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PolyBrite International Announces the Installation of Borealis® LED Lamps in the Illinois Executive Mansion
Borealis Lamps Will Reduce Lighting Costs by 80 Percent and Last Up To 10 Years
NAPERVILLE, IL. — May 30, 2012 – PolyBrite International, Inc. manufacturer and creator of Borealis® LED Lamps and Lighting Systems announced today the installation of Borealis LED lamps at the Illinois Executive Mansion in Springfield.
Borealis lamps will reduce interior lighting costs by about 80 percent and should last for up to 10 years.
Ninety-five percent of the Executive Mansion's interior light fixtures will be LED equipped as a result of the PolyBrite installation.
Borealis LED lamps have replaced Fluorescent bulbs in the Mansion's office and work spaces and B10 candelabra bulbs in its chandeliers.
Borealis LED products do not produce heat, do not contain UV or IR, and can assist in the preservation of historic antiques, artwork and woodwork within the Executive Mansion and other historic sites.
We applaud Governor Quinn's sustainability initiatives to ensure greater energy efficiency that not only preserves our historical assets, but protects our environment and also saves taxpayers' money,
said Carl Scianna, President and CEO of PolyBrite International. Mr. Scianna further noted that
The role of energy efficiency in reducing our state's fiscal burden cannot be underestimated, and we can help accomplish this with clean and better quality lighting.
Moreover, as an Illinois company, we are proud to be contributing to the creation of green jobs in our state.
PolyBrite combines the latest in LED technology with its precisely engineered and advanced electronics, patented circuitry, high tech polymers and
patented thermal management to produce a wider and more consistent spread of light with higher CRI – color rendering index – in a variety of color temperatures, resulting in a smarter alternative to inefficient incandescent bulbs.
PolyBrite's line of Borealis lamps includes general illumination, decorative and reflector lamps. Borealis lamps can be seamlessly installed, consume up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent lighting and
provide up to 50,000 hours of operation. A significant reduction in energy consumption, and maintenance and recycling costs will be attained without a compromise in the quality of light or the environment.
The virtually unbreakable Borealis lamps eliminate maintenance and bulb replacement, are RoHS compliant with no mercury or environmentally hazardous materials, and designed for efficient heat management that reduces air conditioning costs.


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Tomas Carruthers, former ceo of interactive investor, has managed to buy back the Ample online news and financial advice site which was sold to AMP three years ago.
Acquired under the company name of Carruthers Associates Limited, chairman and ceo Carruthers has plans to develop the consumer-based iii site – with 1.4m users – previously known as "iii" to include business-to-business and ‘intermediated’ offerings as well as service improvements and new products.
Alan Easter, sales and marketing director at Carruthers says the firm has no plans to become an IFA, but instead has ideas to develop its existing framework and content with the same pricing and products as its current users enjoy.
Moreover, the fund platform operation has its sights set on extending its functionality - with access to over 500 funds - to the banking, corporate and IFA sector as a paperless aggregation and product support website.
It is believed Carruthers has bought the site and name for a fraction of the £60m paid by AMP in 2001.
A new management team has been assembled and has the "significant" backing of institutional investors for further growth and a strategic review of the entire business should be completed by the end of March.IFAonline
INDUSTRY VOICE: How can the financial services sector create good outcomes for women as both employees and customers? This was the question posed by Quilter's corporate affairs director Jane Goodland to four panellists at TISA's annual conference this...
Interest rates held
'Transfer volumes to decrease'
‘Call to action for mortgage advisers’

domain: news


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Woody Allen’s latest movie has found a home: Amazon.
Amazon Studios bought North American rights to the feature, including theatrical and streaming, according to a press release from the company.
The untitled film was shot last summer in New York and Los Angeles. It’s a romantic comedy set in the 1930s with a cast full of stars, including Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart, and Corey Stoll.
“Like all beginning relationships, there is much hope, mutual affection, and genuine goodwill — the lawsuits come later,” said Allen in the press release, in an apparent joke.
Amazon is planning for a summer 2016 release, opening in theatres and then going to Amazon Prime, similar to how the streaming giant rolled out Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq.”
Woody Allen also has a series in the works at Amazon, which he’ll star in alongside Miley Cyrus and Elaine May — and unlikely grouping if there ever was one.
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Nissan teases a mysterious new model, will be unveiled on June 11th
Nissan has quietly released a mysterious teaser image on Instagram.
The company didn't have much to say about the model but they confirmed plans to introduce a "special member of the Nissan family" on June 11th. That's not...
Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost Powered Race Car Leaves Supercars in its Wake at Famed Nürburgring Circuit
A unique Formula Ford race car powered by Ford’s tiny 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine produces a supercar-beating performance at the legendary Nürburgring track in Germany


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VW takeover law
Germany on Tuesday (27 May) passed a law aiming to protect car-maker Volkswagen from takeovers. The law gives Lower Saxony a minority blocking position on strategic decisions. The Commission warned on the same day that it may take Germany to court.
France opens doors
France is to open its job-market to citizens from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia in the second half of this year, said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Tuesday.
The UK treasury has published a draft EU study on the compliance of offshore centres with international anti-fraud and money-laundering standards. The list, which names countries deemed to have satisfactory controls, does not mention UK tax havens in the Caribbean, implying that jurisdictions such as Bermuda have unsatisfactory controls.
Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy on Tuesday recommended establishing a forum to find solutions to the copyright levies debate. The forum would bring the electronics industry together with artists to work out ways of compensating the latter for piracy. Currently, levies imposed on consumer products are funnelled back to artists through collecting societies.
The European Commission on Thursday (22 May) launched an in-depth probe into allegations that French energy group Gaz de France (GdF) deliberately restricted access to its distribution network. GdF is expected to merge with utility Suez later this year.
The Commission said it would investigate whether consumer choice will be improved by Microsoft’s pledges to increase interoperability between open-source software and Microsoft Office.


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Amazon admits it has a fake review problem, but does its best to spread the blame around a new post Giving details of the issue. After several reports over the years that the online retail giant has been overtaken by knock-off products and fake or cultivated reviews, the company aims to see it finally put its foot down, but no new efforts or regulations are being discussed. has not been done – rather, are there others that need to be stepped up? what is ours Work to keep Amazon safe.
Amazon reviews have become notoriously unreliable as an indicator of quality as stores have volunteered themselves to counterfeit, AliExpress resellers, and the promotion of the company’s internal brands (developed with the benefit of seller data). Different reports There have been organized attempts to spam the store with meaningless 5-star reviews in exchange for free products or cash. I myself have received such offers, or sellers are promising payment to increase the star rating.
After the expected initial palpitations about being “obsessed with happy customers” and all that, Amazon explains that it, like all big tech giants, uses automated systems to review reviews before committing. The company has always been concerned about actual numbers, but it leaves a whisper in this post: “In 2020, we blocked over 200 million suspicious fake reviews before a customer saw them.”
200 million is a lot no matter how you look at it, but it’s really a lot when you consider that Amazon told CNBC the same year that it “analyzes”[s] Over 10 million review submissions weekly,” which adds up to somewhere north of 520 million submissions annually. These two numbers provided by Amazon show that, at least, a third of all submitted reviews are rejected as fake.
Hard numbers are hard to come by on Amazon’s total reviews. talking to buzzfeedIn 2020, Tommy Noonan of Amazon listing analysis site Reviewmeta estimated that Amazon hosted about 250 million reviews (of which, incidentally, he counted about 9 percent as “unnatural”). But if more than 500 million were deposited in 2020 and about 200 million of them were fake, it indicates a larger total. I’ve asked Amazon for more accurate information about this, and will update the post if I hear back, but the company is not communicating these numbers in general.
The tens of thousands of groups that organize on social media have been repeatedly pointed out as major contributors to the fake review ecosystem. Amazon writes that in the first quarter of 2020, it reported over 300 such groups hosting platforms, and over the same period in 2021 it reported more than 1,000. Takedown times have increased, but it’s hard to attribute this growth to anything other than a thriving business model — certainly not something in the process of getting stampeded.
“It is essential for social media companies to invest adequately in proactive controls to detect and enforce fake reviews prior to reporting this issue,” Amazon declared. Indeed social media companies are being pressured from many directions by what users do on their platform, but they make the same noise that Amazon makes: “We’re doing what we can” (and, it Clearly left unsaid) this is not enough).
“We need coordinated assistance from consumer protection regulators around the world,” Amazon writes. but the company Forced and successfully lobbied against the Information Act, which may have helped identify sellers with bad intentions and add transparency to online marketplaces (oddly, some of the moves Amazon has independently objected to). And that line is suspiciously absent when it’s Amazon against which consumers need to be protected.
“It is also important that we hold bad actors—and the service providers who provide them with fake reviews—accountable for their activity,” the post continues. But while lawsuits and partnerships with law enforcement are part of that, the call to “work together” is once again hollow, when Amazon is where the activity takes place and the company is in full control of that ecosystem. Happens in Although it has banned some major players from the store, myriad others flout the rules without any exemptions.
Nowhere in the post does Amazon detail any new moves to deter these bad actors or crack down on the system-wide gaming for which it sets the rules. It will continue to “enhance” its detection tools, “streamline processes” for partnerships, and will “work harder” to hold scammers accountable. In other words, it will continue to do exactly what it has been doing this entire time – which is what kept it in this position in the first place.


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The two-year phone contract, always a carrier-friendly and consumer-unfriendly arrangement, appears to be on its way out. Finally.
A new leaked document suggests that the only remaining carrier offering a two-year smartphone contract, Sprint, will soon quit doing so. The internal document was obtained by Android Central yesterday.
Sprint said back in August that it planned to phase out the two-year contract in 2015. The internal Sprint document appears to show that Sprint is now moving on that plan, if a little late.
The document suggests, however, that Sprint may continue offering two-year contracts to tablet buyers.
A similar AT&T document leaked to Engadget late last year said the carrier would phase out two-year contracts for new customers today, January 8.
Consumers–especially ones who desire the latest premium phones–have long been attracted to the two year-contract because it offered deep subsidies on new devices. But most consumers ended up paying dearly, in financing charges, for that subsidy over the course of the two-year contract period.
The wireless industry is now offering consumers the option of either buying new phones outright, or entering a phone financing agreement that’s divorced from a contract period.
The insurgent U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile started the movement toward no-contract arrangements. The other three major carriers–AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint–each announced plans to go contract-free for smartphone buyers last year.
[via Android Central]


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Is there anyone who isn’t online these days?
According to a new Pew Research Center survey, 7% of U.S. adults say they do not use the internet at all. That translates to around 18 million people — a figure that sounds incomprehensible to those of us who spend much of the day online.
But zoom out, and that 7% number looks more like proof that the internet has gone from a luxury to an everyday essential. The last time Pew ran this survey in 2015, the percentage was twice as high; in 2000, 1 in 2 adults didn’t use the internet.
Two decades might seem like a long time to bring the country online, but it’s actually a shockingly rapid rate of adoption. The chart below was created by New York Times writer Nicholas Felton in 2008 to illustrate how long it takes products to penetrate our lives. It took nearly a century for the telephone and automobile to reach 90% of the population, something the internet achieved in around a third of the time.
That internet trend line is inseparable from the cellphone one. Pew’s been surveying Americans about that for decades, too, and it overlaps in key areas with internet usage. In 2021, 85% of Americans own a smartphone, and 15% of them say it’s the only way they get online, meaning they don’t have a home broadband subscription. That number has actually stayed fairly consistent: It was 12% in 2016, 20% in 2018 and 17% in 2019.
Pew’s survey was conducted between Jan. 25 and Feb. 8, 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. It doesn’t say how many people got online as a result of lockdown measures, but it’s fair to speculate that the number is significant. One report found that in-home data usage was up 18% in 2020 compared to 2019, with more than half of Americans saying the internet was essential during the initial outbreak.
Who’s not online and why
So who are those 18 million Americans who aren’t using the internet at all? The biggest factor by far is age, with 25% of people over 65 reporting that they never go online, compared with only 4% of those in the 50-64 age bracket. That actually represents a dramatic drop, as 12% of adults between 50 and 64 were offline the last time Pew conducted the survey in 2019.
Internet non-adoption is linked to a number of demographic variables, but is strongly connected to age – with older Americans continuing to be one of the least likely groups to use the internet.
Income and education are also major factors. Those making under $30K per year are offline 14% of the time, compared to 1% for those making over $75K. The gap is nearly identical for education: 14% of people with a high school diploma or less are offline, compared to 2% with a college degree.
Where you live also matters. 10% of rural residents don’t use the internet, compared to 5% of urban and 6% of suburban residents.
The survey didn’t ask respondents why they aren’t online, but a separate Pew report from 2019 can give us some clues. That survey focused on people who don’t have a broadband subscription, so it counts those 15% who use a smartphone to get online exclusively.
Of that group, 23% said the most important reason they didn’t have broadband was because a smartphone did everything they needed. In a close number two, 21% said that broadband was simply too expensive. Only 7% chose “service is not available” as their primary reason.
Those 18 million people all have their own reason for not using the internet — and a significant percentage probably don’t want to be online — but price is clearly a factor for many people.
Until recently, the only federal support for internet costs came in the form of Lifeline, which provides $9.25/mo. off phone or internet. The average broadband bill is $64/mo.; for a single smartphone, it’s $56/mo.
The FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit aimed to close that gap, providing $50/mo. off internet service for low-income households. But it’s a temporary program, and 10% of its funds are already spent after a month in action. To get the rest of those 18 million Americans online, we’ll have to continue cracking away at the digital divide with more permanent solutions.
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Written by:Joe Supan
Senior Writer, Broadband Content
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Edited by:Robin Layton
Editor, Broadband Content
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Camryn Smith — 5 min read


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The online world has long been a space in which brands and businesses have jostled for attention. Until recently, there have been only a small number of domain extensions available, with the most popular ones including .com, or .co.uk.
The limited number of possibilities meant that prime domain addresses were fiercely fought over, with the market becoming increasingly saturated as rising numbers of brands looked to establish an online presence. Now however, a new programme spearheaded by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is changing the face of the domain name marketplace -- by introducing more than 1200 new domain suffixes to the Internet.
Netflix just won another indirect victory in the form of a net neutrality proposal passed by the Federal Communications Commission, which would ban all types of paid prioritization on the Internet.
This means Verizon, AT&T and Comcast will be unable to seek more revenue from Netflix, in exchange for fast video streaming rates to Netflix’s 40 million US subscribers.
As the manager of a small business or an entrepreneur just starting out, you should always be on the lookout for anything that can improve your productivity, time management, organization, and ultimately make day to day tasks easier to manage.
It can be hard enough trying to run things in the office without also having to worry about your online presence. But like it or not, today’s business needs an online presence in order to ultimately succeed, or at least remain competitive.
The Apple Watch "official" launch event (as opposed to last autumn’s mere unveiling) is almost upon us -- in fact it’s a week from today -- and CEO Tim Cook has been busy stoking the hype fires one last time.
Cook talked to the Telegraph about the sort of innovations Apple is planning to bring forth with its smartwatch, one of which is that the device will be usable as your car keys -- replacing the chunky fobs that vehicles use these days.
The Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast report predicts fiercer competition in 2015 between traditional on-premise software vendors, pushing expenditure up to $3.8 trillion. It says that spending in the enterprise technology market will reach $335 billion this year, increasing by 5.5 percent over 2014’s figures. Traditional vendors are now having to increasingly compete with cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings, lower prices and vendor software consolidation.
These trends have pushed traditional on-premise software vendors to increasingly offer more discounted cloud services to counter the onslaught by the incumbent SaaS players.
How much would you be prepared to sell your data for? According to a new survey, almost half of the UK wouldn’t give it up for any less than a million quid.
The study of a thousand Brits, undertaken by Swiss data center Artmotion, found that 49 percent of respondents would only sell their personal or company data for £1 million or more.
Agility and flexibility are top of mind when it comes to delivering IT projects. With that being the case, the traditional waterfall development approach, which requires each step of a project to be completed before the IT team can move onto the next, seems a bit outdated.
Enter the agile development technique. This iterative development method should be the go-to today. It's based on collaboration and continuous development, and differs from the waterfall approach in that it can be characterized as being adaptive rather then predictive. Essentially, with agile, the requirements gathering, development and testing happen concurrently versus consecutively. Let’s take a closer look at why this development method makes more sense for most businesses today. And then, we’ll briefly examine a newer method -- DevOps -- which, too, is becoming more common. Regarding agile:
Starting a tech business in today’s rapidly evolving landscape presents a real challenge: how do you conceptualize an idea, develop it, and push it to market before the idea becomes obsolete in the face of new technology?
Firepype was first conceptualized in 2011 -- eons ago by tech standards. Amazingly, there is still no other product that offers automated media distribution the same way this does. The basic prototype came together pretty quickly for the first client, in a matter of weeks. Then it became time to refine the idea into an elegant, marketable package, and the forward momentum slowed to a crawl as I searched for the right team to help turn my vision into a reality.
Even with significant security solution spend, program maturity and external third-party certification efforts, organizations continue to struggle to adapt and protect themselves from attackers employing new and innovative approaches that take advantage of the very systems put in place to thwart them.
Today’s attackers are very sophisticated, well-funded and patient. They act more like detectives and scientists as they follow a systematic approach to understand their targets’ environments, their nuances and day-to-day operations even better than you do. They know that security point solutions have an important role to play in protecting your environment but that they also have their limitations. Attackers test these to understand exactly when an organization reacts and when it does not. But it doesn’t end there.
China has decided to remove some of the world’s leading technology brands from its state approved purchase lists and replace them with thousands of locally built products.
Some say this move comes as a response to revelations of widespread cyber-surveillance conducted by the West, while others believe this is more of a way for China to protect domestic technology industry from fierce competition.
Microsoft Band, the wearable fitness tracker, and its accompanying Health app have received their first major update, some four months after the initial release.
With the latest update, the band is getting some new features -- enabling it to monitor biking (yes, even stationary biking), a quick read feature for notifications and -- (you’re not going to believe this) -- an on-screen keyboard.
Apple has been granted a patent that could potentially allow it to track an individual’s iPhone, even when it appears to have been turned off.
The feature enables phones to enter a sleep-like state that suggests it has been shut down, but instead the phone’s movements can still be traced.
Data center teams face one crisis after another, but at least one has remained constant over recent years. The tidal wave of data, especially related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data, continues to grow at phenomenal rates, threatening to overwhelm operations for many enterprises. IT teams are struggling to keep their heads above this deluge of digital information, scale storage and processing resources to handle the data, and simultaneously provide the ubiquitous connectivity required for today's Internet of Things.
Fortunately, data center equipment providers have been evolving the data center foundations. IT and facilities teams have the life vests and rafts that they need, if they know how to use them.
Over a third of the people in the UK would feel embarrassed or self-conscious if they wore wearable tech as it currently appears, new research has found. As a result, businesses and app developers are being urged to do more if they want to improve uptake
The study was conducted by the UK mobile app developer Apadmi to form part of its new report looking into the public’s view of wearable technology, such as smart glasses, watches and fitness trackers.
As the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up in Las Vegas last month, one thing became abundantly clear: 2015 is going to be a big year for connected devices. From toothbrushes that can schedule check-ups with dentists to yoga mats that can analyze poses in real-time, 3,000+ companies launched more than 20,000 new products at CES this year.
Collectively referred to as the "Internet of Things" (IoT), this concept of connected devices is obviously nothing new. In fact, Gartner predicts that the number of Internet-connected devices will inflate to more than 25 billion by the year 2020.


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Internet dating sites and apps can offer usage of an enormous pool that is dating. But be mindful. They are able to additionally woo you with frauds.
Romance scammers victim on loneliness and trust. Scammers have now been proven to produce profiles that are fake online dating sites and defraud would-be romantic lovers out of cash. People in the us reportedly destroyed about $143 million to romance frauds in 2018, in line with the Federal Trade Commission.
Romance frauds don’t look like going away. Losings from dating-related fraudulence quadrupled, from $33 million destroyed in 2015 to $143 million lost in 2018.
The news that is good? You can easily assist protect yourself — and your wallet — by focusing on how online dating frauds work.
What exactly is a internet dating scam?
Here’s just how a normal scam that is dating. A fraudster might produce a fake profile either for a dating application or on popular social networking web sites like Instagram and Twitter, then hit a conversation up.
A day through online chats, text messages, and emails over time, the con artist builds trust with their target, sometimes communicating several times. […]


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23rd February 2017
An instant “pop up” shop opens its doors in Penzance next week to encourage greater awareness of the radical changes proposed for Cornwall’s health and social care services.
West Cornwall HealthWatch is celebrating its 20th anniversary next month – and is taking the opportunity to examine the “‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan” which is aiming to cut £264million from the local health budget.
The instant shop will be open 10am - 4.30pm from Tuesday 28th February to Saturday 4th March at the top of Market Jew Street, near the Humphry Davy statue.
West Cornwall Healthwatch committee member Jan Williams, an NHS physiotherapist, is masterminding the Pop Up Shop and hopes that the shop will overflow with people. She said: “The time is right for us all to work together to ensure that Cornwall now receives a fairer funding package. With this in mind, West Cornwall HealthWatch will be using Penzance Pop-Up Shop as campaign headquarters next week. We would like to invite as many people as possible to visit us in the shop.”


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Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (1 Apr) announced three new Romanian routes to / from Alghero, Rome Ciampino and Milan Bergamo (all starting in July) as part of Ryanair’s Romanian Summer 2021 schedule.
Romanian consumers can now book a summer getaway, flying on the lowest fares and with the option to avail of Ryanair’s zero change fee should plans change.
|Bucharest – Alghero||2|
|Suceava – Milan Bergamo||4|
|Suceava – Rome Ciampino||3|
To celebrate, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares available from just 99.00 RON for travel until the end of October 2021, which must be booked by midnight Saturday, 3rd April on the Ryanair.com website.
Ryanair’s Sales & Marketing Manager for CEE, Olga Pawlonka said:
“We are pleased to announce three new Romanian routes to Alghero, Milan Bergamo and Rome Ciampino, commencing in July as part of our Romanian Summer 2021 schedule.
Mindful that Covid restrictions change regularly, customers can now book flights for a well-deserved break knowing that if they need to postpone or change their travel dates, they can do so up to two times with a zero change fee until the end of October 2021.
To celebrate, we are launching a seat sale with fares available from 99.00 RON for travel until the end of October 2021, which must be booked by midnight Saturday, 3rd April 2021. Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”


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This article is more than 1 year old
Apple, it's OK. Seriously. You don't need to blind your iOS 15 engineers to prevent leaks
No one expects the Worldwide Loyalty Team!
During the development of iOS 15, Apple reportedly limited the extent to which engineers could see features being worked on by other colleagues to prevent potential leaks.
As spotted by 9to5Mac, each new feature introduced with the beta version of iOS 15 is accompanied with a unique flag associated with a "disclosure requirement". Internal versions of the operating system check the unique profile of each engineer and tester against this flag, limiting access to certain features as a result.
Apple has historically clouded its operations through a thick shroud of secrecy. Part of this has something to do with protecting the firm's intellectual property, and ensuring it remains in full control over how information about its upcoming products is distributed.
In the past, it has protected that secrecy with zeal. After Gizmodo purchased a stolen pre-release version of the iPhone 4, under circumstances which raised ethical and legal questions, Apple responded by contacting local law enforcement, which conducted a raid on the journalist believed to be responsible.
- With incoming iOS 15, update refuseniks will be given choice to stay where they are while still receiving security patches
- Apple ditches support for pre-2015 MacBook Air, Pro laptops with macOS Monterey
- Apple's macOS 12 adds improved virtualization though no sign of anything like Boot Camp on M1 silicon
- Everything Apple announced: Tor-ish Safari anonymization. Cloaked iCloud addresses. Cloud CI/CD. And more
Apple is also believed to have an internal secret police force, known as the Worldwide Loyalty Team, tasked with protecting the secrecy of its upcoming products and weeding out would-be leakers.
In recent years, Apple has struggled to maintain that shroud, in part due to the widespread nature of its supply chain, which introduces multiple potential vectors for leakage. Sometimes, these leaks happen without any foul play from the component manufacturer.
Earlier this year, attackers breached Quanta Computer, obtaining confidential blueprints that purportedly depicted upcoming MacBook Pro laptops.
Despite these measures, Apple has been known to inadvertently reveal upcoming project changes through simple human error. Earlier this week, the company uploaded footage of its WWDC event containing metadata references to an M1X chip and an M1X MacBook Pro.
This mistake effectively confirmed the name of the M1's successor, as well as the next likely Mac to come from Apple. After others realised its mistake, Apple swiftly deleted these tags, but the cat was by that time very much out of the bag. ®


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The Fab 500 Forum
Lancashire Business View is inviting you to see behind the businesses that are generating the biggest revenues in the county.The first ever Fab 500 Forum will offer a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of how big businesses develop, structure and succeed.
The forum will include a panel discussion with four leading business brains from the revenue giants featured in our January/February edition's Fab 500 feature. There will also be a Q&A session.These are the businesses that ensure jobs, supply chain activity and wealth for the county. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from the powerhouses of the Lancashire economy.
April 25, 8am to 10am - There will be a breakfast of bacon rolls, tea or coffee, and fresh juice. Samlesbury Hall, Samlesbury PR5 0UP[cta link="http://lancashirebusinessview.skiddletickets.com/event.php?id=11848916"]Book your ticket for just £20+VAT[/cta]


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Zen Studios has announced that its Pinball FX2 pinball game will make its first appearance on Windows 7 PCs, launching on Valve's Steam service May 10th via publisher Microsoft Studios.
The day I became Clippy
From Xbox to Health, the story of the Microsoft Band
Nokia returns to the retail space with an Android tablet
Nokia N1 hero
Your guide to every Lumia Windows Phone ever launched


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Go check your car for a software update, as Tesla has begun to roll out it’s latest software version, 2019.40.1.1, to owners across North America.
We reported earlier this month that this release would feature Deep Rain, Tesla’s neural net for improved wiper behavior in changing weather conditions, and it has been included in this official release to non-EAP owners.
From the release notes, the wipers will now be more likely to turn on when it is lightly raining, something that was a common complaint among Tesla owners. The Deep Rain neural net has already been trained with over 1 million images for the detection of water droplets on the windshield, and other cues from the surrounding environment. Expect wiper behavior to improve significantly and quickly as this is being released during winter, where the neural net will get plenty of training opportunities in the next several months.
Also included in this release are automatic lane change improvements for Navigate on Autopilot, which are now completed with more assertiveness by initiating the lane change faster when the adjacent lane is detected to be open.
Both new features are optional features that can be turned on/off via the touchscreen display.


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A Macy’s sign is seen on a store at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Fla., which is one of 68 stores that the company plans on closing on Jan. 5, 2017. Cincinnati-based Macy’s announced more job cuts than any other company last month when it said it was planning to shut down the stores and reduce payroll by more than 10,000. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Debbie Lord, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The news from retailers across the country this quarter has not been good.
More than two dozen stores and restaurants, including the likes of Macy's, Payless Shoes, Outback Steakhouse and Noodles and Company, have either closed locations or have announce plans to shutter stores across the country.
As people choose e-commerce over shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, experts said customers can expect to see more deserted storefronts and “going out of business” signs.
"It's going to be a year of transition and a year of reckoning and a year of awakening for retailers," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analysis for the NPD Group. NPD Group conducts market research on consumer trends.
More shoppers are eschewing retail outlets for the convenience of online shopping, made sweeter with deals from the likes of Amazon, which offers free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member.
Amazon has seen the benefits of such features. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the company saw a 22 percent increase in revenue over the fourth quarter of 2015.
While e-commerce is seen as quick and generally easy, a study conducted in 2013 by WD Partners showed that nearly 80 percent of respondents said instant gratification was what got them out of their homes and into the malls.
Here’s a list of 15 retailers that have announced store closings for 2017.
American Apparel – all 110 stores closed
CVS – closing 70 stores
Chico – closing 120 stores
Crocs – closing 160 stores
Family Christian – closing all of its 240 stores
JCPenney – closing 138 stores
Kmart – closing 108 stores
Macy's – closing 63 stores
Office Depot – closing 100 stores
Payless Shoes – closing 400-500 stores
Radio Shack – closing 552 stores
Sears – closing 42 stores
The Limited – closed 250 stores in January
The Children’s Place – closing as many as 200 stores
H.H. Gregg – closing 88 stores
Several restaurant chains have also announced they will be closing locations in 2017 as well.


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We may fancy ourselves singular snowflakes, but patterns checker what we eat, drink, and hashtag. Thanks to the lightning-fast nature of digital sharing, trends like Negronis and so-called “unicorn foods” quickly escalate from local to global phenomena. Look around, and suddenly everyone (no seriously, everyone) is feting Persian New Year, drinking cortados, or collectively dropping $207 million on rosé (#allday).
Now rosé Champagne is very much on the rise. The concept is not new — Champagne Ruinart reportedly debuted pink bubbles in 1734 — but it marries two simultaneously surging categories: Consumers’ insatiable thirst for rosé wine meets sommeliers’ Champagne obsession.
“The CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) shows that in 2015 rosé Champagne was 12% of the Champagne market,” Michelle DeFeo, Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s U.S. president, wrote in an email. “And since 2005, sales for the category have risen at a rate of 3.6% percent per year.” Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé now comprises more than a quarter of the company’s overall sales.
“When it exceeds 5 or 6 percent of the market share, it’s no longer a trend,” Cyril Brun, cellar master for Charles Heidsieck, said of rosé Champagne in an August 2017 interview with VinePair.
At The Modern, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in NYC, Master Sommelier Michael Engelmann noted a 20 percent increase in rosé Champagne sales last year. He says the increase is “probably due to the popularity of rosé wines in general, and that Champagne continues to be a very popular choice.”
The category is also remarkably food-friendly. Rosé Champagne complements everything from fritters or spiced nuts to grilled shellfish and even roasted meats, according to a 2013 Food & Wine article titled, “Why Sparkling Rosé Pairs with Everything.”
“Sommeliers and wine professionals start pushing the limits of what people can pair food with and then a trend is born,” Ariel Arce, owner of Air’s Champagne Bar in NYC, says.
“I love rosé Champagne to start a meal, and it can work really well with various dishes,” Engelmann wrote in an email. “One of my favorite combinations is pairing rosé Champagne with a watermelon and caviar dish we had on the menu this summer. I’ve also recently paired an aged rosé Champagne with a pigeon dish, which worked stunningly together.”
The ascension of rosé Champagne is particularly noteworthy given its social, seasonal, and economic associations. For many Americans, rosé is a summertime drink, linked to Provençal picnics and Hamptons parties. Bubbles are generally thought to require dry-clean-only attire and/or a corporate account to foot the bill. As consumers become increasingly wine-savvy, and as more and better bottles are imported to the United States, these restrictions are loosening.
“I think the trend of rosé started as this summer water drink,” Arce says. Now, due to increased demand among increasingly educated wine consumers, “there are just so many more quality rosés and especially rosé Champagnes on the market,” she says. Rosé wine is increasingly popular year-round, and Champagne fills glasses on dates other than January 31 or February 14.
A 2015 survey of more than 1,000 wine consumers in all 50 states showed that Americans make wine purchases based on price, brand, and variety, in that order. Rosé Champagne isn’t cheap compared to, say, the $672 million juggernaut that is Barefoot, America’s top-selling wine brand. The word “rosé” is right there in the name, though, so those who consider themselves general-admission rosé drinkers are predisposed to give it a shot.
It’s also produced by a number of houses with widespread brand recognition. Moet & Chandon Imperial Rosé is sold at Target and other retailers from $57, and Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé and Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé can both be found online from $57 per bottle. Although pricier than these houses’ brut bottles (Tattinger Brut La Francaise retails for $44.99, for example), thanks to the growing popularity of pink wine, rosé Champagne is not necessarily competing with traditional Champagne. It’s a standalone category.
“Now we observe that many makers have developed a range of rosé Champagne within an existing range of older Champagne,” Brun said. “Rosé Champagne is trying to answer a trend.”
Unlike rainbow bagels or bacon-flavored everything, rosé Champagne isn’t a temporary fad destined to flash and burn among digital influencers and the people who hate-follow them. It’s storied, skillfully made, and straight-up qualified to successfully overcome such obstacles as price, seasonality, and even gendered associations with the color pink.
“It’s kind of the best long con,” Arce says, “because you give someone the taste of the good stuff, and they’re never going to want to go back … When you start opening up the whole world of rosé, let alone sparkling rosé, let alone rosé Champagne, it’s a massive category.”
As such, rosé Champagne is less likely to eclipse traditional Champagne in the U.S. than to grow in tandem alongside it. CIDC reports that 16.9 million bottles of Champagne were shipped to America in 2010, 2.43 million of which were rosé. By 2015, those numbers grew to 20.5 million and nearly 3 million, respectively. As wine consumption and spending continue to grow, particularly among millennials, both traditional and rosé Champagne show no signs of deceleration.
“We have more access to more wine than ever before, and there’s just nothing stopping it,” Arce says. Don’t adjust your filters; this pattern is built to last.


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SMM4, April 28 (Xinhua) on April 27, the United States issued new regulations requiring US companies to sell certain items, such as integrated circuits, to China, Russia, and other countries, even for civilian use, and to abolish the exception provisions for the unauthorized export of certain US technologies and products. These technologies and products include integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar and high-end computers and other civilian products. It is understood that the amendments to the relevant rules will be published in the Federal Gazette of the United States on April 28.
According to reports, the above provisions remove the exception of civil licenses for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia, involving integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar, high-end computers and other items.
Semiconductor plate performance strong, Jinfang science and technology limit, Zhuosheng micro stock price close to the limit, Shengbang shares, Huatian technology, Ziguang Guowei and other stocks rose sharply.
In addition, the Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 27th that the Industrial Security Administration of the US Department of Commerce has prepared an amendment to regulations governing the export of dual-use items and technologies, stipulating that dozens of new products that can be used for military purposes must obtain special licenses from the US authorities when they are exported to Russia, China, and Venezuela.
The U.S. Industrial Safety Agency said the amendment was proposed because it was based on the U. S. national security strategy.
The development of semiconductors in China itself faces many difficulties and obstacles, and the imposition of export restrictions by the United States is bound to accelerate domestic substitution. Wan Lian Securities said that at present, the semiconductor industry in Japan and South Korea has been hit by the epidemic situation. Recently, the transaction of electronic components in the A-share market has remained active, and China has gradually resumed work. "domestic substitution" for semiconductor products in Japan and South Korea will become the development trend of the domestic semiconductor industry. With the epidemic situation fermenting abroad, the production reduction of Japanese and South Korean semiconductor enterprises has opened the window of import substitution for Chinese material manufacturers, and it is suggested that investors should pay attention to the relevant companies with strong strength in the field of semiconductor materials.
Zhejiang Securities said that the new factory is an opportunity, photoresist ushered in a replacement window. First, the new wafer factory is put into production: from 2020 to 2022 is the peak period of mainland China wafer factory, with Yangtze River storage, Changxin storage and other new star wafer factory and SMIC International, Huahong as the representative of the old wafer factory is in the period of capacity expansion, the next three years will usher in intensive production. Second, photoresist instead of window period: according to the characteristics of photoresist, the new wafer factory will be the main development enterprise of photoresist replacement. The intensive production of new wafer factories in China has opened the best replacement window for photoresist.
"Click to sign up:" 2020 (Fifth) China International Nickel Cobalt Lithium Summit Forum "
To sign up for the Nickel Cobalt Lithium Summit or apply for entry into the SMM New Energy vehicle / Cobalt Lithium Industry Exchange Group, please scan the QR code below:


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Officials from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and CFAO have announced a joint venture to manufacture and distribute vehicles in Ghana.
At a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at Jubilee House, Mr. Koyote Suzuki, General Manager for the Middle East and Africa of Suzuki Motor Corporation, told the President that with the company producing some 1.8 million vehicles in India alone, “my mission is to find our next India in the continent of Africa.”
“Our next phase of growth will come from Africa, but we need to find the right partner in Africa for manufacturing and distribution after sale of our vehicles,” he stated.
Suzuki, he said, has partnered with Toyota in Africa, and are currently working in some 26 countries.
“We came to know from Toyota that the Ghanaian government is planning to roll out a new automotive policy. We heard this from Toyota executives who paid a visit here last month. We are highly interested in participating in this initiative by the Ghanaian government. We wish to start production here, grow it and expand it,” the Suzuki General Manager added.
Mr. Masafumi Yamashita, from Toyota Tsusho Corporation, in his remarks, noted that Toyota Corporation and CFAO have the largest automotive distribution network in Africa, and have the ambition to contribute to and support further development in African countries.
“Our vision is with Africa and for Africa. This time, we commit to work together with Suzuki Motor Corporation for the future development of the automotive industry here in Africa, as a strategic partner,” he added.
On his part, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that “these three companies that have come together to push an idea, here in Ghana, is an idea that we have to welcome.”
His Government, he explained, is interested in developing a vibrant and dynamic automobile industry in Ghana, and has made several initiatives towards that end.
“Finally, I believe we are now ready to outdoor our automotive policy which will enable people like you know what is available to you in terms of government support, and also the obligations that will be upon you, if you enter the Ghanaian space,” the President added.
With the economy projected to grow by 7.9% this year, and the country recognized as one of the most stable countries on the continent, where the rule of law works, President Akufo-Addo stressed that “this is architecture designed expressly to try and attract investments into our country.”
President Akufo-Addo told the delegation that “you are very welcome, and it will be very good news for the people of Ghana if they were to hear that Suzuki has teamed up with Toyota Tsusho and CFAO to establish a facility here in Ghana.”
With Suzuki manufacturing 1.6-litre engine vehicles in India, the President stated that “these are exactly the kind of cars that should have a very successful entry into the Ghanaian market.”
- Education Minister fingered in $1.2 million ‘phantom’ training scandal
- Another rainstorm to hit Accra, Cape Coast, and other towns tonight – GMet
- ‘Owoo family does not exist in Osu; it is a scam’ – Member of Osu stool
- Otto Addo names Ghana squad for Madagascar, CAR and four-nation tourney
- Remove structures obstructing free flow of water immediately – Akufo-Addo charges MMDAs
- I am not aware of any meeting with Privileges Committee – Adwoa Safo
- Some Christian leaders are not speaking against pervasive corruption because they have been bribed – Prof Martey
- Songs Akufo-Addo should have on his playlist if he truly cares
- More public officers are going to be caught in this web – Martin Kpebu on investigations into Sir John’s will
- ‘Is dumsor back or not?’ – Ghanaians argue on social media
WAFU U17 Zone B: Ghana to host Nigeria in opening game
Akufo-Addo is well aware of my condition – Adwoa Safo
African leaders signal support for African Development Bank’s emergency food production facility
Make AfDB preferred multilateral financier of Africa’s development – Akufo-Addo
I’ve not given up on NPP, I’m still committed to the President – Adwoa Safo
Akufo-Addo is the only person who can sack me – Adwoa Safo
Exclusive: Adwoa Safo speaks on family, NPP, absence from Parliament
I will return when issues with family are resolved – Adwoa Safo
Low income earners tend to be at higher risk of developing stroke – Health expert
Lands Minister requests information on all transactions affecting Achimota Forest
I am not aware of any meeting with Privileges Committee – Adwoa Safo
Mmofraturo Girls School gets new toilet to improve hygiene and sanitation
6th Ghana CEO Summit to focus on digital leadership for digital economy
Inflation is not only the problem; address weak structural fundamentals of economy – IEA to government
‘We are equal and should be treated same’ – Kuami Eugene reacts after Edem opens up on discrimination


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With Ford Motor Company investing heavily in electric vehicles and the batteries that will power those vehicles, the future for many ICE-powered models is a bit unclear. However, as Ford Authority reported back in June of 2020 and then confirmed early this year, the next-generation Ford Edge has already been canceled as the Oakville Assembly plant – where the Edge and Lincoln Nautilus are built – will be retooled to produce five new EVs starting in 2025. Ford CEO Jim Farley hinted at this move while speaking at the 2022 Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference recently, which is also where he pointed out that he believes the Ford Mustang Mach-E is a superior vehicle compared to the Edge. Thus, we decided to render a hypothetical two-row Ford Explorer that could replace the Edge, if Ford decided to build it.
A two-row Ford Explorer could prove to be a more affordable version of the long-running crossover, as well as an appealing alternative to those that appreciate the Edge for what it is – a stylish, comfortable, and roomy people and cargo hauler. While three-row crossovers and SUVs remain incredibly popular these days, not everyone has the need or desire to haul seven people around, and some would prefer to pay less and simply gain the extra cargo space instead.
For them, a two-row Ford Explorer could be the answer, and in this case, the lack of a third row also means that the rear roofline can take on more of a “coupe-like” or fastback profile for an extra touch of sportiness. Truthfully, building such a vehicle seems like a no-brainer, as we opined over one year ago, as the departure of the Edge will leave a large hole in the automaker’s lineup, since it will no longer have a two-row, mid-size CUV to slot between the compact Ford Escape and the nearly full-size Explorer. The Ford Bronco doesn’t fill that void either, as it’s a specialty body-on-frame SUV – not a crossover.
Ford could fill this gap quite easily with a two-row Explorer, much in the same way it did with the two-row Ford Expedition XL STX. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen, but we think that a two-row Explorer makes as much sense as an Explorer Raptor, which we also rendered nearly two years ago.


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ATLANTA—Kumho Tire USA Inc. has moved its corporate headquarters to Atlanta from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in order to “optimize the efficiency” of Kumho's organization in the U.S.
Locating the firm's headquarters in Atlanta will “help streamline communication and cooperation within our company by placing our management team and support staff in proximity” of the firm's factory being built in Macon, Ga., and a distribution center in McDonough, Ga.
The new headquarters is located in the Georgia Pacific building in downtown Atlanta.
The headquarters address is 133 Peachtree St., Suite 2800, Atlanta, Ga. 30303. Kumho listed a toll-free number, 800-445-8646, as the best way to reach its employees.
Kumho did not say how many employees are working at the new office.
Kumho Tire USA had been at its most recent address in Rancho Cucamonga since 2005.
Kumho expects to start production in January at the Macon plant, being built at Sofkee Industrial Park south of Macon.


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P&G, Wal-Mart, original Designer Guys partnering for in-store promos
Procter & Gamble is teaming up with TV celebs Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman for 600 in-store events at Wal-Mart to promote the company's latest health and beauty products - and contribute to two charities.
Dubbed ‘Everything for the Family, Something Just for You,’ P&G Canada and Wal-Mart Canada yesterday announced a partnership with popular TV celebs Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman. The goal: to encourage women to do something special for themselves while also attending to the needs of their loved ones.
As a value-added element, part of the sales of P&G products will be donated to such charities as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Children’s Miracle Network.
Animated by POS signage, and replete with free samples, 600 in-store events will be staged at Wal-Mart stores across the country throughout the year. The promotion kicks off with ‘Beautiful Breakthroughs’ in a large number of stores from Feb. 23-March 18. That will be followed by ’5-Minute Oasis’ from March 24-April 15.
At each in-store event, women shoppers will be introduced to the latest health and beauty information, plus a range of new P&G products. The original Designer Guys, who now host Design Rivals and So Chic with Steven and Chris, are contributing both their star power and creative content, such as tips on wellness and appearance routines.
Wal-Mart will be promoting the initiative through its store flyers, which are estimated to reach 10 million Canadians per week. The company has also launched a micro-site in the brand promotions section of its Canadian website.
Print ads created by London, Ont.-based Surge Communications, in collaboration with Chicago’s Arc agency, will appear in various Canadian magazines in the near future. No further details were available at press time. The media buys will be handled by P&G’s in-house media division, and Toronto’s Torchia Communications is doing the PR.


text: Come May’s Charlottesville City Council election, we’ll be testing out a new voting technology. The election will be a test case for the use of Hart InterCivic‘s eSlate Electronic Voting System. It’s sort of like an overgrown Palm Pilot, only a little more unusual looking. The highly-portaable devices are entirely ADA-compliant, store and tabulate votes electronically, and are extremely simple to use. They’re available for test use at the Registrar’s Office in the City Hall Annex. The story is from Jake Mooney’s piece in today’s Progress.


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China’s online retail behemoth Alibaba is gearing up for a massive revenue for the upcoming “Singles’ Day,” China’s official online shopping holiday scheduled Friday Nov. 11.
According to market experts, Alibaba’s online sales may reach a record-breaking $20 billion this time around after last year’s impressive numbers, Forbes reported.
Alibaba broke its own record last year by a single-day sales record of $14.3 billion during the 24-hour period (generating as much as $9.3 billion in the first 12 hours of the event). The numbers for 2015 were up 60% from the figures accumulated in 2014.
The magnitude of the sales required the coordination of 1.7 million workers using 400,000 vehicles, 5,000 warehouses and 200 airplanes to deliver the ordered goods to the online buyers. This year, Alibaba even promised to deliver goods in as little as two hours.
Alibaba is preparing for an even bigger spectacle, turning China’s Singles’ Day into an international event with planned concerts from Katy Perry and OneRepublic and an appearance by Kobe Bryant.
New vendors are also expected to participate. For the first time, products from Apple, Guerlain, Maserati and Target will be available on Alibaba’s online store Tmall, joining Costco, Macy’s, Starbucks and Zara.
Research firm Fung Global Retail & Technology is looking at another 40% increase this year to Alibaba’s profit, with an expected $20 billion in sales. The New York firm cites Alibaba’s innovative and aggressive marketing strategies among the keys to its impending success.
Singles’ Day, has been promoted by Jack Ma’s Alibaba as a 24-hour shopping day since 2009, on which thousands of international and local brands offer huge discounts for its online stores.


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+Comment Cable giant Netflix and other big firms are using calls for greater net neutrality to drive down the prices they pay, according to recently published research.
Referring specifically to the Dutch internet market, late last week John Strand of Strand Consulting said: “Net neutrality law (which limits operators’ ability to manage networks and recover costs) is meant to herald a flowering of internet innovation and content. Instead, it rolls out the red carpet for the American giant [Netflix].”
“Netflix, already larger than any cable company in the world by subscribers, is not a company in need of corporate welfare,” added Strand. “It’s time to stop Netflix’s abuse of the political and regulatory system.”
Meanwhile, academic Ros Layton has drawn attention to the publication of Netflix’s “ISP speed index”, which has attracted criticism for failing to provide a real measure of quality. When Netflix began publishing the index in 2012, it was looking to expand into Europe.
Norway’s biggest ISP, Telenor, was keen to improve the quality of its OTT video service, and offered a commercial rates CDN connection, said Layton, from Aalborg University, Center for Communication, Media and Information Technologies (CMI), a PhD Fellow studying net neutrality.
“Telenor said ‘send it direct to us and customers will get a better experience’, but the US company said it preferred direct connection,” said Layton.
Now it should be remembered that "sender pays" is a founding principle of internet video — video providers can’t use reciprocal free peering swaps to deliver low latency, high bandwidth traffic.
But Netflix did not ink a deal with Telenor, and what followed is a matter of public record. That December, the Norwegian firm found itself put in 9th place on the list.
Berit Svendsen of Norway Telenor told Norwegian business daily Dagens Naeringsliv in 2012: "We got a warning that they were going to go out in the media if they did not get what they wanted, so this came as no surprise to us."
Telenor quoted from email correspondence with Netflix at the time, in which the latter boasted of “terrific” quality of service on Telenor’s network - a different story to the one it was telling its ISP Speed Index, where it gave Telenor only a low ranking. Svendsen also claimed that "traffic logs do not indicate that anything has gotten worse since then".
After a few months, Telenor signed a direct interconnect deal with Netflix. No one knows the financial terms of the arrangement.
We asked Netflix for comment and its spokesman told us:
We feel that consumers should get the Internet they pay for. Broadband providers sell packages that promise certain speeds and should deliver what they sell instead of trying to double dip and charge both consumers and content providers. We work with ISPs around the globe and deliver Netflix video as close to the viewer as we can, offering free hardware and services to ISPs as part of our Open Connect Content Delivery Network.
This year Netflix has signed deals with big boys Verizon and Comcast.
“It’s like bringing your own cockroach to McDonalds, then making a complaint about their hygiene,” claimed Layton.
Strand claims the Dutch have discovered that adopting net neutrality rules merely gives American competitors a huge boost over European startups, which the European digital agenda commission (DG-CONNECT) claims it wants promote.
In its latest letter to shareholders (PDF), Netflix said it’s now profitable in Europe.
The DG-CONNECT is convinced that calls for net neutrality enjoy grassroots support — although the calls come largely from activist groups that the EU itself helps fund. Meanwhile, Europe’s competition commission last year found no evidence that there was a net neutrality problem. ®
As I described here, there is a potential competition question arising from direct connection deals, but it affects small OTT video startups trying to take on Netflix and Google. The problem with DG-CONNECT, now swollen to three commissioners, is that it adopted a highly ideological US-centric digital agenda.
Next-generation networks with sophisticated packet management will make such arguments moot. While networks will always remain contested resources, more intelligent networks will allow new technical and business cases to flourish.
But that’s only if the mob with pitchforks permit such networks to develop. Use of language such as “pay to play” suggest they’re not yet in a position to make such decisions.


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Intel, HP, Microsoft, Nec, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments have announced that they're developing a new USB standard simply called USB 3.0. The new standard is claimed to be ten times faster than USB 2.0 and it will target fast sync-and-go applications on PC's, mobile devices and consumer electronics.
USB 3.0 will remain backwards compatible with current USB standards, but it will be more power efficient and better optimized for low power drain. An optical version is also meant to be developed, but how this is meant to interface with various devices wasn't made clear.
The first draft specifications should be ready in the first half of next year and the first implementations we'll see will be in the form of discrete chipsets. Apparently over 6.2 billion USB devices have been shipped since 2001 and 2.1 billion of those last year alone. Goes to show how many of the peripherals we use are connected via USB.


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Bentley’s upcoming SUV has been signed off for production and is set to enter the market in late-2016 or early-2017. However, according to company design chief Luc Donkerwolke, the SUV won’t be related to the EXP 9 F concept car.
“The design is now signed off for production,” states Donkerwolke. “The concept is completely set apart and was done separately. After Geneva 2012, I was told to do a new one. It’s completely different to the concept car.”
From recent prototype pictures, it’s apparent that the interior will retain traditional Bentley elements like wood, metal and leather. A digital instrument cluster with heads-up display, as well as newly designed air vents, have also made their way into the prototype. Bentley is planning to have third-row seating in the new SUV, but it’s not clear whether it will be standard or optional.
Also unknown is what engine Bentley will use, but there have been rumors surrounding Bentley’s current V8 and V12 engines as options, although the automaker has confirmed a plug-in hybrid system. Production should commence at Bentley’s main facility in Crewe, England, with a decision on the vehicle’s name to be made soon.


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New Healthcare-Related Products, Services, and Companies
Euro RSCG Healthview units Broaden Services to Healthcare Industry through mergers and acquisitions
Healthcare veterans launch Lifesciences Management Consulting Group
Publicis Expands Global offerings
Nuvisio launches Compliance Program
Medicalliance Receives ACCME Accreditation
Curry Rockefeller Group offers Advocacy-Driven Solutions
Abbott recognized for Commitment to Children and Families with national award
Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill., is a global, healthcare company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceuticals, nutritionals, and medical products, including devices and diagnostics. For more information, visit abbott.com.
Bcom3, Chicago, is one of the world’s leading advertising and marketing communications holding companies, with more than 18,000 people in 92 countries. For more information, visit bcom3.com.
BioPharma Consultants ltd., Research Triangle Park, N.C., is a management consulting firm specializing in marketing, strategy, and business development services for biotech and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. For more information, visit biopharma-consultants.com.
The Curry Rockefeller Group llc, Tarrytown, N.Y., develops and implements educational strategies and initiatives that focus on the role of key opinion leaders in determining a product’s success in the market. For more information, visit www.curryrockefellergroup.com.
Dentsu Inc. is the world’s fifth largest advertising group, and the largest in Japan. For more information, visit dentsu.com.
Euro RSCG Healthview, with a U.S. office in New York, offers synergistic solutions to the healthcare industry through advertising, public relations, interactive communications, sales training, managed-care consulting, and consumer medical education. It is a member of Euro RSCG Healthcare, the third-largest healthcare network in the world, itself part of Euro RSCG Worldwide. For more information, visit eurorscg.com.
Medicalliance Inc., Columbia, Md., is a full-service medical communications agency. For more information, visit medicalliance.com.
Noonan/Russo, with offices in New York, San Francisco, and London, is an international communications firm providing strategic counsel to a select group of innovative biotechnology, pharmaceutical, device, and healthcare companies. For more information, visit noonanrusso.com.
Nuvisio Corp., New York, delivers secure eCoupon and loyalty programs for clients in the consumer packaged goods industry, and also is leveraging its consumer marketing expertise to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit nuvisio.com.
Publicis Groupe SA is a global advertising and communications organization, offering a range of services to companies in 100 countries with a particular strength in France, Germany, the U.K., Spain, Italy, and North America. For more information, visit publicis.fr.


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St. George, UT - High-profile community members and grocery store executives donned construction hats and commemorated the start of the Smith’s Marketplaceconstruction at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning.
The 123,000 square-foot supermarket is being developed at the center of the Dinosaur Crossing shopping development on the southwest corner of Mall and Riverside Drives.
Gregg McArthur, president of the St. George Chamber of Commerce, said the location is ideal because it’s an under-serviced area for grocery stores.
“Where most of the growth is happening is over here in the Washington Fields area,” McArthur said.
The marketplace is scheduled to open in early spring 2017, and Smith’s President Kenny Kimball said the investment for the site is close to $21 million. Wadman Corporation is the construction company building the store.
In addition to the amenities typically offered at supermarkets, ... (read more here)


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Seat will become the second brand within the VW Group to offer an MEB-based electric vehicle, with the car in question to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.
“We are the second brand after Volkswagen to use the MEB platform. It shows you our brand positioning and how group management sees the role of Seat,” said Luca de Meo, Seat’s boss to Autocar at the reveal of the Minimo concept.
“Over the past five or six years, we’ve shown that, given the right ingredients, we can cook very well. Just look at [the success of the] Leon”, he added.
In addition, Alejandro Mesonero, the brand’s design chief, said that the new electric concept is “97 percent there” in terms of final production design. Seat’s new electric model will come with a driving range of 500km (310 miles), the same figure quoted by both VW and Skoda for their upcoming MEB-based electric cars.
In terms of design, the electric Seat is described to be taller than the VW ID Hatch but lower than the Skoda SUV, suggesting at a crossover bodystyle. Seat also plans an electric SUV, which will come after Skoda launches their own EV.
In addition, Seat will launch the next Leon with their first plug-in hybrid powertrain. Mesonero said that the new generation’s design will be a “bigger step” than the one Seat took with the launch of the current Leon, which was originally launched in 2012.
The next-gen, plug-in hybrid Seat Leon is expected to use an updated version of the powertrain found in the VW Golf GTE, in addition to a brand new infotainment system that aims to conquer the segment.
Note: Older SEAT IBE Concept pictured in the opening image, VW I.D. Crozz above and below


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Could Tariffs Hurt the Fourth of July?
A fireworks group says, "yes"
A lot of associations are feeling the impacts of the trade war between the U.S. and China—but perhaps none more explosively than the American Pyrotechnics Association.
APA, whose primary product is closely associated with the Fourth of July, argued last week before U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that fireworks should not be included on the list of proposed tariffs of goods from China.
In her comments to Lighthizer, APA Executive Director Julie Heckman noted that the association supported many of the goals around trade relations with China, but said that American jobs in the fireworks industry would be negatively affected by the proposal—in large part because nearly all consumer fireworks and three-quarters of professional grade fireworks are produced in China, largely through two dominant companies.
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New Zealand’s FMA notes rising number of investment fraud reports
New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority says the high number of investment fraud reports partially reflects its recent efforts to raise awareness about binary options scams.
New Zealanders continue to fall victim to investment scams every day and the government is looking for a way to put a stop to this trend. New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise is organizing a Fraud Awareness Week campaign, running until November 18, 2017, with the aim to prepare New Zealanders to learn how to spot scams.
The campaign happens as the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) announced that it recorded the highest number of monthly calls about fraud, scams and cold calls for more than two years in October 2017. According to the regulator, the high number of reports may partly reflect the FMA highlighting issues around binary options fraud as part of World Investor Week.
As FinanceFeeds has earlier reported, there are new requirements for companies offering short-duration derivative products, including binary options, in New Zealand. In its annual report for the year to June 30, 2017, the FMA confirmed that the new requirements will take effect on December 1, 2017.
“From December 2017, any company making regulated offers of short-duration derivative products to New Zealanders settling within three days, whether based here or abroad, will require a licence. All currently unlicensed providers must have applied for a licence by 1 August 2017.”
In April 2017, the FMA changed its approach to products such as binary options and contracts for difference amid rising concerns about the harm these unregulated offers of products pose for investors. Back then, the New Zealand regulator said that during the preceding 18 months, the volume of complaints about online FX and other short duration trading services like binary options had remained at about 40% of the total volume of complaints it has received. The FMA has also seen the increased emergence of online trading platforms, often based in overseas jurisdictions, targeting New Zealand investors with offers of short duration derivative products.
Consumer Protection Manager Mark Hollingsworth said:
“New Zealanders fall victim to scams every day. Netsafe data shows over 7,500 New Zealanders reported being scammed last year, losing a total of $11.7 million. Common scams include ‘phishing’ emails from scammers pretending to be from a trusted brand and cold-callers claiming they can ‘fix’ your computer”.


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Last Sunday’s leak from Dick Smith of an upcoming Australian retail launch of the Chromecast highlighted a marked interest in the retail launch of Google’s popular HDMI Dongle, further follow-up with stores has been less than fruitful, but this next step shows the launch is about to go ahead.
We’re seeing multiple reports of DSE stores receiving stock of the HDMI dongle, in preparation for the retail launch of the Chromecast, which from the leak on Sunday we expect to take place next Wednesday, 28 May 2014.
Stores are receiving boxes labelled ‘Do Not Sell’, which is being followed up by an email to stores making it clear to staff that the stock ‘does not exist’ and speculation from staff surrounding the launch should be ‘kept to themselves’. This is further made clear by the fact that the Chromecast still does not exist on the DSE system. Staff have also been told this stock, which doesn’t exist, will indeed go on-sale next Wednesday.
At this stage there is no promotional material in the form of flyers, brochures or posters being sent to stores to indicate any potential media partnerships that Google has arranged for the launch. But with media partnerships lined up for launches of the Chromecast in the US, Germany, France and the UK, we should hopefully see something.
There’s a fair bit of stock arriving in each Dick Smith store to prepare for the launch, with stores reporting multiple boxes, each containing around 20 units arriving. Google is obviously expecting strong demand for the dongle when they go on sale.
Strong demand for the Chromecast is not without precedent: in the US it took months after the initial release until Google was able to finally maintain a steady supply of Chromecast. After going on sale in the UK in March, UK media channel Mediatel have advised that they have already sold 100,000 units.
It appears that Dick Smith is taking security on this one very seriously after last weekends issues, but if you’re near a store it can’t hurt to try your luck, drop in and see if there’s any sign of the Chromecast around and if a friendly staff member is willing to sell one.
There’s more pics now available of Chromecast stock in Dick Smith stores. The new pictures show that Australian Chromecast packaging will include advertising for the Man of Steel (available for rent or purchase in Google Play). There’s still no word on if there will be content partners for the launch of Chromecast, so until Wednesday morning(the date according to the DSE leak) rolls around, if you hear anything let us know.


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In the fourth episode of the Vogue Business and Worldpay from FIS master class series on creating seamless omnichannel experiences, Kelly Kowal, chief platform officer at Farfetch, joins Vogue Business senior innovation editor Maghan McDowell to discuss how Farfetch is making its tech available to brands including Burberry, Proenza Schouler, Chanel, Thom Browne, Brunello Cucinelli and Harrods.
“Most people are very familiar with Farfetch as Farfetch.com, the marketplace,” Kowal says. “But we have an entirely different business, which is a platform business.” Farfetch Platform Solutions (FPS) services include running brands’ websites, cross-border fulfilment and in-store apps. FPS also enables e-concessions, which is when, instead of buying and owning inventory, an online marketplaces simply lists items for sale.
“We were global from day one, and that meant shipping from five different countries into a global network, which is very complicated. People used to think of us as a tech-fashion company. But actually a huge part of what we do is operations,” Kowal says. “Part of the beauty of our platform is that for brands and retailers partnering with us, they get that straight out of the box.”
Farfetch is also helping brands utilise Alibaba’s Tmall, and is researching the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including studying NFT marketplaces and understanding the motivation and logistics behind buying and trading NFTs, Kowal says. “It's not just about what we have today in the technology that we can offer, but it's about building the products and solutions that brands and retailers need in the short- to medium-term as well.”
At the end of the five-episode Vogue Business and Worldpay from FIS master class series, we will publish a free, comprehensive report. You can register to receive the full report here.
To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here.


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Oracle and the US Department of Justice (DoJ) have filed their closing trial briefs in the case to block Oracle's hostile takeover of PeopleSoft. Closing arguments will start next week.
The DoJ is suing to block the $7.7 billion merger on the grounds that it would stifle competition in the market for human resources and financial management software, leading to higher prices. Oracle says it needs the acquisition to thrive in a highly competitive market.
The post-trial briefs essentially sum up the arguments made by each side during the month-long trial, incorporating evidence and testimony from witnesses and applying it all to anti-trust law. At the core of the case is whether the government has properly defined a market for complex "high function" applications that will be harmed by the merger.
The DoJ argued it has identified a segment of customers for whom Oracle, SAP and PeopleSoft are the only viable vendors for certain core business applications. It cited testimony from customers who said they believe that prices will rise and product quality diminish if the deal goes through.
Its case is based on a "unilateral effects" theory. Roughly put, when products supplied by two merging companies are closer competitors than other available substitutes, the post-merger firm would be able to unilaterally raise prices. The government discounts SAP in this context because, it argues, the German vendor is not a strong competitor for many US-based companies.
"By eliminating head-to-head competition between Oracle and PeopleSoft, the proposed acquisition would cause Oracle to offer lower discounts to US customers", the government wrote. "Oracle would find it in its interests to raise prices, without any co-ordination with its remaining rival."
Oracle countered that US-based companies regularly buy software from overseas vendors, and said the case involves "a textbook global market". A merged Oracle-PeopleSoft would still be less powerful than SAP, making unilateral effects theory inapplicable to the case, its lawyers wrote. "Anti-trust law does not permit a finding that a merged firm facing a substantially larger rival could excercise unilateral market power."
It also slammed the government, as it did throughout the trial, over its definition of "high function software". The government invented the term in the hopes of defining a market that will be harmed by the acquisition, and did so through select customer examples rather than any accepted industry criteria, Oracle argued.
"It is a market definition in chaos. Never has a merger case, let alone a successful merger challenge, rested on such an 'amorphous' market definition," Oracle's lawyers wrote.
Were the merger to go ahead, they argued, Oracle would still face "many potent competitive restraints - not only SAP, but Lawson, AMS, increasingly Microsoft and the whole range of outsourcing providers."
Lawyers for the two sides will now prepare for closing arguments, scheduled for 20 July in San Francisco federal court. Judge Vaughn Walker is expected to deliver a verdict in the case in August or September.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- McAfee Inc. said late Monday that it expects to record charges of $25 million to $45 million over "several periods commencing with the fourth quarter of 2006" related to the improper granting of stock options.
In October, security software developer McAfee MFE, -0.15% announced that it had discovered the improper accounting of up to $150 million in option grants, and Chairman and Chief Executive George Samenuk subsequently resigned.
In a release Monday, McAfee said its board of directors approved an amendment to unexpired options that extends their post-termination exercise period. The company also said that for employees with options already expired, its board has approved a cash payment to make up for the discrepancy between the awarded and fair market value of those options.
As a result, McAfee expects "to record charges for stock-based compensation expense within an estimated range of $25 million to $45 million on a pre-tax basis," which will affect several reporting periods beginning in the company's fourth quarter of 2006.
A McAfee spokeswoman declined to comment.
McAfee is one of hundreds of companies that have been reviewing their option practices as reports have surfaced that the backdating of such options has been used to improperly compensate executives.
McAfee said in the release Monday that the expiration period for Samenuk's options has been extended for 30 days from Jan. 7. The company said that 300,000 options granted to Samenuk in May 2004 have had their exercise price amended from $16.57 to $16.75, and 420,000 options granted to him in Jan. 2002 have had their exercise price amended from $25.43 to $27.19.


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The deal, pending regulatory clearances from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as well as a provisional nod from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), will mark the biggest consolidation in the sector at a time when more Indians are embracing online modes of payment triggered by the ongoing pandemic.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement on Tuesday, Bob van Dijk, the group CEO of Prosus, said he expects “the deal to close by February 2022 with all necessary approvals in place”. Prosus will have invested over $10 billion in India with the completion of this mega-buyout, following significant exits from India’s most valued startup Flipkart and travel portal MakeMyTrip.
For BillDesk founders — MN Srinivasu, Ajay Kaushal and Karthik Ganapathy — who started the company in 2000 following stints at consultancy Arthur Andersen, this was “a good deal that came our way at a time when we have reached a scale where we explore either an IPO or look for the next stage of growth”.
The two-decade-old company — launched when the term “fintech didn’t even exist” — is estimated to have the largest roster of business clients among payment gateways in India and handles 50-60% of billing transactions, according to industry estimates.
After the acquisition, the combined entity of BillDesk and PayU will emerge as one of the top online payments providers — both globally and locally — with an annual total payment volume (TPV) of $147 billion.
Its closest rivals in India such as Razorpay and CCAvenue, which is owned by Infibeam, are estimated to have an annual TPV of over $50 billion and $18-20 billion, respectively, industry sources said.
Speaking to ET, BillDesk’s Srinivasu said the investment by Prosus "validates the significant opportunity in India for digital payments which is being propelled by innovation and the progressive regulatory framework put into place by the Reserve Bank of India".
The mega-deal announcement comes just ahead of the introduction of a new regulatory regime for payment aggregators and gateways that is expected to tighten the central bank’s supervision of payment system intermediaries.
Following the merger, Mumbai-based BillDesk is expected to function as a separate legal entity under the PayU umbrella, with all three founders expected to continue in the new setup.
One of India’s rare profitable internet companies, BillDesk notched up $253 million in gross revenue for financial year 2021, while its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation was at $42 million, according to regulatory disclosures by Prosus.
PayU Global on the other hand had a gross revenue of $499 million and an EBITDA of $15 million. Financials for PayU’s India unit were unavailable.
Terming the acquisition as a way forward for the company, Srinivasu, an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, said that while BillDesk has been a target of acquisition by potential suitors in the last few years, this was the first time he had "a serious conversation with an investor for a transaction".
"The Indian digital payments market is changing and a larger-scale platform naturally starts winning more; this investment will accelerate what we can do going forward," he told ET.
BillDesk, which counts private equity major General Atlantic as its single-largest shareholder with a holding of about 14.2%, provides solutions ranging from settlements, collections, reconciliations, and auto settlements. It also partners with companies in categories such as billing, utility payments, direct-to-consumer procurements, government payments, financial services, and telecom.
In 2020, global payments giant Visa had also bought a minority stake in the company, valuing it at $1.8 billion.
Prosus’s Dijk, who has backed top-tier startups like Swiggy, Byju’s, PharmEasy and Urban Company, said, "We have a long and deep relationship with India, having supported and partnered with some of its most dynamic entrepreneurs and new tech businesses since 2005."
He said the company had "invested close to $6 billion in Indian tech to date, and this deal will see that increase to more than $10 billion".
Separately, PayU has also invested in Indian fintech startups like Fisdom, Indiagold and others.
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The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has commenced an exercise to unlock and sell an additional 5,500 MHz of 5G spectrum, worth over ₹35,000 crore. This comes close on the heels of the government netting a record ₹1.5 lakh crore from the recently concluded auctions.NSE Tracks Insider Trading Rules Compliance
A move is on to scrutinise whether large and actively traded companies are falling in line with the rules to curb insider trading, one of the scourges of the Indian stock market.Higher Cost Pressure Mars Q1 Show for India Inc
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By Roger Boylan
That isn’t how GM, who organized the event, billed it. It’s just me being cute. Not quite as cute, mind you, as the herd of little Chevy Volts I found tethered to their battery-charging stations at 8 a.m. last Friday, when I arrived to participate in the Texas leg of the nationwide “Volt Unplugged” media event. About a dozen automotive writers convened at The Crossings, a h resort hotel west of Austin, with stunning views of Lake Travis and adjoining hills and bluffs in autumnal shades that reminded me—and a German-born colleague—of the Rhine and Mosel valleys. “Wunderbar,” we exclaimed, jointly. “Jawohl.” Tears welled; thoughts of beer came, and sparkling Riesling. Then we pulled ourselves together and the drive got underway.
Coincidentally, I’d just reviewed a Plug-In Prius, which impressed me so much that I was unprepared to be equally or more impressed by the much-hyped, perhaps overly hyped, Volt, Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year. And indeed, there are undeniable superficial similarities between the two futuremobiles: a starter button instead of a key; a Star Trek instrument panel; winking displays of electronic arcana on the display screens; otherworldly clicks and faint moans at ignition. But as soon as I moved onto the two-lane blacktop, the Volt came into its own. Even on uphill spurts and cruising at 70+, my power source was all electric, and I made sure that some of those spurts were fast. GM claims 0-60 in 9 seconds, but I estimate that my heavy boot application shaved nearly a half second off that figure.
By Charles Krome
With November sales now in the books, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the industry is back on the upswing, and that was reinforced during a recent American Press Association (APA) event in Detroit. There, the team from IHS—one of the more prestigious of the automotive consulting companies—presented its forecast for 2011 and beyond to key members of the automotive elite (oddly, they let me in, too).
The IHS is predicting the auto market will finish at approximately 11.5 million units this year, an increase of 1.1 million vehicles over 2009, then continue to steadily reclaim sales through 2015. The forecast is for the industry to reach 12.8 million units in 2011 and hit the 17.1-million mark by 2015—which would be roughly equal to the industry’s pre-meltdown peak of 17.3 million units, achieved in 2000.
By Kevin Miller
Subaru is well known for making capable, competent all-wheel drive family vehicles. At the same time, they made a name for themselves building high-performance turbocharged rally cars like their WRX and STI models, with roots in the famed World Rally Championship series. The Legacy GT Limited is the car that attempts to bridge the divide between Subaru’s sensible and sporty vehicle lines.
Subaru launched their all-new, fifth-generation Legacy a year ago as a 2010 model, and I had the opportunity to review an entry-level Legacy 2.5i Premium sedan last autumn. That vehicle impressed me with the space and features available at its price point, but I was eager to sample the sportiest version of the Subaru Legacy, the Legacy GT. After all, if the regular car is good without the turbo boxer, the GT must be even better.
By Charles Krome
In addition to my writing here at Techshake, yours truly also has a number of other auto-related gigs, including a semi-regular spot on a weekly web-based “talk show” called Open Line (check it out on Mondays at ). And in this past episode, we chatted briefly about a new approach to fuel efficiency that I’m eager to try out on my fellow Savants.
Here’s my thinking: It’s always struck me as odd when vehicles in two different segments somehow ended up with very similar EPA numbers. For example, both the Ford Fiesta and the new Ford Focus are going to post marks of 40 mpg highway. Now, one way of looking at this is “wow, Ford was able to build a compact car that gets the same great fuel economy as its subcompact.” But I can’t help approaching this from the other side, wondering how, if the Blue Oval can get that kind of performance from the Focus, it can’t do better with the smaller, lighter Fiesta.
By Chris Haak
Honda’s second-generation Insight, which is based heavily upon the Fit’s architecture, but without the conventional car’s peppy drivetrain or much of its sporty handling, has not been a sales success for Honda so far. While the company initially hoped to sell 60,00o Insights annually in the US, sales have been barely over a quarter of that number, with 17,789 units sold through the first ten months of 2010, against 17,530 units sold during the first ten months of 2009. Meanwhile, the Prius is whooping the Insight in terms of sales: Toyota’s standard-bearer has moved 115,065 so far this year (again, through October 31) and 118,290 during the same period last year.
So does Honda’s solution involve developing a trick new hybrid system, tossing out the underperforming IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) mild hybrid system? Nah, instead they just stripped content from the car to lower its price point.
By Chris Haak
GM and Chrysler – yes, the same two companies that shed tens of thousands of white-collar and production employees over the past few years as both firms stumbled into bankruptcy in 2009 – announced separately today that they plan to hire a considerable number of engineers. Most of the new jobs will be located in Michigan, where it seems likely that there is a large number of out-of-work, qualified engineers with automotive experience ready to start working again on a moment’s notice.
For Chrysler, which saw its US-based employment fall from 64,750 in 2006 to just 32,250 in June 2009, the new hires will come in large part from stepped-up campus recruiting efforts at 35 schools, but the company also wants to hire a mix of new grads and experienced hires. Since exiting bankruptcy in June 2009, the company has already hired some 5,000 workers, of whom at least 500 are engineers. Of the 1,000 projected new hires, about 600 will actually be on Chrysler’s payroll, and 400 will likely be contract employees. Chrysler expects to fill the openings within the next four months.
By Charles Krome
According to a report this weekend from The Detroit News, Ford has received nearly twice as many orders for its all-new 2011 Explorer as the company originally projected. But the actual numbers may surprise some people: According to the article, the 15,000 or so orders include approximately 3,000 from retail customers and 7,500 from dealers, with the remainder—roughly 4,500—coming from fleet buyers.
It’s good news overall for Ford, but I do have some mixed feelings about that last number. On the one hand, in the context of a (hopefully) improving economy, it makes sense that fleet orders would be on the rise, especially for a vehicle like the next-gen Explorer, which offers both iconic name appeal and an all-new model. But I’m certain Ford is hoping fleet sales will represent significantly less than 30 percent of Explorer purchases once the vehicle actually goes on sale.
By Kevin Miller
I don’t watch much TV, but I read plenty plenty of automotive websites and I travel a lot. Both on those automotive sites and in national news publications such as USAToday, the Lincoln MKX is being heavily advertised. Ford is doing a great job in getting the word out about the MKX and its class-leading MyLincoln Touch system.
After spending a week in a 2011 Lincoln MKX, I came away conflicted. It has some great features, is more fun to drive than many competing five-passenger crossover vehicles, and for the most part is nicely finished.