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What would you do if you were a celebrity caught cheating on the company paying you big money to hype its products? That's the dilemma Alicia Keys finds herself in after tweeting from her iPhone yesterday, and it certainly isn't the first time -- Jessica Alba found herself in a similar situation last year after pimping Windows Phone for Microsoft and Nokia. Read on to find out all the details...
President Barack Obama is set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term next Tuesday. But if you watch closely, you may see a familiar face in the First Lady's viewing box. Apple CEO Tim Cook was invited to attend the speech by Michelle Obama, and will join another geeky hero in watching our President talk about current affairs.
The long, winding legal saga of Apple v. Samsung took another interesting turn this weekend, with a Reuters report claiming that Steve Jobs was so intent on suing the Korean manufacturer, he disregarded the opinion of Tim Cook just prior to making him CEO of the company. Why did Cook protest? You'll have to keep reading to find out...
If you've ever bought inexpensive cables or other accessories from Monoprice.com and wondered how they can sell them so cheaply, BuzzFeed has a great little story this week on how the company does what it does so well, and how it's expanding beyond the low-cost cables that have earned it such loyal fans. But there's plenty more you might have missed on Tuesday, so take a few minutes and get caught up, won't you?
Few of us can actually claim to know what Apple will do this year, especially with the curveballs that the company continues to keep throwing. (Who could have seen that fourth-gen iPad coming so soon?) But one analyst believes they have cracked Cupertino's code.
While Apple has an ever-increasing presence in China, the world's largest cell phone carrier based there is still curiously deficient on offering an iPhone -- but that may change as executives from the two companies sit down for a chat.
Marking his second visit to China since taking over as CEO of Apple, Tim Cook has apparently spent some portion of his trip meeting with government officials. While details of the meetings are not immediately clear, we can only assume Cook is looking to keep solid relations with the country producing and consuming a vital portion of Apple's products.
Dixons vet John Browett may not have been the best executive fit for Apple's retail stores, but you can bet that CEO Tim Cook won't be making the same mistake twice. But who might be the next head of Apple's retail division?


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While the music industry continues to change the way in which content is consumed, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently took a plunge into the music subscription business themselves. Approximately six months ago the Cupertino-based tech giant launched Apple Music. Today we get word from FT.com, who spoke with an Apple insider, that in this short time frame the company has managed to attract a staggering 10 million subscribers.
The service is now available in 100 countries and has grown from just 6.5 million subscriber back in October. When one considers it took Spotify eight years to reach their first 10 million subscribers, this is certainly a major accomplishment for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and goes to show how strong their branding and promotion power has become over the years. It will be very interesting to see if this growth continues or begins to slow over the coming quarters, but I think it’s safe to say that Apple Music is already a major success.
The stock increased 0.53% or $0.51 during the last trading session, hitting $96.96. About 112,573 shares traded hands. AAPL has declined 24.63% since June 5, 2015 and is downtrending. It has underperformed the S&P500 by 19.94%.
From a total of 30 analysts covering Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock, 27 rate it a “Buy”, 0 a “Sell”, and 3 a “Hold”. This means that 90% of the ratings are positive. The highest target price is $200 while the lowest target price is $125. The mean of all analyst targets is $147.93 which is 52.57% above today’s ($96.96) stock price. Apple Inc. was the topic of 96 analyst reports since July 21, 2015 according to the firm StockzIntelligence Inc. Stifel Nicolaus maintained shares on December 23 with a “Buy” rating. Barclays Capital maintained shares with a”Overweight” rating and a $150 target share price in their report from a December 14. Cowen & Co maintained AAPL stock in a recent report from December 22 with a “Market Perform” rating. BMO Capital Markets initiated the rating on December 11. BMO Capital Markets has a “Outperform” rating and a $145 price target on shares. Finally, UBS maintained the stock with a “Buy” rating in a report they issued on a December 16.
The institutional sentiment increased to 1.18 in Q2 2015. It’s up 0.22, from 0.96 in 2015Q2. The ratio improved, as 103 funds sold all their Apple Inc. shares they owned while 854 reduced their positions. 102 funds bought stakes while 1032 increased their total positions. Institutions now own 3.20 billion shares which is 1.58% less than the previous share count of 3.25 billion in 2015Q2.
Compton Capital Management Inc Ri holds 45.15% of its total portfolio in Apple Inc., equating to 113,694 shares. Raiff Partners Inc owns 100,000 shares representing 32.27% of their total US portfolio. Moreover, Rfg Advisory Group Llc has 25.06% of their total portfolio invested in the company, equating to 70,558 shares. The New York-based Independent Investors Inc has a total of 23.66% of their portfolio invested in the stock. Dock Street Asset Management Inc, a Connecticut-based fund reported 269,584 shares owned.
Since March 6, 2015, the stock had 0 insider purchases, and 7 selling transactions for a total of $17.48 million in net activity. Maestri Luca sold 2,908 shares worth $325,347. Williams Jeffrey E sold 46,873 shares worth $5.18 million. Riccio Daniel J. sold 24,085 shares worth $3.01M. Ahrendts Angela J sold 44,789 shares worth $5.90M. The insider Levinson Arthur D sold 70,000 shares worth $9.20M.
Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The company has a market cap of $537.59 billion. The Company’s services and products include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings. It has 10.54 P/E ratio. The Firm also delivers digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, App StoreSM, iBookstoreSM, and Mac App Store.

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The dispute fermenting between B.C. wineries and Alberta liquor stores has caught the attention of B.C.’s government.
Alberta’s government liquor wholesaler warned B.C. wineries it will no longer carry their products in retail stores, unless they stop shipping wine directly to consumers.
Roly Russell, B.C.’s parliamentary secretary for rural development, said in a statement Monday this couldn’t have come at a worse time, after challenges from extreme weather.
“These past few years, our grape growers and wineries have faced unprecedented challenges due to extreme weather events and the adverse effects of climate change. Our wine industry has grappled with unprecedented crop damage caused by two extremely cold winter-freeze events, wildfires and more,” Russell’s statement said.
“The causes of extreme weather are global – but their impacts are felt acutely here at home and many B.C. grape growers and wineries are struggling with production shortages.”
Russell said Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s public safety minister and solicitor general, has met with his counterpart in Alberta to “urge them to stop what they are doing.”
“That is just the beginning,” Russell said. “I know he is determined to get an outcome that will benefit our wine industry.”
Last month, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, which regulates the sale of liquor in the province by controlling wholesale and distribution, sent a letter to wineries in B.C. It said the agency had been investigating the practice of consumers in Alberta ordering wine directly from B.C. wineries instead of buying it in Alberta stores.
Last Wednesday, Wines of B.C. issued a statement calling for a resolution in the conflict.
“While we are still unclear of the political motivation behind the recent AGLC letter, it is disheartening for our local growers and producers, who have already suffered great financial hardships over this past year,” the statement said. “We are concerned of being targeted once again for political gain that has nothing to do with our industry.”
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Lauren Pullen and The Canadian Press


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Amazon’s founder CEO Jeff Bezos feels India will be fastest area of firm’s growth
It’s raining billions in the Indian online retail space.
A dear one has to be rushed to a hospital, you have called the ambulance service but are having great trouble explaining to the ambulance driver your address and how to reach your place quickly.
Analysts watching the sudden announcement of Dr Vishal Sikka as Infosys’ new CEO, timed just ahead of the company’s AGM on Saturday, were upbeat about the appointment, although cautious about short-te
In a coming together of Bansal, Bansal and Bansal to take on rival and global giant Amazon, India’s largest online store Flipkart is all set to buy out competitor Myntra.The announcement is expected o


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Gamers rejoice, the next Need For Speed game will be revealed on October 6 this week, as confirmed by the official Need For Speed handle on Tuesday. The new Need For Speed game is going to be telecast on its YouTube page on Thursday, so make sure you tune into the coverage at 8:30 PM IST.
The popular Electronic Arts (EA) title will be getting its latest instalment after 2019 when the Need for Speed Heat title came out for gamers. So, it is fair to say that a new instalment is due.
Having said that, we are not sure if the reveal is going to happen in October, and then the game launch might get pushed to 2023, which will be four years since the last game was released.
We still don’t know what the unreleased Need for Speed edition will be called, and whether it will come out in 2022 or not. Some reports suggest that the new instalment could be called Need for Speed: Unbound and it could release by December itself, so we are keeping our fingers crossed on that.
The new storyline is expected to grab some eyeballs and we are hoping the reveal on October 6 has more than just the name of the new Need for Speed game.


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Women run away with gold chain from Sankhamul
KATHMANDU: Police on Thursday said two women are at large after stealing a gold chain from a jewellery shop in Kathmandu.
According to Prabin Kumar Sunar (34), operator of the Sankhamul-based Shree Ganesh Jeweller's, the unidentified women came to the shop and fled with the gold chain under the pretense of trying it.
Both the women have been assumed to be in their 30s.
The stolen gold chain weighed 1.5 tola and four aana.
Police are searching for the women while investigating into the case.


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"GMA" technology contributor Becky Worley tested a new crop of those tantalizing products you see in infomercials. She tried out four new products in her own home and graded them on how well they live up to their claims.
Find out which products made the grade and which just didn't live up to Worley's expectation below.
Price: $19.95 plus shipping and handling
What Worley said: The Slap Chop does a good job on firm vegetables like potatoes and carrots, but on leafy...Full Story


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LOOKING to grab a great deal on a Honda outboard?
Honda is pleased to announce that customers can score up to $1000 back on selected outboard engines between June and August 2016. For those in the market for a new engine, repower or as part of a package, customers who buy a 15-250hp Honda engine can save big.
Honda Marine national manager Chris New said, “Honda engines are renowned for their unmatched reliability, so we want to give everyone the opportunity to own a piece of ultra-reliable Honda technology for themselves.”
“Honda outboards are now more affordable than ever, and with an industry-leading seven-year warranty, now is the time to invest!”
Honda Dollars can be taken directly off the purchase price of the outboard or boat package, or any other Honda product in store at the time of purchase, giving you far more value for less money. That means more money to spend on that growing collection of rods in the shed!
All Honda outboards now come with an industry-leading seven-year domestic warranty and three-year commercial warranty, and are backed by a network of highly trained Honda service staff located across Australia.
Use Honda’s dealer locator service at dl.hondampe.com.au to find your closest Honda Marine dealer, and for full terms and conditions visit marine.honda.com.au


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Malvertisers have hit prominent websites Forbes and Realtor.com, redirecting victims to two of the world's worst exploit kits.
FireEye threat bods J. Gomez and Genwei Jiang reported eight Forbes URLs attached to news stories from 2012 and 2015, in one of the attacks.
Those pages bounced readers to a HTML file and onwards to either the Neutrino and Angler exploit kits which typically exploit nearly 40 percent of victims who encounter it.
The kits exploit Flash, Java, Silverlight and various browser vulnerabilities, with authors often finding or quickly incorporating zero day flaws.
"Malvertising continues to be an attack vector of choice for criminals making use of exploit kits," the pair say.
"By abusing ad platforms – particularly ad platforms that enable real time bidding – attackers can selectively target where the malicious content gets displayed."
|Feature: Malware menaces poison ads as Google, Yahoo! look away.|
The attackers in typical fashion bounced visitors who encountered the ads to the Angler exploit kit. They were able to get the ads on the website through real time bidding networks that fail to check the security integrity of creative.
Segura says the attackers were also responsible for a three-week long large malvertising attack last week which affected big ticket websites including eBay UK, the Druge Report, and Answers.com.
Malvertising is rampant; criminals are continually exploiting lax security checks of advertising and real time bidding networks to get their malicious code hosted on some of the world's biggest websites.
Advertising mechanisms are a soft attack vector in what could otherwise be typically tougher website defences. Websites rely on advertisers for cash flow and therefore are permitting advertiser network code to run on their sites.
This places websites at the mercy of ad networks which appear largely unwilling to fully clamp down on the security shortfalls. ®


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The 200th Evergreen Packaging N-8 gable top packaging machine is being installed at Driftwood Dairy in El Monte, Calif. This will be the third N-8 Driftwood purchased by the dairy to handle Eco-Pak production.
DSM and Taiyo Kagaku Co. Ltd (Taiyo) have entered into a licensing deal which will transfer the entirety of the Teavigo brand EGCG business to Taiyo. Under terms of the deal, Taiyo will become the sole producer of Teavigo by the end of 2014. In other DSM news, the company was recognized for its key role in the field of carotenoid research; it will facilitate the International Carotenoid Society (ICS) conference in Lucerne, Switzerland, July 9 to 14, 2017. DSM’s principal scientist, Wolfgang Schalch, has also been honored by the ICS with the Presidential Award for “achievements in ocular carotenoids research and dedicated service to the carotenoids field.”


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Trump tweeted on September 8 that Apple should build new manufacturing plants in the U.S. to avoid tariffs on Chinese imports that the United States government is planning to introduce.
It now appears as though Trump's claim that Ford can now move production of their vehicle, the Focus Active, to the United States, is, as Trump would call it, "FAKE NEWS".
Earlier this week, Apple said in a regulatory filing that the president's proposed $200 billion in fresh tariffs on China would cover "a wide range of Apple products", from its Mac Mini computer to cables, chargers and laptop cases.
Trump tweeted over the weekend that the tech giant should manufacture its gadgets in the United States if it wanted to avoid tariffs on Chinese imports, saying an "easy solution" to Apple's problem would be to "start building new plants now". "Start building new plants now", Trump tweeted. "Exciting!" Trump said in the tweet. It's a recurring threat Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has heard from the White House, but a particular distraction in the days leading up to news of three new iPhones. "Looking forward, the focus would be on how the market reacts after Apple releases its latest models", said Kevin Chung, analyst at JihSun Securities Investment Consulting.
In April, Ford announced plans to stop making cars in the United States - except for the Mustang - and to focus on more profitable SUVs. That would extend tariff increases to almost all of China's exports to the United States. But the president told reporters Friday that imposing tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products "will take place very soon depending on what happens".
Novak Djokovic vs Juan Martin del Potro, US Open 2018 final
But the good thing is I know how I have to work to be better as soon as possible because we have a lot of experience on that. Rafael Nadal felt the pain sear into his right knee early in his US Open semifinal, on what he called "a bad movement".
Memorable marathon opener for Dolphins against Titans
Grant's touchdown triggered a late flurry of big plays in a season opener that was lackluster for the first six hours. Lewan sprawled face down on the turf, then suddenly sprang to his feet, and players exchanged words and shoves.
China Telecom Teases Upcoming iPhone 9 With Dual SIM Support
Kuo also mentioned battery size for the 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Plus which would be a 2 cell one, between 3000 to 3400 mAh in size . On the other hand, whatever new iPhone is released will enjoy a sharp launch period sales rank and subsequent revenue spike.


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AXA Singapore names new Managing Director for Retail and Health
Julien Callard has undertaken various roles in AXA Group since 2000.
AXA Insurance Singapore has appointed Julien Callard to take on the new role of Managing Director, Retail and Health, according to a press release.
Callard will be responsible for driving the growth of AXA’s retail and health business as well as the respective distribution functions.
He is also a member of the executive committee, reporting to AXA Singapore CEO Jean Drouffe.
Callard joined the Singapore branch as Managing Director, Retail last November 2019.
Julien has undertaken leadership roles across AXA Group, first joining the company in 2000. He has held senior positions across multiple countries spanning actuarial, risk, marketing, and reinsurance. Prior to joining AXA Singapore, he was Head of Retail Property and Casualty at AXA Mexico.


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China's 5G phone shipments grow in June july 13, 2020
ISLAMABAD-BEIJING,Shipments of 5G phones reached 17.51 million units in China last month, gaining a larger share of the mobile phone market, the latest data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) shows.
The figure accounted for 61.2 percent of the country's total mobile phone shipments in June, up from 46.3 percent in May.
China saw the roll-out of 105 new 5G models in the first half of the year, with total shipments at 63.6 million units, according to the CAICT, a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The shipment of 5G mobile phones in the Chinese market has seen explosive growth since the second half of 2019, and the building of 5G base stations is also booming, according to a June report by international consulting firm Deloitte.
As network coverage expands and the price of 5G smartphones drops, China is expected to see the first wave of 5G consumption boom as gadgets powered by the next-generation communication technology become the mainstream, the report said.
China will quicken the development of 5G network construction, with more than 600,000 5G base stations expected to be built nationwide by the end of 2020, according to the MIIT.(Xinhua/app)


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A Stonehaven beer festival is gearing up for its midsummer extravaganza by challenging ale fans to get on their bikes.
The Midsummer Beer Happening will host a cycling event as part of the three-day celebration of the craft of brewing being held under canvas at the town’s Baird Park
The sportive will be a challenging 72 miles around Stonehaven on the Saturday morning of the Happening, which runs from Thursday June 18 to Saturday 20.
Robert Lindsay, organiser of the Midsummer Beer Happening, said: “Two of the fastest growing interests in the country right now are in craft brewing and cycling.
“We thought what could be better for the first Midsummer Happening than to bring beer and bikes together.
“We hope the sportive will attract cyclists looking for a unique challenge the chance to enjoy the beautiful Howe o’ the Mearns countryside with a chance to tackle the daunting Cairn o’ Mount climb not once but twice.
“It’s a challenging route, but there are a growing number of cyclists and many of them are keen to push and test themselves.
“Completing this course will be a reward in itself with the added bonus of afterwards being able to enjoy some of the 140 or so craft beers, Belgian beers and real ales the Midsummer Beer Happening has on offer.”
The Happening will be a celebration of the best beers from around the country offered in a purpose-built marquee at Baird Park.
Also in the mix will be street vendors offering an array of food from burgers and hog roast to Indian cuisine.


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To educate and engage children on various internet risks and to practice responsible digital behaviors
KUALA LUMPUR, 9 MARCH 2017 – Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) together with Petrosains, The Discovery Centre (Petrosains) launched Digi’s Digital City @ Petrosains, an exhibit built on the basis of interactive edutainment to educate and engage children on positive digital behaviors and create awareness towards various internet risks including cyberbullying and cyber-grooming.
Digi has been actively advocating internet safety through its Digi CyberSAFETM initiative focusing on schoolchildren, parents and teachers. In the course of these 6 years, Digi had collaborated with various partners to carry out a holistic digital citizenship programme in ensuring a safer online environment for the children.
Albern Murty, Digi’s Chief Executive Officer said, “This collaboration with Petrosains is one of the examples on how Digi continuously innovates new ways of engaging the target audience with the help of partners, who share the same beliefs and values as us in ensuring that our children are able to develop positive lifelong digital behaviours. It is part of Digi’s Empower Societies initiative, which we feel is key to our business in helping customers get the full benefit of being connected.“
“As we enable internet for more people in Malaysia, Digi has the responsibility to ensure that it is safe especially for our children. Being forward looking and proactive when it comes to providing a safer Internet is part of our journey to being our customer’s favourite partner in their digital lives,” he added.
Malaysia has over 20.1 million active internet users, with 16.8 million active on social media. With the rise of internet usage in this country, the risks of internet abuse from cyberbullying to cyber-grooming becomes more prominent.1
Chief Executive Officer of Petrosains, Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim said during the event, “We are very grateful to Digi Telecommunications for the opportunity given to Petrosains to be part of the Digi CyberSAFETM program through the hosting of the Digi’s Digital City exhibition here in Petrosains. Through this very important exhibition, we are able to address and present to our visitors, a very current and relevant social issue important to society and one which deals with our main target audience - young children between the ages of 10 to 15 years old.”
She added, “It is our joint responsibility as adults to help children become better digital citizens who are more resilient to online risks, and who are more responsible in online conduct. This exhibition which is primarily oriented towards young children helps us to contribute to the society in a relevant and responsive way while providing our visitors with fresh offerings and providing a visit cum learning experience on science and technology education in cyber safety.“
Responsible Digital Citizenship and Safe Internet Use
According to Philip Ling, Principal for Digi CyberSAFETM, Malaysian schoolchildren are vulnerable and easily exposed to online risks. The findings of Digi CyberSAFETM National Survey 2015 involving 18,000 schoolchildren across Malaysia showed that:
“The internet is fast becoming ubiquitous in our younger generation everyday lives, where it is almost a certainty that they will, in one way or another, face multiple types of cyber risks or even unknowingly become a victim. And what is more worrying is that more than half of these children do not consult their parents when they encounter these difficult situations. All the key highlights at Digi’s Digital City @ Petrosains showcase were built based on these findings, where we are certain on the urgent need to ensure that all our children are digitally resilient to these growing risks,” said Philip.
One of Digi’s Digital City three-part showcase includes taking its visitors through a digital journey that simulates different types of digital risks such as cyberbullying, and how to overcome these encounter on various social media platforms.
Visitors will also enjoy the interactive games that allow children to play different characters and personas within the game, enabling them to become more mindful of their actions. Young visitors will learn to safeguard themselves through proper etiquettes and privacy protection when navigating the online ecosystem. At the end of the experience, the children are encouraged to make a digital citizenship pledge, actively contributing towards creating a positive, safe and responsible future digital space.
Parents and teachers who are looking for new ways to educate their children and students on internet safety can head to Suria KLCC today and learn more about the Digi’s Digital City exhibit. The showcase in Petrosains was opened to public since November 2016.
Some of the other collaborations that Digi has undertaken and will continue to work side by side with our partners includes Parental Control solutions with MCMC, a nationwide roadshow on cybergrooming with UNICEF, R.AGE, Women:girls and PDRM, as well as teacher training programmes with CyberSecurity Malaysia. Other partners that we work closely with include Childline, Generasi Gemilang and Protect and Safe the Children.
Learn more about Digi’s CyberSAFE initiative by visiting https://digi.cybersafe.my/
1 Mohd Noordin, Ali Imran. “MCMC Introduces Internet Monitoring Software For Children.“ Bernama. Bernama, 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/fe/newsfeatures.php?id=1308131>.


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Just when you thought innovation was Apple’s ballgame ( though are Apple iPhone 5 debacle we are not expecting much from iPhone 6), Samsung went ahead and unveiled its bendable screens during the CES 2013 last month, leaving everyone spellbound. They called it ‘Youm’, and these screens use organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology for their displays. Samsung has also claimed that these bendable screens are unbreakable – twist it any way you like.
For now, however, Samsung has only showcased the technology, but hasn’t yet incorporated it in any of its phones (How we wish it comes in Samsung Galaxy S4). But we’re guessing the day won’t be too far when the company actually brings out a smartphone featuring a bendable ‘Youm’ screen. The implications are massive for the smartphone industry, which is growing at a rapid pace since the past few years.
If ‘Youm’ is the future of smartphones, we can expect our phones of tomorrow to not just be unbreakable, but also able to be rolled up into a neat little package and pocketed away until it’s time to use them. These revolutionary screens were also extremely thin, which means the smartphone of the future could be exceptionally light and sleek in addition to being flexible.
But how far is this future that we conceive of? While there’s nothing really new about OLEDs, they are awfully unstable, especially in the presence of oxygen. These OLEDs need to be completely sealed off from air, making their mass production quite a complex affair. But since Samsung has managed to showcase their bendable screen, looks like this technology could very well become the mainstay in the coming few years. Is Apple listening?


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All the news from the annual Google I/O event, including the latest on Android.
Tech blog GSM Arena says it's seen the forthcoming LG G3 in gold, to go along with the white and gray hues that have already sprung up online.
The LG G3 will be officially unveiled, but with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 already on shop shelves experts say it may not be the sales boost LG hopes.
The 2015 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro hits a sweet spot, balancing comfort with a bit of sportiness, connected tech with a great low-distraction interface, and a small-car feel with luxury appointment.
Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 has had £100 lopped off its price on Amazon, and is now just £99.
The 2015 Audi A3 hits a sweet spot, balancing connected tech with a speedy, low distraction interface and a small car feel with luxurious appointment.
Is Android Wear a revision of Google Glass, or a completely different vision? Either way, it'll have a huge influence on the rest of the wearable product landscape in 2014 and beyond.
Siri seems to be mathematically challenged when trying to subtract certain numbers with decimal points. She'd rather focus on the calendar. See what you get.
Rolled out to fix a critical security issue, the latest update to iOS surges on Chitika's ad network just two days after its debut.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 will come in a new colour, to join its white stablemate, according to a leaked pic.
That's your post-rebate price, but this is still one of the best deals ever on such a huge drive.


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California-based MCN Kin Community has closed a $13.5 million round of series D financing.
The company’s Canadian partner, Corus Entertainment, invested in the round
, which was led by Emil Capital Partners. Australia-based Allure Media and U.S.-based digital company TEGNA also participated.
Kin Community will use
the new funding to increase its original content production and distribution across OTT and traditional media platforms, the focus on which will be food, home and DIY programming. The funding will also allow the MCN to focus on expanding into Australia and the U.K. and investing in global sales, marketing and partner management infrastructure.
The MCN has over 170 million followers across social platforms and more than 600 million global monthly video views. Its creator community includes Canadians Yolanda Gampp (How To Cake It), Rachel Cooper (Rachhloves) and Lauren Toyota (Hot For Food).


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I've blogged several times (here and here and here) about the emergence of ARM in the (formerly) Wintel world (known as Windows On ARM - WOA).
The last time I said "It's coming faster than even I expected."
In August 2019 Samsung announced their Galaxy Book S running Windows 10 with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx chip. It's on a 7nm die.
For Pete's sake, Microsoft's CEO was on stage at Samsung's announcement.
AMD's latest Ryzen CPUs are on a 7nm die and are announced to ship in Q3 2019.
In June 2019 Intel began making their 10-series processors using 10nm die but won't be up to volume shipments until "sometime at the end of the year and early 2020."
Then in August 2019 Intel announced more 10-series processors built on its 14nm process technology
Intel is at least a generation behind.
And in July 2019 Intel announced that they were selling their modem business to Apple.
Probably won't be seeing these much longer.
Do you sense that Intel is circling the drain?
Post a Comment


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Fort Portal Tourism City Council has directed all vendors along River Mpanga to return to the market or risk forceful eviction.
According to the City Clerk, Mr. Innocent
Ahimbisibwe, they have noticed that vendors are leaving the market stalls empty
and resorting to selling their merchandise from near the river, which is
leading to heavy pollution and degradation of the major water source in the
He also says the city council is trying to develop a green belt along the river as a way of beautifying the tourism city while at the same time protecting the environment. Mr. Ahimbisibwe speaking……
The market vendors talked to, including Mr. Patrick Nyakoojo however say they will not vacate the area because the lockups and stalls inside the market were costly and that there is no space in the market to accommodate all of them. Mr. Nyakoojo speaking……
Last year, the King of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, launched the “Save River Mpanga Now” campaign that is aimed at conserving the water body. END


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HTC is rumored to be working on three new smartphones that could be part of its Ocean lineup. A source with a good track record claims the company is testing three smartphones.
It looked as if Samsung had a huge hit on its hands with its Galaxy Note 7 phablet. Reviewers praised the device for its high end specs, innovative design and most declared it an iPhone 7 Plus killer. Things quickly changed, however, shortly after the Note 7 began making its way into consumer's hands.
There were several reports of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 bursting into flames and the company had to issue a worldwide recall. Samsung has already begun replacing the Note 7 but some users are claiming the new handsets are overheating and experiencing battery drain while charging. Samsung's recall is not only having a negative impact on sales of the Note 7, reports also claim consumer confidence is down and that is pushing potential Samsung customers to smartphones made by its rivals.
While Apple's iPhone 7 Plus is certainly benefitting from Samsung's Note 7 recall, Android licensees like LG and HTC stand to attract Samsung customers. LG is about to release its second flagship device of 2016, the LG V20, which will be the first handset to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
T-Mobile has listed the handset as "coming soon" and other major carriers are expected to offer the phablet in the coming weeks. HTC also stands to gain Samsung detractors and its work with Google on its upcoming Pixel and Pixel XL will show off its design prowess, and the company's rumored Ocean handsets could highlight its innovation with a new user interface.
We recently reported that an HTC designer posted a video of a smartphone codenamed HTC Ocean, which features a touch-sensitive frame that allows users to interact with the handset using its metal frame to control volume, scroll web pages and more with gestures without using physical buttons or touching the smartphone's display.
While HTC's designer claims the HTC Ocean and Sense Touch is only a concept, a source who goes by the handle LlabTooFeR claims the company is working on three new smartphones. The codenames of the unannounced handsets are Ocean Master, Ocean Note and Ocean Smart.
The tipster provides no other information but some believe the Ocean Master is likely a new flagship smartphone that could possibly replace the HTC 10, while the Ocean Note could be a phablet to take on the Galaxy Note 7, and the Ocean Smart could be a midrange smartphone.
It will be interesting to see if HTC does indeed release a series of devices that one of its designers gave the world a look at before the company intended. We'll keep you posted on any new HTC Ocean news as it becomes available.


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The role of beauty pageants in the empowerment of women has always been a polarising topic. Some argue that it gives contestants a platform for their causes and a door to more opportunities off-stage. Others might say that it’s nothing more than a parade of prettiness. But what both camps forget is that these competitions are just like any other. You need to train for them because they’re hard. Valerie Lim’s mother pushed her into it for this reason.
Valerie Lim was crowned Miss Universe Singapore in 2011, after entering the pageant scene in 2008. “My mother was a Miss Universe Singapore finalist in 1981, so maybe she wanted me to finish what she started,” quips Lim, now 35. “Rather, she wanted me to put myself out there so I could learn how to handle criticism, how to be accountable for what I say, and what it means to be vulnerable in the public eye. This is a journey designed to help you dig deep into who you are and what you stand for.”
In those days, this meant being a behaviour therapist who raised awareness of those suffering from autism and other special needs. Today, she is the founder of The Curators Collective, a branding and marketing firm, the mother of a two-year-old girl, and the national director of Miss Universe Singapore since 2019.
Last year, the pageant was cancelled because of the pandemic. This year, it went virtual via a livestream on the online fashion show The Front Row in September. The logistics of the pageant aren’t the biggest way the competition has grown. “The girls are under so much more pressure now because of social media. There are always questions about what they are doing and if they’re doing enough. That’s a lot to handle at such a young age, so they have to mature faster,” she explains, adding that it is nothing they can’t handle. All the finalists are very aware. They have powerful stories, ideas, and causes, and I think we are empowering the new generation through them.”
Lim’s role as national director is similar to that of a start-up founder with a finger in every pie. She finds sponsorships, sets goals, oversees photo shoots, gets coffee and, of course, trains and shapes the girls. “It’s not just about putting pretty girls on stage anymore. It’s about how you carry yourself when you’re up there, share your story, and live the life you say you’re living.”
This year’s Miss Universe Singapore is 21-year-old Nandita Banna, a Singapore Management University student whose passions lie in driving diversity and sustainability. Her crown was crafted with lab-grown diamonds courtesy of local start-up The Better Diamond. But is this enough to silence naysayers who believe pageants still promote unattainable standards of beauty?
“Pageants aren’t here to tell everyone how to look. We need to put the time and effort into investing in ourselves,” she says. “People still think the competition is frivolous, but it’s a lot like minister training because it teaches soft skills, too. Making a good impression opens doors. Singaporeans may not be able to see this since there’s no KPI for it. If I had the opportunity, I’d create an entire syllabus about branding yourself.”


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Cal-Maine Foods Inc., the nation's largest egg seller and distributor, said it is recalling about 800,000 dozen eggs related to an expanded recall tied to a salmonella outbreak.
Cal-Main said it was notified by and Iowa egg producer that between April 9 and Aug. 19, the producer sold 32 truckloads of eggs, or about 800,000 dozen eggs, to the company.
The affected products were added Friday to the expanded nationwide recall related to almost 2,000 illnesses from the strain of salmonella reported between May and July, almost 1,300 more than usual.
It wasn't immediately clear which Iowa producer supplied the Cal-Maine eggs. Iowa's Hillandale Farms said Friday that it was recalling its eggs after laboratory tests confirmed illnesses associated with them. The company did not say how many eggs were being recalled or if it is connected to Wright County Egg, another Iowa farm that recalled 380 million eggs earlier this week.
Cal-Maine said the 800,000 eggs account for about 0.3 percent of its total sales for that period.
"Cal-Maine has been actively monitoring this situation, and as soon as we learned of the expanded recall, we immediately began notifying the affected customers," said Cal-Maine President Dolph Baker. "None of the eggs were produced in Cal-Maine's facilities or operations."
The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.


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The way you send a text will be changing later this year and you may be able to use your fingers a lot less.
Rather than typing out words, new emoji could make texting easier and faster.
The next time you want to text someone you’re not feeling very productive, or that your house is a mess… you can use a sloth emoji. It’s one of more than 50 new emoji coming to your smartphone later this year.
The Unicode Consortium approved the emoji earlier this year, now Apple and Google are introducing their versions of the cartoon images. Here are a few others: There’s an otter, a skunk, garlic, a waffle, and a stick of butter.
There are also a number of emoji representing people with disabilities. A guide dog and a service dog, new ‘people’ emojis that are gender-inclusive and with mixed skin tones. Oh, and my favorite: the yawning emoji.
What’s the big deal about emoji? It isn’t just about texting. A worldwide consortium of leaders in the tech industry meets every year to consider then approve new emoji. They are, in effect, creating a new language with the goal of helping people all over the world communicate with one another, no matter what language they speak.
When will you see the new emoji on your smartphone? Apple will release them this fall in an iOS update. Google has released the new emoji for some smartphone owners. They’ll be available on all Android phones later this year.
After the new emojis are officially released, there will be more than 3,200 emojis in the latest unicode standard.


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Join the Secret Elves to discover the best shopping deals and things to do this Christmas
Tens of millions of Brits now face tougher coronavirus restrictions after the emergence of a new strain – with Christmas plans thrown into chaos.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the new Tier 4 measures today during a dramatic Covid-19 briefing today.
They will be introduced on Sunday morning, December 20, in London and the south-east of England.
Johnson said: “I know how much emotion people invest in this time of year, and how important it is, for instance, for grandparents to see their grandchildren, for families to be together.
"So I know how disappointing this will be. But we have said throughout this pandemic that we must and we will be guided by the science.
"When the science changes, we must change our response."
Which areas are going into Tier 4?
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- The boroughs of Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings
- All 32 London boroughs and the city of London
- Central Bedfordshire
- Milton Keynes
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring)
Twisted 'Twitter Killer' who chopped up eight women on hunt for a wife before his execution
What are the new rules?
- Travel ban enforced by law with no overnight stays outside home
- No Christmas bubbles
- One person can meet one other person outside
- Ban on international travel except from work
- Working from home unless it is not possible
- Non-essential shops will be shut
- Indoor leisure, including gyms and swimming pools, will be shut
- Indoor entertainment such as cinemas and bowling alleys will be shut
- Beauty services, such as hairdressers and nail bars, will be shut
- Boris Johnson
Source: Read Full Article


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Chainlink, a leading platform in the blockchain industry for connecting smart contracts to real-world data sources, has signed a partnership with an affiliate of South Korean internet giant Kakao, the company behind KakaoTalk, one of the most popular mobile messaging apps in Asia.
Kakao’s Klatyn is the company’s public blockchain project. The partnership will see the integration of Chainlink’s oracles with Klaytn’s smart contracts.
Chainlink has emerged as a provider of critical infrastructure to grow the cryptosphere and the digital economy. Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, says its technology will provide the Klaytn ecosystem with secure and reliable oracles for the next generation of decentralized applications.
According to its team of developers,
“Smart contracts need to interface with the data feeds, events, and widely accepted payment methods that centralized digital agreements rely on to provide value. By providing the building blocks needed by complex smart contracts in the form of critical inputs and key outputs, we seek to enable the next generation of smart contracts that will step beyond tokenization to become the dominant form of digital agreement.”
Says Sangmin Seo, Klaytn’s platform group lead,
“Chainlink can provide Klaytn with a secure oracle framework for building blockchain applications that interoperate with traditional infrastructure, increasing our capacity to develop more advanced products across a more diverse set of markets.”
Last week, Chainlink introduced verifiable randomness to Ethereum, with practical benefits for the blockchain gaming industry.
Chainlink’s tech will allow smart contracts to provide proof that applications are using a tamper-proof source of randomness beyond their control, making online games more trustworthy.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/spainter_vfx


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Fortnite is an online building game by Epic Games, featuring an incredibly popular free-to-play Battle Royale mode. Than game has built up more than 200 million registered players since its release in 2017.
Online multiplayer unlocked for over 50 titles including Fortnite, Warzone and Rocket League
Mario, Zelda, Mortal Kombat, Kingdom Hearts and Sonic are among the series getting the keepsake treatment
Next week’s free titles will be Alien Isolation and Hand of Fate 2
Witnesses will also include Xbox business development VP Lori Wright
Fortnite maker completes new funding round, is now valued at $28.7 billion
PlayStation versions of the game are also getting an exclusive tournament
Ex-Bend lead says Days Gone 2 would've featured "a shared universe with co-op"
Namco classic is Nintendo’s latest last-player-standing retro game
The Chinese group were reportedly selling cheats for Overwatch, Call of Duty and more
Latest update also adds dinosaurs to the battle royale game


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Every year, Huawei releases its annual report in the run up to its Global Analyst Summit (colloquially called “GAS” – by Huawei, that is) and then generally spends the first day of its conference reviewing the results. This year, as we all get our visa applications in order and start travel planning, Huawei’s annual report offers a glimpse of what we should be hearing from the vendor at its annual gathering.
My bet: While I’m sure there will be some management consulting-style marketing spin applied, the key takeaway for most of us will be that Huawei has officially settled into the reality of a mature market player. To be sure, it will point to impressive growth percentages from its enterprise and consumer businesses (32.4% and 17.8% YoY, respectively). However, the fact is that Huawei’s fastest growing business still barely represents one-twentieth of the vendor’s yearly bookings.
With respect to the vendor’s bread and butter business group – its carrier network group, which still accounts for 70% of company revenue – a parable comes to mind. I live in Austin, Texas, which is the self-proclaimed live music capital of the world. As the moniker implies, there are many opportunities for local musicians to play live on a given night. So much so that a good many artists, while making a comfortable living in Austin, can have the tendency to stay close to their comfort zone, sometimes at the expense of broader success. The locals call it “The Velvet Rut.”
In many ways, carrier networking has become Huawei’s “velvet rut.” Without a doubt, Huawei is one of the world’s most influential telecom equipment makers and it makes a nice living in this role. However, recent growth rates of 3%, 6% and 4% for 2011, 2013 and 2013, respectively, argue strongly that the days of double-digit growth for the company could be over.
To put this in perspective, remember that as recently as a few years ago Huawei predicted it would be a $100 billion a year company by 2020. That would take a serious string of double-digit growth years to achieve.
As the last several years of annual reports make clear, the vendor has not grown anywhere near the pace at which it needs to grow to fulfill this prophecy. Its fastest growing business (enterprise), once called out as the prime engine that would lead Huawei to the land of $100 billion in annual turnover, has not delivered as once hoped. And while its consumer business is doing well – the best of Huawei’s three divisions by some measures – its path to displacing Samsung or Apple seems to be a long road at best.
All this is to say that while many telecom equipment vendors would trade their financials for Huawei’s in the proverbial New York minute, the reality is that Huawei’s corporate messaging this year will likely be more sober. Not that that is a bad thing. With topics like SDN/NFV, the telco cloud and 5G networking all red hot and looking for market leaders to emerge, an older, wiser, more sophisticated Huawei is in good position to fill these roles. Undoubtedly, Huawei will be laying out is vision for how it will capitalize on these opportunities. The big question is: can these opportunities help the vendor to grow again at the double digit rates that its upper management in all likelihood still expects?


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China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, and his company Wanda, got kicked out of the Chinese lending system. Wanda is in deep trouble, says business analyst Shaun Rein to the South China Morning Post. Both in terms of assets backing up his purchases and political leverage.
Overseas investments by private Chinese companies have become under unprecedented scrutiny, causing a severe drop over the first quarter of 2017. Political analyst Shaun Rein has never seen such a political pressure before, he tells the South China Morning Post.
If at any place the switch from brick-and-mortar is going fast, it is China. Permanent online consumers comment, exchange information, and buy 24/7. When you sit down in a restaurant, you first ask the code for the free wifi, before the menu. When you travel abroad, you constantly discuss with friends and family back how, what to buy, or what not to buy.
Alibaba Pictures has expanded its merchandise market with a new deal for the successful Japanese Pokemon. But experts differ on the question such a more makes sense for Alibaba Pictures. A diversion from its core business, says business analyst Shaun Rein. But Beidu business professor Jeffrey Towson lauds the effort for a comprehensive approach of the total value chain, he tells the 6th Tone.
Japan’s discount-furniture king, Akio Nitori, dubbed the country’s IKEA, now wants to export its success into the region’s largest market: China. Business analyst Shaun Rein doubts whether their Japan success can be copied into China, he tells Bloomberg.
Attitudes towards the usage of condoms are changing fast in China, says business analyst Shaun Rein to CNBC. While condoms have always been available, their quality was often doubtful. That opens opportunities for high-end condoms with a good – read: international – reputation.
One of the major global initiatives by China was the One-Belt, One-Road (OBOR),reviving the old silk roads. And while it is an open platform, major trade partners of China are currently not part of the initiative, including Australia, the UK and the US. Major disputes, like the Ausgrid, Brexit and Hickley cases, might only add to the worries countries should have when looking at their relation with China, without being part of OBOR.
Under president Xi Jinping, politics has become more dynamic than under his predecessor Hu Jintao. Anti-corruption, political reforms and increased infighting between different factions mark the news on an almost daily basis. And while everybody has an opinion, at the China Speakers Bureau we are happy to have a range of expert opinions on China´s political development.
The successful hot-pot chain HaiDiLao is not only expanding fast in China, but has also set its eyes on foreign markets. That might be too early, judges business analyst Shaun Rein in Bloomberg. Moving into markets with different requirements might be too dangerous, especially outside Asia.


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J.D. Power does surveys. Lots and lots of surveys. Its business is collecting people’s opinions about things and then sharing that information with businesses — for a fee. For the past 28 years, it has been asking new car owners how satisfied they are with their cars in something called the U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study.
For most of that time, the level of overall satisfaction with new cars has risen fairly consistently. But in the past two years, new car buyers report they are less happy with their purchases, a trend that J.D Power says the automotive industry should be concerned about. According to the 2023 study, overall satisfaction is 845 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is a decrease of 2 points from a year ago and 3 points lower than in 2021.
“The decline in consecutive years might look small, but it’s an indicator that larger issues may lie under the surface,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps, and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced. This downward trajectory of satisfaction should be a warning sign to manufacturers that they need to better understand what owners really want in their new vehicles.”
The J.D. Power APEAL Study
The APEAL study is not some small sampling of a few new car buyers. This year, it is based on responses from 84,555 owners of new 2023 model year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from February through May 2023, based on vehicles registered from November 2022 through February 2023. Here are the ten categories the APEAL survey measures:
- Walking up to your vehicle
- Setting up and starting your vehicle
- Getting in and out of the vehicle
- Your vehicle’s interior
- Your vehicle’s powertrain
- Your vehicle’s driving feel
- Your vehicle keeping you safe
- Using the infotainment system
- Your vehicle’s driving comfort
- Fuel usage
In nine of those categories, customer satisfaction has declined since last year’s survey. The only factor to improve is fuel economy (771), which is up 15 points from 2022. The factor with the largest year-over-year decline is exterior, which decreased from 894 to 888. Satisfaction with exterior styling on new models in 2023 is particularly unremarkable, scoring only 3 points above carryover models.
We here at CleanTechnica have often remarked on how downright ugly many of today’s new cars are. They feature creases and crinkles in the sheetmetal that start nowhere and end abruptly for no apparent reason. Each manufacturer strains to create a distinctive frontend, but most of them wind up looking like the face of an angry shark. Styling has given way to branding.
The latest J.D. Power APEAL study finds that infotainment systems are a prime example of a technology not resonating with today’s buyers. Only 56% of owners prefer to use their vehicle’s built-in system to play audio, down from 70% in 2020. Less than half (45%, 37% and 43%, respectively) prefer to use their vehicle’s built-in system to make phone calls, give voice commands, or for navigation assistance. That suggests many prefer to use the features they are familiar with on their smartphones.
The APEAL study complements other studies from J.D. Power such as its US Initial Quality study and US Tech Experience Index study by measuring owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle. The APEAL study asks owners to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to their exhilaration when they step on the accelerator. The responses to questions about those attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score.
This year, new car buyers in both the premium and mass market segments reported an overall decrease in satisfaction. Compared to last year’s study, satisfaction was 4 points lower among mass market brands and 1 point lower among premium brands. The difference between owners in both groups is 34 points this year.
CleanTechnica readers will want to know about differences between electric vehicles and conventional cars, and J.D. Power has some good news there. For the second year in a row, battery electric vehicles outperform internal combustion engine vehicles in fuel economy — the only factor that showed improvement in this year’s study.
Even with gas prices declining, electric car buyers report they are quite happy with the range of their vehicles, giving them an average score of 797. The fuel economy satisfaction score for conventional cars was only 758. That would seem to suggest that range is not quite the major issue with electric cars that many news outlets and industry observers think it is.
Overall, satisfaction with gasoline-powered cars is the same as it is for plug-in hybrid cars at 842 points. Overall satisfaction with battery electric cars — including Tesla — is just 3 points behind, having risen 2 points since last year’s survey.
J.D. Power summarizes the rankings on Tesla separately, since it sells the most battery electric vehicles by far. Tesla models continue to outperform other electric cars in many areas, but the ratings demonstrate that other manufacturers — particularly Hyundai and Kia — are beginning to challenge Tesla’s dominance.
Overall, J.D. Power says Tesla owners report they are less satisfied this year than in past years. Tesla scored 878 overall — one of the highest scores of any car company, but for 2023, that score is 9 points lower than last year. In fact, its scores in all ten categories are down slightly from last year. However, the Tesla Supercharger network is still rated as superior to any other charging system.
There are a couple of key points from this year’s J.D. Power survey. First, people may not be as impressed with all the newfangled geewizardry they see before them when they climb behind the wheel of their new ride. The automotive industry is falling all over itself to integrate computer and smartphone technology into their vehicles, but that effort leaves many drivers confused.
Tesla takes the simplerer is betterer approach. Everything is displayed on a center screen, making the behind-the-wheel experience more like driving a laptop than a car. Some drivers (myself included) don’t necessarily appreciate a car that does all the thinking for them.
There are those who are quite happy to tune a radio or operate the windshield wipers themselves. On the other hand, my wife and I test drove an electric MINI recently that had more dials and switches than the cockpit of a 747. Somewhere in the middle, there must be a happy medium.
Second, some of the appeal of Tesla automobiles appears to be wearing off as more competitors arrive in the marketplace. It perhaps should not be surprising that the lofty expectations people had about Tesla cars initially are being blunted a bit by familiarity.
It is also possible that Tesla’s decision to build the same car year after year runs counter to people’s expectations. In particular, Chinese electric car manufacturers like BYD, Nio, XPeng, and more seem to introduce new models almost weekly. It’s good to be king, as Tom Petty would say, but being king of the mountain gets tougher as time goes on.
The fact that people in general are somewhat less happy with their new cars is something the wizards in the C suites at car companies should be aware of. A dystopian view might be that folks just don’t enjoy driving as much as they once did. Could the golden age of the automobile be fading?
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Samsung’s Interactive Menu Boards to Augment SoundHound Voice AI at White Castle Drive-Thrus
The SoundHound-powered voice assistant taking orders at White Castle drive-thrus is getting some multimodal enhancement from Samsung and its MagicINFO interactive digital sign technology. The menu boards and voice AI will combine to offer enhanced service that customers can see is accurate as the AI transmits their requests to the kitchen.
“With White Castle Cravers everywhere hungry for our hot and tasty menu options, we are investing in processing orders at the drive-thru even more swiftly,” White Castle vice president of operations services Mike Guinan said. “By working with tech innovators at SoundHound and Samsung, we’ve been able to create an engaging ordering experience that customers are loving. It’s the model for tomorrow today – and evidence of how friendly technology and great partners can be a game changer.”
The experience for White Castle customers seeing the menu boards won’t change dramatically, as they will still be able to order from the drive-thru by conversing with SoundHound’s voice AI, including making changes mid-order and paying for the meal. The menu board will show the real-time additions and alterations to the order, assuring the customer it’s accurate before the list is relayed to the cooks, who prepare and serve it at the window per usual. SoundHound and Samsung said the AI drive-thru solution achieved impressive results during tests of the system, with an average order speed of a little under a minute and a 90% order completion rate. SoundHound and Samsung aim to make the AI drive-thru solution an easily repeatable and scalable format across the restaurant industry.
“With MagicINFO, Samsung is helping transform menu boards from simple, static displays to personalized, easy-to-navigate experiences for the customer that also deliver business benefits to the restaurant,” Samsung Electronics America senior vice president of the display and home entertainment divisions James Fishler said. “By integrating SoundHound’s AI-driven voice technology, we’re providing an extraordinary experience for White Castle customers when it comes to enjoying what they love. This is just the beginning of a relationship that will propel their brand to the cutting-edge of customer experiences powered by innovation.”
SoundHound and White Castle’s new arrangement with Samsung follows the announcement in August that SoundHound’s voice AI will reach more than 100 White Castle drive-thrus by the end of the year after a successful pilot in 2020. The expansion comes in the wake of SoundHound raising $100 million in strategic funding as it works on a long-term strategy built on partnerships like White Castle and new tools and features for its restaurant and automotive clients. That includes generative AI and Dynamic Interaction voice AI for business services. SoundHound previously predicted it would reach profitability and raised $25 million in equity financing in January after reducing staff from around 450 to 200 people in two rounds of layoffs.
“In uniting our extensive voice AI expertise with Samsung’s MagicINFO display technology, we’ve created a first-class interactive experience for White Castle’s drive-thru customers,” SoundHound Chief Product Officer James Hom said. “We look forward to finding new opportunities to partner to unlock the power of digital outdoor signage and turn menus into interactive restaurant portals with almost limitless possibilities.”


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Netflix is without a doubt, one of the most popular online streaming platforms in the world and they have been trying to capture a large part of the market by being part of almost all types of streaming devices and services. Now, the company has been trying to add a lot of new features to its services for the last few years and one of them was the shuffle play, which they have been trying to develop. In case the users are struggling to find a show for themselves to watch and want a good recommendation from Netflix, then the new Shuffle feature will help them get the best show as per their choice and history.
Netflix is finally launching the “Shuffle Play” feature for all users who like to watch what has been recommended by Netflix. Netflix also confirmed that it will roll out the feature globally during a Q4 investor interview on Tuesday. As per the official statement from COO and chief product officer Greg Peters. “Our members can basically indicate to us that they just want to skip browsing entirely, click one button, and we’ll pick a title for them just to instantly play.”
The company has not yet announced any specific date for the feature launch but it is confirmed that it will arrive in the first half of this year. Ever since the feature was being developed in 2019, users started seeing a “Random Episode” label in their playback controls. Now, the feature will be rolled out with a new name and with some new features that the company is keeping a secret for now.


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TW Special Report
What if?” It is the question where innovation begins, and few companies have asked it as often and answered it as well as DuPont™ and FilSpec USA.
Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont Safety & Construction — now a business unit of DowDuPont’s Specialty Products division — is a global leader in products and solutions that protect what matters — people, structures and the environment. The company enables its customers to win through unique capabilities, global scale, and iconic brands including Kevlar® and Nomex®; and has a century-long track record of innovation matched by few companies in the world.
Two of DuPont’s most iconic innovations, Kevlar and Nomex, date back to the 1960s. “Sometimes it is hard to think of something that has been around for 50 years or more as innovative, but that remains the case for both of these,” said Reiyao Zhu, DuPont Nomex technical guardian. Thanks to DuPont’s active commitment to continuous improvement for both products, “Nomex and Kevlar are still the very best for their intended applications,” she said
Nomex is a heat- and flame-resistant fiber that can react during an emergency. When the fiber is exposed to extreme heat, it undergoes a special reaction and captures more energy in the fabric, gaining valuable extra seconds of time to protect the wearer from heat transfer. From protecting people drilling underground to those rocketing into space, Nomex has numerous applications. Perhaps the best-known applications are in turn-out gear for firefighters.
Confidence in the ability of Nomex to provide thermal protection gives firefighters the assurance they need to be more effective, according to a DuPont case study. “Once you are in there and you see nothing but fire, if you start questioning your suit, you are going to start questioning your ability to do the job,” said a Philadelphia firefighter.
The properties of Nomex also protect workers in environments where flash fires are a possibility. “Nomex is used in coveralls to protect these workers,” Zhu said. “It is also used in situations where electrical arcs are a hazard, such as with electricians.”
While Nomex is known for thermal protection, Kevlar is renowned for toughness and ballistic-resistance. Originally developed for use in automobile tires, Kevlar has since become famous for bullet-resistant vests used by SWAT teams and officers engaged in high-risk law-enforcement activities. The living proof of its effectiveness is the more than 3,100 members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club® who survived potentially fatal or disabling injuries by wearing protective vests.
Always looking to make sure even more police officers go home safely to their families, DuPont frequently conducts tests to determine the capabilities of certain Kevlar weaves and constructions to absorb, contain and deflect energies from the high-velocity impact of bullets and projectiles to make the product better. Depending upon the risk inherent in their assignments, law enforcement officers can choose among Kevlar constructions that can stop small-caliber bullets up to .44 caliber and higher.
“A lot of people know about the law enforcement applications for Kevlar,” Zhu said, “but Kevlar is used in many other applications as well.” One of the more popular applications is for gloves that protect the hands of automotive workers, glass handlers, oil and gas drillers, welders, machine operators or others who have jobs that require hand protection, she said. Other applications range from tire sealant, to footwear and electronics cables.
With both Nomex and Kevlar, fiber and fabric construction are critical, Zhu said. What works as a fire retardant might not be as effective for arc protection. And for Kevlar, a vest designed to stop a bullet might not be as effective for a knife, and vice versa.
AFFOA: Advancing Manufacturing
A company-wide commitment to innovation is one reason why DuPont is a partner in the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), a non-profit institute founded in 2016 as part of the U.S. government’s National Network of Manufacturing Innovation initiative to promote advanced manufacturing.
Seeded with $320 million in public and private funding commitments, AFFOA is headquartered in Cambridge near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Its mission is to enable a manufacturing-based revolution — the transformation of traditional fibers, yarns, and textiles into highly sophisticated integrated and networked devices and systems — by leveraging the geographic distribution of the domestic fiber and textile industry, academic research centers, and consumer product companies to weave a nationwide network of Industrial Members, Fabric Innovation Network (FIN) Partners, Startup Incubators and University Hubs.
“This unique partnership has the potential to create a whole new industry, based on breakthroughs in fiber materials and manufacturing,” AFFOA CEO Yoel Fink said. “The new fibers and the fabrics coming from AFFOA will have the ability to see, hear, and sense their surroundings; communicate; store and convert energy; monitor health; control temperature; and change their color.”
Specialty yarn spinner FilSpec USA recently joined AFFOA as a FIN member. The company was created in 2017 when Sherbrooke, Quebec-based FilSpec Inc. purchased Richmond Specialty Yarns in Ellerbe, N.C. Specializing in research and development for innovative technical yarns used in high-performance textile industry applications, FilSpec’s yarns boast thermal management, cut and abrasion resistance, protection against flames and sparks, moisture resistance, antimicrobial protection, as well as other capabilities.
“FilSpec is committed to serving the American market by providing innovative solutions, reliable operations and a level of quality that constitute the foundation of FilSpec’s identity,” said Dominique Quintal, vice president, sales and marketing.
“Originally, we became involved with Richmond Specialty Yarns on a commission basis, and in 2009, FilSpec became the controlling shareholder in the company,” he said. “We completed the purchase of Richmond in 2017. With what is now FilSpec USA, we can take advantage of U.S. trade agreements to enable us to sell a range of specialty products. We are now spinning yarn in the United States and selling to Mexico for applications that will be used in Mexico. Same thing for Central American countries as part of CAFTA. As for innovation, it is not something we are doing because it is trendy. It is in our DNA, and it is what we will continue to do.”
The world has moved on for the textile industry Quintal said. What once worked will likely not ever work again. “In our business, we cannot cling to the past. Even if we did not have competition from those low-cost countries, we would still be operating with the same mindset, of being innovative and coming up with new products for new applications. And we want to work with partners, suppliers and customers that share the same vision.
“Innovation means constant reinvention,” Quintal said. “We usually don’t expect a product to last more than five years. Eventually, almost no matter what you produce, the only way you are going to continue to be profitable is to reduce cost. And then you are back in the battle with low-cost countries. Instead, you have to come up with new products for new applications and keep doing it over and over.”
“We have learned that we must innovate to survive,” he continued. “We didn’t have a choice. The only way forward for us was to specialize in yarns for high-value technical fabrics.”
Quintal foresees a continued period of growth for innovative North American companies. “We have the knowledge and we have the expertise, that is our biggest advantage over textile companies from other parts of the world.”


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News hotlines: 08111813019, 08025868561
It was not good news for owners of shops at the popular Yaba Market in Lagos, opposite the Presbyterian Church, as an early morning fire yesterday razed 94 out of the 201 shops.
The fire was said to have started from one of the shops at the back side of the complex where wears, shoes and bags were stored.
But the inferno got out of hands and spread to other shops because of some highly inflammable materials such as wears stored in the shops, as well as air conditioners and generators filled with fuel.
Though the officers and men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency’s (LASEMA) Emergency Response Team (ERT) as well as the Lagos State Fire Service from Ilupeju and Alausa Fire Stations came, much damage had been done.
But the good news was that come policemen were deployed from Sabo and Adekunle Police Stations to deter some miscreants, who were lurking around, from looting people’s goods.
When contacted, LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said no life was lost and several goods were saved as the fire was wedged from rooting the entire market.
Tiamiyu said a total number of 117 shops were salvaged by his team at the end of the inferno.


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Today, Firefly officially came out of stealth and announced $21.5M of seed funding led by NFX. We’ve been joined by Decent Capital (Tencent founders), Pelion Venture Partners, StartX, and Jeffrey Housenbold (SoftBank Vision Fund).
Firefly gives drivers of ridesharing, taxi and delivery vehicles a way to earn more money — right now, about 20% more per month. Firefly does this by creating a media network using proprietary smart displays and software mounted on top of vehicles. The car-top units are also packed with data sensors, creating a data platform useful to the cities Firefly operates in.
Firefly has been testing and refining on the roads of San Francisco and Los Angeles for a year now. So far, they’ve logged 110,000 hours of unit time, and have executed over 50 successful ad campaigns for companies like Hotel Tonight, Brex, Turkish Airlines, Bonobos, Venmo, DoorDash, San Jose Children’s Museum, and The Coalition for Clean Air.
Firefly is a big idea — one of those companies that could change the landscape of how cities look and function. We believe that in the near future, when we watch movies made before Firefly, scenes will feel dated by the lack of Firefly-equipped vehicles driving by in the background — just as movies today feel dated when they have scenes with characters using pay phones.
The reason we see such transformative potential with Firefly is that everyone wins. Four groups benefit from this clever system:
Another reason we like this idea is that Firefly can build two different types of nfx for defensibility. First, the obvious two-sided marketplace between drivers and advertisers. Second, and less obvious, is the two-sided platform network effect where cities and other businesses can develop applications on top of the data platform, with Firefly units supplying the data. Other defensibilities includes the software embedding Firefly can do with the cities it serves, and scale.
All that said, this is a complicated business. Ideas aren’t enough. You need to be excellent at ad delivery and measurement software, excellent at hardware, excellent at ad sales, excellent at civic relations, excellent at fundraising, excellent at design and branding… and companies can’t do all those things well at the same time unless you can attract the very best team. Firefly has that team.
Ridesharing like Lyft and Uber and delivery services like DoorDash have created a new untapped supply of potential ad space in addition to taxis. Important new tech companies have traditionally emerged with the creation of brand new supply. For instance, in 2000, Google started putting ads next to the searches for the new supply of webpages we started creating in 1994. In 2006, Facebook starting putting ads against a new supply of media we all started generating in 2002 on social networks.
Firefly’s business approach is very much like Google’s. Google gives away searches, maps, email, etc. and makes money on the advertising. Firefly gives away its data platform and some of its inventory and makes money on the advertising.
In addition to this recent new supply, outdoor video now feels inevitable. Given the dropping screen prices and the superior visual experience, it intuitively seems natural that outdoor advertising will evolve to video from static images over the next 10 years. Of course, it won’t happen all at once. And clearly, we will need good practices that balance the benefits of additional communication and commerce with image density in a city environment. But the direction of change is clear. Done right, it will benefit everyone. And going mobile, on newly created supply, feels like the the best place to start.
Other recent changes that make Firefly possible are: increased mobile data connectivity in cities, increasing acceptance by advertisers of digital advertising methods, and cities’ increasing willingness to welcome new technology and smart-city infrastructure.
This critical mass of enabling technologies, economic impetus, and cultural acceptance is precisely what we look for in startup timing.
From the beginning, this team has built Firefly with an eye to positively modernize cities and towns by proactively thinking through what will benefit all parties. They sincerely want to be an important piece of smarter, safer and more sustainable cities, driving social good at the local level. Doing good for the drivers, cities and citizens is not an afterthought, rather it’s been baked in from the beginning.
Clearly, as video screens replace static advertising in cities, we want to avoid the negative scenarios of over-advertising. Also, these smart-city data collection platforms must have well thought out approaches to data security and privacy. The Firefly team has been concerned with these considerations from the beginning.
If you’re an advertiser looking to make a splash in the new medium that really gets consumers’ attention, get in touch with Firefly.
As Founders ourselves, we respect your time. That’s why we built BriefLink, a new software tool that minimizes the upfront time of getting the VC meeting. Simply tell us about your company in 9 easy questions, and you’ll hear from us if it’s a fit.


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As the days get closer and closer to that elusive first deadline for plan sponsor fee disclosures - and the sure-to-be-exciting moment of truth for participant disclosures - it might be a good time to take a broader look at both the good and bad of similar experiences in other industries that have gone through a government-regulated "parting of the curtains."
Those of us attending SPARK's national conference in D.C. earlier this week got a hopeful (but equally unnerving) dose of compare and contrast of the real-world impact of federally mandated clarity in industries including the auto business, the pharmaceutical business and even the much-beloved tobacco industry, courtesy of Cynthia Hayes, president of Oculus Partners LLC.
The good news? For even the most controversial of businesses, being forced to provide a wider sense of clarity to consumers has provided plenty of new business opportunities and has given many the chance to modify their products and strategies for more successful market penetration.
As Hayes gently requested, any comparisons to Big Tobacco - who saw, for the better health of American consumers, their domestic business decimated by government regulation - may not be the most positive role model, but even that industry learned to adapt. Forty-three percent of Americans smoked in 1965, before the first advertising bans and health warnings appeared, and five decades later, after C. Everett Koop, lawsuits and serious litigation, only 19 percent of the population still smokes. Tobacco, as Hayes mentioned, moved its focus overseas. The winners? The American public.
A nicer example might be what happened to the food industry, as year after year has brought better food safety standards, ingredient and allergic content disclosures and a multiplicity of nutritional labeling. We've seen the entire organic food industry blossom, and even Wal-Mart and McDonalds have healthy choices.
The result? Harder to quantify: obesity rates, as we continue to hear, are soaring, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. But the transparency involved, particularly in the whole health food movement, has led to a $27 billion a year industry.
The pharmaceutical business? Again, Hayes suggests that a gradual growth in FDA approvals and pushes for patient rights have benefited consumers, but that industry also shows that lobbying works (an apt notion to mention in D.C.) and the result has been that endless barrage of consumer advertising for medications. So much so that the FDA has now counterattacked with a "Bad Ad" patient safety campaign. But could a long-thought-about campaign of direct-to-consumer ads be beneficial to the retirement business, as well?
The closest example to what might happen in the retirement industry, she suggested, could be the changes in the automotive industry. There, the change has been driven not only by a tremendously challenging economic climate, but a series of technological advances: social media and smart phones mean that consumers no longer go to car dealerships to shop around, but do their research up front and come into a buying environment more informed and sales-averse than ever.
Auto dealers have had to deploy a whole new value model and change the way they do business in order to survive.
What does this mean for the retirement business? Tim Slavin, senior vice president of defined contribution for Broadridge Financial Solutions, said he believes that those enlightened consumers will make for better customers and want to take a more involved role in their own retirement planning.
"Distribution will change, but most importantly, the urban myth that stuff is free in your 401(k) will be dead," he said. "But it's a big opportunity, especially if consumers are paying attention and actually opening their statements."
Peter Newkirk, president of Newkirk, a DST Company, said he anticipates what he calls the "aha moment" when participants get their first statement, which he feels might create a real backlash against sponsors and providers.
Newkirk also notices that for the first time since 401(k)s were created, the retirement business is making headlines in even mainstream press and TV, again another opportunity for education and growth in participation.


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Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: SNV)
The Columbus, Ga. banking company reported its first-quarter profit soared after a reduction in credit costs and other cost-cutting moves. Total reported loans hit $20.16 billion -- up 2 percent annualized.
- Net Interest Income: $200.5 million, up 0.4%
- Net Income: $48.4 million, up 64%
- Earnings Per Share: 5 cents, up 151%
“We also continue to be encouraged by growth in C&I, CRE, and retail loans, and in key markets like Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Charleston,” said Kessel D. Stelling, chairman and CEO of Synovus, in a statement. “... The quarter also included continued reductions in credit costs, a slight increase in the net interest margin, and the implementation of new expense reduction initiatives.”


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The acquisition was conducted via 3D printing service provider RE3DTECH + GoProto, a portfolio company of CORE, and marks the latest step in the firm’s ongoing effort to expand its AM portfolio. To date, CORE has invested $700 million into North America’s lower middle-market manufacturing, industrial technology, and industrial service businesses.
Based in Michigan, Phoenix Proto was founded in 2008 and specializes in design, production-quality aluminum tooling, and injection molding services for prototyping. The company also offers CNC machining and additive manufacturing services, supplying customers in the medical, aerospace and defense, consumer, and industrial end markets.
“Since I founded Phoenix Proto, we have been committed to helping our customers turn their design concepts into quality products by leveraging our depth of technical knowledge and best-in-class engineering solutions,” stated Phoenix Proto founder Bob Lammon.
“Our family, along with a great employee base, have built a differentiated business over the last 15 years, and we believe RE3DTECH is a perfect fit in terms of both culture and long-term strategy,” continued Lammon. “We’re proud and excited to have CORE as a partner as we enter a new chapter of growth for Phoenix Proto.”
CORE Industrial Partners’ ongoing investment in AM
This most recent purchase of Phoenix Proto Technologies continues a trend of acquisitions and investments within the AM industry by CORE over the past few years.
In January 2022, it was announced that CORE had completed the takeover of RE3DTECH. Through this purchase, CORE announced the formation of a “new 3D printing platform”, with the company being traded separately from their other related businesses.
In the deal, CORE inherited a suite of technology which included HP’s 4200, 5200, and 580 machines, along with X7, Mark 2, and Metal X 3D printers from Markforged. CORE also purchased RE3DTECH’s fleet of SLM Solutions SLM 280, EOS EOSINT M 280, and Arcam EBM Q20plus systems. These machines are designed for throughput-oriented 3D printing, featuring multiple lasers, fully automatic operation, and a 350mm x 380mm build volume.
Thus, by procuring Phoenix Proto, CORE adds significant injection molding expertise to the existing additive manufacturing and CNC machining capabilities at RE3DTECH. This expands “our ability to offer both prototyping as well as production volumes across technologies,” according to Rock Lambert, Operating Partner at CORE and Chairman of RE3DTECH. “We are excited to continue to broaden our service offering and cover more needs of our valued customers”, Lambert continued.
Other AM acquisitions by CORE include the 2021 purchase of 3D printing materials manufacturer 3DXTECH, and its subsidiaries Triton 3D and Gearbox 3D. As with RE3DTECH, this deal was hailed as contributing to the formation of a “new Additive Manufacturing platform”. This acquisition was preceded by CORE’s 2020 procurement of GPI Prototype & Manufacturing Services – a metal 3D printing bureau with a focus on direct metal laser sintering technology.
Ultimately, this ongoing investment strategy seems to vindicate CORE’s ambition to build one of the “largest global additive manufacturing companies”. This statement was made in 2019 following the purchase of AM service specialist FATHOM, through portfolio company Midwest Composite Technologies (MCT).
Recent Acquisitions and Additive Manufacturing Merger Activity
CORE’s recent efforts to expand its AM portfolio reflect a broader trend of investment and acquisition within the industry. In January 2023, Japanese optics and imaging multinational Nikon completed the takeover of German metal 3D printer manufacturer SLM Solutions in a deal worth €622M. The move sees Nikon further commit to metal 3D printing, with Nikon CEO Toshikazu Umatate expressing how excited they are to be partnering with SLM. “We value SLM’s capabilities in the metal additive manufacturing space and we look forward to enhancing and growing our digital manufacturing business,” said Umatate.
Elsewhere, Israeli-based 3D electronics printer manufacturer Nano Dimension recently launched an audacious $1.1 billion takeover bid for leading 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys. In July 2022, Nano Dimensions became the largest shareholder in Stratasys, possessing a 14.5% stake in the company.
The company claims that this acquisition, which would equate to $18 per share, would offer a unique opportunity to create significant value for Stratasys, with the combined company being a leader in growth and profitability. “Together, Nano Dimensions and Stratasys can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for customers while becoming better positioned to compete in the AME [Additively Manufactured Electronics] and AM industries,” claimed Nano Dimension Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Yoav Stern.
Nano Dimension itself is subject to a takeover bid, with Canada-based activist investor Murchinson attempting to rally support for the ouster of current board members, including Stern. According to CEO Yoav Stern, the “lowball bottom feeders from Toronto” have their sights set on the cash holding of Nano Dimension. Murchinson has called a meeting of shareholders for March 20th. Nano Dimension advisor FGS Global told 3D Printing Industry, “the notice of a special general meeting issued by Murchinson is invalid and failed to comply with requirements under applicable law, and therefore the Company filed its lawsuit in the courts in Israel seeking a declaratory judgment that the Murchinson meeting is illegal.”
Analysts have said the offer price of $18 per share undervalues Stratasys. Stifel analyst Noelle C. Dilt commented, “We do not find the valuation particularly compelling, as we believe SSYS should see solid growth, margin, and multiple compression over the next three+ years.”
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Featured image shows the Phoenix Proto Technologies Logo. Photo via Phoenix Proto Technologies.


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One of the most pressing questions facing both the sell-side and buy-side of the television industry is how we embrace linear and digital as...
The results of the Videonet Connected TV Awards 2020 have been revealed during a 'virtual ceremony'. The Walt Disney Company won ‘The Premium TV...
A new report identifies network, device and data security – including the protection of personal privacy - as a foundational requirement for companies offering smart home services, and suggests that communications service providers have a head-start in the race to fulfil the role of digital guardian.
Today, broadband competition is about speed, especially speed into the home, but Deutsche Telekom knows it must move from focusing only on speed and look at how it gives customers the tools to control their Internet experience. Giving consumers more control requires next-gen technology wrapped in a super-friendly UX. The company is determined that the increasingly connected Deutsche Telekom home ‘thinks human.’
The much-anticipated streaming service launched in seven more European markets this week. It provides great value-for-money, will obviously benefit from the current virus lockdowns, and raises questions about how Pay TV operators cope over time with lost content exclusivity, although major European platforms including Sky and Canal+ are among the launch distribution partners. The ad-free service allows up to four concurrent streams and unlimited downloads to ten devices on a €6.99 subscription.
Harnessing data from across the digital advertising ecosystem, ad-tech leader Amobee has revealed the rapid reaction of U.S. brands and agencies to the coronavirus crisis. Many are pausing their spend temporarily, then deciding to stay in-market but often with completely new consumer messages that shift away from activation and towards high-level branding, often value-based.
No prizes for guessing that having been sent home from school and college, in the middle of a crisis that will shape their early lives, young people are watching more telly. The viewing figures would be great news for TV under any other circumstances, but are mixed with a fall in ad revenues, lost programme production and empty sports schedules.
The implications of coronavirus for television and the wider media industry are huge, as they are for every sector and home. In summary, it will mean more viewing, the likelihood of less advertising revenue, a boost for new streaming services, shorter theatrical windows, a growth in esports value and more UGC from youngsters who are off school. This story also outlines what media and technology companies are doing right now as a result of the crisis.
The one-day virtual Connected TV World Summit agenda for Wednesday March 18 has been published and includes insights about the control versus reach trade-offs associated with aggregation, whether the economics still work for commercial broadcasting and large international streaming services, and how we unify linear and digital advertising. The live stream is free to all delegates.
NBCUniversal has officially launched One Platform, where linear and digital audiences are treated as a single pool of consumers. Advertisers can buy classic linear TV audiences, buy cross-platform against Nielsen demos, or create audience-based and custom segments to reach on all screens. Planning a sophisticated, multi-strategy and multiplatform campaign becomes a simple step for planners. The capabilities contained in One Platform represent a giant leap for television.


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Sony TV running Google TV 'Unable to load For You' tab (Loading error)? You aren't alone
Over the years, Sony has produced TVs that are known for their innovation, great picture quality, and immersive entertainment experiences.
Their television range helps redefine home entertainment thanks to the company’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries. However, recently, users have started experiencing some issues on their devices.
Sony TV running Google TV ‘Unable to load For You’ tab (Loading error)?
Apparently, one gets a ‘Loading Error. Unable to load For You’ message when trying to do so. But luckily, they can use their device to watch their favorite movies or shows with the help of alternative methods.
The issue has been persistent for the past few weeks and affects multiple Sony TV models powered by Google TV. And to make matters worse, even upgrading the televisions to the latest firmware cannot help fix this issue.
An affected user says that they are unable to load content from the ‘For You’ tab on both of the televisions that they own. They also speculate that this is happening due to the ad-blocking feature on their modem.
Interestingly, another Sony Bravia KD-55X80K owner claims that they have not been able to load content from the tab since the last update.
I get an error on the home screen that says “Loading Error” and “Unable to load For you”. This probably started happening about a month ago and the tv seems to still work otherwise, but it’s very annoying.
My Bravia KD-55X80K has not loaded the ‘For you’ page since the last update.
Some people have even tried signing out and back in, switching to a new account, rebooting and factory resetting their smart TV, but could not get rid of this glitch.
They are now requesting the company to look into this matter and provide them with a permanent resolution.
No official response
Unfortunately, Sony has not officially responded to the matter, and we were unable to find any potential workarounds that might help solve your problem.
But we do hope that this problem gets resolved soon. Until then, we will continuously monitor this subject and update the article as soon as we come across any latest developments.
Note: There are more such stories in our dedicated Smart TV section, so be sure to follow them as well.
Featured Image: Sony TV.
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