text:
BEDFORD, MA — State Representative Ken Gordon, who represents Precinct 3 in Wilmington, along with all of Burlington and Bedford, recently published his latest monthly email newsletter, Catching Up With Ken: Rep Reports From Beacon Hill, in which he discussed priorities he was able to get funded in the state’s new budget, including $30,000 for renovations at the Wilmington Senior Center.
Read the newsletter HERE.
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Alexa Announcements has landed in Australia, meaning Aussies can now use their Alexa-enabled devices as a one-way intercom system to share quick, broad messages with the whole family. Simply say to your Alexa-enabled device, “Alexa, announce dinner is ready,” and “Dinner is ready” will be announced in your voice...
- YouTube Rewind is out for 2019 and it doesn’t suck December 6, 2019
- Chargefox is giving away 3 months of free charging December 5, 2019
- Review: Canon EOS RP, the full-frame mirrorless camera that made me love big cameras again December 4, 2019
- Telstra 5G officially launches in Albury Wodonga, real world test reveals 728Mbps, 7x 4G speeds December 3, 2019
- Telstra 5G is now available in loads of regional areas including Albury Wodonga December 2, 2019

domain: news


text:
The three-member committee appointed to formulate guidelines regulating operation of clubs and bars on MG Road has submitted its 10-point recommendation before Punjab and Haryana high court
The budgets for festive decorations and the celebrations have gone up.
The court also ordered attachment of fleet of luxury cars which were bought by the company from the home-buyers' money.
Urban demand for consumer durables and automobile, too, has slowdown down.
Designer clothes stores and high-end chocolate and flower shops are shutting and fast-fashion, fast-food, budget stores and cinemas are moving in.
It includes a mall management company, operating Oakwood serviced residences in Bengaluru and under-construction properties in Kochi.
The report warns that the lack of physical outlets is allowing e-commerce to flourish in these towns and cities.
"The NMRC has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI) for the 'City 1' cards which could be used on the metro rail, Noida city buses, parkings and even used as debit card for shopping," NMRC executive director P D Upadhyay told .
Malls and hotels are becoming new destinations for co-working, or shared office-space providers, because of ready-made infrastructure and the amenities they provide. Companies such as Awfis, Smartworks and Indiqube already have a sizeable presence in such institutions across the country and are looking to expand, helped by low rentals.
Advocate Manibhushan Pratap Sengar said he was prompted to file the PIL in the Patna HC by the Bombay high court’s recent order to the Maharashtra government to formulate a policy for regulating prices of eatables inside theatres, multiplexes and malls.
Handing over land for commercial development is another method that the railways is experimenting with to increase its non-tariff revenues, officials said. The newly-formed Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) has identified various properties in several cities with the potential to earn no less than ₹5,000 crore.
Vacancies at leading malls in prominent locations in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad have dipped to levels last seen in 2016.
In India, most retailers depend on restaurants, bars, cafes and food courts to attract footfalls. The food service market is estimated to be worth over Rs 3 lakh crore.
Malls are increasingly using technology to target their customers in a personalised manner and offer conveniences in services to win a portion of their wallets that, over the years, had been shifting to online.
Close to Rs 1,000 crore have been invested in the sector in the first quarter 2018 making it one of the best quarters for the sector in recent times, said JLL.
According to the report, of the total leasing activities, 84 percent took place in Delhi-NCR which recorded 292,000 sq.ft. of mall space absorption.
Bengaluru, as compared to Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, has the highest proportion of its restaurants on high streets, as against malls, food & beverage (F&B) clusters and commercial spaces, a report from independent property consultancy CBRE said.
Editor's Picks ›
Upstox partners Tavaga Advisory / Dolomite to open 6 new Jamie Oliver Restaurants in India / Our mission is to make kiranas more profitable: Arvind Mediratta, Metro Cash & Carry / GCMMF hike AMUL milk prices by Re 2 / Adidas appoints new General Manager for India / Cash and Carry cos looking at smaller store sizes to expand rapidly / Italian denim brand Replay to open 4 stores this year / Jaina Group ties up with Japan's Sansui and Nakamichi / ABFRL Q4 net profit up 79% to Rs 203 cr / VOI Jeans India to double its revenue to Rs 100 cr in 2 years


text:
Australian beef exporter Bindaree Beef Group has put its cattle suppliers on notice they could see prices fall in 2016.
The United States has gone through a similar cycle to Australia where drought caused a huge turnoff of cattle, which was then followed by high prices due to the lean beef shortage.
As a result, the U.S became Australia's biggest export market.
Meat and Livestock Australia data shows the United States imported about 407,346 tonnes slaughter weight in 2015 up until December 15, a 26 per cent rise on last year.
However the American herd is now rebuilding and Stuart Hanna, North American manager of Bindaree Beef's meat marketing and distribution arm, Sanger Australia, warns Australian beef will face more competition in U.S market early next year.
"In recent years the American market has been the best market for Australian lean grass fed trimmings by a long long way, now that has changed and with what the US level is we're essentially back to whatever the overall world market for that item is," Mr Hanna said.
"So other markets are coming back into play, but they are not our high volume lean trimming markets and we're a bit beholden to what the U.S market is on those items."
Both the U.S and Australia currencies play a large role in determining the amount of beef exported.
Mr Hanna said the strong U.S dollar would have an impact because it had made the country's beef less affordable to export, meaning more U.S beef was staying within their domestic market.
"The U.S dollar is very strong and that's effecting what they can export so where they were very strong into Japan's and Korea's (markets) and a few other markets around the world, a lot more of their meat is less affordable and it's staying at home."
As a result the U.S could be less competitive into the Asian markets and it's possible a country such as Japan could reclaim the top stop for Australian beef exports.
"You wouldn't bet against it, potentially that could happen," Mr Hanna said.


text:
Author: Richard Dahl Period: 1
Publication: September 2012 Date Submitted: 10/16/14
Date: October 15, 2014
The article I read was about genetically modified foods and whether or not they should have to be labeled. Genetically modified foods are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using methods of genetic engineering. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. This article explains California’s up coming vote on the genetically modified foods and the positives/ negatives of using this method. It also informs us with multiple different studies and tests that were performed to see the environmental and health risks that tag along with the genetically modified foods.
Genetically modified foods were first grown in the mid- 1990’s and the method has gone global since then. This method has offered resistance to drought, herbicides, and insects for farmers. Although the production of crops have increased, the concerns of eating the genetically modified may have exposed unexpected environmental and health hazards. A growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers and consumers rights. If California passes the Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, companies will be required to label their foods to inform consumers what they are eating. People who are for labeling the food claim that the safety of the genetically modified foods are unknown and consumers deserve to know what’s being put in their foods. However the people against labeling the food think its way to expensive to label the foods and they fear the loss of consumers once they are shown what is in each of the products.
In 2010, the European Commission released an analysis of 50 studies conducted on GE foods over the last 25 years and concluded that GE technologies posed no greater risks than conventional breeding technologies. With that being said you can’t exactly say these foods are safe or aren’t safe for the world. As for health effects, Peggy Lemaux, a cooperative extension specialists, stated that her team didn’t find any evidence of anything on the commercial market causing any more health problems than things that are conventionally produced. Also a study was performed on animals. Animals were fed GE plant diets and no evidence of health hazards were discovered.
Scientists are now trying to figure out not so much the risks involved with the GE foods, but whether it’s greater than risks posed by conventional foods. In one such study, investigators reviewed 19 studies of mammals fed GE soybeans and maize. They found that "several convergent data appear to indicate liver and kidney problems as end points of GMO diet effects," with the kidneys more affected in males and the liver more


text:
Barnes and Noble issued a press release today announcing that the Nook Color is now shipping. Initially they had said it would start shipping this Friday the 19th, but it looks like everything has gone smoothly thus far (last year’s Nook launch was a disaster).
New orders placed are expected to start shipping on or around November 26th. From the press release it sounds like Barnes and Noble thinks there’s a chance they might run out before Christmas, or maybe that’s just a selling ploy.
The press release also mentions that the firmware update for the Nook 3G and WiFi will be released next week, which is supposed to add a bunch of features most requested by Nook owners over the past year.
In other Nook Color news, several reviews are showing up this morning from mainstream media. Some reviewers are quick to point out all the flaws of the device, and others won’t stop gushing about it.
I’ll be posting my own hands-on Nook Color review within the next few days. Until then, here’s a list of reviews from around the web:


text:
Tesla is working on new battery cell designs, and a way to make their own cells, with R&D teams in a lab near its car plant in Fremont, California.Technologyread more
The Federal Reserve and the market are miles apart on interest rate expectations, and the disparity could cost the stock market a 7%-10% drop, economists say.Economyread more
President Trump lambastes Twitter, Google and other technology giants for what he claims as their efforts to stifle him.US Economyread more
Underneath the impressive market rally is a trend that doesn't seem quite right, according to J.P. Morgan.Marketsread more
Mnuchin tells CNBC he's confident President Trump and China's Xi Jinping can make progress in stalled trade talks.World Economyread more
JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon says student lending "is a disgrace and it's hurting America."Economyread more
The Supreme Court refused to overturn a precedent that strengthened the power of government regulators in a closely watched case that could have had broad ramifications for...Politicsread more
The president raised $6 million alone at a fundraiser he attended at the Trump International Hotel on Tuesday in Washington.Politicsread more
The first debates will give most of the contenders their biggest platform yet to present themselves to the American people.Politicsread more
The red-hot gold trade is cooling off on Wednesday, and Mark Newton of Newton Advisors says the charts point to further weakness to come.Trading Nationread more
In a Wednesday blog post, Uber addressed its special technology that hides the regular city view from users and shows them an altered view instead. The company pledged not to employ this technology against regulators who are trying to investigate Uber.
The existence of that tech, called "Greyball" within the company, was first revealed in a report in the New York Times last Friday. According to that report, Uber used Greyball to target regulators in cities where Uber was banned or restricted, such as Portland, Oregon. Those regulators attempted in some cases to order Uber cars to prove they were operating illegally. Greyball showed cars that didn't actually exist, and real drivers who offered rides quickly canceled, according to the Times.
At the time, Uber told the Times that the technology was used against riders who were violating its terms of service, "opponents who collude with officials on secret 'stings' meant to entrap drivers."
Wednesday's statement from Uber said Greyball "has been used for many purposes, for example: the testing of new features by employees; marketing promotions; fraud prevention; to protect our partners from physical harm; and to deter riders using the app in violation of our terms of service." It continues, "we are expressly prohibiting its use to target action by local regulators going forward."


text:
Peter Misek from Canaccord Adams says that the iPad could have some components supply issues that would limit the number of units available worldwide at launch to 300,000 units for the month of March. Apparently, there’s an unspecified production problem at the contracting company that manufactures the iPad.
They had hoped to have 1M units ready by launch. Apple had said during the iPad’s unveiling that the iPad would be available “worldwide” in “60 days” for the WiFi version and in 90 day for the 3G enabled version, so maybe this will only affect the WiFi version?
It’s just a rumor right now. Hard to say if it has any basis in reality or not without more info.


text:
DALLAS — Badgley Mischka's new licensed bridge collection will make its national debut at FashionCenterDallas' women's apparel show Aug. 18 to 21.
The 90-piece collection will be shown at The Ritz Group here and will wholesale from about $225 to $700, with initial deliveries set for Jan. 30 and Feb. 28, showroom owner Brad Ritz said.
"FashionCenterDallas attracts a strong designer, bridge and contemporary store roster, and buyers are already booking appointments to shop the line," Ritz said. "It has the red-carpet look of the Badgley Mischka designer label, but at lower prices. They're staying true to their vision. We plan to open the line to only a couple of doors per city to maintain an exclusive and destination appeal."
According to industry sources, first-year projected wholesale volume is anticipated to be $6 million.
The line is intended to appeal to younger shoppers, especially women ages 20 to 50, who previously couldn't afford the designers' pricy high-end collections, which typically include glamorous and beaded gowns with Twenties and Thirties references that have long been a favorite of Hollywood.
Groupe JS International will manufacture the Badgley Mischka bridge collection. It already produces the designers' high-end collection in a strategic partnership with Iconix Brand Group Inc., which bought the Badgley Mischka designer label from Escada in October.
Since then, Iconix Brand Group Inc. has been procuring licensing agreements under the Badgley Mischka label, including a deal with Pristine Fashion Group for a rollout of Badgley Mischka stores and with Riviera Concepts for fragrance and other beauty products.
In business 16 years, Badgley Mischka is branching out with a new 8,200-square-foot showroom at 550 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan that is to open by October. The showroom will house the designer and bridge collections. Fran Ornstein, a 22-year veteran of Chetta B., is vice president of sales and merchandising at Groupe JS for the new bridge division. Don O'Neill, a veteran at Carmen Marc Valvo, is design director.
Etro’s show, titled “The Tree of Life,” was a celebration of the house’s 50th anniversary. “My father founded the company in 1968, which was the year of counterculture and psychedelia. It’s really a show that celebrates that and the paisley design of India and its origin,” said Veronica Etro. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18 (📷: @delphineachard)
For @msgm’s spring 2018 show, creative director @massimogiorgetti said “Words, sounds, colors. Synthesis and therapy of a collection,” were the inspirations behind the collection, showing today. Read the rest of Milan spring 2018 inspirations on WWD.com. #mfw #wwdfashion #ss18
For her first solo album in over 10 years, Fergie tapped Carine Roitfeld, Mert and Marcus, Giovanni Bianco and more to create a fashion-focused video approach for the record, Double Dutchess. "Giovanni really helped me get back in touch with my tomboy side, my hardside," said the singer. #wwdeye #wwdfashion ( : @slovekinpics)
“Volumes and Graphic Art of the Nineties are the main inspirations of the new Aquilano.Rimondi SS 2018 collection,” said cocreative directors Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18


text:
With Anaheim Expansion, Disney Wants You Captive
Back in the coonskin-cap days when Davy Crockett ruled the airwaves, families by the station-wagonload traveled to Southern California for a day of clean-cut fun at Disneyland.
The modern American family, richer and busier than ever, has a different idea of a vacation. What they want now: convenience, multiple diversions and a bit of adventure, escapism and coddling--all packed into a few intense days.
As families have grown, and grown up, in this American-born style of entertainment, they have become an even more desirable target. And Disney thinks it has them in its cross hairs.
Walt Disney Co. is creating resorts to appeal to the ever-widening interests of American families and to entice them to stay longer at their hotels and parks. In the process, it is transforming the face of travel and tourism and enhancing its own bottom line.
Disney’s $1.4-billion expansion in Anaheim, only a few months from completion, aims to turn the Disneyland area into a throbbing all-day, all-night playground--with a second theme park and the kinds of live entertainment and night life that have made Disney World in Florida and places like Las Vegas meccas for tourists.
The Burbank-based company plans to employ a strategy the industry calls “sequestration,” tourism’s Holy Grail, in which visitors are isolated at the resort, preferably for several days.
Day visitors and tourists staying with friends or relatives spent $50 a day each at theme parks in 1998, compared with $250 for those who stayed in hotels or motels, according to Economics Research Associates, a Los Angeles consulting firm.
“It’s a simple idea,” says a top advisor on the California Adventure project. “You lock them up, grab their ankles, turn them upside down, shake them and don’t let go until all the money is gone.”
By lengthening and monopolizing visitor stays, Disney wants to work some financial magic--doubling spending in shops, restaurants and hotels even while park attendance in Anaheim is projected to rise by half, according to the city’s tax revenue projections.
But the strategy will call for some un-Disneyland-like changes.
Walt Disney himself forbade alcoholic drinks at Disneyland, seeing the park as the ultimate family play land, safe and reassuring. But when the new California Adventure park opens in February, grown-up visitors will be able to wander the grounds with cocktails in hand, as they have for years at much of Disney World.
Drinks and music will be flowing outside the park too. In Downtown Disney, an entertainment mall, the company will cater to adults with a sports bar themed to Disney’s ESPN, a House of Blues, a New Orleans-style jazz place and a Latin supper club. Disney’s new Grand Californian hotel in Anaheim, at $220 a night, features a slate-floored wine-tasting room with 900 bottles displayed--plus two massage rooms.
Some Disneyland regulars complain that all this retail expansion is coming at the expense of more and better rides. But Disney executives hope the tightly clustered mix of new attractions will create a lively urban resort.
Says Timur Galen, general manager at Disney’s Imagineering design unit, “We want this [new] park to be hipper and edgier.”
For Disney, the remaking of Disneyland is as much a nod to the changing demographics and leisure tastes as it is to today’s tourism economics.
When Disneyland opened in 1955, married couples with children under 18 made up 46% of U.S. households, according to the Census Bureau. That number has since dwindled to about 25%.
So Disney is hoping to expand its audience in Anaheim by catering to additional groups of the population--a segmentation strategy, as analysts call it.
“Disney does it phenomenally well,” says Salomon Smith Barney analyst Jill Krutick. “At Disney World, in the daytime you can take gardening or cooking lessons at the Disney Institute, watch some sports, then head for the golf courses.
“Then at night you head over to Pleasure Island for the nightclubs,” she adds. “The goal, of course, is to keep you there as long as possible, spending as much as possible.”
Today’s kids also demand multiple diversions.
Jennifer Ledford of Seattle remembers her childhood vacations in Southern California: She tossed a book or two into the family sedan and rode along for the 1,200-mile journey to visit grandparents in Beverly Hills, a vacation highlighted by a day treat to Disneyland.
“Now when I pack for my [four] kids, I’m bringing brand new toys, 75 books, Game Boy, Walkman,” says Ledford, 25.
When the Ledfords went on vacation this month, it wasn’t in a car. With air fare, they spent more than $5,000 on their trip to Disney World.
They typify today’s on-the-go family. Both parents are so busy working that they find it hard to get extended time off together. So overworked, in fact, they share a pang of guilt about not spending enough time together with their children.
Says Ledford, who runs a day-care center: “We don’t take days off very often, so when we do, we go all out.”
Indeed, the prosperous economy has left many with a lot more money than time on their hands. Nearly four out of 10 people now say they would trade an increase in pay for more vacation time--up from 29% just last year, according to an annual survey by Yesawich, Pepperdine.
“There’s a general feeling that we’re all overworked, but things are good, and frankly we owe [vacations] to ourselves,” says the consulting firm’s Peter Yesawich. “A lot of people are saying price is no object.”
More than ever, leisure travelers want to learn some activity or skill on vacation. But even more vacationers are looking for live entertainment and night life, the survey found. Also very much in vogue: opportunities to indulge in different and unusual cuisines.
All of which the new Disneyland resort offers.
While the kids get turned upside down beneath a pair of mouse ears on the California Screamin’ roller coaster, parents can indulge at an upscale seafood restaurant run by star chef Wolfgang Puck. Another Los Angeles culinary celebrity, Joaquim Splichal, will operate a tapas restaurant and wine bar in the entertainment mall.
In an industry that promotes novelty, Disney’s expansion freshens Disneyland’s image while leaving the popular old park unchanged. And it’s likely to make Anaheim more attractive to high-income vacationers as well as the budget travelers who in the past have dominated the scene.
Theme parks, after all, are a huge business; attendance at larger U.S. parks--the 112 that attract 500,000 or more visits annually--is expected to top 226 million this year and generate revenue of $6.8 billion, according to Economics Research Associates. That’s up from 159 million attending and $4.3 billion in revenue for 1990.
The growing number of bigger parks, however, have stolen from smaller ones, and overall attendance growth through the 1990s leveled off at about 3% a year, according to Amusement Business magazine.
The move to create a hipper, livelier scene creates challenges--not the least of which is maintaining the Disneyland area as a safe family resort.
“Let’s just hope they keep the drinkers off the roller coaster,” says Robin Crabb, a licensing supervisor for the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Department, which is requiring that the hard drinks be served in easy-to-recognize containers.
Disney strategists considered charging admission to the nightclub zone to discourage unwanted urban intrusions, but decided against it.
Disney Chairman Michael Eisner predicted that Disneyland’s security force will handle any problems. “I don’t think gangs find Disney a cool place to hang out,” Eisner said.
The Disneyland expansion is consistent with the company’s historical emphasis on the family, according to Eisner. “One of our strategies has always been that the whole family can do everything together,” he says. "[On] almost every single attraction, the oldest and the youngest can be together.”
Disneyland’s long popularity has produced rabid fans who are concerned that the new California Adventure won’t be up to Disneyland standards. A common complaint is that Eisner spent too little on California Adventure, passing up the one-of-a-kind attractions on which Disney built its reputation.
Despite the gripes, Michelle Smith, a columnist for the MousePlanet.com theme park Web site, figures she will visit Anaheim more often after the new park opens, adding a monthly trip to California Adventure to stops at Disneyland every other week.
“California Adventure has one purpose,” she said. “Bring people back a second day without costing the company very much. It will do that marvelously.”
MousePlanet editor Al Lutz is more skeptical about the new park’s appeal. California Adventure is “basically just a lot of inexpensive movies and carnival rides,” he maintains.
“Are you going to book an expensive family vacation to see bread-baking and tortilla-making exhibits?” he said.
The smorgasbord of broader diversions in and outside the park, the company hopes, will beckon visitors from all over, especially relatively affluent families like the Ledfords of Seattle.
Ledford remembers going to Disneyland at age 4. “Now that I’m an adult with kids, I’ve started the tradition again.”
She says she’s sure to visit the new Disneyland resort. She talks excitedly about Downtown Disney and is dying to stay at the new luxury Grand Californian. But whether the Ledfords stay for several days, she says, will depend on what there is to do and see.
“What I didn’t like about Disneyland [before] was once you walk out the gates, it’s immediately back to reality.”
Times staff writer James Bates contributed to this story.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Ups and Downs
About 3.5 million people visited Disneyland the first year it opened, in 1955. Since then, attendance has gone up and down, depending on what new rides were opened or what kind of inducements were offered. The last 16 years of attendance:
ATTENDANCE AT DISNEYLAND
1999: 13.45 million
1998: 13.68 million
1997: 14.25 million
1996: 15 million
1995: 14.1 million
1994: 10.3 million
1993: 11.4 million
1992: 11.6 million
1991: 11.6 million
1990: 12.9 million
1989: 14.4 million
1988: 13 million
1987: 13.5 million
1986: 12 million
1985: 12 million
1984: 9.8 million
Source: Amusement Business Magazine


text:
Smartphones are slowly adopting the capability to connect to satellites for emergency calls and messages with the help of special hardware components. The iPhone 14 was the first smartphone to offer emergency communications via satellite connectivity. Samsung is also expected to bring a similar feature to its Galaxy smartphones in the future. But what if regular smartphones could offer satellite calls and messages?
World's first satellite call using an unmodified smartphone was made using Galaxy S22 Ultra
Well, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has become the first regular smartphone to make a satellite call. It is the first off-the-shelf smartphone that was used to make a satellite call without any special hardware inside. A company called AST SpaceMobile, in partnership with AT&T, just made history by making a satellite call using the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which doesn't have any special capability. The call was made from Texas to another phone in Japan.
Signals originating from the Galaxy S22 Ultra in Texas, USA, first reached BlueWalker 3 satellite and then redirected to the other smartphone in Japan. An unspecified AT&T spectrum was used as a middleman, and that is the reason why it worked without any special hardware inside the smartphone. The phones successfully exchanged SIM and network information through the Bluewalker 3 satellite. This means that any LTE smartphone can be used to make satellite calls in a similar fashion.
In the future, all smartphones could make calls, send/receive texts, and even get internet connectivity without expensive cellular tower infrastructure. This could bring 4G/LTE and 5G connectivity to remote areas that would otherwise not have any connectivity infrastructure. AT&T, Rakuten, and Vodafone participated in this test, and engineers were able to conduct similar tests on various other phones and devices.


text:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-27-xbox-one-policy-changes-get-thumbs-up-from-UbisoftAs for the pricing on the next-gen systems, Guillemot again expressed his approval.
Like Activision's Eric Hirshberg, Guillemot noted that the $499 Xbox One asks a premium over the $399 PlayStation 4. But where Hirshberg thought Microsoft still needs to work to justify that discrepancy, Guillemot said the inclusion of the new Kinect camera in Microsoft's offering looks to do just that.
"For the hardware they're putting on the market, the price is right," Guillemot said. "They are offering machines that will be exceptional, and for those prices, they're good deals."
On the topic of the Wii U, Ubisoft said,
"We will continue to support the Wii U this Christmas, and we're expecting it to take off in terms of sales," Guillemot said. "And we'll review what happened again at the beginning of next year."
Looks like Christmas is do or die for the Wii U, Nintendo better ramp up advertising and bring the games.


text:
You have searched for "zombie"
Showing 31-40 of 163
Sony's latest game for the Playstation 4, is post-apocalyptic shooter Days Gone.
Release dates and trailers for a calming mobile puzzle game all about fabric patterns in The Unic, a quirky fantasy adventure in SteamWorld Quest, the return of an adored and challenging platformer in Super Meat Boy Forever, post-apocalypse survival in Days Gone, and universe-saving, bone-crunching one-on-one fighting in Mortal Kombat 11.
Laid-back farming and life sim 'My Time At Portia' emerges on consoles, star-filled archaeological adventure mystery 'Heaven's Vault' sets sail on PlayStation 4 and PC, and 'World War Z' brings back a horde-based zombie survival formula.
Messaging app Snapchat, which is widely popular among younger users but has struggled to turn a profit since its creation in 2011, on April 4 unveiled new features including an integrated gaming platform, an expansion of its original series and new partnerships with developers.
The developers of 'PUBG Mobile' and 'Call Of Duty Mobile' showed a zombie action survival codenamed 'Vitality' and steampunk battle royale 'Land Next' at the Tencent UP 2019 showcase.
A city in South Korea, which has the world's highest smartphone penetration rate, has installed flickering lights and laser beams at a road crossing to warn "smartphone zombies" to look up and drivers to slow down, in the hope of preventing accidents.
The award-winning director of Drive and Only God Forgives has overseen a live-action trailer for March 15 console and computer game The Division 2, joining a cadre of filmmakers that have contributed to video game launch efforts.
What's in a name? For Xbox Game Studios, it strengthens recent impressions that Microsoft is preparing to extend its game brand across a variety of platforms, including those it doesn't control.
Welcome the remake of survival horror classic Resident Evil 2, the playful, joyful action adventure Pikuniku, and barbarian empire strategy At The Gates.


text:
Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Samsung's first Tizen phone facing cold reception in India
India is proving to be a more difficult stomping ground for fledgling OS ventures than many have assumed. The country has an enormous population yet relatively few who can afford to buy the latest and greatest products from the likes of Samsung or Apple. Last year, Google attempted to get its Android One program off the ground in India yet sales have been anything but brisk so far. It looks like the latest victim to a cold reception is none other than Samsung, with its continuously delayed Tizen OS.
Samsung recently launched the Tizen-powered Z1 in India, though Reuters is reporting that it’s hardly making a dent in a country where no fewer than 283 different brands of smartphones are available. The phone costs 5700 Rupees (about $92) and even on eBay it can be had for only about a $30 premium from the few sellers offering it. This is a far cry from the likes of devices such as the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, or even Galaxy Note Edge, which all had incredibly high markups from opportunistic eBay sellers. Given the extremely low price, it might seem surprising that the device hasn’t exactly hit it off. But when looking at the specs, things become a bit clearer:
A local analyst cited by Reuters explains why Samsung may have a dud on its hands, despite the bargain bin price: “”It’s not always about the cheapest, customers are looking for specs … There are already a plethora of devices running on Android that Indian customers can choose from.”
The problem is only worsened by the fact that as a brand-new commercial OS, Tizen has an extremely limited app selection available for download, whereas Android One phones have more than a million programs to choose from. This is perhaps not unlike the situation facing the Firefox OS platform. One has to wonder just why Samsung felt the need to cancel the launch of its original Z phone last year in Russia, for at least it had relatively nice specs on-par with a mid-range modern Android phone:
While it’s far too early to draw a broad conclusion as to the success or failure of Tizen, at least based on the first week of release, the criticism would seem to suggest it’s not quite where it needs to be yet. Although Samsung has Tizen running on other types of devices – the most prominent being its smart TVs and its Gear line of wearables – it is the phone segment where that truly matters if the Korean company ever hopes to distance itself from Google and the Android platform.


text:
Perhaps one of the most surprising announcements made at Apple’s iPhone press conference this week was the news that not one, but two genuinely interesting games are on the way – Will Wright’s Spore and Sega’s mighty Monkey Ball . Apple claims that this marks the shift from ‘mobile phone gaming’ to true ‘console’ gaming on the iPhone.
“The animation technology in the iPhone OS enables us to build awesome games,” said John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts in a statement today. “I think iPhone consumers are going to be blown away by the games we create for this platform."
Simon Jeffery, president and COO, Sega of America added: “The iPhone OS is a robust development platform that will allow Sega to deliver mobile gaming experiences that are truly compelling."
Worms on iPhone
TechRadar can also reveal that leading Britsoft developer, Team 17 Software also plans to bring Worms to the iPhone. Martyn Brown, studio director and the lauded designer behind one of our favourite long-running gaming franchises told us today: “I think [the SDK news] is a fantastic and positive move opening up the iPhone to developers, as it is a potentially tremendous device for casual games.
“We'll certainly be looking at ways we can bring something like our own Worms titles to the device.”
id Software excited
id Software’s John Carmack is also very excited about the possibilities Apple is opening up for game designers, commenting on Slashdot.org:
"Just based on the blurbs, it looks very good -- a simulator plus debugging on the native device is the best of both worlds, and a 70 per cent royalty deal for apps over iTunes is quite good… The iTunes distribution channel is really a more important aspect than a lot of people understand.
"This type of developer/customer interaction is probably the wave of the future for mobile devices, it will be interesting to see how quickly the other players can react," Cormack concluded. "Based on our experiences with the carriers, I am betting not very quickly."
TechRadar has contacted EA, Sega/Glu Mobile, Activision and a number of other games publishers today to find out more about what’s in store for iPhone gaming this year. We will of course bring you the updates as soon as we have them.
“For me the most interesting aspect of the Apple announcement is that independent developers will also now start coming forward, as the Apps Store gives them the right to distribute their titles,” Rob Hearn, editor of specialist website Pocketgamer.com, told us today.
“I think the 30 per cent of revenue fee levied by Apple to cover the distribution costs is pretty fair. It’s less than the percentage that devs have to give away on XBLA, for example.”
Pity poor BlackBerry, as it is hit by a double whammy from Apple this week. Not only does the iPhone now support push email and everything else that the business user requires, but what with iPhone gaming support from SEGA, EA and others, the present gaming offering for BlackBerry seems rather lacklustre in comparison with the shiny new future of iPhone gaming. Pub Fun Duck Shoot anybody?
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.


text:
JLO number one while it's the biggest week yet for Adele
Global superstar Jenifer “JLO” Lopez storms to the top of the Official Singles Chart with new release On The Floor featuring US rapper Pitbull selling ....
over 130,000 copies in its first week alone.
Meanwhile Adele's album 21 notches up the longest run at number one by any album in 25 years and records its biggest sales week yet with a phenomenal weekly tally of 250,000.
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
Post a Comment
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
An incontinence devices that combine a diaper with a personal bidet, removing waste before cleaning and then drying the wearer as they sleep was showcased by Japanese firms.
A number of companies taking part in this year's International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition in Tokyo had their automatic toilet-cum-washlets on display, aimed at Japan's burgeoning senior care market.
Salespeople demonstrated how a U-shaped cup fits between the wearer's legs and contains a sensor that activates a suction mechanism when triggered.
The cup is connected to a duct which moves the waste into a tank.
"This machine is intended to ease the burden for caregivers, especially at night, and it also helps those in bed stay clean," said Daizo Igawa, manager of Muscle Corp, as he demonstrated the firm's "Robohelper" automatic toilet.
The demand for incontinence products in Japan is rising as the population ages, and a change in public insurance schemes now allows this kind of device to be rented.
Tokyo-based Mammary, which also markets gloves to aid breast self-examinations, sells its "Smilet" at 580,000 yen ($7,470), a price the company recognised was beyond the reach of many families.
"Now you can rent one under the insurance programme at 3,000 to 4,000 yen a month," salesman Yamato Ishitate said.


text:
Travelodge, the first budget hotel to launch in the UK, has opened its 513th hotel at the UK’s largest fashion designer shopping outlet, Cheshire Oaks in Ellesmere Port. The opening marks the first UK launch of a designer outlet hotel.
The new 77-room hotel, which opened on Thursday 2nd August 2012, is a stones throw from more than 140 of the UK’s top designer stores which includes Armani, Diesel Ted Baker and Superdry – making it the perfect weekend break destination for shopaholics.
To celebrate the designer opening, Travelodge has released rooms from £19. So, fashionistas across the country can revel in a weekend of retail therapy without the designer cost of an overnight stay.
Travelodge spokesperson, Shakila Ahmed said: “We are delighted that Travelodge has made history by opening the UK’s first hotel at a designer shopping outlet.
“The Cheshire Oaks complex, which attracts seven million visitors every year, offers shopaholics a vast range of designer brands, restaurants and bars in one location. Also with the beautiful historic city of Chester just a short distance away; our new Cheshire Oaks hotel is an ideal location for a girls weekend break.
We are thrilled to add this hotel to our portfolio and offer shopaholics rooms from just £19; which means there will plenty of change left to treat yourself to a new outfit”.
Earlier this year Travelodge opened a hotel above Topshop in the heart of Edinburgh’s shopping district, Princes Street. The 96-room hotel has been built in a grade II listed building, which looks out over Waverley Station and Edinburgh Castle.
The Travelodge model means guests pay for the room only so there is no supplement charge. A family room caters for two adults and two children or three adults. The family room includes a luxury king size bed, sofa bed, en-suite facilities, flat screen TV with 18 free digital channels, free tea / coffee making facilities and WIFI .
For more information about Travelodge and to book a £19 room visit: www.travelodge.co.uk.


text:
Gatorade’s latest foray into virtual reality allows viewers to see what it’s like to go up to bat as Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper.
The stunt follows similar 360-degree experiences the brand released earlier this year, where fans of sports stars including Serena Williams, J.J. Watt and Usain Bolt can immerse themselves in each athlete’s training regimen, as Gatorade and dozens of other brands continue to tinker with the technology ahead of next year's much-hyped public launch of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.
The latest activation, created in partnership with OMD’s Zero Code and The Mill, is available for consumers to watch on YouTube’s hub for virtual reality videos ‘#360Video’ and can also be viewed using Google Cardboard.
Kenny Mitchell, senior director of consumer engagement at Gatorade, told The Drum that he thinks virtual reality is the next frontier for the brand in terms of building on the success it has seen integrating its products and messaging in the gaming space with games like Madden.
“I think virtual reality is going to play a very big role in terms of gaming, where we have a pretty strong history,” he said. “We’re always looking for new technologies and new ways to leverage platforms to bring a unique experience to our consumers and to athletes.”
While nothing is set in stone yet, he said there’s a possibility that the brand release will further virtual reality experiences during next year’s Super Bowl and NBA All-Star game.


text:
The closure of cinemas because of the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the excitement of Friday releases to streaming platforms. Movies that would have been released in cinemas are now showing up on streamers on any day of week. There has been a surge in original programming too, with fiction-based shows rushing in to keep existing and newer subscribers entertained in work-from-home and quarantine situations.
Among the busiest content pushers is Amazon Prime Video. The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye and Afsos arrived in January and February respectively. Between March and early August, the streaming platform rolled out a bunch of comedy specials as well as the shows Panchayat, the second season of Four More Shots Please!, Pataal Lok, Rasbhari, Breathe: Into the Shadows and Bandish Bandits.
“It’s hectic, but we are quite fortunate and privileged to be able to provide some relief, some format of entertainment to our customers in these very challenging and difficult times,” said Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals at Amazon.
While Amazon Prime Video, like its rivals Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5 and Sony LIV, doesn’t share viewership data, Amazon is easily among the leading destinations for Indians looking for better written and produced alternatives to television. Amazon Prime Video has been astutely balancing genres and viewer tastes ever since it rolled out its first series, Inside Edge, in 2017.
Panchayat explored the rhythms of small-town life. Season two of Four More Shots Please!, like its predecessor, was aimed at fans of Sex and the City escapades. Bandish Bandits, in which a young Hindustani classical singer is torn between his commitment to his musical tradition and his love for a pop singer, targetted millennials.
“The show talks about the conflict between old and new, modern and traditional, classic and pop, discipline and freedom, family and individualism,” Purohit said about Bandish Bandits. “Also, the music is a melange of folk and classical and modern. This coming together of two Indias is what was most exciting for me about the show.”
Purohit is closely involved in a show – “from the time it is pitched to when it is fully written out and ready to go into the production process”, she told Scroll.in. This can last anywhere between nine months to a year and is “collaborative and very feedback-driven” in terms of the writing and characterisation, Purohit added.
Amazon Prime Video also gives casting suggestions – which might explain why several shows feature prominent names from Bollywood to increase their appeal.
The star factor is important but not a deal-breaker, Purohit clarified. “It is the story and the vision of the creator that is more important than anything else,” she said. “The good thing is about this medium is that we can really cast for the character, whether it’s Jaideep Ahlawat in Pataal Lok or Manoj Bajpayee in The Family Man or Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur or Ritwik [Bhowmik] and Shreya [Chaudhary] in Bandish Bandits. In long-form cinematic storytelling, you are not there with them [the characters] for two hours, you are going to be spending eight to ten hours with them.”
If a show demands star value, it has to be obtained from an actor who can bring out the nuances of the character, such as Saif Ali Khan in the upcoming political drama Taandav, Purohit added.
“No matter what we put out, the first question asked is, when is Mirzapur 2 coming,” Purohit observed. “The fact that some of the characters start inhibiting our lives is amazing.”
The bulk of Amazon Indian viewers is, broadly speaking, between the ages of 25 and 40. They are spread across the 4,000 cities and towns in which the parent company, the retail giant Amazon, has its presence. “We are not programing for one target group or one cohort but for a country,” Purohit pointed out, adding that the streaming platform is looking to ramp up its programming beyond Hindi.
Among the insights from internal assessments of what subscribers are embracing or rejecting is that there is a strong hunger for original comedies and thrillers. If a second season it is announced, it means a series has worked.
“The other big learning is that people prefer content in the languages they are comfortable in,” Purohit said, which is why shows are dubbed in nine languages.
The novel coronavirus pandemic that has driven up consumption on streaming platforms reinforces the “appetite for good content”, Purohit observed. “As far as the creative community is concerned, this is an amazing time – everybody is developing and writing and we have doubled down on our development,” she added.


text:
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
| On 23rd May 2022
UAE federal export credit agency Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI)...
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, who recently met in...
The ratio of Bangladesh’s external debt to gross domestic product...
Global supply chain collapsed during the pandemic
Biggest learning was adaptability
Hopeful that issue will be resolved by first half of 2022
With a vision to be the world's top tier textile manufacturer, Badjatex...
Dr. Catherine Tubb
Created in 2018 to investigate the risk of market failure related to...
The Luxe Maison is a premiere haute couture e-boutique established after...
INDA, a global association of the nonwoven fabrics industry, has been...
Jaanuu, a vertically integrated e-commerce company, has reimagined the...
Thomas Ong P S
Malaysian company NanoTextile Sdn Bhd taps into the potentials of...
Label - AWAVEAWAKE
Founded in 2012, New York-based plant dyed luxurious lifestyle brand...
Label - Payal Singhal
Leading South Asian fashion designer, <b>Payal Singhal </b>known for her...
Purple Style Labs
Late Indian fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, is known for his...
Letter to Editor
Subscribe today and get the latest update on Textiles, Fashion, Apparel and so on.
Subscribe today and get the latest information on Textiles, Fashion, Apparel.


text:
While doing the research for a Los Angeles Times op-ed about the dangers and prevalence of palm oil, I came across a great new website from the Rainforest Action Network. It lists hundreds of products that contain this orangutan-killer. (In case you haven’t been following palm oil coverage on Grist and elsewhere, rainforests — the homes of the orangutans and many other rare creatures — are being destroyed at the fastest rate in history in Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for palm oil plantations, accounting for between four and eight percent of annual global greenhouse-gas emissions.)
The site, The Problem with Palm Oil, is valuable for two reasons: First, it allows folks to green their home by getting rid of climate-killers like Oreo cookies, many Entenmann’s baked goods, Body Shop soap, and Kit Kats — and replace them with the many equally affordable (and healthier) alternatives like Lever 2000 soap (ironically made by Unilever, the biggest palm oil consumer in the world). After my article was published, I received an email from Andrew Butler of Lush Cosmetics, in which he reports has “eliminated the vast majority of palm oil we use” and is “working with Friends of the Earth to gather signatures in our stores asking [Members of the European Parliament] to vote against targets to increase the use of biofuels in road transport.” Every food and cosmetics product I looked at had mainstream, equally affordable (and often tastier/better) alternatives that didn’t contain palm oil.
The website also represents an example of a growing trend in online environmental organizing — savvy groups are mobilizing their activists to participate in research projects, saving tons of time and money that can be used for purposes other than research. RAN is asking for “Supermarket Sleuths” to investigate products that do (and do not) contain palm oil (Greenpeace recently launched a similar effort on sustainable seafood). I participated myself, uploading the results of my research for the palm oil article (which was also featured on NPR’s cool new show, the Bryant Park Project) and saving my friends at RAN a bunch of time.
If you’ve got a few minutes next time you’re at the supermarket, you might want to help out; there are way more products that contain palm oil than the Supermarket Sleuths have found yet.


text:
- March 8, 2017
On the Move: New Mobility Services in the Auto IndustryShare this:
It’s coming: embedded smart wallets, contextualized connected cars, and more.
The automobile industry will look much different in the coming decades with the rise of ride-sharing services and the impact of self-driving cars. As more people consider these means of transportation rather than purchasing their own, automakers are aggressively investigating new mobile services that could compensate for lost sales.
Both Ford and Toyota announced in the past year that they will create new organizations solely dedicated to new mobile initiatives. Ford Smart Mobility LLC and Toyota Connected aim to explore self-driving vehicle technology and mobile contextual services—that personalize the experience based on the user’s situation—among other things.
Flexibility Is Key
In an interview with The Verge, Ford CEO Mark Fields states that the company wanted a subsidiary with flexibility outside of Ford’s bureaucracy to compete with other technology and mobility services companies. Fields envisions the vehicle as a mobility platform providing opportunities such as a smart wallet that allows drivers to reserve parking, pay ahead for a spot, or buy food at the drive-through without needing to reach in their pockets.
Ford is hiring auto industry outsiders for the new Silicon Valley-based unit in hopes that new ideas for customer experience will emerge. Auto engineers tend to approach the customer experience looking through the lens of existing technology, while outsiders more naturally see things from the driver’s seat, Fields notes.
A Concierge at Your Fingertips
Toyota Connected has a similar approach, with CEO Zack Hicks talking about overcoming the “tyranny of technology.” This is a phenomenon created by ubiquitous mobile technology and innumerable apps that can make daily life more complicated, he says.
His vision is to put mobile applications in the background and make mobility more of a concierge. For instance, mobile applications would predict where a driver is going based on his or her habits and information gleaned from social media posts and other sources. An interactive voice response interface would ask the driver if the predicted destination is accurate and if he or she would like to be routed around traffic to that location.
For that service to work, users would have to opt in to share personal information, something they may be uneasy to do. Hicks says that Toyota will need to clearly explain the value proposition and privacy safeguards to encourage people to reveal personal data—a key consideration for any enterprise considering similar mobile services. In order for consumers to continue to adopt mobility services, enterprises must be transparent about the data they collect and how it will be used. Breach of trust could douse public enthusiasm for these services, Hicks says.
Mobile Services for All
Perhaps the most interesting results of these new ventures will be services that can be used outside of their brand’s vehicles. Fields talks about providing services for consumers who don’t even own a car. For example, the company could provide mobile solutions to help urban customers use ride-sharing or public transportation and then rent an electric bicycle for any remaining portion of their trip.
This vision stretches automakers’ brands beyond selling and servicing vehicles to a holistic transportation solutions provider and more. It exploits mobile services to create a new business model. It’s a concept that all enterprises should consider, because mobile service option laggards will lose competitive ground. As Chris Moyer, Vice President, Mobility and Workplace Practice, Enterprise Services, puts it, “Enterprises that fail to develop and implement mobile strategies will lose customers, and winning those customers back will be very expensive.”
Like this story? Learn more about the automotive customer experience.


text:
Makerbot’s owner has just made 3D printing a lot more interesting, as its latest product not only prints in color, but also uses different materials of different textures, thus making separate print runs and painting completely unnecessary.
3D printing has come a long way since it became mainstream a couple of years ago. Since initially the only materials that could be used were threads of polymers, someone must have gotten really frustrated at some point and decided to diversify things just a little bit. Nowadays, bio-printing and even 3D printing using liquid metals is possible, not to mention that there’s the possibility of adding a touch of color to the 3D printed creations. Stratasys, a company that became really popular after buying MakerBot last year, as well as Israeli multi-material specialist Objet back in April 2012, has launched Objet500 Connex3 Color Mutli-material 3D Printer, a triple-jetting device that’s meant to save manufacturers and designers a lot of time. As Stratasys marketing manager Bruce Bradshaw stated in an interview with the BBC, “This will help industrial designers reduce the time it takes to bring prototypes to market by 50%.”
When it comes to the colors produced by this 3D printer, the Objet500 Connex3 isn’t much different from its inkjet counterparts. Even though only 3 colors are used by the device, respectively cyan, magenta and yellow, the combinations between these are countless. In terms of materials, Objet500 Connex3 works with rubber and plastic, and can mix them in different proportions, thus creating products of various flexibility and rigidity, transparency and opacity.
Convenience rarely comes cheap, so if you are a designer or a manufacturer who thinks that the Objet500 Connex3 Color Mutli-material 3D Printer could help your business, prepare to shell out $330,000.
Duncan Wood, publisher of specialist 3D printing magazine TCT, admitted that “This is groundbreaking stuff. Being able to produce single products incorporating materials of different rigidity and color has been the holy grail of 3D printing to date. This is industrial-grade technology that will afford designers a level of creativity they’ve never had before.”
There’s no denying that, but is the world ready for such expensive high-end 3D printers? The technology is still relatively new, so all that R&D needs to be paid out somehow, but the price still feels incredibly steep.
If you liked this post, please check 3D printing with liquid metals and the 3D printed organs that will be made by Organovo in 2014.


text:
Now's the time to become a premium member. Subscribe now.
China stunned markets today with a reported year-over-year decline of 18.1% in export data vs. the 7.5% increase expected. We’ve been seeing negative data from China over the past few months and bulls have for the most part shrugged it off. However, now that it’s the second largest global economy, you can ignore it at your peril for so long. Closely linked to China’s economic health has been the price level of copper (JJC), which has been in a decline recently and is now more in focus as the decline intensifies.
Weakness in China (FXI) carried over to Emerging Markets (EEM) and impacted other markets, but U.S. markets overall managed to cut much of the early losses to trade only modestly lower Monday.
Elsewhere, news from market heavyweights like McDonald's (MCD) stated another decline of 1.4% in sales, which was ascribed to, you guessed it, the weather. Steel manufacturer Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) dropped nearly 5% on earnings while chemical company, FMC Corp (FMC), was up by nearly 5%. So marker performance Monday was scattered.
Leading markets higher included slight increases in Biotech (IBB), Healthcare (XLV), India (EPI), Vietnam (VNM), Israel (EIS), Agriculture (DBA) and Bonds (TLT), but few others.
Leading markets lower included: Homebuilders (ITB), China (FXI), Brazil (EWZ), Russia (RSX), South Korea (EWY), Mexico (EWW), Chile (ECH), Thailand (THD), Germany (EWG), Turkey (TUR), Solar (TAN), Coal (KOL), Oil (USO), Copper (JCC), Junior Gold Miners (GDXJ), Silver (SLV) and many more.
The top 20 market movers by percentage change in volume whether rising or falling is available daily.
Volume Monday was ultra-light making it easy for the invisible hand late day rally making things more respectable. Breadth per the WSJ was negative.
This was a disappointing and boring day Monday. And there isn’t much news on tap beyond the JOLTS Report and Wholesale Trade Tuesday.
Let’s see what happens.
Disclaimer: The charts and comments are only the author's view of market activity and aren't recommendations to buy or sell only any security. Market sectors and related ETF's are selected based on his opinion as to their importance in providing the viewer a comprehensive summary of market conditions for the featured period. Chart annotation's aren't predictive of any future market action rather they only demonstrate the author's opinion as to a range of possibilities going forward. More detailed information, including actionable alerts, are available to subscribers at www.etfdigest.com
|WTI Crude Futr||101.28||-1.30||-1.27 %||03:53|
|US Dollar||79.88||0.01||0.01 %||16:00|
|Brazil||1977.210||-1.58 %||-3.21 %||-10.86 %|
|Russia||630.425||-0.32 %||-8.65 %||-19.88 %|
|India||422.470||0.34 %||4.49 %||3.72 %|
|China||58.585||-2.00 %||-3.04 %||-7.16 %|


text:
Over the past few years, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has been investigating the rules that guide the apple App Store. The DoJ is set to probe the dominance of the App Store and how it handles its business. According to Apple Insider, the department likely has enough evidence to launch a full-blown case against Apple. The probe has been active since 2020 but three years down the line, the DoJ still has no concrete case. The DoJ antitrust unit chief, Jonathan Kanter, recently had an interview with the Financial Times. In the interview, Kanter claims that the probe into the App Store policies is now “firing on all cylinders.” While the DoJ did not reveal details of its findings thus far, Kanter made it clear that the department will bring cases against some major American brands like Apple.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has intensified its antitrust probe into Apple's App Store, signalling a significant development in the ongoing probe. Jonathan Kanter said that the probe into Apple's exclusive monopoly position in the App Store is “progressing with all strength,” This means that iPhone users' dream of third-party app stores and side-loading apps may soon become a reality. In some regions like Japan, there are already laws that force Apple to allow side-loading apps on iPhones.
Apple's exclusive right to the App Store
Apple's exclusive control of third-party iPhone apps has long been closely watched by antitrust regulators. Whether users want to purchase apps or developers want to publish apps, the App Store is the only channel. Apple has absolute control over which apps can be put on the shelves and sets terms including 15% or 30% commissions. Developers and users have no choice, and this is considered a violation of competition laws by many regulators.
Europe takes the lead
Europe has taken the lead. The European Union passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and clarified that the App Store is bound by the law. It requires Apple to open up the iPhone app market to competition. The most likely way to comply is to allow competitor app stores to log on to the iPhone platform. Apple must comply with this regulation by April of this year. At the moment, Apple already has a team in place to deal with this and the team has been working for over a year. Europe is a very large market and Apple cannot afford to lose it.
European laws are very strong and Apple often does not flout them. Recall that it was a European law that forced Apple to swap from the Lightning port on the iPhone 14 series to the USB Type-C port on the iPhone 15 series. Thus, Apple will most likely comply and open the App Store in the European region.
Gizchina News of the week
Japan has a similar law
The Japanese authorities are working on a new “Digital Antitrust Law”. This new law will require Apple, google and other companies to open “application sideloading” and “third-party payment” in the Japanese market.” At the moment, Google already allows sideloading of apps on its android system. Thus, the company may only have to deal with the third-party payment requirement in Japan. As for Apple, it does not allow sideloading of apps on its iOS system. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook stated that allowing users to sideload apps means putting the iPhones at risk. This is because the source and intentions of sideloaded apps can not be verified by Apple.
Back in 2020, the Japanese authority began investigating “antitrust issues” of Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta and other brands. This year, relevant regulatory agencies claimed to have “completed the probe”. The Japanese authority eventually announced that “Apple and Google dominate the mobile app platform and the market has a monopoly”. This is one of the reasons why it is now working on the “Digital Antitrust Law”. The law will require any company doing business in the Japanese market to open its app store and third-party payment channels. If the relevant bill is approved, the Japan Fair Trade Commission has the power to impose fines on violating brands.
U.S. probe follows the E.U lead
In the U.S., the DoJ has been conducting the same probe for years. The EU has already set a precedence with the DMA and many competition experts expect the findings of the DoJ to be similar to those in the EU. It will likely require Apple to allow third-party app stores or sideloading apps, or even both. The Financial Times quoted Jonathan Kanter, head of the antitrust division of the U.S. DoJ, as suggesting that a ruling is imminent. Kanter has been hoping to file a lawsuit against Apple since taking office in November 2021. His department has been investigating Apple's App Store policies for years, and Kanter said the investigation is now “full steam ahead.” However, as the U.S. presidential election approaches, a potential change of administration also adds urgency to the probe.
The new trend of forcing large brands to open their App Stores to third parties seems to be a global trend. In addition to the United States and Europe, Apple also faces similar regulatory pressure globally. Last week, there were reports of a similar antitrust bill in the works in Japan. Japanese regulators are preparing antitrust legislation that would require tech giants like Apple and Google to give the green light to third-party app stores and allow any app to use alternative payment methods, Nikkei Asia reported on Tuesday.
There are various indications that Apple abides by European laws. It is likely to choose to make changes on a global scale at once just like it did with the USB Type-C port. This will be better than being forced to comply country by country or region. If one region adopts the law and it is working, there is a strong probability that other regions will adopt the same law.


text:
Upcoming Koenigsegg showroom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
17 January, 2014
Our newly appointed Malaysian representative, “Naza Group”, is currently constructing a new Koenigsegg showroom at their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. The facility will feature a two story showroom including a VIP area as well as a coffee shop and merchandize section. The launch of the new showroom is planned for early second quarter on 2014, in conjuction with the arrival of the first Koenigsegg Agera S ever to enter Malaysia.


text:
In light of recent cyber attacks, there is a huge cloud of uncertainty plaguing customers and their online security. With the Carphone Warehouse releasing details of a cyber attack which forced their costumers to change online passwords, online attacks and security breaches are more common than ever before.
The most recent publication from HM Government looking into information and security breaches found that 90 per cent of large organisations reported that they had suffered a security breach, an 8 per cent increase from last year. Small businesses are also being affected, with 74 per cent of small businesses suffering a security breach, up from 60 per cent last year.
It isn’t just costumers which are feeling the full force of online insecurity. 75 per cent of large organisations suffered staff related security breaches in the last year, in comparison to small businesses who suffered 31 per cent of staff related security breaches.
The overriding message is that danger of hackers gaining access to personal information and online details is increasing.
With £1.46m to £3.14m being the average total cost to a large organisation as a result of security breaches and £75-311k to small businesses, the threat to businesses is a costly one.
However, there are things that organisations can do to prevent security breaches, helping minimise the risk of a cyber attack or loss of data. Mark Watson of CrimeDeter has 14 points that organisations can consider when looking at the data they hold.
Asking yourself simple questions such as:
1. Do you have the most up to date version of our security software on your systems?
2. Is a procedure in place to frequently back up our data?
3. Do you have an asset register and is it kept up to date?
4. Is the information you hold on an individual necessary and do you know the purpose for holding such data?
5. Do the individuals concerned know that the organisation hold information on them and the purpose for holding the data?
6. Are you allowed to pass on information on an individual and are our staff aware of under what circumstances they can pass on data?
7. Is the data kept on individuals stored securely?
8. Is the data kept on individuals deleted or destroyed as soon as it becomes obsolete – is there a process for secure destruction of confidential data?
9. Are staff aware that passwords should be difficult to guess and must not be shared with anyone?
10. Do we have notices alerting people that you have CCTV – are the cameras correctly located so they do not infringe on people’s privacy?
11. Have your staff received training to ensure the 8 principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 are adhered to?
12. If your staff’s email, Internet, or phone use is being monitored have they been made aware of this?
13. Do you have a Data Protection/Information Security Policy and Procedures Manual set up to handle any issues that may arise? Have you retained your Certificates of Destruction?
14. If you do need to notify the Information Commissioner – is the information held up to date?
Having an answer for these questions will immediately minimise the chances of an organisation being at risk of a cyber attack.
However, it is not always as simple as outside influence putting an organisation at risk. A few simple errors can be all it takes to leave a business vulnerable to an online attack. As an employee, certain things such as not signing out of your work station, using the same password for everything, not setting the auto-lock on your mobile device, using public computers to access comply resources and copying business files onto a personal USB device can leave a business susceptible to an online attack.
With the number of cyber attacks and security breaches increasing each year, as a business you can never be too careful. Introducing simple measures and checks can be the difference in suffering an online attack or not.>


text:
Meiko Group’s head office in Germany today announced that it posted consolidated group sales of €260m (£214m) in 2013, a figure it describes as a “record high” for the company.
The volume of business generated from its Offenburg headquarters and key production sites increased €6m (£5m) to more than €108m (£89m), while the order intake posted by its foreign subsidiaries rose 5% to €120m (£99m).
Sales of large commercial dishwashing machines were up 8% and cleaning products 12%, according to the company.
Meiko operates 12 subsidiaries outside of Germany and singled out several of them for achieving double-digit sales growth, including Australia, France, the USA and China.
For the first time, Japan emerged as the strongest export market in the cleaning and disinfection technology business, notching up growth of 60% over the previous year’s figures.
The improvement in business was helped by the roll-out of new M-iClean undercounter dishwashers, with orders worth more than €1m (£820,000) placed within the first few weeks of launch.
With its M-iQ flight and rack type dishwashing machines also performing satisfactorily, Meiko said the clear majority of dishwasher models it offers from 2014 onwards will have been on the market for less than four years — a statistic that it calls a “striking indicator” of its innovation capabilities.
The manufacturer described its business expectations for 2014 as “positive” and revealed that its investment budget for the year totals more than €12m (£10m). This includes the construction of a new service centre in Offenburg.
Meiko recruited 200 staff globally last year, taking its total headcount to 2,000 people. 1,100 employees are based in Offenburg.


text:
B2Broker is Delighted to Participate iFX Expo Cyprus 2022 as a Diamond Sponsor
B2Broker is thrilled to confirm its participation in the iFX Expo International, which will take place June 7-9, 2022 in Palais de Sports, Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Centre, Limassol, Cyprus. B2Broker has secured Diamond sponsorship, as well as a presence at two distinguished booths for both B2Broker and B2BinPay (#155 and #119-120).
Watch the video of how it was last year!
iFX Expo is widely regarded as one of the world's biggest financial enterprise conferences. It brings together fintech companies from around Europe, Asia, and the Middle East in a single location. In addition to retail and institutional brokers, InvestExpo brings together technology and liquidity providers, online payments services, banks, regulators, as well as providers of cryptocurrency and blockchain services, among others.
A large number of high-level executives from the world's most prestigious companies will gather at the 2022 expo, which will give visitors many networking possibilities. This year, the B2Broker team is very excited to once again be one of the primary exhibitors at the event, which is anticipated to attract a large number of attendees.
The B2Broker Group of Companies
It is a globally recognized brand with an excellent B2B reputation as one of the most sought-after technology and liquidity providers for Forex and crypto brokers, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other financial services organizations.
In addition to providing crypto/forex/CFD liquidity, B2Broker also offers complete crypto/forex broker solutions, cryptocurrency payment processing (B2BinPay), MT4/5 white label solutions, B2Core (Trader's Room), and B2Trader (Matching Engine), as well as liquidity on more than 800 trading instruments covering the entire asset diapason.
B2BinPay Crypto Payments
B2BinPay is one of the industry's top three cryptocurrency payment gateways. Our cryptocurrency processor helps any business accept, exchange, and store bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in minutes as a solution for over 450 customers!
You can find all the information you need at our booth, as well as talk to the experts about how to integrate crypto payments in the best way possible.
By the way, if you want to make an appointment in advance, the following team members will be available, so contact us!
B2Broker: Arthur Azizov, Kuldeep Mahindrakar, Omar Al-Ali, Alexey Kukhtikov, Jessu Gogua, Pamela Linaldi, John Murhillo, Alexey Tsepayev.
B2BinPay: Mina Louka, Denis Serpikov, Marcos Suarez, Andrey Matushkin, Ivan Navodnyy.
We are really excited to meet you at the iFX Expo!


text:
MLB’s top corporate sponsors are finalizing activation plans for the World Series, which starts tonight in Houston. Longtime corporate partner A-B InBev is again staging a “Hit it Here” promotion, wherein drinking-age fans entering on Twitter #Hiththebuds can win what is defined as “free beer for a year’’ if a home run is hit into designated outfield section. Taco Bell will again stage its “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion, in which fans will get free Doritos Locos Tacos once a base is stolen in the Series. An agreement between the QSR and the Baseball HOF ensures that the first stolen base will go to Cooperstown.
Crypto exchange brand FTX will debut a spot in the Fox telecast and its logo will continue to be emblazoned on MLB umpires’ uniforms. FTX is continuing its “Moonblast” home run donation program. Every home run more than 425 feet in the postseason has been a $10,000 donation; the company is upping it to $100,000 per such homer during the World Series. The brand’s “Moon Man” spokescharacter will appear at games. The FTX brand will also be on phone wallets that are a gate premium.
Chevrolet once again will award a new car to the World Series MVP. It will be the Z06 Corvette, which debuted today. However, there will not be an infield presentation in deference to the supply-chain difficulties which have all cars in short supply.
Meanwhile, between the two World Series teams' sponsors, Astros partner ROKiT shows the highest brand affinity with the club, according to Zoomph data compiled by SBJ Atlas. Followers of ROKiT on social are 50.74 times more likely to follow the Astros on Twitter than the average MLB league follower.
|Phillips 66 (76)


text:
Everything has its time and place as the currents of time move forward. The moment has arrived for what Susan O’Neal presented to the Aspen City Council in the recent past.
O’Neal resurrected the decades-old idea of a Wagner Park underground parking garage.
Many informed Aspenites may recall that the concept was bandied around for many years. Terry Butler, of the boutique downtown Hotel Residence, first heard about it 45 years ago. Newspaper columnist and certified public accountant Roger Marolt mentioned that the notion was around before he was born.
Former Aspen Mayor Bill Stirling knew about the Wagner Park subterranean-garage proposal many years before when, as mayor, he fast-tracked the Rio Grande public parking garage. His preferred proposal was to build parking garages on both the east and west outskirts of town with no automobile traffic in Aspen.
By the way, John Sarpa knew about the dream of a subterranean-parking facility at Wagner Park, too.
O’Neal’s effort would allow less congestion, more parking spaces, easier retail shopping, more fun eating at restaurants and a surge in retail tax revenue for City Hall.
Sensible Aspenites, the banking and financial sector and the business community should invite O’Neal to speak with them in public and private meetings.
Burbank, Calif. and Aspen


text:
- Evelyn, a brilliant procurement and logistics student who graduated with a first-class, now sells bread on the street
- The student wishes to be employed by a firm but has not gotten the chance to do so for the past two years
- Anyone with an opportunity for Evelyn is entreated to reach out to her via her mobile number provided on the post
- Many followers have had a different analysis of Evelyn's situation as they suggest she can make more than a job would give her
A first-class university graduate simply identified as Evelyn resorted to selling bread on the street for two years due to unemployment.
The lady whose story was shared on the verified Facebook handle of Zionfelix Entertainment News indicated that she makes 50 pesewas on each bread she sells.
According to the stunning lady, she got her first class in Procurement and Logistics but after her national service, there was no opportunity for her to get recruited by any firm.
Anyone with an opportunity for Evelyn is entreated to reach out to her on 0203438438
See the post below:
Meanwhile, Ghanaians have had a lot of interesting analysis on Evelyn's situation with some suggesting that what she's currently doing is better than leaving to find a job.
@Chris Handler said:
"She can make good money from selling bread oo. She needs to sell at least 200 pieces of bread to make 100ghc a day which translates to 3,000ghc a month assuming she’s working everyday. Even if she gets a job, she might not be paid above 2k. She can subcontract the bread selling, consider adding other compliments to the bread, she can even make toasted bread and eggs with tea and other stuff. Anaa mebodam? If I find myself in such a situation will be thinking of how to innovate the business, that’s what a graduate ought to do."
@Dwayne Gyina pointed out that:
"Ghanaian mentality? Find job find job. She should get inspiration from the A1 bread guy so she starts her own bakery . She has a degree in logistics which will serve her better to venture into exporting in future. How much do. Ghana jobs pay ? 1k p3 . She should create a business and employ people so they don’t end up like her."
@Nana Obour Bosompem said:
"One of our problems as a country. The girl has seen a way out of unemployment and cos she has a degree she should abandon it and go and look for unexisting job? Do you know the profit on paracetamol and amoxicillin? The beginning of great things be small. Allow her to shine. A1 bread is now a package home for travellers."
Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that a Nigerian lady has taken to social media to announce that she was now gainfully employed.
The lady identified as Praise Atakele had gone viral sometime in March as she was captured with cardboard in hand on the streets of Abuja begging for a job.
The Master's degree holder in marketing communications on Tuesday, April 20 shared an office photo as she wore a smile.
Praise who holds a B.Sc in mass communication said some companies reached out to her after her story went viral. She however did not mention the particular company that employed her.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!


text:
The French supermarket chain Carrefour has said it is set to put stickers on products subject to ‘shrinkflation’ - the term refers to when product size has decreased but the price has been maintained or even increased.
The chain will place orange stickers (sized 13cm by 13cm) on affected items, and show where the price requested by the supplier has increased, said David Reviriego, the supermarket’s press relations manager.
The sticker also states that Carrefour will aim to renegotiate the price of the product concerned.
#shrinkflation ⛔— David Reviriego (@DavidReviriego1) September 7, 2023
Nous l'avons dit, nous le faisons.
Dès lundi dans tous les Carrefour de France nous installerons des affichettes 13cmx13cm pour indiquer une chose simple : ce produit a vu son grammage baisser et le tarif pratiqué par notre fournisseur a augmenté. pic.twitter.com/K9zHbuZ48F
Some of the products subject to shrinkflation include 16 capsules of Nescafé’s Dolce Gusto Grande Intenso coffee, which have reduced in weight from 9g to 8.3g while seeing their price increase by 8%, according to French media BFMTV.
Mr Reviriego said on X (formerly Twitter), that Carrefour’s aim “is clear: inform consumers and put pressure on companies to drop their prices”.
However consumer association 60 millions de consommateurs noted that the supermarket chain itself practises shrinkflation on its own-brand products.
Lionel Maugain, from the association, told France Inter that the supermarket’s stickers are a ‘first’ in the industry, but also a ‘communication campaign’.
He said Carrefour started applying shrinkflation to its own products in May, citing as an example a pack of potatoes, which has dropped in weight from 1.5kg to 1kg, while keeping its price of €0.99.
He also cited a pack of lettuce hearts, which went from containing three to two hearts, while again keeping its price of €0.99.
He did however say shrinkflation is “marginal” at the chain, with only 150 products affected, “which is not enormous” given the “10,000, 20,000, 30,000” products that are found in a supermarket.
In response, Carrefour said it preferred to use the term ‘downsizing’.
“When faced with price increases from our suppliers, we preferred to change the weight rather than the price,” it said in a statement to Ouest France.
“We realised that this was poorly understood by consumers, and that we could have better informed them of this decision.”
The supermarket’s pack of lettuce hearts now once again contains three instead of two hearts - but its price has increased to €1.29.
Carrefour is not the only supermarket chain to practise shrinkflation, however. BFMTV noted, for example, that a Leclerc own brand jar of jam has seen its weight fall from 330g to 320g, but its price increased by 69.4%.
Bill to counter shrinkflation to come
To counter shrinkflation, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said last Thursday (September 7) that a bill will be presented at the beginning of October that will force companies “to show in a very obvious way” when the size of a product has been reduced to counter shrinkflation.
He said the practice has always existed but [its use] is becoming more widespread.
The non-governmental organisation Foodwatch, which launched a petition a year ago against shrinkflation, said it welcomed the measure as a “victory”.
“In these difficult times, we are delighted that the government has decided to act and force manufacturers to be honest,” said spokesperson Audrey Morice.
Foodwatch said it wants the information to be clear and visible, and say whether the product’s quantity has changed. The information should be shown on both the packaging and online, for at least three months, so that consumers have time to note the change, it said.


text:
Anti-dumping Duty on 2 Chinese Telecom Gear Firms
India has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of telecom gear from Chinese firms Huawei, ZTE Corp and Alcatel Lucent to protect domestic industry from cheap shipments. The restrictive duty imposed on import of ‘Synchronous Digital Hierarchy Transmission Equipment’ from China ranges between 9.42% and 86.59% of the landed (cost, insurance and freight or CIF) value. India had first come out with anti-dumping duty of up to 266% on import of telecom gear from China and Israel in December 2010 for five years. The Department of Revenue yesterday issued a notification further extending the anti-dumping duty for five years, up to April 25, 2021.


text:
PepsiCo is the Newest Player in the Sparkling Water Wars
Say “hiii” to the latest line of bubbly beverages.
The competition over fizzy water domination continues, as PepsiCo just launched their latest line: bubly.
The soft drink giant’s new flavored sparkling water has an “upbeat and playful sense of humor to shake up the sparkling water category,” while not including artificial flavors, sweeteners, or calories, said the brand in a statement.
And the branding can’t help but make you smile.
PepsiCo’s carbonated collection comes in eight fruity flavors: apple, cherry, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mango, orange, and strawberry.
Each flavor features playful packaging including a greeting on the tab (like “Hey u,” “hiii,” and “yo,”) and personal messages on the can such as “I feel like I can be open around u,” “hold cans with me,” and “love at first phssst.”
“We created bubly to provide consumers with a great-tasting, flavorful, unsweetened sparkling water in a fun, playful, and relevant manner that is unlike anything we’ve seen in the sparkling water category today,” Todd Kaplan, vice president of the brand’s water portfolio, says in the official release.
The introduction of bubly comes shortly after their biggest rival, Coca-Cola, released a line of flavored Diet Coke in colorful cans, and the Times reports that bubbly is “the most direct attack yet” on crazy-popular flavored sparkling water brand LaCroix.
Only time will tell how things will shake out in the sparkling water wars. But we’re all for more tasty, bubbly options to choose from.


text:
The Netherlands to block export of advanced chips printers to China
The Hague follows US lead in efforts to choke off China from cutting-edge chips supplies.
US, Netherlands strike deal on blocking chip exports to China
Intel backs out of planned construction start date for chip plant in Germany: Report
NXP warns EU microchips funding falls far behind 2030 targets
New German chips plant will need more power than a small city
Intel’s microchips ‘mega fab’ raises questions on EU support
Intel unveils ‘landmark’ €33B investment in EU chipmaking
Europe has a chips plan — here are 6 things that could kill it
The plan’s success is largely out of the EU’s hands — and maybe that’s a good thing.
EU launches Chips Act industrial plan
The strategy includes measures for the bloc to take in case of a large-scale emergency.
Europe’s microchips plan doesn’t add up
EU industry chief Breton promised ‘comparable amount’ of microchip subsidies as the US. But the figures don’t back him up.
France eyes control over chip agenda in EU-US tech alliance
Deeper transatlantic cooperation on microchips pushed back to next year, leaving room for EU industry chief Breton to take charge.
EU proposes new law to speed up in global chips race
New ‘Chips Act’ aims to stop European countries from competing with each other and help the bloc compete globally, officials said.
EU wants ‘Chips Act’ to rival US
Commission president says bloc needs to ‘be bold again’ with upcoming industrial policy plan on semiconductors.
Experts urge Europe to up its game on microchips
US-China tensions highlight the need for a homegrown semiconductor industry, experts warn.
Boris Johnson warns of ‘digital authoritarianism’ in UN speech
In his one nod to Brexit, PM likens the process of quitting the EU to Greek mythology.
MEPs vote for moratorium on nanoparticles in food
Environment and health committee calls for the Commission to go back to the drawing board in revising 1997 regulation covering new food types.
MEPs to vote on novel foods
MEPs are likely to be split on nanomaterial in food when they vote on Monday.
Nano food definition sent back to the drawing board
MEPs are concerned that a Commission’s proposal to regulate nanomaterials in food excludes all existing food additives on sale before 2011.
José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said a summit meeting between the European Union and South Korea on 8 November had put “flesh on the bones” of their relationship.
EU, South Korea upgrade research
South Korea and EU ‘put flesh on bones’ of relationship with efforts to bolster research co-operation.
In praise of the single market
The US ambassador to the European Union provides a transatlantic view of the single market at 20.
No new legislation on nanomaterials
Commission opts for a case by case safety approach on emerging technology.
The Italian forcing through change at the European Medicines Agency.
Debt crisis to dominate talks at the White House
Van Rompuy and Barroso will meet Obama; integration and situation in north Africa on agenda.
Commission promises new food regulation rules after animal cloning talks collapse
Commission to draft separate proposals on novel foods and cloning, after talks on a single law collapsed.
The importance of quality research (I)
The potential of nanotechnology is huge but products must not be rushed onto the market before they have been subject to vigorous safety tests.
A three-part plan for reforming the transatlantic market
More ambition is required to remove barriers to EU-US trade and promote growth.
Innovating for economic growth: Jerzy Buzek MEP
Innovation is crucial for the EU if it is toenjoy economic success, but growth has to be balanced with social security and protection of the environment.
News in brief
Croatia and Turkey After a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on 16-17 June, the EU opened further chapters in its talks with Croatia and Turkey …
Communicating risks to a sceptical public
Policymakers are finding it hard to explain a potential health risk to citizens.
Taming tiny technology, before it bites back
Nanotechnology needs to be handled with care by EU regulators if its potential is to be fulfilled.
Publish your ad on POLITICO.eu Jobs and reach thousands of viewers every month.


text:
Globe Broadband Driver Free Download
Globe Tattoo Broadband is a package of Internet access to services and tariff plans of Globe Telecom. It includes various products such as Tattoo 4G Flash, … â–ºâ–ºâ–º Mail-in and hand-to-hand tablets Apple and the US Department of Defense have announced a new way to deliver tablets by mail. The devices will be delivered to the addressee by couriers in a special protective box, and the address of the recipient and the number of his mailbox will be placed on the back of the box. According to CNET Technology, an iPhone6 â€‹â€‹is planned to be used as a delivery device in the near future.
This control utility is a white-labeled version from Huawei to Globe Tattoo, used to control a broadband device. It also includes the necessary software drivers… The Huawei E8372U1’s GNUSMB program is one of the most used applications to manage (along with BLE and GNSS) its devices to manage. It can be used to communicate with a PC, mobile device or other E8372U1 devices. Using GNUSMB, you can control the Huawei E8372U1 Broadband Router and other devices that support the BLE wireless interface.


text:
JJB Sports chairman Mike McTighe has announced the sportswear retailer will cut almost a third of staff at its Wigan headquarters as part of a restructuring programme designed to secure a long-term future for the business.
He spoke to James Ferguson about JJB's five-year plan to turn the business around.
Mr McTighe is quick to praise the commitment of JJB's workforce but can't avoid highlighting a failing in 'basic retail disciplines' among its staff.
“We have 220 staff in Wigan and we will reduce the workforce by 68. Once that is done, that's it,” he said.
“There are some inefficiencies at Wigan and we are moving very quickly to deal with that, but we have no plans to move away.
“What we will be working on is the expertise and calibre of our staff.
“We will provide training and will be bringing people in on contracts or permanently to complement their experience.”
At its peak, JJB Sports was a £1bn turnover powerhouse whose executives were flown around the country in a pair of company helicopters.
But as 2010 rolled into 2011, the former retailing giant had become a shadow of its former self, just weeks from collapse and forced to approach investors cap in hand to ensure its survival.
The last year has proven to be JJB Sports' most turbulent yet, with the company rescued from the brink of failure by two fundraising exercises totalling £96.5m and its second Company Voluntary Arrangement in two years.
The most recent CVA saw landlords at shopping centres across the country agree to some store closures and lower rents at outlets which would remain open.
Landlords supported the deal on the basis that receiving rents and negotiating shorter term leases would be preferable to JJB going out of business entirely.
The deal was sweetened with the promise of enhanced payments should JJB's fortunes improve in future.
JJB has high hopes for a store refurbishment programme which has seen sales improve by 16 per cent.
A pilot refit of eight stores has now been completed, along with with a partial refurbishment of eight more, which JJB will run until the end of this month before deciding whether to roll out the project to 150 stores. But 43 stores have already shut.
Mr McTighe said: “Many of the stores that we had were more than was needed in the same area.
“When we looked at the improvements that we could make and the costs we were paying, we could never make money on them.”
Mr McTighe said he believes JJB, whose pre-tax losses more than doubled to £181.4m in the year to January 30, can find a 'sweet spot' on the high street as a mid-market sports store.
He said: “In five years time I would like to have an eight per cent operating margin, which is the industry standard.
“On a £350m to £400m business that would mean £25m to £30m profit.
“I would like to see a recovery in the stock price and market capitalisation, and I want JJB to be renowned for the service it provides.”
To read more on the JJB story, get hold of the latest edition of our sister title, Greater Manchester Business Week.
*JJB founder Dave Whelan has said he still hopes the retailer can succeed, despite now being in competition with the business he sold in 2007.
Mr Whelan was forced to sell his majority stake in the retailer he ran for 30 years due to ill health.
He is now best known as the owner of Wigan Athletic and more than 60 DW Fitness gyms and sports shops, which he acquired from JJB in 2009.
Mr Whelan was shocked to hear of the £181.4m losses posted by JJB in the year to January 30, and said he believes the firm is an important asset for his home town.
He said: “I am in competition with them now, but I do hope that they can turn it around.
“It's going to be extremely difficult, and I fear the worst, but I sincerely want the company to do well because it has been part of my life for so many years and it is part and parcel of Wigan.
“In our best year we made £110m profit, and even in the my last year we made nearly £50m.
“I left because I was told that I only had six months to live. I decided to get out for my family's sake and I can't regret it because nothing else mattered at the time.
“Business is such a simple thing really: you buy something and you sell it at a profit.”