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Unboxing Zenfone Max Pro M1: First Asus smartphone with stock Android experience
Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS on Monday announced the global debut of ZenFone Max Pro (M1) from India, which is the first device from the company to be co-marketed and distributed online on Flipkart. The device comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Processor and a massive 5,000mAh battery that claims to give up to 42 hours of talk time, 28 hours of browsing, 199 hours of music playback and 20 hours of video playback in a single charge. The smartphone is also ASUS' first device to offer a pure, stock version of Android with the latest version Android 8.1 and will be available in two variants - 3GB/32GB for Rs 10,999 and the 4GB/64GB for Rs 12,999 on Flipkart from May 3. Watch this unboxing and first look video for more details. (Text: IANS)
OnePlus 6, LG G7, Xperia XZ2: Upcoming smartphones worth waiting for
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ASUS launches ZenFone Max Pro (M1) with 42-hour talk time, pure Android
The phone will be available in two variants - 3GB/32GB for Rs 10,999 and 4GB/64GB for Rs 12,999 on Flipkart from May 3.
Now, search for your desired job at ‘Google for jobs’
Users will have the ability to narrow down results using smart filters, save listings, share them, and sign up for alerts through the search app on Android and iOS.
Google rolls out new feature 'Search' that will help jobs seekers find relevant opportunities
Users can access this experience in English on Android and iOS operating systems.
Google launches job search in India
Jobseekers will now be able to directly search for jobs across over a dozen partners through the Google search bar, making the process less cumbersome.
Huawei unveils P20 Pro in India, world's first smartphone with AI-powered triple rear camera system
Priced at Rs 64,999, Huawei P20 Pro features the world's first Leica triple rear camera system.
Want to buy a new phone but don't want to spend a bomb? Try these refurbished 4G smartphones
From the Lenovo Vibe to the Nokia 6, there are a variety of options available online.
Nokia 6 (2018) review: A stylish phone with pure Android experience
The 16MP primary camera now comes with Zeiss optics and produces crisp shots.
Waymo takes a page out of Google's Android Playbook
Waymo, which started as Google's autonomous car project, seems to have taken a page out of that playbook.
Panasonic expands its 'Big View' series, launches Eluga I7 with curved display
The smartphone comes with a 4000mAh battery, 8MP rear and front camera, and fingerprint sensor.
Vivo launches V9 Youth with AI-powered selfie camera at Rs 18,990
The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor & comes with a 3260 mAh battery.
Google promises to take action on apps that violates their policies
The tech giant responded after a study said nearly 60% of free apps were improperly tracking children.
Google's 'Chat' service a precious gift to cybercriminals: Amnesty
Communications on the new "Chat" service will not be sent over the Internet but through mobile phone carriers, like SMS text messages, according to reports.


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Earlier today, Microsoft released a video featuring the Xbox One's user interface and functionality in live action. Unlike the previously released promo video, this one was a live demo of the Xbox One, with Microsoft employees Marc Whitten and Yusuf Mehdi walking us through Xbox One's many capabilities, including Kinect voice commands.
The duo demonstrated how, with a simple command, the Xbox One would recognize your voice and switch over to your specific profile dashboard. They also used voice commands to quickly switch between apps and games on-the-fly. The Kinect was able to quickly recognize the commands and perform the action, without having to repeat a command. Most impressive was the fact that the Xbox One was as fast as advertised, just as Microsoft had promised.
Unfortunately, things aren't always as they appear. A new report from AP Entertainment Writer Derrik Lang paints a different picture of the Xbox One, one where voice commands had to be repeated — some as many as four times. Here's an excerpt from his article in which Lang points out the flaws of the Xbox One Kinect voice recognition:
At a demonstration of the Xbox One this week organized by Microsoft, the new version of the company's voice-and-motion-detecting Kinect sensor didn't work nearly as flawlessly in real life. The Xbox 360 successor, which is scheduled for release Nov. 22, required several commands to be repeated for the response to pop up on screen.
During a private 45-minute presentation showcasing the console's media and entertainment capabilities, about 10 of 45 voice commands issued had to be repeated by a Microsoft spokesman — some as many as four times. Kinect didn't immediately detect such orders as "Xbox, watch ESPN" and "Xbox, Bing movies with Sandra Bullock" during the demo.
Lang did point out that Jose Pinero, senior director of marketing and public relations for Xbox, claimed, "Everything you're seeing here is going to get better."
"Right now, we're still a couple of weeks away but voice, the more you use it and the more the system learns, the more accurate it becomes. We're still working on fit and finish."
Theoretically, using voice navigation should offer a quicker, more natural process when switching between apps. But if the Kinect requires commands be repeated three or four times, things can become very repetitive, very quickly.

domain: news


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R.J. Reynolds, the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S.,
last week held its first press conference in two decades to launch
Vuse, its "digital vapor cigarette." Marketed by its R.J. Reynolds
Vapor Co., Vuse will next month begin marketing in Colorado -- the
first state in an eventual rollout -- with print, TV and direct
mail marketing from CHI, London.
Altria, parent company of Philip Morris USA, the nation's No. 1
tobacco company, is expected to announce its own e-cigarette brand
at a June 11 investor event. And Lorillard, the third-largest
tobacco company in the U.S., will spend $40 million to market its
e-cigarette brand Blu, more than double what it spent on measured
media last year. "We see real opportunity for the e-cigarette
category," said Robert Bannon, director-investor relations.
Because e-cigarettes are unregulated by the Food and Drug
Administration, tobacco companies can tap certain media that have
long been unavailable to their traditional cigarette brands since a
ban on TV advertising took place in 1971.
Spending on e-cigarette TV ads increased 17.9% from 2011 to
2012, while print ad spending increased 71.9%, according to the
Citibank report. The rise in print spending could be a boon for
magazine publishers. Tobacco, once one of the largest advertisers
in U.S. magazines, retreated from print after the Master Settlement
Agreement of 1998 created broad restrictions on the marketing of
While ads for Lorillard's Newport and Santa Fe Natural's
American Spirit (a subsidiary of Reynolds American) appear in
consumer magazines, Philip Morris USA no longer advertises in
print. This spring R.J. Reynolds returned to consumer magazines for
the first time in five years to promote its Camel Crush cigarette.
Tobacco has been a relatively uninspiring marketing story because
of the regulations and negative sentiment, said Michael S. Lavery,
an analyst for CLSA Americas, but that may be changing with
e-cigarettes: "Companies are advertising as much as they can before
any restrictions might come into place."
The continued growth of ad spending on e-cigarettes hinges upon
how the FDA decides to regulate the burgeoning category. Reynolds
American CEO Daniel Delen said that a decision was "imminent," at
which point Big Tobacco could again be turned away from TV.
Gregory Conley, volunteer legislative director for the Consumer
Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, said that any
regulations the FDA may try to impose will likely result in a court
battle, thus preventing any regulations from going into effect
within the next year. "There definitely is an opportunity to get
back into media markets," he added.
Access to previously unavailable media does not mean marketing
e-cigarettes will be easy. Big Tobacco has to contend with a
lengthy reputation of being disingenuous. "Whenever a major tobacco
company introduces a product, we remember the industry's long
history of deceiving the public about the health risks of its
products," Peter Hamm, director of national communications for the
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The inherent difficulty in trying to market e-cigarettes as a "more
healthful" alternative to traditional cigarettes is that Big
Tobacco would bring scrutiny upon itself. As such, tobacco
companies have been cautious to market e-cigarettes only to
existing adult smokers looking for a viable alternative to
Blu deftly navigated this problem last year with its "Rise From
the Ashes" commercial. In the spot, formerly famous actor Stephen
Dorff called Blu a "smarter" alternative to smoking because it has
no ash or "offensive odor."
Daniel Herko, Reynold's senior VP-research and development, was
smoking Vuse while fielding questions at the Vuse press event. When
asked whether Vuse would be marketed as an anti-smoking device, Mr.
Herko said, "No, sir. ... And we're not making any health
More than 40% of smokers have tried e-cigarettes, but about 80%
go back to exclusively smoking traditional cigarettes, according to
Brice O'Brien, the company's exec VP-consumer marketing, so the
emphasis, for now, will be on providing an e-smoking experience
that accurately replicates the sensation of smoking a real
cigarette. Hence RJR's "Promise Landed" tagline for Vuse.
"For the first several years it's about product differentiation
and innovation," said Brice O'Brien, RJR's exec VP-consumer
marketing. "How that evolves -- does it become more emotional or
image-based? -- it's hard to speculate."
Striking a different path from its competitors will be key to
Reynolds' success with Vuse, according to CLSA's Mr. Lavery. "I
think … it's going to be a little tougher for Altria and
Reynolds to play catch up without a compelling product
differentiation," he said.
Cigarette advertising reached its peak in 1985 with $932 million
in media spending and has been steadily declining since, according
to Ad Age DataCenter's analysis of the Federal Trade Commission's
annual cigarette reports. In 2011, media spend was just $26.9
million. Those dollars shifted to promotional efforts including
events, coupons and retail display. Promotional spending increased
from more than $1.5 billion in 1985 to $13 billion in 2005 before
dropping to a little more than $8.2 billion in 2011.
Big Tobacco certainly won't reach its previous spending peak,
but moving smokers to e-cigarettes has ignited enthusiasm in a
previously dormant marketing segment. "It's a marketer's dream,"
Mr. O'Brien said. "You have a large and substantial consumer base.
They want to make this change."


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We have bad news today for diesel fans. Mazda has announced that it is dropping the Skyctiv-D diesel engine from its US lineup, due to low consumer demand.
Mazda confirmed the sad news to Car and Driver, which means that the diesel engine will no longer be offered in the CX-5. We were also still waiting for the Mazda6 Skyactiv-D, but those plans have been dropped too.
After talking about its diesel engine for years, Mazda finally introduced it the CX-5 Skyactiv-D for the 2019 model year. In 2019 Mazda also announced that the Mazda6 would get the same diesel engine, but it never happened.


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Microsoft, Softbank BB, Japan Telecom team on VoIP
Microsoft is making another move in VoIP, this time in Japan in a partnership with Softbank BB and Japan Telecom that will offer a combination VoIP with e-mail, groupware, and desktop services, the company said Wednesday.
Microsoft’s Japanese unit will offer Microsoft Solution for Enhanced VoIP Services with hosted versions of the firm’s server products including Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Windows SharePoint Services with Sylantro Systems’ Application Feature Server.
The Microsoft features will be coupled with IP phone expertise from Softbank BB and managed network service from Japan Telecom.
Trials of the service are scheduled to get underway in the spring. Financial terms were not announced, but the companies said the service will be targeted at small and medium businesses.
Microsoft has been gradually moving into VoIP, forging partnerships recently with MCI and Qwest. Microsoft added expertise in VoIP by acquiring Teleo earlier this year.
Intel, Google in video search tie-up
Users of Intel Corp.'s new entertainment platform will soon be able to use Google Inc.'s search technology to locate Internet video, one of several new partnerships as the top chip maker moves from microprocessors into digital home entertainment.
Microsoft issues patch for Windows flaw early
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday made available a patch earlier than anticipated to fix a flaw in its Windows operating system that could allow attackers to take control of a computer.
IBM to Freeze $48B Pension Plan in 2008
Furthering corporate America's move away from pensions, International Business Machines Corp. said Thursday it will freeze its $48 billion pension plan in 2008 and instead enhance its 401(k) benefits for its 125,000 U.S. workers.
Tomax Retail.net Hosted Retail Solutions Group Doubles
Tomax Corporation is pleased to report a significant gain in the number of customers using its Retail Application Hosting Services. Tomax Retail.net customers can rely on the Tomax hosting services for complete application and environment management. Tomax expects the trend to accelerate as more retailers recognize the economics, speed, and flexibility of the outsourced services model.
Web Hosting Company Host Color To Reward Authors of Webmaster Articles
Host Color (http://www.hostcolor.com), a US shared web hosting provider, has announced a webmaster contest. The hosting company invites authors of articles related to website industry to create their own accounts in the company's web hosting forum (http://forum.hostcolor.com) and to post their work in the section "Resource Toolbox".
Professional Web Services Launches Strategic Marketing Directory
The New Strategic Marketing Directory is ideally structured toward building up, increasing revenue, and accelerating growth of a company through marketing communications, growth strategies, performance evaluations, sound marketing and advertising principles, ethics, branding, leadership training, sales processes, hi-tech public relations, National and International market development, Internet marketing, online advertising, and web branding.
Canadian Company Takes a Banner Approach to Pixel Advertising
PixelAdNet.com (Pixel Advertising Network) recently announced a new online advertisement system that takes a unique approach to web advertising by integrating the traditional Internet banner with multiple micro-sized pixel ads. This novel approach moves the trend of pixel ad marketing closer to the mainstream as PixelAdNet.com banners begin to populate the web.
Sovion Selects AT&T as Global Network Provider
Sovion N.V., one of the 20 largest industrial companies in the Netherlands and among the largest food and health companies worldwide, has chosen AT&T Inc., for its global Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN). Contract terms were not disclosed
All Eyes on Jobs As Macworld Begins
Apple Computer Inc. had no booth of its own at last week's massive annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It didn't need one. Apple's iPods were everywhere, the name of the company on myriad lips.
Google Introduces Software Starter Kit
Google Inc. is distributing a free software startup kit designed to make computing safer and easier — a generous gesture driven by the company's desire to steer technology offline as well as online.


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According to "Consumer Protection Law no 39/2014," consumers have a right to exchange or get a refund of products within 14 days of purchase, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry emphasized on Sunday. In a press statement, the Ministry pointed out the law allows a consumer to replace or return a defected product within 14 days of purchase (provided that it is not a rapidly perishable good) and further states that vendors and suppliers are jointly liable in such respect.
The law is in effect once a merchant provides a consumer with an invoice confirming the product, the date of sale and purchase, the price, the quantity, type etc. If a consumer and a vendor argue over conditions of a returned product, the National Committee for Consumer Protection (NCCP) should be contacted.
On 5 June 2014, Law No. 39 of 2014 relating to Consumer Protection (the Consumer Protection Law) was published in the Official Gazette. The Consumer Protection Law has 37 articles aimed at safeguarding consumer rights and creating an instrument of control to ensure such rights are properly defended.


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Brisbane headquartered Tritium has announced execution of a global framework agreement with the world’s largest mobility retailer, Shell, in a development that is expected to accelerate worldwide supply of Tritium’s fast DC electric vehicle chargers
Shell has been a customer of Tritium’s since 2020, and owns over 46,000 retail sites globally. It has a goal of operating 500,000 charge points by 2025 and 2,500,000 by 2030.
Being selected as a partner to Shell represented a “great opportunity” for the Australian company, said CEO Jane Hunter, as well as a vote of confidence in its products and services.
“We look forward to supporting Shell in their endeavors to reduce emissions and enable the rapid electrification of transportation,” said Hunter.
The announcement on Tuesday said that the partnership was expected to help accelerate supply of chargers to Shell’s sites in Europe, South Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America.
Tritium was founded in 2001 by University of Queensland SunShark team members for the World Solar Challenge.
It makes fast chargers with individual capacities from 50 kilowatt to 350 kilowatt, and is one of the world’s top sellers in this niche.
Last month the company launched a new testing chamber at its Brisbane headquarters, reportedly one of the world’s highest-power commercially accessible electromagnetic compatibility chambers.
Tritium is expected to list on the NASDAQ later this year or early in 2022, the result of a deal with a US a special purpose acquisition company, Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation II, announced in May.
Subscribe to our free @AuManufacturing newsletter here.


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UPDATE: Now open in June 2018.
Paciugo Gelato closed its doors earlier this year at The Oaks Mall. Opening soon at this location, across from Dick's Sporting Goods in the outdoor shops section of the mall, is Go Greek Yogurteria.
Go Greek's menu includes Fresco (fresh Greek yogurt creations), Kyro (self-serve Greek frozen yogurt), Parfaits and coffee.
They are currently hiring at gogreekyogurtcareers.com.
Learn more at www.gogreekyogurt.com.


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At the American Hotel and Motel Association, Michele Kelley, a spokeswoman, said "the phones are ringing" after a severe slump.
Michael Ribero, senior vice president of marketing for the Hilton Hotels Corporation in Los Angeles, also reported the beginnings of a resurgence after what he called the worst tailspin the United States travel industry had experienced. "The days after the Persian Gulf crisis began were literally the days the earth stood still for the travel industry," he said. Economic Factors Cited
Delta Airlines is booking about 7,200 passengers per day traveling to and from the Boston area, he said, compared to about 7,000 bookings during this period last year. American Airlines has booked 5 percent more passengers than last year. And the number of Northwest Airlines bookings has gone from about 8,000 to 8,400 per day.
"Total numbers for the year will probably be down, but this weekend people are traveling," he said.
John Garrish, a 21-year-old painter from Scituate, Mass., said he was going ahead with a trip to visit his girlfriend in San Francisco. He had postponed it when war broke out because "nobody really knew what Saddam Hussein was up to." Now he was headed for the airport.
"I don't want to sound corny," he said, "but some things just can't wait forever."
Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines, said its recent cut in fares had brought more bookings and travel, and several industry analysts attributed a boost in travel to a half-price promotion by America West.
Mr. Smith said domestic air travel was affected more by the economy than by the war, and was slow even before Jan. 15.
A spokesman for Amtrak, Pat Kelly, said business had remained basically steady over the past months, with rail travel less dependent than air or road travel on fluctuating oil prices.
At the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., Gretchen deWeese, acting director of public relations for the hotel, said, "There was a lull right around the 15th, 16th, 17th of January." But she said this had been softened by an increase in bookings by groups that had canceled trips to Europe.
Spokesmen for cruise lines also said they were doing well after a sharp drop in bookings in the middle of January. For Carnival Cruise Lines, Jan. 28 was the fifth-busiest day and Feb. 4 was the third- busiest day in the 17-year history of the company, said a spokesman, Tim Gallagher.
At the Chamber of Commerce in Aspen, Colo., Carol Pasternak said snow conditions were excellent and bookings this year have been up from last year every week except for the week of Jan. 13.
At Universal Studios Florida, Matthew L. Palmer, a spokesman, said, "The gulf war and the recession haven't affected us."
Gamblers seemed to be somewhat more hesitant than skiers or movie buffs, as bookings slumped and hotels continued to lay off employees. But with an eye out for a switch in fortune, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is plugging for more visitors.
"After the war we pulled our television spots for two weeks because at that time, when people were still pretty much in shock about the war, we thought it was in poor taste," said a spokesman, Rob Powers. "But we've started up again in the last few days."


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Charmin, the toilet paper company, tweeted this:
It’s happened before, it’ll happen again; someone checked their online bank account and it stated they had more money than previously thought. Big whoop, right? However, this time’s slightly different:
Delaware County resident Chris Reynolds received just such a shocking delivery from PayPal on Friday, when he opened his monthly statement from the online money-transfer company via email and saw that his ending balance was $92,233,720,368,547,800.
“I’m just feeling like a million bucks,” Reynolds told the Daily News yesterday. “At first I thought that I owed quadrillions. It was quite a big surprise.”
Exciting news! This man now has more than all the money ever created ever in the history of ever! And he’s in our state! Think of the tax revenue:
After absorbing the initial shock, Reynolds logged on to PayPal’s site and saw that his balance was listed there as zero.
Shit. Oh well, fun while it lasted. Also, this could be the first time ‘sad trombone’ has been written in the copy of a newspaper article.
In any event, what would’ve this fine upstanding young man have done with the money? Why, buy the Phillies! (and something about pay off debts):
“I’m a very responsible guy,” he said. “I would pay the national debt down first. Then I would buy the Phillies, if I could get a great price.”
You WILL feel the wrath.
He’s damn good. Here he is dropping by the Egyptian TV show Al Barhnameg (The Program) to discuss his coming movie:
Congressman Steve Stockman’s staff is eatin’ healthy and ‘beating’ the SNAP challenge:
The “SNAP Challenge,” a left-wing publicity stunt intended to make it appear proposed cuts to food stamps would leave families unable to feed themselves, has been debunked this week by the office of Congressman Steve Stockman.
About 30 House Democrats are participating in the “SNAP Challenge” in which someone must feed themselves on $31.50 a week, which Democrats claim is the level of benefits available to a person under the Farm Bill. Democrats have been intentionally buying overpriced food and shopping at high-priced chains to make it appear the cuts go too far.
Donny Ferguson, who serves as Stockman’s communications director and agriculture policy advisor, was able to buy enough food to eat well for a week on just $27.58, almost four dollars less than the $31.50 “SNAP Challenge” figure.
“I wanted to personally experience the effects of the proposed cuts to food stamps. I didn’t plan ahead or buy strategically, I just saw the publicity stunt and made a snap decision to drive down the street and try it myself. I put my money where my mouth is, and the proposed food stamp cuts are still quite filling,” said Ferguson.
“We can cut the proposed benefits by an additional 12.4 percent and still be able to eat for a week,” said Ferguson. “Not only am I feeding myself for less than the SNAP Challenge, I will probably have food left over.”
So how’d he accomplish this feat and debunk the left-wingers? let’s see his grocery list for a week (which i’m sure he followed to a T):
Ferguson purchased his food at the Dollar Tree and Shopper’s Food Warehouse located in the 6100 block of Little River Turnpike in Alexandria. It is served by Metrobus and within bike and walking distance of public housing.
For $21.55 Ferguson purchased at Dollar Tree:
Two boxes of Honeycomb cereal
Three cans of red beans and rice
Jar of peanut butter
Bottle of grape jelly
Loaf of whole wheat bread
Two cans of refried beans
Box of spaghetti
Large can of pasta sauce
Two liters of root beer
Large box of popsicles
24 servings of Wyler’s fruit drink mix
Eight cups of applesauce
Bag of pinto beans
Bag of rice
Bag of cookies
For $6.03 at the Shoppers Food Warehouse next door Ferguson bought a gallon of milk and a box of maple and brown sugar oatmeal.
real health nut, there. no meat, no veggies, no fruit, lots of sugar and useless junk and non-food like soda. where is ptk when we need him? we could dispatch him to Stocky and Ferguson to teach them how to eat nutritionally. also, maybe we shouldn’t be cutting funding for SNAP if THIS is what he could afford, and is bragging about it. and maybe we shouldn’t be cutting the educational portion of the Ag bill, like the House wanted to.
Hope this Mel Brooks guy made something of himself. Seems like quite the talent.


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As only a few weeks left before Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) most awaited iPhone 7 launch day, there were many rumors as well as leaked information about the iOS smartphone. One of the rumors was about the introduction of dual speakers like we can find in HTC M10. But, the latest leaked schematic, allegedly of iPhone 7’s, revealed that there won’t be any dual speaker integration inside the Apple phone.
There were multiple reports of Apple’s plans to drop the universal 3.5mm headphone jack and replace the feature via its Lightning port where users can connect the Lightning earphones to listen to music as well as calls.
Hence, many rumors suggested that the empty space where 3.5mm headphone jack once resided will be filled with an additional speaker to make it a dual-speaker iPhone. Some of the reports have also cited an alleged leaked image of the device with two speaker grills placed on either side of the Lightning port placed at the bottom.
Now, according to a French website, which also leaks iPhone information, there is an extra speaker grill at the bottom of the device, but it’s purely cosmetic to maintain the symmetry of the iPhone 7. The schematics’ text, in Chinese, reads, “the vacant area left by the 3.5mm headphone jack on iPhones will be occupied by a microphone as well as a microphone mesh on Apple iPhone 7. It doesn’t mention anything about the extra speaker or whatsoever in that area.
To support this claim, we have analyzed the allegedly leaked design of iPhone 7 case showed by MacRumors, which doesn’t have any cuts at the place of the headphone jacks, except for one side where the microphone resides. However, as these reports are purely rumors, we suspect Apple would not want to waste such spaces just for cosmetic – there is still enough space to add an additional speaker alongside the microphone. The final announcement could surprise the Apple fans who are waiting for the stereo speakers on upcoming smartphone.
Meanwhile, there is a rumor that there won’t be any space gray iPhone 7 released to the market. Instead, the space black variant of iPhone 7 will be launched along with the rose gold and gold iPhones.


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Qualcomm and Alibabahave joined forces to boost LTE IoT deployment in China by pre-integrating the Alibaba Cloud Link One on to the MDM9206 multi-mode LTE IoT modem. The move enables module manufacturers and IoT developers to quickly develop and deploy solutions that connect with the Alibaba Cloud using LTE IoT connectivity and client software running directly on the LTE system-on-chip (SoC). The integration also helps address a vast array of the existing and emerging LTE IoT use cases, including smart transportation (e.g. bike sharing), smart cities as well as industrial IoT applications in areas such as smart grid, smart metering (e.g. electricity, gas, water), asset tracking and more, Qualcomm said in a statement.
ZTEhas released a new generation of its ThingxCloud IoT platform products. Based on oneM2M's technology architecture and ICT PaaS/AI & Big Data, ZTE’s ThingxCloud includes IoT devices, connection management and application enabling management. It adapts to various bearer networks, and shields differences among different bearer network technologies so as to make the upper applications transparent on the underlying bearer network.


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J.Cole Best Rapper Alive or Nah?
J. Cole’s recent release “KOD” shattered Apple’s one day streaming record with 64.5 million streams in 24 hours. His first week projection numbers for pure album sales are estimated 140K-155K according to Complex. They’re saying alongside with a No 1:…Read more
Wednesday, April 25, 2018


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Nintendo has promised its NES Classic Edition is headed back into production with new shipments coming in 2018. The company has a chance to expand and build on the product’s popularity, assuming it can build enough to satisfy existing demand this time around.
Intel has announced it’s killing the semi-custom chip that powers Microsoft’s HoloLens. It’s a good bet that they’ve done so with MS’ agreement, but what does that mean for the future of Microsoft’s augmented reality platform?
The Snapdragon 835 was shown off this week and it’s a potent improvement over the Snapdragon 820 / 821 in many respects, though not in all of them. Despite debuting a new custom architecture for the Snapdragon 820 family, Qualcomm is moving back towards using semi-custom ARM cores instead for this round of products.
AMD is announcing its new branding for Zen today. Meet Ryzen — and take a look at its capabilities, features, and expected clock speeds inside.
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In a strategic move that solidifies Apple’s commitment to innovation, the tech giant has entered into a new long-term agreement with Arm to supply chips “beyond 2040,” according to Arm’s recent initial public offering (IPO) documents.
Arm, the British semiconductor and software design company, unveiled its pricing parameters for the IPO, aiming for a groundbreaking $52 billion deal, which is anticipated to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. this year. SoftBank Group, the owner of Arm, intends to offer 95.5 million American depositary shares of the company at prices ranging from $47 to $51 apiece, as outlined in the IPO documents.
Arm’s significance in the tech world lies in its ownership of the intellectual property that underlies the computing architecture of most smartphones. This technology is licensed to Apple and numerous other companies. Apple, in particular, leverages Arm’s intellectual property as it continues to develop its proprietary chips for its iconic devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The historical connection between Apple and Arm runs deep. Apple was one of the pioneering companies that backed Arm when it was founded in 1990. This partnership led to the release of the Newton pocket computer in 1993, a groundbreaking device at the time, powered by an Arm-based processor chip. Although the Newton didn’t find enduring success, Arm’s low-power consumption technology was a game-changer, particularly for cell phone chips, allowing batteries to last significantly longer.
In a testament to their ongoing collaboration, Apple was among several major technology companies that collectively invested $735 million in Arm’s recent IPO. Reuters was the first to confirm Apple’s involvement as one of the strategic investors who committed to purchasing shares.
Interestingly, this extended agreement between Apple and Arm, beyond 2040, was not mentioned in the initial Arm IPO documents made public on August 21. This indicates that the deal was signed sometime between that date and September 5.
As of now, both Arm and Apple have remained tight-lipped about the specifics of this extended agreement. Arm declined to provide additional comments beyond the information available in its documents, while Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment.
This development underscores Apple’s unwavering dedication to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. The continued collaboration with Arm, a pioneer in low-power computing, hints at Apple’s intent to push the boundaries of innovation and set new standards in the ever-evolving tech landscape. The implications of this partnership “beyond 2040” are sure to reverberate across the industry and pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in computing technology.


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UK retail sales fell by an estimated 3.2% in December 2023, from a rise of 1.4% in November.
It’s the biggest monthly fall since January 2021, when sales were affected by lockdown restrictions.
What’s more, the actual volume of goods that consumers bought in December was the lowest since May 2020, during the first Covid lockdown.
The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that many people did their festive shopping earlier, taking advantage of Black Friday discounts at the end of November.
The volume of non-food products purchased in December fell by 3.9%, versus a 2.7% increase in November. Meanwhile, food store sales volumes were down 3.1%, from an increase of 1.1% a month earlier.
“Food stores performed very poorly, with their steepest fall since May 2021 as early Christmas shopping led to slow December sales,” said Heather Bovill, deputy director for surveys and economic indicators at the ONS.
“Department stores, clothing shops and household goods retailers reported sluggish sales too as consumers spent less on Christmas gifts, but had also purchased earlier during Black Friday promotions, to help spread the cost.”
Bovill added that the longer-term picture for retail sales remains “subdued”, with quarterly sales down and annual sales falling for the second consecutive year, to the lowest level in five years.
The December figures increase the risk that the UK economy fell into recession at the end of 2023.


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Windows XP no longer receives support since April 2014, but plenty of users out there are still running it, and not only that they refuse to upgrade to a newer operating system, but they also ask Microsoft to launch a second edition of their favorite operating system.
While this is pretty much impossible to happen, since Microsoft has already started work on Windows 10 and launching Windows XP Second Edition would only mean a step back, it's interesting to see why exactly people want such an operating system in an era where modern technologies do not get well at all with a platform launched 14 years ago.
Posts all over the web, but mostly on Microsoft's Community forums, emphasize that Windows XP Second Edition is needed because users still expect to get an operating system that's still resource-friendly (and thus runs on older PCs too), comes with a familiar UI, and runs all apps out there.
Obviously, keeping old hardware alive wouldn't be the smartest decision for Microsoft, as PC shipments go head to head with Windows sales, but that doesn't stop Windows XP users from hoping that a revamped version of their OS would see daylight.
A post published on the Microsoft forums in 2014 sums up what users think about this proposal:
“That's a fantastic idea. And don't change the interface. And feel of it. Plus make old software and games work on it. Give it the latest Direct X. People would definitely buy it. I certainly would. But we know Microsoft is too dumb to realize they have a goldmine in a XP2 version.”
“I bet all the IT people would upgrade too. I would like it to have visual styles and be able to change the colors. I always keep my fingers cross on a second XP version. Gates is back, he should think about it. There should be a petition for it. I can't stand Windows 7. Tried it, hated it.”
According to statistics provided by market research Net Applications, Windows XP continues to be the second top operating system worldwide with a share of 18.26 percent in December 2014, while Windows 7 continues to lead the charts with 56.26 percent.
As you can see, Windows XP is losing ground at a really slow pace, which isn't quite the best news for Microsoft, but there's no doubt that all Redmond's hopes are on Windows 10.
The new operating system is expected to see daylight in the fall of 2015, and that is the moment when more users could migrate off Windows XP, thus causing a new massive PC upgrade that would also help the PC industry boost shipments and thus recover at a faster pace.


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Otautahi – Police are asking bike owners to be wary after a spike in bike thefts in the Christchurch CBD.
In the past six weeks, Christchurch has seen over 166 bike thefts which is equivalent to a loss of a quarter of a million dollars.
The thefts are taking place outside commercial or retail outlets even when bikes are locked up. If bikes are not properly and securely locked to a hitching post, they are targets to be stolen, Senior Sergeant Roy Appley says.
“Every pushbike owner should be taking care to lock up or store bikes wisely especially outside universities, gyms, malls and high schools. People should consider a high-quality D-lock or similar to deter would-be thieves.
“When people first buy their bike, they should ensure they record its serial number and take a photo of the bike.
“Put the details of that number somewhere safe, tell your insurance company, just make sure you note it down, with the help of www.snap.org.nz.”
SNAP is a New Zealand police initiative, aimed to prevent burglaries and to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen goods in New Zealand.
Police says when people buy bicycles online, they should be careful they are not buying a stolen bike. With the number of thefts growing in the Christchurch CBD, people should be careful of what they purchase. The majority of these stolen bikes are being sold via online market sites.
“If you’re purchasing from an individual, we suggest you request proof of ownership, or perhaps some form of ID,” Senior Sergeant Appley says.
Five people responsible for a large number of the thefts were arrested earlier this month, and more thefts are being actively investigated.
Police say they want to reassure Christchurch central residents that they continue to investigate dishonesty offences and encourage people to report all thefts.


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Student Research Offers Insight on Some of World’s Best-Known Brands
October 31, 2011
|Students presented their research findings to marketing executives this month in New York City. The trip also included a reception (above), where they and finance students met with high-level executives and alumni in the offices of UBS to learn about the transition from classroom to office.|
The Walt Disney Co. gets superior marks for its volunteer programs and works promoting “green” practices and healthy lifestyle choices for children. That’s according to new research conducted this semester by undergraduate and MBA students from the School of Business. Their marketing research on more than 100 U.S. companies focused on consumer perceptions of how U.S. brands’ market performance compares to its corporate citizenship. Students analyzed how high-profile brands such as Apple, Facebook, Starbucks and Walt Disney Co. are creating a meaningful impact on consumers’ lives, and highlighted areas that need improvement. In addition to their finding about Walt Disney, they found that PepsiCo Inc. does a good job saving fuel and reducing emissions at company plants, and they gave Johnson & Johnson credit for its water-recycling program in India. They also found room for improvement among other top brands, such as Starbucks, which they felt could improve its recycling program.
Their research findings were presented to brand consulting agency Landor Associates, in conjunction with sister companies Burson-Marsteller and Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB), this month in New York. The project, which was initiated by Hayes Roth (AB ’72), Landor’s chief marketing officer, is modeled after Landor’s Breakaway Brands study which analyzes companies that have revolutionized business.
The study was based on 12 key points, including how the company positively impacts the everyday lives of its customers, its ethical leadership, its dedication to making communities a better place, and its genuine interest in making a difference in the world.
|Alfred Marsicano (BBA ’76, left) with School of Business Dean Gene Anderson
“It’s great to see undergraduates and MBAs working together toward one goal,” said Mary Young, director of the School’s Ziff Graduate Career Services Center, who helped spearhead the project. “This kind of experiential learning and civic engagement research is part of the curriculum Dean Anderson is promoting at the School.”
While in New York, students also visited marketing firms Arnold and Buzz Back, and attended an alumni UBS networking event. The event has been hosted for the past four years by School of Business alumnus and Senior Vice President of Investments for UBS Alfred Marsicano (BBA ’76).
“Overall, the experience for the students was remarkable,” said Michael Tsiros, chair of the School’s marketing department, who worked with students on the project and accompanied them on their trip along with Claudia Townsend, assistant professor of marketing.


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Microsoft will cut 10,000 jobs in the latest round of staff redundancies to hit the tech industry.
It will affect up to 5% of its global workforce and cost the business $1.2bn in severance and reorganisation costs.
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said that while customer spending had grown during Covid, more were now choosing to “exercise caution”.
He said the firm would continue to hire in key areas.
Hundreds of tech firms, including some of the sector’s biggest names like Amazon and Instagram-owner Meta, have revealed layoffs in recent weeks.
Like other tech companies, Microsoft’s business boomed during the pandemic, fuelled by the increase in remote work and other online activity.
Its workforce grew by roughly 40,000 between June 2021 and June 2022, when it reported having about 221,000 full-time employees, including 99,000 outside of the US.
As business slowed last year, the firm embarked on a series of job cuts.


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America is living life king size and it shows on our expanding waistlines. There are some very unlikely parties who are showing concern for this issue, two of which is the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association and Food Marketing Institutes. These groups of food and beverage manufacturer’s and retailers are joining the bandwagon in a drive to control a problem which is gaining enormity into becoming an epidemic that would be obesity. America is eating large portions of processed food and junk food with a vengeance without a thought to nutrition value. (It’s one of the reasons we designed our cup holder to accommodate oversized beverages.) This carelessness is resulting in obese children and a population which is causing a burden on the health system with the advent of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes and heart attack at younger and younger ages.
Life being as busy as it is the time to have a well balanced home cooked meal is literally impossible most days of the week. A simple example is most people commute to work with their breakfast in their drink holder of the car, a single cup of coffee. The heavy reliance on pre-cooked food or salads and sandwiches off the counter is a key contributor to Americans becoming fatter. Most food nutrition labels are on the back of the packaging where the buyer needs to make an effort to run through the information before making an informed decision about the health value of the product. Most people are rushing through the grocery store aisles picking up whatever they need quickly so they can also get all their other tasks done in the day therefore there is not enough time trying to read or search for the nutrition information and then decide to buy that eatable or not. GMA and FMI are looking at trying to make it easier to educate the consumer about the nutrition value and calorie content etc., by moving the required facts to the front of the packaging along with depicting the data in a more catchy representation.
This movement towards reduction of obesity is supplemented with 20,000 more nutritious product choices introduced in the market by the food and beverage industry. Major food giants such as Kellogg’s are very upbeat with the labelling coming into effect in the early part of next year as they also believe strongly in fighting the challenge that obesity poses to the health of Americans (yet unlike their major competitor, General Mills, Kellogg’s still hasn’t removed high fructose corn syrup from their cereals). Through better consumer awareness (again, just like searching for wheelchair accessories on the internet) which addresses the key decision maker who purchases the groceries and plans the menu of the household, the concerns raised because of obesity can slowly be addressed. There will be a education drive costing the industry almost $50 million to implement that will roll out to make the customer’s aware that there will be these labels and how they can utilize this information to make their household’s diet more nutrient rich.


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Thoughtful Brands, a cannabis and psychedelics company in Vancouver, British Columbia, has dissolved its subsidiary in Germany to focus on its direct-to-consumer brands, including a CBD maker in Kentucky.
Thoughtful Brands says its subsidiary Verrian Germany GmbH has sought creditor protection and institute insolvency proceedings in Germany.
In September, Thoughtful Brands closed the acquisition of American Extraction CBD Corp., a privately held hemp grower and processor in Pikeville, Kentucky, in a stock-and-cash deal valued at $9 million.
Thoughtful Brands, formerly called Mota Ventures, distributes health products online. The company sells CBD topicals and ingestibles under the Nature’s Exclusive brand and trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange as TBI.
Also on Monday, Thoughtful Brands announced the appointment of consultant Geoff Balderson as the firm’s new CFO.


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This year’s Autumn Fair will see the launch of a new Home Accents feature devoted to higher-end, contemporary home products.
The Home Accents showcase will become a permanent zone of the show, where it will be located in Hall 3. The area will cover products including designer furniture, lighting and mirrors, soft furnishings, decorative home accessories, contemporary art and textiles.
Organiser Emap Connect says the move has been driven by both exhibitors and visitors stipulating the need for a higher-end lifestyle offering alongside more traditional home interiors.
Said event director Roz McGuinness: “The launch will satisfy numerous existing exhibitors and open the doors to a wealth of new suppliers, which want to target independent retailers while maintaining exposure to the multiples and department stores.”
Autumn Fair 2011 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from September 4 to 7.


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McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) reported its same-store sales for July which was the worst month in quite a while. Overall same-store sales dropped 2.5%. In the Asia region, same-store sales plunged 7.5%. The U.S. saw a 3.2% decline. CEO Don Thompson stated that the results were "not in-line with McDonald's expectations."
McDonald's blamed "continuing broad-based challenges" as well as having a comparison month versus last year when it had a monopoly event. The monopoly events tend to spark a little extra interest that translates into sales and there was no event for July this year. The weakness in Asia specifically was due to "the impact of food quality and safety issues at a supplier to McDonald's and other food companies in China."
More interesting, to me at least, was that the release went on to say (my emphasis added), "As a consequence, results in China, Japan and certain other markets experienced a significant negative impact." In my last article I stated:
McDonald's has around 2,000 units in China out of more than 35,000 worldwide. That's only 6%, so you might think it's not a big deal, because the other 94% shouldn't be affected. I disagree. McDonald's has already been struggling with domestic same-store sales for several quarters and just reported 1.5% decline this past fiscal and calendar second quarter.
I believe the China scandal left a bad taste in some consumers' mouths over here domestically and now the numbers suggest that's the case. Is it just a coincidence that the worst month in quite some time in the United States occurred at the same time as the scandal that hit not just china but "certain other markets"? Maybe. I suspect we'll know more when the August results surface on September 9.
Disclosure: The author has no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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TULLAMORE is “dying” and a plan is required to restore it to a centre of commercial and retail activity, members of Tullamore Municipal District Council were told last week.
Making the call for such a plan to be urgently put in place, independent councillor Sean O'Brien said business in the town centre had been decimated from the 1990s onwards due in part to the development of out of town retail centres.
He recalled landmark businesses which had once dominated the town centre including Quinnsworth, Texas, Hayes Hotel and the Manor public house.
“We need to breathe some life back into the town,” he advised.
Cllr O'Brien said a lot of work was currently taking place in the town centre as part of the enhancement programme but he didn't think there was an overall plan to rejuvenate the area.,
“I would like to know where Tullamore will be in five, ten, 15 years time,” he outlined pointing out that rival Midland centres, Portlaoise, Athlone and Mullingar “have gone ahead of us.”
“We are in decline and we have to face up to it,” he declared.
Cllr O'Brien suggested that different organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce, residents associations, businesses and the council should form a working group to pursue the idea.
“We have to look at initiatives, proper planning and new anchor tenants that will bring people into the town,” he added.
Cllr O'Brien pointed out that the existing 2016 development plan had clearly stated that development would be encouraged in the existing centre of the town but in practice the exact opposite had taken place.
He claimed the development plan had also called for a master plan to be put in place identifying potential development sites in the town centre and asked where this master plan was.
“We simply cannot allow our town to decline further before out eyes,” added Cllr O'Brien,
Cathaoirleach Cllr Frank Moran said he totally agreed with Cllr O'Brien's sentiments and asked if he was looking for a co-ordinated body with the groups he had identified to be formed.
Cllr O'Brien replied that he wanted such a group to be led by the council.
Cllr Tony McCormack said the development plan had been aspirational and commercial reality decided the course of events.
He said some businesses were doing well in Tullamore at present and stressed that the shopping centres on the outskirts of town were providing employment.
Cllr McCormack said four new coffee shops had opened recently including one in O'Connor Square which was currently being dug up as part of the Town Enhancement Scheme works.
He added that many of the former retail outlets in the town centre would never be filled by businesses again and should be converted into living accommodation.
Cllr McCormack agreed that the council should take the lead on any plan.
Director of Services, Tom Shanahan stressed that “Tullamore was very much open for business and there are a lot of positive things happening.”
Re-entering the debate, Cllr O'Brien observed that “about half of Harbour St is empty.” “Some empty businesses are lying there for ten years.”
“We can't stand idly by and say it will all be grand in the end,” he pointed out.
Cllr O'Brien suggested that the old Texas site should form the cornerstone of any redevelopment of the town centre.
Cllr McCormack noted that a feasibility study had been undertaken by Waterways Ireland to redevelop the canal harbour on Harbour St.
He added that there were plans for a big shopping centre development with the council at present and big names had been mentioned as possible anchor tenants.
Cllr Neil Feighery suggested major retailers should be encouraged to set up base in the town centre.
He also pointed to the successful conversion of a former pub on Harbour St into a number of town houses.


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On the evening of September 13, according to Bloomberg, it was reported that HeyTea hired UBS and was considering listing on the Hong Kong Exchange as soon as 2022. In this regard, HeyTea responded that it didn't have any listing plan at present.
News about the listing of HeyTea is not the first time.
On September 8, 2020, some media quoted informed sources as saying that both HeyTea and Nayuki's Tea sought to be listed in Hong Kong in 2021, raising HKD 400 million to HKD 500 million, respectively.
On March 30, 2021, there were rumors that HeyTea planned to be listed in Hong Kong in the second half of the year, and CICC was preparing for HeyTea's listing in Hong Kong as early as the end of 2020. At that time, Nie Yunchen, the founder of HeyTea, personally posted to clarify that "we have no listing plan this year."
On August 3, 2021, it was rumored again that HeyTea would be listed in Hong Kong in 2022, with a target valuation of HKD 150 billion (about CNY 124.782 billion), which was double the valuation after the latest round of strategic financing. HeyTea denied the news.
HeyTea, founded in May 2015 by Nie Yunchen and Liu Zhichao, has become a leading brand in the field of new tea.
According to EqualOcean Data, HeyTea has completed five rounds of financing up to now. On July 13, 2021, HeyTea completed strategic financing of USD 50 million, where Tencent Investment, L Catterton, Sunrise Oriental Capital, BA Capital, Temasek, Sequoia Capital China and Hillhouse Capital are as investors. Its current valuation reached CNY 60 billion, setting a new record of China's new tea.
HeyTea's competitors include Nayuki's Tea, Le Le tea and other brands. Among them, Nayuki's tea was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 30, 2021. Rumors of HeyTea's impending IPO have intensified since competitor Nayuki filed for a Hong Kong listing.


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ACCC takes on Woolworths
The ACCC has commenced legal action in the Federal Court against supermarket giant, Woolworths, alleging it breached Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by engaging in unconscionable conduct in dealings with a large number of its supermarket suppliers.
The ACCC alleges that in December 2014, Woolworths developed a strategy, approved by senior management, to urgently reduce Woolworths’ expected significant half year gross profit shortfall by December 31 2014.
It is alleged that one of the ways Woolworths sought to reduce its expected profit shortfall was to design a scheme, referred to as ‘Mind the Gap’ which sought payments from a group of 821 ‘Tier B’ suppliers.
The ACCC alleges Woolworths’ category managers and buyers contacted a large number of the Tier B suppliers and asked for payments that ranged from $4291 to $1.4 million, to “support” Woolworths. Not agreeing to a payment would be seen as not “supporting” Woolworths, the ACCC said in a statement.
The ACCC also alleges the requests were made in circumstances where Woolworths was in a substantially stronger bargaining position than the suppliers and did not have a pre-existing contractual entitlement to seek the payments.
According to the watchdog’s allegations, Woolworths sought approximately $60.2 million in Mind the Gap payments from the Tier B suppliers, expecting that while many suppliers would refuse to make a payment, some suppliers would agree. It is alleged that Woolworths ultimately captured approximately $18.1 million from these suppliers.
“A common concern raised by suppliers relates to arbitrary claims for payments outside of trading terms by major supermarket retailers,” ACCC chairman, Rod Sims, said. “It is difficult for suppliers to plan and budget for the operation of their businesses if they are subject to such ad hoc requests.”
“The alleged conduct by Woolworths came to the ACCC’s attention around the time when there was considerable publicity about the impending resolution of the ACCC’s Federal Court proceedings against Coles Supermarkets for engaging in unconscionable conduct against its suppliers,” Sims said.
“Of course, the allegations against Woolworths are separate and distinct from the Coles case.”
Last year Coles was found to have engaged in unconscionable conduct towards a group of ‘Tier 3′ suppliers after an ACCC investigation. The supermarket paid more than $10 million in fines and agreed to refund suppliers $12 million.
The ACCC is seeking injunctions, including an order requiring the full refund of the amounts paid by suppliers under the Mind the Gap scheme, a pecuniary penalty, a declaration, and costs. The first Directions Hearing is set for February 1, 2016.
Woolworths said it is reviewing the claims.
“Woolworths has been fully cooperating with the ACCC during the course of the investigation over the last year,” Woolworths said in a statement.
“We believe our conduct was consistent with Australian and international industry practice to engage regularly with suppliers over product and category performance.
“Woolworths believes in working cooperatively with suppliers. Woolworths was the first major supermarket to agree to sign the Grocery Code of Conduct and is currently implementing the Code across its business.”


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The latest digital-media company to downsize is Bluetorch, an extreme-sports effort from the Broadband Interactive Group.
On Monday, the company pinkslipped 64 employees, primarily from print and Web production departments. Sales, marketing and finance positions were also affected. Before the layoffs, the company said it had around 140 staffers.
Bluetorch’s cross-media network originally operated in four areas, with a daily one-hour TV show (“Bluetorch TV” on Fox Sports Net), an Internet portal (www.bluetorch.com), print magazines and a live-events division.
According to the company, Bluetorch’s Web site will be scaled back but will continue to support the TV show. Live events will also continue. However, Bluetorch killed all of its print titles, including Wave Action, Pit Bodyboard, Wakeboard and MX Rage, effective this past Sunday. Skate and Swerve, two magazines the company planned to release later this year, will also be dropped.
BIG said that the layoffs were a result of a refocusing of Bluetorch’s business plan. Its growing TV and Interactive TV endeavors are being viewed as a quicker path to profitability than Web site and free print magazines. BIG has a strong affiliation with set-top box manufacturer Broadcom. BIG is repped by Endeavor.


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Tuesday 20th June 2017
|Text too small?|
New Zealand consumer confidence rose to a five-month high on a strong labour market and the government's boost to household incomes, announced in last month's Budget.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index rose to 127.8 in June from 123.9 a month earlier, the highest reading since January. Of that, the current conditions index edged up 0.6 of a point to 129.4 while the future conditions measure climbed 5.5 points to 126.7.
"While housing market momentum is slowing, there is still plenty for consumers to smile about: jobs, a high New Zealand dollar that's keeping prices down, and the government's $2 billion family package injection to name just a few," ANZ Bank New Zealand chief economist Cameron Bagrie said in a note. "Our confidence composite gauge (which combines business and consumer sentiment, and so covers both the production and spending sides of the economy) continues to flag roaring economic momentum."
The survey follows a similar reading yesterday by a rival measure, the Westpac McDermott Miller consumer confidence index, which showed growing optimism for the June quarter. Again, respondents were more upbeat about the future while being more reticent about their present situation.
Today's ANZ index shows a net 33 percent of the 1,001 respondents surveyed expect to be better off in 12 months' time, compared to 32 percent in May, whereas a net 14 percent said they were better off now than a year earlier, down from 16 percent a month ago.
A net 25 percent anticipate better times ahead for the economy over the next 12 months, up from 17 percent in May, and a net 23 percent are optimistic on a five-year horizon compared to 15 percent a month earlier.
Of those surveyed, a net 45 percent say now is a good time to buy high-value consumer goods, up from 39 percent in May and the highest reading since January.
Bagrie said it was tempting to put the upbeat outlook down to the visiting British and Irish Lions rugby tour, but the robust labour market will ultimately lead to higher wages, the government's tax and household support adjustments would provide an injection into consumer spending.
The survey showed inflation expectations for the next two years eased to an annual pace of 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in May, while house price inflation was seen slowing to an annual pace of 4 percent over the coming two years from a projected 4.6 percent a month earlier.
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Prosecutors in Norway have demanded that a number of criminals charged with selling drugs pay part of their penalty in bitcoin, the first time that a country in Scandinavia and possibly all of Europe has demanded compensation using the cryptocurrency.
The case involved three men arrested in June 2015 who were alleged to have been selling drugs on dark web sites including the now-defunct Silk Road marketplace. Evidence included a large amount of narcotics and several computers, along with proof that the trio were using bitcoin to facilitate their illicit trades.
According to reports, the men were formally charged with selling drugs last Friday, with the prosecutor demanding that the trio should repay their profits in 120 bitcoin and 3.1 million Norwegian Kroner, worth $149,000 and $366,000, respectively, at current exchange rates.
The decision to ask for bitcoin as a payment for a crime would suggest a tacit recognition by the Norwegian Government of bitcoin as a legal form of payment. But prosecutors insisted that was not the case. One of the prosecutors stated that “this is in no way an official Norwegian recognition of the digital currency.”
Still, that begs the question: Why would the Norwegian Government demand payment in bitcoin if it doesn’t recognize its value as a digital currency?
Although this is one of the first times bitcoin has been demanded in a criminal case, as Coin Telegraph points out it raises other concerns, in particular the fact that the price of bitcoin has increased substantially from the time the crimes were committed. That means that “by demanding that the drug dealers repay their bitcoin profits, which were earned in 2013 to 2014, the value of the fine imposed is actually much higher.”
The trial of the three accused is expected to take place later this year.
The post Prosecutors in Norway demand online drug dealers pay penalty in bitcoin appeared first on SiliconANGLE.


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The Akawa Project, from Belgium’s Supremo, is currently holding a GoFundMe and other initiatives to jumpstart their impact in Burundi.
BY CHRIS RYAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Burundi is a tiny, landlocked nation in Eastern Africa, with Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as its neighbors. While its natural climatic conditions allow it to produce world-class coffee, the nation’s smallholder coffee farmers face challenges—including infrastructure and low production—that make it difficult for them to earn a living wage through coffee.
It’s these challenges that the Akawa Project, a new initiative from Belgium-based trader Supremo, aims to address. The Akawa Project explains its a mission thusly in a statement on its website: “The main purpose of this program is to support coffee farmers in Burundi escaping poverty in a sustainable and economic viable way. We have planned a long-term program where farmers have the central role: They own the coffee plantations and are in the driving seat to improve their crops.”
Launching in May, the Akawa Project is a six-year initiative in which Supremo is working with a local partner, Succam, to provide on-the-ground implementation. To increase its impact, Supremo has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for the project. “Our goal is to not only buy coffees responsibly, but participate in building a sustainable supply chain,” says Gustavo Magalhaes, Supremo’s supply chain coordinator. “Burundi’s export industry is not yet offering a great solution to farmers, so we feel we have to get involved and engage the wider coffee community in this project.”
Among the project’s initiatives that the GoFundMe drive will support:
- Securing coffee trees that are high-yielding and high in quality potential
- Funding agronomists and other agricultural experts to provide best agricultural practices training to farmers, blending with their intrinsic knowledge for a great result at the farm level
- Creating five hectares of model farms to demonstrate new practices to farmers
- Constructing a water treatment facility
In addition to the GoFundMe initiative, the Akawa Project is hosting a fundraising event on in September in Bruges, Belgium, to celebrate the launch. The event will provide a chance for supporters of the project to connect and discuss goals, with the program including informal presentations and Burundian coffee activities. Details of the fundraiser will be announced in the coming weeks on the project’s website.
The GoFundMe campaign ends August 8, coinciding with the end of Burundi’s coffee harvest. Gustavo says the project’s current target is to improve the livelihoods of 5,400 Burundi coffee farmers and their families, but the project hopes to expand to reach even more farmers. In addition to the GoFundMe efforts, Supremo hopes to obtain additional foundation or institutional funding support for the project to broaden its impact.
Gustavo acknowledges that the Akawa Project is an ambitious initiative, but he says this approach is required to make an impact. “The traditional initiatives are not giving the answers to the problems Burundian farmers face,” he says. “So we believe that direct action can be our answer.” He adds that this is an opportunity for the industry to collaborate to enhance the resilience of a unique origin. He also adds that the project, if successful, could unlock the amazing quality potential of Burundi coffee—a product that the global coffee industry has not experienced in its entirety. “The quality of the product is widely underestimated by the coffee industry,” he says. “Our message to the coffee industry is to be committed and act for the future of Burundian coffee, as there is huge potential.”


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Atlanta — For this job, you can apply in your bedroom slippers.
Verizon is hosting its first-ever nationwide virtual career fair Thursday, July 23. Prospective hires will be interviewed online by company recruiters.
A new way to meet promising applicants
Verizon hopes to fill more than 1,000 positions across the country in wireless sales, customer service and tech support, including 170 customer service jobs in the Alpharetta area.
Before Thursday, applicants should create an account at verizon.virtualcareerfairs.com. Job seekers can review available positions and upload resumes to the site.
Tracie Lovell, associate director of human resources for Verizon Wireless in the Georgia/Alabama region, sees this online approach as a natural fit for the company. ‘We are confident we will connect with many outstanding potential employees,’ she states in a prepared release.
The Verizon Wireless Virtual Career Fair will take place from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Candidates from anywhere in the U.S. can take part, including college students and recent graduates.
Read more: 5 free or cheap tips for finding a job


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YEREVAN. – ProWine China - a leading international trade fair for wines and spirits in the Chinese market was held in China from 14 to 16 November. Thirteen factories from Armenia took an active part in the event, Armenian Minister of Agriculture Ignatiy Arakelyan told reporters on November 23 within the international three-day conference "Global Trends and Best Practices in the Wine World: Implications and Recommendations for Armenia”
The director of the Wine Foundation Zara Muradyan noted that Armenian wines were in great demand.
“We had about three hundred different visitors. We have just returned from China, and soon, we will be able to report the results,” said Zara Muradyan, adding that according to their Chinese colleagues, Armenian wines are highly valued in Chinese market.


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Reporting to the latest litecoin news and Examination. Litecoin is the planet’s 2nd biggest cryptocurrency. As well as litecoin community information, we provide guides on purchasing litecoin, news on mining litecoin and also trading guidelines.
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The Rise in the Pork Price Has Accelerated China's Inflation
According to the National Statistical Office, in October the consumer price index in the country increased by 3.8% on an annual basis. At the same time, the growth is 0.8% more than last month.
In a comment, State Statistics Office spokesman said at a press conference yesterday that the change was mainly due to rising food prices. In November, they rose by 15.5%, contributing 80% to the growth of the index.
The State Statistics Office spokesman said the biggest increase was observed in the price of pork, which increased by 101.3% and affected the overall rise in the consumer price index. Local authorities are paying close attention to current problems in the pig sector and production is gradually recovering, the spokesman said, adding that the price will gradually stabilize.
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Ashok Leyland To Undertake Price Hike From January: Sanjay Saraswat, Head-M&HCV
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06 DECEMBER 2021 05:03 IST | ENGLISH | MONEY & FINANCES | GENERAL AUDIENCE
Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland reported total sales of 10,480 units in November, down from 11,079 units sold in October month. Sanjay Saraswat, Head-M&HCV, Ashok Leyland shared his outlook on sales numbers and future growth plans. The company’s CNG sales are improving, while ICV tractor sales remain robust, Saraswat said in an interview with ET NOW. Though the capacity is higher than the demand in the market, he believes that the demand has started coming back. Ashok Leyland will undertake a price hike of 2% in some segments from January 2022, he added. The company will come up with an MHCV CNG variant launch next quarter.


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The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday it investigated a Hillandale Farms facility in Gettysburg, Pa., where it found hundreds of thousands of tightly packed birds laying eggs in grisly conditions.
A prominent animal-rights group is raising a big stink over alleged cruelty at a massive egg farm owned by a supplier to Costco Wholesale, and is prodding the warehouse club to move more rapidly toward its stated goal of offering only cage-free eggs.
The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday it had investigated a Hillandale Farms facility in Gettysburg, Pa., where it found hundreds of thousands of tightly packed birds laying eggs in grisly conditions.
Some even lived on top of the pancaked bodies of hens that had died and weren’t removed, said the group, which has previously praised Costco for some animal-welfare initiatives.
“We found birds that were rotting in their cages for so long that they had become mummified corpses,” Paul Shapiro, Humane Society vice president for farm-animal protection, said in a call with reporters. The group also released video (warning: graphic content) it says was secretly shot at the facility by an investigator who worked there six days a week for a month.
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The Humane Society said eggs from the facility are sold at Issaquah-based Costco under the brand “Nearby Eggs.” The cartons depict chickens roaming in front of a bucolic red farmhouse, and Shapiro said the contrast with the conditions found amounts to “a case of consumer deception.”
Costco, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, told customers in 2007 it would eventually sell eggs only from free-roaming hens, according to media reports. That year it began working with 10 chicken farms around the country to produce organic, cage-free eggs for its Kirkland Signature label, according to the Costco Connection magazine.
But a specific timeline is sorely lacking, the Humane Society says. “It’s time for Costco to step up,” Shapiro said.
A staffer for Hillandale Farms said it is “aware of the story, and we are aware of the undercover video,” but declined to provide an immediate comment.
According to The Associated Press, Hillandale said the employee who shot the video was the one who neglected to follow farm procedures. Hillandale told the news agency the images showed an isolated incident, and don’t reflect its “high standards.”
The Humane Society praised Costco in 2012 for promising to stop buying pork products from animals raised in gestation crates by 2022.
The company says on its website that it cares about the welfare of the creatures its food products stem from and wants them to be free of fear, discomfort, thirst and hunger and pain.
The question is how soon will there be enough cage-free eggs to meet the huge demand of Costco and other companies, from Starbucks to Unilever, that have promised to move in that direction. This latest controversy surfaces amid an egg-price spike due to an avian flu outbreak.
A 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found that 93.5 percent of housing in large farms consisted of conventional wire cages. Advocates hope that retailers’ animal-welfare policies, as well as recent legislation by states such as California, will push egg farmers to invest in cage-free environments.


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This summer, Ohio University’s athletic department took on the task of enhancing the gameday experience at football games. The most substantial change taking place this year is the expansion of beer sales at football games.
According to an August 14 press release “OHIO will pilot expansion of beer sales throughout the stadium in 2017.”
Peden Stadium has sold beer for the past three years in a couple designated areas. The release also states that “the change is in response to customer survey feedback and is consistent with all seven other FBS football venues in the state of Ohio.”
Whenever alcohol is addressed in a campus setting, safety is always the main concern. To address this issue, Ohio implemented an alcohol-free seating area and prohibited the sale of alcohol on the student seating side.
Junior James Smith was at Ohio’s opening game against Hampton and shared his experience.
“It seemed pretty normal compared to last year. I didn’t see any problems due to alcohol. My main complaint is they don’t take credit cards,” says James Smith.
That seems to be the consensus from fans around the stadium.
The long lines at beer stands signal an increase in sales, as fans and students of age flock to the stands to spend their money on seven-dollar cans of Miller Lite.
“Our beer sales at games are up, but we don’t have a concrete number yet” says Carly Leatherwood, Senior Director of Communications.
Other changes made to the stadium include an improved scoreboard and implementation of a no re-entry policy. The season is still young, but fans seem to receptive to the changes.


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Antiaging continues to be one of the beauty industry’s largest areas of opportunity, with brands consistently hunting for ways in which to incorporate the latest antiaging ingredients into their products, as well as for methods to reach consumers with this information. With innovative ingredients and marketing techniques continuing to evolve each day, as well as the still-gaining natural trend’s growing impact on antiaging’s evolution, keeping consumers on board with your brand’s developments can be more difficult than ever, which is why it is vital to stay well-informed about the industry’s overall antiaging direction.
“What we see on the horizon for antiaging products is the bar being raised higher and higher,” says Tom Kovats, vice president of Centerchem, Inc. “Our customers—the manufacturers and marketers—want more efficacious actives to meet the demands of their customers, the consumer who wants the latest and greatest in antiaging. The fact is, baby boomers and those behind them are getting older, and they just don’t want to look or feel older.” Boomers are clearly the target of the vast majority of antiaging products, but they aren’t the only ones picking them up. “Baby boomers, along with 20- and 30-year-olds, are looking to retain a more youthful appearance. And consumers today are reading labels and are looking for products with ingredients they are familiar with,” says Ellen Delisle, technical sales manager with Bio-Botanica, Inc. The massive market reach of antiaging, as well as possibilities to encompass a more natural bent, make the segment one not to ignore.
Much of the current innovation in antiaging ingredients is coming from an environmentally friendly angle. “We’re seeing a lot of companies continuing with the trend toward botanical ingredients, things like pomegranate or cactus flower extract,” says Kyle Einhorn, vice president of business development with Viachem, Ltd. “This also seems to fall in line with the ongoing preference toward incorporating, or at least marketing, green or organic ingredients. In the area of antiaging, five [growing ingredients] we’re seeing are bearberry, acai berry, red tea, argan oil and durian.” The free radical-fighting power of antioxidants also is making botanical ingredients hot. “Antioxidants occur naturally in botanicals, and they are being widely used in cosmetic and beauty products,” says Delisle. “Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant claims on products have never been more popular than they are today. Most of us are familiar with vitamin C, vitamin E tocopherol, licorice and green tea in our cosmetic products to offer either antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties,” but, Delisle notes, other ingredients also are on the rise. “Exotic fruits are very hot in the cosmetic industry. These fruits contain high antioxidant levels for numerous antiaging benefits, and many of these ingredients are also being used in nutritional drinks,” she says.
Einhorn sees the rise of antiaging products that tout both inner and outer beauty benefits, as well. “We’re seeing more complementary pairings of internal and external ingredients, which also falls in line with the idea that ingestible ingredients are inherently good for topical use, as well,” he explains. “Consumers seem to have accepted that if it’s okay to ingest an ingredient, then it’s okay—and even better—to put it on your skin.” As an illustrative example, Einhorn offers, “In our marketing of vitamin A products for AGD Nutrition, we have called upon this principle that using a natural, identifiable substance found naturally in foods is often a safe bet for finding ingredients that are actually effective.”


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Sony locks 93,000 online accounts after security breach
Sony has locked around 93,000 accounts on its PlayStation Network and SOE games service after unauthorised sign-in attempts.
Unknown attackers managed to verify members' IDs and passwords, although credit card details were not at risk, it said.
Sony suggested that the information may have been stolen from other companies, but did not elaborate.
The Japanese firm has suffered numerous security lapses over the past year.
In one of the worst incidents, details of 77,000 PlayStation Network (PSN) users were compromised.
In a statement on its website, the electronics giant said that "less than one tenth of one percent" of users across the three networks may have been affected in the latest incident, which took place between 7 and 10 October.
"Only a small fraction of these 93,000 accounts showed additional activity prior to being locked," said the firm's chief information security officer Philip Reitinger on PSN's blog.
"We are currently reviewing those accounts for unauthorized access, and will provide more updates as we have them," he said.
The company added that it would get in touch with affected gamers via email, instructing them to do a password reset.
Somewhat mysteriously, it speculated that the breaches seemed to include "a large amount of data obtained from one or more compromised lists from other companies, sites or sources".
When approached, Sony declined to elaborate on its statement.
Sony has been trying to regain consumers' trust after a series of security breaches compromised the accounts of millions of users earlier this year.
In April, hackers stole the details of 77 million gamers and PSN went offline for 40 days.
Sony Online Entertainment, the company's multi-player games service, was also hit, as well as the Sony Pictures website, exposing personal information of 25 million more accounts.
In addition, personal data of 2,000 consumers was stolen from a Sony Ericsson website in Canada and details of 8,500 users were leaked on a Sony Music Entertainment website in Greece.
There were also attacks on Sony websites in Thailand and Indonesia.
In June, a group of hackers known as Lulz Security claimed to have broken into Sonypictures.com and gained access to one million passwords, email addresses and other information.
Sony has since apologised over the security breaches and offered compensation packages.


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As many fast-food fans know, not even fan-favorite food products are safe from being cut from the menu. Last summer, Burger King inexplicably retired its GOAT chicken sandwich line, the Ch'King, to the disappointment of many customers. And just last week, fast-food lovers received another dose of disappointment when Taco Bell announced it was pulling the Quesarito from menus in April. This week, Dunkin' has become the latest chain to discontinue a menu item with a devoted fan base.
The brand has officially confirmed that its stores are no longer offering the famous Dunkaccino, which blends coffee and hot chocolate flavors. This includes both the hot and frozen versions of the drink.
"As we focus on innovation and finding new ways to delight guests, we continually evolve our menu in an effort to deliver a fast, frictionless experience. The Dunkaccino is retired for now, but there's always the chance for its return in the future," a Dunkin' spokesperson said in a statement to TODAY.com.
The retirement of the Dunkaccino marks the end of a decades-long run for the drink. According to a post on the official Dunkin' Facebook page, the brand first introduced the hot version of the menu item in 2000. The frozen version hasn't been around for quite as long, since it debuted in 2015, according to Reuters.
The Dunkaccino grew to become a favorite among many customers, but it also carved out a spot for itself in popular culture when it was featured in a fake but memorable commercial starring legendary actor Al Pacino in the 2011 film Jack and Jill.
Though Dunkin' has just now verified that it is no longer selling Dunkaccinos, customers have been claiming for months that the coffee and donut chain pulled the product from menus.
"It's a sad day today. I'm at a Dunkin' and I just learned that they discontinued the Dunkaccino…," a Twitter user wrote in a July 2022 post. "I just found out Dunkin' discontinued the Dunkaccino and I'm so sad," another user tweeted in September 2022.
Last year, a Frozen Dunkaccino fan was so surprised to find that the drink was suddenly unavailable that they asked the Dunkin' subreddit to confirm that it did, in fact, exist at one point. Additionally, an apparent leaked memo from Dunkin' showing a list of menu items that would be discontinued, including the Dunkaccino, began circulating on the chain's subreddit last year. Dunkin' was contacted for more details on exactly when the Dunkaccino was retired but did not immediately respond
Luckily for Dunkaccino fans, customers can still get their hands on the drink or something close to it with some creative ordering. Multiple Reddit users have suggested asking for a regular hot chocolate with a shot of espresso to mimic the Dunkaccino flavors.


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Nick Cunningham at Oilprice.com points to the dilemmas implicit in the rumored Saudi plan to engineer a return to $100 a barrel oil. That price level translates into an average gasoline price in the US of $3.57, though in California, with a population of about 40 million. that price would be over $4.00 per gallon because of state taxes and environmental policy.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed on lower production goals, sparking critical tweets from President Trump last Friday. West Texas Crude was coming in at around $68 a barrel as I write, and has tested $70 in recent days.
Cunningham reports rumors that Saudi Arabia wants the price run-up to help increase the value of its planned ARAMCO IPO. Saudi ARAMCO is state owned but crown prince Mohammed bin Salman wants to spin off 10% of it as a public company with tradable shares. Interest in this project among investors hasn’t been as strong as hoped, in part because the collapse of oil prices beginning in the second half of 2014, aftr they reached a high of $115 in summer of that year. In the past three years prices have often been below $50 a barrel.
Another big shadow over the IPO is the advent of the electric car. Petroleum is not used to generate electricity for the most part (islands and the oil states themselves are exceptions). If transportation goes electric, and electricity is increasingly generated by renewables and natural gas, then petroleum will be worthless in the near to medium term. Lawsuits against oil companies over climate damage could also start to yield huge punitive judgments as public opinion becomes more informed about the dangers of burning fossil fuels.
Technological advances are expected to make electric vehicles just as inexpensive as gasoline cars by 2024. (Of course if you figure in the cost of the loss of Florida to rising waters they are already far cheaper.) And with state and Federal tax offsets, EVs can be a good bargain even now. Amazingly, homeowners don’t usually realize this, but if you put solar panels on your roof and buy an EV, you pay off both more quickly, since your fuel is free sunshine. I did this with a Chevy Volt, and had electricity bills of $14 a month a good part of the year and almost zero car fuel bills. The new Chevy Bolt is even better for this purpose— and gets like 240 miles on a charge.
On the issue of price, I restate what I recently wrote:
“EVs are expensive. Sure they are for a lot of people, but they now range in the US market from $23,000 on up. Middle class families buy cars in that range all the time. You may be eligible for a tax break of several thousand dollars from your state or the Federal government, in addition. And, remember that the fuel is virtually free. The average American spends on the order of $2,000 a year on gasoline or other automotive fuel, which over a decade would be $20,000. In other words your $25,000 gasoline car is actually $45,000 over ten years. But especially if you have solar panels, your EV fuel costs are nothing, and they are negligible even if you don’t. And remember, your gasoline car is causing extreme weather, which could hit your house and family and be very, very expensive. Your EV isn’t endangering your life savings in the same way. It is much, much cheaper.”
In March of this year, US plug-in EV sales were up 42% year on year!
EVs don’t rise or fall on Tesla — Nissan and the Chinese brands are arguably way ahead, and the Chevy Bolt is comparable to the Tesla 3. But it is unarguable that a price spike in petroleum would certainly help the company get past its current Tesla 3 production problems by substantially bolstering investor and consumer confidence.
$100 a barrel petroleum would push sales of EVs up by an order of magnitude. And here’s the kicker: higher oil prices in the window of 2018-2024, the last six years when gasoline cars are (on the surface) cheaper to buy, would offset that apparent advantage of internal combustion engines, essentially moving up parity several years if you figure in fuel costs.
Saudi Arabia knows all this. They know that their oil will likely be worthless in as little as 15 years, but that most investors do not realize that the petroluem industry is in a raft about to go over the edge of Niagra Falls.
Outside the Oil Oligarchy that is the United States, the impact of an oil price run-up could be even more dramatic.
China produced 680,000 EVs last year, with plans to do 2 million/yr in only a couple of years. High gasoline prices will accelerate China’s transition.
Likewise, the Indian government desperately wants to get off gasoline and higher oil prices and cheaper EVs will speed that process up. EV sales are expected to see double digit growth in India over the next few years. This is not just a matter of market forces. They will use tax and other policy to shape consumer behavior. Both China and India have desperate air pollution problems and neither has oil, so climate is only one issue. State policy works. Norway has the highest per capita ownership of EV’s because the state does not tax their import at nearly the rate it sets for gasoline vehicles.
China and India together account for 40% of the world population.
Primary commodities are often a price roller coaster ride. But the crisis of climate change policy is short term. We only have a decade to avoid the worst consequences. For their own selfish reasons the Saudis may inadvertently be helping the transition to electric vehicles.


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Charlize Theron and watch giant Raymond Weil have called time out in their $20 million lawsuit.
They've settled the suit in which Weil claims Theron signed an endorsement deal to wear his watches and no one elses. According to the case, Theron cheated on Weil when she was photographed wearing a Christian Dior watch.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Stops the Clock
11/4/2008 10:45 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF
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Bridging Uganda’s digital divide: Gender mainstreaming in digital agriculture in Uganda
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with support from the government of Sweden published a study under the title Bridging Uganda’s digital divide: Gender mainstreaming in digital agriculture in Uganda. The study investigates the main reasons behind the disproportionate constraints that women face while accessing and using digital services in Uganda. It aims at addressing the digital divide for women and girls to improve women’s economic opportunities and help transform women into the builders of emerging digital economies. To this aim, the study pinpoints the main constraints to the digital inclusion of women:
- Affordability: Many women cannot afford the cost of purchasing a mobile phone which requires full payment of the cost of the phone
- High maintenance costs: Phone usage attracts expenses such as airtime, and while they may appear to be small amounts, can be significant for rural households, especially women.
- Lack of access to energy to charge phones: Lack of power to charge phones, especially for households living off the grid, makes it difficult for them to use phones.
- Limited access to phone shops in rural areas: This means travelling long distances to have accessibility, yet other responsibilities like farm activities prevent women from doing so.
- Inadequate digital literacy skills: Most women do not have the basic skills to use mobile phone applications. Literacy levels are very low in rural areas and especially among women.
- Limited ‘use cases’: Some respondents questioned mobile phones’ usefulness by mentioning that a phone is a luxury. Despite phones being a key part of some people’s lives, the lives of any women are not dependent on mobile devices.