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March Madness tipped off today, but college basketball’s best men’s and women’s teams won’t be crowned until April. However, the tournament already has a clear winner in the competition for brand visibility.
For the 2018 tourney to determine the top teams in the sport, more athletes will be rocking the Nike than any other athletic label. After the four men’s play-in games (which took place Tuesday and Wednesday), of the final 64 teams, the Swoosh logo can be seen on 44 of them, head-to-toe. (Texas Southern wears Nike sneakers, but is outfitted in Russell Athletic jerseys.)
The next closest brand to Nike in the amount of schools brands sponsor is Under Armour with 10.
According to Matt Powell, senior industry adviser for sports with The NPD Group Inc, the benefit of having teams in your gear isn’t to sell footwear, it’s a form of marketing.
“The brands are getting advertising exposure with their logo on the uniform, so there’s a dollar value you could put on that,” Powell explained to FN. “It’s about getting your logo on SportsCenter and in photographs. And they clearly have justified it in their minds that they’re getting benefits for this, even though they’re spending millions of dollars.”
And brands have proven that they’re willing to fight for that visibility in order to conquer the massive collegiate brand-based merchandise industry. (Retail sales data resource The Licensing Letter measured the marketplace at $3.51 billion in 2016.) In May 2016, Under Armour signed a 15-year, $280 million deal with UCLA, the largest such sponsorship in college sports history.
As people watch the tournament, and ultimately the championship game, they’ll have their eyes on some of the best performance basketball sneakers Nike has to offer. (Variety reported a 30-percent viewership bump in 2017 over 2016 for the championship game, with 23 million people watching North Carolina defeat Gonzaga.) Throughout the regular season, college basketball’s best athletes wore Nike’s top kicks including the Kobe A.D. and the KD 10.
Nike Uses Free Technology on a Metcon Training Sneaker for the First Time Ever
This Custom Nike Dad Shoe Is Inspired by a Classic Episode of ‘The Simpsons’


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Sheet metal company on verge of major expansion in Pflugerville
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Cortec Precision Sheetmetal Inc. is in talks with the Pflugerville Community Development Corp. to bring a Round Rock manufacturer and as many as 50 new jobs to the city.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company manufactures high-quality sheet metal. It employs about 90 at a 51,000-square-foot facility in Round Rock, but has outgrown the space. Cortec is now looking to build a 100,000-square-foot site near SH 130 and Pecan Street, said Amanda Lucy, community relations manager at Cortec told Austin Business Journal.
The company signed a contract on the space about two weeks ago, Lucy said, and is expected to move its operations to Pflugerville. The expansion will enable the company to hire about about 30 to 50 more employees, which will be in "technical trade jobs such as wielding and machining," Lucy said.
The details of the incentive deal with the PCDC have yet to be finalized and are due to be discussed at the group's Feb. 27 meeting. The economic development group declined to comment on the deal at this time, but did confirm it is in talks with the company. If the PCDC approves the deal, the economic development agreement will be forwarded for review by Pflugerville City Council in the first week of March, said a spokeswoman for the PCDC.
Cortec jobs start at about $10 an hour, and go much higher for specialized trades, Lucy said.
The company also has plans to build another 50,000-square-foot building at the site that it will lease out in 2,000-square-foot to 3,000-square-foot chunks. Cortec is still deciding what it will do with the Round Rock location at 1602 N. A.W. Grimes Blvd. The company may demolish the building and build a retail or office site to lease out, or lease out the existing facility, Lucy said.
Cortec employs 200 at its headquarters in California.
Robert Grattan covers government, courts and economic development for the Austin Business Journal.
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Tesco Commits to Overseas Markets Amid ‘Atrocious’ SalesGabi Thesing
Tesco Plc, the biggest U.K. grocer, said it’s committed to fixing its international businesses after same-store sales declined in all nine markets and European profit plunged in the first half.
“We’ll fight our way through a difficult macro environment” in Europe, Chief Financial Officer Laurie McIlwee said on a conference call today, batting aside suggestions that the retailer may seek to exit more countries after quitting the U.S. and Japan, while ceding control of its business in China.
Tesco’s businesses in Europe and Asia are showing signs of distress similar to those of the company’s domestic business about two years ago. The retailer, which gets about a third of sales outside the U.K., faces rising competition from budget stores and convenience chains in countries from Thailand to Poland. Rushing to exit may not be the answer, said Richard Marwood, who helps oversee more than $700 billion at Axa Investment Managers.
“We’re not a believer in that the minute something goes wrong you need to cut it in its entirety,” said London-based Marwood. “Looking at the state of the European economy, is it an amazing surprise they haven’t done particularly well?”
Tesco shares fell as much as 4.7 percent, the most in four months, on disappointment at the retailer’s international performance in the first half of the year. That cut the grocer’s market value by about 1.3 billion pounds to 27.7 billion pounds ($45 billion). The stock was down 1.7 percent at 3:20 p.m.
Operating profit in Europe slid 68 percent to 55 million pounds. Like-for-like sales in the region fell 5 percent as shoppers in Ireland defected to cheaper offerings and Turkish customers shunned the grocer’s large-store formats. Losses in Turkey increased “significantly,” the company said.
Business in some markets was “pretty atrocious,” Darren Shirley, an analyst at Shore Capital, said in a note, citing same-store sales declines of 13 percent in Turkey, 6.4 percent in Poland and 6.9 percent in the Czech Republic. “Europe most certainly needs attention from Tesco’s management.”
The retailer also struggled in Asia, where operating profit fell 7.4 percent to 314 million pounds amid restrictions on store opening hours in South Korea, its biggest market outside the U.K.
Tesco doesn’t intend to exit Turkey and doesn’t feel the same about its operations in central Europe as it did about the U.S. and Japan, McIlwee said on the call.
The grocer agreed to sell most of its Fresh & Easy chain in the U.S. to a company owned by billionaire Ron Burkle last month, ending a failed six-year foray into the world’s biggest economy. Last year, it paid 40 million pounds to exit Japan. Tesco today said it would pay $558 million to fold its Chinese hypermarkets into a joint venture with China Resources Enterprise Ltd. It announced talks for that deal in August.
Tesco’s trading margin in Europe has dropped to 1.2 percent of sales from 3.5 percent in the last financial year and almost 5 percent two years ago. That won’t recover until “the euro zone is getting back to where it was,” McIlwee said. “Europe is a very difficult place to retail at the moment.”
Investments in price and quality in Poland should boost sales in the second half, McIlwee said. In Turkey, Tesco will seek to boost sales at about 30 stores in the eastern part of the country where business is struggling, unlike outlets in the more affluent area around the Mediterranean, McIlwee said.
Even so, that part of the Turkish business is probably being ring-fenced “for disposal or closure,” while Tesco may still “consider exiting” Poland, BNP Paribas analyst John Kershaw said in a note today.
The retailer’s international struggles come at a time when the company is seeking to revive growth at home.
U.K. same-store sales, excluding petrol and value-added taxes, were unchanged in the second quarter, Tesco said today, matching analyst estimates for that measure. That was an improvement from the 1 percent decline in the first quarter.
Competitor J Sainsbury Plc today reported 2 percent growth in second-quarter same-store sales, excluding gasoline, an outcome that matched analysts’ estimates.
Tesco said it expects to show an “improved trading performance” in the second half, noting that investments in Europe are already having an effect after a “challenging retail environment” in the first half. The company repeated its goal of mid-single digit trading profit growth in the medium term.
First-half trading profit at the Cheshunt, England-based retailer fell 7.6 percent to 1.59 billion pounds, compared with the 1.62 billion-pound median estimate of 13 analysts.
After its first profit annual drop in almost two decades last year, Tesco has been investing in improving the quality of its own-brand products and is revamping its hypermarkets with bakeries, gourmet coffee and tapas while adding outlets like Harris & Hoole coffee shops and Giraffe restaurants to the premises to make them more desirable destinations.
Improvements to the domestic food offer have included getting all fresh chicken from U.K. producers, and all beef products from Britain and Ireland, the company said.
Still, shoppers are defecting both to budget competitors like Aldi and higher-end shops such as Waitrose. Tesco’s market share fell to 30.2 percent in the 12 weeks ended Sept. 15 from 30.9 percent a year earlier, Kantar Worldpanel said Sept. 25.
Having done “a lot of necessary, hard and good work” over the last three years, Chief Executive Officer Philip Clarke still has more to do before “the corporate bar feels less heavy,” Shirley at Shore Capital wrote today.


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Scant volume growth attributed to changing demographics and consumer preferences was cited as a continuing challenge for the industry together with the disruptive effects of the changing retail landscape. While a few grain-based foods companies have “buy” recommendations from analysts, these generally were based on expectations of a successful turnaround following a period of difficulties rather than emanating from a track record of and outlook for sustained success.
Against this somewhat dispiriting back-drop, recent successes in the ready-to-eat cereal sector at General Mills, Inc. offer more than a glimmer of hope. Driven by innovation and marketing efforts, the company’s U.S. cereal sales rose 7% in the most recent quarter and promises more impactful innovation in the period ahead. General Mills is squarely in the mix of large packaged foods companies that have not generated growth in recent years in line with historical performance. Indeed, the company’s adjusted earnings were flat in the most recent quarter. Still, the concerted effort to boost its business through innovation represents truly the only bright path forward for the company and all of grain-based foods.


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Dalmia-OCL Ltd on Monday launched a new refractory line for production of Magnesia Carbon (MgO-C bricks) at its Rajgangpur plant in Odisha, in a move to bring down dependence on imports, especially from China.
Union minister of state for steel, Faggan Singh Kulaste inaugurated the production line, which will have a capacity of 108,000 tonne and cater to the demand of domestic steel manufacturers.
“Under this new line we will be putting up capacity of 108,000tonne in MgO-C brick in our Rajgangpur plant in Odisha and will be commissioning it in three phases of 36,000 tonne each. The first phase inaugurated today will play a pivotal role in substituting imports from China,” said Sameer Nagpal, CEO, Dalmia-OCL.
“Once fully commissioned, this will be India’s largest refractory line for production of Magnesia Carbon Bricks and promises to cut nation’s import dependence by up to 50%,” the company stated.
The refractory line, which has been set up under Dalmia-OCL’s initiative of ‘Bharat ki Factory mein Bharat ki Refractory’, will come up in 3 phases of 36,000tonne each.
This product is widely consumed by the steel industry and most of the current demand (approximately 300,000 tonne annually) is met through imports.
Under this initiative, Dalmia-OCL – a Dalmia Bharat Group company – is localizing the production of most refractories to provide support to its key customers such as SAIL, Tata Steel, JSW Group, JSPL Group, AMNS etc.
With the launch of the new manufacturing line, the company aims to substitute imports with locally manufactured MgO-C bricks and expects to capture 25% market share.
Subsequently, the company plans to export these bricks to Europe and other key steel markets across the globe.
The company has made a cumulative investment of Rs 50 crore in the past 2 years and expects its total refractory business to grow by 50% in the next 5 years.
Further, Dalmia-OCL plans to make a cumulative investment of another Rs 100 crore in the next five years to boost its domestic manufacturing capacity and align itself to India’s vision to become a 300 million tonne steel manufacturing nation by the end of this decade.
Speaking on this occasion, Union minister of state for steel Faggan Singh Kulaste said, “To achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, industries across sectors need to strengthen their manufacturing capabilities in order to reduce our dependency on imports.”
“Today, the steel industry’s capacity is 142 million tonne for which almost 1.2 million tonne of refractory is required and almost 30 percent of refractories is imported.
“It is therefore imperative to enhance refractory production in India to decrease our dependency on imports and become self-sufficient,” Kulaste said.
National Steel Policy 2017 has set a target of achieving 300 million ton steel capacity by 2030-31 and this will increase demand for domestic refractories, he said.
Dalmia-OCL CEO Nagpal said, “Truly committed to a self-reliant India under PM Narendra Modi Ji’s vision for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, Dalmia-OCL has embarked upon its key initiative of ‘Bharat ki Factory mein Bharat ki Refractory’.”
“It gives me immense pleasure to state that the Magnesia Carbon Line is India’s first refractory line post the announcement of Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative,” Nagpal added.


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HMRC have announced an overhaul of the Self Assessment process, claiming that the move will make life easier for the self-employed.
Is your business still waiting for payment? Well you’re not alone. A new poll by Simply Business has found that the vast majority of businesses are owed money.
This week NatWest, part of the RBS group, announced they will be launching a new online service for SMEs that will allow small business owners to to get a loan in hours - even outside of opening times.
Long-term tenancies are being encouraged by the Government, but it looks unlikely that landlords will be falling over themselves to lengthen their tenancies.
With added pressure caused by Government changes, the majority of landlords are planning to increase rent this year, a new poll by Simply Business has found.
Online retail giant Amazon has begun a hunt for London High Street retail space as it launches its expansion into bricks and mortar.
Advances in technology mean that it’s now possible to run a cashless business, but almost half of small businesses say that going cashless isn’t feasible.
Singletons could be looking not only for love but also a place to live this Valentine’s Day, with a new survey suggesting that landlords prefer couples.
A group of surprised (and probably rather unnerved) builders unearthed a cache of phosphorous bombs from the 1940s in Wiltshire last week.
Pub and restaurant owners have called on the government to curb a proposed business rate rise that they say could see some outlets closing.


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Generic-drug makers are always on the hunt for the next branded drug to take down. But they can't just go about launching copycats of every drug; it's against the law to sell a generic version of a drug that's under patent.
Unless, of course, a company can prove the patent isn't valid. Unfortunately working the way through the court system takes time, so generic-drug makers sometimes launch early, expecting the patent to be thrown out in court.
For Teva Pharmaceuticals and Sun Pharmaceuticals, that plan didn't work out too well. They both launched generic versions of Wyeth and Nycomed's Protonix, but the patent was eventually upheld.
It's costing the companies big.
Teva and Sun are paying $2.15 billion to Pfizer and Takeda, which bought Wyeth and Nycomed, respectively. Pfizer will receive 64% of the payments, with the rest going to Takeda. Teva is on the hook for $1.6 billion, and Sun will pay $550 million.
It's unlikely that Teva and Sun made that much from selling generic Protonix before the patent expired, but settling was likely the best move for them. When a company infringes on a patent, it's potentially on the hook for treble damages, which can be as high as three times the amount that the infringement cost the company.
The cost of at-risk launches
To my knowledge, this is the first at-risk launch where a generic-drug maker had to pay for most of the losses incurred by a brand-name drugmaker, although at least one generic-drug maker had to give up some of its profits from an at-risk launch.
In 2006, Apotex made an at-risk launch of its generic version of Plavix -- sold by Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb -- but the damages were limited to 50% of Apotex's net sales through an agreement the companies signed before the at-risk launch. Fortunately, Sanofi and Bristol-Myers were able to get a court injunction to stop the at-risk launch and regain exclusivity for a few more years.
The large payment that Pfizer and Takeda received -- they were smart enough not to sign an agreement before the at-risk launch -- might make Teva, Sun, and other generic-drug makers think twice before making at-risk launches, at least for patents where it isn't blatantly obvious that the patent is invalid.
One to keep your eye on
Momenta Pharmaceuticals and its partner Novartis could benefit greatly from the precedence that Pfizer and Takeda have set. The companies launched a generic version of Sanofi's Lovenox a few years ago that became a blockbuster because there weren't any competitors other than Sanofi's branded products. After 18 months, Watson Pharmaceuticals, now Actavis , and Amphastar launched their version of Lovenox, which Momenta claims infringes on patents it has on how to make the generic version.
If Momenta can get its patents up held in court, Momenta and Novartis could be in for a huge payday to make up for lost sales.
While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.
The article Why the Pfizer-Teva Settlement Affects the Whole Industy originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Brian Orelli has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Momenta Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool owns shares of Momenta Pharmaceuticals. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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The well-documented smartphone battle between Apple(AAPL 2.44%) iOS and Google(GOOG -3.29%) (GOOGL -2.75%) Android took an interesting turn this week. For the first time since 2012, Apple iPhone sales outdid all Android device sales combined in the last quarter of 2014, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. This news reinforces just how big of a hit the newest iPhone models have been with consumers, and it shows the strength of the portfolio of Apple smartphone offerings.
Indeed, brand loyalty matters after all
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus marked Apple's first foray into smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches -- a market already proven to be hot with many Android customers. As Apple competed with Samsung with similarly sized flagship devices, the tech giant proved it could not only attract new smartphone owners but also convince many Android users to make the switch.
With smartphone penetration in the U.S. at 59%, Kantar analyst Carolina Milanesi says platform loyalty is key.
As the opportunity to attract first-time smartphone buyers in developed economies diminishes, retaining loyal customers is becoming as important as winning them over from competing platforms. Apple's average customer loyalty of 87% across the US and Europe certainly looks promising.
Samsung, on the other hand, has a brand loyalty rate of 62%, according to Kantar, the strongest of all Android manufacturers in the U.S.
The idea that brand loyalty will matter more as market penetration increases is not new. Though when Apple stock was pulling back in 2013 and cheap Android devices were rapidly proliferating, the idea was not popular. Yankee Group's Carl Howe projected in April 2013 that the Apple smartphone platform would surpass Android market share in 2015. While we have yet to see market share data for this year, his estimates could turn out to be quite accurate.
No matter how close Howe's exact figures end up being to actual market share data by year-end, his underlying premise, outlined in 2013 when many wrote that Apple was doomed, has played out as he imagined.
Think of the Apple and Android ecosystems as two buckets of water. New smartphone buyers -- mostly upgrading feature phone owners -- fall like rain into the two big buckets about equally, with a smaller number falling into Windows Phone and BlackBerry buckets. However, the Android bucket leaks badly, losing about one in five of all the owners put into it. The Apple bucket leaks only about 7 percent of its contents, so it retains more of the customers that fall into it. The Apple bucket will fill up faster and higher than the Android one, regardless of the fact that the Apple bucket may have had fewer owners in it to begin with.
Apple's U.S. market share of smartphone sales for the fourth quarter was 47.7%, up from 43.9% in the year-ago quarter, according to Kantar. Android's share of smartphone sales fell to 47.6% from 50.7% during the same period.
A global trend
The record-setting quarter went beyond the U.S. In Europe and China, Android smartphones still outsold the iPhone, but iPhone market share gained meaningfully in both markets. In Europe, Android saw its share decline by 3.8 percentage points, while Apple enjoyed a rise of 6.2 percentage points, according to Kantar. In China, Apple's share jumped 2.5 percentage points while Android's share decreased 1.6 percentage points.
Going forward, Apple has guided for revenue in the first calendar quarter of 2015 to be about 17% higher than the year-ago period, suggesting that the company expects even more big numbers from its iPhone business in 2015.


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DALLAS, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Getaroom.com (www.getaroom.com) announced today it has launched a multi-pronged $10 million national advertising campaign with television, radio and print ads. The campaign was created in-house by company founders Bob Diener and David Litman who together wrote and directed the ads.
The broadcast campaign looks to build brand name recognition by emphasizing the Company's name on both the television and radio spots. Set to the William Tell Overture the company name is repeated throughout in a creative and entertaining way while the ads also highlight getaroom.com's special rates in popular destinations.
"Name recognition is key to generating awareness and driving consumers to the getaroom.com website and call center," said Bob Diener co-founder and President of getaroom.com. "These ads cut through the clutter and once you see and hear them our name certainly stays top of mind."
The 30- and 15-second television spots will air nationally on cable stations; the radio ads will be broadcast on am, fm and satellite radio stations; the print campaign runs in newspapers in major markets. The commercial can also be seen on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1cBmkTGaUA Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/GetARoomcom/90405626754 and Twitter http://twitvid.io/GetARoomcom. "Getaroom.com is interested in consumer feedback on the campaign and is excited to hear what people think," said Diener.
Getaroom.com provides travelers a state-of-the-art lodging website (www.getaroom.com) which offers travelers the lowest hotel rates on the internet. Clients calling its toll-free call center at 800-HOTELS-8 (800-468-3578) can also receive the benefits of unpublished pricing, with rates typically 10 to 25 percent less than published rates on its site and other internet sites and as much as 50 percent less. There is full disclosure about the property at time of booking including the hotel name and exact location. Getaroom.com offers accommodations at hundreds of national chain and independent boutique properties in the U.S. including New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Anaheim, San Diego and Reno.


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Tripos is counting on an expanding informatics product portfolio to reverse an 18-month trend of anemic quarterly revenues.
The company last week reported a 16-percent drop in total revenues for the quarter ended June 30, posting $13.4 million compared to $15.9 million in the second quarter of 2004. Tripos attributed the slide primarily to the wind-down of a four-year chemical file-enrichment project that its Discovery Research group is conducting with Pfizer.
This project is currently in the final year of the original agreement, and company officials said that they are still in discussions with Pfizer about extending it beyond 2005. As a result, the Discovery Research group posted $6.9 million in revenues for the quarter, a 22-percent decline from $8.9 million in the prior-year period.
But the company's Discovery Informatics group also contributed its share to the fall-off in revenues, posting a 6-percent decline to $5.8 million from $6.3 million in the second quarter of 2004. This marked the seventh consecutive quarter in which the discovery informatics products business posted anemic revenue growth, despite the company's acquisition of Optive Research in the first quarter, which was expected to jumpstart short-term revenues [BioInform 01-10-05]. Furthermore, it was the first quarter in which the informatics products business posted a decline in year-over-year revenues since the first quarter of 2004 • a trend the company plans to nip in the bud (See chart for further details on the company's revenue growth since 2003.)
Tripos blamed the decline on a number of factors, including "softness" in the Pacific Rim triggered by a patent-infringement suit in Japan related to FlexX, a docking software product that Tripos in-licenses from a third party. The company declined to disclose the licensor of the technology, but the Tripos website lists Germany's BioSolveIT, which holds the exclusive rights to the Flex* suite of programs from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, as a "software partner" for FlexX.
Although the patent-infringement case is "not a direct Tripos liability, the software was an important component of our suite of tools in Japan," Tripos President and CEO John McAlister explained during a conference call to discuss the company's quarterly results. "The ultimate result was that renewal contracts for many of our products were delayed by this suit."
McAllister said that "a new, non-infringing version" of the FlexX suite of tools was introduced in May, and is now being marketed in the Pacific Rim. "There has been a delay as our distributor [in Japan] has come up to speed on this new product, and customers have evaluated the new technology," he said. "We believe this issue is now behind us, but full recovery will take some time."
Informatics sales also took a hit from "some personnel changes in the academic sales area" that "had a negative impact on our sales to academic, governmental, and non-profit organizations during the second quarter," McAllister said. "We believe that we have addressed this issue as well, and anticipate recovery in the near term."
James Rubin, senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer, told BioInform in an interview following the conference call that the personnel changes involved the departure of a European sales representative, and the repositioning of a US sales rep to a marketing position. Both open sales positions have now been filled, he said.
Rubin said during the call that these two areas of decline in the informatics business during the quarter "were only partially offset by incremental revenues from the Optive Research acquisition."
Banking on Benchware
Tripos is confident that a series of new informatics products that it expects to launch before the end of the year will help turn the tide. As BioInform reported in June, the company plans to expand beyond its traditional customer base of computational chemists with a new line of so-called "laboratory informatics" tools that it has dubbed Benchware [BioInform 06-20-05]. This portfolio includes a number of software products that are targeted towards laboratory chemists and biologists for visualizing molecules, prioritizing leads, and designing compound libraries.
"We are investing substantially in the development and launch of Benchware, and have high expectations for it helping us to achieve revenue growth in our software business over time."
The company announced the availability of the Benchware products two weeks ago [BioInform 07-25-05], with its official launch slated for the Drug Discovery Technology conference in Boston, Aug. 9-11. Bryan Koontz, senior vice president and general manager of the discovery informatics group, said during the conference call that several customers have already purchased "bits and pieces" of the Benchware line, but the company has not yet signed an enterprise-wide deal for the product line.
"We are investing substantially in the development and launch of Benchware, and have high expectations for it helping us to achieve revenue growth in our software business over time," Koontz said in the call.
Koontz said that the company has a number of other new products in the pipeline, including the commercial version of an electronic laboratory notebook that it recently rolled out at Schering, which the company will also launch at DDT, and a new pharmacophore-modeling and molecular-alignment tool called Galahad, which shipped last week as part of the company's Sybyl 7.1 release.
Tripos also plans to launch a new "discovery logistic solution" called ChemCore RIO (Registration, Inventory, and Ordering) in the fourth quarter, Koontz said. This product is currently deployed at Schering as well as within Tripos' Discovery Research organization.
The company is making other changes. Acknowledging that "marketing has not traditionally been a strong point for Tripos in the past," Koontz said that the firm is taking steps to ramp up its marketing efforts. As one example, he said, "We have created for the first time at Tripos a formal product-management group responsible for the definition of products and a strategic product roadmap" that is expected to keep the company focused on "building products that solve key customer problems and contribute significantly both strategically and financially to Tripos' overall business."
The company has also introduced a new product-release process that "orchestrates the activities of our product marketing, product management, product development, and sales teams," Koontz said.
Finally, Tripos has "introduced new leadership and new metrics" into the professional services side of its discovery informatics business organization.
"As we are seeing some new signs that the pharmaceutical industry is budgeting for projects that can help them improve their overall discovery operations, we anticipate that a well-managed professional services organization will become even more important to the success of our software business," Koontz said. As a result, "we have been assessing how we can approach our services engagements to best manage the balance of margin contributions, staff utilization, and customer satisfaction. We are also currently assessing how partnerships in this area, including strategic IT outsourcing partnerships, could help us ramp up on projects more quickly, and could help us provide higher levels of service to our customers."
Tripos spent $2 million on R&D during the quarter, down from $2.5 million in the prior-year period. Rubin said that this decline does not reflect a lack of innovation, however. While the company records early-stage research as an R&D expense, the development of products with "technical feasibility" is capitalized as an expense against future sales. Rubin said that products such as Benchware, Galahad, and the new electronic laboratory notebook all fall into this latter category, so that $558,000 of development expenses in the second quarter were actually capitalized against future sales.
The company posted $1.7 million in net income, or $.17 per share, for the quarter. While this represented an enormous increase over net income of $156,000, or $.02 per share, for the prior-year period, the company realized a tax benefit of $2.1 million in the UK during the second quarter of 2005. Without the tax benefit, Tripos would have posted a net loss of $400,000 for the quarter.
Tripos held $6.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30.
• Bernadette Toner ([email protected])


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CHEVY CHASE, Md. (AP) — A Maryland couple say they found a live scorpion inside a bag of packaged spinach that was purchased from a Giant food store.
Sri Sindhusha Boddapati of Chevy Chase tells news outlets that she was making lunch on Monday when she noticed something crawling inside the bag.
She says she initially thought it was a cricket but realized it was a scorpion after capturing it in a water bottle.
Her husband, Shanmukha Pranay Rajeev Jerripothula, took the bottle to the Landover store where they bought the spinach. He says he asked store officials to stop selling the spinach, but they refused.
In a statement, Giant Food of Landover, Maryland, described what happened as an “isolated incident.” The company says it is taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- Trump tweet attacks Flake, calls Arizona senator ‘toxic’
- After preschool promise, Phoenix couple marries 20 years later
- Pence won’t address Trump comments but condemns supremacists
- Brewer stands by Trump assessment of Mexican rapists, white power rally
- 5 missing after Army helicopter goes down off Hawaii coast


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In November car deliveries increased 7.3% versus the same month last year to 104,425 units, while sales for the first 11 months totalled 1.09 million vehicles, up 8.6% from a year ago and nearly matching its total for all of 2003.
"With these figures, our goal for the year of increasing our sales by a high-single-digit percentage at group level is now within our reach," says BMW sales and marketing chief Michael Ganal.
Sales of the BMW brand models rose 7% to 89,715 units, while Mini deliveries increased 9.4% to 14,630.
Mercedes Car Group reported on Tuesday that its global sales for November increased 9.8%, mainly due to high demand for the newly revamped A-Class hatchback and strong growth in its domestic German market.
Yet Mercedes Car Group sales eased 2.4% in the first 11 months of 2004 to 1.08 million units.


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Microsoft will begin delisting Xbox 360 games in February 2023
Microsoft will begin delisting Xbox 360 games from its store, as the older generation of gaming is sunsetted.
Xbox 360 era officially over as new titles dropped from Games With Gold
Games With Gold will no longer offer classic Xbox 360 games to subscribers from October 2022.
Fable, Fallout and other Xbox 360 games get mystery new updates
Fan speculation points towards improved backwards compatibility, but nothing is confirmed yet.


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Survey: Data concerns arise from online, mobile shoppers
Holiday shoppers may be hitting cyber shelves hard so far this season, but that doesn't mean retailers can relax. A new survey indicates more and more consumers are worried about their privacy while shopping.
According to new data out from nFluence half of those surveyed are 'very or extremely worried' about mobile carriers holding on to their information after they've make a mobile purchase; online retailers aren't out of the woods, either, as 55% worry that ISPs may hold their personal information. Other interesting findings include:
• 48% of younger shoppers worry about ISP privacy (42% worry about ISP privacy)
• 58% of older shoppers worry about ISP privacy (53% about mobile privacy)
• Only about one-quarter of both younger and older shoppers worried about information they provided to the carrier
"The data not only shows the level of worry about personal information, but also highlights the power of asking consumers for information instead of tracking them without consent," said Henry Lawson, CEO of nFluence. "These results are an encouraging sign as we continue to find new opportunities for our technology."
As for the number of shoppers hitting mobile, ShopAtHome reports that through Cyber Monday mobile traffic was up 17% YoY, with traffic increasing more than 200% via iPad. Overall mobile traffic increased 24% for the Thanksgiving Weekend.
"While Cyber Monday savings are now an expected occurrence, this year we have seen that you don't have to wait until you're back at work to get the best online deals," said Marc Braunstein, founder and CEO, ShopAtHome. "Our report shows that, while shoppers are still a big fan of Cyber Monday shopping, they are spreading out their purchases across the entire holiday weekend, something we expect to continue in the years to come."
- Study: Privacy concerns high for wearable tech
- Internet of Things not just for the tech-savvy
- Retale: 73% of parents to use mobile for back-to-school shopping
- Study: Half of parents frustrated by BTS shopping
- How to be sure SaaS options are right for you
- Intent HQ: Consumers want brands to be honest and transparent about data collection
- Forecast: 250 million smart wearables in use by 2018
- Ad Roundup: Making mobile, social, video simpler
Featured White Papers
- Three Converged Media Campaigns Worth Emulating
The old adage, "you get what you pay for" may no longer be true when it comes to traditional paid...


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Quayle Munro is pleased to announce it has advised the shareholders of The McCloskey Group Ltd ("McCloskey"), the world's largest coal markets information, publishing and research firm, on its sale to NYSE-listed IHS Inc ("IHS").
Quayle Munro has advised Duncton Group plc, the specialist provider of vehicle finance, on a £65m fundraising. The new warehouse facility and associated equity funds will be used primarily to fund the growth of the company.
Quayle Munro is pleased to announce it has advised the shareholders of Amaze TV (“Amaze”), on the formation of a new European media group backed by substantial investment from Palamon Capital Partners.
Quayle Munro has advised Virgin Holidays, the UK Tour Operator and market leader to the US and Caribbean markets, on its acquisition of Fast Track Holidays, a specialist cruise operator, for an undisclosed amount.
Quayle Munro has advised the shareholders of Piatkus Books Limited ("Piatkus") on the sale of the Company to Little, Brown Book Group ("Little, Brown"), a division of Hachette Livre UK.
Quayle Munro has advised Stephen Webster Ltd, the UK independent luxury jewellery company, on a significant investment by Yucaipa Global Fund LLP.


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FORMER FOOTBALLER WILL DRIVE A UNITED SALES FORCE AT DL WINDOWS
A FORMER footballer who used to train with Manchester United will be trying to hit targets of a different kind after being snapped up to lead the sales team of a Wiltshire glazing firm.
Mike Ogden, who spent two years with the Old Trafford giants in his youth, has taken on the role of sales executive & development manager at DL Windows, as the company prepares to launch its expansion plan.
Read the full story...
FIRM MOVING HQ AFTER HALF A CENTURY AS PART OF MAJOR EXPANSION PLAN
AFTER nearly 50 years in business, a Chippenham double-glazing firm is set to move its headquarters out of the town as part of an ambitious expansion plan.
DL Windows has put its Malmesbury Road showroom on the market after agreeing a deal to relocate to larger premises on the Porte Marsh Industrial Estate in Calne.


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Analyst Insight by Rob Walker - Contributing Analyst
Total retail sales of luxury jewellery and timepieces - in the 32 markets tracked by Euromonitor – increased 6% last year, at fixed US dollar prices. It was a resilient performance given firstly, the crackdown on gift giving in China – the category’s primary growth engine of the last decade – and, secondly, the economic headwinds buffeting much of Western Europe.
It was still the category’s weakest global performance in four years, however, and a warning that manufacturers and retailers needs to unlock new markets – especially if they are to capitalise on the current period of lower raw material costs.
Untapped markets to watch
Indonesia looks promising. Annual sales of luxury jewellery and timepieces sum under US$100 million, but there is evidence of a growing appetite for prestige necklaces, earrings and bracelets as well as men’s high-end watches. Leading brands Cartier and Rolex have cottoned on, with both building stronger distribution positions last year. It could be the start of a much bigger wave of investment this year.
One of the barriers, however, is legislation that requires foreign brands to sign up with a local business partner. This has held back global brands in the past. The difference now is that the opportunity is looking too good to miss.


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As was seen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the newest generation of smart TV consoles is reinventing the way consumers watch television and shop online. According to Strategic Analytics, smart TVs represented one-third of all global flat panel television shipments in 2013 and is expected to grow to 73% within the next three years. It’s clear to see that smart TVs will dominate as the standard household entertainment device by the end of the decade.
This is important to retailers because smart TVs give consumers the freedom to kick back and enjoy the ultimate convenience of shopping online while watching their favorite programming. For example, if they see something they like in a commercial, the path to purchase is through a simple click. “Our consumer survey data shows that around 50% of Smart TV owners across the USA and major European markets are currently using their TV’s Internet capabilities, so vendors must continue to add compelling applications and services to entice consumers to utilize their platforms,” Eric Smith, analyst (1). So along with ecommerce and M-commerce, T-commerce will be joining the fray in retail shopping innovation (2,3).
advertising.aol.com | by John Gregory


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Man United Signs Record Jersey Deal With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Brand
Manchester United has signed a new sponsorship agreement with Qualcomm that will put the company’s Snapdragon brand on the front of the club’s iconic jerseys, replacing TeamViewer. The deal will take effect for the 2024-25 season.
Terms of the contract were not released, but it will be the largest jersey deal in soccer, according to someone familiar with the agreement who was not authorized to speak publicly. The current top deal is Real Madrid’s agreement with Emirates worth roughly $75 million a year. The new deal is also worth more than the $80 million a year General Motors paid before TeamViewer.
A Man United spokesperson declined to comment on the terms.
In 2021, United signed a five-year contract with German business software company TeamViewer that was worth £47 million per year—$59 million at current exchange rates. The two parties “reached a mutually beneficial agreement” in late 2022 for United to buy back the rights, with TeamViewer remaining as a sponsor in a reduced capacity through the end of the pact.
Man United took a pay cut with the TeamViewer deal in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as GM had previously paid $559 million over seven years for Chevrolet to be the front-of-shirt sponsor.
Qualcomm became a Man United global partner in July 2022, and Snapdragon was the presenting sponsor of the club’s 2023 U.S. summer tour. Under the expanded agreement, Snapdragon will be the shirt partner on the home, away and third kits of both the men’s and women’s teams. Snapdragon processors power smartphones, PCs, gaming devices and wearables.
This deal follows a 10-year renewal with Adidas to be the team’s kit manufacturer through 2035 in an agreement worth a minimum of £900 million. It is the largest deal in the Premier League and on par with what Real Madrid and Barcelona make.
Commercial revenue accounted for 44% of United’s total last year and is a critical component of the club’s financial model to invest in players and comply with financial fair play rules.
There have been no recent updates from the Glazer family on the team’s sale process. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are still waiting to see if the family will sell the club, with both submitting bids for more than $6 billion.
In January, Sportico valued United at $5.95 billion, and it ranks as the most valuable soccer club in the world, ahead of Madrid ($5.23 billion) and Barcelona ($4.95 billion).


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BEIJING, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- China and the United States, focusing on their core interests, should resolve their differences appropriately, Premier Wen Jiabao said.
Wen -- in talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner during Geithner's China visit that ended Thursday -- spoke of the need for greater economic and trade cooperation, China Daily reported.
Geithner, who arrived in Japan Thursday, had been in China to seek cooperation from major importers of Iranian oil to cut their purchases as part of an effort to convince Iran to give up its nuclear program. Chinese officials did not go along with the proposal.
Wen's remarks were meant to promote U.S.-China economic cooperation despite their major economic, currency and trade frictions.
"China insists that dialogue is better than confrontation, cooperation is better than containment," Wen was quoted as saying during his meeting with Geithner. "We should take care of the core interests and concerns of each other, and resolve friction appropriately."
The China Daily report quoted The Wall Street Journal as saying U.S. President Barack Obama planned to set up a task force to monitor China's compliance with US trade rules. China is seen by the United States as dumping its imports at below cost price with the help government subsidies.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, expected to become the next president, was quoted as telling Geithner, "China is willing to expand economic and financial cooperation with the U.S., resolving friction through consultation rather than politicizing economic issues."
Geithner said the United States agreed with China on developing "closer" economic and trade cooperation, promoting economic growth for the two economies and maintaining global financial stability.


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UNITED KINGDOM July 13 2015 10:25 AM
LONDON (Scrap Register): Northern Europe hot rolled cold (HRC) steel prices advanced by €4 a ton week-on-week to €391 per ton in the week ended July 03, as per the latest figures released by The Steel Index.
In Northern Europe, first-tier producers reportedly continued to offer HRC close to the €400 a ton mark, while other mills’ asking prices were lower, around €390 a ton.
For Live US Steel Scrap Prices Log on to Scrap Register
Prices for Chinese-origin HRC imports to both North and South Europe were said to be as low as €345 a ton CIF, while other origins were slightly higher.
Market participants commented that most of the bookings for Q3 are now completed, and we can expect a slowing down in market activity in the next few weeks.
After last week’s falls, South European HRC prices stabilized close to the €370 a ton ex-works mark. Asking prices from the majority of Italian producers were heard to be around €370 a ton, although some mills were at €375-380 a ton.


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Ford set to Go All-Electric in Europe by 2030– Ford is really taking a very serious approach to its electrification strategy in Europe, announcing that all its passenger vehicles will be all-electric or hybrid by mid-2026. All of its consumer vehicles will be fully electric by 2030, which means Ford will have one of the most aggressive EV roadmaps of any European automaker. On the commercial side, the company plans to have a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or all-electric vehicles in two-thirds of its lineup by 2030.
In view of the process, Ford will invest $1 billion into its assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, allowing it to produce an all-electric model in two years. That’s part of the company’s recently announced $29 billion global investment in electric and autonomous vehicles through 2025. “We are charging into an all-electric future in Europe,” said Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley.
Ford set to Go All-Electric in Europe by 2030
Ford is leading all rivals in commercial sales, but it fell behind Toyota into ninth place in passenger sales in Europe. And while the company is investing in its Cologne plant, it has cut costs considerably elsewhere in Europe, having sold off factories and eliminated more than 10,000 jobs. On the strength of those cuts and commercial sales, Ford returned to a profit in Europe in Q4.
Ford’s commitment to EVs leaves it just five years to retool toward electric and PHEV vehicles. Rival (and commercial partner) Volkswagen, meanwhile, has promised to produce 1.5 million EVs by 2025, while Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to build six all-electric cars within the next couple of years.
All that cost-cutting is apparently in its rear-view mirror, however, and Ford called the Cologne facility investment “the most significant Ford has made in over a generation.” The company will share additional details, hopefully about new vehicles, over the coming months.


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Solar power has become cheaper than coal in some parts of the world. And statistics show that in less than a decade, it will be the lowest-cost option almost anywhere in the globe.
France has just opened what it says is the world's first solar panel road in a Normandy village. The road is a whopping 1km route in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche covered with 2,800sqm of electricity-generating panels.
The solar corona is as hot as 1-3 million degrees, while the surface is a mere 6000°C.
In a tweet published Tuesday, Tesla Motors announced that the Ta'u Island in American Samoa now runs on nearly 100 percent solar energy, thanks to more than 5,300 solar panels and 60 Tesla Powerpacks.
An Arizona startup by the name of Zero Mass Water is focused on building solar-powered water production systems that will gather water vapor from hot air. The said solar panel can generate water for a family of four.
Ikea rolled out their "Solar Shop" where people can buy solar panels. They said they are committed to promoting renewable and sustainable energy.
Scientists are helping to reveal the secret to cheaper, super-efficient solar power by studying a family of crystalline materials called hybrid perovskites.


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Restaurants, cafes and bars can now sign up to the new government initiative aimed at encouraging people to safely return to eating out.
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme offers a 50% reduction, up to a maximum of £10 per person, to all diners who eat in a restaurant or other eligible food establishment throughout August. The discount applies all day, every Monday to Wednesday, between 3 and 31 August 2020. Customers do not need a voucher as participating establishments will automatically apply the discount to their bill.
Businesses can then reclaim the discounted amount through an online service, supported by HMRC. Claims can be made on a weekly basis and will be paid into bank accounts within five working days.
The Eat Out to Help Out registration service went live on 13 July on the government website, allowing businesses to join the scheme announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak in his summer statement. Businesses that register will receive a window sticker to show they are using the scheme and can download other promotional materials from the government website.
Jim Harra, chief executive and first permanent secretary of HMRC, said: "The hospitality industry is among the sectors worst affected by COVID-19. The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme will deliver support to more than 100,000 businesses, including restaurants, cafes and bars serving food and drink, helping to protect 1.8 million jobs across the UK."
Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak said: "HMRC's quick and easy registration page will soon have you on your way to welcoming back your customers with discounted dining on every Monday to Wednesday throughout August, with a simple process to reclaim these discounts back from the government each week."
The scheme can be used by diners who order food and/or drinks for consumption on the premises. Alcohol is excluded from the offer. A searchable restaurant finder tool will be available to the public before the scheme launches on 3 August.
Written by Rachel Miller.


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Dockers is launching an environmentally conscious capsule to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WATER
The fashion industry is one of the largest consumers of water in the world. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the thirsty business of textile production uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, and that’s before you consider the 20 billion cubic meters of water we use every year to wash our clothes. Reducing water usage is critical to creating a more sustainable fashion industry.
That’s why, in 2010, Levi Strauss & Co. developed the WATER
Dockers has long-stood for qualitative, timeless and longlasting apparel, and it is now adopting this production method with the goal of cutting the amount of water used in areas of "high water stress" by 50 percent in the next five years. The first capsule launching today counts its signature Alpha Chinos and a range of premium summer staples including t-shirts, shirts, and hoodies. The Chinos also include an internal trim guide, to encourage wearers to give them a new lease of life as they age by easily cutting them shorts.
This capsule is just one part of a larger environmental initiative on the brand’s agenda. In addition to WATER
Shop the collection now at dockers.com.


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A Sea Change at Coney Island?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
NEW YORK -- The rumors waft along the boardwalk, floating from the lips of gossipy locals, strong as the scent of ketchup and sauerkraut on frankfurters under the scorching Brooklyn sun. Didyahear? The rides may soon be closing. See, the go-karts, they're already gone. What's that you say? They're going to knock down the place and rebuild? Whadayatalk. This can't be the last summer of Coney Island.
No. By most accounts, it is not. But it could be the last summer of Coney Island as we know it.
The birthplace of the roller coaster and the American hot dog is set to fall into the same powerful grip of New York City gentrification that cleaned up Times Square and brought luxury lofts to Hell's Kitchen. Thor Equities, a mall and commercial real estate developer, has amassed much of Coney Island's six-block-long amusement area, with public hearings expected later this summer on a $1.5 billion redesign of the area into an upscale techno theme park with retail space, high-rise timeshare towers and hotels.
True, Coney Island has seen better days. From its glittering start as a pioneer of American amusement -- a turn-of-the-last-century menagerie of racetracks, novelty rides and vice -- the magical sandbar on the edge of Brooklyn has morphed into a shrunken husk of kitsch.
It nevertheless hung on as a bastion of old-time New York shtick and a refuge in this hyper-priced city for families and lovers seeking shoestring laughs. Chuy the Mexican Wolf Man still performs his high-wire act at Sideshow by the Sea. A ride on the storied wood-and-steel Cyclone costs $6. Add a greasy lunch on the boardwalk and you're out just 10 bucks.
Change is already afoot. Landlord disputes and squabbles with the eager developers, who hope to break ground within 18 months, caused the operators of Coney's Island's miniature golf course, boat ride and go-karts to close this year, leaving parts of the area boarded up. More plan to hit the road by summer's end.
Talk now is of luring the likes of Starbucks and T.G.I. Friday's to a district long famous for independent food stalls with hand-painted signs. A modern "Coney Island Park" with a vertical roller coaster and digital hall of mirrors would replace the cheap carny rides and decidedly low-tech game arcades that dot Astroland, Coney Island's largest surviving amusement park.
Supporters of the snazzy redevelopment say the run-down place needs a new look -- "a Coney Island for the 21st century," better suited to New York's evolution into a city that is safer, cleaner and richer than at any point in its modern history. But other New Yorkers are aghast, seeing it as the symbolic last nail in the coffin of the rough-edged fun that once made New York New York.
This city's once-serendipitous streets, they say, have gradually devolved into a bland collection of chain stores, over-conceptualized restaurants and upscale retail spaces that, while larger and higher-priced, increasingly have little else to separate them from similar fare elsewhere in America. They point to redeveloped Times Square, now kid-safe and complete with the world's largest Toys "R" Us, but bereft of urban vibe. They look at SoHo, once an edgy artists district with affordable lofts now fully transformed into multimillion-dollar spaces for Wall Street executives and the stores that love them, including Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Chanel.
The cheap thrills at Coney Island stood apart from the ubiquity.
"It's all a chain of sad events," said Fran Lebowitz, the noted New York denizen and author. "Manhattan has become psychotically expensive, turning Brooklyn, where no one used to go, into the home of the $8 million condo. Now they've set their eyes on Coney Island and we'll lose that, too. . . . What we are losing -- no, have already lost -- is the authenticity of New York."
Not fair, say some on Coney Island, who look to the unabashed wealth elsewhere in the new New York with envy and desire.


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The gender gap: Women-led campaigns on crowdfunding platforms are hitting goals at a rate that’s higher than ventures started by men.
It's not just Zuckerberg, Gates, Jobs and the tech billionaires: a majority of US small-business owners do not have a college degree.
Increasingly, companies are using video to lure talent. But the key to success is showcasing the workplace culture in an authentic way.
Wherever President Trump has higher approval ratings, business owners are more confident about sales and the economy.
Freelance is booming, but many business owners won't hire freelance workers. That may be a costly mistake.
President Trump was elected to redo 'bad' trade deals and get tough on immigration, but it's taxes that matter to many Republican voters.
As Republicans write health-care legislation behind closed doors, business owners have become more hesitant to support the GOP effort.
As digital marketing becomes a key to growth, about half of small businesses still lack a website: CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey.
Business owners are optimistic about revenue increases, but a majority have no current plan to add jobs: CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey.
How confident are business owners? Out of 100, the index came in at 60, with business owners who have more than 50 employees feeling better than those with fewer workers. Males are also more confident than their female counterparts, and those with businesses in finance and insurance are feeling more positive than those in business selling to individual consumers. CNBC's Kate Rogers breaks down the data.


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HOW: Topshop in collaboration with Inition, a 3D agency, has adopted the Oculus Rift augmented reality technology to enable customers to experience Topshop’s fashion show taking place at the Tate Modern Art straight from the windows of the Oxford Circus store. This technology allowed customers not only to experience the runway action up-close like the VIPs in the first row, but also explore the behind-the-scenes activities as well as live tweets flying around during the event.
The 5 lucky competition winners who posted their favourite fashion outlook with hashtag #TopshopGoesVirtual through Twitter and Instagram, have been the first to experience the virtual catwalk. The other fans, had the chance to see the same content on demand in the three days that followed.
WHY: The campaign by Topshop aimed at democratizing the front row experience and getting customers more involved with the world of Topshop.
The reasons I decided to talk about this campaign are:
- REACH: The buzz originated by mentions on social media, headlines on magazines, blog posts on tech and fashion sites as wisely orchestrated by the Marketing and PR of Topshop.
- INNOVATION: I admire the effort and the risk taken by the company to adopt a brand new technology at the service of an extraordinary customer experience. The virtual reality is in fact described as “the ultimate interface to the digital world with the power to transport the user to another place as soon as they put on a special display”.
- INTEGRATION: the integration of the augmented reality with the social media channels, as the natural extension of an ad-hoc communication in a virtual environment
Which are the downsides?
- TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED: The technology required for an event like this is heavy on the pocket, and most of the time it is experimental and hence tends to be anchored to just
- SCALABILITY: The event took place at the Oxford Circus store and was not replicated in other Topshop stores.
- ONE POINT IN TIME: The event was registered, therefore winners did not experience a live show. Moreover, the experience was restricted to a few customers: the five competition winners, and those who queued
during the following 3 days.
- PR: The entire campaign is not more than a well orchestrated PR story, if just a few customers have the chance to be part of it.
An experience that can be enjoyed by a few cannot be categorised as democratic. It was more about creating brand awareness than offering an unique experience for all customers.I would opt for a less innovative technology that can offer a great experience to all customers interested in being part of it. A technology like live streaming that can allow a multitude of people, comfortably seated home, to enjoy the live event.


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In an unexpected turn, Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, could hit the market with a more affordable price tag than their predecessors. This potential price reduction is attributed to a new manufacturing process for the phone’s bezels.
According to a report by The Elec, sourced via Phandroid, Samsung Display is contemplating the adoption of inkjet printing for creating the bezels on its future foldable phones. This method would replace the current ‘micro dry process decoration’ (MDD) used in crafting the bezels on foldable OLED panels. While this change is not expected to impact the display’s quality or the bezel size, it could lead to significant production cost savings.
The potential cost savings from this new manufacturing technique raise the possibility of Samsung passing on the benefits to consumers in the form of lower retail prices. This move could be strategic for Samsung, aimed at making its foldable phones more accessible and propelling them into mainstream adoption.
Pricing Context and Market Impact
For context, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, one of the company’s most expensive handsets, starts at a steep price point of $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599. Even the more affordably positioned Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 starts at $999.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,649. Any reduction in these price points would likely be welcomed by potential buyers and could significantly impact the market dynamics of foldable smartphones.
In addition to the anticipated Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6, Samsung is reportedly considering launching a mid-range foldable model, the Galaxy Z Fold FE, later this year. If Samsung opts for the inkjet printing method for bezels, this model could also benefit from the resulting cost savings, offering a more budget-friendly foldable phone option.
Anticipating Samsung’s Foldable Future
While new foldable phones from Samsung are not expected until at least late July, the prospect of more affordable pricing could generate considerable consumer interest and anticipation. This potential price reduction strategy, if realized, could mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of foldable technology, making it more accessible and possibly reshaping the smartphone market landscape.


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2015 aims to be the smartwatch year. Almost any brand that wants to have something to say in that market that starts now will propose its device (or several) and will begin the race, which will be in the background but in which the first sprint is key. Samsung, Apple, Sony, Motorola, LG, Huawei…
Write SMS, compose emails, enter an address in the browser: with a mobile phone with QWERTY keyboard, text typing going fast by hand. We will show you the best mobile tipsters–the ten fingers is guaranteed for all ‘ what where.
Conclusion: The fin is larger, sharper and faster than ever before. A great display, a strong camera and the powerful battery in favour of the northern lights. Biggest drawback is the high price. Microsoft responded with the latest stage of Windows phone 8 at the request of many fans: the new OS supports now oversized display with […]
In the United States, T-Mobile presented the first Google phone: G1. Say, what it offers, how to use the Android interface, if the G1 is a mobile hit and when it comes to Germany.
Out there was christened as HTC Titan.Here it is the HTC Ultimate , which in a free translation would mean “the definitive”, “the best”.Too much arrogance of the Brazilian branch?We will see: Well, choosing a new name should explain something.Perhaps it represents the effort of this Taiwanese company to face – and beat – its […]
Samsung has a new flagship, Galaxy S5, presented on Monday (24) during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. But the Korean company was not all: She also showed their new watches Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit. It is with them that Samsung wants to win the dispute of a market that has […]
After it was already known that the new smartphone flagship Galaxy S5 of the South Korean manufacturer Samsung in April 2014 to come on the market, follow more details by an insider. So, the online magazine SamMobile reported by the final selling prices and at least two different versions of the Galaxy S5. In addition […]
Galaxy S4 Zoom features 4.3 inch screen with 16 camera megapixels and 10 x optical zoom; Product not yet is expected to hit stores Samsung announced on Wednesday (12) a new version of S4 Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy line, which looks more like a device half smartphone, half digital camera. The product, which does not […]
In mid-2014, Samsung announced its entry into the premium headphone market with the launch of the Level line, featuring Level Over, On and Box devices. With great quality and some interesting features, the handsets were well received even with Its relatively salty price, which led the Korean manufacturer to develop a few additions to the […]
The spring of 2016 provides new smartphone top models for all lovers of mobile communication. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are already available, Apple is presenting its new products tonight. There are also more and more details about the new HTC top model. Leak expert Evan Blass has released Twitter’s exciting news about the battery capacity and the display of the new […]


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LONDON (ICIS)--Evonik has decided to retain its specialty monomers division following the anticipated divestment of its methyl methacrylate (MMA) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) business units, according to a letter to customers seen by ICIS on Tuesday.
The company announced in March this year that it is considering spinning off the divisions, with any potential sale potentially fetching a price tag of €1.8bn, according to market analysts.
The specialty monomers division had been expected to be part of the carve-out.
"Evonik's experience has shown that its specialty methacrylates and its oil additives businesses complement each other,” said the producer.
“The group [with branded name] Visiomer specialty monomers from the Application Monomers product line will be integrated into the Evonik Resource Efficiency segment."
Evonik's delivery obligations remain in place, it told its customers.
Pictured: Evonik's MMA plant in


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What’s The Trend:
Also known as the peer economy, the sharing economy trend points to a rise in collaborative consumption. People can provide a service or rent out a product they own and are not using through new companies that facilitate peer-to-peer transactions.
In this new economy, the traditional model of ownership is changing. The exchange of goods and services has been revolutionized, and people no longer have to own physical objects to have access to them. Collaborative consumption is a technology-driven change that has become a phenomenon through the increased use of mobile phones and social media.(8)
Companies typically have a rating/review system to ensure both parties in the transaction are trustworthy. Airbnb is perhaps the poster child for the sharing economy. Through this site, travelers can rent rooms or entire homes when visiting a new city which can prove cheaper than hotels, easier for groups and provide an experience tailored to the specific city. Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb states that the rise of the sharing economy allows anyone to become a micro-entrepreneur. He sees this economy creating village-like networks in cities, while bringing about a change in the way people trust and interact with their neighbors.(9)
Services in various sectors abound. DogVacay is a means for finding a dog babysitter at costs cheaper than a kennel. Getaround is a company that people can leave their car with when they’re out of town. Getaround cleans it, maintains it and rents it out while the owner is away. This company is covered by a $1 million insurance policy. Lyft, another service based around cars, creates a peer-to-peer ridesharing system. It’s like a taxi service but the driver is only able to take donations.(10)
This phenomenon has also been praised as an environmentally sustainable business model as it promotes more efficient use of resources.(11)
Why It Matters:
A resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in June 2013 stated that in the sharing economy, “companies have proved to be engines of innovation and job creation, driving economic development in the hearts of American cities, where joblessness is still most pervasive.”(12) As the sharing economy continues to move into the mainstream and demand government recognition, opportunities for Hispanics emerge.
For one, Hispanics (like the general population) may benefit from the employment opportunities created as new services start up as well as from access to the services offered. Additionally, the sharing economy is also fueled by technology, mobile phones and social media. Hispanics, being highly active social media users, are likely to participate and benefit from the sharing economy model. Opportunities exist to create Spanish-language peer-to-peer transactional services that open the door for the greater Hispanic population to actively engage.
8. MCT Information Services. (2013, August). “’Sharing Economy’ Takes Step Toward Mainstream.” Hispanic Business. http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/8/9/sharing_economy_takes_steps_toward_mainstream.htm.
9. Friedman, Uri. (2014, June). “Airbnb CEO: Cities Are Becoming Villages.” The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/airbnb-ceo-cities-are-becoming-villages/373676/#show-last-Point.
11. MCT Information Services. (2013, August). “’Sharing Economy’ Takes Step Toward Mainstream.” Hispanic Business. http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/8/9/sharing_economy_takes_steps_toward_mainstream.htm.
12. MCT Information Services. (2013, August). “’Sharing Economy’ Takes Step Toward Mainstream.” Hispanic Business. http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/8/9/sharing_economy_takes_steps_toward_mainstrea


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The tightly contested multi-agency pitch for the Rs 200-crore business involved Madison, Dentsu Aegis and Omnicom
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | September 19, 2016
Publicis Media’s Zenith has retained the mainline media planning and buying mandate of Micromax Informatics, one of India’s largest smartphone makers. According to industry sources, the multi-agency pitch which was initiated a few months back involved leading media agencies Madison, Dentsu Aegis and Omnicom.
The account size is estimated to be around a whopping Rs 200 crore.
At the same time, Isobar India, the full-service digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has bagged the digital mandate of Micromax Informatics. Isobar won the account following a multi-agency pitch.
Shubhojit Sen, CMO, Micromax Informatics, said, "We are delighted that post the pitch process we have two of the most competitive agencies on board with Micromax. While Isobar will lead our digital mandate and we are impressed with their team of young, intuitive professionals bringing in a fresh perspective, Zenith will continue to be our agency to manage traditional media. We would want to place on record our appreciation for Interactive Avenues and their team for helping build Micromax brand with some real great work.”
Tanmay Mohanty, Group CEO, Zenith, expressed his delight on retaining the Micromax business. He said, “We share a wonderful working relationship with Micromax. The client was impressed with our fresh approach on the Micromax brand, and the innovative thinking and rich consumer insights that we bring to the table. Going forward, we will continue to put in the best of our resources of people, tools and processes behind the Micromax brand.”
Zenith handles a roster of plum businesses in India including Nestle India, LVMH, Singapore Airlines, Toyota, Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) and TrueCaller.
Shamsuddin Jasani, Managing Director, Isobar India, said, “Micromax is one of the leading brands in its category and a brand which is always innovating and coming up with a lot of firsts. We are very happy to have won their digital full-service mandate. We look forward to innovating together and driving the brand forward in digital.”
Gopa Kumar, Vice-President, Isobar India, added, “We are extremely glad with this new partnership with Micromax. The brand shares the same passion as us, when it comes to innovation and disruption. It’s going to be really exciting working with one of the top brands of the country.”
Micromax Informatics is the second largest smartphone company in India, and the 10th largest mobile phone player in the world. Over the past decade, Micromax has pioneered the democratisation of technology in India – by offering affordable innovations through their product offerings and removing barriers for large scale adoption of advanced technologies.


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News tagged ‘смартфон’
Apple on Monday announced that the sales of its 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in the opening weekend topped ten million units. That is a new record for the guys from Cupertino. Apple managed to break the last year’s record of nine million iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c units sold during the first three days. What an impressive result!
Immediately after the start of sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in several countries, first drop and crash tests began to appear on the Internet. The bad news is that both handsets are not doing well in these ultimate durability tests. While they somehow manage to remain intact when dropped on the side and back, they have no chances when dropped on the face. The smaller iPhone seems to demonstrate slightly better results, but in general, both handsets can’t be called the strongest devices on the market. Take a look at the video and you will understand what I mean.
It is Sunday today, so it's time for me to tell you about the most interesting posts of the past seven days. Let's take a look at them.
Long before the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus release, a rumor appeared on the Internet that suggested that these devices will be equipped by a processor manufactured by a firm called Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). According to the latest report from Chipworks, the dual-core 64-bit Apple A8 processor is indeed manufactured by TSMC.
Several days after the official release of Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6, iFixit experts have performed its teardown, which revealed that the handset is indeed equipped with the next-generation 64-bit A8 processor and M8 motion coprocessor, 1334x750 pixels display with pixel density of 326ppi, 8-megapixel rear and 1.2-megapixel front camera, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 as well as with NFC and LTE chips.
Fixit team has recently performed a scrupulous teardown of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. According to the video of the teardown and the images showing the fully-disassembled larger iPhone 6, the guys from Cupertino equipped the handset with a dual-core 64-bit A8 processor, M8 motion coprocessor, 1GB of RAM, 1920x1080 pixels display with pixel density of 401ppi, 8-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, 1.2-megapixel front camera as well as with a wide number of sensors, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and LTE chips.
Although both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus haven’t yet hit the store shelves, a Korean website UNDERkg somehow managed to get two smartphones and post two hands-on videos to YouTube. They are available below, so you may take a look and say what do you think about Apple’s recently released iPhones. But before doing this, let’s talk about the handsets shown in the clips.
On Wednesday, September 17th Apple is expected to release iOS 8. This means that there only several hours left for those who need to restore their jailbroken iPhones to iOS 7.1.2 without losing jailbreak. After iOS 8 is released, the guys from Cupertino will no longer be signing iOS 7.1.2. In this case, if a user tries to restore the device using iTunes, he will be forced to update to iOS 8.
According to the reports from several different sources, Apple has begun shipping the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units to customers. People who ordered one of the new handsets claim that the shipping estimates point to the arrival of the long-anticipated gadgets on September 19th. As you probably know, this is the date, when the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch smartphones are expected to hit the store shelves.
Following the announcement of 4 million iPhone 6 units sold in the first 24 hours, Apple has just announced that both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will become available in 22 more countries beginning Friday, September 26th. These countries include the Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. In case you don't know, this Friday, on September 19th, both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch handsets will become available in such countries as the USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.
According to the latest reports from reliable sources, the guys from Cupertino have sold out all the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 models they had. Shipping estimates for each iPhone 6 model have slipped to 7-10 business days, which means that currently there's nothing left and those who plan to purchase the next-generation iPhone have to wait.
According to what the CEO of mobile banking startup called Moven writes, the introduction of Apple's payment service could possibly mean the end of plastic bank cards in the next two or three years. And I must admit that it is a massive step forward as Apple Pay and other systems based on NFC or similar technologies are way more reliable and secure than the existing physical cards, which can be lost, stolen, damaged and in any other way made unusable. Apart from that, they can be hacked by cyber criminals.
It is Sunday today and that means it is time for our traditional post called Top 10 Stories of the Week. Let's not waste time and start discussing the most interesting articles of the past seven days right now.
Samsung has recently posted a new ad mocking the recently released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. In the short video, which is available below, Samsung claims the guys from Cupertino copied the large displays of South-Korean smartphones and their overall design. Aside from mocking Apple's handsets, the ad shows us the next-generation Galaxy Note. I must admit that both smartphones, the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy Note 4, look very similar in terms of size and shape.
Earlier today, AT&T announced that the amount of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders had set a new record. In fact, the number of people willing to purchase Apple's next-generation handsets was so enormous that it even caused some problems to the webpage, where one could pre-order the iPhone, forcing the company to switch to the reservation system to cope with the load. However, the exact amount of those, who decided to buy the next-gen iPhone is still unknown.


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Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia unveiled Wednesday its new virtual-reality camera for professional filmmakers and content creators.
"We're thrilled to introduce OZO to the content creation world, and to define a completely new category of virtual reality capture and playback solutions," Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies, said in a statement.
The ball-shaped gadget captures 3D footage for content creation for devices such as the increasinly popular headsets that let users immerse themselves in virtual games.
Nokia was the world's top mobile phone maker between 1998 and 2011 but, after failing to respond to the rapid rise of smartphones, the Finnish company sold its handset unit to Microsoft in 2014.
Since then the company has concentrated on its network infrastructure business.


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Mortal Kombat 11 Roster Adds Jax, Liu Kang, And Kung Lao As Playable Characters
Check ya self before ya wreck ya self.
Upcoming fight game Mortal Kombat 11 capped off Sony's first-ever State of Play livestream earlier this week. The Nintendo Direct-style broadcast ran for about 20 minutes and brought a mixture of news and trailers, with a new look at MK11 closing things out. While characters are often revealed one by one, this event brought confirmation of three more playable characters joining Mortal Kombat 11's roster: Jax, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao.
We had previously seen both Liu Kang and Kung Lao in previous videos from the game, but that didn't necessarily mean they would be playable; they could just show up in cinematics. But fans of the two two needn't worry, as both will be in the base roster along with another long-time MK fighter, Jax. There wasn't much in the way of gameplay to show off what these three can do, though we did get a glimpse of Jackson "Jax" Briggs in action. In the new trailer, Jacqui Briggs is perplexed at the sight of seeing her dad...twice. Shortly afterward you can see a bit of Jax fighting himself in game.
The video for NetherRealm Studio's upcoming fighting game revealed some new story elements, like young Johnny Cage of the past rustling the old Johnny Cage of the present. It leaned heavily into the time travel elements that had been teased in previous trailers and announcements and showed off more of its goofy moments. The trailer, titled Old Skool Vs. New Skool, is a perfect showcase of what series creator Ed Boon has been talking about in terms of characters fighting against or teaming up with their past selves in an all-out wacky plotline. It's also fitting that the trailer featured music from both rappers Ice Cube and Vince Staples. You can check it out in the video above.
We've been covering the lead up to Mortal Kombat 11's April 23 release date; be sure to read up on why you should be excited for the single-player campaign. Recently, NetherRealm also revealed Noob Saibot as a playable character in the latest Kombat Kast livestream, and it's been announced that Shang Tsung will be the first DLC character. In Tsung's case, he'll be played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa--the actor who portrayed him in the original Mortal Kombat movie. Tagawa will also serve as a narrator in the game's Vault.
Xbox One May 2019 Update Out Now - GS News Update Top New Game Releases On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week -- May 19-25 2019 Microsoft and Sony Announce Partnership for Gaming and Cloud Services - GS News Update Nintendo, Microsoft, And More: E3 2019 Press Conference Schedule - GS News Update Red Dead Redemption 2 Online Beta Ends, Gets Full Launch - GS News Update Fortnite Week 2: Visit An Oversized Phone, Big Piano, And Giant Dancing Fishy Trophy Capcom Talks Next-Gen Consoles And Games - GS News Update Minecraft Earth Mobile Game Revealed - GS News Update Fortnite Update 9.1 Adds Tactical Assault Rifle, But Vaults Combat SMG - GS News Update Fortnite John Wick's Bounty Crossover LTM Is Here - GS News Update Nintendo Switch Has Sold More Than PS4 In Japan - GS News Update Ubisoft Has More AAA Games Coming Soon, But Not Skull & Bones - GS News Update
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CalExotics and JOPEN have been nominated for an incredible 10 Storerotica Awards. The Storerotica Awards celebrate the best in erotic retail, and honor the hard work and dedication of adult product manufacturers, distributors, key industry executives and retailers. During these unprecedented times, the 2020 Storerotica Awards will be announced online and in the December issue of SE Magazine.
“2020 has been a particularly challenging year, so I am truly grateful to be nominated for these awards,” says Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of CalExotics and JOPEN. “My team is dedicated, hardworking and determined to succeed, and these nominations are a testament that all of our hard work is being recognized.”
In addition to the brands and products CalExotics resident sexologist Dr. Jill McDevitt is nominated for Brand Ambassador of the year. “I was over the moon when I heard about my nomination for Brand Ambassador of the Year. It is an absolute joy to be part of the CalExotics team and I’m proud to represent this brand and its mission to bring pleasure to all people.”
The nominations for CalExotics and JOPEN include:
Pleasure Product Company of the Year- CalExotics
Executive of the Year-Susan Colvin, Founder and CEO of CalExotics
Marketing Campaign of the Year– California Dreaming by CalExotics
New Product of the Year– French Kiss Casanova by CalExotics
BDSM Product/Range of the Year– Scandal by CalExotics
Luxury Product/Range of the Year– Shameless by CalExotics
Retailer’s Brand Favorite of the Year- CalExotics
Product Packaging of the Year- Hidden Pleasures by CalExoitcs
Product Packaging of the Year- JOPEN
Brand Ambassador of the Year-Dr. Jill McDevitt, Resident Sexologist for CalExotics
Voting for the 2020 Storerotica Awards is now open. Industry members can cast their votes at StoreroticaAwards.com. Voting ends October 15th, 2020. “Please cast your votes today for CalExotics and JOPEN!” adds Colvin.
To learn more about CalExotics and Jopen, visit b2b.calexotics.com and connect with them both on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for exciting news and updates.


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Tuesday, 8 Jul 2014
20 robbers have taken off with 40,000 Samsung products in Brazil.
LG Singapore just announced that it will be launching the G Watch on July 26. At time of publication, it is the first smartwatch running on Android Wear to be launched here. Hit the link to find out more.
The Transportation Security Administration of the United States have passed new rules that disallows passengers from carrying aboard uncharged electronic devices.
One of the most unlikely Kickstarter campaigns has turned into a huge success story as thousands of people back Zack 'Danger' Brown in his goal to make potato salad. While his initial funding goal was set at a modest $10, Brown has now racked up US$29,384 in funding with 25 days left to go.
Android Wear is still pretty new, but a rather prominent issue has already surfaced — a bug in Google's app encryption prevents paid apps from being installed on Android Wear devices.
Monday, 7 Jul 2014
It has just been revealed that Apple has successfully poached Tag Heuer's Vice-President Global Sales and Retail, Patrick Pruniaux, ahead of its highly anticipated iWatch launch.
Wednesday, 2 Jul 2014
HP has announced the expansion of its HP Advisory Services consulting suite today, which is designed to help businesses and governments in Asia Pacific and Japan transition towards what HP is calling the "New Style of IT."
Tuesday, 1 Jul 2014
The Reading Rainbow Kickstarter campaign is now the most-backed campaign ever. It aims to bring Reading Rainbow to as many children as possible, and encourage them to start reading. It has even managed to get the other top four Kickstarter campaigns (Pebble, OUYA, Pono and Veronica Mars) to help with its mission.
Monday, 30 Jun 2014
The Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences published a report earlier this month that Facebook conducted psychological experiments on 600,000 users without their knowledge in January 2012.
Friday, 27 Jun 2014
Sony neckband-style, Bluetooth wireless headset, the SBH80, has arrived in stores. Sporting balanced armature drivers and aptX codec support, this lightweight headset can also alert you of your smartphone's notifications through discreet vibrations.


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Sony Ericsson is a company that has been setting standards over the globe for a long time now. Their handsets are made specially with coordination to the current market and concern of customers. Today we shall take a look onto its latest inventions called the Sony Xperia S. In this article of Xperia S review [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Xperia S’
Over a successful release of Sony Ericsson phones for several years, Sony have finally decided to split up and manufacture mobile phones with just carrying the Sony name without the Ericsson. Sony have finally launched a flagship device the Sony Xperia S breaking several mobile chats and entering to become of the top 5 most [...]
Three network are enchanted to announce the release of the newest handset from Sony which is named as Sony Xperia S. It is brilliantly designed in a unique and stylish design to easily slip in your pockets.


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Apple blocks Java on Macs due to vulnerabilities (Update)
Some Mac users were taken by surprise Thursday as their computers stopped running programs written using the Java programming language after Apple blocked Java due to security problems.
Java allows programmers to write a wide variety of Internet applications and other software programs and run them on most computers, including Apple Inc.'s Mac. However, earlier this month the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommended disabling Java in Web browsers to avoid potential hacking attacks. Oracle Corp., which owns Java, has issued updates that fix known vulnerabilities, but the DHS expects that there are more flaws in Java's coding.
Apple sends out virtual "blacklists" to Internet-connected Macs, instructing them not to run certain programs. Apple is blocking the latest version of Java from running on the most recent versions of its Mac operating system, and blocking an older version, Java 6, from running on the older version of its Mac system, called Snow Leopard. The blocks affect programs and online games that use Java in Web browsers.
Oracle had no immediate comment on Apple's action.
Among those Java users inconvenienced by the unannounced block was the photo department of The Associated Press, which relies on a Java application to manage and distribute photos.
"The situation caught us by surprise and a number of our machines could not operate for a time, but we had enough capability to work around the problem in the meantime," said AP spokesman Paul Colford. "We expect the affected machines to be operating by day's end."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Lamborghini has announced a strong 2012 sales year, increasing worldwide deliveries from 1,602 units in 2011 to 2,083 units last year and will celebrate by expanding its motorsport program. Continue Reading...
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This Nordic venture could well end up disrupting not just the business software industry but the banking industry
Tradeshift’s aim is to put an end to paper-based invoicing and payment chasing. Since it was launched two years
ago, more than 150,000 organisations in 190 countries have signed up to it – including the National Health
Service in the UK.
One of the most potentially disruptive startups of the last ten years.
With QuickBooks users being able to use Tradeshift for invoicing, the chances are they will naturally encourage
others that they invoice to move over to Tradeshift. This really is a significant leap in potential user count
for the company.
Tradeshift, the company that turns invoicing between businesses into an online activity across a ‘social
network’-style platform, is set to announce some big hires today, part of a recruitment drive that has seen it
take on almost 50 people in that past two months.
Grandioso! Te contactaremos pronto.
Nos pondremos en contacto contigo para concertar una cita.


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The government has set a long-term target to eliminate avoidable plastic waste, pledging to intervene at ‘every stage’ of the plastic lifecycle.
The government’s announcement was revealed as part of its landmark 25 Year Environment Plan, which sets out a long-term green vision for the UK to 2042.
Launching the plan on 11 January, Theresa May said: “In years to come, I think people will be shocked at how today we allow so much plastic to be produced needlessly.
“We must reduce the demand for plastic, reduce the number of plastics in circulation and improve our recycling rates.”
One of the headline goals is a new target to achieve “zero avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042”, which will be achieved through a four point plan:
• Production: Encourage producers to take more responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products and rationalise the number of different types of plastics in use by: rationalising packaging formats; reforming and extending Producer Responsibility systems to include plastics not currently covered by existing schemes; exploring bans and charges on particularly problematic materials; and boosting investment in plastics innovation.
• Consumption: Cut the amount of plastic in circulation through reducing demand for single-use plastics by: banning single-use plastics in government estates; extending the 5p plastic bag levy to all retailers; supporting the rollout of water bottle refill points in public places; and working with retailers to introduce plastic-free supermarket aisles.
• End-of-use: Make it easier for people to recycle by: continuing to support the industry-led on-pack recycling labelling system; implementing voluntary and regulatory interventions to cut the amount of commonly littered items and improve recycling and packaging reuse.
• Waste management: Improve the rate of recycling by: working with industry and local authorities to ensure that a consistent set of materials are collected by all local authorities; working with the waste management industry to increase the proportion of plastic packaging that is collected and recycled; working with research councils to develop a standard for biodegradable plastic bags.
To kick-start action, waste charity WRAP will be leading the development of a new cross-sector initiative on plastic packaging that will aim to bring together businesses, governments, local authorities, NGOs and society at large.
The initiative is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global New Plastics Economy and will officially launch in spring 2018.
Meanwhile, Iceland has announced it will eliminate plastic packaging from all its own brand products by 2023, while McDonald’s, Tesco and major food manufacturer Cranswick plc have announced that 100 per cent of their packaging will come from recyclable, recycled or renewable sources by 2025.