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In 2011, having a mobile strategy shifted from "nice to have" to "must have" for businesses of all sizes. In 2012, that same shift is taking place when it comes to supporting multiple mobile platforms. Sure, some companies can focus on just one operating system and exclude all others, but most businesses and brands need to target myriad device types.
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Cross-platform mobile development company Appcelerator has announced a new marketplace that will let users buy and sell add-ons to its Titanium platform Appcelerator is calling the new offering the Open Mobile Marketplace, which is designed as a way to give its 1.5 million plus developers easy access to modules and add-ons from cloud services companies.
Appcelerator and IDC released their Q3 Mobile Developer Report on Wednesday, which looks at how mobile developers currently view the smartphone and tablet landscape. The report revealed that developers are most excited about the mobile potential of Google+ and Apple's iCloud. Despite it being just a month old, Google+ is showing plenty of potential, according to devs. The majority surveyed say Google+ has what it takes to compete head-on with Facebook.
Appcelerator, a platform for mobile and web development, has just announced its acquisition of Aptana, an integrated development environment (IDE) for web apps. Together, both entities hope the new offering will be the best suite of tools for designing, developing and deploying cloud-connected apps, particularly for enterprise-level applications. Appcelerator is also putting a strong focus on mobile and cross-platform app development.
International Data Corporation predicts that the number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow from 10.9 billion in 2010 to 76.9 billion in 2014. The market intelligence company also anticipates mobile app revenues will surpass $35 billion in 2014. IDC's findings are based on company financials, product announcements and its quarterly survey of the Appcelerator mobile developer base.
At the PayPal X Conference today, Appcelerator -- makers of the cross-platform mobile development tool Titanium -- announced that it has just entered into a partnership with PayPal to bring a mobile commerce solution to both PayPal merchants and Titanium developers. Along with the new partnership, Appcelerator also announced that it has just closed a $9 million Series B funding round led by Sierra Ventures; eBay Inc.
Appcelerator and IDC just published a new survey of smartphone developers focusing on long-term platform perceptions, as well as what features are most important when developing a new app. The results, like those from a similar study performed by Appcelerator in June, indicate that Google's Android platform continues to be where developers see the most long-term potential, especially when powering multiple types of devices (read: beyond smartphone/tablet).
Five months after declaring that iOS apps developed with a cross-compiler would not be accepted into the App Store, Apple has eased up on its policies and reversed course. Beyond just being less stringent about what sorts of tools can be used to build apps, Apple has also published an App Store Review Guidelines that lay out, in black and white, some of the things that will prevent an app from getting into the App Store.
As more and more software development focuses on smartphones, a new industry is building up to help developers create and rapidly deploy mobile applications. One of the companies that is making big waves in the cross-platform mobile development game is Appcelerator.
Appcelerator has just published the results from its most recent mobile developer survey and the results shed some insight into what platforms and device types are most compelling to developers in the short term and for the long haul. The survey covers some of the same ground as the last Appcelerator survey from March but it's interesting to see how developer opinions have changed, both in the wake of the iPad's successful launch and hot new phones on the Android front.


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the fact that Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India
recently got stuck in Pune traffic and had to take an auto rickshaw to his destination. But what matters most for Schwenk
as he leaves India to take on the role of President and Chief Executive
Officer, Mercedes-Benz Thailand from January 2023, is that he would be leaving the
Indian shores on a high note. Mercedes-Benz India has sold more cars in January-September
2022 period (11,469 units) than in the entire CY 2021 (11,242 units).
CLICK HERE TO READ:
Martin Schwenk will take new responsibility as President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz
what could also, perhaps, make him a lot proud would be the fact that he has
beaten at least one of his German competitors, Audi India by a huge margin when
it comes to sales in the country. Audi
India, which was at one time the number one player among the three luxury car
manufacturers in India, announced it has retailed 2947 units in the January –
September 2022 period.
India delivered 11,469 new cars in January-September 2022 period amidst supply
constraints. In the corresponding period last year the company had sold merely 8958
units. The company noted that it has had an overwhelming customer response to
the ‘Made in India’ EQS 580 4MATIC with more than 300 bookings for this car. First
customer deliveries of the EQS 580 have started and new bookings will be
delivered early 2023
there is high demand for its top-end vehicles that include the GLS Maybach 600,
Maybach S-Class, S-Class along with AMGs.
Long Wheel Base E -Class continues to remain India’s most preferred ‘luxury
sedan’: The LWB E-Class remained the single highest selling model for Mercedes-Benz
in Jan-Sep 22 period. Models like the GLE and GLS luxury SUVs have set new
sales record in Q3, comprising 30% of MB India Q3 2022 sales volume. The GLS,
incidentally, sold its highest volumes in September 2022.
the company recorded all round performance across its sedan portfolio. Demand
for A-Class Limousine, C-Class, LWB E-Class and S-Class continued. The total order bank of Mercedes-Benz India as
of YTD September 2022 is 7000+ units.
strong sales performance breached the pre-pandemic momentum and underpins the
growing customer aspiration and preference for a Mercedes-Benz car in core
markets. This demand is sustained with a stable economy, strong market outlook
and resilient businesses across sector.
Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “Our sales
performance is a combination of our attractive product portfolio, bullish
customer sentiments and the ongoing festive season. The ‘Made in India EQS’ is
receiving an overwhelming response from customers, and we already have 300+
confirmed bookings for the luxury EV. We also have a robust order bank across
all models and our focus remains to deliver these cars to our customers, on
time. We are confident of maintaining the sales momentum in the coming months
with newer products and service offerings in the pipeline.”
Schwenk added, “Our sales are at pre-pandemic level, having crossed CY 2021
sales numbers in the first nine months
this year. The current market momentum gives us the confidence for striving to
achieve our highest sales ever. However, it also remains our endeavour to
produce as many cars as possible to cater to the growing demand, amidst the
current supply constraints.”
Yokohama India announced the launch of two new additions to its popular Geolandar series of tyres– the Geolandar X-AT and Geolandar M/T G003. These cutting-edge tyres are engineered to deliver unparal...
Volkswagen Passenger Cars India launched the new “My Volkswagen” app, a one-stop solution that offers a seamless, convenient and immersive digital experience for prospective and existing customers.
Delhi-based leading auto-tech company Rosmerta Technologies Limited introduced a cutting-edge AI-based Driver Monitoring & Alert System integrated with a vehicle tracking management system.

domain: news


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Greenwich CT (PRWEB) April 30, 2014
Microsoft is racing to address a weakness in its popular Web browser that was revealed over the weekend.(CNN Money; April 28, 2014)
This new threat is carried out by hackers that set up a website that installs malware on a visitor's computer. When users visit the site their computer becomes at risk of infiltration. Hackers can then gain access to user's personal files, emails, and even take control of a user's computer.
My Tech Gurus (http://www.mytechgurus.com) expects that most customers will be fine considering they have already been notified of this potential threat. My Tech Gurus does expect to see an influx of support calls from new customers looking for guidance on protecting themselves and their computers from hackers.


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Despite reporting stronger results than most retailers, Wal-Mart Canada Corp. announced yesterday it is closing all six of its Sam's Club stores to focus on its growing "supercentre" business.
The move will affect 1,200 jobs, all in Ontario.
The company was unable to say how much money the closings would save, although it spent $80 million five years ago to open the stores.
The decision comes amid worsening economic conditions across North America that generally favour discounters such as Wal-Mart as consumers increasingly shop for bargains.
But Wal-Mart president and chief executive officer David Cheesewright said the Sam's Club stores, first opened in 2003, "have not met our expectations."
Unlike a typical Wal-Mart store, Sam's Club operates more like a Costco store, offering bulk sales and wholesale prices to dues-paying members. They carry far less selection but more brand name and higher end merchandise than a typical Wal-Mart store.
Club warehouse concepts rely heavily on membership size to maintain profits, as margins on the merchandise are low.
From the start, Sam's Club faced a tough uphill climb against Costco, said retail consultant John Williams of the J.C. Williams Group in Toronto.
"They were a late entry into a market that already had a dominant player," Williams said.
Still, Wal-Mart's decision took Williams by surprise. "I guess even Wal-Mart has limited resources and they need those resources to expand the supercentres," he said.
As well, the Sam's Clubs may have served what some analysts believed was their original purpose.
The stores were the first Wal-Mart locations to offer fresh meat and produce, paving the way for the arrival of Wal-Mart's "supercentre."
Indeed, the U.S.-based retail giant introduced its "supercentre" format three years later. The stores are like typical Wal-Mart's except they are larger and contain a full supermarket.
Wal-Mart spokesperson Andrew Pelletier said the company's food business "has grown dramatically" since it began opening the supercentres.
Wal-Mart said it plans to have 82 such stores across Canada by the end of this year, including 26 new ones this year.
"Customer response to our supercentres has been very strong," Cheesewright said in a statement.
He said customers like the "one-stop" format especially "at a time when Canadians are relying on Wal-Mart more than ever to help them save money during challenging economic times."
At one time, Wal-Mart predicted Sam's Club would be a national chain in Canada, much as it is in the United States. Analysts speculated there would be room for 60 across Canada. But after announcing the initial six stores, Wal-Mart didn't open any more.
Five of the six locations may be sold to Lowe's Cos. Inc., a leading U.S.-based home improvement retailer.
Lowe's confirmed it is interested in the sites in Pickering, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, London, and Etobicoke. The Cambridge store is not part of those discussions.
Sam's Club customers who want their membership dues refunded are being advised to speak to their local store.
Wal-Mart said it is taking steps to minimize the impact on its Sam's Club employees, who will be out of jobs by mid-March.
The company does not have immediate positions for most of them, but will hold internal job fairs over the coming days to connect them with openings in existing stores.
"We are hopeful many associates will obtain jobs in other areas of our business and expect the number of associates ultimately affected to be significantly less than 1,200," Cheesewright said.
"Our goal is to ensure all affected associates are treated with care, respect, and dignity."
The 26 new Wal-Mart stores will create 5,000 store jobs and 5,000 construction jobs across Canada, the retailer said.
Lowe's opened its first three stores in Canada in December 2007 and now has 11, with plans to open five more this year. Three of this year's locations have already been announced.


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The retail sector in Dubai continues to evolve and adjust in the light of the fast pace of technological advancements, indicates JLL’s Q2 2017 Dubai Real Estate Market Overview report, with retail brands and centres merging both online and offline experiences as the lines between bricks-and-mortar and online retailers continue to blur.
The second quarter witnessed Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry signing a memorandum with SOUQ.com to help more SMEs and entrepreneurships in the region to gain exposure to online platforms. The move sees Dubai continuing to contribute to the rising trend of e-commerce, with the Dubai Chamber expecting online to account for 10% of Dubai’s total retail trade in the near future.
Amazon’s recent purchase of SOUQ.com represents a major advance for e-commerce in the region. Responding to this trend, Emaar Malls has acquired a majority stake in fashion e-tailer Namshi.com during Q2.
“The Dubai real estate market largely remained relatively subdued in Q2, market sentiment is however expected to become more positive in the second half of the year,” says Craig Plumb, head of research, MENA, JLL.
Despite challenges retail activities continue
The second quarter saw one neighbourhood retail completion in Jumeirah Islands, which added 30,139 sqft of GLA to the market. The pipeline for the second half of 2017 includes 2.4 million sqft of GLA currently under construction, with The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah and Marsa Al Seef in Al Hamriya expected to contribute more than 50% of the total. Dubailand sees continued construction, with approximately 430,556 sqft of GLA scheduled to complete in H2 2017.
Dubai is undoubtedly the leading retail location within the GCC with 36.5 million sqft of retail malls, ahead of other major cities such as Abu Dhabi (28.2 million sqft), Jeddah (13 million sqft) and Riyadh (12.6 million sqft). On an international scale, Dubai has approximately twice as much retail space per capita as London, indicating its reputation as a major international retail hub.
Given the soft market conditions, however, some delays may occur that could lead to delays and a scaling back of future retail supply. The pressure to complete and hand over projects is expected to intensify in the coming two years, in anticipation of the potential boost to retail spending around Expo 2020.
Rents in the retail space has started to show single digit declines during Q2, supporting the anecdotal evidence over the last few quarters, which suggested that the market was under pressure. Landlords continue to adopt approaches to leasing which are favourable to tenants, in order to retain them.
Overall, although the short term picture for retail in Dubai is challenging – due to the slowdown in the rate of economic growth and the strength of the Dollar – the medium to longer-term picture remains more positive.
An overview on office, hotel & residential markets
The office sector witnessed a relaxation in regulations resulting in offshore activities being permitted within the Dubai International Financial Centre, and dual licenses to allow firms to undertake both onshore and offshore activities from a single location. These new regulations will be able to expand potential demand within the DIFC, paving way for overall economic growth of the city.
The fast growth of Dubai’s tourism over the last decade following the government’s strategy to diversify the economy in the run up to Expo 2020 has opened doors to the hospitality market becoming more complex. Investors are now becoming more creative in their approach and the first hospitality focused REIT (FIVE Holding REIT) has been announced in Q2. Traditional players are now reconsidering their strategies rigorously through re-branding or de-branding properties, the report added.
The residential sector witnessed 5,400 completed properties being sold in the first give month of 2017, an increase from the 4,500 units that were sold during the same period of 2016. With little change in either sale prices or rentals recorded over the quarter, the residential market remains relatively stable as the recent down cycle nears an end.
J Lindeberg was started by Johan Lindeberg in 1990s with the aimSeptember 2, 2022 | By RetailME Bureau
Majid Al Futtaim has made significant strides toward environmental, social, and corporateJuly 5, 2022 | By RetailME Bureau
Abu Dhabi based grocery retail chain Lulu Group has partnered with Amazon
UAE-government-led initiative Food Tech Valley – announced in 2021 by His Highness
Abu Dhabi-based supermarket chain Lulu Hypermarket is all set to open in
Plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat’s financial results for the third quarter of
UAE’s fresh produce brand Barakat has launched bio-degradable packaging across its entire
UAE-based agritech start-up Pure Harvest Smart Farms has signed a Memorandum of
Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim – Retail in the
Grandiose Supermarket, part of Ghassan Aboud Group, has announced expansion plan in
The Valrhona journey began 100 years ago with a cocoa bean. Since
Deliveroo UAE has announced the expansion of its rapid grocery delivery service
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) revealed that the UAE
Dubai’s newest lifestyle and shopping destination Silicon Central – under the portfolio
Middle East’s online baby store Mumzworld expands operations to EZDubai, a fully
UAE-based family-owned conglomerate Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) is setting the stage for
Line Investments & Property LLC, the shopping mall and management division of
Omnichannel eyewear retailer eyewa opened its 50th store in the GCC –
The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) has unveiled an exciting line-up
Majid Al Futtaim and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) have joined hands
The dramatic rise in e-commerce has challenged the position of traditional retailers.
Following Lenskart’s $50 million (AED185 million) investment commitment into the Middle East
Inflation in the form of skyrocketing retailer costs and increased consumer prices
Amazon has opened a new office in Riyadh for its employees from
Brands that don’t leverage modern commerce platforms tend to witness a decline


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The global flat glass coatings market is forecast to reach USD 5.98 Billion by 2026, according to a new report by Reports and Data.
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new online video series documenting the Association’s in-person Insulating Glass (IG) Fabricators Workshop.
NFRC Supports New, Reimagined Industry Pavilion at GlassBuild America 2021
TurkishGlass is excited to exhibit its wide range of products and share information about prestigious projects at GlassBuild America 2021.
For maximum proximity to customers and to continue to meet the requirements of the eastern European market in future, the HEGLA Group will open a subsidiary in Poland.
Participants at the FGIA 2021 Hybrid Fall Conference will have the opportunity to take part in safety sessions focused on preparing for and disarming active shooters, led by Donny Hawkins and Mike Britt of Sentinel Security Group LLC.
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance will host a webinar entitled “Quality, Compatibility and Performance Requirements for Insulating Glass Units” on Tuesday, September 7 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
During the FGIA 2021 Hybrid Fall Conference, in-person participants will have the opportunity to be part of a hands-on demonstration of installation practices driven by consensus-based standards.
Yesterday, Glass for Europe organized a special on-line workshop entirely dedicate to the “fit for 55” package, which was released on 14 July.
You want to know more about what makes LiSEC's new cutting machine for float glass (DSC-A) so special? Then don’t miss out on today’s highlight interview.
To support the increasing demand for laminated glass in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Guardian Glass is adding a new jumbo laminated glass production line at its Ryazan, Russia plant.


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Avis Car Rental has signed a new multi-year license agreement with CFAO, a specialized distributor and preferred partner of major international brands. CFAO operates the Avis Car Rental brand in Western Africa and now, as part of this agreement, will also offer vehicle leasing to customers under the Avis brand.
"We're delighted to extend our relationship with CFAO," said David B. Wyshner, president and chief financial officer, Avis Budget Group. "This is an opportunity to leverage CFAO's extensive knowledge of the car rental and leasing markets to grow and develop the Avis brand across Western Africa."
"CFAO has a 20-year history of partnership with Avis and proven experience successfully operating the Avis Car Rental brand in Western Africa," said Stéphane Henry, CEO of Rental Operations, a division of CFAO Automotive Equipment and Services. "We are delighted to operate leasing under the Avis brand going forward."
Under the license agreement, CFAO will offer leasing services in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome, and Senegal.


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Dogecoin (DOGE) may be hitting all-time highs this week, but a lover of cats is launching her own altcoin to take on the meme cryptocurrency.
What Happened: “Tiger King” Star Carole Baskin took to Twitter to announce the launch of a cat-themed cryptocurrency called CAT, which is described as a “fan token.”
I’m purring like a bobcat rolling in catnip because we just launched $cat on https://t.co/pH2gCNtQGf Rocketing up to #35 out of 117 & thinking of ways to reward those who join our “pride” of big cat lovers! Learn more at https://t.co/FTxA8iVV0V pic.twitter.com/PxFiXJqA5k
— CaroleBaskin (@carole_baskin) May 4, 2021
Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue, an accredited sanctuary for exotic cats, said it has issued the cryptocurrency to its millions of fans worldwide. The coin is listed on Rally.IO at around $10.
“$CAT is not a currency nor investment, but rather is a purr-ency and the first of its kind as a fan token for supporters of Big Cat Rescue,” according to a statement issued by the sanctuary.
See Also: How to Buy Dogecoin (DOGE)
The cryptocurrency can be used to purchase walks at the sanctuary, buy new merchandise, and for access to conversations with Carole Baskin and her crew. It could also be used — in the future — for a big cat metaverse for virtual visits with the cats and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will launch in about two weeks.
Baskin added that she is foraying into cryptocurrencies as she is concerned about the volume of U.S. dollars that are being printed and distributed with nothing to back them up.
Why It Matters: Another cat-themed cryptocurrency is also back in action. MonaCoin (MONA) is trading 27% above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA), which indicates its overall sentiment is bullish.
MonaCoin, established in January 2014, claims to be the national cryptocurrency payment system of Japan. However, the altcoin is down 4.9% in the past 24 hours and is trading at $2.56 at press time.
Meanwhile, Dogecoin has hit multiple new all-time highs this week ahead of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk’s hosting of the “Saturday Night Live” show on Saturday, where the joke cryptocurrency is expected to feature.


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Paywall providers Piano Media and Tinypass are merging to form a joint unit that has a chance to make their brand of paid content a better fit for the magazine industry.
The new company, operating under the name Piano, generates about $40 million in revenue ($30 million from Piano Media, $10 million from Tinypass) and serves more than 1,200 media outlets globally. That scale, says Trevor Kaufman, formerly CEO of Tinypass and now holding the same position at Piano, along with a combination of their tools will allow the company to figure out exactly where paywalls should go from here.
“It’s obvious to everyone in our industry that the display-advertising-only model for content is broken,” Kaufman says in a statement. “Combining Piano Media and Tinypass puts us in an incredible position, not only to continue to address the fundamental software challenges faced by the media business—like managing users, getting good data, and tracking entitlements across the web, apps, and traditional media—but to help them innovate entirely new models as well.”
Kelly Leach, who had been CEO of Piano Media for less than a year, will stay on as a senior adviser and board member.
Paywalls have promised ancillary revenue for years—and, to varying degrees of success, have done so for many newspapers—but magazines have generally been slow adopters. Hearst’s Esquire and Time Inc.’s Entertainment Weekly and Real Simple have jumped on board recently though, and the latter company has plans to add more.
It’s also worth noting the consolidation in the paywall industry over the past 12 months. Piano bought Press+ for a reported $45 million last year, merging the two companies under parent ownership group, 3TS Capital Partners.


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Fintech funding rebounds in Q2 after COVID-19 disruption
With some estimates (see ) placing 2020’s Q1 as the worst since 2016 and regional investment in fintech dropping in significant amounts - a 69% fall in Asia - the start of the year did hold much promise for significant growth.
The economic uncertainty and reconfiguration spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic is almost incontestably the primary reason. However, the same data could suggest that new customer trends and operational paradigms will ultimately rescue fintech from its doldrums.
Fintech in the new normal
For instance, digital payment companies have experienced enduring popularity and investment despite the disruption. This could be a direct result of government guidelines which discouraged the exchanging of physical cash in favour of contactless alternatives.
Another indicator of payment companies’ success is market cap: managed to almost double between Q1 and Q2 from $112.3bn to an additional $92.3bn in the latter. accomplished a similar feat (Q1 $25.5bn + Q2 $18.6bn), as did to an even greater degree (Q1 $22.8bn + Q2 $23.3bn).
Other companies which managed to break the $200mn funding mark include:
The presence of health insurance entities (Oscar) and relief funds for SMEs (Fundbox) provides further evidence for how COVID-19 has shaped the market and what is being given economic priority.
Once again, market cap demonstrates that payment companies weren’t the only ones to see positive returns during the pandemic: e-commerce platform managed to increase from $48.8bn in Q1 to $64.5bn in Q2 - a 32% rise over a similar period.
Buy Shares concludes its report by stating, “Despite the pandemic, the funding rounds for the second quarter are high with a focus on B2B products and services that enable B2C fintech start-ups and traditional financial services companies to operate securely.”
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‘Skyfall’ Writer Worries Amazon Will Destroy 007 Franchise After MGM Buy: ‘Bond Is Not Content’
John Logan, a three-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter whose credits include the Daniel Craig-starring James Bond tentpoles “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” penned an essay for The New York Times expressing concern for the future of the 007 franchise in the wake of Amazon’s purchasing of MGM.
As Logan writes, “With the acquisition of MGM and its movie catalogue, the online retail giant bought into the James Bond franchise.
When I heard this news, a chill went through me…Bond isn’t just another franchise, not a Marvel or a DC; it is a family business that has been carefully nurtured and shepherded through the changing times by the Broccoli/Wilson family.”While Amazon now has a stake in Bond, Eon Productions chiefs Barbara Broccoli and Michael G.
Wilson are keeping their “ironclad assurances of continued artistic control,” Logan writes.
What this means is that Eon still calls the shots when it
Read full article


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Newburyport Daily News
---- — NEWBURYPORT — The second season of the Newburyport Winter Farmers Market is set to launch Sunday at 9 a.m. at The Tannery Marketplace event tent at 50 Water St.
Newburyport’s market is touted as the only winter farmers market on the North Shore. Organizers say winter markets are the next step in the local food movement, creating a year-round marketplace for area farmers to offer locally grown produce, meats and cheese.
The Newburyport Winter Farmers Market will be held twice a month from December through March 2013. The dates are Sundays, Dec. 9 and 23, Jan. 6 and 20, Feb. 3 and 17 and March 3 and 17. The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Held in a heated tent, the winter market will feature many of the local communities’ favorite farms from the summer season, including Wolf Meadow Farm in Rowley featuring locally crafted Italian-style cheese, John Crow Farm in Groton offering local pastured-raised poultry, grass-fed beef and specialty meats; and Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton and Middle Earth Farm in Amesbury bringing sustainably grown vegetables to market. New vendors will join the market in January.
Additionally, Newburyport’s winter market will feature vendors offering prepared foods and unique handmade local crafts.
There will be live music every Sunday. Michael Bernier will kick off the winter season with his soul-felt, roots rock and roll music with a positive vibe.
The Newburyport Farmers Market is sponsored by Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank and Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport.
Representatives of Anna Jaques Hospital will be on hand the first market of each month with tips and information on health and well-being. The Newburyport Bank will have a food drop-off box at its market table in support of area service agencies.
For all the latest updates on the Newburyport Farmers Market, become a fan on Facebook or follow the market on Twitter @farmista.


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Kendrick Lamar is yet another artist who has released an album ahead of schedule, without warning, and to much surprise. The rapper’s sophomore album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” was made available on iTunes and Spotify early Monday morning, a week before its original release date.
Lamar took to Twitter shortly after midnight to post a link to his new album, sparking an Internet frenzy, as Beyonce did in December 2013 and Drake did last month.
And it looks like Taylor Swift is more excited than anyone:
KENDRICK PUT HIS ALBUM OUT EARLY.
NO ONE TOUCH ME.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) March 16, 2015
In addition to his new album, Lamar has his recent deal with Reebok to celebrate.
The singer will be featured in Reebok’s global campaign, debuting this month, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Ventilator shoe.
Lamar will also create his own limited-edition Reebok capsule collection for fall ’15, which will include signature Ventilator styles inspired by his life, style and personality and will be available in June 2015.
He told FN that he’s most looking forward to the “inspiration part” when it comes to his partnership with Reebok. “Really putting something out that represents me and continues to represent my culture. That’s something I’ve always done. I just want to continue that to the highest potential, where it’s not only benefiting me or the company but it’s benefiting the people who are getting inspired to do something other than wear a great shoe.”
He added that his relationship with Reebok started all the way back in middle school. “Just being a fan of the music, and that people were wearing the Reebok Classic in all-white. Now, fast forward to partnering up. [It was important to me to work on] something that has a history rather than just a great shoe.”
Personally, Lamar noted that he’s not as huge a sneaker head as he used to be, saying he’s narrowed his collection down to just a couple of shoes. Check out the gallery above to see his favorite kicks.


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Seeking to reward local business excellence
The newly-launched Wandsworth Business Awards are being led by the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce, while local tax accountants, The Tax Guys, has agreed to be headline sponsor for the event, which is designed to showcase entrepreneurial spirit and achievement.
A number of other companies have already pledged their support for the initiative, and entries are already coming in from companies wanting to be recognised as the borough’s best.
Blanca Mwale, business development and facilities manager of The Tax Guys, said: “Running a business can be very taxing and, at a time when many local businesses face various challenges, it is important to acknowledge, endorse and reward those businesses that are doing well and making a positive contribution in the borough.
“The Wandsworth Business Awards seeks to reward business excellence, to showcase what businesses are doing right and will allow other businesses to realise that with the right support systems in place, business can be less taxing.
“The firm is fully behind the event and will do it can to support it, as well as to help local businesses in the borough move forward towards their objectives.”
The awards are also being backed by category sponsors Hodders Law, South Thames College, University of Roehampton and Wandsworth & South London Press.
Entries are being invited in a host of categories including Best SME Business, Best Green Business, Best Business for Customer Service, Independent Retailer of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Best Business for Marketing & Social Media, Commitment to the Community Awards, Pub of the Year, Best New Business and Restaurant of the Year, with all entrants also being considered for the overall Business of the Year accolade. The closing dates for entries is June 28th and the awards ceremony is due to be held in October.
Awards programmes are a great way for local businesses to celebrate success and to encourage businesses to strive for excellence. In these challenging economic times it is crucial that we recognise, celebrate and emulate excellence.”
Anyone interested in entering the awards should visit www.wandsworthbusinessawards.com
There are still some sponsorship opportunities available, as well as the chance to have the name of your business associated with one of the categories listed above.
For more details call Viv Newbould on 020 8726 7968 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org
You can also follow the Awards on Twitter @WandsBizAwards or get updates at facebook.com/wandsworthbusinessawards
April 30, 2013


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MarketResearchFuture.com Recently Added Premium Research Reports on ”Global Medical Device Connectivity Market 2023” Which Gives in-depth Analysis of Regional data with Size and Share of Top 10 Players in the Globes.
Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/21/2018 -- Market Insights:
Market Research Future has revealed that the global medical device connectivity market is projected to grow at an exuberant 16.1% CAGR during the forecast period of 2018 to 2023. Evolving healthcare industry and the increasing penetration of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are some critical factors that are driving market growth.
A growing preference for home healthcare, specially among the geriatric demographic is expected to boost the market for medical device connectivity. The ever-increasing occurrence of diabetes and other chronic lifestyle diseases has driven the need for affordable healthcare solutions, this driving growth. Additionally, there has been an increase in collaborations between IT service providers and healthcare providers to develop more efficient methods of medical device connectivity to meet the growing demand. Medical device connectivity solutions and services are expected to revolutionize the global healthcare sector and increase communications for the transition of care, making healthcare a seamless experience.
Medical Device Connectivity Market Key Players:
Leading market players have been profiled in the report and analysis of their market strategies provides a good indication of the direction of market trends. Some prominent players included are Qualcomm, Ihealth Lab, eDevice Inc., Nuvon Inc., Stryker Corporation, Cerner, GE Healthcare, True Process, Lantronix, Infosys, Nanthelath, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Cisco Systems, Bernoulli Enterprise, Medtronic, and others.
Get Premium Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6041
The high cost of deployment is likely to discourage small healthcare organizations. Moreover, a growing concern over privacy and a growth in sophisticated cybercrimes are expected to challenge market growth. However, since the market is still developing and advancements in technology are underway, these challenges are likely to attenuate in the coming years.
The global medical connectivity market has been segmented by products & services, technology, application, end-user, and region.
By products & services, the market has been segregated into medical device connectivity solutions and medical device connectivity services. Further sub-segmentation include:
Medical device connectivity solutions - medical device integration solutions, telemetry systems, connectivity hubs, and interface devices
Medical device connectivity services - support & maintenance services, implementation & integration services, and training services.
By technology, the market has been divided into wired technologies, wireless technologies, and hybrid technologies.
By end-user, the market has been segregated to include hospitals, home healthcare, ambulatory care centers, diagnostic centers, and others.
By region, the global market has been divided into the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.
Get Quality Discount @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/6041
The Americas have the market lead, regarding share due to the region's inclusion of developed countries such as the U.S, where there is a high demand for medical device connectivity solutions & services. The presence of a well-established healthcare sector and swift adoption of new relevant technologies have been principal in driving market growth. The medical device integration solutions segment is expected to facilitate growth for the market in the region during the forecast period.
Europe has the next largest share due to rising demand for the efficiency of the healthcare workforce and systems. The rising use of wearable devices and home healthcare solutions and services are expected to encourage growth.
Asia-Pacific is a rapidly emerging market and is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR due to the presence of many developing countries such as India, China, Japan, and Malaysia. These countries are witnessing a rise in disposable income and as a result demand and deployment of medical device connectivity solutions and services has increased. Increasing awareness of current healthcare options, increasing healthcare expenditure and the vast potential for the use of these services and solutions to assist healthcare of an extensive patient population base are expected to drive robust growth for this region in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the Middle East & Africa is expected to show limited growth due to the strong presence of under-developed countries in Africa who are still struggling to meet global healthcare standards. However, any growth that the region experiences is expected to come from developing Middle Eastern nations such as Qatar, U.A.E, and Oman due to a similar growth pattern as the Asia Pacific.
Latest Industry News:
Abbott has launched a next-generation test system in the U.S for diabetes management. The new Afinion 2 analyzer test system is a rapid, multi-assay platform which provides accurate results with result delivery times under 5 minutes. The platform uses all-in-one connectivity to laboratory and hospital information systems and can be used in most out-patient environments.
Medical Device Connectivity Market Table of Contents:
1 Report Prologue
2 Market Introduction
2.2 Scope Of The Study
2.2.1 Research Objective
3 Research Methodology
3.2 Primary Research
3.3 Secondary Research
3.4 Market Size Estimation
4 Market Dynamics
4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators
4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment
Reports Enquiry@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/6041


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Welcome back to Spatial Beats. The busy news week reflects the momentum of immersive technologies as talk of the metaverse continues to dominate both tech and business news. Meta isn’t the only company spending billions. Microsoft acquired Zenimax last year for $7.5 B. The Activision deal is ten times the size. This immediately puts the company in popular game metaverses and, more importantly in the short term, rapidly growing Esports leagues.
Microsoft Buys Activision for $75 B. Activision/Blizzard, home to mega-game franchises “Call of Duty,” and “World of Warcraft,” has been struggling with labor issues, and approached Microsoft. Xbox is 4th largest game company and Activision is #6. They will have combined revenue of around $16 B, just behind Tencent and Sony. This is going to be a real test of Microsoft’s political power, as regulatory scrutiny is certain. As a result, the deal could take a year or more to close.
Apple Delays XR Headsets Amidst Rumors of Technology and Supply Chain Issues. To the extent that something unannounced can be delayed, Bloomberg has confirmed the highly anticipated Apple HMD won’t be introduced for another year – or more. This will give Meta more time to develop the market, introduce higher end devices, and its metaverse, without competitive pressure.
Apple said to have ruled out a metaverse for its mixed reality headset. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple has rejected the idea of a metaverse for its long-rumored mixed reality headset. The very idea is “off limits,” Gurman’s sources claimed. The focus will be on telepresence, games, and media.
Google Is Building An AR Headset. Funny headline from the Verge, considering Google has made a decent business selling it’s low cost assisted reality glasses, Google Glass 2, to enterprises all over the world. They also purchased Amazon-backed North, which withdrew from the consumer market they tentatively entered in 2019. Google’s project Iris is supposedly something new to compete with Meta and Apple.
Yahaha Studios raised $50M For Roblox-like Game Creator platform, launching later this year. The Espoo, Finland-based startup (R&D is in Shanghai) was founded by veterans from Unity, Microsoft and EA. The company says it is building a no-code “metaverse for games.”
How Summit Engine Powered Remote CES. Websummit is licensing the app it made for its own mega conferences.
Upload VR Gives Nreal Light Smartglasses A Good to Mixed Review. No surprises here. If you’re a software developer or other first adopter, they say the Nreal Light is a solid first iteration of AR glasses. For mainstream consumers, AR HMDs like the Nreal still present too much friction for too little benefit, and the $599 price is only attractive if you already own an expensive compatible 5G Android phone.
AR Smart Glasses For Enterprise And Consumers: A Conversation With Vuzix’s Paul Travers. Vuzix has been making both assisted and augmented reality glasses for over a decade and is one of the key players in enterprise XR. Founder Paul Travers is a down to earth visionary whose headsets are used by industries all over the world.
Go Rams! The LA Rams shut out the Cardinals last night in Wild Card Weekend, and to celebrate the big win, the team has collaborated with the developers at Immersiv.io to create a brand-new augmented reality Lens only available on Snap’s next-generation Spectacles.
Sundance New Frontiers VR festival opens today. The festival runs through January 27th. It’s $50 for an explorer pass, which give you access to all 15 XR projects. Five experiences require only a standard PC, while three require a high end tethered VR system.There are two mobile apps and five VR experiences for the Quest. Users enter The New Frontier Gallery to access the works, which include two live performances, Cosmogony, in which 3 dancers are motion captured in Geneva and projected remotely in real time and Suga, which is about the seventeenth century slave trade. Suga also features live dance performance as volumetric video in a social virtual reality space.
The 2nd Annual GamesBeat and Facebook Gaming Summit and GamesBeat: Into the Metaverse 2. The three day virtual conference is free and begins on January 25th. GamesBeat’s lead writer, Dean Takahashi, will lead day 2 and 3 “Into the metaverse 2.”
BRCvr Free Film Festival Feb 5, 2022. This festival can be experienced in 3D and 2D across VR, desktop, tablet, and mobile. Anchored by three major Burning Man themed documentaries, each film will be shown, followed by an audience Q & A with moderation across the metaverse, and then an after-party mixer with live world-class DJ’s.
The National Theatre in partnership with Microsoft, has launched today All Kinds of Limbo XR featuring artist Nubiya Brandon. Audiences worldwide can experience the same musical performance simultaneously in a number of different ways: via a Virtual Reality headset, as Augmented Reality on a phone or tablet, or as a desktop experience. Tickets are on sale for £6.
The metaverse will be buzzing in 2022 (Kolawole Samuel Adebayo/VentureBeat)
The race to build AR glasses is heating up, and Samsung is surprisingly quiet. The South Korean tech giant made a name for itself early on primarily through its line of Gear VR smartphone-based headsets, which launched in 2014. But companies like Meta, Microsoft and Snap have made bigger strides in the past couple of years. (CNet/Lisa Eadicicco)
Chipmakers are set to be ‘winners’ as the metaverse takes off. The metaverse, which requires a massive amount of computing power, is set to benefit global chipmakers— but other tech-related industries could also gain from it, analysts say. (CNBC/Weizhen Tan)
This Week in XR is now a podcast hosted by Paramount’s Futurist Ted Schilowitz and Charlie Fink, the author of this weekly column. You can find it on podcasting platforms Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. Watch the latest episode below.
Charlie Fink is an author and futurist focused on spatial computing. See his books here. Spatial Beats contains insights and inputs from Fink’s collaborators including Paramount Pictures futurist Ted Shilowitz.


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Our new Pocketalk which was announced at CES2020 is 25% lighter and 33% thinner than the previous model, Pocketalk Classic, and was crafted to be the size of a business card for easier travel portability.
While the overall size of the device has decreased, the screen size was increased by 16%! Also, the new Pocketalk has improved connectivity and it now supports a wider mobile band, which means that the new Pocketalk will have a stronger data signal across the world and faster translations.
However, more notably, the biggest difference is that new Pocketalk has a new built-in camera into it. The camera enables Pocketalk to translate, text, the written word, and signs via proprietary Sourcenext technology.
These are the main differences between the new Pocketalk and the Pocketalk Classic.


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Even though Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey has only been on the market for less than a year, it has made quite an impact. From winning multiple awards at prestigious spirit competitions to their recent announcement that Seth MacFarlane had joined the brand, they have quickly established themselves as a brand on the rise. Their quick mauling of the ordinarily staid whiskey world has been impressive. It highlights the unlimited runway for what many hope will be the newest officially recognized American whiskey category.
“It’s taken some time for consumers to learn about the category, but once they realized that they can have a whiskey with Scotch style complexity and a dash of bold American flavor, it has quickly become a favorite,” says Nick Scarff, the master blender of Bear Fight. “I’m very confident that this will be the most explosive whiskey category subset for the next decade.”
Bear Fight is the latest in-house offering from Next Century Spirits (NCS), a Raleigh, North Carolina-based full-service distilled spirits company that, until recently, was known for creating products for private labels and brands. But a recent expansion has set the company on a pathway to focus more on producing its own brands to bring to market. Bear Fight joins Creek Water American Whiskey, Caddy Cocktails, Hapē Sake Spritz, and several other recent rollouts in their growing stable of brands.
By leveraging its insider knowledge of the flavors and trends consumers want, the company is committed to broadly expanding its portfolio to capitalize on opportunities across a wide range of alcoholic beverages. Bear Fight is their biggest launch to date. It aims to quickly rise to the forefront of the emerging American Single Malt category. Part of the strategy NCS is using to capture sales is embracing the unknown and having a little fun with it.
That’s where MacFarlane enters the picture in a big way. Known as the irreverent mind behind some of TV and Hollywood’s biggest off-kilter comedy hits of the last few decades, he has joined the brand as a stakeholder and assumes the title of Chief Storyteller. As the person who created a show with a rowdy talking dog and baby-Family Guy, and a movie with a living stuffed animal who breaks all the norms-Ted, his skills should fit nicely with a brand looking to shake things up.
“I’m charged with helping to find a unique tone of voice for the brand moving forward and developing our social media messaging strategy,” says MacFarlane. “It’s a deliberately ambiguous title that can encompass many different facets of communication. Everything I have done in my career has been based on my personal taste. I expect it will be the same here, and we will have some fun with it.”
Made with barley grown in the heartland of America, the product is distilled following traditional single-malt whiskey production techniques. It then is aged for a minimum of three years in first-fill American oak bourbon barrels before finishing in peat-smoked barrels and sherry casks. Packaged in a distinctive bottle with significant slash marks down the label and priced at $40 a bottle, it aims to grab consumers’ attention with both its looks and affordability.
“We wanted to go in a different direction with our product given that American Single Malt Whiskey is an interesting new category that doesn’t have a long history behind it,” says Scarff. “We didn’t want to be like every other single malt out there with a traditional-looking label and name. Our goal from day one was to make the best everyday drinking single malt on the market that incorporates distinctive American flavors with traditional Scottish flavors. We think our whiskey is bold and interesting, and we wanted to make it stand out on the shelf so drinkers would stop in their tracks and look at it.”
It’s now available in 22 states and numerous online platforms, including ReserveBar and For Whiskey Lovers. Plans call for Bear Fight to continue aggressively going to market using NCS’s recently created sales team to achieve their goals. Only time will tell if Bear Fight can continue its recent tear, but things are lined up favorably for it to continue.
Expect to see more products hitting the market as brands prepare for the flood of drinkers that is expected to happen once the government officially approves the American Single Malt Whiskey category. How they do, no one will know, but the odds are good the category will thrive, whiskey is red-hot right now, and all new entrants will have to contend with the brands who got there first, especially Bear Fight.


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The Simple Root Branches Out to Plant-Based Cheese
17 January 2023
The Simple Root (TSR) UK has expanded its plant-based food line with a range of veggie-based cheese alternatives.
food food-bev cpg market-expansion futurefoodtech commercialisation innovation food futurefoodtech
First OOH campaign for simply roasted crisps
16 November 2022
Simply Roasted, the award-winning ‘Better For You’ crisps range, has launched its first ever Out of Home advertising campaign this week, including billboard-sized bags of crisps for all to see until 21st November.
Pilot Lite CEO Tapped for FFT Advisory Board
9 November 2022
Mike Anstey, Pilot Lite CEO and Co-Founder, is helping to shape the next Future Food-Tech Summit, an event that has become a global hub connecting 1,600 international food brands, ingredient providers, investors, start-ups and technology leaders.
food-bev cpg market-expansion futurefoodtech commercialisation innovation futurefoodtech


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SMART Storage Systems, a leading enterprise SSD technology developer, is announcing their new Optimus Eco enterprise SSD — the first SAS 6 GB/s SSD utilizing 19nm multi-level cell (MLC) Flash. Anticipating the ever-changing needs of enterprise data centers, SMART continues their efforts to usher in a new era of Flash storage. Their Optimus Eco SSD offers an industry best combination of performance, endurance, capacity and cost in a 2.5″ form factor enterprise SSD.
Many organizations are doing more with less by building their own hyperscale architectures. They are seeking to combine best-in-class hardware and software to meet growing data center requirements, while lowering their overall costs. On the maintenance expense side, data center managers are more and more looking to the highest-capacity drives in order to provide more capacity per rack, which results in reducing the overall storage footprint. Industry analyst Gartner predicts that by 2016 the average capacity of SSDs utilized in enterprise storage and data center applications will be greater than 1.1TB. By utilizing SSDs that feature more cost-effective 19nm MLC flash and that can provide needed endurance for write-intensive applications, users can achieve a dramatic reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) for their storage array(s).
According to Mark Lakowicz, vice president of sales and marketing at SMART Storage Systems, “This announcement marks the beginning of a new era in flash storage. We are bringing the cost effectiveness of 19nm flash to a high performance enterprise SAS SSD platform, without compromising on endurance or reliability. This unprecedented combination will enable storage architects and data center managers to design high-performance, high reliable, high available storage systems while reducing cost, and minimizing TCO.”
Optimus Eco utilizes SMART’s Guardian Technology Platform, a suite of proprietary enterprise features and enterprise-class endurance enhancements, to deliver up to 10 drive writes per day (DWPD). Also, the new Optimus Eco SSD is designed to provide consistent performance for the entire 5-year warranty period, delivering up to 500 MB/s sustained read and 500 MB/s sustained write performance; and also delivers up to 100K read IOPS and 45K write IOPS. The Optimus Eco’s full feature set includes SMART’s third generation backup power circuit technology, full data path protection, data fail recovery, thermal monitoring, and AES 256-but encryption. The Optimus Eco will be offered in capacities ranging from 200GB all the way up to 2TB. OEM pricing for the 2TB version starts at $3999.00
The Optimus Eco is currently sampling with select customers, and general availability is anticipated for June of 2013. SMART’s press release on the Optimus Eco can be viewed in its entirety here.


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Nakheel has awarded three contracts worth AED563m ($153m), for construction projects at its Al Furjan and International City communities in Dubai, UAE.
Of the contracts, two are for the construction of 401 villas and terraced houses at Al Furjan community.
Ginco General Contracting has secured the first contract, covering 249 homes and valued at AED310.6m ($84.5m).
United Engineering Construction won the second deal to construct 152 homes, worth AED215.4m ($58.6m).
Construction is expected to be completed in 18 months under both contracts.
Nakheel also awarded a AED36.8m ($10m) contract to Metac General Contracting Company to construct a new community retail centre at International City.
Construction of the 79,000ft² shopping and dining facility is anticipated to take 12 months to complete.
The community centre will house 24 shops and six restaurants and coffee shops.
Nakheel noted that two-thirds of the available leasing space is already booked and the facility will serve residents in International City and Warsan Village, the company’s new gated community of 940 town houses.
Dubai-based Nakheel develops projects that span a range of sectors, including residential, commercial, retail and leisure.
The company’s Dubai portfolio includes such large -scale projects as Palm Jumeirah, The World and Deira Islands.
Nakheel’s retail developments include Dragon Mart, Ibn Battuta Mall, Nakheel Mall and Hotel and other hotels at Palm Jumeirah.
The combined projects span about 14,000ha and provide homes for more than 130,000 people.
Image: Plans include construction of 401 villas and terraced houses at Al Furjan community. Photo: courtesy of Nakheel.


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You may have heard that Tesla recently completed its $2.6 billion merger with SolarCity — a company already chaired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But before the two companies could sign on the dotted line, they had to prove their partnership was worthwhile, and they apparently accomplished that by joining forces to power an entire island with solar energy. [More]
Discussion of the now-recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and its occasionally exploding batteries had an interesting side effect: it brought the problem of lithium-ion battery fires, even those caused by non-Samsung devices, back to the headlines. Like the device that was crushed inside the seat mechanism and caught fire during a recent flight from Los Angeles to New York. [More]
While Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphones still haven’t officially been recalled in the United States, all over the world, people are continuing to use their brand-new phones, at least until Samsung is able to get a replacement Note 7 into their hands. To keep these stubborn customers from fiery disaster, the company announced a software update in South Korea that could hit other countries and might be involuntary: users won’t be able to fully charge their batteries. [More]
While Samsung is receiving a lot of media attention this month for overheating battery issues in the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and the following non-recall, it’s easy to forget that overheating, occasionally exploding batteries are an issue that has come along with the popularity of lithium-ion batteries. They’ve caused issues in everything from baby monitors to airliners to e-cigarettes to hoverboards, as well as an awful lot of portable computers. [More]
With Tesla’s “major new product line” announcement scheduled to take place next week, new reports have surfaced that support the idea the company’s much-hyped unveiling is for a new line of batteries to power homes and businesses. One in particular points out the company’s new energy source is already at work powering several Walmart stores. [More]
Pricey electric-car manufacturer Tesla plans to use its technology to revamp the way we power our homes. [More]
Electric cars might not be great for gas companies, but they feel like a net win for the electric utilities: after all, if you’re plugging in a Tesla in the garage every night, that’s a little more juice they can charge you for using. Tesla’s goal, though, isn’t just to make cars less environmentally hostile, but to make everything else that way too. And that might just be a huge problem for existing electric utilities.
Here’s to hoping Duracell has enough battery power to move on with its life after a breakup: Procter & Gamble announced today that it’s planning to ditch its Duracell business, as part of a move to trim down its roster of consumer brands. Duracell will become a separate company, with shareholders getting the option to exchange some or all of their P&G stock for a stake in the new venture. [More]
Haven’t you always wanted to buy a bunch of different brands of batteries, test them side by side in the same appliance, and see which one lasts the longest? No? Well, let’s pretend that you have. Everyone uses batteries at some point, and our fully-charged colleagues over at Consumer Reports tested some for all of our benefit. [More]
A Las Vegas toddler died a few weeks ago, and the reason for his death wasn’t immediately clear. His illness began when he started coughing blood, and doctors couldn’t figure out what was making the child ill. The culprit wasn’t identifiable in an X-ray: a small coin-shaped battery. [More]
It seems like every device we use, from toothbrushes to mobile phones, has some kind of rechargeable battery in it now. I mean, seriously, toothbrushes? Prolonging the battery life means prolonging the useful life of your gadget. Are there things you can do that would wreak havoc with the millions of microscopic hamsters inside the battery that power your laptop? [More]
Amanda’s car is pretty new: it’s a 2008 Honda Civic. She’s its first and only owner, and a trusted family member performs all maintenance on it. When the battery died recently, a mechanic changed it out for her. What was supposed to be the car’s original battery….wasn’t. It was a reconditioned battery that had clearly served her well for 4 years, but didn’t belong in a factory-fresh car. So how the heck did she end up with a used, refurbished battery instead of the shiny new one that it clearly deserved?
Physics Professor Uses Super Math Skills To Investigate Classic Question Of Generic vs. Brand Name Battery
It’s a good thing there are physics professors around to do all the complicated math when we need questions answered, otherwise how would we know if it’s worth it to buy name brand batteries? We would never know, is the answer.
Apparently having given up on the whole movie rental thing as a way to lure customers into its few stores that remain open, Blockbuster is trotting out a free battery gimmick. Go into any participating store on Christmas and you can walk away with two packs of either AA or AAA batteries. If you need more than that, you can buy additional packs for a buck.


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We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities
Tue, 28 Jul 2015
The 2015 Agronomy/Soils Field Day highlights University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension research on emerging technologies and relevant crop production issues. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Arlington Agricultural Research Station.
Fri, 24 Jul 2015
The Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center hosted Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, UW System Board of Regents President Regina Millner and UW Colleges/UW-Extension Chancellor Cathy Sandeen on Wednesday, July 15.
Thu, 23 Jul 2015
This spring, the University of Wisconsin-Madison published research showing that atmospheric steam canners may be used to safely can naturally acidic foods such as peaches, pears, and apples, or acidified foods such as salsa or pickles. But certain criteria must be met for the food to be safe to eat when using these canners, says Barbara Ingham, food science specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Wed, 22 Jul 2015
If you look at children’s menus in restaurants or kid-friendly food packages in the grocery store, it may seem that children only eat a limited number of foods, such as deep-fried chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, and chewy fruit snacks. “Not true,” says Gayle Coleman, nutrition education program specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Tue, 21 Jul 2015
Science will light up the night in northern Wisconsin this summer as scientists and educators from UW-Madison and UW-Extension hit the road for the first Northern Lights Tour, a five-stop exposition of research with local and regional impact.


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Book sales in the UK are on the rise, but not because of ebooks. Figures for 2016 released by the Publishers Association show a 7 percent rise over 2015, the largest year-over-year growth in a decade. Physical book sales were up 8 percent, however ebook sales fell by 3 percent to £538 million. The biggest contributor to the drop? What the industry calls "consumer ebooks" -- novels, autobiographies and the like -- which slipped 17 percent to £204 million. As The Guardian reports, the numbers suggest a shift back towards printed books. We spend much of our time on smartphones, laptops and tablets, so for many reading is an opportunity to disconnect.
"There is generally a sense that people are now getting screen tiredness, or fatigue, from so many devices being used, watched or looked at in their week," Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of the Publishers Association said. "[Printed] books provide an opportunity to step away from that."
That's not to say ebooks don't have a place in the industry. Overall "digital sales" increased by 6 percent to £1.7 billion, and now account for 35 percent of industry revenue. That's mostly due to academic journals and professional textbooks, which rose 6 percent to £277 million in 2016. The ebook market is important for smaller authors who want to self-publish or write novella-length works. That breadth of titles, some of which you'll never find in a brick-and-mortar store, is part of what makes ereaders so attractive. If nothing else, today's numbers show that the two formats can coexist, facilitating readers in different, but equally valuable ways.


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In November of 2009, Novak Djokovic signed a 10-year apparel deal with Sergio Tacchini, as his former sponsor adidas put its money in Andy Murray. It was a huge coup for the brand, who once had Pete Sampras and John McEnroe, but hadn’t been able to find relevance.
But on Tuesday, Tacchini announced in a statement that the two had mutually decided to part ways. The reasoning? The small brand couldn’t handle the success that the Serbian player had with them.
In their clothes, Djokovic has won four majors, including the Australian Open twice. He has also won 84.7 percent of his matches (161 out of 190) and has been No. 1 in the world for nearly 11 consecutive months.
The story of how the deal unraveled is hard to fathom.
Sources tell CNBC that Tacchini was able to sign Djokovic by offering him a smaller guarantee than the larger companies would pay, but promised bigger should he do well. When Djokovic kept winning, the company fell behind on payments to the tennis star.
There were also design problems in that some of the outfits it put Djokovic in weren’t popular in the United States, where the biggest market exists to sell high end tennis gear.
But the biggest problem was distribution. Many of Djokovic’s Grand Slam outfits never even made to the United States, including the apparel he wore when he won last year’s US Open.
“We preordered all this apparel and it was always either shorted or we didn’t get it at all,” said Brian Hirshfeld, owner of Holabird Sports, a tennis specialty retailer in Baltimore. “It was an insult to our industry, to the brand and to him.”
One insider tells CNBC that there were constant fights between the Tacchini reps in Italy and the United States. Those battles were centered around disagreements over money owed by distributors, priority given to European stores on shipments, and suggested prices that priced out much of the marketplace. Tacchini polo shirts often retailed for $80, $20 more than a Nike tennis shirt of a similar make.
The only way one US retailer, Tennis Warehouse, was able to carry Djokovic’s Tacchini gear exclusively in the US, is that it was shipping gear that it had received from its European affiliate.
“They were handed the perfect storm with Djokovic and they couldn’t deal with it,” said another insider.
Sergio Tacchini was never able to deal with Djokovic’s success. In September, CNBC detailed how the company had dropped the ball on the Djokovic deal.
“In order to become a big brand, you have to get lucky and sign a rock star,” Greg Wolf, who runs Midwest Sports in Cincinnati, told CNBC at the time. “They did that. That’s the easy part. But they can’t keep paying him if they don’t know how to backfill the product.”
Tacchini was bought for $42 million in 2008 by Chinese business man Billy Ngok, who is managing director of a company called China Environmental Energy Holdings, which has business in Djokovic’s native Serbia. After Djokovic won Wimbledon last year, Ngok traveled with Djokovic to Serbia, where there was talk of producing Tacchini gear there.
Multiple Serbian publications are reporting that on Wednesday Djokovic will sign with Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, who already has Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori on its roster.
Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com


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The year is 2014, and the robots have finally taken over. Did you notice? Probably not—their rise to dominance was swift and silent. Now, though, it's impossible to miss the signs. Suddenly no one (save for the most ardent orienteers and doomsday preppers) can read a paper map—we wait for the robot with the soothing voice that's mounted on our dashboard to tell us to where to turn left. We can't remember anything without the robot in our pocket buzzing at the appropriate time to remind us it's our birthday. And as a society, we now collectively ignore the people talking to themselves on the street because we know they're really talking to the Bluetooth robots that live in their ears.
Basically, we are lost, forgetful and lonely without our robots, and this is excellent news for marketers. As Reggie Gonzalez, vice president of sales for Seattle-based iClick, noted, "Every day a business has an opportunity to reach someone, somewhere with their brand."
Here are four computer accessories that are quickly growing to be today's most awesome promotions.
Data in a Flash
Whether it is their portability, light weight or infinite use, we're not sure, but USB drives are still huge hits. "USB flash drives continue to drive this segment of the industry," Gonzalez said. When considering the range of technological savvy your end-users may have, flash drives are a safe bet, because nearly everyone can figure out how to operate them with minimal frustration.
But that's just your basic USB, of course—and as we all know, the not-so-basic is where things start to get fun. "New technologies, such as 3.0 speed of flash drives [and] micro USB drives for smartphones, tablets and cameras, [have] opened up new revenue streams for this segment," Gonzalez said. For example, he pointed to iClick's Longmont, a pen/USB combo, that's been a top seller for the company. Looking beyond the classic USB in favor of a multiuse style gives a promotion added value and also increases the number of times an end-user will reach for the item (and by extension, see the branding imprinted there).
Got You Covered
Covers, skins and sleeves are another great option because. Jeff Lederer, president of Prime Line, Bridgeport, Conn., pointed out why. "Most business people spend a good part of their day in front of a computer. They're used in conjunction with [our] primary communication tools," he said. Whether it's a laptop, tablet or a smartphone, being able to become part of that everyday routine is an important factor in creating a strong campaign. Of course, since these items can vary in both size and popularity, it becomes all the more important for a distributor to do their homework ahead of time.
"A distributor must be able to have a discovery conversation on who the recipient is for the promotion," Gonzalez said. "It has to be targeted." Lederer also suggested looking at trends to determine which products to bring to market—and when looking at laptop skins and sleeves, that means being aware of popular colors, trends and design innovations as well.
Needing a charge and not having one is certainly one of today's more panic-inducing human conditions. Imagine the promotional possibilities of being able to save the day for your end-user. Lederer pointed to the mobile charger as one of Prime Line's most in-demand items. So much so, however, that the company's website provides distributors with a helpful guide comparing the different mobile charger versions.
Mobile chargers are a higher-tech version of a regular wall charger—simply put, once the mobile charger is juiced up, and end-user can bring it anywhere to power up their mp3, tablet or phone when they don't have access to an outlet. And with many professionals using more than one mobile device while they're on the road, said Lederer, the utility is unmatched.
Bits & Byte
Finally, when thinking of computer accessory promotions, there are all the small things that come in handy constantly. Gonzalez pointed to mouse pads, earbuds and screen cleaners as new revenue streams for iClick. "Also, Bluetooth technology to listen to music remotely from laptops or desktops," he added. And it's no wonder. These items are always needed, but when we're all distracted by the pretty, shiny robots, no one wants to think about the accouterment that goes along with them (which is precisely why these items are so important!).
Plus, there's room for customization. Lederer shared a case study in which Prime Line helped create a customized accessory for a tuition-free online school. Inspired by print collateral for the company, they created a computer mouse fashioned after a yellow school bus that was given out to more than 10,000 students and parents.


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The wait for the Verizon Motorola Xoom Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update might be close to an end.
Droid-Life has caught wind of a soak test that is heading to owners of Verizon’s Motorola Xoom and they believe that the soak test is for the ever elusive Ice Cream Sandwich update that Xoom owners have been waiting on for quite some time.
Motorola has promised that the update will be out at some point in Q2 and that means it could be rolling out in the first half of June should this soak test go smoothly.
Android 4.0 should be available to those who upgraded to 4G LTE and those that stayed on Verizon’s CDMA 3G network.
The update is long overdue for those touting Verizon’s 4G LTE enabled tablet as the device has been sitting on Android 3.0 Honeycomb since it was released in March of 2011.
Owners have been campaigning for an update to Android Ice Cream Sandwich for quite some time now and the war drums only picked up after the Wi-Fi model of the Xoom got Android 4.0 all the way back in January.
Now, it seems the time has finally come for the 4G LTE version of the Xoom and owners can now start counting down the days.
Of course, Q2 doesn’t end until June ends so it Verizon might still drag this on a little longer but hey, at least there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Keep an eye out Xoom owners, Ice Cream Sandwich should be here relatively soon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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Less than a month ago, Motorola announced the XOOM Wi-Fi for $599 which we all assumed was their attempt at competing with Apple along with the ridiculous amounts of other cheap tablets that were poised to hit the market. What if they weren’t stopping there though? According to our friends at Verizon, a 16GB model could be in the works. And just like the 32GB Motorola XOOM that’s available now, will be upgradeable to 4G LTE in the near future if the screenshot above holds any weight.
No word on what pricing could end up at, but we’re seeing WiFi-only tablets with 16GB of storage fall in around the $400-$450 range. Could a 4G 16GB XOOM land on Verizon at $699 or even cheaper? And should we assume that a WiFi-only 16GB XOOM would follow as well?


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Windows 10 passwords will no longer expire, according to a recent Microsoft blog post. The post announced updated security measures for Windows 10 v1903 and Windows Server v1903, but one of the most controversial changes is the removal of password expiration policies.
Password security is not a new issue, with many people either using the same password for every account, or easy to hack passwords like “123456,” “qwerty,” “password,” or “111111.” These habits caused many organizations to enforce employees to change their passwords every prescribed amount of days.
SEE: How to reduce user account lockouts and password resets (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Microsoft was an organization that initially took this approach, forcing Windows users to change their passwords on a regular basis. It’s no secret that these policies are not favored by users, causing more headaches and bad practices than protection.
The majority of consumers (75%) said they are stressed by the number of passwords they have to remember, causing them to only slightly change passwords, or frequently forget them, according to a recent Kaspersky report.
The entire practice of password expiration is only helpful based on the assumption that the password would be stolen during that interval of validity, according to Microsoft’s post. Now, if the password is never stolen, then there is no need to have it expire, it continued.
“What should the recommended expiration period be?” the post posited. “If an organization has successfully implemented banned-password lists, multi-factor authentication, detection of password-guessing attacks, and detection of anomalous logon attempts, do they need any periodic password expiration? And if they haven’t implemented modern mitigations, how much protection will they really gain from password expiration?”
Is it a good idea to remove password expiration?
The short answer? Yes, according to Avivah Litan, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.
“It’s a feasible and very welcome plan. Forcing users to change their passwords periodically works against security—it means consumers have to write them down to remember them and it does nothing to stop hackers from stealing current passwords,” Litan said. “Hackers generally use stolen passwords very quickly, and password complexity does little to prevent use of stolen passwords either, since hackers can just as easily capture or steal a complex password as they can a simple one.”
Hopefully, this move from Microsoft will inspire other organizations to follow suit, and perhaps even remove interactive passwords altogether and move to more secure forms of authentication, Litan said.
“Finally a company—i.e. Microsoft—is using independent reasoned thinking rather than going along with the crowd mentality when the crowd’s less secure password management practices are—however counterintuitive—less secure,” she added.
Alternatives for passwords
Ideas for completely replacing passwords have been recently thrown around, including the use of biometrics, zero login, implanted microchips, and DNA identification. With advancements in technology, many professionals think there are better, more secure and individualized ways to execute authentication.
However, there is no single sure-fire solution, Litan said. “Biometrics on their own can also be hacked,” she noted. “What is more secure (and private) is another method Microsoft and many other organizations are starting to support—Decentralized Identities—where users control their own identity and authentication information.”
At the end of the day, authentication must be layered and completed in a secure way that only the user can access, Litan added.
For more about Microsoft’s elimination of password expiration, check out our sister-site ZDNet’s coverage.
- How to become a cybersecurity pro: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
- 10 dangerous app vulnerabilities to watch out for (TechRepublic download)
- Windows 10 security: A guide for business leaders (Tech Pro Research)
- Online security 101: Tips for protecting your privacy from hackers and spies (ZDNet)
- The best password managers of 2019 (CNET)
- Cybersecurity and cyberwar: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)


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The government is playing games with patients’ lives. A new document shows just how arbitrary Pharma-inspired limitations on shipping compounded medications really are. Action Alert!
The FDA is continuing to issue rules that implement the new compounding law passed by Congress in 2013, and this week the agency released a whole slew of documents—including the long-awaited draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the interstate distribution of compounded medications by traditional pharmacies.
At issue is the so-called “5% rule” included in the law, which states that traditional compounding pharmacies can only send 5% of their sales out of state, which would be calculated on a monthly basis. Here is only one example of how why this rule is irrational: How can a pharmacy be sure that it has not or will not exceed this 5% until the end of the month, when it’s too late to do anything about it?
“Good news!” says the FDA. “Now if your state signs our MOU, compounded drugs shipped out of state can make up a whopping 30% of your sales!” While 30% is certainly better than 5%, there shouldn’t be a limit on compounded sales at all, especially since FDA has offered no rationale for the 30% number or any other number. If 30% is as safe as 5%, then clearly safety is not the FDA’s concern and any restriction is utterly arbitrary. Is 31% suddenly unsafe? This also raises the question: if the FDA believes it has the authority to change the limit, why not just eliminate it altogether?
You might say, “Well, just buy your compounded medications in-state!” But it isn’t that simple. Many states lack compounding pharmacies that can fill their doctor’s prescriptions. In addition, many states will refuse to sign an MOU with the FDA because by doing so they agree to assume full regulatory responsibility for the pharmacies. In all likelihood, the FDA designed the MOU offer in a way that they knew would be rejected. In our opinion, the objective in all of this is to shut down compounding because it threatens Big Pharma profits, and Big Pharma funds the FDA.
The absurdity of this rule becomes even more apparent when we consider the traditional pharmacies that are located near state lines. If a pharmacy estimates that it is at its allowed limit for interstate shipments, it can’t ship to patients in other states even if they live just a few miles away—though they could ship to patients within the state even though they may live hundreds of miles away. What kind of logic is that? It doesn’t make anyone safer; it merely inconveniences patients, who may be elderly, disabled, or severely ill.
Not only will this rule make it more difficult to get certain drugs, it may make it impossible to get them at all, if you aren’t lucky enough to live in a state with a complete compounding pharmacy:
- Restricting interstate shipments from traditional pharmacies essentially hands this market over to a new category of companies created by the legislation called outsourcing facilities—which in turn creates a new group of government-engineered quasi-monopolies.
- These new companies can only ship medications that appear on a list of compounding ingredients pre-approved by the FDA. The list, when it eventually appears, will almost certainly leave out many important compounded ingredients, such as bioidentical estriol or compounded extended-release thyroid.
- The FDA has long been hostile to bioidentical estriol in particular, because it competes with FDA-approved drugs, even though those drugs have been proven to cause heart disease and cancer. So much for protecting the consumer.
Simply put, this MOU does not make what began as a very bad idea much better. It also coincides with other assaults on compounding pharmacies covered in a recent article.
The FDA is taking public comments now regarding the MOU. If you are one of the many millions who rely on compounded medications, or care about someone who does, please submit a comment.
Action Alert! Tell the FDA and Congress that any limit on interstate sales of vital compounded drugs such as estriol or extended release thyroid is unacceptable. Tell them there must be no limit on the interstate dispensing of compounded drugs when a patient has a prescription ordered by a doctor. Please send your message immediately!


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October 19, 2017
TOKYO- Toshiba Memory Corp. will likely be able to raise its share in the global flash memory market to over 20 percent from the current level of about 16 percent, Yuji Sugimoto, head of Japanese operations of US private equity fund Bain Capital, said in an interview with Jiji Press on Wednesday.
Sugimoto also said that it is natural for Toshiba Memory President Yasuo Naruke to stay on to lead the company.
A Japanese-US-South Korean consortium led by Bain Capital is set to purchase the prized chip unit of struggling Japanese electronics and machinery giant Toshiba Corp.
In April-June, Toshiba Memory had a 16.1 percent of share of the global flash memory market, less than half the 38.3 percent for top-ranking Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea.
"Samsung and Toshiba Memory will be in a position" to lead the global flash memory market, Sugimoto said.
"We'll spend one trillion yen" on facilities at Toshiba Memory over three years, he said, adding that the amount may increase from the level.
Including investment from US hard disk drive maker Western Digital Corp., Toshiba's flash memory business partner, the total amount would reach nearly two trillion yen.
Even if the Toshiba side and Western Digital fail to settle lawsuits filed by the US firm against the Toshiba Memory sale, the Bain-led consortium will keep the investment amount at a certain level by procuring necessary funds, Sugimoto said. Jiji Press
- US STATES BANNING ABORTION A VICTORY FOR CONSERVATIVE or A LOST OF WOMEN’S RIGHT
- WHO: MASS VACCINATION NOT REQUIRED FOR MONKEYPOX AT THIS TIME
- GEORGE SOROS AS UKRAINE PUPPET MASTER
- WILL MONKEYPOX BE DECLARED AS AN ‘Emergency of International Concern’ BY WHO
- WHO RUN THE WORLD? BLACKROCK?
- WAR WITH RUSSIA: US MAINSTREAM MEDIA, SELECTIVE & MISLEADING? – STEPHEN COHEN
- BILL GATES THE BIGGEST FUNDER OF WHO DR VANDAN SHIVA


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Major cryptocurrencies traded in the red early on August 21. The global crypto market cap reached $1.01 trillion, down 0.12 percent from the last day. The total crypto market volume over the last day stood at $72.78 billion, down 19.89 percent.
The total volume in DeFi is currently $5.15 billion, which is 7.08 percent of the total crypto market 24-hour volume. The volume of all stable coins is now $76.48 billion, which is 105.09 per cent of the total crypto market 24-hour volume.
The price of Bitcoin hovered at Rs 17 lakh. It's dominance is currently 40.15 percent, which is an increase of 0.45 percent over the day, according to CoinMarketCap.
In other news, the biggest publicly traded companies to invest in blockchain and cryptocurrency companies between September 2021 and June 2022 include electronics giant Samsung, technology behemoth Alphabet, and investment management firm BlackRock, according to a study by crypto intelligence platform Blockdata.
According to statistics shared by Blockdata, a total of 40 major firms invested in companies belonging to the blockchain / crypto industry during the period. With 13 investments, Samsung was the most active investor, followed by UOB with seven, Citigroup with six, and Goldman Sachs with five. Read more details here.As of 7.35 am on August 21, these are the prices of largest cryptocurrencies (data from WazirX):
|NAME||PRICE (INR)||24H %|


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Parents are doubling their spending on entertainment for their kids’ First Communion parties, new figures have revealed.
The amount of cash put aside for children’s entertainment has jumped from €78 last year to €161 in 2018, according to the Ulster Bank Communion Survey.
Overall, parents are shelling out €860 on the holy day.
The data also showed over half of parents (53%) feel pressure to keep up with the neighbours and spend more than they should on their kids’ big day.
There has been an increase in those who claim they would rather save the money for birthdays or summer holidays instead, from 30% to 52%.
While the sum of money received by children has seen a decrease, there was also a drop in the number of kids saving their earnings.
This could be the reason for parents taking a more proactive role in advising their kids to save up.
Head of corporate affairs at Ulster Bank, Elizabeth Arnett, said: “We learn habits at a very early age, and the savings habit is an important one.
“A child’s Communion Day will likely be the first time they have received a significant sum of money, and it’s encouraging to see from the survey that 95% of parents talked to their child about the money they might receive and how they might use it.
“Advice like this is key and Ulster Bank helps to build on this through its MoneySense programme in schools around the country.”
A breakdown of the spending shows that party catering costs claim the top spot for spending, at €349.
It is followed by clothing costs (€162), entertainment (€161) and outfits for attending family members (€153).
The overall average spending for the occasion comes in at around €860, compared with €845 last year.
The survey also reports that children’s spending has been increasing year on year, which could be attributed to the improving economy.
Toys continue to be the most popular commodity but video game spending has doubled since last year, seeing a 113 percent increase.
Surprisingly, book purchases have also seen a surge, increasing by over two thirds.
The increase in spending goes hand-in-hand with the decline of parents reporting that children’s money will be deposited into a savings account.
Ulster Bank emphasised the need for saving following the release of the figures.
Ms Arnett said: “Using games, quizzes, videos and vox pops, it helps to make spending and saving more relatable to children. According to the survey, almost 6 in 10 children already had a savings account with money received from Christmas and birthdays, so that’s a strong base to build on.”


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A Beijing court has dismissed a trademark case brought by US basketball superstar Michael Jordan against a company using a similar name and logo to his Nike-produced brand, a report said.
The former Chicago Bull is arguably the most popular international basketball star in China and is known in the country as “Qiaodan”, a Chinese version of his name.
He asked Chinese authorities in 2012 to revoke the trademark of Qiaodan Sports Co, accusing the sportswear firm of misleading consumers about its ties to the six-time NBA champion.
As well as the name, Qiaodan’s products carry a silhouette of a leaping basketball player resembling the “Jumpman” logo used by US sporting goods giant Nike to promote its Air Jordan brand.
Authorities refused Jordan’s request, and a lower court in Beijing did the same. He appealed to the Beijing Higher People’s Court, which has ruled against him, the Chinese news portal Sohu reported.
“‘Jordan’ is not the only possible reference for ‘Qiaodan’ in the trademark under dispute,” it cited a transcript of the verdict as saying.
“In addition, ‘Jordan’ is a common surname used by Americans,” the court added according to the report Monday, and the logo was in the shape of a person with no facial features, so that it was “hard” for consumers to identify it as Jordan.
There was insufficient evidence to prove the trademark referred to the US star, it concluded.
Jordan retired from the sport in 2003.
China has long been seen as a counterfeiters’ haven and has constantly been criticised by its trade partners over lax protection of intellectual property rights.
It remained on this year’s US Priority Watch List of trading partners that fail to protect such rights “despite certain improvements”.
Qiaodan Sports Co, based in the eastern province of Fujian, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. – Agence France-Presse


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Pure electric cars may not have a lot of buyers among the common people, but the uber wealthy can’t get enough of them. Electric sports car builders are popping up left and right with the promise of delivering an electrifying driving experience, but few are as far along as the Exagon Furtive eGT, which has announced that their EV supercar will begin limited sales next year.
Back in August, the Exagon Furtive eGT was tested on the famous “North Loop” of the Nurburgring. There the electric supercar reportedly reaching speeds of up to 149 mph at the hands of the Lady of the Ring, Sabine Schmitz.
This is thanks to two large-but-light electric motors that weigh in at just 115 pounds each despite delivering a combined 402 horsepower. That allows the Furtive eGT to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and reach a top on-track speed of 178 mph.
Also on board for the ride is a 53 kWh battery pack from Saft that reportedly allows the Furtive eGT to go between 180 and 224 miles per charge. Not bad for an electric supercar. In fact, that is more range, and a faster top speed, than the $537,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar. This isn’t just some design study either; Exagon plans to begin selling limited numbers of the eGT early next year.
Then there is the optional range extender, which can add nearly 300 miles of driving range to this EV supercar. Combined with a carbon fiber body, an aluminum motor frame, and sleek looks, the Exagon Furtive GT has a lot to recommend it to the well-heeled green gearhead.
Source: Green Car Congress


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Good morning. News:
- The New York Times has already built a Google Glass app.
- “iTunes’ share of the $2.9 billion U.S. digital music market has fallen to 63 per cent, NPD says, its lowest since at least 2006.”
- “Apple’s New iPhone Ad Says Nothing, And It’s Great.”
- More smartphones shipped than feature phones during Q1, a first.
- AT&T rolled out a product that allows you to control your home’s lights, cameras, thermostats, and security system from your phone or tablet.
- Now you can shop eBay with Bitcoins.
- A judge ordered that Microsoft pay Google $1.8 billion because of the Motorola patents Google owns. Google had been expecting $4 billion.
- Verizon wants to pay Vodafone $100 billion for Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless. Vodafone wants $130 billion.
- Betaworks bought Instapaper.
- Cool: You can now open Microsoft Office documents with Google Chrome.
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