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Apple was once the world’s most beloved technology company. They made gadgets that everybody adored, they were miles ahead of all of their rivals, and they could do no wrong. Everybody wanted an iPod and an iPhone when the gadgets were brand new. When the iPad came along, everybody went crazy for those, too. Steve Jobs was the world’s most likeable billionaire, and the general consensus was that Apple represented a younger, cooler version of Microsoft with better ethics. Those days are long gone now.
Tragically, Steve Jobs is no longer at the helm of the enormous multinational corporation he helped to found. The company’s direction has changed dramatically since he passed away, and public perception of the company has changed, too. For most of the past twelve months, Apple has found itself under fire from what must feel like every direction. Public spats with high-profile opponents have turned into courtroom battles. The last thing Apple needs at the moment is another enormously powerful entity prepared to go toe to toe with them in court, but they’re going to get one anyway. Within the next few days or weeks, we expect to see the European Union file charges against Apple for anti-competitive behaviour.
Receiving legal paperwork with terms like “anti-competitive” writ large upon its pages must feel like Groundhog Day for Apple’s senior executives. It’s the same charge that’s been levelled against them by Epic Games, with Microsoft quietly supporting Epic’s efforts to make the charge stick. That particular battle is all about Apple’s App Store. It’s an argument that goes back more than six months and stems from Apple’s decision to kick Epic’s popular “Fortnite” video game off the App Store for breaches of the App Store’s terms and conditions. Epic’s objection is that Apple insists on a thirty per cent cut of anything made by any app listed in its store but won’t allow customers to download apps onto their devices via any other method. Epic says that Apple has thereby created a monopoly and forces app developers to give Apple a disproportionately large share of revenue to remain part of it. Apple denies that charge.
The fact of that particular matter is that while thirty per cent might sound like a lot, it isn’t drastically different from what Google charges for app developers to have access to its equivalent service, the Play Store, for Android devices. The difference is that Google doesn’t block Android devices from being able to download apps from elsewhere. We’ve heard this scenario compared to online casino sites, which work in a similar fashion. A modern online casino website allows customers to hundreds of online games made by dozens of different providers through one access portal, using one account and one payment method. Because of the plethora of games and offers, review sites such as sistersite.co.uk are essential to guide players to their perfect site. Google is almighty but it’s not very good at organising online casinos like a review site does.
We don’t yet know how Epic’s lawsuit with Apple will turn out. Even though the bitter public battle between the two companies has been going on for months, the legal aspect of it is only now preparing to get started. The trial is set to begin in the United States of America next month and ought to be quite a spectacle. Both sides have recently confirmed the names of the people that they’ll be calling as expert witnesses, with heavyweights lined up on both sides. The trial will generate headlines all over the world, but a head-to-head battle might create even more negative headlines. It could also have enormous ramifications in terms of Apple’s business interests in European Union countries.
As is the case with Epic Games, the EU’s displeasure with Apple stems from the way the company’s App Store operates. Margrethe Vestager, who’s in charge of the political bloc’s business competition rules, believes Apple has broken the law of the European Union. The Epic lawsuit is referenced in the paperwork, as is a similar complaint that was brought by Spotify two years earlier. Vestager has referred to Apple as “a gatekeeper.” Apple has not, at the time of writing, responded to the specifics of the EU complaint but did respond to Spotify two years ago. Apple accused Spotify of wanting to benefit from Apple’s marketplace without contributing to it. Spotify declined to file an independent lawsuit, and so the dispute seemed to end there. Now it’s been revived at the worst possible time for the tech company.
Assuming the EU lawsuit goes ahead, it will represent the highest-profile antitrust lawsuit raised in Europe against an American company in living memory. It might also get worse from here. Separately to the antitrust charge, the EU is also investigating claims that Apple promotes its own products over those of its rivals on the App Store. That would be a separate breach of European Union law and could conceivably lead to another lawsuit. Even if Apple wins these lawsuits, the cost of contesting them will be high, and the cost of the associated negative publicity might be even higher. If they lose, things will be even worse. The EU has the power to fine Apple up to ten per cent of its global revenue. A figure like that would be devastating even to a company with Apple’s financial resources.
No matter what the verdict in these trials is, the losing side will appeal and then appeal again if necessary. In all likelihood, these cases could run for years. Winning might not be the EU’s aim. It’s more likely that the EU is trying to force Apple to change the terms of conditions of its App Store for citizens of the European Union. If the company does so, it will immediately face pressure to change its terms for the rest of the world. It looks like there’s enormous pain to come for Apple in the very near future, and the EU might be one of its chief tormentors.


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Dow Climbs Amid Strong Earnings Reports
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Stocks rallied and ended the day in positive territory, as strong earnings reports from Morgan Stanley and FedEx buoyed investor sentiment about the economy’s strength.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 104.62 points, or 0.95%, to 11079.46.The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 34.14, or 1.62%, to 2141.20. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 12.08, or 0.97%, to 1252.20.
“The news out this morning confirms the idea that the economy is still on solid footing,” the chief investment strategist at McDonald Investments, John Caldwell, said. “The economy isn’t usually rolling over if FedEx is reporting volume gains.”
Mr. Caldwell said the strong duo of earnings reports from Morgan Stanley and FedEx showed markets’ fundamentals are still intact despite recent worries about interest rate levels.
Morgan Stanley rose $2.46, or 4%, to $59.48 as the investment bank’s second-quarter profit more than doubled to $1.96 billion, while net revenue in the period rose 48% to $8.94 billion.
FedEx climbed $5.54, or 5%, to $113.86 after it reported a 27% jump in profit for its fiscal fourth quarter, fueled by double-digit percentage growth in American ground deliveries and surging revenue from international shipments despite slower volume growth.
Dow industrial Hewlett-Packard advanced 88 cents, or 3%, to $33.74 after the computer and printer company said late Tuesday it will give its three main business groups more authority over their operational activities as part of a continuing companywide restructuring.
General Motors, another member of the Dow Jones industrial average, climbed 55 cents, or 2%,to $26.20.Kevin E. Wale, president and managing director of the automaker’s China Group, said Wednesday the company’s vehicle sales in China are expected to grow by “significantly more than 20%” in 2006.
Google (Nasdaq) rose $14.96, or 4%, to $402.13. The Internet search company continues to gain market share, according to research firm comScore Networks Inc.
Coventry Health Care gained $2.06, or 4%, to $51.78. Prudential Equity Group upgraded its rating of the health insurer, citing improving fundamentals and savvy underwriting that seems to be gaining traction.
American depositary shares of Teva Pharmaceutical (Nasdaq) lost $3.40, or 10%, to $32.27. The generic drug maker declined on concerns that its soon-to-be launched generic version of Merck’s cholesterol drug Zocor may end up being more expensive for consumers than the original product.

domain: news


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COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (KBTX) - College Station police made an arrest after a theft at a Post Oak Mall jewelry store last summer.
Authorities say Jorge Contreras, 27, was arrested Tuesday. A second suspect, Michael Loy, was taken into custody last July.
According to police, the two went to the Gold N Diamonds kiosk in the mall and asked to look at several items.
After negotiating the price down to about $1,600, the pair tried to use a credit card. When it was declined, they ran off with the merchandise.


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A major American Playground private electronic ads Craigslist added the ability for sellers to receive payment for their goods or services in bitcoin.
The user of the website Reddit noticed that now, any member site that sells the doll collection, a hanger or having obscenely expensive massage services that may indicate that as payment he wants to cryptocurrency.
Craigslist joined a large number of companies such as Overstock, Tesla, Newegg, Microsoft, and Virgin Galactic that have added cryptocurrencies as means of payment.
Three weeks ago, the founder of the site credit card Square, Jack Dorsey (Jack Dorsey) wrote in his Twitter that they are exploring the possibility of adding bitcoin to its platform:
«… We found that customers are interested in using the App Cash to buy bitcoin,» — said in a statement.
«We are studying as Square can make the cryptocurrency more quick and easy, and provide this function for a small number of customers Cash App. We believe that cryptocurrency can greatly affect the ability of people to participate in the global financial system».
Big news — looks like Square is adding a function to buy and sell BTC… the herd is coming #bitcoin
— Michael Novogratz (@novogratz) 15 Nov 2017.
In addition, the world’s largest online seller of gold Apmex said that now accepts bitcoins.
«For over 15 years, APMEX is a leader in the industry, including ways of adapting to the growing needs of our customers. As bitcoin becomes more popular and widely recognized method of payment, we are very pleased to welcome the use of cryptocurrency for the purchase of gold, silver and other precious metals on our website,» — said in a statement.
It will be interesting to see how buyers and sellers will start to use the cryptocurrency, if the wild intraday volatility will continue, as things like bitcoin, ether, and now cryptococci are not only a medium of exchange, but also short and extremely aggressive investment.


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HTC has given a behind-the-scenes look at the design process of the new Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S smartphones, detailing just how it came up with the pillowy slabs of unibody polycarbonate. According to HTC, the inspiration wasn’t just Nokia’s Lumias – despite the obvious resemblance – but a physical embodiment of the Live Tiles of the Windows Phone homescreen.
“HTC designed the Windows Phone 8X and 8S to blend the virtual and the physical utilizing a three dimensional, unibody-style based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles” the company said today. “These smartphones are perfectly sculpted with a dramatic taper making them feel thin in your hand.”
Inside, HTC’s engineers stacked up the various circuit boards and components in a multi-layered pyramid. It means there’s no camera bump around the lens on the back, for a start, while the Gorilla glass curves neatly into the plastic casing.
Iconic design behind the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC:
We’ve got more on both phones in our 8X hands-on and our 8S hands-on, and buyers will be able to check the two handsets out for themselves when they hit shelves across the US, Europe and Asia in November.
HTC 8X and 8S hands-on:


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On Thursday afternoon, one of Cassper Nyovest’s fans brought it to his attention that Spanish clothing company Zara was selling shoes that look like his Drip Root of Fame 990 shoes.
Amandla Didiza pointed out that Zara was doing to Nyovest’s shoes what they did to Maxhosa Africa.
In 2018, Zara copied Maxhosa’s Khanyisa Cardigan prints which launched in March 2014 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg (now African Fashion International) and used them on their socks.
They were then slapped with a court order for copyright infringement and had to remove the socks from all Zara stores and websites.
While some of Nyovest’s fans may think that the musician can also sue Zara for copyright infringement, they are actually wrong because he does not own the design.
In fact, that design is so common, he also took it from elsewhere. If you look at brands like Mr Price, Sketchers and other manufacturers such as Alibaba, you’ll notice that the shoes have been around.
Nyovest knows that – that’s why he said he would not do anything about it but would focus on coming up with another shoe.
This comes after the “Doc Shebeleza” hitmaker responded to Didiza’s tweet by saying “lemme tool” (let me keep quiet).
His follower said he mustn’t keep quiet, he must address it, accusing Zara of theft.
To which Nyovest responded: “If there’s one guy who will never win this battle on Twitter or any social media platform, it’s me. I would rather just come out with a new shoe and keep it moving. I’m excited about our new drop coming later this year. The ROF 990s doing well, they are at a good stable rate.”
Mxm. If there's one guy who will never win this battle on Twitter or any social media platform ,it's me. I would rather just come out with a new shoe and keep it moving. I'm excited about our new drop coming later this year. The ROF 990s doing well, the at a good stable rate. https://t.co/3t01cKM8Ub— Don Billiato (@casspernyovest) May 5, 2022
Tweeps agree that Nyovest is not the one who came up with the design. It was around way before he launched his shoes with Drip.
Below are some of the reactions.
But these designs are from China, he doesn't own the blue print of this design so anyone can buy an unbranded look alike shoe and sell it.— Simphiwe Nkabinde (@MrSimphiweN) May 6, 2022
no my brother these are generic alibaba blanks, anyone can order and brand with their logo just like Zuluish, bathu, drip did, this shape was already on this year's before tsibip branded his only the supplier holds the rights to the moulds and they can license it to anyone— cups full of melanin 🇿🇦 (@coconutThug) May 5, 2022


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Perspectives | Implications of the new wave of nationalism in the People’s Republic of China for Australian companies
July 15 2021
Perspectives is UTS:ACRI's commentary series, featuring a piece on a topical subject in the Australia-China relationship from an invited expert contributor.
In the first three quarters of 2020, domestic sales in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for Chinese consumer goods brands increased two percent while those of foreign brands shrank six percent year-on-year. According to data released by internet group Alibaba, at the PRC’s June 18 2021 e-commerce festival, the country’s second-biggest annual shopping event, local brand Babycare surpassed Procter & Gamble’s Pampers in terms of both sales volumes and brand ranking, assuming the number one position in the category of infant care products. It has also been observed that households in the PRC are losing their taste for Australian dairy products, with the market share of foreign milk brands on ecommerce platform Tmall declining to 23 percent in 2020, down from 35 percent in 2019 and 52 percent in 2016. In these case studies, nationalism was considered a key reason for weaker sales.
Multinational companies and marketing firms in the PRC have observed that young Chinese are showing increasing nationalism, quickly able to turn against foreign brands and generally showing more interest in domestic brands.
Credit Suisse’s annual emerging consumer surveys since 2018 have found that Generation Z in the PRC are expressing increasing national pride. The financial services firm’s analysts observe that improvement in product quality, marketing and distribution strategy, as well as heightened skepticism of imported products, have led to more confidence in homegrown brands over recent years. In parallel, they note that the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions have ‘accelerated’ demand for domestic brands in the PRC. As such, domestic brands appear poised to enjoy a strong future.
The difference in attitudes between Generation Y and Generation Z towards foreign brands is stark. In Cyber-nationalism in China, a book focused on Generation Y’s attitudes towards the West published a decade ago, nationalism in the PRC was described as encompassing paradoxical feelings about the West: sharp resentment towards Western ideology while simultaneously embracing Western culture and consuming Western brands.
Things have changed. The current wave of nationalism in the PRC is marked by different features. While the resentment towards Western ideology remains the same, if not heightened, it marks the emergence of a generation of consumers who are detaching from foreign brands. The selling points of foreign brands representing a more desirable Western lifestyle which were pursued by Generation Y no longer resonate. Generation Z in the PRC are now more confident in their own lifestyle and seek to distinguish themselves from previous generations by choosing products which reflect their values.
According to recent research by Beijing Normal University, consumers in the PRC occupying the 20s age bracket today are more value-conscious in making their purchase decisions and are thus more open to buying domestic brands.
Another point of differentiation between this wave of nationalism in the PRC and the one that preceded it is the increasing frequency of the expression of nationalistic sentiments and the tendency to engage in boycotting of foreign brands perceived to engage in insensitive behavior. This new wave seems to have reached a fever pitch in recent years. There have been more than 60 well-known foreign brands which have faced boycotts in the last three years. One of the most severe cases was the boycott of Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana. After the company posted videos that were criticised as racist and insensitive, followed by derogatory comments from founder Stefano Gabbana in late 2018, D&G lost 98 percent of their market in the PRC.
Despite the deterioration in relations between Canberra and Beijing, there has so far been no public call by any celebrity or other prominent figure in the PRC for a boycott of Australian products on social media platforms. This is notable given influential PRC social media stars can command millions of loyal followers. And although it was reported in February that education agents in the PRC have been instructed not to recommend Australian universities, the general public in the PRC still rank Australia as their top education and tourism destination. However, nationalist articles opining on how to deal with Australia’s ‘arrogance’ are appearing more frequently on social media, with users questioning why Australia - a country with neither historical nor territorial dispute with the PRC - has opted to ’get out in front’ of the international community with respect to ideological confrontations.
Almost half (49.6 percent) of the respondents participating in a Beijing Foreign Studies University survey this year on relations with Australia believe that Australia is ‘too dependent’ on the PRC in terms of its economy. On the other hand, the reverse did not ring true for the majority of respondents – 76.9 percent do not believe that the PRC is overly dependent on Australia. This is despite the continuing rise of bilateral trading volume in the face of political tensions, and the fact that iron ore remains essential to the PRC’s development. While the PRC has few iron ore alternatives in the short-term, it may be over-optimistic to neglect the increasing possibility of the country’s consumer base actively seeking to find substitutes for all things Australian.
Dr Maggie Ying Jiang is Australian Director at the University of Western Australia (UWA) Confucius Institute and Associate Professor at UWA Business School.


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Despite external and internal challenges, small business owners have a generally positive outlook
In its Small Business Bravery Index June 2019, insurance service provider BizCover surveyed its small business customers to fi nd out how they felt about their business performance for the rest of the year following the May federal election, and what they considered to be the biggest obstacles and constraints to their growth.
Of the 639 BizCover small business customers who took part in the survey, 29% were professionals, 23% worked in the service sector, 18% in trades and 11% each in allied health and retail industries. When it comes to gender representation, slightly more male small business owners (54%) answered the survey than female (46%). There was a higher representation of males in the professional and trade industries and females in the service and allied health sectors.
According to the report, Australia’s small business owners are “hardworking individuals who often do not clock off at 5pm, who are often working public holidays, who wear many different hats and who have had the courage and bravery to take the leap and turn their passion into their living”.
A SUNNY OUTLOOK
Across all states, small business owners seem generally positive about investing in growing their businesses in 2019. Forty-three per cent of survey respondents said now was good time to invest and only 28% felt differently. However, almost 33% were unsure of whether to invest in 2019.


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Cybersecurity experts at Project Zero, a division of Google, reported five dangerous vulnerabilities in popular smartphone models discovered in the summer but remain unpatched. All vulnerabilities are in the integrated graphics core Mali created by ARM.
The Google Project Zero team working in the field of information security reported the problem to ARM as early as this summer, but the vulnerabilities remain relevant. ARM has long released patches that fix problems, but not all smartphone manufacturers have implemented them in their update packages.
Vulnerability CVE-2022-33917 allows an unprivileged user to perform incorrect processing operations to gain access to free memory sections. The vulnerability affects ARM Mali GPU core drivers from Valhall r29p0 to r38p0.
The second bug, CVE-2022-36449, is related to several issues that allow an unprivileged user to access freed memory, write out of buffer limits, and disclose memory mapping information. The vulnerability affects ARM Mali GPU kernel drivers from Midgard r4p0 to r32p0; Bifrost r0p0 to r38p0 and r39p0 to r38p1; Valhall from r19p0 to r38p0 and r39p0 to r38p1.
Valhall drivers are used in Mali G710, G610 and G510 chips installed on Google Pixel 7, Asus ROG Phone 6, Redmi Note 11 and 12, Honor 70 Pro, RealMe GT, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Oppo Find X5 Pro and Reno 8 Pro, Motorola Edge and OnePlus 10R.
Bifrost drivers are used in older (2018) Mali G76, G72 and G52 chips used by devices such as Samsung Galaxy S10, S9, A51 and A71, Redmi Note 10, Huawei P30 and P40 Pro, Honor View 20, Motorola Moto G60S and Realme 7.
In turn, Midgard drivers are used in even older (2016 release) Mali T800 and T700 series chips, which can be found on board the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Note 7, Sony Xperia X XA1, Huawei Mate 8, Nokia 3.1, LG X and Redmi Note 4.
Unfortunately, users will be unable to defend themselves against these vulnerabilities until the vendor issues the necessary updates. The worst part is that the older smartphones that use Midgard drivers are unlikely to receive any updates.
Exploiting these vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to access a victim’s device fully, despite Android restrictions. The Project Zero team disclosed these vulnerabilities three months after they were patched by ARM. When exactly smartphone manufacturers release fixes for these vulnerabilities is still unknown.


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New Commerce Department statistics show that the drop in Chinese tourists visiting the United States in 2018 has continued in the first half of 2019. Moreover, the 2018 tourism numbers were worse than reported in several news accounts. This represents more bad news for U.S. businesses and workers in travel, tourism and high-end retail.
In 2018, the number of arrivals by Chinese visitors declined by approximately 6% from the previous year. Several newspapers reported the data in stories about the drop in visitors from China. However, since those visitor numbers also included business and student arrivals they masked a much larger decline in Chinese tourists (i.e., visitors for pleasure).
Visitors for pleasure from China declined by 10% in 2018, dropping from 2,265,789 in 2017 to 2,037,867 in 2018, according to an analysis of Commerce Department data. In other words, although overall arrivals from China fell by 6% in 2018, both business and student arrivals increased at the same time the number of Chinese travelers for pleasure declined.
|Table 1: Chinese Tourist Arrivals to U.S.|
|Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce.|
The picture in 2019 is similar. For January to May 2019, visitors for pleasure from China fell by 5.3% vs. the same period in 2018. At the same time, compared to 2018, the number of Chinese business travelers were basically flat, while student arrivals increased. (Note: student arrivals are not the same as enrollment.)
|Table 2: Chinese Tourist Arrivals to U.S.: January to May 2018 and 2019|
|January to May 2019||Percent Decline from January to May 2018
|Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce.|
U.S. visa data show more bad news is on the horizon. A National Foundation for American Policy analysis found 17% fewer B1/B2 visas for business and pleasure were issued to Chinese nationals in the first 5 months of 2019 as during the same period in 2018. Although there is not a direct correlation between visits and visas issued, since B1/B2 visas for Chinese travelers allow for multiple entries, the data indicate more visa refusals, less interest in traveling to the United States, or both.
The refusal rate for B1/B2 visa applicants from China increased from 12.4% in FY 2016, to 14.6% in FY 2017 and 17% in FY 2018, according to the State Department. The increase in visa denials are a result of Trump administration directives to the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, including a March 6, 2017, presidential memorandum on “heightened screening and vetting of applications for visas.”
|Table 3: Refusal Rates for B1/B2 Visas for Business and Pleasure for China|
|FY 2016||FY 2017||FY 2018|
|Source: U.S. Department of State, National Foundation for American Policy.|
Trade and immigration policies are cited as reasons for the decline in Chinese visitors to America. “For the first time in more than a decade, the number of Chinese travelers to the U.S. dropped last year, partly because of the stricter immigration policy of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration as well as a year-long trade war between the two countries,” reported the South China Evening Post. “Last month, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a rare safety warning against traveling to the U.S., citing ‘frequent’ shootings, robbery and theft in the country.” The safety warning was a way for the Chinese government to discourage traveling to the United States, since increased tourism would help the U.S. economically in the middle of a trade war.
Fewer Chinese tourists have meant less business for the Americans who benefit from Chinese consumer spending in the United States, including at hotels and retail establishments. “The tourists in the U.S. represent a low double-digit percentage of our total sales in the U.S. and we have seen a sharp decrease to sales to tourists in the U.S. in the range of 25%. Even sharper for Chinese tourists,” according to Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliolo. A recent Los Angeles Times headline read: “Busloads of Chinese tourists used to visit L.A. luxury stores. Not anymore.” The article cited the Chinese government lowering tariffs on luxury imports as an additional factor.
Changing U.S. trade and immigration policies would likely reverse the decline in Chinese tourists visiting America and bring many related economic benefits to U.S. businesses, workers and consumers. Whether those changes will happen anytime soon remains to be seen.


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For the past few years or so, fashion brands have been seen to increasingly favour Asian celebrities. Banking on their fame, it is a wise move to capture the attention of the huge consumer market on this side of the world.
While younger stars from the K-pop world and China’s film industry have been targetted, one particular name is back in the spotlight.
Gong Li, who is turning 56 this year, is proving that style can be timeless. The Chinese-born Singaporean actress was named as Cartier’s global ambassador just this week. She will front the luxury brand’s high-end jewellery collections, as well as collaborate on various events and appearances.
Arnaud Carrez, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Cartier International, says he is thrilled for Gong Li’s appointment.
“Her talent and determination have led to memorable works of cinema; her passion and free-spirited attitude strongly echo Cartier’s core values; she is an amazingly inspiring role model for all women in the world, across all generations,” Carrez said.
As Cartier’s ambassador, Gong Li will be joining the ranks of stars like Lily Collins, Ella Balinska, Maisie Williams and Willow Smith – of whom are, interestingly, a lot younger than she is.
Enduring global appeal
Gong Li caught the Western world’s attention when she appeared in the 2005 film Memoirs Of A Geisha, starring alongside Malaysia’s very own Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.
She was already a big name before that though, having made a name for herself in Chinese films such as Red Sorghum (1987), Raise The Red Lantern (1991), The Story Of Qiu Ju (1992) and Farewell My Concubine (1993).
After a relatively quiet period in the 2000s onwards, she re-emerged two years ago with Saturday Fiction. This was followed by Leap and Disney’s blockbuster remake of Mulan.
Gong Li’s appearances on the red carpet have always caused quite the buzz. She is known to favour chic, glamorous designs with standout cuts and fierce embellishments – always timeless and beautiful, as she is.
At the 2021 Beijing International Film Festival last week, she wore a black sequined dress with a thigh-high split skirt. She served as the chairman of the international jury doling out the top award for "Best Feature Film" at the event.
Gong Li will be on the cover of Vogue China for this month, as well. The photoshoot is said to be inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick – hence, the futuristic look and fashion.
Always a fashion darling
Gong Li has always been associated with fashion. She was the co-chairman of the Met Gala back in 2015, with the theme “China: Through The Looking Glass”.
When she walked the red carpet of the event, she dazzled in a Roberto Cavalli couture cheongsam. She was also decked out with glittering jewellery from Piaget, being the face of the brand back then.
While she has mostly kept a low profile in the entertainment industry, giving select and few interviews, Gong Li is often dressed by the biggest and most sought-after names in fashion for red carpet events.
In 2019, she wore Ralph & Russo to the Cannes Film Festival. Gong Li’s evening gown for the 2018 Golden Horse Awards in Taipei was from Givenchy’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection.
She has also appeared in sumptuous outfits by Elie Saab, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino, to name a few.
With that kind of illustrious “fashion resume”, it is only safe to say that Gong Li has international appeal – beyond China, where she kickstarted her career, and not just in Asia either.


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In today's highly competitive, widely connected world, more than 2 billion calls will be placed from Wi-Fi hotspots this year, and that number is expected to grow to 11 billion in 2014, according to market research firm In-Stat.
In today's highly competitive, widely connected world, more than 2 billion calls will be placed from Wi-Fi hotspots this year, and that number is expected to grow to 11 billion in 2014, according to market research firm In-Stat.While more and more individuals are using these sites, they do not want to pay for such connections. In fact, close to two out three users indicate that a company's ability to supply them with free access will have a significant influence on their decision to use a particular service. Only five percent say that cost is not a factor at all. These individuals will find plenty of possible locations: In-Stat projects that the total number of hotspots worldwide will reach 319,200 by year-end.
Much of the growth is coming in Asia/Pacific, which houses about one quarter of the worldwide hotspot venues. Another trend is the move to handheld devices: by 2012, they are expected to account for half of hotspot connects.
The growing use of Wi-Fi hotspots will impact small and medium businesses in a couple of ways. First, companies need to anticipate that their employees will be able to remain connected whenever they are off site and make accommodations for them. In addition, these businesses will need to offer free wireless services, especially in markets, such as cafes and hotels where they have come to be expected.
The Business of Going DigitalDigital business isn't about changing code; it's about changing what legacy sales, distribution, customer service, and product groups do in the new digital age. It's about bringing big data analytics, mobile, social, marketing automation, cloud computing, and the app economy together to launch new products and services. We're seeing new titles in this digital revolution, new responsibilities, new business models, and major shifts in technology spending.


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|Illustration by Nam Kyung-don|
They defy rules and norms. They set no limits to destroying the old and creating the new. They have zero chance of succeeding in creating disruptive technologies in this market that is heavily reliant on and driven by conglomerates.
They choose risk and rebellion over security because they believe that they can make the world a better place with game-changing technology or creative ideas.
They are the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Recognizing their true potential for the economy, the government has reached out to Korean entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they failed or succeeded, to seek solutions to the country’s high youth unemployment.
It began mobilizing its related agencies and state capital, ranging from the state-run Korea Development Bank and the Small and Medium Business Administration to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, to provide essential policy and support programs to jumpstart the country’s entrepreneurial culture and venture ecosystem.
Not only faced with prolonged youth joblessness, the government is seeking to diversify industries in the economy, which has long been overly dependent on big companies such as Samsung, Hyundai Motor and LG for growth.
“Ventures can help the economy diversify like they did in the U.S., Japan and Taiwan,” said Chester Roh, co-founder of 5Rocks, a start-up that analyzes big data for mobile game developers.
“If start-ups are not promoted as an option, Korea will only have two types of businesses: masters (represented by big companies) and their servants.”
Korea’s youth productivity continues to decline, with many college graduates struggling to secure their dream jobs at conglomerates or state-owned enterprises.
The government seeks to turn this tide by encouraging the young to “be their own boss” by embracing the risk of venture entrepreneurship.
But venture business is not easy, as first-generation entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have warned ― and therefore, it’s not for everyone.
Roh of 5Rocks, who has tasted both success and failure numerous times as a serial entrepreneur, advised that those who seek to launch start-ups must come “prepared by really knowing how to analyze and forecast their markets.”
Entrepreneurship is about moving ahead of the trend by discovering and inventing something new every five years, Roh added.
Otherwise, they will most likely fail immediately, said Jimmy Rim, CEO of K Cube Ventures, a venture capital fund established by Rim and Kakao founder Kim Beom-soo.
“This is a premier league where only the very best survive,” Rim said. “Unless you have a clear motive and the ability to find a problem and solve it, I usually tell (entrepreneurs) not to launch start-ups at all.”
Entrepreneurs should use whatever resources they can ― whether from universities, government-affiliated agencies such as the SMBA or personal networks ― to gain management and technological acumen.
Staying “lean” is also key to sustaining a venture business, according to Kim Yong-sul, head of the Seoul Junior Business Incubating Center of Seoul Business Agency.
Before embarking on ventures, young entrepreneurs should understand that setting up a successful company is a lonely, painful process like climbing up a steep mountain path or walking across a desert in search of water, entrepreneurs said.
But for someone like Sul Bomi, CEO of social mobile app developer Woo Wa Girls, who failed numerous times to secure a job after having two children, venture offered her a “second chance” in life.
“For me, I find starting a company to be like an ‘emergency door’ to my dream,” she said.
Ludolf Ebner-Chung, former CEO of Yogiyo, a mobile food delivery platform, believes Korea is the place to be to start or restart a business in IT or mobile.
He said that not only is setting up in Korea “easy,” but start-ups also have a leg-up over conglomerates by being less bureaucratic and able to make faster “instinct-driven innovative decisions.”
Conglomerates and bigger medium-size companies should also take the fullest advantage of the spirit of venture entrepreneurship through in-house programs and R&D competitions, suggested Thomas D. Nastas, a global entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
“Another suggestion to speed up Korea’s creative economy and ecosystem is to (further) encourage conglomerates and bigger medium-sized companies to establish internal venture capital funds,” he said.
Multinational companies such as Samsung Electronics and Intel, for example, have corporate VCs ― Samsung Venture Investment and Intel Capital, respectively ― that made “strategic investments” in start-ups and SMEs.
These led not only to increased sales of their products but also stimulated innovation and job growth, Nastas noted.
In creating an ecosystem, it all comes down to start-ups having a solid team of talented people, industry experts emphasized.
“If asked which is more important ― developing a perfect business model or having a (perfect) team ―I would chose the latter,” said Ahn Joon-hee, CEO of Handstudio, a content app developer for smart TVs.
“This is because a great team can make any business model work and succeed.”
On the other hand, experts also stressed that venture entrepreneurship is not everything, and other options should be explored to achieve personal goals and economic sustainability and diversity.
Rim of K Cube said that Korea displays a tendency for everyone to move in the same direction, which could cause a side effect as seen from Korea’s first venture boom in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis.
“Venture is one of (many) options for personal growth, and the young should explore many career possibilities throughout their life,” Rim said.
By Park Hyong-ki and Shin Ji-hye


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Samsung Galaxy S24 is rumored to come with up to 2TB of storage, but that may cost consumers a great deal of money
Our editor noticed that many people aren’t aware that several iPhone features also have an Android equivalent.
Want to know how to reset your For You feed on TikTok? The company is rolling out a new update that makes it quick and easy to start fresh and teach the app what you like now.
Popular video-sharing app TikTok is down for many iPhone users, and consequently, owners of the iOS device flocked to Twitter demanding answers.
The Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team discovered an alarming TikTok bug that lets hackers hijack your account with just one click.
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It is known that 212 is the most exclusive area code in New York State, but it is hard to believe that worth $1 million! Carmen, a retiree from Fort Lee, New Jersey, optimistically was waiting for a bid of $1 million for his coveted 212 Manhattan phone number.
A retired New Jersey businessman, who has refused to reveal his full name has been trying to sell his status symbol (212)-5XX-9000 number for years now on eBay, and has already received 26 offers. But Carmen said he received no serious offers. He has thought that he can get seven figures for the easy-to-remember number. And he said the money raised will help care for his 98-year-old mother who suffers from dementia.
In the meantime, his offer was withdrawn from auction site eBay on the grounds that he doesn’t sell just the phone, but the whole business! In fact, Jamie Dufour was interested for buying Carmen`s status symbol number, but when he mentioned the illegality of selling the telephone number, he got the following message back from the eBay seller:
“I’m not selling the phone number. I am selling a business and the rights to the accompanying phone number.”
This million worth number was actually accidentally given to the New Jersey retiree when he requested a double or triple zero number 35 years ago from Verizon’s customer service. To his surprise, the phone company granted his wish.
I was tickled pink when I got that number, he said. I was a one-man-show at that time. I advertised considerably back in those days. The name and number association was one and the same.
Six months later, Verizon came calling back and said they gave out that number by mistake, Carmen said. They typically reserve numbers like these for big companies, and they wanted it back. I said, ‘No way,’ he recalled.
Verizon said it’s unclear is it legal or not, but points out that New York State Public Service Commission rules say subscribers have no proprietary right in any number that is assigned by the Telephone Company. That said, switching a phone number over is technically possible, said Bill Kula, Verizon’s director of media relations.
Individuals come because they don’t want to get stuck with a 347 or 646 from the phone company, which makes them look like they are new to the city, Carmen said. Then you have corporations or businesses that come to us because they have a reputation and they want to stand out. They don’t want to look like they just set up shop.
A 212 number goes for anywhere from $50 to $500 on eBay, but Carmen was expecting that a company will pay much more for his easy-to-remember digits for its business branding.


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Data from China’s peak body for the domestic gold sector indicates that Chinese consumption of the precious metal was first in the world for the sixth consecutive year in 2018.
China’s real gold consumption volume in 2018 was 1151.43 tonnes according to figures released by the China Gold Association at the end of January.
The figure marks a 5.73% increase compared to 2017, as well as makes China the largest gold consumer in the world for the sixth year running.
Domestic gold production in China was 401.119 tonnes, for a decline of 25.023 tonnes, or 5.87%, compared to 2017.
The production volume nonetheless made China the world’s largest gold producer for the 12th consecutive year.
Imports of raw gold in 2018 saw a sizeable YoY increase of 23.47% to reach 112.783 tonnes.
“A new development trend of Chinese gold enterprises expanding overseas has already emerged,” said Song Xin (宋鑫), head of the China Gold Association according to a report from state-owned media.
According to Song China’s much-vaunted Belt and Road initiative is expediting the active and wilful overseas expansion of Chinese gold enterprises.
“Some enterprises are quick and others slow, but all of them are continuing to expand the vigour of their ‘expansion,’ and the overall progress of internationalisation is unstoppable.”
With regard to forms of consumption jewellery and gold bars saw a steady increase, industrial and other uses posted robust, double digit growth, while gold coins logged a sizeable decline.
Jewellery accounted for 736.29 tonnes of Chinese gold consumption in 2018, for a YoY rise of 5.71%, while gold bars consumed 285.20 tonnes, for a YoY rise of 3.19%.
Gold coins accounted for 24.00 tonnes of gold consumption, for a 7.69% YoY decline, while industrial and other usages were 105.94 tonnes, for a YoY leap of 17.48%.


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Instagram has recently added a tagging feature, allowing you to tag and be tagged in other user photos. It also gives you the option to not accept being tagged at all.
Tag Archives | instagram
If you’re unhappy with new Instagram terms, Free the Photos is a service that provides a dead simple way to transfer your photos from Instagram into Flickr.
If you’re done with Instagram’s confusing new terms of service, it might be worth deleting your account and move elsewhere. Just back up your photos first!
Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom recently released a blog post to all users of the service in the hopes of clarifying the new terms of service changes.
Instagram has notified users that it plans to cash in on the photos being uploaded to the service. Here’s what you need to know about your photos and data.
Twitter and Instagram aren’t getting along lately, and you can’t view photos in Twitter from Instagram. Here’s how to change that in Google Chrome.
The File transferring service –WeTransfer — is offering its users a somewhat unprecedented offer: A free Blurb 60-page Instagram photo book.
Instagram is now offering user profiles that are viewable on your computer and they look very Facebook-like. But the service is still focusing on mobile.
Instagram is a great way to take pictures and customize how they look with a variety of filters. Using it on a smartphone is quite easy. But what if you want to view your Instagram feed on your computer? Enter Webstragram.
Instagram for Chrome is a handy extension that lets you browse and interact with Instagram. You can check out photos, comment on them and more.
After some speculation in the last few days, face.com has officially announced that it has been acquired by Facebook.
Wonder how you could grow your business to being worth $ 1 billion in less than two years with only 13 employees, and no income? Instagram did it, and was rewarded when Facebook bought it for $1 billion last week.
Facebook is set to buy Instagram, as we all know. Here’s How to download your images from the service if you’re worried Facebook will ruin the service, or if you hate the fact that it’s now available for Android, or for whatever other reason.
We were talking, a little while ago, about Instagram’s Android version and how iOS users took it very personally. Well, in a move that should make those users even angrier, Facebook has announced that it will buy the service, sending all the exclusiveness out the window.


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It’s time to open up the cyber wallets. As Bitcoin becomes more and more popular, it no longer takes extensive technological knowledge to traffic in the currency. Tech companies are now working to make it easier than ever to access and use it. In Boston, a group of startups have created platforms for people to trade, purchase and spend bitcoins, helping the cryptocurrency integrate into everyday life.
The process for exchanging money into different currencies can be difficult and full of fees. Circle utilizes the cryptocurrency technology of blockchain to allow users to send money instantly across borders and to each other without any exchange rate markups or fees. The software makes the process as secure and simple as sending a text message.
The future of currency exchange is here, and Alt-Options is helping Bitcoin take that next step by providing a platform where users can trade bitcoins for U.S. dollars. It also offers risk management and analytical software to help facilitate the trading.
As Bitcoin becomes a more common form of currency, it can be used to purchase more and more things. Coinshark is working to expand its function even further by allowing bitcoin owners to use the currency to pay off their home loans. The company operates as an online billing payment service. Users send them their bitcoins, and they exchange them into U.S. dollars to pay off the loan.
Not everyone can afford a mobile data plan. Software company AirFox is working to make data plans more affordable by harnessing the power of the cryptocurrency blockchain, Ethereum. Prepaid mobile subscribers can opt in to ads on the software’s web browser to earn a digital currency called AirToken. That token can be redeemed for mobile data. AirFox’s goal is to decentralize mobile plans to make it more efficient and affordable for all.
Bitcoin started as an alternative currency, but it is quickly gaining traction among consumers. LibertyX works to make it easier than ever for people to purchase bitcoins. The tech company is responsible for the first-ever virtual Bitcoin ATMs in the U.S. Users just need to enter their location, find a virtual store and make a purchase. The bitcoin is then deposited into their virtual wallets and ready to be used.


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Mike Crowe, chief information officer (CIO) at Colgate-Palmolive, is giving special attention on the advanced technologies in order to improve customer experience that will result into hike in revenue and profit.
Colgate-Palmolive reported total sales of $4.015 billion (+5.5 percent) in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Colgate-Palmolive said it is using analytics to use to drive its e-commerce business. Colgate-Palmolive’s e-commerce business revenue rose almost 40 percent in the fourth quarter of the full year.
“We’re seeing benefits by combining our teams, particularly around digital and e-commerce on the ground to share learnings and maximize efficiencies in terms of how we look at digital, how we buy digital and how we execute against the data,” Noel Wallace, president and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive Company, said.
Colgate-Palmolive said it is cutting the time it takes innovation to reach the market. The second priority of Colgate-Palmolive is becoming more digital and data-driven in everything it does commercially. Colgate-Palmolive uses digital tools to replace its traditional testing methods in order to speed up innovation.
Colgate-Palmolive CIO Mike Crowe is driving the digital investment in order to boost efficiency. Colgate-Palmolive is using analytics to more effectively target digital spending and drive a higher ROI. It’s accelerating e-commerce business by becoming more data-driven.
“We’re sharing learning across our businesses and geographies and we’re co-locating Colgate and Hill’s businesses to share best practices and drive efficiencies. Projects like our move to S/4HANA will allow us to simplify and standardize processes and move resources toward areas that drive real growth,” Noel Wallace said.
Colgate-Palmolive will make investment in more automation and robotics to drive savings in supply chain.
Colgate-Palmolive in 2015 launched a five-year-long supply chain transformation strategy called Global Supply Chain 2020, aimed at boosting supply chain innovation, agility and operational excellence. The supply chain leadership team launched an initiative to create an end-to-end supply chain planning and execution environment.
Operating profit of Colgate-Palmolive increased to $931 million in fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $891 million in fourth quarter of 2018. Its operating profit margin was 23.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 versus 23.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018.


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With the launch of the new RoboMaster EP Core, market-leading Chinese drone maker DJI adds a new ’bot to its educational platform—an effort aimed at teaching and inspiring the next generation of innovators. Its a four-sensor module with 39 programmable components and support for Scratch, Python, FPV as well as a controller that utilizes AI, giving kids experience with all the elements of STEAM learning while they build, code, and play with their own custom creations.
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Alibaba Has Changed. You Just Didn't Notice
(Bloomberg Gadfly) -- For all the talk of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. being a massive online bazaar, the Chinese behemoth once spent large sums of money on its technology.
As recently as 18 months ago, the company regularly devoted more funds to R&D than it did marketing. Those days appear over.
Investors poring over the latest financials will salivate at the company raising its full-year revenue forecast, or finally swapping its profit-sharing agreement with Ant Financial for an actual equity stake. They're both important headline items, but they paper over a deeper change in Alibaba's strategy that could have a longer-term impact.
Desperate to keep the flywheel spinning, Alibaba's sales and marketing budget climbed 90 percent in the December quarter, more than twice the 42 percent growth rate for R&D.
This means that it now spends more money on pushing its offering than actually developing it. Alibaba fans could argue that the past decade of research is now paying off with a product that doesn't require such heavy investment. Many may not even care as long as that virtuous cycle of users coming to the platform, ads convincing them to spend, and turnover washing through the pipes continues at a healthy clip.
Yet, just today, Alibaba talked up the importance of its technology. Artificial intelligence drives user engagement it shouted in bold type, highlighting growth on its Taobao platform
We continue to invest in machine learning technologies which we apply to use cases that match consumer intent and product selection to deliver the best consumer experience.
Just a few months back, it trumpeted a massive boost for its self-proclaimed DAMO academy (discovery, adventure, momentum and outlook). I've already pointed out that this bold proclamation of huge R&D largess is a bit of a misnomer, though at least they care enough to bother with the pretense.
But marketing executives don't build AI, and ad spend doesn't produce technological breakthroughs -- in fact, it's often the other way around.
Alibaba is already China's king of e-commerce, yet there are plenty of Davids ready to slay this Goliath in both existing and new industry categories. With its massive size advantage, now is not the time to ease up on R&D. If it does, Alibaba will no longer be a technology giant and simply become a marketing company.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Tim Culpan is a technology columnist for Bloomberg Gadfly. He previously covered technology for Bloomberg News.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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More and more fashion and beauty brands are signing up to sell their products through WeChat mini programs and the Chinese social media giant said Tuesday that a just-unveiled Tod’s jointly-designed limited-edition bag is the first time a luxury brand has globally premiered a product through a program created by and for a fashion blogger.
Blogger and influencer Tao Liang (better known as Mr Bags) launched the product with Tod’s on June 26 on Baoshop. This WeChat Mini program is a limited-time exclusive pop-up created by the blogger that allows for a “more personal touch and a seamless ‘reading-to-shopping’ experience.”On the Baoshop mini program, shoppers can learn more about the product, and complete the purchase directly via WeChat Pay.It’s an important link-up for Tod’s on a number of levels. WeChat is a key communication tool for those all-important Chinese consumers and the mini programs are becoming a fast and easy way to reach those consumers. Meanwhile, Tao Ling is one of China’s biggest names and has over four million WeChat followers. WeChat said: “Mini programs are a good conversion platform for a new economic model that is emerging in China, referred to as the fans economy.”


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Callaway Is Working on a Body Kit for the C8 Chevy Corvette, And You’ll Probably Want It!
Callaway Cars is arguably one of the most recognizable American specialty manufacturer in the business today. It’s been around since 1977, and in the 43 years that it’s been around, the company has been responsible for a lot of builds, programs, and projects, including its main series of projects, all of which are identified with a “C,” followed by a specific project number. The most recent of these projects was the C21 Aerowagen, a coach-built shooting brake version of the Chevrolet Corvette C7 that was launched in 2017.
This introduction is important because Callaway is in the process of building a special program for the all-new Corvette C8. It’s unclear if this project will be identified as the “C22,” but it remains no less significant in part due to the Corvette C8’s status as the first-ever mid-engine Corvette in the nameplate’s long and illustrious history. For now, the program isn’t close to being completed, but that didn’t stop Callaway from previewing a few of the program’s more notable items, including a new generation of the company’s famed “Double-D” exhaust system. There’s more to this program than the exhaust, and, needless to say, we can’t wait for what Callaway has in store for the mighty Corvette C8.
What has Callaway revealed from its program for the Chevrolet Corvette C8?
When Chevrolet launched the Chevrolet Corvette C8 back in July 2019, it was only a matter of time before tuners from all corners of the world began preparing aftermarket programs for the first-ever mid-engine Corvette in history. Hennessey showed us what it was working on back in December 2019, and now, it’s Callaway’s turn to give us a glimpse of what it has in store for the power-packed Corvette C8.
A brightened version of the same teaser image:
One of the first items of consequence that we can expect from Callaway’s program is an updated version of the company’s “Double D” exhaust system.
Callaway says that this is the fifth-generation prototype of the exhaust. It comes with a single acoustic chamber with all the headers converging into one canister with multiple baffles before exiting out of the tailpipes. You’ll notice, based on the teaser image that Callaway released, that the Corvette C8’s stock wide exhaust hast been taken out, replaced instead by a central dual exhaust. If you’re a fan of Callaway, you’ll probably recognize the Double-D setup from past programs and projects the company did in recent memory. It first appeared in the Callaway C12 that was produced from 1997 to 2001. It’s evolved numerous times, too, most recently as an option for the infamous C21 Aerowagen.
The inclusion of the Double-D exhaust puts Callaway’s C8 program off to a good start.
But the good news doesn’t end there; Callaway and OZ Racing wheels have partnered to create a set of nine-spoke forged wheels that are ceramic coated and finished with clear coating for protection.
OZ Racing claims that these wheels, which will be wrapped in Pilot Sport 4S tires, are lighter than Corvette C8’s stock wheels by a “fair margin.” Take that for what it’s worth.
What can we expect from the rest of Callaway’s program for the C8?
Callaway’s decision to reveal the exhaust and wheels setup for its Corvette C8 program has us salivating at the thought of what remains in store for the all-new American sports car. We’re particularly interested in the styling and aerodynamic upgrades that Callaway has already confirmed as important parts of the whole package.
details won’t be revealed for at least a few more months — maybe longer if the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t slow down — but it is something that we can all look forward to in these trying times. Mind you, Chevrolet already did a lot of good work in designing the Corvette C8 to look like a proper mid-engine supercar; whatever Callaway adds to what’s already an impressive-looking Corvette C8 is something that we’re all excited to see.
Is the Corvette C8 benefiting from an engine upgrade program from Callaway?
Oh, yes, it is. That much has been revealed, though exact details won’t arrive anytime soon.
What we do know is that Callaway is building not one, but a variety of powertrain upgrades that could bring more life to a performance car that’s already brimming with power.
Remember, the mid-engine Corvette C8 is powered by a 6.2-liter LT2 V-8 engine that produces 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Those power figures not only represent a 40-horsepower and 10-pound-feet-of-torque increase over the Corvette C7 Stingray it replaced but, more importantly, those numbers represent a solid baseline that Callaway can work from once it establishes its powertrain programs for the Corvette C8.
Could we expect Callaway’s powertrain upgrades to sit on the same level as Hennessey’s engine upgrades for Corvette C8? Hennessey’s program included engine upgrade programs that raised the output of the Corvette C8’s V-8 engine anywhere from 700 horsepower to a knee-buckling 1,200 horsepower?
We’re not going to put it past Callaway that it can hit those power figures. The more important question is whether it’s going to do it. For the most part, Callaway has been the more subdued builder when compared to Hennessey.
Whatever those engine upgrades end up looking, Callaway’s program for the Corvette C8 is off on the right foot, to say the least.


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- by N Stallon
- The Guardian
- Issue #1972
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) announced that on Tuesday 27th July, Better Read Than Dead workers unanimously endorsed an in principle agreement with the store’s management.
This comes after management locked out workers on Monday 26th July in retaliation to the escalation of their industrial action.
Industrial action began on 21st July, with workers initiating bans on overtime, the handling of cash, and the updating of window displays.
An escalation with new bans, including a ban on work associated with web orders was set to begin on Monday 26th July before management pre-emptively locked out workers.
RAFFWU stated that from Wednesday 28th July all industrial action has been lifted, with the lockout ending and workers returning to work.
The union reported that the agreement contained “historic conditions in the retail sector [… that are] far superior to any major retail or fast food agreement in Australia”.
This includes: optional casual to part-time conversion for all members; minimum consultation times for major changes and redundancies with rights to redeployment and severance pay; reclassification of all workers to at least Retail Employee Level 3 following probationary periods; restoration of 100 per cent Sunday penalty rates; abolition of Junior Rates following probationary periods; an hourly base rate $1 more than the Award minimum; a pathway to a $25 per hour living wage in the future; health and safety clauses as well as policies and rights detailed in the agreement; twenty days’ paid domestic violence leave, twenty-six weeks paid parental leave; and a number of other important outcomes.
RAFFWU will now focus on representing former Better Read Than Dead workers in unlawful dismissal cases before the Fair Work Commission.
This has been a landmark struggle. Not only will it be both the first Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) in an Australian bookstore, but the first EBA negotiated independently by RAFFWU.
This comes as RAFFWU reported that Australian businesses are moving away from Enterprise Bargaining in a bid to avoid paying more than the minimum Award wage.
While Enterprise Bargaining was desirable when the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) routinely passed Agreements that paid below the Award rate, there is little incentive to bargain now that RAFFWU has restored many EBAs to the award rate, with future EBAs threatening to cost employers.
Most importantly, the struggle was won by a militant grass-roots campaign led by united workers that culminated in the first case of industrial action in the Australian retail sector in over fifty years.
Better Read Than Dead workers should be proud of their actions. They have demonstrated that the only way for workers to win is to unite and fight.


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There are many inspiring stories of people who live with a challenging physical condition and Airlie Beach local, Louise Meadows, is certainly one of those inspiring ladies. Louise has spent most of her life living with a rare, degenerative optical disease called Stargardt’s Dystrophy, a juvenile genetic form of Macular Degeneration which affects the cells
Wednesday 20th October was a big night for BIG4, one of Australia’s most loved franchises and brands, as BIG4 Holiday Parks wrapped up their three-day national conference by celebrating with the annual BIG4 virtual Awards. Out of the 12 awards which BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort was eligible for, the team came home with eight (or
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is now easier to find by those looking for sustainable travel experiences, thanks to Ecotourism Australia’s new Green Travel Guide, launched on the advent of World Environment Day, 5 June 2021. A longstanding resource for environmentally-conscious travellers, the new iteration of the website – a searchable database of travel experiences and
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is proudly Quality Tourism Accredited. Quality Tourism Accreditation is a national business development program recognising businesses that share a vision of quality service and excellence. Accreditation is a vital industry asset designed to continually improve standards, market quality product and enhance the reputation of tourism destinations. Quality Tourism Accreditation delivers
Monday morning saw the much anticipated opening of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort’s passion project with a purpose, launching its new sensory room, ‘The Reilly Room’, catering for children on the autism spectrum and their families by offering a special holiday retreat.
Every family deserves a great holiday and BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is looking forward to launching the resort’s new sensory room this February, catering for children on the autism spectrum and their families by offering a special holiday retreat. Named ‘The Reilly Room’, the facility features everything expected to be found in an autism specific
QTIC and Star Ratings Australia has proudly announced BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort as a 2020 Gold List achiever for the whole of Queensland in the Holiday and Caravan Park accommodation category.


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As the COP 26 conference focusses on decarbonizing transportation, SAINT-GOBAIN UK & IRELAND, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and distributors of building solutions has announced the signing of a new partnership with ROLEC, one of the UK’s leading charging manufacturers, to support the delivery of a 1,000 charger point network across Saint-Gobain’s sites, offices and retail branches over the next 5 years.
The agreement comes on top of Saint-Gobain’s recent commitment to move all of its 3,200 company cars to fully electric by the end of 2023 [or hybrid if only absolutely essential as a stepping stone to electric], investments in new Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [HVO] HGV’s, which will reduce CO2 per mile by around 90% for its British Gypsum, Artex and some distribution brands and the roll out of electric Mechanical Handling Equipment.
The 1,000 charging point network is in addition to Saint-Gobain’s commitment to install an electric car charging point fitted at 3,200 company car drivers’ homes where they are able to accommodate a charging point.
Over the next five years we expect these changes to remove 11,000 tonnes of CO2 from our activity.
“Our purpose is Making the World a Better Home and reducing our carbon footprint is integral to this. We are committed to be net zero carbon by 2050 and meet additional science based targets by 2030 so it’s essential we act quickly where we can and accelerate the actions we’re taking to reduce the carbon footprint of our transportation and reduce the impact on the planet from our colleagues who need to drive for work”, said Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland CEO, MIKE CHALDECOTT.
The 1,000 site charger network will allow colleagues and visitors to recharge whilst on-site with brands such as Jewson, British Gypsum, Gibbs & Dandy, Minster and all Saint-Gobain office locations. All Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland brands will benefit from chargers being installed; 500 of the 1,000 locations will be at Jewson branches.
Roll-out of the charger network is already underway with 750 expected to be installed each year for the next 5 years.
Saint-Gobain will also be using Rolec’s charger management system, VendElectric, which will allow the business to control and manage the charging network and allow it to assess usage and enable colleagues and visitors to find information on real-time charger availability.
Mike Chaldecott added: “Having an extensive charging network, for colleagues and visitors, is essential to making the rapid transition to electric cars as easy as possible for people. From the end of 2023 we want colleagues travelling in a company vehicle or on company business to do that in an ultra-low emission electric car and over the next five years, with the help of this new partnership we’ll be installing 4,500 charging locations country wide – 1,000 of them on our sites for colleagues and visitors. Taking action like this will help us make the change happen as quickly as possible and we’re very pleased with this small but important step to help make the world a better home.”
Jake Hudson, Business Development Manager at Rolec, said: “We are looking forward to working with Saint-Gobain and its brands to provide their locations with electric vehicle charging solutions, suited to their individual requirements. Knowing that businesses like Saint-Gobain are making sustainable commitments for the future of transport is encouraging for the UK’s wider environmental/climate plans; we are delighted to be a part of Saint Gobain’s electric journey for now and for the future.”


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In the last few months, three global tech giants have visited Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella; Facebook’s Founder, Mark Zuckerberg; and Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, have all set foot on Nigerian soil recently. Is Africa really becoming the future hub of global growth, as Zuckerberg asserted? There are many indications this […]
It’s Wednesday which means it is time to find out how the various software releases and hardware have performed in Japan, thanks to the team over at Media Create. As expected it is still Dragon Quest XI which remains at number one and is unlikely to be shifted anytime soon. Hardware sales haven’t been as […]
From the Giza pyramids to the pharaonic tombs of Luxor, Egypt’s ancient monuments are holding onto mysteries which researchers now aim to unravel with cutting edge technology.
PHOTO: Techpoint In line with the Federal Government’s vision of promoting entrepreneurship and youth employment, Samsung Engineering Academy (SEA), Lagos, has graduated 72 highly skilled technicians. The 2016 class joins the 257 graduates who have passed through the academy over the last five years, and are expected to deepen the pool of well-trained technicians in…
Quantum Mechanical Particles Mathematicians at the Universities of York, Munich and Cardiff have identified a unique property of quantum mechanical particles – they can move in the opposite way to the direction in which they are being pushed. Image Source: Varsha Y S / WIkimedia CommonsIn everyday life, objects travel in the same direction as…
The European Union (EU) says it has so far committed over 700 million euros for the development of sustainable energy in Nigeria and other ECOWAS countries from 2014 to 2020. The Head of Cooperation, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Kurt Cornelis, said this in Abuja on Monday at a workshop on policy and […]
(Source: http://www.forbes.com) Yum China There have been some interesting special edition smartphones over the years, not all of which were as cool as the superhero-themed Galaxy devices from Samsung or the R2-D2 Droid 2. I mean, there was a horrendously ugly Hello Kitty HTC Butterfly S. The latest special edition phone from Huawei is so weird it […]


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Shares of Fitbit Inc. tumbled Thursday, after Pacific Crest took a rare bearish stance on the maker of fitness-tracking wristbands, citing signs of disappointing demand for the flagship holiday product and worries about user engagement.
Analyst Brad Erickson downgraded Fitbit to underweight, about seven months after downgrading it to sector weight. Through Wednesday, only two of 187 technology companies covered by Pacific Crest were rated underweight.
The stock US:FIT dropped 10% in active afternoon trade, putting it on track for the biggest one-day drop in nearly five months. Volume was more than 2 1/2-times the full-day average, with an hour still left in the trading session.
Erickson said that his conversations with a number of large retail chains indicated that while Fitbit’s new “Charge 2” product is well stocked, sales appear to have had a “disappointing start,” as they are lagging the sales pace of the “Blaze” and “Alta” products seen earlier this year.
“It isn’t 100% clear when ‘Flex’ may be coming; however, we think ‘Charge 2’ was intended to be, and frankly needs to be, the blockbuster product for the company this holiday,” Erickson wrote in a note to clients.
Another big concern is what Erickson called a “core utility issue” with Fitbit products that could weigh on demand for future products.
“Since we downgraded to sector weight in February, we have contended that, based on conversations with the distribution channel and Fitbit owners, a striking portion of people seem to simply stop wearing the devices within a few months of getting one,” Erickson wrote. “To us, this suggests that the utility of the new devices is not viewed as critical by a material portion of users.”
He said that is a “significant problem” for a company shooting to maintain unit volume growth in the double-digit percentage range.
The shares have plunged 49% year to date, while the S&P 500


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Boutique cruise line Azamara has announced the name and delivery of its fourth cruise ship.
The former Pacific Princess cruise ship was sold to Azamara in January 2021, and has now been renamed Azamara Onward. The ship’s official handover to its new cruise line took place on March 15, 2021.
The event coincides with Azamara’s transition into an independent cruise company. It is now officially owned by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, and is the company’s only travel brand. Previously, the line was under the Royal Caribbean Group umbrella along with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.
“Today marks a new beginning for Azamara, as we increase our capacity and begin our journey as an independent cruise company. Our beautiful new ship can access smaller ports and allow us to bring our guests to even more destinations,” said President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas.
“When selecting a unique name, we realized our fourth ship marks the start of a new adventure and we chose a name that celebrates the bright future ahead for the brand, our guests, and the industry as a whole.”
Azamara chose the name Azamara Onward because the word “onward” represents moving forward in space or time. It’s meant to evoke feelings of resilience, positivity, and the possibilities in store for the future.
“Azamara has a bright future and is positioned to continue growing as an independent company,” added Orlando Ashford, Executive Chairman of Azamara. “We can’t wait to welcome back our loyal customers, as well as those new to the brand, with our expanded fleet offering more unique Destination Immersion programming and itineraries.”
Azamara Onward will join Azamara’s existing fleet of three ships: Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey, and Azamara Quest. The newly-purchased vessel, currently docked outside Rome in Civitavecchia, will receive an extensive renovation to reflect the Azamara brand. It’s unclear whether the renovations will change the number of cabins on the ship, but when sailing for Princess the vessel held just 688 passengers at double occupancy — making it clear why Azamara wanted it as it fits in well with the line’s small-ship fleet.
Azamara Onward is scheduled to begin its inaugural season around Europe in 2022.
READ MORE: Should Kids Take a Luxury Cruise?


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Thomas Etheridge, vice president of services at CrowdStrike, has said that agencies must implement basic cyber hygiene and patch systems within 30 days to ensure preventive maintenance and avoid large-scale cyberattacks.
Etheridge wrote in a Nextgov piece published Friday that agencies must also create a risk management program for contractors to reduce cyber breaches from third parties, including supply-chain level vendors.
Agencies must also deploy multifactor authentication for login credentials, apply cybersecurity maturity assessments when considering potential third-party partners and launch â€œred teamâ€ exercises that simulate real-world attacks.
According to Etheridge, agencies are responsible for understanding the capacity of vendors to detect and prevent end-to-end cyber breaches.
â€œCrowdStrike found supply chain and third-party risks are frequently cited by mature organizations as among their top cybersecurity concerns due to the challenges in preventing such attacks and the damage they can inflict,â€ Etheridge said.
â€œYour agency needs a thorough understanding of the endpoint protection or system security protection and prevention mechanisms that are in place in vendorsâ€™ environments, including for their third parties,â€ he added.


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An exhibition celebrating the red soles and design genius of Christian Louboutin, who launched his career aged 12 by hanging around stage doors in Paris and taking an internship at the Folies Bergère aged 16, will be mounted at the Design Museum in London next year.
Curator Donna Loveday, who after some agonising wore flat pumps to meet the master at his Paris studio, instead of the teetering high heels for which he is famous, described him as "a magician". His most famous clients include Madonna and Victoria Beckham.
The exhibition, opening in March, will mark the 20th anniversary of his first small store in Paris in 1992. They are now all over the world, including three in Moscow.
Loveday said Louboutin has 3,000 women who each own 500 pairs on his customer books, and one who owns more than 6,000 pairs. "I do know who she is, but I'm not allowed to say.
(As a price check, there's currently a pair on eBay, second-hand but in their original box, for a cent under $500, shipping extra).
Louboutin left school with no qualifications but, during his time at the Folies, where he made tea and stitched on buttons and feathers, he used to present the showgirls with his drawings of personalised fantasy shoes.
He spent a period as a garden designer before returning to shoes and launching the brand. The distinctive glossy red soles made them instantly recognisable on the streets or catwalks, and earlier this year he filed a $1m lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent in the US for launching a red-soled shoe. The rival firm argued that red soles date at least as far back as Louis XIV in the 1600s via Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. A judgment is expected soon.
Louboutin has insisted that the purpose of his towering high heels is to make "women feel confident and empowered", but he has created shoes that even he admits are unwearable, some of which will feature in the show.
In 2007, he collaborated with the film-maker David Lynch on Fetish, an exhibition of his shoes in Lynch's photographs as erotic sculptural objects including ballet pumps made vertical by an impossible heel, or shoes with heels projecting inches beyond the sole.
The next major exhibition at the Design Museum, opening in November, will be on the work of its co-founder, Sir Terence Conran, to mark his 80th birthday. It will also be mounting an exhibition on sport and design to coincide with the Olympics. At the launch, the Olympic gold medal-winning oarsmen Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase said ruefully that in their sport at least, the mark of any really innovative piece of new design is that it gets banned very quickly.
• This article was amended on 3 October 2011 to remove the following lines: "The exhibition will feature the burlesque artist Dita Von Teese, another devoted customer, in recognition of the influence of showgirls on his work. The exhibition will also feature trapezes, though the designers are still trying to work out how and where." These lines were based on information supplied to us. The originators have subsequently informed the Guardian that the information was incorrect.
• Christian Louboutin, Design Museum London, 28 March-July 2012


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Evangelicals recently contributed “The Last Christmas on Earth” to
Mistletonia, a Christmas compilation put together by Mistletone
Records, the label where Evangelicals releases reside in Australia.
We’re pleased to share the MP3 from this excellent compilation, which
features a slew of like-minded twisted pop mavericks from around the
“The Last Christmas on Earth” was recorded following the completion of
The Evening Descends, the new album by Evangelicals, which will be released on January 22nd, 2008. To accompany this demented pop nugget, Evangelicals singer/guitarist/main madman Josh Jones posed for a very special holiday themed photo.


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Arsenal have the 'most demanded' home shirt in the whole of English football.
Seeing that crisp new shirt for the first time is a highlight of many a football fan's summer, particularly this year when most other activities have been put on hold.
This season's Arsenal kit didn't disappoint, and the proof is in the pudding, with the Gunners' new home shirt the most in-demand across all four of England's top divisions.
A study from Lovethesales.com has found Arsenal moved up from second to first this season, ahead of London rivals Chelsea, along with last season's number one Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City.
That's despite a huge reduction in sales this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier League teams are set to lose up to £15million in shirt sales this season with a historic five-year low predicted.
The demand for kits fell by 63% this August, likely due to the financial impact of the virus, as well as the fact supporters are not able to watch their team in action this season, or at least not yet.
Nevertheless, it seems Arsenal's new home shirt has impressed the most of any home strip.
Meanwhile, Fulham's new threads are said to be the least desirable of the top-flight and Bournemouth is the most fancied of Championship outfits.
*Analysis is based on search data, page views and sales metrics of 4 million shoppers searching 6 million fashion items on LovetheSales.com.*


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Tatarstan Opens Up Trade Corridor With Iran
Russia’s Tatarstan Republic is looking to increase trade with Iran via the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), said Tatarstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Korobchenko Oleg Vladimirovich.
Speaking in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Vladimirovich announced the establishment of logistics centers in Tatarstan in order to increase trade with Iran through the INSTC and the Caspian Sea, and raised the proposal for the launch of direct flights between Tehran and Kazan to improve bilateral trade adding that Tatarstan will prepare all the necessary infrastructure. Flights currently have to route via Istanbul, a direct route would save both money and reduce the overall flying time by about 7 hours.
A high-ranking trade delegation from Tatarstan recently visited Iran to discuss collaboration in various fields including oil, gas, and petrochemicals, transportation and logistics, aviation, food and agriculture, health, cosmetics, auto, construction materials, investment, and entrepreneurship.
Tatarstan has strong Islamic roots and shares cultural similarities with Iran, Islam was introduced by missionaries from Baghdad around 922. It became part of Russia in the 1550’s under Ivan the Terrible’s rule. In the 19th century, Tatarstan became a center of Jadidism, an Islamic movement that preached tolerance of other religions. Under the influence of local Jadidist theologians, the region was renowned for their friendly relations with other peoples of the Russian Empire, and is still known for this liberal approach today. Although a Republic with its own seat of Government and a large degree of autonomy, Tatarstan remains part of the Russian Federation.
Most Tatars are Sunni Muslims, hence the ties with Iran. Tatarstan has a population of about 3.8 million. Trade with Iran would be conducted by shipping south along the Volga River or by rail to Russia’s Caspian Sea Ports at Astrakhan and Lagan, then shipped directly to Iran’s Anzali Port, also on the Caspian Sea.
Russia has a Free Trade Agreement with Iran via the Eurasian Economic Union. Bilateral trade rocketed 73% in H1 2022.
During these uncertain times, we must stress that our firm does not approve of the Ukraine conflict. We do not entertain business with sanctioned Russian companies or individuals. However, we are well aware of the new emerging supply chains, can advise on strategic analysis and new logistics corridors, and may assist in non-sanctioned areas. We can help, for example, Russian companies develop operations throughout Asia, including banking advisory services, and trade compliance issues, and have done since 1992.
We also provide financial and sanctions compliance services to foreign companies wishing to access Russia. Additionally, we offer market research and advisory services to foreign exporters interested in accessing Russia as the economy looks to replace Western-sourced products. For assistance, please email firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.dezshira.com


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But hey, it's got lots of Christian Yelich!
It's fair to say that the R.B.I. Baseball series hasn't had the best run on Switch. We gave the 2017 edition was given a scathing 3/10 review, while R.B.I. Baseball 18 did little better, chalking up 4 out of 10. Still, with last year's game improving enough to score 6/10 in our review
R.B.I. Baseball 17 is coming to the Nintendo Switch, it has been confirmed. The game has a launch date of September 5th, and showcases officially-licenced teams, a full season mode, local multiplayer and a roster edit mode. It will retail for $29.99. Here's the press release: R.B.I. Baseball 17, developed by MLBAM and...


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Salesforce: AI Could Produce 800K Jobs
Despite the numerous gloomy accounts of artificial intelligence taking over our lives and our jobs, one company sees a silver lining: Salesforce. Not only will AI produce more business opportunities, the technology is likely to generate $1 trillion in revenue.
Salesforce found that by 2021, AI-flavored CRM will produce about 800,000 net-new jobs within the industry and account for $1.1 trillion in revenue. Of that number, Salesforce and its customers are expected to account for about 155,000 jobs and $293 billion in revenue, according to a report it produced along with IDC
The global market for AI within CRM is expected to jump from $7.9 billion in 2016 to $46.3 billion within the next five years, according to the June 14 report.
Additionally, IDC found that by 2018 about 75% of all enterprises, along with ISV developers, will include AI or machine learning technologies in at least one of their applications.
It's not surprising that Salesforce can see the upside in the one technology that has a lot of people concerned that human endeavor is about to come to a screeching halt in a few years' time. For instance, a recent report by researchers at Oxford and Yale predicted that in the next 45 years, AI is likely to outperform people in most tasks, whether that's driving a truck or writing a best seller. (See Artificial Intelligence Expert Weighs In for WiC.)
However, Salesforce is not only considered one of the leaders in CRM, as well as software-as-a-service (SaaS), but has gone to great lengths to incorporate AI through its Einstein technology into its products, so it has plenty of skin in the game. (See Microsoft, Salesforce Dominating SaaS Market, Report Finds.)
To reinforce that idea, on June 15 the company launched its Einstein Analytics for CRM, which adds a layer of AI and predictive analytics to the CRM workflow.
While Salesforce might be overly optimistic in its assessment of AI, the results do dovetail with some other recent studies that find while the technology might automate some jobs -- even highly skilled ones -- and eliminate others, it could also create opportunities for those companies that want to think creatively. (See Microsoft, Salesforce Dominating SaaS Market, Report Finds.)
Although IDC and Salesforce determined AI could affect about 50% of all jobs through automation -- and eliminate about 5% of jobs altogether -- there's also opportunity. As the report explains:
"AI could also augment and increase the productivity of employees, specifically in CRM-related fields. From predictive sales lead scoring to service chatbots to personalized marketing campaigns, AI could provide every employee with tools to be more productive and provide smarter, more personalized customer experiences."
So, don't think of the HAL 9000 as a replacement waiting to take over, but as a trusted partner following you into this new world. Or maybe Mitch Wagner is right, and the only way to defend against AI is to make it as neurotic as the people creating it. (See To Stop AI From Going Rogue, Make It Neurotic.)Related posts:
- Is Apple's Car 'The Mother of All AI Projects'?
- Google Placing Multiple Bets on AI – Reports
- Apple Quietly Acquires Machine Learning Specialist Lattice Dark


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There’s been much talk in newspapers recently about the new Firefly mobile phone that’s being aimed at 4-year-olds!
Naturally the middle market is outraged that such young children are being targeted with such propaganda, but the Firefly phone has been on sale in the US for a number of years.
I spoke at a Marketing Conference 4 years ago alongside the US marketing manager for Firefly phones. He explained how they had promoted the phones and the efforts they’d gone to to ensure healthy sales and a good brand image.
Now this all sounds very dull, until you discover that the age range that Firefly targeted in the US was around 4 years older.
You see, the mobile phone market in the US has always lagged behind that of the UK and consequently, Firefly’s market in America was somewhere around 8-11-year-olds, rather than the 4-7-year-olds it seems to be targeting in the UK.
Yup, American kids aren’t anywhere near as cell-savvy as UK children, apparently, so they don’t need one until they’re much older.
If the marketing tactics they employed in the US are anywhere near as effective in the UK, I expect to see a whole raft of Firefly phones sold – can’t say I’ll be getting one for my girls, though!


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Rumors that Facebook is in late-stage talks tofor as much as $1 billion have many wondering if the social network's next great ambition is to tackle the maps and navigation market. Maybe -- but only because maps would be Facebook's best way to route around Google and make money from mobile search.
Founded in 2007, Waze makes a navigation application for iPhone and Android used by roughly 45 million people. The app's mapping service is powered by the people who use it. Waze ingests all types of location data as shared, either implicitly or explicitly, by drivers. The app also connects to Facebook and incorporates social-networking functions so drivers can see their friends' whereabouts on the map, share their location, and even send private messages.
Should Facebook buy Waze, the social network will send a clear message to Google: "Watch out! We're on your tail."
Facebook would like to be a formidable force on mobile and not just capture attention, but ad dollars. If it has to get into the maps business to do so, so be it.
Waze Chief Executive Noam Bardin inadvertently said as much when he spoke at AllThingsD's D: Dive Into Mobile conference last month. The full interview is embedded below.
"What search is for the Web, maps are for mobile," he said. "The searches you do on mobile that actually are monetizable, and are different from the Web, are searches that have to do with location."
The search mechanism on mobile devices is the map, he said.
In Bardin's view of the mobile search land-grab, which revolves around great maps, there are just two players: Google and Waze.
"Google is out there creating a new standard in terms of quality, and we feel that we're the only reasonable competition to them in this market of creating maps that are really geared for mobile, for real-time, for consumers -- for the new world that we're moving into."
Enter Facebook, a company that surely doesn't want to be left behind in the race to own mobile search.
By eMarketer's estimates, Facebook is the No. 2 mobile ad publisher in the U.S -- second only to Google. The social network accounted for 9.5 percent of mobile ad revenue in 2012 and will eat up 13.2 percent of the U.S. mobile ad market this year, thanks to its strength in the display category. Google, however, will take home more than half of all mobile ad revenue in 2013, according to the market research firm.
But when it comes to making money from mobile search, the real cash cow on mobile, Google is the uncontested leader.
The search giant netted 93.3 percent of all U.S. mobile search ad dollars last year, and it will continue to maintain a suffocating hold over this particular mobile ad market through 2015, according to estimates from eMarketer. The firm anticipates that U.S. mobile Internet search ad revenue will total $7.85 billion in 2015; it pegs Google's share at around $7.1 billion, or 90 percent of the market.
Should Facebook buy Waze, the social network will have a way to insert itself into this lucrative business and help its 751 million mobile users better find what they're searching for on their smartphones.
Waze would also make for an attractive addition to what Bardin called Facebook's "meta operating system" for mobile, or the growing collection of Facebook mobile applications that ensure that no matter the phone or operating system, people will find themselves inside a Facebook environment.
It's a strategy the social network has actively pushed forward with its nascent Android Home software suite, as well with single app releases like Facebook Camera, Messenger, and Poke.


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A Colorado charity that cares for injured rodeo competitors recently got a check from a curious donor: a Western-themed retail chain that had closed its doors and collapsed in bankruptcy three years earlier.
The financial scraps leftover from the Chapter 11 liquidation of Western Warehouse’s parent company and its nearly 100 stores left about $19,000 sitting idle in a bank account — an amount too small to send out in another round of checks to creditors. Without clear directions from the Bankruptcy Code on where that money should go, the company’s attorneys emptied the money into two charities: the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund and breast cancer awareness group Tough Enough To Wear Pink.
Charities are increasingly getting the pool of bankruptcy estate money that can materialize years after a company files for Chapter 11 protection to shut down, courtesy of an oversight in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In this story in today’s Journal, we take a look at what amounts to a void of oversight that leaves the destination of that forgotten money — both where it’s going now and where it should be going — unclear among even the bankruptcy industry’s top experts.
California bankruptcy attorney Kenneth Klee, who helped write the Bankruptcy Code as a congressional staffer, admits the guidelines are unclear and wants Congress to clarify the rules so the money goes to the U.S. Treasury, where most money from consumer bankruptcy cases goes.
“The judiciary shouldn’t be in the business of giving money to charity,” says Klee, who’s also a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. “If you start having to choose between Catholic charities and the [Muslim] Brotherhood and the Jewish Family Service, you’re going to have a bloodbath on your hands.”
The issue is becoming more common because companies increasingly are choosing to liquidate under Chapter 11, which generally is used to reorganize company and keep it operating. Closing a company under Chapter 11 gives a company’s executives more control of the process than Chapter 7, which was intended for liquidation but is driven more by a court-appointed trustee.