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Good news and bad news— Piece of Craft (@Piece_of_Craft) March 20, 2020
We flew too close to the sun boys! A big video game company who i will keep nameless obviously didn't read my "be cool" note in dreams
no worries though have a back up plan. But for now Mario projects in dreams are on hold until i put said plan into effect pic.twitter.com/ifGDM0jFZ3
PieceOfCraft also stated that they received an email from Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe that said Nintendo had issued a complaint about their intellectual property being used in a Sony game. PieceOfCraft's Mario model can be seen being used in other user creations. It's unclear if those creations have been impacted by Sony's decision to remove it.
PieceOfCraft followed up again by saying that they can no longer edit the Mario creation as it’s been marked as “removed” due to copyright material.
“I can remix it but the original I can no longer edit and [others] will not find or be able to use. Not too sure what will happen to levels that used the Mario. [I guess] we'll have to wait and see. Its [kind of] like a slap on the wrist.”
Business attorney Richard Hoeg (of Hoeg Law and Virtual Legality) notes that this isn’t an entirely unexpected development, given Media Molecule’s past with LittleBigPlanet, but the terms of service agreement appears to cover Sony on issues like this.
“Anyone that has played Dreams is well aware of the amount of content that is "inspired" by some of the most beloved games of all time,” Hoeg told IGN. “And anyone that played its predecessor, LittleBigPlanet knew that folks would be making all sorts of things owned by others….So what you see on the game is essentially people making what they love and (most) content creators looking the other way. This isn't that unusual a state of affairs as much of the fan art, fan games, streaming scene could be argued to live on the same basis of IP Holder largesse.”
Hoeg adds that it’s equally expected to see Nintendo go after content like what PieceOfCraft created, given its lengthy history of copyright lawsuits. That includes a lawsuit against a ROM site that hosted emulations of older Nintendo games. That lawsuit resulted in Nintendo being awarded more than $12 million, although the couple who ran both sites later entered settlement negotiations, so the total penalty might have changed. Nintendo also previously won a legal battle against an unlicensed Mario Kart go-kart company in Tokyo.
Hoeg also adds that Media Molecule’s recent explorations of how Dreams creations could be used outside of Dreams could have spurred companies like Nintendo to start taking a harder look at protecting their property.
“Nintendo is well within its legal rights here, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good business decision," Hoeg said. "Different companies are going to have different tolerances for the use of their property by others (even if infringing) and I think many game companies have essentially decided that use of their IP in streams, art, and places like Dreams ultimately serves more as positive marketing than anything else. So I'm not sure how many we will see follow Nintendo's path here.”All that hasn’t stopped creators from using Dreams to keep making admittedly interesting homages or outright recreations of popular games and other IPs. You can check out all of those on our Dreams hub page, including the absolutely ridiculous Avatar: The Last Airbender fan game.


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GST collections for April touch Rs 1.87 lakh crores; 12% higher than Year-on-Year revenues
Published: May 01, 2023
NEW DELHI, MAY 01, 2023: THE gross GST revenue collected in the month of April, 2023 is Rs 1,87,035 crore of which CGST is Rs 38,440 crore, SGST is Rs 47,412 crore, IGST is Rs 89,158 crore (including Rs 34,972 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 12,025 crore (including Rs 901 crore collected on import of goods).
The government has settled Rs 45,864 crore to CGST and Rs 37,959 crore to SGST from IGST. The total revenue of Centre and the States in the month of April 2023 after regular settlement is Rs 84,304 crore for CGST and Rs 85,371 crore for the SGST.
The revenues for the month of April 2023 are 12% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. During the month, the revenues from domestic transactions (including import of services) are 16% higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.
For the first time gross GST collection has crossed Rs 1.75 lakh crore mark. Total number of e-way bills generated in the month of March 2023 was 9.0 crore, which is 11% higher than 8.1 crore e-way bills generated in the month of February 2023.
Month of April 2023 saw the highest ever tax collection on a single day on 20th April 2023. On 20th April 2023, Rs 68,228 crore was paid through 9.8 lakh transactions. The highest single day payment last year (on the same date) was Rs 57,846 crore through 9.6 lakh transactions.

domain: news


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Business as usual in Ahmedabad’s diamond polishing unitsJuly 27th, 2008 - 3:40 pm ICT by IANS
Ahmedabad, July 27 (IANS) It is business as usual in diamond processing units in Rakiyal and Bapunagar in eastern Ahmedabad, which were the targets of Saturday’s bomb blasts in which at least 39 people were killed. Units processing diamonds opened Sunday and workers were going about their job of cutting and polishing diamonds. Bapunagar is now the hub of city’s diamond cutting and polishing business.
“There is no tension at all. People have put behind Saturday’s bomb blasts in the area,” said diamond businessman Gordhan Zadaphia, who was a former minister of state for home in the Narendra Modi cabinet. He represented Rakiyal assembly constituency during 2002-07.
“The blasts have not shaken the confidence of the people. Not at all. I am sitting very near the area where a blast occurred. People are moving around and doing their jobs just like everyday,” he said when contacted by IANS.
Zadaphia, who owns five units, said the city provided ideal market conditions and infrastructure was conducive for the industry to grow emerging as an alternative to Surat for cutting and polishing rough diamonds procured from Belgium, Russia and Canada.
Industry sources said at least 3,000 to 4,000 new units are likely to be set up in Bapunagar. The trade estimates the turnover at Rs.500 million a month.
Diamond cutting and polishing in Bapunagar has virtually become a house-hold industry.
Spurred by the success of the diamond cutting and polishing units, several professional training institutes have come up in Bapunagar where trainees are imparted technical knowledge on cutting and polishing of diamonds.
Tags: bomb blasts, businessman, confidence, constituency, diamond, hub, industry sources, infrastructure, minister of state, narendra modi, processing units, professional training, rough diamonds, rs 500, targets, technical knowledge, tension, trainees, training institutes, turnover


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Wake-up everybody--this article appears in a reputable business newspaper- Business Week! Does the article or journalist give the issue the more credibility? You decide!
Human-Chip Company Plans IPO
While the NAIS remains voluntary on a federal level, and there is no formal people identification system as yet, both executives are moving aggressively to position their companies for the day when chips in animals and people are the norm rather than the exception. Mary Zanoni, a lawyer and critic of NAIS who has written extensively about the system, says that "the microchipping of livestock and pet animals is intended to make tagging more acceptable in helping these companies market their devices for people."
Silverman's company,VeriChip Corp., is preparing for widespread marketing of its people chips with an initial public offering that it expects to complete within the next 60 days.
It has begun building what he refers to as "the infrastructure" by signing up more than 400 hospitals to adopt system scanners and databases and about 1,200 physicians to make chips available to patients likeliest to benefit from them, such as diabetics. ("The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for the product, which could serve a worldwide market of 230,000 million people with diabetes.")
While McGrath and Silverman aren't related, their companies are. Digital Angel and VeriChip have the same majority owner. Applied Digital Solutions (ADSX), the parent of seven smaller companies, owns 55% of Digital Angel and all of VeriChip.
Remember the Infant Protection from VeriChip?
A listing of their press releases. See a pattern yet?
Read Animal Tags for People: The Real Prize


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GM, UAW Making 'Good Progress' Toward Agreement
General Motors Co (NYSE:GM) and the United Auto Workers union have made "good progress" toward an agreement, a person familiar with the talks said on Friday as negotiations resumed.
Talks also continued at Chrysler Group LLC on Friday morning.
The UAW has chosen to attempt an agreement with No. 1 U.S. automaker GM first, before then reaching a deal with Chrysler and finally with Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F), those close to the talks have said.
At stake are wages and benefits for about 113,000 unionized U.S. auto workers who have gone years without a base pay increase since 2003.
GM and the other two automakers have offered one-time contract-signing bonuses and profit-sharing, while the union has sought higher wages for entry level workers, a commitment to more production jobs and cost-of-living increases.
The talks are playing out at a time of uncertainty about the strength of auto demand for the remainder of this year and in 2012 as well as concern about the risk of another recession. Four-year contracts at all three automakers were extended beyond their Wednesday night expirations.
That follows the pattern of earlier talks, although UAW President Bob King and the automakers had held out hope for a speedier resolution this time.
A key sticking point at GM, according to people familiar with the talks, is the amount of signing bonuses to be offered to its 49,000 unionized workers upon ratification. Any settlement reached at the negotiating tables must be ratified by the union's membership.
GM had proposed a per-worker signing bonus of close to $3,500 based on recent manufacturing contracts negotiated by the union, but the UAW has pressed for a higher figure. Most analysts expect an agreement of $5,000 to $7,000.
That would cost GM between $245 million and $343 million.
GM stock has dropped 43 percent to $22.53 since its early 2011 high, and is down 32 percent since its staring IPO value of $33 last November.
The UAW gave up the right to strike at GM and Chrysler through 2015 as part of the federally funded bailouts of those companies.
Any unresolved contract dispute at GM and Chrysler would go to arbitration, which both sides have said they want to avoid.
Chrysler is managed and majority owned by Italy's Fiat SpA.


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Amazon announced new Alexa Devices 2018 at its hardware event. Most of the devices are based on its Voice Assistant Alexa competing against others. There were a few software updates too but a lot of new releases and hardware updates. To be precise more than a dozen new Alexa devices in 2018. We got you covered here what you need to know about these Alexa devices at the hardware event.
Here is the list of New Alexa Devices 2018 by Amazon :
- Amazon’s updated Echo Dot
- New Echo Dot for your Car
- The Booming echo Sub
- A Fire TV Recast
- An updated Echo Show
- A Security Camera
- A new speakerless Echo Input for speakers
- OH wow! a Microwave
- The Echo Plus, hm! updated one
- A clock with Alexa
- A smart Plug, Great!
- The Echo Link a Link Amp, Voice! hm!
- Anything else? hm!
- Software updates
The Echo Hub
Amazon just announced these bunch of new Alexa devices in but most of these were Echo, right? Most of these were updated to Echo Dot and a few new Alexa devices as Echo. The new Echo products included echo Sub speaker, a new Fire TV Recast device, a microwave. Amazon updated the Echo products like Echo Dot, Echo Plus and echo Show. They did not change the pricing but gave a new design and better quality. These new Alexa devices look better than the previous generations.
The updated echo Dot is 75 per cent more powerful than the previous one which can bump the sound quality. There is a new Alexa device as Echo Dot for the car for $50. A car is one of the places where voice command can be quite helpful. The Echo Show got updated with a slicker and new look for $229. This new Alexa Device has 10 inches screen through which you can make Skype calls too. The Echo Plus is also updated as new Alexa device with a new look for $150. This Alexa device still has its hub and now it takes voice commands while offline too. Amazon is so serious about voice assistant, they introduced the Echo Link and Link Amp for Sound Amplification.
Unnecessary Alexa Devices
Amazon announced a few products which seem completely waste like the Alexa Clock and the Microwave. Do we really need a new Alexa device like a clock which can visualise timers and alarms? What do you think about this? Thank God it’s cheap at $30 but we still feel it is waste. and a Microwave with Alexa control. Do you need a Microwave like that? This one is not so costly ($60), but will Amazon be able to push it to the market?
New Alexa Devices 2018 we needed
Not like the microwave and clock, Amazon launched interesting new Alexa devices too. The Echo Link and Link Amp show Amazon’s push towards Voice Assistant. Just like every Smart Home Assistant maker, Amazon too launched a smart plug. There is a speakerless Echo input for as low as $35. It will act as input to your speakers. There is a new Alexa device as Ring Security Camera for $180 operating via battery. One more new Alexa device fire TV Recast. This one is a DVR device that works with a fire TV or a stick and Echo Show too that can cast and record Live TV Show.
With all these products as new Alexa devices, Amazon is making competition tougher for Voice Assistant. what do you think how successful would it be in the future?


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54.55 -0.62 (-1.12%)
After hours: 7:54PM EST
|Bid||54.53 x 1000|
|Ask||55.93 x 800|
|Day's Range||54.95 - 58.39|
|52 Week Range||35.61 - 72.00|
|Beta (5Y Monthly)||1.83|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings Date||Apr 26, 2020 - Apr 30, 2020|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||2.00 (3.36%)|
|Ex-Dividend Date||Apr 01, 2020|
|1y Target Est||79.77|
In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) by taking the...
After a period of cooling off its impact on the markets, fear of the coronavirus played havoc on Wall Street again today. Consequentially, the tech heavy Nasdaq 100 had its worst day for almost a month, dropping by almost 3%. Companies with heavy exposure to China such as AMD and Nvidia are the most heavily affected.Nevertheless, tech companies have provided investors with plenty to shout about over the last 12 months and the sector can always be depended upon to present various compelling plays.In fact, using TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy tool we managed to pinpoint 3 stocks in the sector that currently present perfect investing opportunities -- all receive a score of a “perfect 10." Let’s get the lowdown.Lumentum Holdings (LITE)Lumentum has had a phenomenal 2019, with shares up over 90%. Increasing demand for its offerings, especially amongst consumer electronics stalwart like Apple - for which it supplies 3D sensing technology - plus better than expected earnings results, helped the stock beat the market considerably.In the latest earnings report, the company posted revenue of $457.8 million, a year-over-year increase of 23%, beating the consensus calls for $452 million. A beat was posted by EPS, too; the estimate of $1.29, below the reported $1.53. Lumentum’s balance sheet looks in rude health, as well: the company ended the quarter backed with $1.3 billion in cash and short-term investments.Goldman Sachs’ Rod Hall is impressed with the print. In fact, in addition to keeping his Buy rating intact, the results meant the 4-star analyst nudged his price target upwards, too; from $77 to $102. The implication? Further upside of 28%. (To watch Hall’s track record, click here)Hall believes Lumentum will see further growth in margins driven by the rising mix of Datacom chip and 3D sensing revenue and the exit from legacy products. Furthermore, the company’s conservative guidance means room for share appreciation. Hall explained, "FQ3 EBIT margin implies more weakness in Telecom gross margins than can be explained by the coronavirus risk alone. We model FQ3 Telecom gross margin at just 38.0%, down from 45.5% in FQ2 in spite of higher revenues. Even this large drop still puts our forecast closer to the high end of the 21%-23% EBIT margin guidance range at 22.7%".Overall, Lumentum’s momentum won’t be halted, according to the analysts; 14 Buys and 2 Holds converge to a Strong Buy consensus rating. At $96.81, the average price target indicates possible gains in the shape of 21% over the next 12 months. (See Lumentum stock analysis on TipRanks)Wix.com (WIX)Wix stock took a hit last week following the release of its quarterly results. Despite posting year-over year growth of 25%, which amounted to fiscal 2019 revenue of $761.1 million – investors were let down by the disappointing guidance; Wix sees Q1 revenue of between $215 to $217 million, while the consensus calls for $217.8 million.The print, though, also exhibited some strong numbers. The addition of 89,000 premium subscribers in the fourth quarter was a 13% year-over-year increase and adds to a total of 4.5 million paying customers. Wix now has 165 million registered users, a rise of 16% from 2018. Additionally, the quarter saw Wix introducing Editor X, an innovative web design and creation platform for web agencies and designers.Deutsche Bank’s Lloyd Walmsley is staying with the bulls. The 5-star analyst thinks “the customer support, agency sales and partnership initiatives” can all pay dividends in 2020.Walmsley further added, “We see preliminary 2020 guidance as more conservative than in the recent past given a series of new products out that have unknown ramp paths, most notably the EditorX and Payments, both of which could ultimately scale well in our view… we believe EditorX can have a more immediate path to financial contribution and is not yet fully reflected in the guide… We continue to see a potential inflection in payments, particularly if Wix eventually forces adoption on the platform, which is not currently contemplated in guidance.”Walmsley, therefore, reiterated a Buy rating on Wix. The mixed print, though, means a slight reduction in the 5-star analyst’s price target, down from $170 to $166. The new figure could still yield returns of 28% over the coming year. (To watch Walmsley’s track record, click here)Most of the Street have not given up on the company just yet, as TipRanks analytics showcase WIX as a Strong Buy. Out of 8 analysts polled in the last 3 months, 7 are bullish on the stock, while only 1 remains sidelined. With a potential upside of 18%, the stock’s consensus target price stands at $154. (See Wix stock analysis on TipRanks)Western Digital (WDC)Completing the list is hard disk drive manufacturer and data storage specialist Western Digital. The San Jose based company provided investors with plenty to smile about last year; the stock added 74% to its share price in 2019.WD’s latest earning results delivered the goods across the board. WDC reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $4.23 billion, beating the street’s call for $4.22 billion. Likewise, the company posted a beat with EPS: $0.62 vs the Street’s estimate of $0.58, Gross margins came in at the high-end of guidance at 25.9%.For the current quarter, WDC expects revenue to come in between $4.1 to 4.3 billion and EPS between $0.85 and $1.05 ($0.95 at midpoint). The Street is calling for $4.23 billion and $0.78, respectively. Gross margins are expected to improve quarter-over-quarter to between 28.5 and 29.5%RBC’s Mitch Steves applauded the print: “Western Digital reported a solid quarter and guidance came in notably ahead of expectations from an EPS perspective. Specifically the company notes: 1) the NAND environment is improving faster than they originally expected and anticipate solid strength through CY20, 2) WDC is seeing continued momentum in NVMe enterprise SSds, 3) they anticipate doubling enterprise SSD revenue in 2020, 4) gaming flash demand should begin in June of 2020 and 5) gross margin are seeing notable improvements with WDC guiding to 29% at the mid-point for Mar qtr.”Down to the nitty gritty, what does it all mean? It means Steves keeps his Outperform rating as is, while boosting his price target upwards; $64 is upgraded to $85 and implies potential upside of 33%. (To watch Steves’ track record, click here)The storage specialist’s Moderate Buy consensus rating currently breaks down into 13 Buys, 4 Holds and a single Sell. The average price target comes in at $82.06 and suggests possible returns of 22.5%. (See Western Digital stock analysis on TipRanks)
Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) has been selected as one of the winners of Storage Magazine’s prestigious Products of the Year Awards for 2019. The company’s OpenFlex F3100 Series Fabric Device was recognized as "groundbreaking" and "the most composable" product in the Hyperconverged (HCI) and Composable Infrastructures category, highlighting impressive performance and density, innovative hardware design and open API. According to TechTarget editors, the OpenFlex F3100 "offers a look at what is, perhaps, the future of hyperconvergence by disaggregating storage from servers over NVMe-oF."
Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today announced that the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share of common stock (the "cash dividend"). The cash dividend will be paid on April 17, 2020, to the company's stockholders of record as of April 3, 2020.
Western Digital (WDC) shares have started gaining and might continue moving higher in the near term, as indicated by solid earnings estimate revisions.
The latest U.S.-China trade war news. Quarterly earnings results from the likes of Twitter. The episode then dives into an Uber Q4 earnings preview, before it closes with why Western Digital is a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) stock...
Looking for stocks to buy? Get analysis of large-cap stocks like Amazon, Alibaba and Dow Jones stocks GE and Microsoft to see if it's time to buy — or sell.
These large-cap developed-markets stocks generate at least 15% of their sales from China and could be vulnerable if worries around the coronavirus and Chinese economy escalate, says Citigroup.
Western Digital enters into a definitive agreement to sell its sell its ActiveScale™ product line business to Quantum Corp.
Western Digital's (WDC) second-quarter 2020 results benefit from product additions. However, softness in NAND flash pricing trends and decline in client HDD remain a headwind.
Seagate's (STX) second-quarter fiscal 2020 results are likely to reflect strength in enterprise HDD sales amid stiff competition from Western Digital.
Dow Jones futures fell on coronavirus fears. Amazon stock surged on earnings, leading 3 stocks flashing possible buys. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty is leaving.
Shares of Western Digital Corp. are up 4.7% in premarket trading Friday after the company issued an upbeat earnings forecast the prior afternoon. "There isn't much here to dislike - the tone of the call was one of the best we have heard all earnings season," wrote Cowen & Co. analyst Karl Ackerman. "Most notably, the company articulated it expects NAND [gross margins] will progress toward its long-term target of 35-40% in the second half of C2020, as the company should be a primary beneficiary of improving supply/demand dynamics and faster than expected share gains in enterprise [solid-state drives]." He reiterated his outperform rating and $88 target price. Susquehanna's Mehdi Hosseini said that Western Digital's "earnings power [is] on the rise" as he now expects annualized earnings per share of about $8 by the end of 2020 and $10 by the end of 2021. Hosseini rates the stock at positive while hiking his target to $100 from $90. Shares have risen 30% over the past three months, as the S&P 500 has risen 8%.
Western Digital (WDC) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 10.71% and 0.49%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 2019. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?
Western Digital earnings topped Wall Street estimates and matched on revenue for the provider of memory chips and disk drives. Western Digital stock rose in after-hours trading.


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VACATION OWNERSHIP INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
- October 15th, 2009
- in Yachting
VACATION OWNERSHIP, AND THE BVI TOURISM OPPORTUNITY
From September 14th through the 15th 2009, hundreds of delegates from the vacation ownership and hotel development industry, along with lenders, architects and investors, gathered for the 11th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference (VOIC) in Orlando, Florida. In response to the setbacks presented by last year’s economic environment, this year, the conference titled “Opportunities in Adversity,” turned its attention to the industry’s current coping methods and the arising opportunities expected to create momentum and lead the industry forward.
Present at this event were Tim Peck, Chairman at OBMI and Doug Kulig, Chief Executive Officer at OBMI. During the conference, Peck shared the stage with other industry leaders to discuss “Value Engineering Strategies in the New World.”
Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost. It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not be reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements. “The most significant opportunity for value creation is in the design stage,” noted Peck. “Value can be created in the aesthetic quality of a structure and functionally, well-designed plans have significant operational efficiencies with savings to operational costs,” Peck added. Peck’s messages during his panel also included topics of sustainability and the use of local resources and materials, which can have significant long-term savings.
Tim Peck, OBMI Chairman
The Caribbean was used as a prime example of a region using sustainability in value design. “It is our privilege to be part of such an important forum especially in these challenging times,” indicated Peck. “Within these challenges are exciting moments that present great opportunity for innovation within various markets. In the BVI, where OBMI has its Caribbean roots, the vacation ownership or higher-end fractional or private residence club sector has tremendous potential for growth.”
Despite the current financial conditions and the difficulty of forecasting a market rebound with total precision, there was a real sense of optimism among VOIC experts suggesting that hospitality and vacation ownership will continue to grow. One reason to believe this outcome is signaled by the sustaining high level of interest among consumers regarding vacation ownership and time-sharing. According to Peter Yesawich, keynote speaker at VOIC and CEO of Y Partnership, a leading research firm specializing in travel and hospitality, vacation home rentals increased 92 percent in 2009 compared with 78 percent in 2008. Furthermore, the Y Partnership study revealed that future timeshare buyers are willing to pay as much as 20 percent more for a product or service that has a level of customization to their specifications.
With its infinite allure and closeness to the U.S.,-one of the largest vacation ownership consumer regions- the Caribbean can take solid advantage of this personalized service strategy. In fact, according to Yesawich, overall interest in traveling to the Caribbean increased 13 percent from last year, making the area an important emerging market. For the BVI this is a promising prospect as well, given that the travel and tourism economy in the BVI is expected to grow by 4.6 percent per annum between 2010 and 2019, according to a 2009 World Travel Tourism Council study. Similarly, with its spectacular natural beauty, exposure to cruise ship traffic and top-notch hospitality and lodging capabilities, the BVI has significant growth opportunities, especially in fractional, private residential club properties and destination clubs, which in turn are big movements in the industry.
The industry movement toward the fractional and club sectors has resulted from an adaptive reaction from second-home buyers challenged by the current economy, the conversion of existing stagnated condominium developments, and traveler’s propensity to secure lower long-term lodging rates. For those communities that have an existing depth of vacation ownership, this has helped maintain high occupancy where traditional resorts are suffering. For developers, it has also been a coping strategy as a response to the recent credit crunch, which caused many hospitality developments to stall. Consequently, many developers are diversifying their product portfolio as a method of generating more revenue options from services that respond to the current market demands.
“There is no doubt that the industry has been more cautious in developing new projects, and has taken measures to adapt and minimize risks,” said Doug Kulig. As an example, Kulig mentioned the growing trend in fractional and destination clubs as well as the increasing emphasis on the importance of credit worthiness. “From adaptation comes progress, and we are confident that the vacation ownership industry will continue to grow and expand,” said the executive.
The current economic landscape has also generated for many developers a significant number of unsold inventory, which in turn has either slowed down many future projects or has deterred many investors from building in established and matured markets. As a response strategy, developers have been more inclined to venture out and expand into new markets within the established markets of Mexico, and the Caribbean, For the BVI, this is source of good news, since many American vacation owners and potential buyers, which represent the largest industry buyer in the region, currently seek exotic destinations close to home.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OBMI OR TO INQUIRE ABOUT SERVICES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Steve Fox, British Virgin Islands office
T 284 494 2148 / F 284 494 3898
For seven decades, OBM International has been the premier full-service design-consulting firm in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Today, with nine multinational offices, projects throughout the world and a diverse team of experts, OBM is a global leader in luxury hotel/resort design development, architecture, master/town planning and interior design, with landmark projects in the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.
OBM has design offices located in Antigua, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Madrid, Miami, Muscat and Trinidad and Tobago.


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Black Stats Frequently requested
data on African American consumers
Black Buying Power:
$836 Billion (2010)
Black U.S. Population:
Top Five Black Cities
- New York
Top Five Black Metros:
- New York-New Jersey
- Los Angeles
Top Five Expenditures:
- Housing $203.8 bil.
- Food $65.2 bil.
- Cars/Trucks $29.1 bil.
- Clothing $29.3 bil.
- Health Care $23.6 bil. ______________________
Quick access to key stats
Click here to go to African-American Census Bureau
2011 by Target Market News Inc. All rights reserved
228 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60604
Johnson Publishing Co. names Clarisa Wilson president of Fashion Fair
(July 25, 2011) Johnson Publishing Company appointed Clarisa Wilson as
the new President of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, a global prestige cosmetics
brand for women of color. Clarisa will assume her post on Monday, July
"We are elated to have Clarisa Wilson at the helm of Fashion Fair
Cosmetics. Her remarkable track record at Carol's Daughter and L'Oreal
USA is a clear indication of exciting things to come for our brand" said
Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing Company. "I look forward to
developing a collaborative partnership with such an industry authority
For over 20 years, Clarisa has dedicated her career to anticipating and
addressing consumers' beauty needs while building a platform for
continuous growth of the brands she works on. Clarisa began her career
in the beauty industry with Revlon's Caribe Division and worked at
Worlds of Curl as the Director of Cosmetics.
She served at Johnson Publishing Company as Director of Sales and
Marketing for Ebone Cosmetics from 1992-93.
Clarisa was Global Vice President and General Manager of Mizani, a
division of L'Oreal USA. During her tenure at Mizani, the brand won the
Behind the Chair Multicultural Award in 2002 and 2003. Her
extraordinary resume and strong background in brand building led L'Oreal
to select her for the L'Oreal Global Leadership Team.
Clarisa worked as President of Carol's Daughter. She successfully
re-launched the eleven-year-old boutique brand into a national beauty
brand for women of color. Under her strategic direction, Carol's
Daughter grew its business exponentially by expanding distribution via
free-standing, E-Commerce, catalogue, wholesale and home shopping
outlets. Her dynamic initiatives garnered numerous industry accolades
including WWD's Indie Brand Awards, Natural Health's Beauty Awards, and
a Black Enterprise Award.
Target Market News
The Nielsen Co.
U.S. Census Bureau
ORDER TODAY! New
"Buying Power" report: Black consumers spend as economy grows Details $507
expenditures African-American consumers are cautiously increasing their
spending in some key product categories, even as they continue to make
adjustments in a slowly growing economy. The finding comes from the 16th annual edition of "The Buying Power of Black America"
report published by Target Market News..
In 2009, black households spent an estimated $507 billion in 27 product
and services categories. That's an increase of 16.6% over the $435 billion
spent in 2008. African-Americans" total earned income for 2009 is
estimated at $836 billion...


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JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM - The Indonesia Ministry of Trade has issued an Import Approval Letter (SPI) for 2,000 tons of yellow onions in response to the soaring commodity prices.
Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto explained that the Import Approval Letter is issued in stages in accordance with the Horticultural Product Import Recommendation (RIPH) given by the Directorate General of Horticulture at the Ministry of Agriculture.
"We have issued a permit to import yellow onions because we have just entered RIPH, so we process it immediately, and when it exits RIPH it does not necessarily immediately come out (the permit), we have to process the permits for some time," Agus Suparmanto said.
On the same occasion, Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade Indrasari Wisnu Wardana explained that the import approval letter for yellow onions that had been issued by the Ministry of Trade for 2,000 tons of yellow onions imported from New Zealand.
"What has come out is 2,000 tons of onions ... Yes, from New Zealand," Indrasari said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Market Traders Association (Ikappi) Abdullah Mansuri said the average price of yellow onions in traditional markets has now reached IDR170,000 to IDR200,000 per kilogram.
"Yellow onions, which should have the highest price of IDR25,000, are now in the range of IDR170,000 per kilogram, some even sell for IDR200,000. The problem is that the goods are not so many," Abdullah said.
According to him, the price of onions has never touched the current price range, and it even has exceeded the price of rice and the price of meat per kilogram. He hopes the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture can move quickly to reduce the high prices of these onions.


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A woman claims she lost her sense of smell and taste after using a homeopathic remedy.
Mary Pat Bollone filed a lawsuit Dec. 31 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Matrixx Initiatives and Zicam.
Bollone claims she purchased and used Zicam -- a homeopathic remedy for the common cold manufactured by Matrixx – in March 2008.
Because of her use of the product, Bollone sustained permanent loss of smell and taste; suffered disability, loss of a normal life, pain, suffering and extreme emotional distress; and incurred medical costs, according to the complaint.
Matrixx should have recalled Zicam long before Bollone suffered her injuries, the suit states.
It began manufacturing Zicam in 1999, using zinc gluconate as the active ingredient in the drug. Zicam delivers the zinc gluconate to the nasal membranes through either a gel, spray or swab, the complaint says.
Since 1999, Matrixx and the FDA have been receiving complaints from consumers who say that Zicam adversely affected their ability to smell and taste. However, Matrixx did not investigate the complaints and continued to sell the drug, Bollone claims.
It even released a statement Feb. 6, 2004, stating, "Reports alleging anosmia – or loss of smell – in a small number of patients using zinc gluconate intranasal gels for the treatment of the common cold are completely unfounded and misleading," according to the complaint.
Not even a multi-million dollar settlement reached between Matrixx and hundreds of individuals who used Zicam on Jan. 19, 2006, could stop the company from selling the drug, the suit states.
Not until the FDA issued a release on June 16, 2009, advising consumers to stop using Matrixx's product did Matrixx recall Zicam, the complaint says.
In her 10-count suit, Bollone seeks a judgment of more than $500,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.
J. Michael Weilmuenster, Stephen R. Wigginton and Frederick W. Keck of Weilmuenster and Wigginton will be representing her.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-693.


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Broadcom is considering a bid of more than US$100bn for Qualcomm, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be the biggest-ever takeover of a chip maker.
Broadcom is speaking to advisers about the potential deal, said the people, who asked not to be identified because talks are private. The offer of about $70/share would include cash and stock and is likely to be made in the coming days, the people said. A final decision on whether to proceed has not been made, they said.
Qualcomm shares rose as much as 19% in New York in their biggest intraday move since October 2008. They traded up 12% at 2.23pm, valuing the company at $91bn. Broadcom rose 4.7%, for a market valuation of $111bn.
Representatives for Broadcom and Qualcomm declined to comment.
Broadcom CEO Hock Tan is a voracious acquirer, and he’s played a key role in a wave of consolidation engulfing the $300bn semiconductor industry over the last three years.
Broadcom, created in 2016 when Avago Technologies acquired then-Broadcom for $37bn, has built itself from a former division of Hewlett-Packard into one of the industry’s largest chip makers via a string of purchases. Tan has said he intends to seek more deals, a strategy that could be limited by opposition from US regulators.
Broadcom, a major supplier to Apple, said this week it will return its headquarters to the US from Singapore. The company already lists San Jose, California, as a corporate co-headquarters.
Qualcomm finds itself in a weakened state. Before today, its shares had slumped 16% this year, compared to a 41% surge in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index — in part due to an escalating legal battle with Apple that’s costing revenue and jeopardising the business model that for years made Qualcomm one of the most successful chip makers in the world.
At issue are the licensing fees that Qualcomm charges for patents that cover the basics of how mobile phone systems work. Apple contends Qualcomm is unfairly charging too much and illegally taking advantage of its market position in chips. Qualcomm has countered that Apple, one of its largest customers, has lied to regulators in an unfair attempt to bully its opponent into charging less.
Qualcomm, based in San Diego, California, is also confronting headwinds in closing its $47bn purchase of NXP Semiconductors. The deal is facing regulatory examination in Europe and opposition from some shareholders including activist hedge fund firm Elliott Management, which has argued the offer undervalues NXP.
Aside from the financial challenges of such a large deal, Broadcom would also encounter close regulatory scrutiny. Based on 2016 revenue, the enlarged company would be the world’s third largest chip maker behind Intel and Samsung Electronics and give it a huge swathe of the supply chain of vital phone components such as Wi-Fi and cellular modem chips. The two companies are already among the top 10 providers of chips ranked by revenue in an industry that’s consolidating rapidly. — Reported by Ed Hammond, Dinesh Nair and Ian King, with assistance from Matthew Campbell, (c) 2017 Bloomberg LP


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CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (KMOV.com) – Stolen sunglasses led police in Chesterfield to three men who had dozens of stolen credit cards and skimming devices.
Pavel Rodriguez, 37, Roberto Rodriguez, 43, and Eroilde Tamayo, 34, tried to steal sunglasses from the Premium Outlet Mall last week, police said.
Upon their arrest, officers found thousands of dollars in cash, dozens of stolen credit cards, and thousands of dollars worth of merchandise bought with the stolen credit cards. They also found skimming devices that police said were similar to those found in gas pumps in Hazelwood.
All three men, who are from Houston, are charged with trafficking in stolen identities and possession of a forging instrument.
The three are also accused of trafficking in stolen identities.
All three are being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.


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THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING
To boost the customer business value, Infor and Linklogis have joined hands to deliver innovative financial solutions in the supply chain management. The collaboration will be beneficial for the small and medium-sized industries to promote their business and make capital benefits.
FREMONT, CA: Infor, a business cloud software provider and Linklogis, a business-to-business focused independent supply chain platform has announced a partnership to provide financial service solutions through Infor Nexus platform designed to strengthen the small and medium-sized supply chain firms, which were previously underfunded and overlooked. This partnership will help in mitigating risk and reducing costs in the supply chain.
Linklogis utilizes advanced technologies like big data, AI, and blockchain to strengthen supply chains for the large and medium-sized enterprises. The innovative products of Linklogis and supply chain financial services enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to realize greater business value.
Infor is the biggest B2B supply chain platform in the world, empowering businesses to digitize their end-to-end supply chain procedures, gaining real-time visibility of all supply chain occurrences, and taking advantage of data-driven insights across inner systems and their entire network.
The partnership is a first of its kind, to combine AI, IoT and advanced visualization technology. Infor provides time visibility and intelligent insight to provide end to end collaborative network. The company now manages more than $1 trillion in trade for 65,000 corporate customers on the platform.
The collaboration between Infor and Linklogis will open Infor Nexus’s financial solutions to new suppliers, which will bring both sides together to offer technology-driven funding alternatives to the supply chain, assisting providers in expanding their reach.
As a supply chain financial solutions provider, Linklogis always makes partnerships, which will combine the solutions into B2B networks. Linklogis will focus on the remaining on innovative fintech solutions that will assist thousands of SMEs secure funding on B2B networks, facilitating the development of the company.
A large number of suppliers in today’s global supply chain do not have proper funding and therefore getting timely capital remains a big challenge. By offering a digital platform that connects buyers and vendors with innovative financial providers such as Linklogis, they are opening up fresh company development possibilities as well as increased effectiveness and cost savings.
The advantages of this offer are that suppliers can get a reliable source of capital at competitive prices; buyers can eliminate supplier-related risk to enhance supply chain health and better serve clients, and finance providers can promote fresh income streams in global trade.
Check Out : Review | CIOReview


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Acura – wikipedia, Acura (アキュラ, akyura?) is the luxury vehicle marque of japanese automaker honda. the brand was launched in the united states and canada in march 1986.
Alfa romeo -car lineup 2018, Alfa romeo’s future product portfolio has finally been confirmed and as predicted the brand will be targeting germany’s mainstream luxury brands with light and.
Rendered: 2018 acura tlx diamond pentagon grille, 23 comments on “ rendered: 2018 acura tlx with diamond pentagon grille ” jd 2016/03/27 at 7:21 pm. it will look better if you remove the top stretching lines over.
Ford reveals full 2018 fiesta lineup, including active, Ford has fully revealed its 2018 fiesta lineup, which includes a new crossover-styled ‘active’ variant.the next-generation hatchback’s facade does not stray far from.
Acura mdx – wikipedia, The acura mdx, or honda mdx as known in japan and australia (only the first generation was imported), is a mid-size three-row luxury crossover, produced by the.


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LONDON – Europe’s markets were all on a negative streak in trading Tuesday morning.
The FTSE 100 in London fell 0.7 percent to 6,043.57, followed by the CAC 40 in Paris, down 0.6 percent to 4,521.64. The FTSE MIB in Milan and the DAX in Frankfurt each declined 0.2 percent to 21,510.01 and 10,116.46, respectively.
According to reports, investors are wary ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest decision on whether to raise interest rates, which it is set to make public on Thursday. And the FTSE 100 in London lost ground as the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Tuesday that the country’s inflation rate stood at 0.0 percent in the year to August, down from 0.1 percent in the year to July. The ONS said that a smaller rise in clothing prices compared to the same month a year ago was the main contributor to the decline in inflation, along with changes in motor fuel prices and sea fares.
Fashion, luxury and retail stocks were largely down.
Fallers included Marks & Spencer, 1.6 percent to 4.85 pounds; Debenhams, 2.5 percent to 0.74 pounds; Hugo Boss, 1.3 percent to 100.57 euros, and Metro, 1.3 percent to 24.69 euros. Hennes & Mauritz fell 1.6 percent to 311.80 Swedish kronor, even as the retailer reported an 18 percent rise in its third-quarter sales Tuesday to 53.4 billion kronor, or $6.33 billion, in the June 1 to Aug. 31 period. The rise came despite a sharp slowdown in sales for the retailer in August.
Among the few to register gains were French Connection, 0.9 percent to 0.29 pounds; MySale Group, 2.3 percent to 0.56 pounds, and Gemfields, 0.8 percent to 0.63 pounds.
At 11:34 a.m. CET, the pound traded for $1.54, while the euro went for $1.13, the Hong Kong dollar for $0.13 and the Swedish krona for $0.12.
Asia’s markets also registered falls on Tuesday, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 3.5 percent to 3,005.17, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index retreated 0.5 percent to 21,455.23. The Nikkei 225 in Japan was the exception, up 0.3 percent to 18,026.48.


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It’s finally happening, as four V3 Superchargers have officially opened today in Canada, closing a significant gap in the Trans-Canada Highway Supercharger network in northern Ontario.
Last week it was reported that the V3 Superchargers in North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie were open, but it appeared they only had limited power for testing, and were shut down soon thereafter.
Now those V3 Superchargers, and two more in Baldwin (Espanola) and Blind River, have officially opened at full power, according to Tesla’s online and in-car Supercharger map. The North Bay Supercharger features 8 V3 stalls, while the others all have 6 stalls each. These are the first V3 Superchargers to open outside of the United States.
V3 Supercharging allows Tesla owners to charge at up to 250kW, meaning at full power you will be able to charge at up 1,600km/h, or regain 120km of range in just 5 minutes.


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Written by: Roshan Dwivedi
JUST A few months into its launch, Hotstar—Star India’s latest attempt at cracking the online code—witnessed close to 16 million downloads and 50 million unique users, “the fastest adoption for any digital service in the world”. Apparently, popular apps like Facebook took 10 months and Spotify five months to get to a million downloads. The average time spent on the Hotstar app—30 minutes per consumer per day—also compares well with the three hours or so that average Indians (read families) spend watching TV every day.
Star India shouldn’t be surprised, as the concept of watching television and video content on the go has evolved dramatically since the time YouTube was king. As per a 2014 Assocham-Deloitte joint study, the share of videos in the country’s Internet data traffic is expected to rise from about 41% in FY 2012 to 64% in FY 2017. “Mobile TV has matured in terms of video on demand technology, and user adoption is evident from the increase in video traffic. Mobile TV (has) registered a 400% growth rate in viewership (since 2012) for the country’s largest telecom companies, as more Indians watched TV on the go,” the study notes.
As per the study, YouTube, the most popular video app, is accessed by 35% of smartphone users, who spend almost 1.5 hours a month on it.
The scene is now set for entertainment and communications providers to offer game-changing services that would launch viewers into a new age of entertainment. HOOQ, touted as Asia’s answer to popular streaming service Netflix, recently announced that it will kick off its services in India in the near future for just R199 a month.
So what is the catch here? Why are entertainment and communications providers betting big on mobile-based TV and video services?
Read the entire story here.


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AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
SEMA is the place where the very best in aftermarket car parts are on display, so of course there’s going to be a car pushing 1,000-hp. This year, the folks at Bisimoto got their hands on a Hyundai Genesis Coupe and just didn’t stop adding power.
Hyundai is keeping up with the tuner crowd at this year’s SEMA Show, unleashing a 1,000-hp Genesis Coupe onto the unsuspecting public.


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In 2023, Honda Malaysia exceeded its annual sales target by selling over 80,000 units, maintaining its top spot in the Non-National Passenger Vehicle Segment for the tenth year in a row. Building on this momentum, the business has ambitious sales goals for 2024 in mind.
With an ambitious target, the brand plans to sell 95,000 vehicles this year, a significant 19% increase over last year. Alongside this target, there’s another one to aim for a 12.8% market share of the year’s total industry volume (TIV).
To enhance its chances of holding on to that top spot in 2024 for an 11th straight year, Honda Malaysia plans to add two new models to its already impressive inventory.
The roadmap covers a wide range of topics, such as the introduction of new products, marketing campaigns, and sustainability initiatives.
These include measures such as—raising awareness of its e:HEV hybrid technology, which in 2023 accounted for 28% of all hybrid sales; boosting advertising efforts and the promotion of Honda Insurance Plus packages; as well as extending the Honda Certified Used Car (HCUC) network to 32 sales hubs nationwide.
The CEO of Honda Malaysia, Hironobu Yoshimura, expressed excitement regarding the roadmap’s potential. “2024 will continue to be a challenging year for the automotive industry. Nevertheless, Honda Malaysia remains committed to driving success to new heights this year, built on the back of our remarkable achievements in 2023. That includes our latest milestone of retaining the No.1 position in the Non-National Passenger Vehicle Segment for the tenth consecutive year since 2014.
On top of that, we achieved last year’s sales target of 80,000 units despite the challenges in 2023. These remarkable achievements are attributable to the introductions of the WR-V, City, and all-new CR-V, all of which garnered strong market acceptance upon their respective launches.”
The e:HEV technology, one of the most useful and pertinent technologies, helped Honda further solidify its position in the market. Its popularity is demonstrated by the fact that it will account for 28% of Malaysia’s total hybrid sales in 2023, greatly accelerating the country’s xEV market expansion.
With eye-catching new models like the WR-V, CR-V, and City, Honda seems destined to achieve its ambitious goal of 95,000 units for 2024 and hold onto that top importer spot for an 11th straight year. In terms of cost performance, Honda vehicles, especially their batch of SUVs, are hard to beat when it comes to engine performance, handling and interior comfort.


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Envy apples shine @NYFW and at retail
Envy™ apples are turning heads once again.
Making another appearance at the internationally acclaimed New York Fashion Week (NYFW) last weekend, this time Envy™ apples created even more excitement through a special partnership with Christian Siriano, the innovative young designer of Project Runway fame. Guests of Siriano’s AW19 Runway Show and after party enjoyed an Envy™ apple tasting bar, signature Envy™ cocktail and other tasty treats as Siriano unveiled his latest collection.
While Envy™ took the spotlight on the catwalk, the apple is also stealing the show at retail, chalking up a 40+ percent increase in year-over-year dollar sales as of December 2018. “This sweet, crisp, red apple is outpacing all others at an exceptional rate,” said David Nelley, vice president of categories for Oppy, a marketing partner of T&G Global, owner of the Envy brand. “Envy™ is coming on strong in the premium apple landscape, gaining a great reputation for intense flavor and overall satisfaction—and valuable leading contribution to the apple category.”
Nelley notes that retailers in Manhattan and beyond are taking advantage of the campaign by promoting Envy’s return to NYFW. “Our point-of-sale materials, consumer contests, social content and even some fun billboards popping up around the Big Apple are bringing the promotion alive at shelf,” he said.
Streaming a live-feed of the event on the brand’s Instagram story, trend setters and apple aficionados alike can re-live the fashion-forward fun on Envy’s highlights. Siriano shared insider secrets of his show while praising Envy™ as the ideal backstage treat to his over one million Instagram fans.
In addition to the promotional opportunity the sponsorship presented, it also builds familiarity and equity for the Envy™ apple brand, according to Karin Gardner, director of corporate communications at Oppy.
“Christian Siriano is renowned for creating special, beautiful clothing that can be worn by everyone. His sophisticated style and elegant point of view complement the unique traits of Envy™ apples,” she said. “Envy™ has earned a special status but is also accessible and can be appreciated by everyone who loves a really good apple. It’s an indulgence that anyone can enjoy.”
Organic and conventional Envy™ apples are available now from Oppy, with the two-pound organic pouch bag among this season’s must-haves.


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Finding a good job can be tough sometimes, but in many parts of the country, with unemployment rates at record lows, it’s an employees’ market. Anyone in the Houston, Texas area who has their sites set on a better-paying job will want to check out the positions Ford has vacant in Houston. These positions are all tied to the new Ford Houston Call Center that we first heard about back in early May.
Ford said at the time that it would be hiring 500 people for the call center, which is located at 5959 Corporate Drive in Houston, Texas. Ford is now looking to fill those 500 positions over the next year, and they pay a good rate. The jobs reportedly pay between $16 and $18 an hour with some positions that have much higher pay rates.
Ford says that it will provide those it hires with all the training they need to perform their jobs. The Ford Houston Call Center is one of Ford’s new methods of improving customer service and answering questions. Ford stated in May that the Ford Houston Call Center would be staffed with people who can answer questions on Ford trucks such as the Ford F-150.
Ford chose to locate its new call center in Houston because the city is in the middle of truck country. Texas is one of the biggest pickup markets in the world. Ford has said that its research has shown that customers aren’t receiving the level of service they deserve and the new call center is one way Ford is attempting to fix that.
The Ford F-150 has for decades been the best-selling truck in the United States, and other automakers covet that top spot. Ford has also said that the call center may help customers shopping for SUVs in the future. Those wanting to apply for one of the open positions can do so here.


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Hybrid cars seem to bring out strong beliefs among car buyers, both pro and con.
On the pro side, they get better gas mileage, offer some small degree of all-electric running, and let buyers display (to varying degrees) their green credentials.
On the con side, they're usually pricier than similarly equipped gasoline-engined cars, and the payback on that extra cost is debatable and varies greatly with driving behavior, length of ownership, and comparison set.
There's also a fair degree of back-and-forth between hybrid enthusiasts and proponents of clean-diesel vehicles, whose sales are rising slowly as more are offered to U.S. buyers.
2011 Honda Insight
Most hybrids get their best fuel economy in stop-and-go city driving, though this is changing, and most clean diesels are most efficient in high-speed highway cruising. And those generalizations too can be debated.
What's not debatable is that after a decade on the market, hybrids overall represent less than 3 percent of U.S. new vehicle sales, and that number has stayed more or less steady for a few years.
Of that number, more than half the sales are of the Toyota Prius, the quintessential hybrid that gets a combined EPA gas-mileage rating of 50 mpg.
But as a recent article in Fortune magazine points out, sales forecasts for hybrid models were, at times in the past, far more optimistic.
2010 Toyota Prius
The article goes into some detail on projections both by auto analysts such as J.D. Power and the automakers themselves--including Honda, which expected hybrids to make up 10 percent of its global sales by 2010.
The market failure of the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid, which has logged only a fraction of its predicted sales, means Honda hasn't a hope of getting near that number.
The Fortune article is worth reading, and then we'd like to throw out some questions to you, our readers.
Why haven't hybrids sold in greater numbers? Should they have? Will they make up the difference in years to come?
And what can this teach us about predictions for sales of plug-in and electric vehicles over the next 10 years?
Will plug-ins overtake hybrids, or will both technologies increase in number as fuel economy and carbon emissions standards tighten globally?
Let us know what you think in the Comments below.


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Cheetos, a snack brand owned by Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, has unveiled the brand’s first-ever online store.
Doritos, part of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, has teamed with Marvel Studios to celebrate the May 1 release of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
To celebrate 40 years of the Funyuns brand, Frito-Lay and ACF Global will extend its lifestyle brand with a junior's and men’s apparel line.
Top brands including Frito-Lay’s Cheetos, Pokémon and American Eagle got up to some mischief yesterday with April Fool’s pranks.
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division and Activision Publishing have teamed up for a Skylanders promotion.
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division and Activision Publishing have teamed for a summer Skylanders promotion.
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has launched a new app featuring the Cheetos brand spokescat Chester Cheetah.
©2017 UBM. All rights reserved. A UBM Company.


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27 September 2018
Vivo has announced the Y97 smartphone with slim bezels, 90.3% screen-to-body ratio and a notch display. The device includes a 6.3-inch Full HD display and it’s powered by MediaTek Helio P60 processor with 4GB RAM. It comes with a 16MP rear camera along with a 2MP camera for portrait shots, AI scene recognition and a 16MP front camera with AI beautify feature.
The Vivo Y97 comes with AI face unlock and it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner. It scans 1024 facial points to unlock the phone in 0.1 seconds and packs 3315mAH battery. It has a 3D micro-arc mirror back with gradient finish.
- 6.3-inch (2280 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19.5:9 aspect ratio display
- Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 12nm processor with ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
- Dual SIM
- Funtouch OS 4.5 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo)
- 16MP rear camera with LED flash, secondary 2MP camera
- 16MP front-facing camera
- Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
- 3315mAH battery
The Vivo Y97 comes in Black, Aurora Blue, and Rose Gold colors and it’s priced at CNY 1998 (US$290). It's already on sale in China.


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Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes Some Static — When Spanish Internet start-up FON Technology SL tried to generate some buzz this past weekend about new funding it had snared from Google Inc. and eBay Inc.'s Skype Technologies, it pitched stories to traditional media outlets.
Edgeio could become like Craigslist 2.0 — In addition to running the very influential Web 2.0 site TechCrunch.com, and writing a blog called CrunchNotes.com, Mike Arrington has been working on a startup of his own called Edgeio (when does this man sleep?) - which Rob Hof of BusinessWeek got a demo of recently.
WSJ on FON, disclosure, and my friends — [I'm posting this reluctantly. Ultimately I decided I don't want the WSJ article to be googled without a response.] — The Wall Street Journal today ran an article by Rebecca Buckman that raises an interesting question but fails to generate an interesting answer.
Why should interests conflict only around money? — Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes Some Static is a Wall Street Journal piece today by Rebecca Buckman. It begins, … Later, she adds, … In the article, "allegiances" and "interests" (of, say, the sort that become "conflicted" …
Master Chief Dual-Wields His Way to Windows Vista — "Halo 2," the award-winning sequel to the instant classic "Halo: Combat Evolved" to make its PC debut on the Windows Vista platform — "Halo 2," the game that redefined first-person combat and multiplayer action for millions of gamers worldwide …
Oracle's Open-Source Shopping Spree — The database giant is in talks to purchase at least three software companies that would help it shift customers to a subscriber-based model — The open-source community may be in for a jolt. Oracle (ORCL) is plotting what could be the biggest endorsement yet …
RIM's workaround revealed — update BlackBerry maker Research In Motion on Thursday announced details of how its new software workaround, designed as a backup if U.S. courts impose an injunction later this month, will be released to customers. — The specifics of the workaround come days …
Lionhead back in acquisition talks with key publishers — Ubisoft and Microsoft both linked to possible acquisition talks at UK developer — Sources close to British developer Lionhead Studios have revealed to GamesIndustry.biz that the company behind Fable and Black & White …
This PlayStation May Play Too Much — Sony's new super-packed PS3 handles a lot more than games. That, some say, could confuse buyers — Picture this: you plug your TV into a box the size of a phone book and go online to check headlines. You get bored and click over to a Giants game.
OH MY GOD - Microsoft Live is Hailstorm 2.0 — ... ..but in a good way. Assuming they allow us to mesh into it - and vice versa. — As I sat in the etribes.com/mashup last night (near the Savoy Theater, off the Strand) - I was honored to listen to Sam Seshi rap out Microsoft's Live.com platform.
Bill would force Web sites to delete personal info — A bill just announced in Congress would require every Web site operator to delete information about visitors, including e-mail addresses, if the data is no longer required for a "legitimate" business purpose.
My Web 2.0 Update — We wanted to give you a quick update on what we've been up to with My Web. Not everything around here happens with thunderous fanfare, though we have been known to jump up and down when the occasion calls. :-) — So, here's a bunch of stuff we've been working on, with the help of our beta testers:
Google Opens Bidding for Print Media — Google, the search giant and would-be multi-media advertising enabler, has opened up the bidding on its much-talked-about print venture. AdWords advertisers can now bid for 1 page, 1/2 page and 1/4 page ads in nearly 30 different lifestyle and technology magazines.
This is a snapshot of tech.memeorandum at 1:25 AM ET, February 10, 2006.
View another snapshot:
The Web is humming with reports and opinions on technology.
tech.memeorandum is page A1 for these discussions.
Auto-updated every 5 minutes, it uncovers the most relevant items from thousands of news sites and weblogs.


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It probably won’t elicit the same kind of epic lineup (no pun intended) that we witnessed with the launch of the Apple iPhone 4, but this is quite the massive launch anyway. Have you been anxiously waiting for some Android action with 4G and a QWERTY keyboard? The wait is almost over.
At long last, the Samsung Epic 4G will go on sale bright and early tomorrow morning at a Sprint store near you. A mass email was blasted out, saying that Sprint stores will be opening at 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday to start selling the Epic 4G.
This phone, in case you didn’t already know, is the third in the Samsung Galaxy S line to be made available in the United States, but the 4G connection and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard help it stand out from the crowd.
Sign a two-year service agreement, enjoy the $150 instant savings, and deal with the $100 mail-in rebate to get the Samsung Epic 4G for a net price of $249.99.
Sprint stores open at 8 a.m. Tuesday for the Epic 4G launch [AndroidCentral]


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Most supply chain managers realize the importance of transparency, but finding the best ways of achieving it can be a difficult task. A recent study from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business’ Global Supply Chain Institute examines six practices that can help businesses leverage supply chain transparency to maximize profits. Here is a brief look at each one. The entire study can be viewed on The Global Supply Chain Institute’s website.
Focusing on Sustainability
Sustainability must be viewed as a driver of business. Even if it’s not possible to fully institute a sustainability plan right away, outlining a set of goals is vital. Employees and consumers alike are increasingly looking out for firms that embrace sustainability.
Creating a “Culture of Transparency”
Businesses need to develop a culture of transparency within their organization, and every employee needs to know their role within the firm’s vision of sustainability. This transparency must extend to customers, too. The business’s leaders need to exhibit transparency when interacting with industry groups, academia, and the community at large.
Forming Partnerships with Sustainable Suppliers
The traditional criteria used for choosing partners of reliability, quality and cost are no longer enough; sustainability should be given equal consideration, if not more. The report suggests using sustainability capability as an element in the total cost of ownership (TCO) assessment for supplier decisions. It can be useful to ask suppliers to provide a self-assessment of their business, environment, safety and labor practices and get an audit from an industry supply chain certification body.
Modern consumers want to know exactly where their products come from, and being able to supply that information can set a brand apart. Brands that cannot trace products in the aftermath of environmental or safety violations could suffer irreparable harm to their reputation.
Finding the Transparency “Sweet Spot”
While transparency is vital, publicizing certain partnerships can compromise proprietary business information, which is why it is important to find a sweet spot that engenders trust among suppliers and consumers.
Consulting Outside Auditors
Companies must carry out their due diligence when choosing partners, but even their best efforts will be unable to match the in-depth look that sustainability coalitions can take.
This blog post was based off of an article from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. View the original here.


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Machine Gun Kelly has got a new girl in his life!
The 29-year-old actor and rapper was spotted sharing a kiss with Instagram model and YouTube personality Sommer Ray while out shopping together at the mall on Monday (March 16) in Los Angeles.
Machine and Sommer kept close and held hands throughout the shopping trip where they were shopping for Dr. Martens shoes, despite the coronavirus outbreak.
The couple sparked dating rumors a few weeks ago when Somer attended MGK‘s concert and the two put on a very friendly display.
Machine Gun Kelly‘s new Hulu film Big Time Adolescence was recently released early and can be streamed now!
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As per the latest sources, there will be no Nougat 7 update for OnePlus 2. This is certainly another disappointing news for OnePlus 2 users after the absence of NFC connectivity.
No Nougat 7 update for OnePlus 2
OnePlus has put a full stop to all speculations by telling the Android Authority that its OnePlus 2 will not have an Android Nougat update. The company quoted that the unavailability of its software infrastructure support team was one of the reasons behind having no Nougat 7 update for OnePlus 2.
When OnePlus 1 was rolled out before, the clash between OnePlus and Cyanogen led the company to create their own OxygenOS ROM for OnePlus 2. This could have been their only savior! However, last year in October, the company gave its accessory freaks a reason to smile by launching its first online accessory store in India.
And the merger of OxygenOS with HydrogenOS is believed to be the major cause behind this no Nougat 7 update for OnePlus 2.


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District Court bans FM Mechanical from doing business in North Dakota
Contractor Steve Mitchell was banned in court on Sept. 3 from doing business in North Dakota as FM Mechanical after he violated consumer fraud and licensing laws.
According to Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, Cass County District Court banned Mitchell after they found he was operating without a contractor’s license and performed “poor quality work.”
The court also found that Mitchell had violated a May 2020 agreement with the State that required him to refund $8,000 to a consumer before he would be eligible to operate as a contractor. He never refunded the consumer. The court also ordered him to pay $3,982 in penalties, costs and restitution to other affected consumers.
According to Parrell Grossman, director of the Consumer Protection division, Mitchell has ignored Stenehjem’s instructions and the court’s previous…


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Ski Butlers Announces a Full Brand Refresh
June 17, 2020
Release at Will
Park City, Utah
Ski Butlers is proud to announce a refreshed brand with an updated logo and new website. The refreshed brand represents what customers value at Ski Butlers; a safe, easy, and convenient ski rental experience.
Over the past 16 years, Ski Butlers has become one of the fastest growing ski rental companies in the industry. With each subsequent year of business, Ski Butlers has grown in popularity, leading to expansion to over 50 resorts and serving tens of thousands of customers per season. With fast growth, customers, team members, and partners expectations for the brand have risen.
After years of debate, CEO, Bryn Carey, CMO Mike Cremeno, and COO Jake Hardy felt that the old logo with the infamous “Running Man” no longer accurately represented the Ski Butlers brand. In choosing the new logo, Carey said, “This is both a sad day and an exciting day. Since creating the Running Man in 2005, with help from a cartoonist in LA, this logo has represented so much about Ski Butlers and over the years has become very recognizable to anyone who skis. With feedback from those we trust most, we realized it was time to refresh the brand, to keep up with the times, and to represent our service more accurately. The process of refreshing the brand took us back to our roots and what defines Ski Butlers and forced us to look towards the next 16 seasons. We are excited to share our refreshed brand with you.”
In addition to the new logo, Ski Butlers has also revealed its new website, which had been in the works for two years. On the new website, customers will be able to more easily reserve their rentals with a seamless booking experience. In addition, Ski Butlers’ team members will have a brand new admin system on the website’s back end, which will allow for fully digital integration with deliveries. With no more paperwork and only tablets that sync with the new site, deliveries will be faster and customers will be able to enjoy even more time on snow.
About Ski Butlers
Founded in Park City, Utah in 2004, Ski Butlers is a full service, ski and snowboard rental delivery company with operations in 50 resorts worldwide. Ski Butlers delivery, support and pick up services allow customers more time with their families, more time on snow and more freedom while on vacation. Expert ski technicians provide custom fittings for boots, ski and snowboard rentals in the comfort of guests’ accommodations, offer full on-mountain support throughout each rental period and will pick up all equipment on guests’ final day. Adding a seamless transition between all 50 of its locations, now including Cortina and Val di Fassa, Ski Butlers stores each renter’s equipment preferences in order to make future bookings that much easier. Based on customer reviews, Ski Butlers has earned the coveted TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence as well as numerous awards globally, including being named one of America’s fastest growing businesses by INC. Magazine four years in a row from 2015 through 2018.


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With the Zenbook UX305, Asus says you can still have style on a budget
Asus has announced a new Zenbook at IFA 2014 in Berlin claiming that it is the world's slimmest 13.3-inch laptop.
The new Zenbook UX305 ultrabook will feature an all aluminium chassis and measures just 12.3mm thick. It follows the usual design cues found on previous Zenbook models, such as a tapered wedge design.
Weighing 1.2kg, the new model will be powered by an Intel Core M processor, come with a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels and 256GB SSD hard drive.
Those specs make it virtually identical to the UX303 already announced and in the shops.
That model features the same display, but instead of the Intel Core M processor, Intel iCore i7 or i5 processors. The UX303 also comes with bigger hard drive options up to 500GB.
Available in two colours, customers opting for the presumably cheaper (pricing has yet to be confirmed) UX305 will be able to go for an Obsidian Stone with Zenbook's signature spun-metal finish, or a silky-smooth Ceramic Alloy shade that will be soft to touch.
The new laptop is expected to be available before Christmas and aimed at those looking for some style but happy to compromise on power.


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Residents living close to Broadway Market say their sleep is disturbed by people drinking nearby and idling minicab engines.
They shared their concerns with Hackney’s licensing sub-committee as it heard an application to serve alcohol at the latest branch of the family-run Cafe Route.
The eatery has older branches in Dalston and Haggerston and will offer Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food.
Brothers-in-law Mehmet Akis and Mehmet Uzunsakal say they aim to serve wine with meals and small plates and do not want customers to drink without ordering a substantial meal.
“We are trying to boost the food side of the offering,” Uzunsakal told the committee (3 August).
He explained that they are trying to build a brand with the same fare at each of the Hackney cafes.
“Our aim is not to feed people who want to booze 24/7,” he said.
“We are looking to complete our offering with a glass of wine, with a cheese board in the winter. It’s the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern offering.”
He added: “The audience we are targeting is the locals who will have a meal with us every now and then.”
The cafe plans to sell takeaway wines from £15 a bottle.
It has applied for a licence to serve alcohol from 11am until 10.30pm from Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, and until 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The owners say they would drop plans for off-sales at Broadway Market if necessary as part of the licensing conditions. They pointed out that if people who bought food to take away to London Fields wanted to drink alcohol, they would simply buy it elsewhere.
Nearby residents from Dericote Street and Croston Street say they are already affected by noise from people drinking nearby and object to the prospect of off-sales of alcohol.
They are also concerned about people drinking at outside tables in the late evening.
Rachel Bowditch told the licensing committee: “We do strongly object to outside seating at night time, even with substantial meals.”
She pointed out that idling minicabs nearby in Dericote Street already disturb residents.
Louise Brewood, who chairs London Fields Safer Neighbourhood Area, said the streets around Broadway Market suffer from anti-social behaviour and could be designated a saturation area.
“There is drunken behaviour quite often from 2pm to 3pm in the afternoon when children are coming home, right through from Broadway Market,” she said.
“Residents are very worried that we are constantly being bombarded by licences in an area which is largely residential but is becoming part of the night-time economy.”
She added: “We are seriously concerned about noise levels coming from this premises if it is granted a late licence.”
Cllr Penny Wrout warned that clients at Broadway Market might have different expectations from customers at the other branches.
Hackney’s licensing sub-committee will make its decision within five working days of 3 August.


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The top electric cars of the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show
There were more electric cars than ever at this year's LA Auto Show.
There were more electric cars than ever at this year's LA Auto Show.
Once synonymous with pickup trucks and V8s, the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show opened its doors to more electric cars than ever before seen at the event.
Manufacturers from Audi and Ford, to Porsche and Volkswagen, all had battery-powered vehicles on display, alongside a spattering of plug-in options from startups like Bollinger, Faraday Future and Karma.
This year's show finds itself sandwiched between two major EV announcements taking place elsewhere in Los Angeles. First, Ford revealed the Mustang Mach-E at its own event a couple of days before the show opened, then, Tesla will have a turn in the spotlight to reveal its electric pickup truck.
Here are some of the EV highlights from the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show:
Audi E-tron Sportback
The Sportback is the second member of Audi's E-tron range, and its second fully electric car. Much of the design, both inside and out, is shared with the original E-tron SUV, but the new model has a sloping roofline that gives it more of a coupe stance.
The roofline also reduces aerodynamic drag and adds 6.2 miles to the car's electric range. Alterations to the brakes, battery and powertrain also add a few miles, bringing the total to 277 on the WLTP test cycle, up 22 miles from its E-tron stablemate but still somewhat short of the Tesla Model X and smaller 370-mile Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Bollinger B1 and B2
If Arnold Schwarzenegger made electric cars...Bollinger
An American startup, Bollinger used the LA Auto Show to reveal a pair of tough and chunky electric off-roaders. These are called the B1 SUV and B2 pickup, with the latter reminding us of the equally mad Lamborghini LM002 — only without that particular car's V12 engine.
Each vehicle uses the same 'skateboard' chassis, with a motor driving each axle and a large 120 kWh battery taking up most of the floor. Total power is just over 600 horsepower and Bollinger claims a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, and a 100 mph top speed. A gearbox with high and low ranges, plus front and rear locking differentials, mean the B1 and B2 should work as well off-road as they do on.
The Bollinger duo is priced from $125,000 in the U.S., with pre-orders open now, but production not due to begin until 2021.
Faraday Future FF91
Surprisingly still in business, FF is aiming for production in 2020Faraday Future
If you'd assumed Faraday Future, once the darling of the electric car startup industry, had breathed its last breath, you wouldn't be alone.
But no, the company is still alive and used the Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal the inside of its FF91 car for the first time. Turning car technology up to a new level, the interior features no fewer than 11 computer displays, taking the place of a normal car's three mirrors, and almost all physical controls.
The screens include a 15.4-inch infotainment display, an 11.6-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch display in the place of a central rear view mirror, and a 27-inch display mounted centrally behind the front seats for the enjoyment of rear passengers.
Revealed back in 2017, the car is now expected to go into production in 2020, says the company.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
On the eve of the show, Ford revealed its first proper electric car, the Mustang Mach-E. Although using the name of Ford's iconic muscle car, the Mach-E is actually an SUV, but one which the company claims includes genuine Mustang DNA.
Prices start at just under $45,000, and extend up to a little over $60,000 for the flagship GT model, complete with Ferrari-baiting performance from its pair of electric motors and 99kWh battery pack.
Range is up to a claimed 370 miles on the WLTP cycle, which is similar to what Tesla is promising for the similarly-sized Model Y, due out next year.
Inside, the Mustang Mach-E features an all-new interior and infotainment system not seen on any Ford before. At the heart of this system sits a 15.5-inch portrait-orientated touch screen, running a new version of the company's Sync system, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The car can be ordered now with a $500 deposit, but deliveries aren't expected to begin until the end of 2020.
The SC2 is only a concept, for nowKarma
No auto show would be complete with a selection of far-out concepts, and for LA this year that box was ticked by the Karma SC2. This beautifully proportioned concept features upwards-opening doors and is powered by two electric motors.
Karma claims the total power output is just over 1,000 horsepower, and that will mean a 0-60mph time of less than 1.9 seconds, putting it on par with the 2020 Tesla Roadster and $2 million Pininfarina Battista.
Power comes from a huge 120kWh battery pack mounted in the floor, and range is a claimed 350 miles — but, this being a concept, you'll have to take that with a pinch of salt for now.
There is no word on price and when (or if) the SC2 will actually go on sale.
The company says its future cars will all share the same EV platformAutomobili Pininfarina
Automobili Pininfarina used the Los Angeles Auto Show to tease its future lineup of electric cars, which will follow on from the Battista flagship and be somewhat more affordable than that car's $2m price tag.
Next, the company plans to produce two more fast and stylish luxury EVs, both using the same scalable EV platform. These will launch before 2025, the Italian company says, without giving any further details.
Porsche Taycan 4S
Announced a couple of weeks ago, the entry-level Taycan 4S made its public debut in LA this week. Sitting below the Turbo and Turbo S models of Taycan, the 4S is somewhat more affordable, starting at $103,800 — significantly less than the $150,900 Turbo and $185,000 Turbo S.
For that lower price, buyers get an 80kWh battery pack, a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds, and a range of 253 miles on the WLTP cycle. You can expect that figure to be a bit lower once the EPA has made its calculations. The 4S 'Battery Plus' model gets a 93.4kWh pack and a WLTP range of 287 miles.
Volkswagen ID Space Vizzion
Previewed online before the show, a highlight of the Volkswagen stand in LA is the ID Space Vizzion. A concept car for now, the Space Vizzion is likely a good indication of what a future electric wagon will look like.
Although wagon sales have been knocked into touch by SUVs in recent years, we're glad to see Volkswagen keeping the form factor alive. This is because the long wheelbase and lower height make it the perfect platform for an electric car — maximizing battery space while minimizing aerodynamic drag.
Inside, passengers are bathed in light flooding through the glass panoramic roof, and LED mood lighting is installed along the insides of the doors. The car has a "completely digitized cockpit" and minimalist interior made from sustainable materials — one of which VW has trademarked AppleSkin, an artificial leather "with a proportion of residual matter from apple juice production," the company has said.
VW recently put its first ID concept into production as the ID.3 hatchback, so we have faith that other members of the ID concept family, including the Space Vizzion, will arrive in dealerships in the next couple of years. The car has a claimed 300 miles of range.
Finally, although not at the auto show itself, Tesla will no doubt steal some of its limelight on November 21, 2019 when it reveals its new pickup truck.
Described by boss Elon Musk as a 'cybertruck' with Blade Runner design cues, the all-electric truck is said to blend the utility of a Ford F-150 with the sports car performance of a Porsche 911.
Musk says the truck will offer seating for six and a range of between 400 and 500 miles, putting it way ahead of any other EV on sale today. There will also be a 24V outlet for powering tools from the battery pack, Musk says, and it will be priced from $50,000.
The truck will be revealed Thursday at a launch event in Hawthorne, California next to the Space X facility, a company also helmed by Elon Musk.
Level 2 EV Charger by EV Gear | 30 ft Portable Plug-In Charger, 110v - 240v | Includes Level 1 Adapter | Works with all Electric & Hybrid Cars such as Chevy Volt/Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Prius Prime, Tesla


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Called NBCU+ Powered By Comcast, the suite of new advertising products combines Comcast analytics and addressability with the scale of NBCUniversal’s portfolio to improve network ads and offer sharply focused targets via VOD.
NBCU, Comcast Unveil Targeted Ad System
NBCUniversal and Comcast today announced a partnership to launch “NBCU+ Powered by Comcast,” a suite of new advertising products designed to increase the effectiveness of media buys through consumer segmentation, advanced analytics and targeting.
The new products offer advertisers a two-part advantage, the company said. First, the ability of advertiser to match their own consumer data — and third-party consumer data — with anonymized Comcast subscriber set-top-box data should enable a better buy across linear television. Then, they will be able to target spots at the household level to video-on-demand (VOD) users.
“As our advertising partners are being challenged to improve the effectiveness of their campaigns, our ability to optimize and target our media beyond traditional demographics with scale is a unique offering that NBCUniversal can now provide thanks to our cutting-edge partnership with Comcast Spotlight,” said Linda Yaccarino, president, advertising sales, NBCUniversal.
“NBCU+ Powered by Comcast takes the collaboration between Comcast Media 360 and NBCUniversal to another level by jointly delivering measurement and targeting solutions for high-value consumer segments across multiple marketing categories,” said Charlie Thurston, president, Comcast Spotlight.
Yaccarino said: “This is our company’s first advertising product that comes out of the unique marriage of Comcast and NBCUniversal. It is designed to answer what the advertisers have been asking for quite some time.
“NBCU+ Powered by Comcast,” she continued, “gives the advertisers the unique ability to increase the effectiveness of their media buys through sophisticated consumer segmentation with advanced analytics and specialized targeting. So it’s targeting at scale.”
The product, Yaccarino added, “will help advertisers optimize their national campaigns on linear television [the NBC network, for example] and target them and target them at the household level for their video-on-demand inventory.”
Yaccarino offered an example: NBCU+ Powered by Comcast could help a luxury carmaker target national audiences across NBCUniversal’s networks in geographic zones with a high percentage of previous luxury vehicle owners.
And, she said, “we’re also able to take it one step further across our VOD inventory within the Comcast footprint as well. That is over 20 million homes. We’ll be able to deliver enhanced ROI measurements … against that luxury car segment and get an advertiser a true picture of their campaign’s reach,” allowing advertisers to execute campaigns that are more relevant based on an advertiser’s specific criteria.
“If I’m an advertiser, my national ad in The Blacklist is going to be more sophisticated,” Yaccarino said. “You’ve got a more optimized buy on the national side and then you’re threading a much smaller needle on the VOD side.”
“The amount of inventory available for this product will be determined by advertiser interest and demand,” Yaccarino said. “Our goal is to keep on sophisticating the product.”


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Suresh Balaji is stepping down as chief marketing officer at HSBC APAC. According to his LinkedIn, Balaji said his role at HSBC has commenced countdown after staying at the company for 17 years, having worked for eight roles at four locations. “Thank you, HSBC, colleagues, mentors, business partners and friends for all the love. HSBC will always have a special place in my heart,” Balaji added.
Prior to being CMO, he was managing director and global head of marketing, HSBC Life. He also spent over five years as managing director and regional head of marketing for APAC at HSBC where he led marketing for 14 countries with a team of over 250 marketing practitioners for HSBC’s Retail and Wealth Management business in Asia Pacific to develop strategies that brand equity and business growth.
Previously, HSBC Hong Kong has launched a brand-new campaign “Hong Kong inspired by the world” to highlight the diverse culture and prosperity of the city, by featuring concepts including food and beverage, movies, art and pop music. Although being a small city, Hong Kong is able to bring together a variety of innovative ideas, and there have been many success stories with local and international characteristics over the years, said the press release by HSBC.
As such, the campaign features a variety of unique elements that represent Hong Kong, including local snacks and authentic cuisine namely egg waffles, Swiss chicken wings and Shanghai noodles, as well as martial arts movies.
The static ad will be promoted on print media such as a number of local newspapers, out-of-home (OOH) advertising will also be used on tram shelters and MTR stations. The digital version of the ad will also be shown on the massive billboard at HSBC main building.
HSBC says communist party committee has 'no influence' in running of biz
HSBC and K11 Group partner to leverage on each others huge membership base


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What you need to know
- Cuphead first released on Xbox One and PC on September 29, 2017.
- Since then, it's sold very well and was ported to the Nintendo Switch.
- Today, Studio MDHR announced that Cuphead has sold 5 million copies. In celebration, Cuphead is now 20% off on all platforms for a week.
- You can get Cuphead for $16 on the Microsoft Store.
Cuphead continues to sell well, as the developers at Studio MDHR announced on Twitter today that Cuphead has sold 5 million copies since its release exactly two years ago. You can see the announcement and some nifty artwork below:
Cuphead turns two today, and we're so humbled to announce: it has officially gone five-times platinum!!
Starting now, the game is 20% off on all platforms for a full week. And stay tuned, because we have 5 days of fun and giveaways planned to celebrate 5 million copies sold! pic.twitter.com/oe7uTzY62YCuphead turns two today, and we're so humbled to announce: it has officially gone five-times platinum!!
Starting now, the game is 20% off on all platforms for a full week. And stay tuned, because we have 5 days of fun and giveaways planned to celebrate 5 million copies sold! pic.twitter.com/oe7uTzY62Y— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2019September 29, 2019
It looks like Cuphead fans will have more to look forward to, as the announcement on Twitter says there are five days of fun and giveaways planned. In celebration of the five-time Platinum achievement, Cuphead is discounted by 20% across all platforms. So if you haven't grabbed Cuphead yet, this is a good time to do so.
At E3 2018, an expansion for Cuphead was announced, called The Delicious Last Course (or, The DLC). First planned for 2019, this expansion is now expected to release sometime in 2020. This expansion adds Ms. Chalice as a playable character, alongside a new Isle and new spectacular bosses to fight. Cuphead is currently available on Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Don't deal with the devil
They like to roll the dice
Cuphead is a run and run sidescrolling game focused on unique boss battles in the style of older cartoons, with incredible graphics and sounds that reflect the 1930s.
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Takeaway may be opened in historic Rawtenstall building
3:37pm Tuesday 24th September 2013 in News
A TAKEAWAY could be opened in one of the best known buildings in Rawtenstall.
Part of the Heritage Arcade next to the bus station in Bacup Road, could be demolished in the revamp proposed by letting agency Hurstwood.
Kathy Fishwick, secretary of Rossendale Civic Trust, said the building’s exterior ‘has to be treated sensitively’.
The building, lying within the Rawtenstall Town Centre Conservation Area, opened as the Picture House cinema in December 1920 when it held more than 1,300 people.
It closed and re-opened as a cinema a further three times and has since been used as a shopping mall, snooker club, and storage house.
It was once considered to be the favourite site for the town’s long-awaited new bus station.
Hurstwood has applied to change the use of part of the building, which is not listed, from retail to hot food takeaway.
It also wants to erect a new accessibility platform and ramps at the rear leading to Longholme Road.
In a statement, the firm said: “The important historic context of Bacup Road is appreciated, and the design of the proposals is sympathetic.”
Ms Fishwick said that while the Civic Trust had not yet met to discuss the application by Hurstwood, her personal view was: “Get the building back in use.”
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