw Material
Posco last month increased domestic prices for February shipments of stainless steel by about 3 percent after a gain in the price of nickel, a key raw material. Posco last month said its total crude steel output will increase by 17 percent this year on rising demand from automakers and builders.
Stainless steel demand may recover and nickel prices were likely to stabilize in the first half, staying at about $17,000 a ton to $20,000 a ton in 2010, Posco told investors in January.
Posco is the world's third-biggest and Asia's biggest stainless-steel maker by 2008 output, company spokeswoman Choi said in a phone interview. Stainless-steel companies are the world's biggest users of nickel.


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What will it be like to do business when the United States has the world's second-largest economy? Or perhaps even the third largest?
Most of us will live to see that happen if the predictions of one of the speakers at this year's Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association convention come true.
Don Reynolds, president of 21st Century Forecasting, told his TTMA audience that the United States can expect to lose its status as the world's largest economy in less than two decades.
If present trends continue, China — already the world's most populous country — should surpass the U S as the world's leading economic power within 12 to 15 years.
And India will be right on its heels.
But for those of us who build trailers to haul things and work trucks to do things, what difference will that make? Does being Number Two equal going into decline?
The answer, of course, is no. For years, we have feared that America has been losing its manufacturing base to other countries — including India and China — where operating costs are substantially lower.
But a recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) indicates that America has been holding its own in an increasingly competitive global market.
Still the world's largest manufacturing nation, the United States produced approximately 25% of everything that was manufactured in 2004, according to NAM.
The study shows that over the past two decades — years marked by cataclysmic changes in the U S automotive industry — that the U S share of the global manufacturing market hardly has hiccupped. Yes, China has posted gains. India is up. And Korea is growing.
Yet back in the USA, the economic engine continues to purr. According to the NAM numbers, the gains in global market share that Asian nations are enjoying seem to be coming principally at the expense of Western Europe. Germany and France in particular have lost market share, and the Japanese have as well.
A growing global market presents opportunities for people in transportation — and not just for those who build the ISO containers that will be moving those goods across oceans. As Bob Costello, economist and vice-president of the American Trucking Associations, predicted in his TTMA presentation, trucking will play as great or even greater role in transporting freight in the coming years — approximately 70% of everything that is shipped.
When we focus strictly on market share, we by definition view someone else's gain as our loss. But the size of the market isn't fixed. The world economy undoubtedly will grow significantly in the coming years. With a much bigger pie to cut up, it's still possible to wind up with more pie — even when the pie is cut into more pieces.
But there are no guarantees. Instead, there will be plenty of challenges for American manufacturers in the coming years. Virtually every company attending this year's TTMA convention — trailer manufacturers and suppliers alike — can expect to feel the impact of international competition. Foreign companies increasingly will target U S markets, but that will not be the only way they will compete with U S manufacturers. They also will compete for commodities, bidding up the price for materials such as steel, nickel, aluminum, and hardwood — not to mention the petroleum that truck and trailer customers need to operate the equipment we produce.
According to a graphic that Costello showed at the TTMA convention, India and China combined have almost twice the population of industrialized countries (37% of the world's population vs 38% for more developed nations), yet the two countries currently consume only 11% of the world's appetite for oil. But with 30,000 cars being added each week in Beijing alone, that percentage is bound to change. And so will our price for fuel.
There was a time that the trailer manufacturing industry was relatively isolated from the rest of the world. Even when the first influx of Japanese cars began arriving on U S shores, trailer manufacturers could be confident that they would not struggle against the same type of international competition that had established a beachhead in the domestic car and truck industry. After all, it was not feasible to ship trailers across the ocean for sale in the U S. But today, Asian companies build trailers and are gaining acceptance in the U S market.
It's an increasingly shrinking world. And what goes on across the globe sometimes can be as important as what happens in our own backyard.


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New matcha drinks at LiHO Tea
You now have more reasons to try the new beverages at LiHO Tea.
LiHO Singapore has just introduced a new series of matcha beverages brewed from premium tea leaves from the Shizuoka region of Japan.
The new drinks comes in three variants: Shizuoka Matcha Latte, Shizuoka Matcha Avocado Smoothie and Shizuoka Fruity Matcha Mango.
They are available from 19 October, 2020 for a limited time.
Try them today.
No wired earbuds in your iPhone 12? No problem. Check this out:


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BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday signed a 2016 voter-approved law tweaked by lawmakers that requires larger enclosures for egg-laying chickens.
“I signed the egg bill. I got cracking. We unscrambled all of the information in it, and it’s egg-cellent that it’s signed,” Baker said after a State House event.
Lawmakers approved changes to the 2016 voter-approved law requiring larger enclosures for egg-laying chickens in a move aimed at averting egg shortages and a spike in prices when the law goes into effect next month.
The referendum, which banned shelled eggs, veal and other meat produced by cage-confined farm animals, was approved by more than 77% of voters. But egg producers and food industry officials said its requirement of at least 1.5 square feet per bird for large “aviary systems” — were stricter than what other states require and would lead to egg shortages and higher retail prices.
Lawmakerson Monday approved a compromise bill reducing the size of the enclosures to 1 foot per bird before sending it to Baker’s desk.
“They’ve averted a very chaotic situation,” said William Bell, general manager of the New England Brown Egg Council, which supports the changes. “We had become an outlier and that would have meant higher costs and shortages.”
He said many suppliers had placed orders for bulk egg deliveries anticipating that lawmakers would update the law before it went into effect. He said there should be an ample supply of “legal” eggs in Massachusetts if Baker signs the law.
“The eggs have been produced but they couldn’t go into the stores until we knew that they were going to be legal,” Bell said.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, one of six lawmakers who negotiated the final bill, said the compromise measure will “preserve animal welfare while also meeting the needs of the consumers.”
“I would have preferred not to be sending it to the governor’s desk at the 11th hour, but it’s taken a lot of work to get it there,” he said. “It was important to get the details right, and I think we have been able to accomplish that.”
Extension for pork
The latest version of the bill will delay a ban on the sale of pork products from “cruelly confined” pigs by seven and a half months. The pork industry pushed for a year-long delay but lawmakers who negotiated the final version of the bill agreed to a shorter delay.
Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, who was also on the panel that negotiated the final bill, said Monday that he “reluctantly” agreed to the delay but warned the pork industry that it won’t be getting any more extensions from complying.
“They must come into compliance with Massachusetts law, overwhelmingly approved by our voters back in 2016, if they wish to continue selling their products to our consumers,” he said in remarks from the Senate floor.
Most animal welfare groups are on board with the update, which includes enhancements to improve the welfare of egg-laying hens used to supply retail markets.
The 1.5-square-foot dimensions would still be required for egg-producing farms that only use cages. But the limit would be reduced for cage-free aviary systems, which allow birds to move around.
A poll conducted by the Humane Society earlier this year found at least 68% of Massachusetts voters surveyed supported changes to the law.
Massachusetts isn’t home to many large-scale egg and pork-producing farms, but the animal welfare law applies to egg, pork and veal products sent to the state.
Some groups, such as the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, have pushed the state to implement “Question 3” as approved. They point out that some egg-producing farms have already made costly modifications to comply with the law.
A California-based animal welfare group filed a lawsuit against the state last year to force implementation of the 2016 law as approved by voters, saying the changes will mean “cruel” conditions for birds that supply the state’s eggs.
The Humane Farming Association has also suggested that claims by the industry about looming egg shortages and higher prices from not updating the 2016 law were exaggerated.
Bradley Miller, the HFA’s national director, criticized the compromise legislation rolled out by lawmakers on Sunday as a “rotten egg bill” that defies the will of Massachusetts voters. He said it sets back hard-fought animal cruelty protections.
“This is a devastating setback to farm animal protection and a major betrayal to Massachusetts voters who approved the law,” he said. “It’s an outright repeal and replacement of Question 3’s central and most important anti-cruelty provision, that would have provided at least 1.5 square feet of floor space per hen.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Is crowdfunding the future of the music industry?
The industry is changing around us, but some people think they've found the future
As crowdfunding becomes increasingly popular, we look at the highs and lows of five campaigns in our world, from financing new music to saving bands’ careers...
Protest The Hero raised funds online for last album Volition, and now they’re embarking on a brave new subscription model
Protest The Hero made the bold choice to leave their record labels in the US, Canada and the UK, and crowdfund their fourth album themselves. In January 2013, they launched an Indiegogo campaign and reached their original goal of $125,000 (£87,600) in less than a day, with the total eventually climbing to $341,000 (£241,000) – the platform’s second-biggest-ever campaign. The following July, they released Volition.“It’s exciting, because it’s like a ‘fuck you’ to the music industry,” guitarist Tim Millar laughs. “We were at the point where we were unsure if we’d made the right choice in continuing to pursue music. Reaching the goal in under 24 hours was astonishing; it was a huge reaffirmation that people like what we’re doing and want us to continue.”
Breaking free from the middlemen also allowed the Canadians to network with fans and promoters with ease. “We sold four $5,000 guest spots [on Volition],” says Tim. “One of the guys that came in was a professionally trained singer, so we got him to do all these high harmonies. And we have some shows in Japan this year that came about from an email to the band page. It’s nice that it’s so easy for people to get in touch with us.”
It's a fuck you to the music industry
The success of Volition spurred them on to create a subscription platform, Pacific Myth, through Bandcamp. Fans pay a minimum of $12 and receive a new song a month for six months, as well as content such as pictures, lyrics, musical transcriptions and videos.
“That was more of an investment [than crowdfunding], because we have to record songs and videos, but there’s more of a return,” says Tim. “We’re finally capitalising on selling our music, which is something we’ve always been in the negative with when it comes to labels.”
Protest The Hero do maintain some ties to the traditional industry; UK label Spinefarm distributed Volition following the crowdfunding campaign. Meanwhile, the guys are so busy with writing and recording music, as well as managing their online platform, that they hired an independent publicist to help promote them. “We get a lot more from that as opposed to a label publicist who has 30 bands,” says Tim. “We’re not against working with labels, it just has to be in a fairer environment.”


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Getting high-end beer set right as category hits sales growth phase
Forges distribution agreement with Star Distributing, Griffen Beverage
And "Amstel Light District" hits U.S. shores
Giving Nestle Pure Life to fuel customers through July
Ga. Supreme Court ruling exposes retailers to "almost-certain economic ruin," dissenter says
Weigel's celebrates 80th anniversary
Introduces legislation to protect consumers from foods "masquerading" as dietary aids
Expands wine list in California, Oregon, Washington, Florida with VitAlma Pinot Grigio
Program will run in collaboration with longtime sponsor Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Great State/Blue Coast extends Attitude Drinks' distribution
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The NFL draft is loaded with quarterback depth and at a time when there has been a big shakeup at the position. Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith and Case Keenum are just a few of the starters that have changed teams this offseason.
While there could be as many
The 2018 NFL Draft is shaping up to be unlike any draft in recent memory. Just a few hours until the Cleveland Browns are set to make the No.1 overall pick, no one seems to know which player is going off the board first.
Starbucks reports second-quarter earnings after Thursday's closing bell.
People under the age of 30 have been turning their back Starbucks shares.
The recent racial profiling incident may be contributing t
Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Donald Trump told "Fox and Friends" on Thursday that his longtime attorney Michael Cohen only handled a "tiny fraction" of his legal work.
Cohen is currently under federal investigation.
The next hearing in his case is se
MICHAEL Parr is a British actor who’s best known for playing bad boy Ross Barton in ITV’s Emmerdale. But, what else do we know about the soap hunk, and what’s the acid attack storyline? Here is the lowdown… Who’s Michael Parr
Millennial investors are buying shares of Amazon 5% more than selling, a stark departure from last quarter,w hen that number was 47%.
The company will report first quarter earnings after the closing bell Thursday.
Follow Amazon's stock price in real-time
Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO Brian Niccol, who took over in March, outlined a five-step plan to win back customers after an E. coli outbreak plagued the chain over two years ago.
Niccol wants to put a focus on brand visibility and the digital experienc


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Radio Shack, “the struggling consumer electronics retailer announced Tuesday that it plans to close up to 1,100 underperforming stores in the U.S., or about 26% of its current company-owned stores,” Patrick Seitz reports for Investor’s Business Daily.
Over the past few months, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our portfolio from many angles — location, area demographics, lease life and financial performance — in order to consolidate our store base into fewer locations while maintaining a strong presence in each market. “The result of that review is our plan to close up to 1,100 underperforming stores. We will continue to have a strong, unmatched presence across the U.S. with over 4,000 stores including over 900 dealer franchise locations. – RadioShack CEO Joseph Magnacca
“RadioShack’s retail network today includes about 4,300 company-operated stores in the U.S., 274 company-operated stores in Mexico, and about 950 dealer and other outlets worldwide, the Fort Worth, Texas-based company said Tuesday,” Seitz reports. “RadioShack announced the store closings along with its disappointing Q4 financial results. The retailer reported a loss of $191.4 million during the quarter, compared with a year-earlier loss of $63.3 million. On a per-share basis, RadioShack lost $1.46, much higher than the 14-cent loss expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. RadioShack’s December quarter sales fell 28% year over year to $935.4 million. Wall Street was modeling for $1.12 billion in sales.”
“RadioShack stores have long been a target of comedians who have poked fun at its outdated image,” Seitz reports. “For instance, an April 2007 article by satirical news website the Onion was titled, “Even CEO Can’t Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: In what’s become a refrain for far too many years now: Good luck to all those affected.


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There’s a growing number of wearable digital health devices on the market, and more will appear at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Four new such products competed live today at CE Week’s Battle of the Bands, an event launched by Living in Digital Times. The competitors included GoQii, Healbe, Skulpt, and Wellograph,
Wellograph calls itself “the world’s first wellness watch.” Made of sapphire crystal, the watch has a sleek design, targeting a working professional audience who wants a view on health throughout the day. The watch has an Integrated heart rate sensor, taking readings from the wrist for pulse, fitness, workouts, steps and more. All information is stored on the device, which also has an app for tracking personal info over time. It will ship in August 2014 for $349 retail.
Healbe positions itself as a 100% automatic body manager. GoBe is more than a fitness tracker – it gauges whole body health, monitoring: calorie intake, output, hydration, stress levels, and more — taking information right from the body via 3 sensors. Calorie intake using the impedence sensor is a differentiator for this product in this field. Using it “allows you to #GoBeYou,” the firm’s marketing rep told the audience.
GoQii considers itself a health ecosystem, with several touchpoints: coaching, gamification, motivation, habit formation, goal reinforcement, fitness tracking, and for a change-up — philanthropy, or karma. By engaging in fitness goals, GoQii tracks activity and for every 390 steps, the “player” (in GoQii speak) earns one karma point which can be used as currency to spend on philanthropic causes (Oxfam was mentioned as an example). The actual GoQii wristband is free. The health coaching costs $149 for the first six months, and $200 thereafter. GoQii has about 800 users today.
Skulpt is in the business of helping you create “a better u.” Its focus is on quality muscle, not body weight. The Skulpt team lobbies against using a scale which it called “1940s technology.” (Aside: don’t tell Withings, a sponsor of CE Week, that). The Skulpt Aim was developed to replace Old School body calipers, monitoring body fat percentage and muscle gained. “The higher your MQ the stronger you are,” Skulpt believes. Essentially, Skulpt measures visceral fat, and is essentially a body composition and muscle quality analyzer.
The winner of The Battle for CE Week? Healbe, the all-in body analyzer.
Health Populi’s Hot Points: The supply side of digital health is so hot that the footprint at CES 2014 grew 40% over 2013 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and that was on top of 25% growth in 2012. In 2015, the footprint will be enlarged by projects like these who “battled” here in NYC today, as well as in smartwatches new to health and fitness, and new on-ramps to self-tracking emerging from Apple, Google, Samsung, WebMD, and Microsoft, among many others. I continue to refer to Gartner’s Hype Cycle showing wearables at the apex of the curve — the so-called Peak of Inflated Expectations in Gartner’s terms, show in the graphic.
Consumer demand – that is peoples’ willingness-to-pay out of pocket hard, after-tax dollars from disposable income — will determine which of these devices and tools — whether wrist-worn, thrown into a pocket, or mobile phone driven — will survive to be featured in a booth at the 2016 CES. For now, let’s remember the sobering fact that only a few percent of people in the U.S. use digital devices to track their health.
Me? I’ve been tracking for over four years, and am still trying to crack the calorie/food mash-up. That’s the lsat-mile in self-tracking for the masses, the way I look at this segment. Healbe will publish data in August 2014 about how well its calorie tracking/impedence sensor is doing — which I am keen to follow.


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Just in time for the holiday season, Mojang is bringing its hit first-person block-building game for Windows PC, Minecraft, to three major North American retailers: Walmart, Target and Best Buy.
Instead of offering a boxed, disc-based version of the hit game, customers can purchase a $26.95 prepaid Minecraft card containing a software download code – the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite PC gamer. A Mojang account isn't required to purchase the card, but it is required to redeem the code.
The new prepaid card for the PC version should address an audience that's reluctant to make purchases online. It's also handy for parents, friends and other relatives who don't want to create an account just to purchase the game as a gift. Still, Mojang continues to provide online options for purchasing the game for yourself, or as a gift code – both of which require a Mojang account.
Just recently Minecraft's creator, Markus "Notch" Persson, revealed on Twitter that he was approached by Microsoft to certify Minecraft for Windows 8. Persson said that he refused. "Got an email from Microsoft, wanting to help 'certify' Minecraft for Win 8," Persson tweeted. "I told them to stop trying to ruin the PC as an open platform."
He went on to admit on Twitter that he'd rather have Minecraft not run on Windows 8 at all than to play along with the Redmond company. "Maybe we can convince a few people not to switch to win 8 that way," he added.
Meanwhile, 4J Studios said via Twitter that Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has passed 4 million in sales. Costing 1600 Microsoft points per copy, it landed on Xbox Live Arcade back on May 9, and burned through a million sales globally within its first five days on Microsoft's network. So far the game is averaging around 27,000 sales per day, and could hit 5 million units sold before the end of the year.


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Friday, July 20, 2018
Please find below the notes from GAM Investments’ Weekly Investment Meeting on 18 July 2018 – this week’s speaker was Michael Biggs, who explained why he believes the outlook for global growth remains intact and highlighted the risks of an escalation in the trade war.
- After a strong finish to 2017, growth has disappointed as we have progressed through 2018. Both export and global industrial production (IP) growth have slowed, and EM GDP growth appears likely to have weakened in Q2 following a strong Q1. We are expecting a stronger Q3, and at least some stabilisation is required if the case for risky assets is to remain intact. EM growth has been around 1% a quarter, which equates to 4% pa.
- The economic surprise indices tell the same story, with DM disappointing in Q1 and EM following suit in Q2. The early signs of stabilisation are there, with surprise indices now returning to zero, PMIs ticking up and container shipping volumes (another useful indicator) having recovered after a downturn earlier this year. This all suggests global growth is intact and it remains an attractive environment for risky assets.
- There are some forthcoming data points which will be interesting to watch, namely the ECB bank lending survey on 24 July, flash PMIs on the same day, China industrial profits on 27 July and PMIs on 6 August. These will all give further insight into what Q2 looked like.
- The threat to the investment story right now is the trade war. From our perspective, nobody expected it to escalate in the way it has; we have seen something of a tit-for-tat between the US and China. On 4 April the US announced it would put USD 50 billion of tariffs on Chinese goods. China responded by announcing its intention to impose 25% of tariffs on USD 50 billion of US goods. In early July US tariffs on USD 34 billion of Chinese goods took effect, with a reciprocal USD 34 billion of China tariffs on US goods. An additional USD 16 billion of tariffs is due in late July or early August. If that happens China will respond in kind. The US feels it has to have the last word, and it is not clear what will break the cycle. If this keeps escalating it is bad for global growth, however we remain hopeful for a negotiated solution as the bad economics around these tariffs put pressure on politicians to prevent any further escalation.
- The impact of tariffs depends very much on the nature of the goods and their substitutability. The US imposed tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, but because domestic production of washing machines could not come online quickly enough we saw an impact in the inflation numbers. On non-consumer goods you do not see this inflationary impact, so for the next round of tariffs on China the US is focusing on intermediate capital goods. But the result is that US companies which import these goods see their costs go up. China, meanwhile, put tariffs on soybeans, which it can import from Brazil and Argentina. This amounted to a transfer from US producers to the Chinese government.
- The higher input costs will put pressure on the US government to come to a negotiated solution. We believe the next steps are that the July/August tariffs are almost inevitable. We could see further tariffs imposed by the US in September, with China responding, and in November the US could impose auto tariffs. We do not think these latter two steps are yet priced in by markets.
- A trade war is bad for EM local currency debt, but the impact could soften if the US dollar weakens. While slower global growth could cause commodity prices to fall, the major impact on EM FX is what happens to the US dollar. If a trade war causes US growth to disappoint this would be negative for the dollar, but not such a bad outcome for EM.
Important legal information
The information in this document is given for information purposes only and does not qualify as investment advice. Opinions and assessments contained in this document may change and reflect the point of view of GAM in the current economic environment. No liability shall be accepted for the accuracy and completeness of the information. Past performance is no indicator for the current or future development.


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Electrolux Professional is marking the third anniversary of its Center of Excellence in Luton by offering kitchen and laundry professionals free travel to and from its specialist demonstration sessions until 2017.
Having opened its doors in 2013, the manufacturer’s specially-designed training and demonstration facility has welcomed nearly 2,700 personnel from a variety of sectors..
Now, the company says that even more chefs, caterers, hotel staff and laundry operators can benefit from free advice on how to get the most from their kit, thanks to a new ‘Your Fuel on Us’ promotion that will see Electrolux reimburse travel costs for those attending demonstrations at its Luton headquarters.
Over the years, more than 250 joints of meat have been roasted, over 2,600 sandwiches toasted and more than 1,000 loads of laundry washed with Electrolux’s foodservice and laundry equipment.
And, with such a wide range of kit on offer under one roof, sessions can be tailored to meet the needs of each individual operator, according to the company.
Darren Lockley, head of region for Electrolux Professional UK & Ireland, commented: “To be nearing a rate of 1,000 operators visiting us a year far eclipses what we had hoped to achieve when the Center of Excellence was first opened three years ago. We’re now eager to take this one step further, by investing in getting more people to the site in order to ensure expert demonstrations is available to anyone and everyone who wants it.
“Whether you’re a head chef looking to maximise food prep or a head housekeeper wanting to streamline your laundry operation, no request is too niche. We’ve delivered masterclasses on everything from washing prom dresses to producing 20kg of hummus – and we’re looking forward to the many interesting and intricate requests still to come!”


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Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of people griping and complaining about how there are so many “Android phones” in the market. They say that not a day goes by before there is another Android product being announced in some form or fashion.
I, for one, do not believe this is true. At the moment, there are only a handful of handset manufacturers that exist out there today release Android based smartphones. They are Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola and Sony. There are some smaller ones and, quite frankly, I don’t even think Sony even belongs in the list and LG only just made it because it was involved with the Nexus 4. So, with only 4 big players in the Android smartphone market, how is it that there are people saying that the frequency in which phones are announced is so high?
I think the misconceptions comes from when the devices are being hyped in the market. Many different outlets will essentially talk about the same device in different ways. It also doesn’t help when the device is going to different carriers and is augmented in some form or fashion. Examples of this is the Samsung Galaxy SII brand of devices. These devices saw multiple iterations between countries and carriers to where it would seem like a phone was being released maybe once a week, but in actuality, it was basically the same phone coming out in different countries in carriers with slight modifications to make them different.
Another thing I think that people fail to realize is that Android is actually an operating system and not a phone. Its as simple as this: Android is to smartphone what Windows is to computer. Android was an mobile operating system that was developed by Android before it was acquired by Google. Google then allowed device manufactures use the OS to power their own devices, much like what Windows and Linux is for computers.
Nobody would walk into a Best Buy and go to the computer section and say: “Man! They keep coming out with new Windows computers everyday!” Yes, its a true statement, but nobody bats an eye when a new laptop comes out because of its operating system. People should look at Android devices the same way. Samsung is not only competing with Apple. It is competing with LG, HTC and Motorola, too. They are essentially trying to sell a cellphone, not an operating system.
These companies aren’t even always backing Android anyway. HTC and Samsung also push out Windows Phone devices and Samsung even is working on developing their own mobile OS, Tizen after their stopped development on another one, Bada.
In conclusion, please consider Android as the OS instead of the device itself. As Google has stated before, there is no Google phone and should also be extended to mean there is no Android phone either. There are only Android powered device.


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Qassim Cement Co. reported a net profit after zakat and tax of SAR 360.7 million for the fiscal year 2019, an over twofold rise year-on-year (YoY).
The fourth quarter net profit stood at SAR 144.1 million. Shareholders’ equity, excluding minority interest, reached SAR 1.78 billion.
The annual figures were bolstered by higher sales volumes and average selling prices, as well as an increase in other income and investment returns.
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Golden Bear is confident of a successful 2015 following a sales growth of 33 per cent and securing the number one spot in all UK plush sales, last year.
According to the latest NPD figures, the Telford-based company saw its In The Night Garden range become the fastest growing pre-school license in 2014, increasing by 92.8 per cent for the year.
Golden Bear is now forecasting further growth of around 50 per cent for the year ahead, lead – it believes – by new products such as the In The Night garden Activity Table launching this autumn and new brands such as Twirlywoos, Hey Duggee and My First Forever Friends.
2014 saw Golden Bear’s In The Night Garden Talking Soft Toys and Ninky Nonk Musical Activity train become two of the top three best-selling licensed pre-school items.
“Quality, innovation and strong licensed properties are at the core of our business and we look at product development that best expresses this ethos and can offer longevity,” said Barry Hughes, golden Bear commercial director.
“We are now forecasting further growth of around 50 per cent this year.”


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At the Flash Memory Summit in August I had the honor of awarding Fujio Masuoka, the inventor of both NAND and NOR flash, the Flash Memory Summit Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given to the giants of the flash memory industry to acknowledge their contributions.
Dr. Masuoka first described NOR flash at the 1984 International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco, and NAND flash at the same venue in 1987. His paper “A new flash EEPROM cell using triple polysilicon technology” introduced a technology that is now used everywhere.
The award has also been given to Intel’s Flash team who brought the first commercial products to the market, and SanDisk co-founder Eli Harari, for devising a way to manufacture a floating gate.


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By Ryan Brinks
The number of medical devices recalls nearly doubled over the past decade, with a particularly steep increase in Class I recalls, according to a recent report from the FDA.
The number of Class I recalls jumped from seven in 2003 to 57 in 2012, and the total number of recalls rose from 604 to 1,190 over that same period of time.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, there were a number of causes for the increase in recalls. Steve Silverman, director of the FDA medical device center’s office of compliance, attributed some of the recalls to FDA inspections and a 2010 educational workshop on reducing unnecessary exposure to radiation from medical imaging devices.
Additionally, Wanda Moebius, senior VP at AdvaMed, mentioned that a more cautious and proactive approach by companies to report possible safety and quality issues also added to the influx of recalls.
In contrast, Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Woman and Families, questioned the credibility of the FDA’s regulatory process. According to the WSJ, she said, “You have to wonder whether a more rigorous regulatory effort before devices went on the market would have avoided these recalls.”
Emergo Group noted that software-related issues were the most common cause for device recalls, accounting for about 15 percent of all recalls from 2010 to 2012. Of those, radiological devices were recalled the most, followed by chemistry, cardiovascular, and general hospital equipment devices.
Richard Vincins, Emergo’s VP of quality consulting, found the results of the study paradoxical, noting that, “design controls were implemented almost 20 years ago to help prevent device recalls, yet that has been this increasing trend.”
Vincins sees the need for improved quality assurance, especially for medical device software. “I have observed over the years that as medical devices become more complex, manufacturers must implement proper design controls, design change management, verification testing, and validation testing to help them save valuable dollars on the bottom line and reduce regulatory oversight,” he said.


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Google quietly announced that the “years in business” label is now live for businesses that want to display how many years they are in business within the Google Search local pack.
What it looks like. Here is a screen shot of my business, RustyBrick, showing the 25+ years in business label in a local pack listing within the Google Search results:
How do you get this label. Google said you need to provide the open date in your Google My Business profile. Google explained you can do this by logging into your Google My Business account, clicking on your location, then selecting the “info” option from the menu and then click on “add opening date.”
More history. It seems Google started testing this back in September 2020 and then started to roll this out more broadly in November 2020. And now, in February 2021, Google officially announced this as a feature.
Prior to that, Google tested a feature to communicate to customers labeling your future open date for new businesses.
Why we care. Sometimes showing that your business has been in operation for 5 or more years can help searchers trust your business more. So if your business has been around for some time, adding the open date can help encourage a searcher to click on your listing and potentially call or visit your location, hopefully ultimately leading to a sale.
Google wrote you can “add an opening date to your Business Profile to tell customers when your business first opened, or will open, at its address.”
The post Google officially displays years in business in local pack appeared first on Search Engine Land.


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Impact of the US credit downgrade on labor, OFWs
Here comes the rains again.
Falling on my head like a new memory,
Falling on my head like a new emotion.
Eurythmics couldn’t have described our situation better. The downgrading of the United States from an AAA credit rating to AA+ by Standard & Poors (S&P) has produced rhetoric and results that remind me of the early days of the global financial crisis in 2008. Everyone is being told to remain calm. The effects on our own economy would be minimal. The Philippine economy is strong.
Magdilang anghel sana kayo.
The economic fundamentals of the Philippine economy are undeniably strong – tremendous dollar reserves, recent and unprecedented credit upgrades, an increase in tourism arrivals, and improved tax collections. The government’s anti-corruption drive has not abated. President Aquino enjoys high trust ratings and good relations with legislators. Overseas Filipino workers spread across various continents continue to remit hard-earned dollars to their families.
But wait. The full impact of the US credit downgrading is just slowly unfolding. Hysteria is the world’s biggest enemy. Reminders to stay calm and not to panic are just as important now as it was in 2008. Still, we need to understand what’s afoot. It’s impossible to stay calm when one is caught, and not in a good way, by surprise.
A much stronger peso (say, at 41:1) will lead to job losses in the export market particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises where the marginalized sectors find jobs. A weaker dollar would encourage flooding of imported goods including agricultural products, but not necessarily to a lowering of prices. A weaker dollar results in more savings for government because the conversion results in less foreign debt to service. However, a stronger peso affects OFW households since a lot of OFWs still exchange local currencies abroad to dollars before sending these monies home.
I asked Thelma, a wife of an OFW based in Miami, Florida about the effects of the debt crisis and credit downgrade on remittances. She said that her husband who works as FB manager of a cruise ship had to settle for a wage cut and longer hours at work. The cruise liner was not getting as many clients as before. As a result, her husband would not be able to send the same level of remittances as he did a month or two ago.
Also in the news was the cutting of 100 jobs for Pinoy nurses in New York City. Due to the recession, the Peninsula hospital is well on its way to declaring bankruptcy. Come November (ironically, the month for thanksgiving), more jobs will be shed in the US once spending cuts prevail as contained in the debt ceiling law. The psychological blow that would come once the axe falls on various states and sectors would be enormous. American investments that rely directly or indirectly on federal requirements in areas of defense, humanitarian aid, and support for international NGOs could be curtailed.
And so yes, it is too early to say how the Philippine economy would be affected by the US credit downgrade. But there is much that we must be ready for; and a great deal that we can do to prepare for both the good and the bad consequences ahead.
To dismiss any effects of the downgrade on our economy this early as minimal can bring short-term assurances, but not long-term gain.
Now more than ever, we need to help our OFWs and workers understand the global situation, encourage them to prepare for what’s to come, and drive home the values of self-reliance, savings, and perseverance. All this we need to do while providing them the space, environment and freedom to dream big, be hopeful, and stay productive, amid so much uncertainty.


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Despite looking quite promising on paper, Nvidia's Tegra processors haven't exactly been enjoying widespread adoption in the industry (well, unless you count the Zune HD). Tegra may finally get its just desserts next year, though. DigiTimes reports that Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Samsung, and several companies in China and Europe all plan to launch Tegra 2-based tablets in 2011.
This report, which DigiTimes bases on "sources from notebook players," goes on to say two driving forces have helped Nvidia secure more design wins: Tegra's powerful graphics logic, which can accelerate Flash and 3D games, and price discounts offered by the company. Considering relatively quick 3D graphics aren't exactly a new thing in ARM-based smartphone SoCs, I'd be tempted to think the price discounts have more to do with it. Again, though, Tegra does look pretty compelling on paper.
In any case, enjoying broad adoption in the burgeoning tablet market could do good things for Nvidia's bottom line, not to mention help the firm diversify its business in a tangible way—something it's been attempting to do for a while now. You might recall a Businessweek article from this summer, which noted in so many words that Nvidia's future hinges on Tegra and Tesla. One analyst was quoted as saying, "At this point, because they've focused the Street on Tesla and Tegra, they need to deliver."
|Gigabyte SA-SBCAP3350 puts formidable power on a single board||10|
|Alphacool Eisblock HDX-2 and HDX-3 help M.2 SSDs beat the heat||9|
|Corsair Lighting Pro Expansion Kit lets builders turn up the lights||8|
|Adata D16750 power bank is tougher than the average juice pack||16|
|Deals of the week: fast memory, an AM4 motherboard, and more||14|
|Corsair RMx White Series PSUs take a walk on the snowy side||24|
|Intel crams 100 GFLOPS of neural-net inferencing onto a USB stick||41|
|Toshiba's XG5 1TB NVMe SSD reviewed||9|
|Microsoft and Johnson Controls put Cortana in a thermostat||26|


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Unprecedented crisis in the Romanian hospitality industry, over 19,000 unfilled jobs
The hard-pressed hospitality industry in Romania is facing more problems, one month before the new summer season starts. Hotel owners complained of an acute staff shortage.
The representatives of the Accommodation Industry Federation in Romania argued there are currently over 19,000 jobs unfilled in the industry, according to the online recruiting platforms.
As fewer and fewer are willing to be seasonal workers, the only solution might be „the staff imports”.
„The work shortage is growing for the development of tourism is pretty increased, we have new hotels. The staff import is a solution, the fastest one, but it cannot cover our need to a larger extent. The second solution is for us to get more and more involved in the education part,” said Calin Ile, the president of the federation.
He gave the example of Poland, which brought over 1 million people from Ukraine to work in their hospitality sector.
The hospitality federation official argued that laws are needed in Romania first, as well as the regulation of the extra earning incomes.


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The Trump administration – specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency – broke off talks with California environmental officials recently over efforts to reach a compromise on fuel economy standards. EPA officials have said at the Washington Auto Show and elsewhere that EPA’s goal is to have a single national standard.
That’s certainly what automakers want. And a single standard would be very helpful to dealers in an area like metropolitan Washington, where consumers often cross state lines to buy a car. Back to that in a minute…
The talks broke down because neither side was willing to budge much from their original position. The Trump administration wanted to freeze fuel economy standards in 2021 instead of increasing them by 5 percent every year until 2025, as Obama-eras rules called for. At the same time, California wants to continue to be able to set its own, more stringent standards.
So what does all this mean for Maryland and Virginia dealers? With no agreement between the Trump administration and California officials, there could eventually be two sets of fuel economy standards: One for California and the states that follow it (including Maryland) and another, less stringent set of standards for the rest of the country (including Virginia). Automakers could send a different set of new vehicles to dealers in Maryland than to Virginia dealers. That may mean a customer who wants to buy a big SUV with poor fuel economy may not be able to find it at a Maryland dealer, but could easily find it at a Virginia dealer.
No changes would happen until after 2021, at which point there could be different administration. But all of this is a reminder that this issue is not solely one for West Coast dealers.


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FAU-G or Fearless And United Guards is currently India's most highly anticipated mobile action title developed and published by nCORE Games, a Bangalore-based mobile games and interactive entertainment company.
Indian fans have been waiting for the title's release since it was announced back in early September. Recently, the developers of FAU-G have revealed the title's release date, and it seems like the wait is finally over.
nCORE Games announce the official release date for FAU-G
According to the recent tweet by the developers of the game, FAU-G is scheduled to be released on January 26th, 2021, on the Republic Day of India.
The tweet read:
"What will you do when they come? We will hold our ground & fight back, because we are Fearless. United. Unstoppable FAU:G! Witness the anthem FAU:G! Launch 26/1"
The tweet shares a sneak peek into the game's visualizations and detailing. Not much of the gameplay action was revealed in the clip, but it describes the setting and background of the title.
FAU-G's anthem and trailer
The mentor and guide of the FAU-G release, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, recently tweeted the game's anthem on his Twitter handle.
The tweet read:
"Whether it’s a problem within the country or at the border...these Bharat Ke Veer always stand tall. They are our Fearless And United Guards, our FAU-G! Witness the anthem"
After the official announcement on September 4th, the developers released the title's teaser on October 25th on the occasion of Dussehra.
"Good always triumphs over evil, the light will always conquer the darkness. May victory bless Fearless And United Guards, our FAU-G. Launching in November 2020! Happy #Dussehra"
Pre-registering for FAU-G
Here are the steps that players can follow to pre-register for FAU-G on the Google Play Store:
- Players must open the page of FAU-G on the Google Play Store, or can click here to be redirected to the page.
- They must click on the "Pre-registration" button.
- A new pop-up menu will appear.
- Players must tap on the "OK" option, and the pre-registration procedure will be completed.
- Players should click on the "Install when available" option to download it immediately after the game is available on the Google Play Store.
Published 04 Jan 2021, 11:49 IST


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- A person in a secondary role, specifically the second most important character (after the protagonist).


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NEW YORK—The chemical industry lobby, which has been working against a proposed ban on plastic foam containers, is one of the most sophisticated the City Council has ever seen, according to Council member Lewis Fidler.
Fidler said that lobbyists from the American Chemistry Council and DART, the world’s largest manufacturer of foam containers (plastic foam is commonly referred to as Styrofoam, a brand name), have been “living with council members” for the last nine months as part of their campaign against the ban.
Fidler, who sponsored the legislation, spoke before a hearing on the bill at the City Council Monday.
“The industry has quite an outstanding profit motivation here,” Fidler said.
DART has no manufacturing plants in New York state, but has been trying to stop a ban in the city. It offered City Council $160 a ton for foam containers, and lobbied for a recycling program. Currently the city pays $95 a ton to truck plastic foam to landfills.
Cas Holloway, the deputy mayor of operations, said DART contacted him and he put the company in contact with Sims, the city’s contracted sorter for recycling. Sims and DART held a pilot recycling program, but Sims found the product was too difficult, costly, and time consuming to recycle.
A New York State Assembly bill banning plastic foam loose-fill packaging that does not contain recycled material, states that plastic foam “is not easily recycled due to its light weight and low scrap value.”
The Assembly legislation cites a 2008 study that found that it cost $2,000 per ton to recycle plastic foam, compared to less than $100 per ton for glass.
The lobbyists said recycling is possible, and point to municipalities like Los Angeles. But a letter presented at the City Council hearing Monday from Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz said, that foam “containers contaminated with food waste are not, in fact, recycled in any way in the City of Los Angeles.”
Lobbyists have also taken other approaches. The American Chemical Council formed the Restaurant Action Alliance NYC. Restaurant Action Alliance representatives then approached thousands of restaurants across the city shortly before the legislation was introduced in August.
Representatives from the Alliance told restaurant owners the legislation would increase their operating costs, and asked them to sign letters to their council members. The restaurant owners were not told of the connection between the Restaurant Action Alliance and the American Chemistry Council.
Fidler acknowledged that letters from restaurant owners were funded by the chemical industry.
Chair of the Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee, and public advocate-elect, Letitia James, said she was aware of the connection between the American Chemistry Council and the Restaurant Action Alliance.
“That’s the greatness of democracy,” she said. “Opposing views will be heard as well.”
James supports Fidler’s bill to ban foam containers, but said a compromise was made with the chemical industry. The Council last week inserted a clause that would give the sanitation commissioner a year to decide whether recycling foam containers is feasible.
Sanitation Deputy Commissioner Ron Gonen said during the hearing that plastic foam is not recyclable.
A curbside recycling program for the single-use containers would require an additional 1,000 truck routes and would cost the city about $70 million a year, according to Holloway. He said 84 percent of chain restaurants in the city, more than 3,000 restaurants, no longer use foam containers.
In May, Gonen and Holloway met with Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s, the two largest generators of foam cup waste.
“Both [Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s] told us in writing that foam cannot be recycled and they have initiated plans to discontinue the use of foam cups,” Holloway said.


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At the ongoing Gamescom 2018 convention being held in Berlin Germany, Dell has introduced a new range of gaming monitors with high refresh rates up to 155Hz. The gaming monitors will be available in two configurations of 24-inch and 27-inch.
As per a report by Beebom, the 24-inch gaming monitor from Dell comes with a display resolution of 1920 X 1080 pixels and has a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of 1ms. This implies that the gaming monitor comes with minimum input lag and provides high-resolution graphics along with a smooth transition rate. The new gaming monitors have been designed to provide an immersive gaming experience to the users.
The bigger 27-inch version of the new gaming monitors comes with a display resolution of 2560 X 1440 pixels. The 27-inch variant offers a higher refresh rate of 155Hz than the smaller variant. Both the gaming monitors feature the latest AMD FreeSync technology. The AMD FreeSync technology will help the users to setup up to three display profiles and also allow them to select the visual mode best suited for their needs. This will provide an immersive gaming experience to the users.
In terms of design, both the gaming monitors feature the Reacon-Blue metallic paint design. Dell is also providing the Premium Panel Exchange guarantee with both these monitors. Under this scheme, the users will get a free panel replacement if they can spot a single bright pixel on the display. However, the device needs to be in the warranty period to claim the replacement order.
On the pricing front, the 24-inch Dell gaming monitor comes with a price tag of $319.99 (Rs 22,260 approximately). The 27-inch gaming monitor, on the other hand, will be available at a price of $549.99 (Rs 38,261 approximately). Both the gaming monitors will be available in North America and the US beginning from August 28 and will be available for purchase from Dell’s official website.


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Spotify launches in the U.S.
- 15 July, 2011 00:22
Spotify, the popular digital music streaming service available in Europe since 2008, launched on Thursday in the U.S., where music enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting it.
"This is a great day for anyone who loves music in the U.S. and, of course, a real milestone for us at Spotify," the company said in a blog post.
In the U.S., Spotify is giving users three options for registering for the service. There is a free tier supported through advertising to which people have to submit a request to get an invitation. It gives users access to more than 15 million [m] songs, social sharing features, playlist management functionality and the ability to sync up with mobile phones or iPods.
The second tier, Spotity Unlimited, costs US$4.99 a month and includes all the features in the free service while doing away with the ads.
Finally, Spotify Premium, at $9.99 per month, extends the service with offline listening mode and beyond desktop computers to cellphones and other mobile devices, features better sound quality and includes special content.
Spotify reportedly closed a $100 million funding round last month which gave it a valuation of about $1 billion.


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Facebook Inc., one of the world's hottest technology companies, gave the clearest sign yet that it is preparing to take itself public sometime next year, as it revealed new details in a 100-page document sent to a select group of potential investors.
Facebook, of Palo Alto, Calif., said it plans to increase its number of shareholders above 500 this year, according to the private-placement document, forcing the social-networking company to begin disclosing reams of financial information or go public by April 2012.
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text: Since the great recession ended in June 2009, the US economy has experienced weak but steady growth. But, unlike the pattern followed in most prior recessions, weaknesses in both the consumer and government sectors have kept these key components of the economy on the sideline. The interdependence of nations and the economic outlook for the global economy cannot be overlooked in 2012. The real recovery will be underway when the components moving up far outnumber those moving down. While that has not happened so far, the US economy and the global economic outlook for 2012 are improving as the new year begins. National economic events and the outlook for global economic expansion in 2012 will define the nature of the economic recovery that can be expected in Tennessee and Memphis. The reasons why unemployment rates in Memphis and other communities throughout the nation have been so persistently high are twofold -- structural and cyclical.


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JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (WABC) -- Police are searching for three men who robbed, or apparently attempted to rob, a Queens' jewelry store at gunpoint.
It happened at Kunal Jewelry at 37-08 74th Street in Jackson Heights around 8 p.m.
"I was shocked to see and listen. Thank goodness, police came right away," said Tofael Chowdhury, a fellow merchant.
The three armed men entered the store just before it closed.
Police say they ordered two employees to the back store.
The suspects got away before police arrived.
Thomas Kashy is the wholesaler who supplies jewels to many of the stores here. He says the robbers never touched the display cases upfront, probably so they wouldn't trigger the alarm. Instead, he says, the safe in the back was wiped out.
"Whatever was in the display cases is there. No problem. What happened is that whatever was in the safe was sacked. The whole thing. Yes, the whole thing is cleared out," Kashy said.
There is an active investigation underway. Although, late Tuesday night police said that nothing was taken and the safe was empty.
Eyewitness News is told Kunal Jewelers is owned by one family who also owns Karan Jewels across the street.
Tuesday night, local merchants are calling for more police presence.
"We're like the Diamond District on 46th Street in Manhattan. We need more police presence in this area," said Zakaria Masud, President of the Business District.
No one was hurt.


text: The Global Electronic Fund Transfer Point-of-sale Systems Market (EFTPOS) is expected to grow by 8.4 % between now and 2016, according to recent findings from researchandmarkets.com. Part of this growth can be attributed to an increased usage of Europay, MasterCard and Visa. With growth, of course, comes an increased need for improved security across the board (something we take very seriously at CoCard). Heightened security measures include signature capturing devices, biometric sensors, touch screens, radio frequency identification and bar code scanners. This report also included a thorough market analysis including input from industry experts, as well as a study on the key vendors working in this market. Those vendors mentioned in the study include First Data Corp., Ingenico S.A., Pax Technology Ltd. and VeriFone Systems Inc.


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Samsung is famous for introducing cutting edge mobile smart phones that has helped it become a close competitor of Apple iPhone. Samsung unveiled its new S8 phone with curved screen and other upgraded features.
Embed picked from youtube.com official channel of the producers. All copyright belong to the producers and their successors. For any copyright issues please contact Youtube.comRecommended posts:


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The decentralized network which is focused at scalability and proof-of-stake goes live on Unocoin after the update on future plans.
Experts from the crypto space have backed the DOJ’s investigation in Bitcoin price manipulation saying that it will help to remove unwanted elements from the crypto market.
Being the driving force of currency markets, payments systems, and financial services revolution, blockchain has all the chances to disrupt manufacturing industry as well.
The UK-based fintech startup Revolut, creator of the first app allowing customers to invest in Bitcoin, has announced adding Ripple (XRP) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) for trading.
The GMO miner B2 is expected to deliver high-levels of hashing power with lower electricity demands.
Marketplace powered by Ethereum smart contracts may change the industry as it sets new standards of fees and personal data security.
Jibrel that is actively working on building a bridge between blockchain and traditional finance is now licensed as a financial intermediary by VQF.
Although the cryptocurrencies market now is in its declining trend, Tom Lee is still very positive about the future of Bitcoin.
The rebranding of GDAX will make trading experience more easy and intuitive, while integrating the Paradex platform will give customers access to more digital currencies.
Vitalik Buterin created an opinion poll trying to decide whether take an offer and join Google’s team or stay at Ethereum. The majority backs the second alternative.


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Renegade Kid always had the ability to create a new first-person shooter for one of Nintendo's handheld systems, but instead it chose to wait.
In 2009, the developer released a first-person shooter for the Nintendo DS called Moon under a five-year publishing deal with Mastiff. When that agreement expired, Renegade Kid wasted no time in reclaiming those rights to produce Moon Chronicles, an episodic remastered version for the Nintendo 3DS.
For Renegade Kid, regaining those rights was a personal matter, co-founder and director Gregg Hargrove told Polygon during a recent press event in San Francisco.
"[Renegade Kid has] a personal connection to the story and the idea, along with the characters," Hargrove said. "We could have just created a new story and made a first-person shooter. That's not terribly hard to do since we've got the technology and we know how to.
"But we put a lot of effort into this one and a lot of effort into the story and thought it was clever. It had a lot of potential at being a different kind of story in a sci-fi genre. It's kind of like our Star Trek universe."
Like the previous version, Moon Chronicles players take control of Major Kane as he explores a strange hatch. During our time with the game, we were able to control Kane with either a button scheme typical to shooters — the joystick allowed us to look around, while triggers allowed us to shoot —or by using the 3DS' touch screen to guide his point of view. Our weapons at the onset were limited, but Hargrove said that the remastered edition will feature the same enemies, locations and weapons players of the first title remember. Despite a new engine and subsequent technology upgrades, Hargrove said, Moon Chronicles remains largely the same.
"People who played it before are not going to get much of a different experience playing the game," Hargrove said. "It is the original game. It has the same speed, it has the same enemies, it has all the same encounters. We haven't redesigned anything."
The biggest difference is its new episodic formula, which Renegade Kid hopes to use to build tension in its narrative. The first episode, One Small Step, will be available for $8.99. Hargrove said that it also gives players the chance to try out small portions of the game.
"Episodic is nice because the public will be able to buy it in smaller chunks," Hargrove said. "If you don't like it, you don't have to spend the full price on the game."
What remains one of Moon Chronicles' most unique aspects is also one of the most obvious: It's a first-person shooter on a handheld system. It's a fact not lost on Renegade Kid, but Hargrove also doesn't expect Moon Chronicles to become a beacon for its genre on the 3DS.
"This is the first true FPS on the 3DS," Hargrove said. "There's nothing else on there to play. If you like first-person shooters, of course you don't buy a 3DS to play first-person shooters in general because there aren't any. I don't think we're going to be cornering a billion users, because they're not there."
Hargrove added that while he doesn't think Moon Chronicles is a "hardcore shooter," there's definitely a hardcore market for the 3DS. Renegade Kid's game will appeal to these players because it's more of a "classic shooter."
"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel," Hargrove said. "We're just trying to make a good, solid first-person shooter and tell a nice story with it."


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Time for some recent news from around the world of sports business. As usual, I’m going to share the contents from the official press release and then my own quick thoughts.
Official Press Release: Heineken And LAFC’s 3252 Supporters Union To Collaborate On Design Elements Of First-Ever Supporters Dedicated Bar At Banc of California Stadium
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced that Heineken, the world’s leading international premium beer brand and the official beer of Major League Soccer (MLS), will take its place as one of the club’s Golden Boot Club Founding Partners as LAFC prepares to kick off its inaugural season in 2018. The multi-year partnership with LAFC further establishes Heineken’s commitment to the global game of soccer, with Heineken serving as the “Official Domestic and Import Beer of LAFC”.
“The Heineken brand is connected to soccer at the highest level throughout the world – from MLS to the UEFA Champions League,” LAFC President and Owner Tom Penn said. “This is another exciting and historic development for the club as we move forward with Heineken towards our shared goal of uniting the world’s city through the world’s game and providing an unparalleled match day experience for our supporters.”
Heineken joins Banc of California and Delta Air Lines/Aeromexico as LAFC’s inaugural Golden Boot Club Founding Partners. The Golden Boot Club provides exclusive access, visibility and experiences for LAFC’s founding partners.
“Heineken’s commitment to growing the beautiful game in the United States is one of our top priorities, and this partnership with LAFC from the start helps us grow and connect with what we believe will be one of the league’s premier clubs, in a market we know and love,” said Pattie Falch, Director of Events and Sponsorships at HEINEKEN USA. “Signing on early was important to us, and we look forward to offering our portfolio of premium, high end import beers for years to come.”
Heineken and LAFC’s 3252 Supporters Union will collaborate on the design and implementation of the first-ever Supporters dedicated bar at Banc of California Stadium. In addition, Heineken will play a leading role in enhancing the overall beverage experience at Banc of California Stadium.
“We are ecstatic about our partnership with one of the most iconic premium international beer brands in the world,” LAFC Senior Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships Jamie Guin said. “Heineken is a world leader in the sport and we look forward to making history together.”
Heineken will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of Rivalry Week and help promote the club’s community initiatives such as supporting local adult soccer and futsal leagues in Los Angeles and on a campaign promoting responsible drinking. The partnership also includes IP rights, an immersive stadium brand experience, digital signage, retail activation and unique fan engagement.
This is a natural brand fit for Heineken, continuing their use of soccer-related assets and tapping into the massive Los Angeles market that LAFC has already done an impressive job of connecting with before even a single game has been played. The combination of physical assets, digital assets, IP, local activation and Rivalry Week role (which is a large platform for MLS) ensures that Heineken gets the most value from the relationship.
The most interesting part to me is how Heineken is both the official domestic and import beer. Many properties would look to leverage that into two separate deals, but it must have made more sense for LAFC to create a single, larger relationship, which of course helps Heineken keep a stronger hold on the entire category.


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PacificHealth stays positive on Accelerade despite disappointment by partner Cadbury
MATAWAN, N.J. PacificHealth Labs on Monday remained positive behind its launch of Accelerade RTD, despite comments from distribution partner Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages that the initial launch of the sports beverage was disappointing.
“The number of total Accelerade servings sold in the third quarter is the highest we have ever seen for this product,” stated Robert Portman, PacificHealth president and chief executive offiicer. “This strongly suggests that our audience of users is expanding. … While Cadbury Schweppes has publicly announced their disappointment in sales of Accelerade RTD to date, we are encouraged by our own increase in sales and we will continue to work closely with the CSAB sales and marketing team.”
PacificHealth also announced it will initiate a number of marketing and sales efforts behind its Satiatrim diet aid, including the launch of radio commercials and ads in Women’s World and a major sampling program.
“At the Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans this month [Oct. 20 through 24], a study will be presented showing the effectiveness of Satiatrim on slowing gastric emptying,” Portman said. “These results are laying the foundation to allow us to incorporate the Satiatrim technology into new forms and to develop new products that are even more efficacious with a greater duration of action.”
Natrol creates mini-show to introduce its health-focused products for the holidays
CHATSWORTH, Calif. If the holidays stress you out, then you maybe at risk weight gain as well as unhealthy mind. Natrol is trying to combat this with showcases of its products that can combat this problem of staying healthy over the holidays.
Natrol has created “The Balancing Act,” a four-minute segment produced by Five Star Productions and features Natrol products like: Carb Intercept, 5-HTP, Melatonin Time Release and My Favorite Multiple Original Multivitamin.
The segment, which aired on the Healthy Living Channel—on Comcast, Time Warner and Dish Network—on Thursday, Oct. 11, has been posted on Natrol’s web site, www.Natrol.com, as well as on Five Star’s website.
McNeil running ads on product withdrawal
FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. As part of its voluntary recall of several nonprescription products marketed toward infant use, McNeil Consumer Healthcare is today running an advertisement in several consumer daily newspapers.
“The cough-and-cold season is here, and we have important information to share about infants’ and children’s cough-and-cold medicines,” the ad starts, noting that while the medicines are generally recognized as safe and effective when used as directed, “we have become aware of rare instances of misuse leading to accidental overdose, especially in children under the age of 2.”
“This voluntary action by McNeil Consumer Healthcare is based on the company’s long-standing commitment to the appropriate use of medications by parents and physicians,” stated Ashley McEvoy, president of McNeil Consumer Healthcare early Thursday morning. “McNeil Consumer Healthcare is committed to providing parents with safe and effective over-the-counter medications that treat their child’s cough-and-cold symptoms. In addition to taking this voluntary action, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, along with our industry partners, supports the Consumer Healthcare Products Association recommendations that were recently submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. These recommendations include label changes to OTC cough-and-cold medicines advising ‘do not use’ in children under 2 years of age. Our voluntary action in removing [these] products from the market is consistent with these recommendations.”


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With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• The Financial Times reports that "Amazon has accused the US Federal Trade Commission of harassing its top executives, including founder Jeff Bezos and chief executive Andy Jassy, as part of a probe into the ecommerce group’s Prime membership scheme.
"Since March 2021, the regulator has been investigating whether Amazon uses deceptive techniques to lure customers into signing up for Prime, the subscription service that offers free delivery and other benefits at a cost of $139 a year. The FTC is also examining whether Amazon unfairly complicates the process for customers who want to cancel their membership.
"In a filing from August 5 that was made public by the regulator on Monday, Amazon said the investigation had become 'unduly burdensome' on employees and executives after at least 19 were served individual subpoenas — or Civil Investigative Demands — to give evidence. The company called for the FTC to 'quash or limit' the demands, which it alleged served no other purpose other than to 'harass Amazon’s highest-ranking executives and disrupt its business operations'. Amazon said briefing Bezos and Jassy to testify on 'granular' details would be a 'tremendous burden on them'."
Oh, stop. This is silly. The FTC has legitimate questions about Amazon's business practices - even if you don't agree with some of its early conclusions - and is doing the people's business when it wants answers from the people who are paid the big bucks to answer them. Stop whining, and book a flight to DC.
• CNBC reports that "in its latest effort to contend with soaring inflation, Amazon is planning to raise fulfillment fees during the holiday season, passing off some of its increased costs to the millions of merchants who rely on the site to sell their products.
"Starting Oct. 15, and running through Jan. 14, third-party sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, will have to pay 35 cents per item sold in the U.S. or Canada, the company said Tuesday in an email to sellers. For merchants using FBA, Amazon handles the process of picking, packing and shipping items.
"The holiday fee comes on top of existing charges that sellers pay for using FBA services. Those costs vary depending on an item’s size, category and weight.
Amazon said it’s implementing an added holiday surcharge for the first time as 'expenses are reaching new heights,' making it harder for the company to absorb costs tied to the peak shopping season."
• From the Wall Street Journal this morning:
"Amazon.com has struck a deal with Nielsen Holdings PLC to have the ratings firm measure its coverage of 'Thursday Night Football' games on its Prime Video streaming platform, the two companies said.
"The deal marks the first time Nielsen will include ratings from a streaming service in its closely watched weekly television-viewing report, whose data is crucial for determining the value of commercial time. Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service has exclusive rights to the National Football League’s Thursday matchups starting this coming season, and the company has told advertisers its coverage would get a big audience."