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Chuck E. Cheese’s lit up the New Year by opening four new restaurants across the country on Dec. 30. The restaurants add a total of 61,007 square feet of real estate to Chuck E. Cheese’s 571-store global footprint.
The new restaurants are located at 5539 S. Williamson Blvd. in Port Orange, Fla.; 2471 Okeechobee Blvd. Building A in West Palm Beach, Fla.; 1910 Zaragoza in El Paso, Texas; and 700 Exterior St. in the Bronx, N.Y.
“2013 has been an incredible year for us, and we’re thrilled to bring more smiles, memories and hours of fun to families,” said Les Lehner, vice president of real estate, CEC Entertainment, Inc. “The company is experiencing an exciting period of growth and development that brings clean, safe, whole family fun to more communities. We strategically place stores where we know a large number of young families will benefit from a place to gather and the locations provide a great venue for groups to give back to kids’ education in communities through our fundraising program.”
Chuck E. Cheese’s offers the opportunity for local schools and non-profit organizations to host their fundraising events. During fundraising nights 15 percent of all register sales generated by an organization during the event – including food, drinks, tokens and merchandise – are donated back to the school or organization. There is no cost involved and no requirement for teachers, administrators or parents to work during the event. More than $11 million has been given to organizations to date.
Each of the new restaurants feature more than 70 games, including Akra Boat, Fruit Ninja, Guitar Hero®, Power Drop, NBA Hoops and family favorites like Skee-ball®. They also include the new Circle of Lights stage, a fully digital, screen-based entertainment package showcasing the updated Chuck E. Cheese rock star character voiced by Bowling for Soup front man, Jaret Reddick.
The Florida restaurants are the first Chuck E. Cheese’s stores in Port Orange and West Palm Beach, making a total of 29 locations in the state. Additionally, the new Bronx location at 700 Exterior St. is the borough’s second restaurant, which now totals 23 in New York. The 1910 Zaragoza El Paso store joins two other Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants in the city and serves families in east, west and central El Paso.
Chuck E. Cheese’s opened 13 new restaurants in the U.S. in 2013 and has plans to open additional restaurants domestically and internationally in the first quarter of 2014.
Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.


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Sélecteur de langues
Autres langues disponibles: aucune
Karel De Gucht
European Trade Commissioner
Speech on EU-US Trade Relations
European Liberal Democrats Congress/Dublin
9 November 2012
Ladies and gentlemen,
They say that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.
In that case, the American election campaign does not bode well for transatlantic relations.
Europe has hardly featured throughout the campaign. Europe was hardly mentioned in the Presidential debates, and if it has featured at all, it was primarily as a point of concern or frustration. Europe, many Americans seem to think, Democrats and Republicans alike, is above all the place that can't get its economic act together. Both their hopes and their fears go out towards other parts of the world, or so it seems. It is not a coincidence that re-elected President Obama is called a "pacific" President.
And yet, in economic terms, the transatlantic relationship is still by far the most important relationship in the world. And businesses, consumers and at least some of the politicians on both sides of the Atlantic know it is.
Once the new President will be sworn into office, and as the euro-crisis is under control, we need to get back together and work out how we can lift each other's hopes and assuage each other's fears.
There is now, for the first time in years, a serious drive towards an EU-US Free Trade Agreement. We have been doing the preparatory work. We know what is at stake and what we can do about it. Now it is time to act.
Let me stress once again why we need to reinvigorate and refurbish this relationship.
There is no doubt about the current strength and importance of the transatlantic economic relationship which accounts for about half of the world's GDP and almost a third of global trade flows. Almost 2 billion euros of goods and services are traded every day between the European Union and the US. Investment stocks are at over 2 trillion euros.
And yet, we cannot take this partnership for granted.
The macroeconomic situation puts pressure on both of us. The US seems to have recovered more strongly than Europe, after the crisis (which is one of the reasons why public opinion in America regards us with indifference and some with exasperation), but on both sides of the Atlantic growth remains more modest than we need. We both face considerable uncertainty, which is holding back companies from taking risks, laying out plans and invest in new products, new services and create jobs. Comprehensive trade liberalisation across the Atlantic would help us put our recovery on an even sounder footing.
It would drive down the cost of transatlantic business. Tariffs are low between Europe and the United States but the volume of our trade is so big that their elimination would be helpful - particularly when one considers that so many of the traded goods are part of long value chains. Car parts often cross the Atlantic more than once – as components and again in the finished product – meaning they may pay duties twice.
But most importantly, effective regulatory cooperation would further reduce costs because companies would not have to comply with different requirements that have the same public policy objectives.
At a broader level, the intensified competition that a transatlantic agreement would create could improve the competitiveness of firms across the whole economy. Long-term evidence in Europe indicates that a 1% increase in openness of the economy results in an increase of 0.6% in labour productivity the following year.
In the short term, I believe the conclusion of an ambitious agreement would also address another aspect of our current economic difficulties. At the heart of today's problems is a crisis of confidence in governments' ability to make tough but necessary decisions. A new transatlantic trade initiative would be a bold move that would show that politics works in Europe and the United States. That both sides are willing to take the action necessary to deliver recovery.
There is another reason why we shouldn't take the transatlantic partnership for granted: globalisation and the rise of emerging economies.
The so-called BRICs - China, India, Russia, Brazil - already account for 17% of world GDP. Other economies like Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa are also becoming more important players. That is why developing economies are the new drivers of global trade: between 2000 and 2009 their exports rose by 80% compared to 40% for the world as a whole. As a result, the relative weight of the EU-US commercial relationship is being diluted.
Granted, for investment the gap is still dramatic. European investment stocks in China amount to only 6% of our investments in the US. The US has invested more in Ireland since the year 2000 than it has in all the BRIC countries combined. But if we look at just trade we start to see a different picture. Transatlantic trade was four times as large as EU-China trade in 2001. Last year the difference was just 3%.
If we want to make the most of the global economy, we have to grasp the opportunities still on offer by strengthening the ties between the US and the EU.
For others are surely making the most of their opportunities!
Now what does that mean in practice, strengthening the transatlantic ties?
At the November 2011 Summit meeting, US and EU leaders have established a High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth, precisely with an aim to identify ways to increase trade and investment between our economies. Together with the US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, I have the honour to chair this group.
Early this summer, we adopted an interim report, coming to the conclusion that a comprehensive agreement would provide the most significant benefit of the various options considered, one that addresses a broad range of bilateral trade and investment issues.
Although no political decision has yet been reached to launch negotiations, the process has clearly moved in that direction.
We are now working hard with our US colleagues, drafting the requested final report before the end of the year, after which I hope we can launch talks on an FTA as soon as possible.
Let me give you an overview of what I think should be in such a comprehensive, package deal:
First, tariff elimination. An effective agreement would get as close as possible to the removal of all duties on transatlantic trade in industrial and agricultural goods.
Second, services liberalisation. An effective agreement would open services markets that are currently closed and put in place a framework for better cooperation between regulators. It would go beyond what each of us has already done in other trade agreements. It would address some of the barriers to international competition, including those that still exist at the sub-federal level on both sides of the Atlantic.
Third, public procurement – a market of crucial importance for Europe. An effective agreement cannot ignore the fact that companies whose business depends on procurement represent 25% of European GDP and 31 million jobs. The goal should be to get as close as possible to national treatment at all levels of government.
Fourth, regulatory cooperation. An effective agreement would include a mechanism for addressing our regulatory differences on both food and non-food products. Being realistic, no agreement can be a panacea that resolves all existing regulatory issues overnight. But an ambitious deal would lay down tough procedures to help us avoid unnecessary problems in the future and so reduce unnecessary costs for companies.
Finally, an effective agreement would also establish state of the art rules in key areas like competition, trade facilitation, labour, the environment and intellectual property.
All this will not be easy. There is no low-hanging fruit in such a relationship. There are no quick fixes for the complex issues that still hamper trade between the most developed economic blocs in the world.
And it will not be easy for Europe to engage fully in such negotiations either.
As is often the case in trade policy: everyone seems to be in favour in general, but opposed to many of the specifics of such a deal. Access to our agriculture markets will obviously be one of the bones of contention. In return, some of our offensive interests, for instance in public procurement, will guarantee hard talks before we can reach any comprehensive compromise.
But getting rid of NTBs also implies we take a long, hard look at some of the standards and regulations we in Europe are using, and a willingness to adapt some of them where possible and necessary. You only have to look at the case of lactic acid, the decontaminating fluid used in the United States to clean beef and veal carcasses but which has long been contested in Europe, to realise how sensitive some of the issues on the negotiating table really are.
I believe we, as liberal-democrats, should be the staunchest supporters of FTA-negotiations between America and Europe.
Not just for the immediate economic benefits that could result from it.
Not just for the faith we all share that open markets are essential for an open society.
But because we should keep an eye on the bigger picture as well, that liberal-democracies should stick together despite the crisis that to some extent has undermined belief in liberal-democracy.
I believe we should convince people in Europe that a deepening of trade relations with the US is to our benefit, despite the sacrifices any compromise entails.
And I also believe we can convince the US that Europe is still the most interesting and most reliable partner to do business with. As Churchill said, 'you can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else'.
Thank you very much.

domain: news


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Shop Electric SUV of the latest generation and then finds that it takes four days to fully recharge. In a video on YouTube that went viral, a man enthusiastically said he bought the new model Hummer EV from 2023 to the modified number of 80,000 euros and that he can charge it with electricity from his garage.
Avenger, here is the first 100% electric jeep. It is a European-made city SUV that will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show
The SUV in question – reports Leggo – was sold to men as one of the most powerful SUVs on the market and certainly also one of the most expensive. The man was also happy about the idea of being able to charge his vehicle directly at home. Simply safe, but also comfortable? Not really, as it takes about four days to fully charge the SUV at best. On the other hand, if you have special equipment, charging could be completed in just a day.
“Right now it’s around 6pm on Tuesday and they say it will be full by 10:55pm on Saturday, which means over four days of loading time. Oh,” says the man in the video posted on YouTube, not entirely happy with his new acquisition.


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Recently, Microsoft issued a statement saying that they would continue the availability of XP Home for a class of computers they have dubbed "ULCPCs", or ultra low-cost PCs. What is great about this news is not so much that Windows XP has a new lease on life, but the official recognition of a new class of computers by Microsoft.
The presence, popularity, and recognition of ULCPCs marks the first time the PC industry has acknowledged what many people already knew: that computer technology advances have moved far beyond what most people need, and the inflation of hardware requirements for software is scarcely more than a ploy to keep computer prices high.
So now they have created a legitimate place for old hardware to reside as a class of its own. Now we can buy new computers with relatively old technology for a fraction of the cost of new computers, and what is more, they will be useful for 90% of what the top of the line computers are actually used for.
My only thought, then, is that while this can only be good for the market, I wonder what would happen if everyone "caught on" and saw the ULCPC as the only kind of computer that most people need. Has the industry unwittingly poked an unfixable hole in the illusion that computer hardware upgrades are in any sense "necessary"?
I hope so.


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There’s always something new going at Yorkdale. Whether it’s a new store, a new event, or an entire new wing! The retail masterminds behind Canada’s top-selling centre are doing all that they can to pry people away from their computer screens, and give them fabulous reasons to hit the mall. This past week Yorkdale unveiled the biggest retail expansion in the GTA this year, and gave the brick-and-mortar retail experience a much-deserved win.
What exactly was unveiled this past week? A 300,000 square foot, $331 million expansion to be precise. Within this expansion you’ll find a 112,000 square foot corridor, which is now home to some of the finest luxury labels and must-have brands on the market. Over 20 new stores were opened, including the Japanese retailers Torontonians are already obsessed with – Muji and Uniqlo, as well as Canada Goose’s first flagship store, a giant, macaron filled Nadege, and a 3-level, 188,000 square foot Nordstrom. Here are the other new stores you’ll find at Yorkdale:
A new partnership between Yorkdale and the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (CAFA) was also struck up this week. The luxury centre not only hosted fashion shows for Canadian labels, but also opened a 3,000 square foot pop-up space, called FashionCAN. The space will feature both well-known and emerging Canadian brands, such as Pink Tartan and Greta Constantine.
With announcements that the shopping centre will open a Sandro and Warby Parker in the coming year, Yorkdale is clearly putting that extra effort in to attract those interested in a world-class shopping experience and beyond.
All images via @yorkdalestyle on Instagram


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Revolver Fashion Trade Show just closed its doors to its August 2019 edition, which took place from August 7th till 9th, in the city centre of Copenhagen and presented the most progressive Scandinavian design-driven fashion brands. Revolver is the brainchild of former Gallery partner Christian Maibom and Vision owner Jan Carlsen. Revolver is a unique order-platform for both mens and womenswear, which attracts the best buyers from the Nordic region as well as the best international buyers, in order to do business, discover and network.
Burberry has launched a new capsule collection crafted with ECONYL, a sustainable nylon yarn made from regenerated fishing nets, fabric scraps and industrial plastic. The ECONYL capsule, which includes a reinvention of Burberry’s lightweight classic car coat, is just one example of the 50 disruptions Burberry is making throughout its supply chain to create a more circular fashion industry.
Pam Batty, VP Corporate Responsibility at Burberry, said of the launch: “Exploring and using innovative materials that foster circularity is central to creating a more sustainable fashion industry. We are proud to use the ECONYL yarn in this collection because it shows how we can actively tackle a problem like plastic waste and create beautiful, luxury products at the same time. This collection is just one of the ways Burberry is actively disrupting and improving every stage of how we create our products because we know our industry can play an key role in building a more sustainable future through science and innovation”.
Giulio Bonazzi, CEO at Aquafil said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Burberry for this capsule collection. We believe innovative fibers like ECONYL regenerated nylon are the future and are proud to support brands who use our yarns, transforming waste into incredible designs and raising the profile and possibilities of a more circular fashion system.”
Burberry’s heritage is anchored in material innovation, from the invention of gabardine – a breathable, weatherproof and hardwearing fabric – by Thomas Burberry in 1879 – to the more recent work with company 37.5 to use volcanic sand and waste coconut shell in thermoregulation technology for quilted jackets. Burberry has also introduced Refibra, a new yarn produced by upcycling cotton leftovers from the Burberry Mill in Yorkshire, to make its dust bags for all jewellery, shows and leather goods.
Taking place from August 7th till 9th 2019, CIFF opened its doors to its S/S 2020 edition with BURN! A performance work by artist Esben Weile Kjær which first took place at the SMK in Copenhgaen during spring 2019. A building site, disaster area, talent show or the murky setting of a night club? Esben Weile Kjær uses fire, music and dance to create a space full of contrast and synergies in the borderlands where widely different scenes overlap
In a release, CIFF said “First of all, we want to thank you for this amazing first day at CIFF. It was a great start and we are already excited about the next two days! Furthermore, a special thank you to Esben Weile Kjær whose performance was one of our highlights of the first day, and to the brands who contributed with their joint women’s & menswear show to a wonderful start of CIFF.”
Klarna, payment provider and bank, popular for its ‘buy now, pay later’ services, has raised 460 million US dollars in an equity funding round to become Europe’s largest private fintech firm, valued at 5.5 billion US dollars.
The Swedish company, which works with 130,000 merchants globally including H&M, Asos, Michael Kors, Zara, Topshop, and Superdry, stated that the funding would allow it to continue its “rapid rise” in the US market, where it is currently growing at an annual rate of 6 million new US consumers.
Klarna was founded in 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden with the aim of making it easier for people to shop online. In the last 14 years, technology has evolved, excited and transformed the world around us, yet our mission remains as relevant as ever, to make paying as simple, safe and above all, smoooth as possible. Klarna is now one of Europe’s largest banks and is providing payment solutions for 60 million consumers across 130,000 merchants in 14 countries. Klarna offers direct payments, pay after delivery options and instalment plans in a smooth one-click purchase experience that lets consumers pay when and how they prefer to.
New York based department store Barneys has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and has entered into an agreement with Gordon Brothers and Hilco Global, providing it with 75 million dollars of new capital to stay afloat during proceedings.
Amsterdam Fashion Week has confirmed the first names of the show program for the upcoming September 2019 edition. The third edition of Amsterdam Fashion Week will kick-off at the fashion heart of Amsterdam, the Museum Quarter and will open on Thursday the 5th of September with an exclusive show from Ronald van der Kemp in the Moco Museum.
Various shows are organized throughout Amsterdam from the 5th till the 7th of September to contribute to this event. Amidst a full schedule that will be released soon, on Friday the 6th of September there will be shows by Ferry Schiffelers (winner Lichting 2018), Ninamounah and Lichting 2019 in the Nieuwe Kerk and a performance by Aron van Groos (winner Kunstbende 2018). On Saturday NATAN will present its latest collection in Capital C. Simultaneously, there will be a show of Lizzy van der Ligts’ latest Le Cafe Noir Studio collection supported by Holland Casino.
For the February 2020 edition of Moda, the trade show announced its will be relaunching with new dates, new halls, and a re-edit and newly curated sectors as it looks to present a “new Moda for a new decade”.
Moda, the fashion trade show and the UK’s National Footwear Show, will showcase a “refreshed image, new shell scheme and an improved ﬂoor plan” for its all-new show in February 2020 as it looks to give exhibitors the best space to showcase their collections and to meet the “changing needs of brands and buyers,” explained organisers.
At the heart of the relaunch is a new date, Moda from its autumn/winter 2020 edition will be moved to February 23-25 within new halls within the NEC Birmingham to avoid clashes with Milan show MICAM.
Adam Gough, Event Director at Moda, says: “59% of buyers have been attending Moda for over 20 years, 41% spend over £150k, and 90% of visitors return every season and are owners with sole purchasing power. The show has this incredible heritage and is the heart of UK fashion, however, retail is changing and the show needs to adapt. A refreshed edit of the show will ensure that Moda remains a leading hub for contemporary, diverse and inspirational brands to cement their presence in the UK market. Much of our plan is dedicated to drawing in the key names in fashion retail, from online retailers, multiples and department stores, and with this in mind, we have altered our date lines for the AW20 edition to avoid clashing with Milan show MICAM. In our new halls 6,7 & 8, Moda will now be taking place 23rd – 25th February 2020.”
The Bally Champion sneaker is to be released worldwide this month as a limited edition reinterpretation. With a limited number of 1,851 sneakers Bally celebrates the founding year of the traditional brand. The exclusive capsule collection is characterized by the extraordinary color combination of fluor yellow and black details and shows a modern version of the sporty cult sneaker.
For the first time, the Champion Sneaker was launched in the 1990s and quickly became the favorite of the two Swiss tennis stars Jakob Hlasek and Marc Rosset. Made of soft calfskin and finished with a sturdy texture, the shoe offers ultimate comfort and maximum stability through its functional construction.
Consinee, China’s largest spinner and exporter of cashmere yarn, returned to New York City this summer with a fashion show at Cipriani Wall Street for the second year in a row. The event was attended by over 400 guests and consisted of a 200-foot runway, set up underneath the 70-foot dome of the venue.
The collection produced and showcased by Consinee featured 88 ready-to-wear looks, including both menswear and womenswear pieces with every one knitted from Consinee’s premium cashmere yarn designed by Steven Oo.
With Liberty Fairs New York’s edition just passing, the upcoming Las Vegas edition will bring from August 12th till 14th, many exciting brands and concepts to its exhibit.
Quest, a special section within Liberty Fairs, speaks to the modern gentleman who blurs the lines between luxury, contemporary sportswear, and sartorial dressing. An overwhelming success in both New York and Las Vegas, Quest offers an elevated environment to conduct business, discover new brands, visit existing favorites, and connect with like-minded retailers, brands, and influencers.
Curated by Travis Weaver of Manready Mercantile, The General Store offers fresh perspectives on the pairing of homewares, apothecary brands and small batch goods alongside well-crafted clothing brands. With an additional selection of Made in America goods, this section is a one-stop-shop for specialty items.
The Liberty League of influencers is an integral part of building awareness across multiple platforms, for both Liberty Fairs and their brands. During the show, they’re invited to network with designs, pull product for photo shoots, and generate excitement on the floor. The exhibition creates a designated area on the floor for creators to network while capturing and editing content during the show.
A denim-focused section showcasing the best names in premium and contemporary denim, Indigo brings true lifestyle and culture to the traditional Las Vegas trade show sector, while collaborating with like-minded brands to usher in a new norm for the industry.
Denim dreams will be realized courtesy of Calik Denim in an immersive, custom made entrance to the Indigo lounge.


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At the dizzying heights of Metro Vancouver gasoline prices, the Tilbury Husky station on River Road in Delta stood out at the top early this week with a price just shy of $1.79 a litre for regular fuel, according to reports on the crowdsourced website GasBuddy.com.
Being higher than the more common $1.73 per litre could invite an extra level of consumer backlash against the brand, said one analyst.
“I don’t think it really helps the brand,” said Dan McTeague, senior analyst with GasBuddy.com. He said the $1.73 a litre being charged by other stations likely offers a healthy profit margin.
“My advice would be (to) not shop there, because it’s fairly clear that would be pushing the envelope at a time when prices are high,” McTeague said.
Other prices in Delta included $1.65 at Chevron at 5206 Ladner Trunk Rd., $1.69 at the Co-op at 6420 Ladner Trunk Rd., and $1.73 at the Petro-Canada at 6389 120th St.
Across the Lower Mainland, the lowest prices Tuesday afternoon ranged from $1.53 on Fraser Highway in Abbotsford, outside the zone of Metro Vancouver’s transit tax, to $1.64 on East 12th Avenue in Vancouver.
Other experts disagree that national brands, such as Shell, Husky or Petro-Canada, are likely to suffer an association with local price hikes, though “the overall high-price environment does embitter consumers,” said Dale Griffin, a UBC marketing professor.
In an email, Griffin said it is likely the local outlets setting high-price records will bear the brunt of consumer anger.
“Specific outlets that are seen as leading the parade could well become labelled as high priced or greedy in consumers’ minds,” Griffin said. “This definitely leads to a quandary for the industry — how to respond to price pressures without hurting local outlet reputation.”
Lindsay Meredith, a Simon Fraser University marketing professor, characterized gasoline as a “homogeneous packaged product,” with consumers viewing one brand’s product the same as another’s.
Collectively, high prices have likely hurt the whole sector’s reputation.
“I don’t think we have a lot of consumer love left” for gas stations, Meredith said.
McTeague said there may well be reasons one station’s prices are higher, but “the last thing you want to has is (the station) develops a reputation that only Husky brand charges the most for the same gasoline.”
McTeague said retailers typically pay wholesale prices that are within a few cents of one another, so their discretion is in whether they sacrifice a portion of their margin to appear competitive.
McTeague said there are no easy answers to easing the Lower Mainland’s notoriously tight market for fuel.
The region faces high demand and tight supplies from one small oil refinery in Metro Vancouver and limited capacity to to deliver refined gasoline on the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Alberta where wholesale price are much cheaper.
And McTeague said Metro Vancouver drivers face the highest gas taxes on the continent, with governments “that have no trepidation about continuing to add, drop by drop, more to the price of gasoline.”
Premier John Horgan, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said the criticisms of the carbon tax in particular are misplaced as B.C. does its part to address the climate crisis.
“The big challenge is at the pumps,” Horgan said. “One penny a litre increase (in the carbon tax) on April 1 does not account for a 25-cent-increase since that one cent was put in place.”
The tax increases are being used to improve public transportation and green programs.
“We need to talk to the gas companies about why they’re not refining more product to meet demand in the marketplace.”
Horgan added that the margins that gasoline retailers charge are something that the federal government’s consumer protection agency should be looking into, which he will take up with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“They should have more concern about the travelling public in British Columbia than they are showing,” Horgan said.


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Berry Brothers & Rudd has strengthened its Rioja portfolio as the merchant’s Spain buyer Simon Field MW acknowledged growing demand.
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s has cut the alcohol in its own-brand Prosecco from 11% abv to 10.5% as part of its ’20×20′ programme.
The UK’s first self-service “iPub”, where bar staff have been swapped for iPads, has opened in Wales.
While the number of people being admitted to hospital in England due to alcohol has fallen, treating alcohol-related illnesses is still costing the NHS £2.8 billion a year.
The International Wine & Spirit Competition has announced seven shortlisted candidates for this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award in the Scotch Whisky Industry.
Tesco has suspended three executives – including its director for beer, wine and spirits – as part of an investigation into a £250 million profit overestimation.
The Campaign for Real Ale has been accused of ‘beer sexism’ after a leaflet featuring corset-clad models was distributed around UK universities.
A UK pub chain has been fined £33,000 after a toddler fell through railings and into its basement.
Oddbins has increased its focus on German wines to raise awareness of the country’s more interesting styles, emphasising it’s “not all about Riesling”.
UK sparkling wine sales shot up by £70 million last year, making it the country’s fastest growing alcoholic drink category.
© 2014 Union Press Ltd | Unit 122, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS, UK | Registered in England and Wales No. 03606414 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7803 2420


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Tesla Motors has a brand-new version pending, the Tesla Model E, according to a trademark application submitted earlier this month. You can not grow market share with cars that cost even more compared to $65,000 access factor of the very rated Tesla Model S.
Tesla currently has presently model lineup one schedule deepAutomobile the Model SVersion a five-door hatchback with a starting price twice rate of the average car typical automobile marketed US. Tesla claimed the push-back was to cover Tesla will be able to produce 20,000 Model Ses in 2013 and to underscore Tesla’s dedication to profits.
Design 2015 Tesla Model E due around 2015
When the Department of Energy set up payday loans to Tesla in 2009– payday loans, not Detroit-style bailouts– Tesla talked about generating a range of electric cars: metropolitan delivery vans, exchangeable or roadster (like the very first Tesla, the Roadster of 2008-2012), minivans, and a smaller sized EV-sized like a BMW 3 Series, Acura TL, or Chevrolet Cruz.
The majority of think this will certainly be the downsized, economic climate Tesla with a price in the neighborhood of $30,000. It would seat four or five with the same comfort you would certainly expect in an economy auto– pretty good if the economy vehicle is a Honda Civic, snug in back if it’s a Ford Focus. Now, $30,000 obtains you a comparatively spartan EV from other automakers and the presumption is Tesla wouldn’t hurt its brand name with an economical interior.
The Model E would certainly probably be a power car only. Tesla’s strategies in the past featured little burning engine variety extenders as on the Chevrolet Volt yet no such vehicles were built and Tesla’s present strategies are for EVs only. Instead, Tesla is working with better batteries, quicker charging, replaceable batteries, and a lot more billing terminals.
Tesla has the look of a victor (no errors so far)
In California, the Tesla Model S outsells every model from Porsche and Jaguar (also Lincoln, Land Rover and Volvo), with 4,714 Teslas registered there in the initial half of 2013. The Model S acquired the highest possible ranking on the United States accident tests and Tesla, not content with that, released a press release that its analysis makes Tesla safer than the other leading markers.
Tesla sees itself as a lot a tech firm as it is an automobile company with production facilities in the old GM-Toyota NUMMI plant in Fremont, California. UNITED STATE Today notes Wall Street values Tesla more than Google based upon revenue: $20 billion in appraisal (market cap), or 10X anticipated annual sales. Google has a market cap of $300 billion, more like five times expected revenue. Simply puts, when you say Tesla, financiers see sizzle in addition to steak.
Because it offers only zero-emission cars, Tesla banks ecological credit reports it could sell to other automakers. Jerry Hirsch of the Los Angeles Times states Tesla earnings by as much as $35,000 for every Model S offered.
Tesla has actually suffered just one recall of approximately 1,000 vehicles for a fragile rear seat latch. It also got involved in a public fight early this year with The New York Times over whether reviewer John Broder adhered to Tesla’s review procedures and lookinged after proper notes. (Tesla kept generous notes using an on-board tracker that would certainly do the NSA honored.) The outcome was that The Times went over looking less than best and Tesla was extremely thin-skinned. Moments public publisher Margaret Sullivan wrapped up there were “problems with preciseness and judgment however not honesty” on the writer’s part.


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FL-based Consolidated Credit Counseling Services says its surveys shows that 58% of Americans plan to spend less this holiday season than last year with 50% saying the cutbacks are due to current economic conditions. More than 18% said they’re spending less because they’re earning less — a 4% increase over last year. Over 66% said they’re spending less because they are carrying too much debt, down from 70% last year. Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. conducts the holiday spending survey annually.Details
Celtron’s Orbtech Holdings Limited subsidiary has acquired 100% of the outstanding stock of CreditPipe, a Mobile E-commerce platform and M-commerce enabler. Orbtech plans to launch the “Mobile Credit” service, that utilizes WIG technology that resides on a cell phone SIM card. This eliminates the need for any Web-based banking service or WAP. Users receive immediate transaction settlement in their bank account and confirmation is received in seconds via SMS protocol. Celtron has signed agreements with CreditPipe Holdings in the UK and CreditPipe Ltd in South Africa and that the acquisition will complement the current Mobile Solutions offerings of the group.Details
VISA USA reportedly suffered from a short-term liquidity problem following the Wal-Mart debit card settlement and looked to its biggest members to prepay their membership fees as a solution for the cash shortage. VISA may have lost as much as $1.4 billion in its latest fiscal year, after producing close to $2.0 billion in annual revenues in recent years. According to internal documents leaked to the Wall Street Journal, top VISA members, Bank One, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America completed a funding plan last month to lend VISA funds through the early payment of their membership fees. Apparently VISA tried to borrow the funds from the banks, but did not like the terms, settling instead on the prepayments. VISA also reportedly experienced a negative equity position during the summer. However, after patching up its finances, VISA made its first installment payment of $200 million in the Wal-Mart debit card settlement three months ahead of schedule. VISA has committed to paying $200 million per year for the next ten years as part of the settlement. The Wall Street Journal says the early payment was made to qualify for a tax break.
**CLARIFICATION:** VISA USA’s effort to raise extra cash over the summer to pay for its share of the Wal-Mart debit card settlement through the early payment of membership fees was an offer extended to all members and not just the top members. VISA also noted that its loss for the 2003 fiscal year was an accounting loss as the full amount of the settlement was posted to its books.Details
Jupiter Research forecasts that online holiday retail sales will be $17 billion, a 21% increase over online consumer spending last year. Despite the fact that 46% of consumers stated they will shop more than four weeks before the holiday, Jupiter Research expects the convenience of online purchasing, the primary reason consumers shop online, to push purchasers to the very edge of the buying season. Jupiter Research’s Holiday 2003 Executive Survey shows that retailers have taken measures to improve their fulfillment and customer service capabilities this year, and to ensure they are ready for the last minute rush.Details
BankServ has been named Digital Insight’s preferred partner for wire transfer processing, integrating its back-office wire transfer technology with Digital Insight’s front-end “AXIS” cash management solution. Digital Insight and BankServ will develop a real-time interface between their products enabling a complete end-to-end wire processing solution. The solution will facilitate a greater number of transactions with enhanced reporting and data exchange and will also provide a comprehensive customer experience for Digital Insight clients and their business customers.Details
Smart card manufacturer Plastkart has formed a partnership with Gemplus International. Under terms of the deal, Gemplus will work closely with Plastkart to provide the necessary
technological support to enable Plastkart to produce smart cards for use in financial and governmental applications. Gemplus will deliver modules with related Operating Systems and the necessary know-how to meet the most stringent business needs. Plastkart will embed the modules and print the card bodies in its high-tech factory in Silivri-Istanbul. The company’s production capacity exceeds 45 million smart cards and is certified by BVQI, TSE and TUVIT TU4. About 40 million payment cards are in circulation on the Turkish market.
Atiam Technologies has selected Mosaic Software’s “Postilion” for its new VISA/MasterCard stored value card that distributes insurance payouts. The “InsPac” card is geared towards the claims payments of workers compensation, short term disability, long term disability and annuity payments. Cardholders can access funds through ATMs or at the POS. “Postilion” drives payments and other financial transactions through ATMs, POS terminals, phones and Internet access points. This multi-channel architecture provides consistent cross-channel branding and integration, consolidated management information, integrated debit card management, EMV enablement and loyalty software solutions.Details
Cambridge-based WorldPay was hit this week with an online attack involving millions of emails from the Ukraine that resulted in a denial of service for many of its customers. WorldPay has about 27,000 merchant clients in 70 countries. The majority of the clients are in Europe. Major clients include Sony Music UK and Vodafone. The Company says the attack was disruptive in nature and not to commit fraud. WorldPay is a subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.Details
In a surprise move yesterday, VISA USA released third quarter data less than six weeks after the close of the quarter. VISA says total volume on its U.S. cards grew nearly 13% to more than $285 billion for the quarter. VISA debit card volume hit $118 billion in the third quarter, a 22%+ increase over the same period last year. VISA’s third quarter credit card volume grew 7% over 3Q/02 to more than $167.8 billion. VISA volume in automatic bill payments, quick service restaurants and government spending collectively grew to more than $21 billion in the third quarter, a 29% increase over the same period last year. VISA says it is confident it will hit its 2003 volume projection of $1.1 trillion.Details
Toronto-based Advantex Marketing International reported that its revenue for the year ending June 30th was $96 million, a 3.8% increase of the prior year. Advantex’s net loss for fiscal 2003 was $2.2 million, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million for fiscal 2002, a 32% year-over-year improvement. Results from the Company’s established loyalty marketing business improved year over year despite the effects of SARS and merchant and consumer uncertainties surrounding Air Canada and its Aeroplan subsidiary. Advantex is a developer of syndicated loyalty marketing programs throughout North America. Clients include Aeroplan, Bank of America, CIBC, The New York Times, United Mileage Plus, and US Airways.Details
Atlanta-based InstaPay Systems Kryptosima subsidiary has signed a patent license and equipment purchase agreement with an undisclosed payment processor outside the USA. The agreement also provides for Kryptosima to sell PIN pads/card readers to the processor. InstaPay’s focus is on the implementation of new payment services, such as ATM card payments from home or office to make Internet purchases or fund brokerage accounts.Details
Bibit Global Payment Services has expanded its payment platform with Asia-Pacific capabilities. Bibit has established a corporation in Japan, which also serves as regional HQ. The payment screens, where shoppers are invited to submit their payment details, now support Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters. Settlement in all major Asia Pacific currencies is already supported by Bibit. Bibit supports more than 70 payment methods worldwide, including all European and Asian currencies required by merchants. Bibit’s client list includes Dell, Expedia, TUI / Hapag Lloyd, Transavia, The Financial Times, Vodafone, and NEC Computers International.Details


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If you wanted to carry Davy Crockett-style coonskin caps, would you know where to turn? Those in the know have been calling on a New York-based company called Strips, Inc. for 80 years for those hats and anything to do with animal pelts. “My father started this company in the 1930s, and I joined in the 1970s,” says company president Sid Chaklai. But as the anti-fur movement took hold in this country, Chaklai made some strategic moves to stay in business. “I saw the writing on the wall,” he says, “and I transformed our product line into a novelty.”
Today, Strips sells a variety of animal-skin products, from tails and heads to full-sized pelts for a variety of uses. “One of our biggest sellers is a silver-fox tail on a ballchain,” Chaklai says. “People wear them on their belts, in the back country.” The tails wholesale for $3 each and can fetch up to $10 retail. Another perennial favorite is the rabbit’s foot, bought as a good luck charm. “We’ve sold tens of thousands of them this year,” Chaklai notes. “They’re very popular with flea market vendors, gift shops and country trading posts.”
Minimum orders from Strips, Inc. start at only $100, and the products ship the same day. “We carry more than 55 different items,” Chaklai says, “and we’re the biggest handlers in the world of raccoon and fox tails. We’re also the cheapest,” he adds.
For More Information:
35-18 37th Street
Long Island City, NY 11101


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The Wireless Arcade
It’s game time.
Across the rainy streets of San Jose, CA, scruffy guys with laminated badges flapping on their T-shirts scurry into the city’s convention center. The occasion is the annual Game Developer’s Conference: Mecca for the programmers, artists and technological dreamers who design and code virtual worlds. The annual event is always the place to be for anyone who’s anyone in this multibillion-dollar industry. But on this Saturday morning, the buzz is even greater than usual. After a few days discussing vector units, quaternions and 3-D fluid simulation, they’re racing to talk about something truly heady, the birth of a new medium: wireless games.
Inside the conference room, a standing-room-only crowd has assembled for the “Wireless Game Summit,” a marathon exploration of the first new gaming platform in three decades. Among the development companies attending is one launched by the legendary John Romero. Way back in the 20th century, Romero was cocreator of three fast-action video games that radically transformed the industry. Romero’s violent “first-person shooters”-Wolfenstein 3-D, Doom and Quake-let the player see through the eyes of a weapons-wielding character. With their mesmerizing 3-D graphics and over-the-Internet competition, these three games rapidly became among the bestselling offerings in video game history. Now Romero has started Monkeystone Games in Quinlan, TX, to focus on what he thinks is the next great unconquered space for gaming. “Everyone has a cell phone,” he says, “and everyone’s going to want to play games.”
Wireless games are played on Internet-enabled portable devices such as personal digital assistants and, particularly, cell phones. Though most of us are now familiar with the idea of getting driving directions or surfing the Web on a cell phone, the real killer app of wireless devices is games. Primitive-looking wireless games have already gained enormous popularity overseas. And bolstered by new software tools that allow game creators to deliver robust, colorful images, and by the emergence of third-generation, or 3G, cellular networks, wireless games may be on the verge of commercial success. The New York-based market research firm Datamonitor projects that by 2005, 80 percent of all wireless users in the United States and Western Europe-200 million people-will at least occasionally play games on their handhelds. In that period, the wireless-games market will zoom from less than $1 million per year to $6 billion, if the rosier estimates are to be believed.
This latest wrinkle in gaming has been a long time coming. Computer games were born in 1962 when MIT programmers hacked together an intergalactic simulation called Spacewar for a PDP-1 mainframe. Arcade games were hatched nine years later, when Nolan Bushnell engineered a coin-operated spinoff called Computer Space-and, one year later, Pong. The first home game consoles hit the market in 1972. Though today’s games have achieved leaps in power and sophistication-from the massively multiplayer online world of EverQuest for the PC to the stunning graphical realism of Halo for the Microsoft Xbox-they essentially rely on machines that have existed for years. There hasn’t been a new game platform since the 1970s.
The Waiting Game
Everybody waits: for school to let out, for planes to arrive, for dentists to see us. To the wireless-gaming industry, these unoccupied interludes in an average day are opportunities-minutes waiting to be killed with their creations. “There are plenty of time-saving applications,” says Paul Goode, entertainment platforms group manager for Motorola. “We’re working on the time-wasting ones.”
There’s a reason for this strong corporate interest. An estimated 60 percent of Americans play video games regularly, according to the Washington, DC-based Interactive Digital Software Association. That adds up to 145 million people, including 62 million women. Even the president of the United States confesses to daily bouts of digital solitaire. Despite the dot-com crash, U.S. sales of video games-buoyed by competition between the Sony PlayStation 2 and new home consoles from Microsoft (Xbox) and Nintendo (GameCube)-reached a record $9.4 billion last year. Americans spent more money on games than on movie tickets. Stereotypes aside, the average gamer isn’t a pimply teenager, either: he’s a 28-year-old adult.
Thing is, adults have been largely left out of a sizable piece of this revolution. Nintendo has sold more than 100 million units of its hot handheld platform, the Game Boy. But not, by and large, to adults. The reason? It’s a toy, and adults need to act like adults. They aren’t likely to make room in their briefcases for a Game Boy; if they do, they’re certainly not encouraged to whip out a fuchsia-colored hunk of plastic for a round of Pokmon. Cell phones and personal digital assistants have at least the veneer of business utility.
Enter wireless games-handheld games for grownups. Now cell phones can be toys disguised as tools. You punch up a “games” option on the phone, which connects to a server operated by your wireless carrier or a game publisher. The server transmits the data needed to turn the tiny screen into a playpen. Server-based games allow for frequently updated content and relieve the player of the need to carry game discs or cartridges. The server can also relay data between different players in real time, allowing for multiplayer competition: why play paintball by yourself when you could compete against someone in Japan, live?
Indeed, Japan is the model for a wireless-entertainment culture. NTT DoCoMo, that country’s largest wireless company, has surprised and transformed the nation with a service called “i-mode,” which allows subscribers to access games and other online entertainment wirelessly. The i-mode service requires a special cell phone with a slightly larger than ordinary screen (typically three by four centimeters) plus circuitry and software built in to handle the proprietary i-mode protocol. Users can access only the few thousand Web sites that have been modified to meet i-mode’s technical specifications. But there’s no dialing-up-an i-mode phone is “always on” the Net.
I-mode is phenomenally popular, engendering a “thumb culture” of 30 million subscribers-an estimated 80 percent of people worldwide who currently use wireless devices to connect to the Net. “We’re all looking at DoCoMo,” says Paul Palmieri, director of business development for Verizon Wireless. “Clearly the biggest category within the content is on the game side.”
The Lure of the Simple
I-mode games offer nothing like the whiz-bang explosions of a typical video game. The most popular game, for example, is Fisupeli-virtual fishing. Like most i-mode titles, it is text-based-no graphics at all. To begin, a player types “fisu” on the phone. A message appears on the screen describing the fishing environment. The player taps keys to select lures and rods-choices that will, ultimately, determine the chances of success at catching various kinds of fish. Simple? Yes, but as seemingly timeless and compelling as a good round of Go Fish.
Given Fisupeli’s sparse graphics, one lesson U.S. game companies are taking from the i-mode phenomenon is that adult players of wireless games don’t need the bells and whistles that kids go for. On the contrary, adult gamers prefer simpler games. Take an offering from Los Angeles-based Jamdat Mobile called Gladiator, which has enticed more than 1.1 million people to spend some 15 million minutes competing against each other over wireless networks. That averages out to less than 15 minutes per player; people play in short busts.
Gladiator’s popularity shows how compelling a primitive-looking game can be. The screen displays two combatants-you and your gladiatorial opponent. You manipulate a cursor to choose where to put up your shield and where to strike out. These choices are then sent over the wireless network, which compares them with your opponent’s, calculates the results and relays back the score. It isn’t realism or beauty that’s driving the success of Gladiator-it’s simple competition and distraction. “Developers were making better-looking games on the PDP-1 in the 1960s,” admits Jamdat Mobile CEO Mitch Lasky.
Though Gladiator shares the simple structure of the i-mode games, it occupies a parallel universe. Playing it requires a handset compatible with a completely different standard, known as the wireless application protocol (often referred to by its acronym, WAP). This protocol has the disadvantage of not offering i-mode’s always-on connection. Unlike i-mode, however, it works on a wide assortment of phones.
Even more widespread are lower-tech games based on a method of wireless text communication called the short-message service, or SMS. This service allows people to exchange brief text notes, generally less than 160 characters long, by typing into their cell phones or other handheld wireless devices. Already widely used in Europe, text messaging is starting to catch on rapidly in the United States (see “Message in a Bottleneck,” TR January/February 2002). And it turns out to be well suited for gaming.
In China, for instance, a simple trivia game called Intelligence Quotient Quiz is credited with expanding the clientele of the wireless firm Linktone 20-fold in its first month. And last September, when Bell Mobility in Canada introduced a short-message service version of the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the game was played more than 500,000 times during the first week. Games now account for more than half of the Internet traffic on the Bell Mobility wireless network. That’s an even higher percentage than in Japan, where about a quarter of i-mode users seek entertainment and games. The massive popularity of these graphically simple games shows that an addictive round of trivia can be just as riveting as fancy color images of explosions and mayhem.
While the short-message service is popular in Europe and Asia, it is new in the U.S. The same goes for the wireless application protocol-available on only about one of every ten phones nationwide. Given the U.S. appetite for Millionaire-style entertainment, it and similar games will almost certainly hit these shores as wireless gaming infiltrates U.S. culture.
But that, code warriors at the San Jose conference proclaimed, is only the beginning.
The Wireless Doom Years
Think of Gladiator and Millionaire as phase one of the mobile-game evolution-analogous to the beginnings of computer games, with their chunky-looking graphics. They represent, in effect, the Pong years. Now we’re about to witness the start of phase two, to be ushered in by the deployment of newfangled hardware and game development software later this year. These will be the Doom years of wireless gaming.
This transition will occur in large part due to the advent of two new software platforms designed to make it easier for developers to create games for multiple devices, yielding a wider selection of games. One is a wireless variant of the language that powers much of the Web-Sun Microsystems’ Java. The Java variant (known in the business as J2ME-for Java 2, micro edition) is now a feature on 15 million handsets and is expected to be standard on nearly all mobile phones by 2006. The other is San Diego-based Qualcomm’s set of software tools called the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless. Phones with this software-known as BREW-are already available in South Korea and will become available in the U.S. this summer from Verizon. While early wireless games are capturing a growing audience even with their low-tech look and feel, the more graphically rich games that the new platforms will make possible should appeal to a far larger audience.
Both Java and the Binary Runtime Environment offer full-color, arcadelike experiences akin to those offered by Game Boys. For example, rather than taking turns selecting moves and then waiting for the results, as in Gladiator, players might hop on the back of a tiny motorcycle and tear around an animated racetrack as an amber sun sets on the digital horizon. Or they’ll play a lush round of golf as Tiger Woods.
Because games developed with these platforms are downloaded to a handset-instead of requiring users to interact with a server, as with the wireless application protocol-the chief factor limiting performance is the device’s processor speed. Faster processors permit more complex games and smoother action. A typical cell phone chip today runs at around 200 megahertz-sluggish by PC standards. With wireless games, however, that isn’t much of a constraint. “We made do with one megahertz on a Commodore 64,” says Mikael Nerde-who oversees mobile gaming as third-party-program marketing manager for Sony Ericsson-referring to a popular home PC of the 1980s.
Developers can also make do-to a surprising extent-with the low bandwidth of existing wireless networks. Indeed, the new third-generation networks now becoming available in the United States and providing at least 144 kilobits per second of data delivery-ten times the capacity of today’s typical wireless systems-will have only a minor influence on most mobile games. Since Gladiator transmits tiny packets of data, for example, it works fine with today’s pokey wireless services. “We don’t care much about bandwidth,” says Jamdat’s Lasky.
While higher bandwidth will not itself do much for wireless gaming, it will still have an indirect effect. That’s because wireless-device makers are preparing to usher in the 3G epoch with a flood of handsets featuring larger and more colorful screens. The emergence of so-called smart phones-combination personal digital assistant and cell phone-also promises the more game-friendly interface of large color screens.
In another important development, some companies are also starting to make game-specific peripherals for mobile devices. Taiwan-based Architek, for instance, has developed a tiny cell phone joystick for players of Nokia’s Snake-a hit game in which players must maneuver an ever lengthening electronic reptile before it crashes into a wall. A new version of the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless will address another interface issue for gaming-the ability to execute certain tasks by pressing several keys at once. This capability, common on console game systems, allows for more complex character actions-such as a jump-turn-shoot maneuver.
All these technologies will converge to create a more varied gaming experience for the masses of gamers-as well as an appealing development opportunity for game creators. Calabasas Hills, CA-based THQ, for example, plans to introduce games that it says will rival in quality those it makes for the Game Boy Advance. These will include spinoffs of games based on World Wrestling Entertainment action, with animated wrestlers body-slamming each other in the ring, as well as Moto GP, a mud-slinging motocross contest. And while creation of a typical PC or console game can cost as much as $5 million and take as long as two years, the relatively graphics-poor games for mobile devices-even the next-generation ones-can be completed in six weeks for less than $50,000. There’s no packaging, no retail, no muss. “It’s fun to make small games again,” says John Romero.
An Imperfect World
The hard part still lies ahead, though. Despite the enthusiasm of the game developers and some early successes, wireless games face significant challenges. For one, the business case for wireless gaming is open to question: there’s no guarantee that consumers will be willing to pay enough for games to make their creation a viable business. The London-based market research firm Ovum concluded in a recent study that few people would pay more than 50 cents a month extra to play games on their cell phones and that only a tiny fraction of cell phone users-less than two percent-would pay $10 a month.
Arcade game players who have learned to milk hours out of a few quarters will also likely find wireless gaming a far less congenial experience. Wireless distribution means that gamers essentially get punished-instead of rewarded-for their skills. “If you’re successful at a network game,” says Ovum analyst Roope Mokka, “you end up paying more in airtime charges because you have a longer session.” What’s more, the very quality that defines these games-their reliance on wireless transmission-poses sticky technical problems. No matter how advanced wireless technologies become, there’s no getting around the disconnection that occurs when a player’s train heads into a tunnel.
Then there is the cultural issue. Japan’s affinity for the medium does not necessarily translate into U.S. acceptance. After all, i-mode has been Japan’s primary means of Internet access; here, where most homes and businesses are already online, Net play is not such a novelty. Ultimately, wireless-game makers have to not only deliver the goods but compel adults to redefine the way they are entertained. Eric Goldberg, founder and chief executive of Unplugged Games, found out that’s easier said than done. The New York-based developer of wireless games had to shut down his company in December despite having struck deals with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. Goldberg reels off a list of problems with the new medium, ranging from cell phones’ puny memory to the lack of peripherals. The absence of a single standard adds to doubts about the enterprise’s feasibility.
Still, Goldberg and other game developers tend to see these problems as temporary growing pains rather than fundamental barriers. After all, with games comes ingenuity. A creative designer could think of a way to make such drop-outs part of a game. Some resourceful players have surprised companies by playing with their cell phones plugged into the wall to keep from missing the action when battery power flags. And in Europe, wireless gamers are embracing entirely new kinds of interactive experiences that turn games into entertainment services rather than products. It’s Alive, a company in Stockholm, is pioneering a new genre it calls “pervasive gaming,” which uses cell phones to lead players into real-life adventures; participants are lured to locations in the physical world where they must uncover clues and gain information. The company’s first offering-BotFighters-is an assassin-style game that uses mobile positioning to alert gamers to nearby players whom they can “shoot” by typing text messages into their cell phones.
Ultimately, if mobile gaming does take off in the U.S., it could expand the current $9.4 billion gaming industry into the number one entertainment business in the country-ahead of not only movies but also music. The stakeholders aren’t just the 130 million cell phone users but the biggest carriers (from Verizon to Sprint), the biggest game publishers (Electronic Arts to Sega) and the biggest manufacturers of hardware (Motorola) and software (Microsoft). “Bringing Sega content to wireless platforms is another step toward Sega.com’s goal of bringing networked gaming to all devices,” says Ryoichi Shiratsuchi, CEO of Sega.com and general manager of Sega Mobile Japan.
At the very least, proponents say, the new medium might do for wireless technologies what earlier games did for computers. It was in large part to satisfy game players, after all, that PC makers pushed for bigger color screens and faster processors (see “From PlayStation to PC,” TR March 2002). This vision animates the San Jose conference goers. “We had a revolution take place in computing years ago because of consumers’ desire to have excellent entertainment on a PC,” R. J. Mical, chief architect of Morgan Hill, CA, game developer Fathammer, tells those gathered at the Wireless Game Summit. “We ended up with massive machines with powerful graphics. And because of this wealth of capabilities, the Web was able to come into existence. We’re going to see an equivalent revolution in mobile devices.”
The crowd at the conference cheers. Game time, it seems, is just getting started.
A Wireless-Game Maker Sampler
Company Location/URL Major products Platform Notable Digital Bridges Dunfermline, Scotland
www.digitalbridges.com Unity I-mode, Java, Pocket PC, wireless application protocol (WAP) Creator of Unity content server platform Fathammer Morgan Hill, CA, and Helsinki, Finland
www.fathammer.com X-Forge Linux, Pocket PC, Symbian Built pioneering 3-D graphics engine for mobile devices Jamdat Mobile Los Angeles, CA
www.jamdatmobile.com Gladiator; Tiger Woods PGA Tour Wireless Golf Java, WAP Created one of the most successful wireless games yet-Gladiator Monkeystone Games Quinlan, TX
www.monkeystone.com Hyperspace Delivery Boy!; Argentum: This Is War Pocket PC Founded by cocreator of PC classics Doom and Quake THQ Wireless Calabasas Hills, CA
www.thq.com WWE Mobile Madness Java, Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) Major video game developer that recently launched a wireless division
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
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Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google
Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.
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Kisan Rath App launched; set to solve all logistical problems of farmers amid coronavirus lockdown
Government has today launched ‘Kisan Rath App’ to on-board logistics service providers who can extend transportation facility for movement of agricultural and horticultural produce from farm gate to regulated markets, Farmer Producer Organization( FPO) Centres, village haats/ GrAMS, warehouses, railway stations, airports, processing units, wholesale and retail markets etc.
The App was launched by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
The ‘Kisan Rath App’ will lead to on boarding of over 5 lakh trucks through transport aggregators as well as 20,000 tractors from farmer group run Custom Hiring Centers(CHCs) a government official said adding that it will be a stepping stone towards provision of timely transportation service at competitive rates for farmers and traders besides achieving reduction in food wastage. This will also strengthen agricultural supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH! Zee Business encourages everyone to use Sanitiser, issues video:
— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) April 15, 2020
Kisan Rath App has been developed and supported by National Informatics Center (NIC) and can be accessed and downloaded from Google play store.
The government recently also launched new features new features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to strengthen agriculture marketing by farmers to reduce their need to physically come to wholesale mandis for selling their harvested produce, at a time when there is critical need to decongest mandis to effectively fight against COVID-19. T
These software modules are namely Warehouse-based trading module in e-NAM software to facilitate trade from warehouses based on e-NWR and FPO trading module in e-NAM whereby FPOs can trade their produce from their collection center without bringing the produce to APMC.
See Zee Business Live TV Streaming Below:
In addition to facilitate inter-mandi and inter-state trade at this juncture, enhanced version of logistic module has been released whereby aggregators of transport logistic platform have on boarded which helps users to avail trackable transport facilities for transporting their produce.
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.


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The device will be launched on 14 November and will be priced at $249.99 for the 30GB version.
Microsoft also plans to launch a music download service for the Zune, offering the options of purchasing individual songs or an all-you-can-eat monthly subscription.
To jump-start competition with the five year-old iPod accessory marketplace,
Microsoft also announced 10 Zune accessories ranging from AV cables to FM
The accessories will be available in specialised discounted packages, such as car kits and travel packs.
Alterations in capillary blood flow can be caused by body position change
Curiosity rover is in 'normal mode' but not transmitting scientific data back to base
NatWest outage comes a day after Barclays' IT systems shut out customers and staff
The ICO is concerned with AggregateIQ's retention and processing of data used in the Brexit referendum


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Disneyland raises ticket prices
Disneyland's announcement came at about the same time of year that the park has unveiled previous annual price hikes.
The announcement came along with word of price increases at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
For one-day passes to either Disneyland or the adjacent California Adventure Park, the price jumped from $72 to $76. For a three-day pass to enter both parks, the price increased from $204 to $206.
Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, said the increases of about 1% to 3% were no surprise and are "fairly modest" compared with the price hikes of about five or six years ago.
-- Hugo Martin
Photo: World of Color, the newest attraction at California Adventure Park. Credit: Los Angeles Times


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The connection between public health and animal meat consumption has been brought to the forefront ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a growth in demand for meat alternatives.
In response to this sudden spurt in demand, a host of companies producing meat substitutes have been revamping their strategies to further capitalise on the opportunity.
According to a recent report by Allied Market Research, the global meat substitute industry, estimated at $4.51 billion in 2019, will touch $8.82 billion by the year 2027. It is expected to register a CAGR of 7.2% in the period between 2021 and 2027.
Apart from the pandemic, instances of other obvious health hazards associated with animal meat, such as antimicrobial resistance, plaguing the general population has led to the rise of the meat substitute industry.
People are also becoming aware of the perspectives around sustainability and animal welfare, propelling the growth to a greater extent.
Companies like Beyond Meat Inc, Tofurky Co., and Impossible Foods Inc are all increasing production and expanding into more stores. They have started offering exciting discounts in order to appeal to the mass and efficiently partnering with stakeholders.
As of 2019, the frozen segment holds nearly 75% of the global market share and it is expected to hold its dominance till the end of 2027. During this same interim, other shelf-stable meat alternative products will experience a steep growth of CAGR 9.9% owing to a pandemic-induced increase in demand.
The soy-based segment has taken up nearly 60-70% of the total market revenue generated in the year 2019. This is attributed to the fact that soy proteins i.e. protein isolate and protein concentrate continue to be the main ingredients behind the manufacturing of plant-based meat substitute.
The wheat-based segment on the other hand would enjoy the fastest CAGR of 10% owing to its high nutritional goodness.
Europe and North America account for 40% of the global meat alternatives market. They have some renowned names like Quorn Foods, Cauldron Foods and lately the Rugenwalder Mulhe, attributing to the growth.
Asia Pacific is showing promise and is slated to make the fastest CAGR of 9.4% by 2027 owing to strong efforts made in the industry.


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WASHINGTON--For all the angst about heightened regulation in the banking sector, financial policymakers are increasingly turning their attention to a different industry: mobile handsets.
The parallels between the money and telecommunications businesses are nothing new. But with Washington now taking notice, the level of regulatory tinkering needed for the mobile-payments market has become the subject of intense debate.
"There needs to be some cooperation between the wireless and banking regulatory frameworks, because otherwise we're going to have a mess," Suzanne Martindale, a staff attorney for Consumers Union, says.
At one of two introductory hearings on the topic last month, senior Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., laid out the technological shifts facing the payments industry in these terms: "We are … on a precipice of some fundamental change in the way money is exchanged between consumers and businesses."
But whether Congress needs to weigh in is the million-dollar question.
To some, new products letting consumers spend money with a text message or simple wave of their phones can be adapted to existing laws governing fund transfers and credit disclosures. To others, the new market poses a maze of unanswered questions about who should regulate the sphere and how.
"There is no one clear regulator who is in charge of all mobile payments. It's very fractured right now," said Martindale, testifying at a March 22 House hearing Capito chaired, which was followed the next week by a mobile-payments hearing in the Senate. "It's an accident of history that technology moves beyond what's on the books."
Though the volume of mobile payments is not close to other more traditional payment transactions, the technology is exploding. With companies across multiple platforms rolling out new products each week and devices mimicking a wallet capable of processing a transaction at the point of sale, phones may one day replace plastic. Many industry observers agree it will not be overnight (see story).
But the two laws relevant to the shifting market far predate these innovations. Currently, electronic transactions are regulated by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which includes, among other provisions, safeguards against unauthorized transfers. For mobile payments linked to a card or other credit account, the Truth in Lending Act applies.
Previously, the Federal Reserve Board — which recently published a report about mobile-payment trends — implemented both the EFTA and TILA, respectively, with its Regulation E and Regulation Z. But the Dodd-Frank Act gave authority for both laws to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Most observers say those existing laws provide a sufficient legal setting for the mobile-payments sphere, since most products are linked with one or multiple credit cards, or other types of regulated consumer accounts.
"Mobile [payments] may have some additional complexities in terms of the layers of players, such as the mobile carrier, which may be subject to its own regulatory framework as a communications provider. … But for the most part, as with any other payment form, it can be conducted within the existing regulatory framework if the provider of the financial service is properly regulated, such as a bank or regulated money transmitter," says Jessica Sklute, special counsel at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.
Yet many also agree that some degree of coordination across multiple agencies is necessary. While the CFPB is the chief regulator for monitoring compliance by financial providers of consumer laws, the Federal Trade Commission retains oversight over other consumer products, and telecommunications providers are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
"Even though the CFPB is taking over a lot of the consumer protection regulatory responsibilities, this is an area where FTC still has authority. … And the FCC may also have a jurisdictional role here at least with respect to the mobile operators," says Steven Kaplan, a partner at K&L Gates.
The frontier is more uncertain if the market embraces more products where payments are processed without a separate regulated account. "Carrier billing" involves the capability for users to buy goods with their phone through direct charges from their wireless carrier. A common example of this is when users donate to charities by text message.
"To the extent that the user is relying on his or her credit or debit card for a mobile payment, there is a structure already in place for that," says Timothy McTaggart, a partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP. "That may change when newer technologies emerge where either you're going to pay for it through your phone bill or someone has dreamed up some other way that they're going to process the payments.
"There aren't really any lines of communications now between the FCC and the bank regulators. But the market is way ahead of the regulatory framework, and the telecommunications and banking sectors are converging. That may require Congress to draw up some principles."


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Session, the Swedish tech start-up formerly known as Auddly, has announced the launch of Creator Credits, an automated, soup-to-nuts music ecosystem that aims to help identify and properly credit contributors to songs and recordings. The company, co-founded by songwriters Max Martin and ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, has developed technology that assigns credits in the studio, then funnels that data down the chain to managers, labels, publishers, rights societies, distributors and, finally, streaming platforms.
In order to harvest that data from the jump, Session is partnering with Pro Tools maker Avid to embed its tech into the popular studio recording program. Session will then be able to automatically detect and add crucial industry identifiers for songwriters (IPI), musicians/performers (IPN), producers and editors to a recording before it embarks on the rest of its journey ending in a listeners' ear.
From the studio, all that metadata travels with the track as it is delivered to labels and publishers. The creator identification information, along with details on their specific contributions to a recording, are assembled with the ISRC, the standard codes for identifying sound recordings, and ISWC, the composition identifier, which will help ensure proper and accurate royalty allocation down the line.


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- The companies already work together on Medicare drug plans. Humana has 4.9 million enrollees in so-called Part D plans, making it the third-largest provider in the country.
- The life sciences division of Alphabet, has a plan to break into managed care. CNBC reported in February that Verily will jointly bid with partners for contracts to provide health insurance for hundreds of thousands of participants.
Healthcare is one-sixth of the U.S. economy. It is a $3 trillion industry. And it is hopelessly broken.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Walmart was in early talks to buy or partner closely with Humana, the giant healthcare maintenance company.
The news was a wakeup call. Disruption is coming, and it is going to remake the sector with modern tools.
Humana is a special prize. Its managers have embraced digital transformation. This means its $21 billion pharmacy benefit program, plus its sprawling private Medicare businesses, offer a treasure trove of data.
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Walmart owns one of the largest private data-analytics operations in the world. Its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters is home to a 40-petabyte data cloud. There, analysts monitor sales and inventory in real time on massive touchscreen smart boards. They are able to quickly see patterns in the data and turn that into actionable intelligence.
It is the nerve center of the of 20,000-store retail chain. Presumably, Walmart would bring this powerful analytical environment to Humana.
The companies already work together on Medicare drug plans. Humana has 4.9 million enrollees in so-called Part D plans, making it the third-largest provider in the country. It’s also active in Medicare private plans. Medicare Advantage has 3.5 million participants, or 17% of the total U.S. market.
In some ways, Walmart managers are looking over their shoulders/Amazon.com, its chief retail rival, began making noises about a foray into healthcare in early 2017. By December, CVS and Aetna tied the knot in a deal worth $69 billion. Last month, Cigna agreed to buy Express Scripts for $67 billion.
The Seattle online behemoth has the largest cloud computing platform in the world. Today, its Amazon Web Services provides infrastructure to all of its business segments, including ecommerce, artificial intelligence, logistics and data analytics.
In April 2017, Amazon started selling prescription drugs in its Japanese online store, with the help of a local partner. In November 2017, it started selling medical supplies and private-label, over-the-counter medicines in its U.S. stores. And in January, the company announced it was working with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to reduce employee healthcare costs.
Together, the three firms have 840,000 employees. Numbers like that generate a lot of data.
Data is the common denominator of the push by big tech into healthcare.
Verily, the life sciences division of Alphabet, has a plan to break into managed care. CNBC reported in February that Verily will jointly bid with partners for contracts to provide health insurance for hundreds of thousands of participants.
The policies, called population health, involve Verily making a proposal to a single payer to reduce healthcare costs. If Verily delivers, it gets some portion of the savings.
Given the machine-learning chops of its sister company, Google, it all makes perfect sense. The strength of all the Alphabet companies is using artificial intelligence to understand large data sets.
If all goes as planned, Verily is going to get a lot of data to analyze.
Still, disrupting healthcare is not going to be easy. It is fraught with scads of politically connected go-betweens, legendary price opacity and complicated relationships between insurers, health providers and consumers.
What is different this time is data analytics. Software is making choices more informed. It is eliminating fly-by-the-seat-of your-pants strategies that, quite frankly, have led to the current mess.
A good way to play the rise of big data analytics might be Splunk, which looks attractive on the current pullback. It has wide acceptance for Big Data analysts, and a relatively well priced subscription model. The software is not open-source. It is a Swiss army knife that allows IT professionals to quickly see patterns in large sets of data. Splunk’s business is booming, and it is doing so at the expense of competitors like Cloudera.
Healthcare, tech and retail are a natural fit. The digital revolution will ultimately see them merge into one.
Date: May 03, 2018


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See you next year! E3 2020 is officially saturated and directly announced the exhibition schedule for 2021
After the official closing of the E3 game show this year, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) did not stand idle but instead invested in the preparation of the 2021 exhibition.
Today, almost a month after the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) officially announced the cancellation of E3 2020, a special schedule for the E3 2021 was officially announced, as usual in June, from June 15 to June 2021. Held on the 17th.
It is reported that the ESA announced that it will hold some “rethought” events at E3 in 2021. Although the specific content is unclear, it is not surprising that the ESA wants to make innovative breakthroughs in content and form.
In the end, in recent years, the E3 exhibition itself has always been questioned and challenged, and many large manufacturers have abandoned this alone, and its initial plan is to bring new vitality to the exhibition through the new exhibition venue for parties at the 2020 E3 exhibition. After the cancellation of the exhibition E21 2021, undoubtedly, was the next decisive moment.
When the E3 2020 was officially canceled, the ESA also said it was “looking for research solutions” to use online methods to display information about this year’s masterpieces, but there is currently no progress on this project and no new news updates.
At the same time, other manufacturers turned to digital advertising on their own platforms: Microsoft and Ubisoft announced that they are exploring ways to display on the Internet, and Nintendo itself has a tradition of meeting on the Internet. Other manufacturers, such as Sega, SE, 2K, etc., have announced their participation in IGN’s Summer of Games online activity, using the IGN platform to showcase new games on the Internet.
From this point of view, it is not surprising that ESA is so eager to announce the E3 schedule in 2021. They also fear that manufacturers may not find out that the lack of E3 will not affect their game sales. The next E3 could be the battle of life and death.
Hello, I am Junaid! I am a Technology Informant and Tech Blog, writer. It has been a profession since 2015. I am a big fan of Huawei Samsung and Apple products. Also a Game Lover. Mail: [email protected]


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VMLY&R North America
Tue, 01 Nov 2022 14:41:40 GMT
With Thanksgiving just around the corner here in the States, Butterball, has launched a new campaign and platform to celebrate the season.
The new platform, 'Today, We Turkey,' was created to inspire some swagger in the kitchen and celebrate the many ways a homemade meal brings us together. As a long-standing and beloved brand, Butterball wanted to not only elevate to a more emotional space to bring to life the powerful force of togetherness and all the ways Butterball helps people pass love on, but also build relevancy with younger audiences who don’t necessarily have the same awareness and relationship with the brand as their parents. The work recognises the important balance between tradition and reimagined gathering and hosting trends. While the platform launches this Thanksgiving it will live on throughout the year.
The fully integrated campaign launches across television, digital channels, and other seasonal extensions. National TVCs will air on channels such as Spotify, Hulu, and TikTok through behaviour targeting. Additionally, the new platform will come to life with a newly designed website with easier-to-find resources to help with prep, cook, and leftovers, TikTok tips and Ah-has! from Turkey Talk-Line experts, and Butterball Turkey Talk-Line Comfort Calendars.
Creative for the platform was developed and executed by VMLY&R, with earned media support from Edelman.
Categories: Meat & Fish, FoodVMLY&R North America, Tue, 01 Nov 2022 14:41:40 GMT


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A federal operation underway since 2019 has seized tens of thousands of illegal gun silencers smuggled into the United States from China, leading to the arrests of felons and domestic extremists
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Exposing the flaws in the venture capital investment philosophy adopted by far too many VC firms in the industry.
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After the recent discovery of monkeypox in King County, one medical expert said the US is prepared in the event a large number of vaccines are needed.
“This is nothing like COVID, we


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The major averages extended their recent retreat from their respective all-time highs notched earlier this week, as investors digested the latest developments on the trade front. The Dow fell 54 points, while the S&P 500 lost 0.2%, with both benchmark indexes declining for a third straight session. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.2%.
A report showed Chinese Vice Premier Liu He invited the U.S. to Beijing to further negotiations and said he is “cautiously optimistic” about a phase one deal. Meanwhile, U.S. political intervention tempered investor sentiment after the House passed legislation that supports Hong Kong anti-government protesters. On the data front, the leading economic index decreased 0.1% in October, in-line with projections. A separate report showed existing home sales rose 1.9% in October, rebounding from the prior month’s downwardly revised 2.5% decline. Treasuries weakened, with the yield on the 10-year note rising four basis points to 1.77%.
Eight of 11 S&P 500 sectors ended in negative territory with Real Estate group lagging the most. Consumer Discretionary shares also underperformed with Macy’s losing 2.3% after posting its first same store sales decline in two-years and cutting full-year guidance. L Brands bucked the sector’s downward trend, jumping 10.1% after issuing solid third quarter earnings results. In M&A news, TD Ameritrade surged 16.9% following reports that Charles Schwab was interested in acquiring the online brokerage firm. PayPal lost 1.5% after announcing an acquisition of privately held Honey Science for $4 billion.
In commodities, WTI crude jumped 2.5% to $58.43/barrel, near a nine-week high. COMEX gold fell 0.6% to $1,464.80/ounce.


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Sony: Good News and Bad News for Ps4 Fans. Sony is about to increase the prices of ps4 consoles. They admitted that due to higher tax imposed by Trump on import and export cause the high increase in console prices. Tariffs on china manufactured goods could be increase by 15%. Which would make Sony more expensive to export ps4 to America.
But good news is these tariffs will be imposed by December 15 and due to charismas holidays, which increase sale of ps4 and other products. People will be able to buy them without paying some extra money.
But with the high prices on ps4 there are more chances that ps5 will be more expensive. As we know ps5 is launching in 2020.however If we see the technology and other stuff ps5 is coming. For example, ps5 is coming with 8k resolution and image tracing technology.
Spider man on ps4 usually take up to 15 seconds while swinging from one side to another side. But in ps5 it will take less than a second. some other specs you do not forget the great power of 8k resolution which is coming with ps5.
Higher the resolution higher the fun. In addition to that you need HDMI 2.1 because HDMI 2.0 only works with 4k.Specially created SSD for PS console is creating the hype. They said it will be 19 time more faster than normal SSD


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Ambitious Chinese company LeEco has made two big inroads on its push into Silicon Valley, snaffling a senior legal counsel from Google and snapping up Yahoo's property at the center of the U.S. tech hub.
LeEco said this week that it had hired Joshua McGuire as its vice president and general counsel to oversee all of its U.S. legal affairs and intellectual property protection.
McGuire, who spent the past seven years as Google's lead legal counsel for mobile and Android patent strategy, told CNBC he decided to join LeEco - which sells a technology "ecosystem" that ranges from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs) - because he believed it was different to other tech companies.
"LeEco is committed to fulfilling the broken promises that technology companies have been making for 20 years - promises of a personalized user experience across all of your devices," McGuire said.
McGuire, who was named in 2014 as one of the rising stars in U.S. corporate counsel by "The Legal 500," said that he expected to work on LeEco's expansion through a combination of acquisitions and innovation.
McGuire is the third recent high-profile hiring by LeEco, after it brought Danny Bowman on as chief revenue officer for North America and Shawn Williams as chief administrative officer and senior vice president for human resources in North America. Bowman previously worked as chief sales and operations officer at Samsung's American telecommunications business, while Williams was senior VP of HR at Samsung Electronics America.
LeEco is expected to announce this month that it has poached at least one other senior tech executive from a rival.
Meanwhile, sources at LeEco told CNBC that the company expected to complete a deal this week to buy a near-50-acre undeveloped property in Santa Clara, California, from Yahoo. The sources did not disclose the purchase price, but said the property would be used as LeEco's global research and development headquarters.
The Silicon Valley Business Journal, which reported in April that LeEco was in talks with Yahoo over the site near Levi's Stadium, wrote that the size of the property was a sign of LeEco's huge growth plans, and that a sale would mean a significant cash injection for troubled Yahoo, which last week closed a second round of bids for its core internet business.
In April LeEco opened a new, 80,000-square-foot North American headquarters in San Jose, California, where it intended to house U.S. production of its EVs.
LeEco, formerly known as LeTV, was founded by Jia Yueting, a former tech support worker. LeTV gained fame as the "Netflix of China" but now sells products including the self-driving, smart LeSEE supercar.
Jia told CNBC in April that his vision was for a "LeEco ecosystem," in which he sold content such as movies and music to LeSEE drivers. The self-made billionaire has been open about his plan to take on U.S. tech giants such as Apple, calling the Cupertino behemoth's recent product innovations "outdated."


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Search Tags: homebrew
The craft beer craze has expanded beyond coveted brews and hoppy concoctions found on store shelves and in brewery tasting rooms -- it's hit home.
It's not a state, but that doesn't stop the District of Columbia from having a state fair. Back for its fourth year, the annual DC State Fair is slated for Sept. 28.
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