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The 30-year-old skipper spent some quality time with his wife Anushka Sharma after India's spectacular victory against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Kohli took to social media to share a picture with the actress, pointing at a 'Mr and Mrs' sign.
While Sharma kept it simple and classy in a off-white midi dress, Kohli opted for a casual attire in grey shorts and stripy black, loose T-shirt. The couple was twinning in white sneakers.
Kohli and his team will now compete against Sri Lanka on Saturday for the match at Headingley in Leeds.
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Nirma will acquire 75% of Glenmark Life Sciences (GLS) in a deal valued at ₹5,651.5 crore, or ₹615 per share.Apple Bites Big, Turns Largest Smartphone Exporter from India
Apple has for the first time outpaced Samsung on smartphone export volumes from India, shipping 49% of the country’s total 12 million shipments in the June quarter compared to its Korean rival's 45%.China no More the Main Character in India TV Picture
The Chinese brands in the Indian television segment are losing market share for the first time, mirroring the trend in the smartphone space.
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The Act requires new drugs to be shown safe before marketing, starting a new system of drug regulation.
Drug manufacturers are required to prove to FDA the effectiveness of their products before marketing them.
Review is created to enhance the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate labeling of drugs sold without prescriptions
Dietary supplements are now considered a food; they no longer have to meet the rigorous drug safety and efficacy requirements of the FD&C Act
Manufacturers are required to report to the FDA any serious adverse effects linked to their dietary supplement.
Manufacturers of dietary supplements are required to test the safety and efficacy of their product before it hits the market.
The FDA receives its first, but certainly not last, report of a death linked to a dietary supplement containing ephedra.
After 150 reported deaths and 800 reported serious adverse effects, the FDA finally gathers sufficient evidence to prove that it presented an unreasonable health risk

domain: news


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Starbucks to Install Wireless Charging Stations in Stores Nationwide
The coffee giant will roll out new wireless charging stations nationwide, beginning with its Bay Area stores. The "Powermat Spots" are a joint venture between Duracell and Powermat Technologies.
What's the Latest?
Will customers buy more lattes if their smartphone batteries never run dry? Starbucks is about to find out with the launch of a new initiative installing wireless charging stations in stores nationwide. The devices are called "Powermat Spots," manufactured in a joint venture by Duracell (of AA batteries fame) and Powermat Technologies. Ran Poliakane, the chief executive of Powermat, says that every smartphone and tablet on the market today will be compatible with the charging stations.
What's the Big Idea?
Although Poliakane's claims aren't necessarily untrue, most current devices will require a plug-in accessory to work with the stations. This is because the technology by which the Powermat Spots charge devices isn't yet prevalent in current phones and tablets. Installing their charging stations in omnipresent coffee shops seems to be a fairly effective way for Powermat to encourage tech developers to adopt the technology. Sadly for all the amateur screenwriters hogging tables at the local Starbucks, laptop charging is not yet available (though Poliakane promises the capability is forthcoming).
Read more at The Chicago Tribune
Photo credit: Deymos Photo / Shutterstock.com
Dozens of mummified cats were dug up this week. This isn't as shocking as you might think.
- Archaeologists in Egypt have found dozens of mummified cats in the tomb of a royal offical.
- The cats will join the ranks of hundreds of thousands of previously discovered ancient kitties.
- While the cats are nothing special, the tomb also held well preserved beetles.
They're at a higher risk for depression, weekend binge drinking, and unnecessary dieting.
- Body dysmorphia is not limited to women, a new study from Norway and Cambridge shows.
- Young men that focus on building muscle are at risk for a host of mental and physical health problems.
- Selfie culture is not helping the growing number of teens that are anxious and depressed.
Detailed (and beautiful) information on 57 million crop fields across the U.S. and Europe are now available online.
- Using satellite images and artificial intelligence, OneSoil wants to make 'precision farming' available to the world.
- The start-up from Belarus has already processed the U.S. and Europe, and aims for global coverage by 2020.
- The map is practical, and more — browse 'Random Beautiful Fields' at the touch of a button.
SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by The Big Think, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Interestingly, even what you think is a big and formidable streaming platform like Netflix also needs to come up with fresh ideas to keep revenue coming in. Such as what it is planning to do, according to reports.
According to a recent story on the Wall Street Journal, Netflix is in talks about streaming a match featuring boxer and influencer Jake Paul, as well as a match between boxers from Premier Boxing Champions, which is a show currently running on Paramount’s Showtime.
The report added that these discussions are still in the early stages of consideration, and Netflix has not yet officially confirmed these.
While other streaming platforms like Amazon’s and YouTube have gravitated toward streaming live sports, Netflix is not keen on making its move in this regard.
According to Mirror, citing Paul, one of his matches, which was against Nate Diaz, sold 500,000 pay-per-views in the United States. So, if Netflix will venture on this, it will hugely contribute to its profits, even if it does not commit to a full season of boxing. Plus, it could also help it promote its documentary about Paul, “Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child,” which launched earlier this year.
This news came after reports last month that Showtime Sports is closing at the end of this year after a whopping 37 years, creating a potential void in the marketplace. In 2018, some of you may remember that HBO also discontinued its boxing programming.
Netflix had been jabbing with the idea of live sports for years, but the plans had not really come into fruition.
“We’ve not seen a profit path to renting big sports,” Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos said last December 2022. “We’re not anti-sports, we’re just pro-profit.”
But, everything is about to change soon when it streams a live golf tournament, “The Netflix Cup,” this November 14th.
Paul’s next bout is scheduled for December. There is no official news yet about his opponent, but there are rumors saying it could be a rematch against Tommy Fury; a grudge match versus his fellow YouTuber, KSI; or an octagon battle versus Diaz.


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In February this year the Government launched the Joint Fraud Taskforce, a partnership of government, law enforcement and the banks to collectively tackle fraud. The Taskforce is looking at new ways to ensure individuals have the tools and knowledge to protect themselves from fraudsters. A Joint Fraud Taskforce partner, Financial Fraud Action UK, recently launched a nation-wide fraud prevention campaign ‘Take 5’ which advises that individuals take five minutes to consider what they are being asked to do, especially if being pressured to take an unusual course of action such as transferring funds to an unknown individual.
The Government’s Cyber Aware campaign aims to help small business and individuals protect themselves from cyber criminals by adopting simple secure online behaviours such as having a strong password and always downloading the latest software updates. Cyber Aware works with a range of public and private sector partners to embed cyber security advice into a range of every day touch points, including Get Safe Online, whose remit is to help individuals and small businesses safeguard themselves against fraud and other online data threats.
The Home Office has also invested in new IT for the Action Fraud / National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) capability. Benefits of the new system will include an improved reporting system and better information for victims as well as more disseminations of crime packages to forces, and better identification of vulnerable victims.


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Smart sock for baby monitoring in funding campaign
(Phys.org) —Owlet Baby Monitors, a Salt Lake City business, is self-raising funds for its product, Owlet Vitals Monitor, a "smart" sock on the baby that can monitor vital signs and can send the information direct to a smartphone or other mobile device. The monitor relays such information as heart rate, oxygen levels, sleep position and sleep quality and can give you that data realtime on the phone. The company's goal is $100,000 and it hopes to be able to start shipping in November. It is no secret that information technology is to advance beyond the confines of screen and keyboard, and all eyes are on the future of wearables and the applications these wearables will support. In medicine and general health, it is a no-brainer to imagine the possibilities of wearables providing monitoring information for preventive health, from athletes wearing watches and wristbands to monitor performance to wearables for babies so that parents have peace of mind.
Owlet Baby Monitors' device belongs in the latter category and was designed to be tucked into a baby bootie. As the baby sleeps, the smart sock collects the data and sends it via Bluetooth 4.0 to the parent's smartphone. Data is pushed to the cloud and available for viewing on any device with an Internet connection.
The device has a four-sensor pulse oximeter, which checks oxygen saturation levels in the blood via a built-in light and accelerometer to measure acceleration forces. For babies, a lot of issues could block their air, from blankets on their mouth to movement, according to the device creators. The oximeter technique emits LED light. Owlet's accelerometer tracks the baby's movements, providing insight for patents about rollovers and sleep quality. By alerting parents when their child starts to roll over, parents can assess their child's ability to roll back and preempt potential problems. (Parents generally worry about a baby sleeping on the stomach for a long period and how that may put the baby at risk for suffocating.).
The Owlet team said the pulse oximeter is guaranteed under warranty for one year. The monitor will continue to work as long as it fits the child's foot, and it was beta tested on infants up to two years old. As for waves and frequency, the team said they are 915Hz or 2.4 GHz. The Owlet Monitor will not receive interference from home alarms, phones or other electronics. The final touches, programming and sock design are finished; the electronics is fully functional and ready to be mass-produced.
The company is pricing the monitor at $199 but early-bird units are $159. They noted the monitor can work with an iPhone app and an Android version will be done by the time the product is ready to be shipped. The same apps will be available for tablets as well. According to CNET, the monitor works alongside an iPhone app but it is currently going through Apple's approval process.
Another key event for the company would be FDA clearance for a monitor that could qualify as a medical device. The company makes it clear that the product being readied for September is not a medical device, only purposed as a monitor for the parent's peace of mind. As such, the device does not need FDA clearance. Another version that the company has in mind would require clearance. That other version has an alarm system that would alert parents if the baby's oxygen levels or heart rate reached danger points. The company hopes to apply a portion of the crowdfunding proceeds to support the clearance-seeking process. The team anticipates FDA clearance by 2015.
© 2013 Phys.org


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The BMW M Power Experience featuring the F10 M5 is coming to Spain from October 17 – November 11. The two day event will feature fine hospitality, dining, and of course some track time with the 2012 M5. Registrations are now open for the experience.
The cost for the experience is 1,390 euro per participant (890 euro for accompanying person not participating in driving). This includes hotel (one night), catering, transfers between hotel, racetrack and airport. Does NOT include travel to Sevilla airport/hotel from your country.… CONTINUED
We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage so far of the massive BMW exhibit at the 2011 Frankfurt IAA. And now you can also view the entire BMW press conference from the event. Inside is an English translated video of the kickoff press conference. You can really see how the full circle track in the BMW hall added a unique element to the presentation.
The 2011 Frankfurt IAA represents the F10 M5′s general public reveal and BMW has strutted out not just the typical Monte Carlo Blue launch color, but also in Moonstone (Individual color), and Alpine White. It felt like ///M heaven walking into the M area.
There was also a Monte Carlo Blue M5 being used to drive around the BMW track in the exhibit hall, as well as the F10 M5 Safety Car.
The Alpine White M5 was paired with a gorgeous Sakhir Orange interior with black piano trim, … CONTINUED
Well, this looks like fun. We’ve reported about the six lucky guys who were invited to the F10 M5 Fly and Drive event earlier this month (one of them was 5POST member benz61). M-Power.com has just published a new video starring the new M5, Claudia Huertgen, a German race car driver, and some happy passengers. This video includes some nice drifts and thus obviously doesn’t reflect the fastest possible time for the car.
Enjoy the new M5 during a fun lap on the Nurburgring. Also remember that … CONTINUED
We’ve posted the best sound/video clip and photos yet of the F10 M5 safety car, showing off its M5 Akrapovic exhaust standing still and at launch. Videos and photos are courtesy of 5POST member Bmill, who was one of the lucky VIP in attendance at the BMW M Experience at the Indy MotoGP this past weekend.
Earlier this month, M-Power.com invited six lucky customers from all-over the world to the Ring and let them experience and drive the new BMW M5 (see the video and our thread HERE). One of them was Benjamin Goh from Singapore. Judging from his enthusiastic comments in said video, there was little doubt that Benjamin was a true car enthusiast. M-Power.com visited him in Singapore and chronicled the event, which leaves no doubt he’s a car fanatic.
Just to name a few cars Benjamin owns, the following report … CONTINUED
Our coverage of M cars from this weekend’s BMW M Experience at the Indianapolis MotoGP continues with the first exhaust clips of the F10 M5 safety car showing off its badass Akropovic exhaust system, the production F10 M5, and some more 1M safety car pics.
The videos below were taken during the M5 safety car’s police escorted drive from the race track to downtown Indianapolis, where it was shown off to BMW M Experience VIPs and passerbys.
We’ve updated with even more photos of the F10 M5 safety car, official safety car of the MotoGP, which is making its debut this weekend to M VIP at the Indianapolis MotoGP race.
The new photos feature the M5 safety car posing on the race track, as well as some pics from the police escort it received from the track to downtown Indianapolis. It drew quite a crowd in front of the hotel as you can see!
The Indianapolis MotoGP race takes places this weekend and BMW is putting on a BMW M Experience for a lucky group of 50 M enthusiasts who have signed up for the event, which starts today and ends Sunday.
Besides the special access to the MotoGP race and paddocks, BMW will be providing these enthusiasts with hot laps in M safety cars driven by M school instructors, as well as a personal presentation of the F10 M5 sedan by M executives. They will also get the world’s first … CONTINUED
Here’s the full feature video we’ve anxiously been waiting for since yesterday: The BMW M5 Green Hell Drive and Fly event. M-Power.com invited six lucky BMW M enthusiasts to drive and experience the all-new BMW M5 on the Ring earlier this month. This video captured their experience.
We’ve also added some photos showing the making of this video. Enjoy!
As we reported earlier, M-Power.com offered a unique chance to drive the all-new 2012 BMW M5 before its market launch. This event took place earlier this month on the Nürburgring and six happy enthusiasts from all over the world were invited.
Enjoy this trailer and stay tuned for the full video coming tomorrow, August 25th.
The German F10 M5 configurator has gone online — at BMW Germany’s website. F10 M5 intent owners and tire kickers can now see the different M5 configurations available (at least for Germany).
The Configurator can be found at http://www.bmw.de/de/de/general/conf…figurator.html
The BMW.com M5 visualizer has also been available since June.
The F10 M5 starts at 102,700 euros in Germany (equivalent of 148,129 USD). For comparison, the last price for the E60 M5 (Sep 2010) was EUR 94,700 which means a price increase of roughly 8.5%. Applying the same … CONTINUED


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San Francisco's Westfield Mall Gets Millennial-Friendly
San Francisco's malls are leading the pop-up phenomena reshaping shopping.
Developers such as Westfield and Simon Property Group are turning to these short-term shops in a fight to preserve cash flows as more shoppers venture online for their needs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Westfield San Francisco Centre converted its fourth floor to host pop-ups and co-working space.
Typically, the pop-ups don’t sign multi-year deals. Some enter into short-term leases to augment their online presence. A small physical presence can lower customer acquisition costs, Simon Property president Rick Sokolov told the WSJ.
An established company might also resort to pop-up stores to refresh its brand and connect with a different set of customers by offering new services in a nontraditional setting. [WSJ]


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Here are the most current details regarding the plastic bag ban in California being put on hold.
Today’s post is by Tyler Walther, Account Manager for SafeSourcing
The first statewide ban on single use plastic bags in the nation will not go into effect this summer as previously thought. The Secretary of State in California’s office stated Tuesday that a referendum to overturn the bill has qualified for the November 2016 ballot.
The state of California acknowledged that the trade association American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA) attained at least 110 percent of the 504,760 confirmed signatures needed to qualify its measure to reverse the plastic bag ban. Accordingly, the unprecedented law is now delayed until California pollsters vote in 2016.
California Governor, Jerry Brown, ratified last September and originally set to go into effect this July, the ban would require large grocery stores and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Target to charge at least 10 cents for each recycled paper bag or reusable bag given to consumers. The plastic bag industry has argued that the ban has little to do with the environment and was a scheme by the California Grocers Association to make money off the 10-cent fee. The law also grants $2 million in loans to help plastic bag manufacturers transition their businesses to manufacture reusable bags.
Many believe Californians will support the ban on plastic bags. Plastic bags litter the streets and oceans of California, often killing the marine animals that swallow them. Reports state plastic bags could take as long as 1,000 years to biodegrade, making them a significant environmental concern.
There are currently more than 100 city ordinances banning plastic bags already existing throughout California, and will not be affected during the voter legislation period.
For more information on how SafeSourcing can assist you in exploring your procurement solutions for your business, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.
We look forward to your comments.


text: The brand behind the iconic weight loss formula Thermo Detonator, have released a new variant of their flagship supplement that is actually the first of it’s kind. The brand we’re talking about is Grenade, who have put together an Informed-Sport version of their beautifully packaged original product. According to the brand who have come an extremely long way since the release of their very first supplement, they have a massive athlete and military following so it only made sense they go the extra mile for Thermo Detonator. For those that aren’t familiar with the Informed-Sport certification, it is a program that assures consumers qualifying products are free of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substances. To help Grenade fans tell the difference between the original Thermo Detonator and the new Informed-Sport edition, the brand have stamped the box, colored the supplement’s bottle with a stylish camouflage theme, and increased the value a bit. The latest from Grenade as mentioned has been launched, and is already starting to show up in stores.


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Between 2015 and 2016, 23 states proposed bills to regulate plastic bags in retail settings, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And last year, California voted in a statewide referendum to enact its plastic bag ban, marking the first statewide ban in the country.
Now, Boston is moving the dial on waste reduction by passing a law banning single-use bags in retail settings. The city is the 60th community within the state to pass a plastic bag ban.
The ban will go into effect in December 2018, giving residents and businesses plenty of time to prepare for the law’s implementation.
Boston magazine has more:
Start hoarding plastic bags now, Boston, because it’s twilight for the ubiquitous vessels.
Despite expressing concerns about who will foot the bill, Mayor Marty Walsh signed a measure banning single-use bags in Boston, making the Hub the 60th community across the state to do so. In November, City Council voted unanimously in favor of the ban, which will result in a 5-cent fee for thicker bags at grocery, drug, and convenience stores.


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The online music streaming service Spotify, which has more than two million users in Europe, is recruiting staff for an imminent assault on the US music scene despite admitting that it is struggling to hit its target of making a profit by the end of the year.
Founded by two Swedish entrepreneurs, Spotify provides an online jukebox allowing users to listen to a library of more than six million tracks, funded either by regular advertising breaks or by a monthly subscription for uninterrupted listening. The model has proved phenomenally popular since its launch in October and has been hailed as a viable alternative to Apple's iTunes.
On a visit to New York, Spotify's co-founder, Daniel Ek, told the Observer that he was hiring employees and seeking office space for a launch in the US in the "third or fourth quarter". But he revealed that Spotify may not meet its often-stated goal of making a profit by the end of 2009.
"We still hope to do that, but given the recession and so on, it might take a little longer," said Ek. "It may be next year."
The 26-year-old entrepreneur has been in negotiations with record labels about extending Spotify's European licensing deals to stream music in the US market. He insisted that he remains confident about the company's financial progress: "Why would I go to the US and try to get more extensive licences if I had trouble covering our costs in Europe?"
Based in Stockholm but with offices in London, Spotify is viewed in internet circles as one of the most promising start-ups of recent years. The site is adding 50,000 registered users per day, with members spending an average of an hour a day on the service. On the day of Michael Jackson's death, Spotify users in Britain accessed his songs more than 10 million times in 20 hours.
Ek said he was already familiar with most US music publishers because Spotify has negotiated with them over European copyright: "Most of our deals are done from the US anyway so I speak to these people on a weekly basis - I know them, I know their numbers, I know their wives' names."
In contrast to the pay-per-download model favoured by iTunes or Amazon's music store, Spotify supports itself through a choice of radio-style commercial breaks or a monthly fee - set at £9.99 in Britain - for an enhanced service with no advertising, higher quality audio and exclusive content.
Spotify's advertisers in Europe include Nike, Ikea, H&M and Sky Television. But the company will face competition in the US from rivals such as Pandora, an online personalised radio service; LaLa, a California-based online music store; and Imeem, a social networking site specialising in sharing music and video.
Spotify will shortly launch a mobile phone version of its service - a move viewed as crucial by analysts. Mike McGuire, a digital music expert at research firm Gartner, said: "The mobile element will be an important one to be adding fairly quickly. We've seen some decent uptake in music from customers with smart phones."
Expansion in the US will be through word-of-mouth and viral marketing. Ek is hoping that social networks such as Twitter will spread the word about Spotify among Americans: "Don't expect a fancy marketing campaign. The money we could have spent on marketing is better spent on developing a better product."
Unusually, Spotify sells its own advertising rather than using an agency to pull in customers. Ek maintains that Spotify's strength is its ability to match suitable advertisers closely with the age, location and music tastes of its customers.
"We know for a fact that music history and demographic history can tell you a lot about brand preferences," he said.
The site has a "click through" rate of about 0.5% of users who alight on advertisements, although when audio ads are matched with display promotions, this rises to 1% - higher than most websites.
Ek and his business partner, Martin Lorentzon, who founded e-marketing company TradeDoubler, have invested €8m (£6.9m) of their own money in Spotify. Ek was tight-lipped on recent reports that Spotify has put a £200m valuation on itself in a capital-raising effort.
"If someone's willing to pay £200m for it, that's what it's worth. But would I sell the business for £200m? The answer is no," said Ek. "If it's done right, this could be a billion-dollar company."


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How Much Does Spider Silk Cost?
Synthetic spider silk is being developed for many applications. Some are used for performance outdoor gear, while others are being used in medical devices. It is also being used in the apparel industry.
The market for synthetic spider silk is growing at a very fast rate. Revenues are expected to increase from USD 1.26 billion in 2021 to USD 6.05 billion in 2030. This is mainly because of rising demand for biodegradable materials.
Another factor driving the market is increasing expenditure in defense. In the US, for example, the military relies on nylon for strength. Nylon melts when heated. A synthetic spider silk fiber would be more durable and could replace the use of nylon.
There are a number of biomaterial companies trying to artificially reproduce spider silk. Among the most promising ones is Bolt Threads. Bolt is developing synthetic spider silk by using recombinant yeast with spider DNA.
Its product is entirely biodegradable, which means it does not contain any toxins. Bolt is already producing silk in kilos and has plans to start producing it in metric tons this year. They have three customers who are testing its processes. However, they have yet to release a full prototype of their product.
As for the price of their products, Bolt has said it will cost about the same as premium fabrics. They plan to sell their textiles to some consumers in the next 12-18 months. For now, they are planning to make some demo textiles available to the public.


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Central bank digital currency could be Australia’s monetary future
Link copied to
Australians are choosing digital payments over cash. The shift is enabled by advancements in financial technology.
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) statistics highlight the decline. In 2007, almost 75 per cent of payments were made with cash. In 2019, that figure was just 27 per cent. Further RBA data shows exponential growth of cashless payments since 2007.
Australia could become cashless in the future. Central banks govern a nation’s momentary system. Therefore, it is central banks that could innovate to create a comprehensive cashless system.
Stablecoins are an option to explore. They’re cryptocurrencies designed to maintain price stability, by pegging their value to an external reference asset. Reference assets could be fiat currencies like the US Dollar.
Tether is one example of a stablecoin. Valued at AU$21.6 billion, it’s the largest stablecoin by market capitalisation. Its price is pegged to the US Dollar. One Tether must always equal one US Dollar.
Stablecoins are borderless. They have no governing body. However, central banks have an opportunity to innovate to keep pace with the changes in digital finance.
Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) are a potential solution.
CBDCs are digital forms of fiat money. They’ve been compared to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. However, there are differences between the two.
Bitcoin has no central authority. It is a borderless digital currency. CBDCs are governed by a country’s central bank.
While Bitcoin’s blockchain network is publicly available – anyone can access its complete transaction history — a CBDC’s network is private.
Bitcoin is based on blockchain technology. A CBDC’s network can be built with non-blockchain systems.
See where are we going here?
CBDCs are currently in a conceptual and testing phase in several countries. A 2019 study by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) highlights worldwide CBDC interest. It reported that 80 per cent of central banks were engaged in CBDC work.
The RBA has conducted its own research. It states, “there is currently no strong public policy case to introduce a CBDC.”
However, this may change in the future as Australia’s monetary situation evolves.
Europe, along with the US, UK, Canada, and Japan are all studying CBDCs. You can be sure major economies are paying attention to their monetary future.
It’s crucial for any technology system or software to be able to exchange and make use of information with other products or systems.
It’s called interoperability. In practise, it ensures future CBDCs can connect with existing systems.
Unless CBDCs are internationally compatible, inherent opportunities will be lost.
China has made significant progress with CBDCs. Its interoperable DC/EP system is arguably the world’s most developed.
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is currently leading large-scale testing of the DC/EP. They have announced trials are underway in four major cities – Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiong’an, and Chengdu. Approximate combined population? About twice as much as Australia’s.
The DC/EP is being tested by seven major Chinese banks and may also be trialled at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic games. However, many details of the DC/EP are, as yet, unpublished.
Like China, Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, is currently testing its own interoperable CBDC.
Sweden is of particular interest, as it could be the world’s first cashless society due to the Nordic nation’s declining cash usage.
According to research by The Block, “6 per cent of total household payments were made with cash in 2018”.
Better – 94 per cent of total household payments weren’t made with cash in 2018. Two whole years ago.
Another study showed half of Swedish retailers won’t accept cash past 2025.
In 2017, the Riksbank initiated a three-phase CBDC project. They are now in the final phase, which includes testing of payments, deposits, and transfer capabilities. Unlike China, Sweden’s CBDC may use blockchain technology.
How they design their CBDC is critical. If launched, others will observe its effectiveness.
China and Sweden are leading important research on CBDCs. While Australia states no current use for an e-AUD, the launch of a successful CBDC may offer a glimpse of the cashless future.
This article was developed in collaboration with BTC Markets, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This story does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.


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Altair partners with Genesis
Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.
of Reno said last week it’s partnering with Texas-based Genesis Air to produce nano-sized titanium dioxide compounds for use in an air-cleaning system for heating and air conditioning equipment.
Publicly held Altair said it will provide Genesis with product design services, proprietary materials and ongoing engineering support.
The cancelation of the 2020 event “severely affected operating revenue,” according to the Great Reno Balloon Race.


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Polestar opens new R&D facility in UK
Polestar has established a new R&D centre for future electric vehicles in Coventry, England. At the new British location, the Volvo electric brand will initially employ around 60 engineers to support the development of vehicles beyond the Polestar 3.
The team was already involved in the pre-development work for Polestar and will now be fully involved in future car projects, according to an accompanying press release.
“Polestar’s role as a technology spearhead requires new and developing skills in low-volume, light-weight, multi-material performance car engineering, and the new UK operation will allow us to take the next steps towards our future cars,” explained Hans Pehrson, who has been responsible for research and development at Polestar since early 2018. The team of 60 engineers will soon be expanded to complement the existing R&D teams, including those based in Sweden.
In 2017 Polestar gave the go-ahead for its planned electric offensive. The first model is the Polestar 1, a four-seater Grand Tourer Coupé with hybrid drive and 150 km electric range. At the end of February 2019, the Swedes also officially presented their first volume model: The all-electric Polestar 2 is powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 300 kW and has a battery capacity of 78 kWh, which should enable a WLTP range of 500 km. It will be built in China. Polestar names the USA, Canada, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain as the first target markets in addition to the Middle Kingdom. Finally, Polestar is also planning a coupé SUV called Polestar 3 for 2022.


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The Porto Carras Grand Resort is a unique fully integrated coastal resort that extends over 1,763 hectares of pristine nature, including 9 km of sandy beaches punctuated by 25 pristine coves. The resort comprises 990 hotel rooms spread over two five-star hotels, Meliton and Sithonia, and one luxury boutique hotel, Villa Galini. The resort also boasts one of the largest private marinas in northern Greece with 315 berths, Greece’s largest organic vineyard, Port Carras Winery, two golf courses, casino, a congress centre and an extensive luxury residential development.
The buyer is Belterra Investments who is a well-established investor in the Thessaloniki region. The Porto Carras Grand Resort will be a complementary addition to their existing portfolio.
Frederic Le Fichoux, Head of Hotel Transactions, Continental Europe at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The Stengos family has owned the Porto Carras Grand Resort for the past 20 years and we are delighted that they chose Cushman & Wakefield to help advise them on this sale. The combined expertise of our local partner, Cushman & Wakefield Proprius in tandem with Cushman & Wakefield’s global platform meant that we were not only able to generate a lot of interest in this asset from a wealth of investors, but also progress the sale despite COVID-19 disruption.”
David Nath, Head of Central & Eastern European Hospitality Team at Cushman & Wakefield, added: “The fact that the sale of the Porto Carras Grand Resort has been able to continue despite significant COVID-19 related disruption demonstrates the enduring appeal of good, well positioned hotel assets amongst investors and the strong faith that the hospitality market will rebound once the outbreak is brought under control.”
The sale of the Porto Carras Grand Resort is largest hotel deal to take place since the COVID-19 lockdown in the South European region and Greece.


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TAMM, the Abu Dhabi government services ecosystem, has launched the Abu Dhabi Pay platform to facilitate secure and standardised methods of online payments for all government services.
It offers facilities such as payment processing, reconciliation and settlement, reports and audit, and one payment for several settlements.
Payment channels include portals, mobile apps, POS, and cash deposit machines where payment methods include e-debit, e-wallet, credit cards and cash.
Currently, digital wallet and credit card payments are available while direct bank debit and other solutions for cash management will subsequently be added to the platform.
“The launch of the new platform comes in line with Abu Dhabi government efforts to improve the quality of life for individuals and society in Abu Dhabi, and to facilitate a seamless and hassle-free access to all government services,” said Ali Rashid Al Ketbi, chairman of the Department of Government Support – Abu Dhabi.
The government entities already adopting the new platform are the Abu Dhabi Police, Department of Health, Department of Energy, Department of Economic Development, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, and the General Administration of Customs.
“Looking ahead, we will integrate ‘Abu Dhabi Pay’ with all of the digital channels of the remaining entities. This will include establishing the priorities and foundations required to complete the inclusion of digital channels for government agencies and communicating with them to study, prepare, and build the allocations required to complete the linking operations with their respective channels if necessary. Following this process, we will distribute and connect point of sale (POS) devices to complete preparations and meet the required allocations with the government entity’s systems,” said Mohamed Abdel Hameed Al Askar, acting director-general of the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority.
A press statement added that Abu Dhabi Pay will accelerate the pace and impact of digital transformation aimed at enhancing ease of transactions carried out by Abu Dhabi residents and business communities.
It was launched under the supervision of The Higher Committee of the Digital Government and is aligned with its efforts in activating a digital transformation governance framework in the capital whereby required physical visits to government service entities are increasingly reduced.
TAMM is a product of Ghadan21 which is operated by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority which offers an ecosystem that provides customers with a comprehensive range of government services through one single digital point of access.
Jun 16 2019رحلة متكاملة تضم " 47 خدمة وآلية استحقاق...تماشياً مع توجهات حكومة أبوظبي الرامية إلى...
16 Jun 2019رحلة متكاملة تضم " 47 خدمة وآلية استحقاق موحدة وشاملة تطلقها دائرة تنمية المجتمع...READ MORE
Nov 16 2019«أبوظبي الرقمية» تناقش تأثير التقنية...استضاف المجلس الرقمي في دورته الأولى عدداً من...
16 Nov 2019«أبوظبي الرقمية» تناقش تأثير التقنية المتسارعة على مستقبل الحوكمةREAD MORE


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WARRENSBURG, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Registration has begun for the Warren County Department of Public Works’ next free household hazardous waste collection event. The collection has been scheduled for Saturday, August 13 at the Queensbury Highway Department.
Warren County residents will be able to safely dispose of materials such as antifreeze, pesticides, paints, household cleaners, and fluorescent light bulbs at no cost. New for 2022, latex-based paints will be accepted for disposal at this event through the PaintCare program. In addition, latex and oil-based paints, primer, and stains can now be safely disposed of through PaintCare at select retailers year-round.
The Warren County event collection staff cannot accept munitions, automotive oil, batteries, asbestos, pharmaceuticals, infectious waste, or tires. The August 13 event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Queensbury Highway Department, which is located at 742 Bay Road in Queensbury.
Registration is required. Interested residents can register online, by mail, or in-person at 4028 Main Street, in Warrensburg, or by fax at (518) 623-2772.


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Realme Narzo 30 series is scheduled to launch on February 24 exclusively in the Indian market. The series comprises three phones, the Narzo 30A, Narzo 30, and Narzo 30 Pro 5G. While we know a few of the details of some of these phones, just yesterday, a tipster has revealed the specs sheet of the Narzo 30A and Narzo 30 Pro 5G smartphone.
Realme Narzo 30A Specifications
According to the specs shared by the tipster Mukul Sharma, the Realme Narzo 30A will rock a 6.5-inch water-drop notch display. It is unclear whether it will be an HD+ or an FHD+ panel. Anyways, the notch will hold an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The rears will get a 13-megapixel dual-rear camera system.
Under the hood, the device will power the MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core chipset and house a big 6,000mAh battery. The battery will be backed up by an 18W fast charging technology. It will have a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and will be available in Black and Light Blue finishes.
Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G Specifications
Moving to the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G, the smartphone will pack a whopping 120Hz refresh rate display. The resolution is not mentioned by the tipster but we expect it to be an FHD+ panel.
It will draw power from the MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC and have 5,000mAh battery. THe battery is a bit smaller than the Narzo 30A but it gets much more faster charging capabilities. It is touted to get 30W fast charging speed.
In terms of cameras, it wil have a 48-megapixel triple rear camera system and is expected to have a single front camera setup. The device will get Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio support.
Just by its specs, the Narzo 30 Pro 5G looks like a rebranded Realme X7 smartphone with downgraded cameras and slower charging speeds.
Editor’s Pick: Realme GT 5G Launch Scheduled For March 4 In China
Stay Tuned For More Updates On Tech News, Leaks, Reviews, and Deals. Also, Check Out the Official Giztop Shop.


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Bridge Live is a high-performance Ultra HD or multichannel HD encoding, transcoding, decoding, and contribution solution from AJA Video Systems.
The City of Santa Barbara has come to depend on live streaming for its meetings, events, and workshops throughout the pandemic, using a 12-camera setup and streaming equipment from AJA Video Systems.
AJA Video Systems has released two new 12G-SDI openGear solutions with UHD support, the AJA OG-12GM and AJA OG-FiDO-TR-12G.
AJA Video Systems has launched 12G-AM, a new 12G-SDI eight-channel AES audio embedder/disembedder converter.
AJA Video Systems has joined the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) Alliance, an open-source initiative dedicated to overcoming the challenges of low-latency video streaming.
PT SportSuite used three AJA HELO H.264 streamers/recorders to produce a global live stream of the first-ever Three-Team Cricket match in Centurion, South Africa.
The Ultimate Gamer esports tournament, which was held recently over three days in Miami, utilized an AJA Ki Pro GO multichannel recorder to capture highlights for the production's live stream.
Using an AJA Ki Pro GO multi-channel H.264 recorder/player, the Ultimate Gamer competition captured highlights footage for integration into a three-day stream.
AJA Video Systems has released Ki Pro GO v2.0 firmware for its portable multi-channel H.264 recorder and player.
AJA HELO H.264 streaming and recording devices are powering Korea's EBS Learning YouTube Channel to provide K-12 students with educational content during suspension of schooling.
In an "abundance of caution," AJA Video Systems is withdrawing from the NAB 2020 show in Las Vegas due to the risks from the Coronavirus.
The Minnesota House of Representatives has begun delivering a live stream of every meeting room to YouTube, relying on AJA’s HELO to stream meeting content to potential viewers 24/7.
AJA Video Systems announced the release of Corvid 44 12G, an eight-lane PCIe 3.0 video and audio I/O platform supporting 12G-SDI I/O.
AJA Video Systems has started shipping KUMO 3232-12G compact routers, featuring 32x 12G-SDI inputs and 32x 12G-SDI outputs in a portable 2RU profile for flexible 12G-SDI routing.


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Granting him licence to introduce a portfolio of global franchising heavyweights to the New Zealand market, Auckland businessman, Stewart Germann has announced an agreement with London-headquartered global franchise marketing and advisory company, World Franchise Associates.
The deal captures an initial portfolio of nine international franchise brands, including seven restaurants and two non-food brands, which together represent total global revenues exceeding $5 billion NZD and employ tens of thousands of staff around the world.
The portfolio includes the iconic TGI Fridays restaurant brand which was founded in the U.S in 1965 and now boasts almost 700 restaurants in more than 50 countries.
Other notable brands include the highly successful Earl of Sandwich chain, and relative newcomer Teriyaki Madness, which since opening in 2005 has expanded rapidly to 110+ restaurants around the world.
Germann, whose business, The Franchise Coach, specialises in both helping existing Kiwi businesses transition to a franchise model, and introducing international franchises to the New Zealand market, said the deal represents a significant opportunity for Kiwis who would like to leverage the power of global brands with proven successful models, for New Zealand customers.
“Having access to this portfolio of global opportunities means that when Kiwi clients approach me, we can be very strategic about marrying them with the right sort of opportunity.
“We can look at any relevant expertise, location, financial and lifestyle considerations they might have, and set prospective franchisees up with a recipe for success that’s been tested in the most competitive global markets.”


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NanoVentures Australia CEO, Dr Peter Binks, will be a key speaker in a "webinar" hosted by the Australian Office of Nanotechnology on April 29th. Peter will speak on the impact of nanotechnology on global markets and industries.
It has been estimated that nanotechnology use in industry will be conservatively be worth $30 billion by 2015, and will be used by every single manufacturing sector.
So what is it exactly and how might it impact upon your company?
Nanotechnology - which is being hailed as leading the next technology-driven Industrial Revolution – may underpin a new innovation economy as Australian industry restructures to adapt to the future.
This webinar will allow you to listen to five experts talking about the impacts of nanotechnology, from the comfort of your office, and will also allow you to ask questions via the phone or online.
Speakers will include:
- Clive Davenport, Director of CSIRO Future Manufacturing Flagship
- Peter Binks, CEO NanoVentures Australia
- Paul Wright, Co-ordinator of NanoSafe Australia
- Vanessa Heuser, Australian Nano Business Forum
- Craig Cormick, Australian Office of Nanotechnology
The webinar will be held from 12.30 to 2pm on Wednesday 29 April.


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Subscribe To X
MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT » BLOG
BlogFeb 22, 2016 10:38 AM By Mollie Spilman
Despite mobiles massive growth, consumers have been slow to adopt mobile as a significant purchasing channel. See what new rules in ecommerce are ahead in 2016.
BlogFeb 19, 2016 3:16 PM By Mike O'Brien
Amazon is once again on the move in logistics and delivery, with Reuters reporting its courier-based Amazon Flex network is making parcel deliveries in addition to the typical everyday goods being sent to Prime members.
Reuters said Amazon did acknowledge that drivers for Amazon Flex in Texas had already begun mixing in parcel deliveries with regular Prime Now orders. Amazon Flex, which allows couriers to sign up for delivery shifts via an app, is currently available in 14 cities including Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Dallas.
BlogFeb 18, 2016 9:08 AM By Tim Parry
The MCM Outlook 2016 survey results are in… and it looks like Canadian consumers are U.S. merchants’ cross-border buddies. While Canada may not be a surprise as the most-popular country U.S.-based merchants sell into, the other four may be a shot. Click through to find out, and let us know which countries you’re selling into.
BlogFeb 16, 2016 11:40 AM By Hayley Silver
As shoppers move farther away from their desktops to make more and more purchases online, it is imperative that retailers understand and address the frustrations many users have with their mobile retail experience. Here are the top eight complaints of mobile shopping experience.
BlogFeb 16, 2016 9:42 AM By Phil Freegard
When it comes to the digital challenge, most organizations are changing, not transforming. Here are five key considerations when embarking on a digital transformation journey. Here are five key considerations when embarking on a digital transformation.
BlogFeb 16, 2016 7:24 AM By Darren Hill
A great mobile experience is just one part of the customer-centric strategy that the smartest brands are using every day. The customer, after all, is the driving force behind all of the great holiday numbers we’ve seen. Here are some key customer experience issues that will keep customers coming back to your site on any channel.
BlogFeb 11, 2016 3:09 PM By Curt Barry
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “This ERP system’s design is intuitive!” as an excuse for not writing procedures. These systems are so intuitive that management can’t seem to use them. Maybe it’s intuitive for Windows-based systems to some degree in terms of navigation and functions. Or it’s intuitive for those under 30 that have far more PC and web browser skills than mature workers.
To help alleviate these issues, here’s a checklist of 9 action steps to take that will help ensure a smooth ERP system upgrade.
BlogFeb 11, 2016 1:57 PM By Stephanie Gifford
An exciting change is on the rise as these new trends shape online retailers, shoppers, and prosumers alike. Here are three ecommerce trends to look out for in 2016.
BlogFeb 11, 2016 10:20 AM By Susan Wall
Emails jamming up a shoppers inbox are often ignored and one of the best ways to grab a shopper’s attention is by using segmentation to personalize messages that make a visitor feel as thought their web experience was designed just for them. Here are tips to personalize emails for your consumers.
BlogFeb 10, 2016 1:10 PM By Daniela Forte
While several brands are going global with their business these days, it is still not an easy process for most. Here are four tips to localizing your global business.
by Curt Barry
Posted 9 hours ago
by Mike O'Brien
Posted 2 days ago


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On Saturday, Pharrell Williams invited young artists and students from the Los Angeles area to explore the idea of what it means to be a “Superstar.” Williams and hip-hop artist Pusha T co-hosted the event.
Williams chose Pusha T as one of his hand-picked Original Superstars, which were featured in a short video last week. The idea of “creating for yourself” was the theme of the evening.
The brand says that “Williams encouraged these young guests to reimagine the iconic Shell-Toe detail from an Adidas Originals Superstar, using it as a canvas for artistic expression, igniting their imaginations to create for an audience of one.”
Adidas invited guests to sketch their own Shell-Toe design. The brand posted photos to Instagram from the event, highlighting one girl in particular whose shell-toe said, “Music Makes Me Happy.”
The “audience of one” idea is present throughout Adidas’ campaign that features Williams, Pusha T, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Smithe, VJ Mian, and Yoon. Adidas says each of these individuals are united in their commitment to creating for an audience of one — “the true calling card of a Superstar.”


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A new poll released today shows nearly 60 percent of Hoosiers support allowing retail sales of alcohol on Sundays.
The Public Opinion Strategies poll shows 58 percent of Hoosiers support Sunday sales while only 39 percent are opposed.
Indiana lawmakers are currently debating whether to allow retail alcohol sales on Sundays. House Public Policy Committee Chairman Tom Dermody is sponsoring a bill that would allow Sunday sales from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and lift restrictions on what can be sold in liquor stores
Support goes across party lines with 54 percent of Republicans supporting Sunday sales, 57 percent of Independents and 65 percent of Democrats.
Across three of the state’s four regions, support for Sunday sales was near the 60 percent mark; 60 percent in central Indiana, 59 percent in Eastern and 61 percent in northwest Indiana. In the southern part of the state support and opposition was tied at 49 percent each.
And when broken down by age, only those 65 and over opposed Sunday sales by 55 percent, with all other age groups support was at least 60 percent. 18-34 years supported Sunday sales by 71 percent.
The poll was commissioned by Americans for Prosperity. The poll survey 500 registered voters and had a margin of error of +/-4.38%.
Indy Politics spoke with local AFP Director Chase Downham to find out why they commissioned the poll and what they hoped the results will be. You can hear that conversation below.
Leon-Tailored Audio: Sunday Sales Poll
A poll commissioned by WISH-TV and Ball State last year showed 52 percent of Hoosiers supported Sunday alcohol sales, while 46 percent opposed.


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More than 400 nominations for more than 200 beers from more than 100 breweries were made by readers, and now, PennLive is finally ready to kick off Beer Brackets.
To find out when and where the ultimate winner will be announced, check out the video above. For information on which beers are competing, check out the schedule for Round One.
How did we determine which beers will compete? We did not have to do much -- some beers got more than 10 nominations each, and it did not take long for clear frontrunners to emerge.
When we opened nominations to any beer obtainable in the Harrisburg area, we were overjoyed to find local breweries well represented -- even more so than the blockbuster brands. Appalachian Brewing Company, Troegs, Lancaster Brewing Company, Pizza Boy, Market Cross Pub, Millbock, Snitz Creek, Brewery at Hershey -- and of course, Pennsylvania brewing icon Yuengling -- all had fans lobbying for them in the nomination process.
While the formation of the brackets was a mostly hands-off experience for us -- "us" being myself, community engagement leader Chris Mautner, food writer Sue Gleiter and reporters John Luciew and Julianne Mattera -- we were still concerned about the competition's overall look and feel. John and Julie, in particular -- both passionate beer fans -- were worried about the balance of popular and craft beers going to battle:
John Luciew: ...by including some common, less than stellar beers in there, it will actually generate more debate....This is because beer like Ultra, Stella, Yuengling, Landshark -- this is still what the vast majority drinks. Also, talking to bar managers, this is a very, very IPA driven market. [That's] why I was leaning toward more IPAs, like Hopdevil, which is very popular.
Julianne Mattera: Then again, people might see the list and want to try some of the beers they haven't heard of. That's what came to my mind when I looked at some of the beers I hadn't tried. I think part of this is giving exposure/letting people know of beers out there they haven't tried that are in our market....We also need to remember that there are people who don't like IPAs and gravitate to the darker beers, like porters and stouts. So at least including the porters/stouts on the list is important for that crowd when it comes to voting.
What did we wind up with? Lots of big names in the world of craft beer, some sweet flavored beers, a healthy dose of local pride, the odd Anheuser-Busch brand and -- overwhelmingly -- IPAs galore.
Click here for the schedule, meet us back here on Monday, Feb. 24 for voting and without further ado, welcome to Beer Brackets: Round One.


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While many businesses over the last few years have recognised the need for consumer choice and adopted new channels as a result, TelcoSwitch believes that ensuring these channels are properly integrated and synchronised with one another is just as crucial so that a positive customer experience can be maintained.
A recent Gartner study found that 89 per cent of businesses are now expected to compete on customer experience rather than pricing. Building on this, a report from Zendesk revealed that 60 per cent of consumers consider the quality of the service they received as an essential component of their loyalty to a particular brand.
To ensure consumers can communicate with the businesses they buy from efficiently and in the ways that suit them, it is essential that leaders see the big picture when embracing omnichannel capabilities. Ultimately, this means remembering that new channels are redundant if customers have a poor experience while using them.
Simon Blackwell, CMO at TelcoSwitch said, “providing customers with a range of mechanisms to get in touch can only get you so far, it’s integrating these channels in one place that makes the difference. If, for example, a customer places an enquiry on Facebook Messenger, but the company has no way of linking this up to a previous interaction conducted by phone, email, or web chat, then the customer experience becomes eroded, and the consumer may spend their money elsewhere. Given just how highly customer experience is regarded by Gartner and other experts, implementing these communications channels in a siloed manner isn’t going to deliver the consumer loyalty brands need.”
To avoid these issues, Simon believes that organisations should think long and hard about how omnichannel has changed the dynamic of customer interactions and prepare to adapt to fit this.
He added, “We think of omnichannel as something reserved for large contact centre-based businesses, but in reality, this is far from the truth. While small to medium-sized organisations don’t self-identify as being contact centres, they share many of the same attributes, such as social media adoption, SaaS-based ticketing and CRM systems, online payment platforms, and more. Many of these companies are also cloud-first in nature and aren’t beholden to legacy infrastructure that can’t quickly be cloud-enabled. In essence, these businesses can adopt omnichannel solutions faster than their larger counterparts, and that gives them a competitive advantage when it comes to customer experience.
“The post-Covid consumer will be different to the one we knew before the pandemic. They expect businesses to have adapted to new ways of working and won’t be as tolerant to long wait times and limited channels of communications as they might have been previously. Customer experience is more important now than ever before, so modern businesses must be mindful of this when evaluating how their customers can communicate with them. Those who properly marry omnichannel to deliver high-quality customer experiences will be the ones to enjoy the highest levels of consumer loyalty.”


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Due to the way the deals are arranged with Disney and FOX, Sling TV now has two different base options. There is the “Best of Live TV” single stream, which is the standard Sling TV without the new FOX additions. Then, there is the new “Best of Live TV” Multi-Stream beta which includes the new FOX channels minus the Disney owned networks. I’ve outlined all the changes in my updated review of Sling TV
The changes were announced in a press release detailing the multi-stream package as follows:
“Since launch, our customers have asked for more channels and multiple streams. We believe our new multi-stream service, anchored by a strong lineup of Fox content, including top franchises like ‘Empire’ and ‘The Americans’ on FOX and FX, as well as access to Major League Baseball in 15 markets, including the New York Yankees, is the first step in answering their requests,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV. “We look forward to incorporating our customers’ feedback throughout the beta phase as we evolve the multi-stream service to include additional channels, features and functionality.”
Sling TV went on to detail the channel changes by stating:
“The new “Best of Live TV” multi-stream service includes content from FOX Broadcasting, FOX Sports, FX, National Geographic and other popular networks from AMC, A&E, Turner, Scripps and Univision.
Similar to Sling TV’s single-stream service, beta multi-stream customers can tailor their experience by adding “Extras,” including “Hollywood Extra,” “Lifestyle Extra,” “World News Extra,” HBO and Cinemax.”
Sling TV is considering this a beta release, which means they will be relying on user feedback to improve and update the service during this beta period. Typically with a beta release there is an expectation that the service will be evolving and improving during the initial release period.
It looks like 2016 is going to continue previous the trend of breaking the content monopoly of Cable TV by making more TV networks available online to cord cutters
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It goes out every Thursday and keeps you up to date on information relevant to cord cutters. Subscribing will also inform you on the latest deals out there for internet, streaming, and more.
If this article did not answer your specific question, check out the Cord Cutting Guide. It provides links to the most important articles in our over 200 pages of content to help you ditch pay TV.


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Bostock is departing along with Vyomesh Joshi, Arthur Kern and Gary Wilson. In a letter released to shareholders Tuesday, Roy Bostock wrote that these departures are voluntarily.
The shake-up continues a drastic makeover of Yahoo's leadership during the past month as the company tries to win back investors frustrated with years of broken turnaround promises.
After Yahoo hired former PayPal executive Scott Thompson as its CEO a few days into the new year, co-founder Jerry Yang resigned from the board and severed all other ties with the company, which he helped start in 1995.
Now Bostock is departing after four years as chairman. Many Yahoo shareholders have been clamoring for Bostock to step down since the company balked at a $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, takeover offer from Microsoft Corp. in 2008. Yahoo's stock hasn't traded above $20 in nearly 3 1/2 years.
Shares of the company ticked down slightly in afterhours trading. (Click here for latest quote.)
Along with the mass exodus, Yahoo announced the appointment of two new directors: Alfred Amoroso, former CEO of Rovi, and Maynard Webb Jr., a former eBay executive who most recently was CEO of LiveOps.


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Ratan Tata Cheapest Electric Cars: Ratan Tata, Honorary Chairman of Tata Sons, always thinks ahead and dreams of providing affordable and durable goods to the people of the country. In his eyes, the common man of the country or rather the poor person is supreme. Whatever items they launch in the market, they make them keeping the common man in mind and also decide their price. It is reported that under the direction of India’s leading industrialist Ratan Tata, Tata Motors has started preparing to launch affordable electric cars for the countrymen soon. These three cars have come in the sight of spy cameras during testing or otherwise. Based on the pictures posted on social media through spy shots, discussions have started about these three cars. These three cars include Tata Punch EV, Tata Harrier EV and Tata Curve EV. Based on the speculations being made in the media about these three cars, we also try to know about their features. Read the report…
Tata Punch EV
Tata Motors’ upcoming affordable car Punch EV has been spotted testing recently. Earlier, this affordable electric car was captured on spy camera while charging. It is estimated that this car can be launched in India by the end of 2023. It is also being estimated that after coming in the market, its price could be around Rs 12 lakh. This can be a five seater car, in which five people can sit comfortably.
Battery pack, mileage and features of Tata Punch EV
This electric car of Tata Motors can be given two battery pack options and its certified range will be more than 500 kilometers. Like other electric cars of Tata, braking regeneration mode can be given in it. At the same time, if we talk about its features, then features like touchscreen system, full digital driver display and touch-based climate control panel can be given in Punch Electric. Apart from this, features like push button start/stop and cruise control can also be found in it. For the safety of passengers, it can get features like six airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and rearview camera. After coming in the market, it will compete with Citroen EC3. This vehicle will be a more premium option than MG Comet EV and Tiago EV, while it will be a cheaper car than Nexon EV.
Tata Harrier EV
Earlier this year, at the Auto Expo 2023 held in Delhi, Tata Motors showcased the Harrier EV concept along with a 1.5-litre Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection (TGDI) engine. It will also be introduced with Harrier SUV. Work on this 1.5 liter TGDI engine has been going on for a long time. Hence the electric Harrier is likely to arrive before its petrol-engined counterpart. Regarding this, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, said that we have already showcased the 1.5-litre TGDI engine at the Auto Expo and we intend to include it in the Harrier. I would say it is a little away, maybe a year and more, but we are also going to bring petrol engines.
Tata Curve EV
Tata Motors has showcased the ICE powered version of the Curve Concept at Auto Expo 2023. The production version of Tata Curve is likely to be launched in India by March 2024. It is being told that the price of Tata Curve can go up to Rs 20 lakh. Curve is a 5-seater car, which can seat at least five passengers. Tata Curve SUV car has been built on the company’s Gen2 platform. It is estimated that this vehicle can give a range of up to 500 kilometers. 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine can be given in ICE variants of Curve car. Features like digital driver display, large touchscreen infotainment system, touchscreen climate control panel and panoramic glass roof have been provided in this vehicle. After coming into the market, it will compete with MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric.


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Brave Is Expanding Support for Crypto DNS Providers
The browser plans to support additional crypto domain names beyond ENS and Unstoppable Domains.
- Brave has announced plans to expand its support for crypto domain names, adding TLDs from new providers.
- Currently, the browser supports ENS and Unstoppable Domains.
- Brave has not revealed which specific crypto DNS providers it is working with, but it says it is in active discussions.
Share this article
Brave, the popular cryptocurrency rewards browser, has announced that it is expanding its support for DNS providers.
Brave Will Go Beyond ENS
Brave currently supports top-level domains supplied by the Ethereum Name Service and Unstoppable Domains. Those projects provide .eth and .crypto domain names respectively.
In today’s announcement, Brave noted that it is “integrating several blockchain-based DNS providers” with the browser. It added that is in “active conversations” with DNS providers, and that it prefers to actively seek out integration rather than wait for DNS providers to enable support on their end through DNS over HTTPS.
The project also announced its policy on domain name resolution. Crypto-DNS resolution will be off by default. Furthermore, if there is a conflict between crypto-DNS and standard ICANN domain names, Brave will default to the standard domain name.
What Are Crypto Domains?
Blockchain-based DNS platforms provide users with an alternative way to access websites and crypto wallet addresses. Domain name owners purchase their domain with cryptocurrency, and ownership records are stored as data on the blockchain or as an NFT token.
If Brave integrates a domain name service, users will be able to visit those domains once they give the browser permission to do so.
Brave is not the only web browser to support crypto domain names; Opera previously added support for the Ethereum Name Service and Unstoppable Domain Names. Users of other browsers can also access these domain names through extensions.
Disclaimer: At the time of writing this author held less than $75 of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins.


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If you have been a fan of Tweetbot app for Twitter on your Mac, then you will probably be happy to know that Tapbots has just launched a new version of the popular app.
Twitter API Changes Will Break Third-Party Twitter Apps Like Tweetbot and Twitterrific [Update: Twitter Responds]
Twitter has never really been friendly towards third-party Twitter client developers with its various API restrictions that force third-party apps into giving a sub-par Twitter experience. Now, with complete silence on one of its upcoming API changes that will negatively impact third-party clients, Twitter has frustrated the developers behind popular clients like Tweetbot, Twitterific, Talon, and Tweetings.
Tweetbot, one of the more popular third-party Twitter apps for Mac and iOS, has been updated to support the latest versions of Apple’s operating systems.
Tweetbot 4 is hands down the best third party Twitter client for iPhone and iPad. Yes, you don’t get access to all new Twitter features like Polls, but on the upside, there are no ads, there’s timeline position sync between all your devices and the user interface is much, much better. Totally worth the $9.99 asking price. Especially if you use Twitter day in and day out.
Now that Twitter has reclassified itself into a News app, moving away from the social network crowd, Tweetbot –a popular third-party Twitter app– has made it even easier to live tweet.
Tweetbot for Mac has plenty of noteworthy features, but for users of the app on Mac, the latest update might make it even more functional.
On June 4, Tweetbot 2 for Mac finally arrived, bringing with it plenty of new features and a brand new redesign that fosters in plenty of Yosemite-based aesthetics.
Tweetbot has just received an update that pushes the version number up to 3.6, and adds one of Twitter’s newest features.
Tweetbot — one of the most popular Twitter clients for iOS — was updated today to add support for viewing GIFs and videos uploaded directly on Twitter.


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The promise of developing a vibrant IT industry around India’s third internet gateway in Northeast has not materialised, consumer rights activists and industry analysts said on Wednesday in Kolkata.
Speaking to Northeast Now during a seminar on ” Information Disclosure on Broadband Services ” organised by CUTS INTERNATIONAL in Kolkata, several of them complained about the slow internet speed in the northeast despite two years having elapsed since the gateway was commissioned at Agartala.
India is purchasing surplus bandwidth from Bangladesh to boost internet quality in the country’s northeast . Agartala , capital of Tripura, is the gateway, the country’s third after Mumbai and Chennai.
“The promise of the internet gateway has not materialised in the Northeast. Net speed in the region is still very poor and not conducive to the growth of IT industry in the region,” Syed Kazi, president, NORTHEAST ICT Association, said.
He blamed the BSNL and BBNL for the failure to appropriately synchronise the gateway connect.
“The government is spending a lot to strengthen the BSNL but it’s performance in developing the internet gateway effectively remains much to be desired,” Kazi told Northeast Now.
He urged the BSNL in the northeast to coordinate with all private and public stakeholders to make good the promise of the internet gateway.
“Or else this will be a national waste.”
CUTS policy analyst Rahul Singh said the internet gateway has remained “a mere political statement.”
“It is just a numbers game, the claim that we have a third gateway. It has not done anything to change the IT eco-system in northeast. Even elsewhere in India, NET speed is poor,” Singh told Northeast Now.
He called for greater push by all stakeholders including service providers, industry and consumer groups to change the situation for the better


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The company is now the second-largest residential solar developer in the country, says Merkley, and offers consumers a unique opportunity to go solar without incurring any of the considerable up-front costs. Vivint Solar designs and installs the system for each customer and handles the permitting process—all at no cost to the homeowner, who agrees to purchase the power generated by the solar system each month.
“Customers are excited to be able to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable environment in a way that does not cost them anything and, in fact, saves them money,” says Merkley.
Based in Utah, Vivint Solar currently operates in Hawaii, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Most individuals wear only 20 percent of their wardrobe—the remaining 80 percent ends up gathering dust in the closet or in a landfill. Sonia Quiroga Thomas, founder of Olanova Global, has created a win-win solution for eliminating this waste. Her organization collects donated clothing and hires local seamstresses to repurpose the items, which are then resold. All proceeds go to hire more impoverished women to work as seamstresses, as well as to provide sewing machines for women who want to start their own clothing-making companies.
Thomas was raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. In search of opportunity, Thomas migrated to the United States and, upon the success of her for-profit organization, Olanova, launched Olanova Global to give back in a sustainable manner. “A sustainable economy is based on human development. I have seen impoverished women do self-destructive activities to provide for their children. I wanted to help them from a sustainable model. By helping the mothers becoming self-reliant we are helping the children, the economy and community improve.”
The organization has since helped many women get on their feet and aims to donate 1 million sewing machines by 2020 to women around the world. It’s also diverted hundreds of pounds of clothing from the landfill.
Utah Food Services
As one of Utah’s largest catering companies, Utah Food Services (UFS) strives to serve its clients a tasty menu that is sustainable from the chef’s preparations to the final bite.
The company’s green efforts stretch back to 1996, when Doug Curry, facilities manager, implemented a cardboard, paper and fry oil recycling program at the Salt Palace, and later allowed neighboring organizations—Abravenal Hall, Salt Lake Art Center and Visit Salt Lake—to use the company’s recycling method.
As additional resources became available, UFS teamed up with Momentum Recycling to implement an aggressive recycling program, including monthly collection logs that quantify the volumes of glass, green waste and mixed recyclables diverted from the landfill. “Our management staff uses this data to continually train our staff to improve our diversion rate,” says Kate Sullivan, director of marketing.
Over the years, the organization’s devotion to environmentally friendly practices has grown substantially. From buying organic, seasonal goods from local farmers to composting unusable food portions to donating leftover goods to the Utah Food Bank and local shelters, the organization is committed to being as green as possible.
“Respect for our environment is intuitive in our corporate culture,” says Sullivan. “Leading by example as well as providing training, support and resources makes the ultimate goal obtainable, no matter if it’s a successful convention or a new recycling program.”
L-3 Communications Systems West
L-3 Communications is so dedicated to sustainability that its group president has made it one of the group’s 10 objectives, says Andrew Petruczenko, senior manager of facility services. Included in this objective is a focus on the importance of clean air.
L-3 Communications actively participates in the state’s Clear the Air Challenge and won the 2012 team award. It also has its own L-3 Frontrunner shuttle that picks up employees from the transit stop on North Temple and drives them work.
In addition, the company participates in UTA’s rideshare program, has assigned carpool parking and provides assigned “clean air” parking to employees who have vehicles that meet the requirements of the “C” plate, such as a Toyota Prius or Nissan Leaf. Additionally, the company has installed charging stations for fully electric vehicles.
L-3 Communications also has a campus cruiser program called the L-3 Bike Club that loans bikes to employees to ride between campus buildings, in addition to secured bike parking for employees who bike to work.


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When General Motors, citing “very challenging long term prospects,” slammed the brakes on its Russian investments this week, the Kremlin said it was making a big mistake. Russia’s car market would eventually rebound from the crisis and the US auto company “would find itself among the losers,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin. Read more
Japanese carmakers have been pouring money into Mexico in recent years.
Squeezed by higher production costs as a result of the weak yen, many have set up production lines in Mexico, lured by the country’s inexpensive labour and easy access to the key North American market.
In fact, so modern and cost-effective are their Mexican operations that General Motors, the leading US carmarker, this week tapped Nissan to help it build small cargo vans to sell in the US and Canada. Read more
General Motors’ South Korean subsidiary, acquired in 2002, has become one of the US company’s most successful foreign operations. But it has been a difficult ride, with the company plagued by strikes and speculation that it may reduce its presence in Korea, or pull out altogether.
These concerns may be eased by GM’s announcement on Friday of a Won8tn ($7.3bn) five-year investment plan, aimed at expanding research and production. Read more
Labour unions at GM’s Korean subsidiary are up in arms over the company’s plans to shed jobs and to move some production out of the country, as the carmaker launches a new early retirement programme for office workers.
It is GM’s second attempt so far this year to reduce its headcount as it tries to cut costs with European losses weighing on profits. Read more
Payback time? Back in 2009, Argentina lent money to General Motors to ensure production and jobs were preserved amid the global economic slowdown (it paid it back the following year). Three years on, the US automaker is investing 2.13bn pesos – about $450m – to base production of a new vehicle in Argentina. Read more
For global automakers, the Russian car industry appears to be a bright spot - a very, very bright spot - against a dismal European auto market.
At the Moscow auto show, which kicked off on the outskirts of the Russian capital on Wednesday, brands like General Motors, Volkswagen and BMW were falling over themselves to emphasise the market’s importance to their brands, lay out expansion plans and praise the Russian car buyer. Read more
Car dealers in any society are pretty much at the bottom of the pile when it comes to public trust. Ironically in China – where consumers are hyper-distrustful of all merchants at the best of times – car dealers have not been around long enough to become the particular object of public disdain they are in the west. They still have that to look forward to.
So there may not be much public sympathy for complaints from auto dealers that they are carrying too much inventory as the Chinese car market pulls out of a traditionally slow first quarter and ramps up for the usually busy spring and summer sales seasons. Read more


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PAN, TOYOTA, STALLION, SUZUKI FOR LAGOS MOTOR FAIR
If the interest shown so far in next month's Lagos Motor Fair is anything to go by, then the auto exhibition to be a huge success. Checks at the Yaba, Lagos office of the organizers show that many of the leading auto brands in the Nigerian auto market will be paraded by their promoters when the fair opens at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, on October 16. The show is scheduled to end nine days later, on October 24.
Some of the reputable companies who will be at the fair are PAN Nigeria, Toyota Nigeria Limited Emel Automobiles, C&I Motors (Suzuki), Stallion Motors, SpecAutos Ltd, Mobil, JinCheng Group and Frajend Investment Nigeria Ltd. The long list of would-be participants has helped to accelerate the tempo of preparatory activities and the optimism at the office of BKG Exhibitions Limited, the fair organizers.
'These companies are resolved to keep faith with their potential and existing customers as they have packaged series of offers ranging from budget automobiles, spare part, accessories; to good pricing, special fair rebates and promotions, responsive customer care services and lots of supporting benefits for their customers so as to keep on driving the car on their dream. All these they promised to unveil at the show ground', disclosed Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, Managing Director of BKG Exhibitions.
PAN Nigeria will be storming the show with 307 Sedan Jubilee — the flagship it designed to commemorate Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary. Other vehicles to be displayed by PAN include ambulances, buses and cars. Toyota will be showcasing the likes of its new generation of cars, SUV's, light-duty trucks, buses and genuine Toyota spare parts.
From the stable of the Stallion Group will be models of Honda, Skoda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mahindra, Audi and Porsche. C&I Motors, the franchise holder of Suzuki brand plans to showcase the legendary Grand Vitara, sedans and the class-beating APV..
Coming with heavy, medium and light trucks and buses, is Specauto, which will be parading models of Forland products. Commenting on the line-up, the General Manager, Mr. Austin Okon, said: 'We are going to show a highly visible presence at the Fair and we have packaged lots of incentives for visitors to our stand that will make them relish doing so for a long time.'
However, Emel Automobile will parade variants of Lifan and BAW cars, buses, trucks and parts
The motorcycles are staging a come-back to the Lagos Motor Fair with JinCheng West Africa and Frajend Investment Nigeria Limited leading the pack as they showcase models of the two-wheelers, automobile engines, out-board engines, and genuine spare parts. Mobil Oil will be exhibiting the Mobil NO 1 lubricant and allied products.
According to the organizers, in addition to mere display of these products, visitors shall be thrilled with lots of fun. ''They shall see and feel the power and performance of the automotive sector as they gather with the participants to 'drive the abundant opportunities that abound in the Nigerian auto sector'. Of course, there shall be games, gift splash and many more. This year's show is not all about cars; there will be road shows, stunts-driving and most importantly, more than 90 per cent of stakeholders in the automobile industry along with trade visitors, are expected at the prestigious motor show, a statement from the organizers stated'., Agwu said.


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MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
Memphis Zoo visitors are one step closer to being able to grab a cold beer while looking at the tigers and lions.
The Tennessee senate voted yesterday to pass the legislation. The bill would allow the zoo to start selling alcoholic drinks during regular business hours beginning in July.
Drinks are already being sold during special nighttime events. The house version of the bill hasn't been discussed yet.


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According to ACT Research, June’s preliminary North American Class 8 net orders rose 139% over May with 16,000 units. Compared to last June, orders were also up by 23%.
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Discontinues New-Truck Sales
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America announced it is discontinuing new truck sales. Customers will remain supported for warranty repairs, maintenance services, and replacement parts until 2028.


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British Marine Electronics Association Conference 2012 Set to be Bigger than Ever
Published on 11/10/2012
This year’s British Marine Electronics Association Conference will take place next Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at the Novotel Hotel, Southampton. This successful annual event provides an opportunity for all sectors of the marine industry to get together not only to discuss topics of mutual interest but also to create and build beneficial business relationships.
For more details and to book your place click HERE


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(Yicai Global) Aug. 10 -- Some 300 companies, universities and research institutes from China and ASEAN member countries formed the China-ASEAN Information Harbor Industry Alliance, aimed at promoting the development of the regional information industry, at the China-ASEAN Information Harbor Industry Alliance Conference held in China's southern province of Guangxi on Aug. 8.
Group members come from the internet, information technology and logistics sectors, and include the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Huawei Technologies Co., ZTE Corp. [SHE:000063], US-based Qualcomm Inc. [NASDAQ:QCOM] and Guangxi North Bay Investment Group.
China-ASEAN Information Harbor is a flagship project related to the Belt and Road Initiative that focuses on infrastructure, technological cooperation, trade services, information sharing and people-to-people exchanges.
The project aims to speed up the construction of an international sea cable landing station, communication links and cloud computing centers in order to help establish an information communications hub between China and ASEAN countries with Guangxi at the center, said Zhang Xiaoqin, vice chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government.
The CAIH, which led the founding of the group, is a platform-type information technology company with a number of investors and market-based operations. Established with approval from the State Council, China's cabinet, it is dedicated to the operation and construction of China-ASEAN Information Harbor.
Since its founding last year, CAIH has built businesses in a number of industries, inked cooperation agreements with three southern Chinese cities, Guilin, Beihai and Wuzhou, and formed partnerships with companies in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, said Lu Dongliang, CAIH chairman.


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Almost two thirds of international travellers are more interested in holidaying in the UK than this time last year, according to a new poll.
The Barclays Corporate Banking report survey of almost 10,000 guests showed that the weak pound was attracting more tourists with 30% citing greater spending power as a key reason to visit.
Meanwhile, the staycation’s popularity also continues to rise, with 30% of UK holidaymakers expecting to spend more of their holiday time in the UK this year.
The research reveals that the average British budget for UK breaks is £800 with over a fifth (22%) of holidaymakers planning to spend more than £1,000 on their UK getaways. During their staycations, Brits also expect to spend an average of £309 on accommodation, £152 on dining out and £121 on shopping, if they were to spend time holidaying in the UK this year.
Mike Saul, Head of Hospitality & Leisure at Barclays, said: “2017 looks set to be a strong year for the British hospitality sector with both domestic and international visitors increasingly intent on spending more time here.
While the impact of a weak sterling, at least temporarily, has boosted the UK’s international appeal, underlying this increase is the quality of our hospitality industry today and the UK’s enduring appeal as a truly world class destination. Those holidaymakers who are more likely to visit today than 12 months ago are doing so for a range of reasons including the effect of UK operators’ advertising campaigns, the attraction of British TV programmes that have gone global and a case of simply having more money available to spend on holidays from which the UK is set to benefit.”
The average length of a UK visit is just over one week at 9 days and the average budget for planned holidays this year per family, including airfares is £3443. However, American and Chinese guests blow even larger budgets on their planned holidays this year with average spends of £5230 and £5424 respectively. Visitors from China and the US also have significantly larger shopping budgets, with visitors from these countries having an average of £800 and £713 to spend in British shops respectively, compared to the overall budget of £453 set aside by international visitors on average.
The research also shows that younger UK consumers are more interested in a high-tech approach to the leisure sector than older consumers. Over a third (36%) of 18-34s would be more likely to use a bar that invested in automated drinks dispensing, compared to just 6% of the 55 and overs. Younger consumers are also more comfortable with automated ordering in restaurants, with 43% of 18-34s saying they would be more likely to use such a restaurant compared to 14% of the 55 and overs.
The current trend towards upmarket cinemas and bowling centres serving alcohol are also more popular with younger consumers. Nearly a third (30%) of 18-34s said they would be more likely to use a cinema that served alcohol, compared to half of all consumers 55+ who said that it would put them off. Regions such as London where this trend is most established, were much more likely to be interested (37%) than guests from other regions such as the East of England where only one in ten (17%) would be more likely to visit a cinema that offered alcohol.
Saul said: “Our research points to clear differences in preferences between different ages of traveller with regards to tech-driven innovations. Offering guests tailored experiences will be key to success for operators in the UK hospitality and leisure sector in 2017.”


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Hewlett-Packard announced Monday the release of its new $399 7-inch Android tablet PC that comes with a free printer.
Admittedly, I’m saying this backwards.
HP’s actual announcement is a new HP Photosmart eStation multifunction device with a detachable 7-inch controller, but the controller really is a Wi-Fi-enabled Android 2.1 tablet.
While watered down, it can access the web and run a few specialized Android applications.
The product was announced in New York at a press conference attended by Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and “renowned entrepreneur” Ivanka Trump. I’m not exactly sure why Trump was in attendance, but Yang was there to announce that the detachable controller offers “one-touch access to customized content from Yahoo,” including mail, messenger, search and weather. It also comes with apps to print from Facebook and Snapfish.
This is not comparable to other Android devices — including the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Tab. The devices have the same size screen, but the HP tablet will not come with 3G. While it does run Android 2.1, its search tool is from Yahoo (kind of strange for a device with a Google OS), and there is no access to the Android Marketplace.
HP product manager Craig Stein said in an interview that “any Internet page that is accessible via typical Android running devices should be accessible on the 7-inch removable display.”
Stein said that printing is the device’s key design element. Any printable content that can be displayed can be printed directly to the eStation either from your home network or from any Wi-Fi network.
HP was not out to design a device that is a standalone tablet, he said.
“The product we aimed to design here is one that really has its origins in print and that customers today are printing a lot of content that is on the web and we’re trying to make it easier to get to that content without having to power-up a PC.”
The HP device, of course, won’t be subsidized by cell phone carriers, but I don’t think that’s an issue considering it’s bundled with a $399 printer.
It’s interesting that the device uses Android instead of the Palm OS, now owned by HP. The device was being built before HP’s acquisition of Palm. Given HP’s acquisition of Palm, I expect to see a full-featured Palm OS tablet within a year.
The most interesting aspect of this announcement is that the tablet is an accessory to a multi-function printer/scanner/fax that costs maybe $100 more than what you might pay for a similar device without the tablet.
I don’t see any reason to buy this product if you don’t need a new multi-function printer. However, considering the relatively small extra cost over the printer itself, it might have some appeal to people who want to do web surfing from the living room or bedroom without having to spend several hundred dollars for a tablet.
HP didn’t publish the cost of consumables, but it did say that the printer uses HP 564 cartridges. If you purchase the large (XL) black cartridge and the color combo pack, black and white pages will cost about 4.4 cents each on average and color will cost about 8.2 cents.
That’s quite a bit more per page than the cost per page of the popular OfficeJet 8500 printer whose black 940XL cartridge costs about 1.6 cents per page.
Larry Magid’s technology column appears Wednesdays in The Daily News. E-mail him at email@example.com.