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Transpacific container shippers aim for new rate riseStaff writer ▼ | August 20, 2014
A container shipping organisation urged companies to raise Asia-U.S. freight rates by at least $600 per 40-foot container (FEU), corresponding to an increase of 14.2 percent from current levels, from September 1.
From September Planned increase follows strong cargo demand
Its members include 15 of the world's biggest container shipping lines such as Denmark's Maersk Line, a unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk, privately owned Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), French privately held CMA CGM, China's COSCO Shipping, Korea's Hanjin Shipping and others.
"Lines have made modest revenue gains to date this year, but they continue to struggle in terms of returning to profitability," TSA Executive Administrator Brian Conrad said in a statement. TSA had also urged its members to hike freight rates by $600 per 40-foot container from Aug. 1, but rates have rapidly eroded since then.
Spot freight rates are calculated and published every week by Shanghai Shipping Exchange. Last week rates for transport of 40-foot containers from Asia to the U.S. West Coast stood at $4,218. ■


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CRUELTY- FREE FUTURE
SARAH ENGSTRAND explores the ins and outs of beauty brands that claim to avoid animal testing – and discovers that things aren’t always as they seem
a car into space, robots are running our homes (looking at you, Alexa!) and models are being replaced by drones on the world’s runways. Let’s face it: the future is here. In the beauty industry, brands are turning away from outdated methods and embracing the new, too – namely, going cruelty-free.
Once a rallying cry limited to Birkenstock-wearing, hippy-dippy granola enthusiasts, “cruelty-free” now graces the labels of some of the world’s most popular beauty brands. Kat Von D Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Hourglass Cosmetics, Fenty, Urban Decay, Too Faced and Charlotte Tilbury all refuse to test on animals for their products – though it’s worth noting that some of their parent companies, including L’Oréal, Shiseido and Estée Lauder, are not cruelty-free.
It’s a financial minefield for many brands, which have to choose between animal rights and higher profit margins. To sell in China, now one of the world’s largest markets for beauty products, overseas retailers are currently required to test on animals. This policy is intended to improve the country’s reputation for letting poor-quality products and dangerous imitations hit the shelves. It’s the last major country that requires animal testing on all imported cosmetics, from moisturiser to mascara; the European Union banned the act in 2013.
These laws have kept big-name brands such as Burt’s Bees and Urban Decay out of the Chinese market entirely, allowing them to keep their cruelty-free reputations. Not all companies, however, have resisted the allure of China. In 2017, cult favourite NARS began retailing in the country and announced it was no longer cruelty-free. The backlash from consumers was swift: #boycottnars took over social media and many people vowed to disown the brand.
NARS responded in a public Instagram post, claiming that it only tests on animals when required by law. The brand also reaffirmed its dedication to the universal abolishment of animal testing with its support of the Institute for In Vitro

domain: news


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Past research and popular media have often portrayed Asian-Americans as a "model minority" based on their high level of educational attainment and earnings, allowing them to reach approximate parity in labor market performances ...
(Phys.org) —Fathers on the lowest incomes are predicted to incur financial penalties as compared with childless men, whereas highest earning dads are predicted to earn a further bonus, according to the author of a new study ...
California is back in the running for a massive battery plant that electric car maker Tesla Motors plans to start building this year, but CEO Elon Musk said the state remains in the "improbable" category for winning the plant ...
Apple shares on Monday climbed above $600 ahead of a stock split and as the company ramps up its stock buy-back program.
Nokia is planning for a turnaround now that it has sold its lossmaking handset business to Microsoft, naming on Tuesday a new CEO, promising to pay dividends again and laying out its vision for its remaining operations.
Microsoft on Thursday reported quarterly profit slipped as lifestyles continued to shift from personal computers to mobile devices and Internet cloud software.
Google lost some of its luster Wednesday as quarterly results failed to meet lofty Wall Street expectations, sending its shares down sharply.
ASML Holding NV, the largest supplier of equipment to computer chip makers such as Intel and Samsung, says it sees only incremental sales gains in the coming two quarters.
Yahoo reported a stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit Tuesday, results hailed by chief executive Marissa Mayer as showing growth in the Web giant's "core" business.
(Phys.org) —Research by economists at the University of Southampton has shown people who receive higher bonuses are less likely to give to charity than those on lower earnings.


text: For Raju Harilela the working day begins at 6am. That is when the 36-year old begins a strenuous 90-minute programme of yoga, breathing and meditation. The exercises, says Mr Harilela, a daily routine for more than four years, have been instrumental in improving his health and the strategic direction of his restaurant and food-service company, the Harilela Strategic Group. Reflecting on his success in the past year against the head winds of a deflation-plagued economy, Mr Harilela says the key has been the ability to bend in difficult times. 'If we can change, that is the only way we can grow. In the restaurant business, we have to follow consumer preferences in terms of pricing levels, in terms of the quality of food, in terms of portions.' On a practical level, that means designing restaurants that serve up a gourmet experience at a mid-range budget. While the cheque in a five star-restaurant averages HK$600 per person, Mr Harilela says his theme restaurants average a reasonable HK$180 to HK$280. The group operates seven restaurants and pubs, including the flagship Viceroy of India, Dv8, Gaylord Restaurants, Saigon at Stanley, Milano, Saigon Restaurants and the recently opened Bayside Brasserie in Stanley. Recent internal restructuring aimed at cutting fat. 'Any profit growth this year wasn't through incremental sales in existing operations, they were through new restaurants or the new divisions we've acquired,' Mr Harilela says. The restructuring entailed splitting the main business operations into four entities with clear lines of reporting. Further efforts resulted in a 4.6 per cent cost savings. While that may sound modest, the effects are dramatic, as expansion now comes at lower cost. The Bayside Brasserie cost HK$6.5 million to bring on-line, but a new restaurant scheduled to open early in the new year will cost an estimated HK$1.5 million. The savings arise form a more streamlined administration, carefully conceived design and aggressive pricing from subcontractors. Mr Harilela says: 'We looked at this as a challenge, how economically can we build this restaurant knowing that the rates of return, or yields today, are nowhere where they were several years ago. Looking at our cost structure, it is fundamentally different from what it was six months ago.' Outside the seven core restaurants, the Harilela Strategic Group has food and catering businesses. These include Equip Asia, a hotel and restaurant supply company; RMC, a restaurant management and consulting firm; Pacific Rim Trading, specialising in linens fabrics and upholstery; Restaurant Management Technology, specialising in hospitality technology; and Dial-a-Dinner, a food-delivery company. Mr Harilela's affinity for the food service industry seems natural in light of his family's long experience in the hospitality business. He is heir presumptive to a family-owned hotel group with properties in several cities, the most prominent locally being the Holiday Inn in Kowloon. Mr Harilela says he grew up in an environment that encouraged dialogue with elders on business issues. After working in one of the family properties, Mr Harilela felt drawn to the business as a career, and pursued hotel administration studies at Cornell University. Back in Hong Kong he worked for a short period at the Hyatt Regency before establishing a restaurant and management consultancy company with a US$25,000 investment. 'It is kind of like a fairy tale in a way; we now have more than 200 people in our organisation,' he says. Looking ahead, Mr Harilela plans to continue building upon his food and entertainment service empire, working to introduce new themes strategically targeted at growing markets. 'I see Hong Kong as a Chinese city. We have always been an international city, and we will continue to be so, but one with strong Chinese qualities.' And what lessons would Mr Harilela pass along? 'Look deep in your heart and ask yourself what you really want to do. Your self-esteem and confidence will rise when you really pursue your dreams, and once that happens, you will naturally become a success.'


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Twisted Metal Revival Is in the Works by Destruction All-Stars Developer – Report
The rumored Twisted Metal series revival, is in development by Lucid Games, according to a new report that has been shared online.
This new report from VGC revealed that the studio behind the PlayStation 5 exclusive Destruction All-Stars is currently working on the next entry in the classic Sony series. This new game is apparently being built around a free-to-play model, and it will release in 2023 to coincide with the launch of the TV show.
According to the sources, the new car combat instalment – which by release, will be the series’ first in over a decade – has started early development at the Liverpool, UK-based studio.
One person with knowledge of Lucid’s plans suggested that the revival would be built around a free-to-play model, partly in response to Destruction All-Stars’ last-minute transition from a premium game to a PlayStation Plus title.
The Twisted Metal revival has been rumored for some time. The game is quite early in development and the fact it will coincide with the TV show marks a shift in Sony's strategy, according to known leaker Jeff Grubb.
I think Twisted Metal is in the works but it may still be a ways off, so I think we’re early. That speaks to a larger strategy shift from Sony – well, it’s not even a shift, it’s a ‘broadening’ of their strategy. If they have Twisted Metal ready to show [at Thursday’s Showcase], they might. But either way, it does seem like it’s in the works, it does seem that it’s coming, and it does seem like it does not involve David Jaffe.
It does seem like [Sony] is potentially greenlighting games to coincide with their attempts to release movies and television shows based on these properties. It seems that they are going to try to line these things up with games at the same time, and the thinking there is one, they looked at [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] and they want to have MCU-like success, and I think there’s a thought inside of Sony that, ‘Hey, we make movies, why aren’t we capitalizing on that?
The Twisted Metal revival has yet to be announced officially. We will keep you updated on the game as soon as more come in on it, so stay tuned for all the latest news.
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Residential solar affordability projected to increase in US11th Jan 2013
Predicting the future of residential solar energy generation in Australia might seem a difficult task.
However, looking to other markets can be instructive.
Frost & Sullivan's Analysis of the US Residential Solar Power Market reveals that solar photovoltaic should continue to be the highest growth technology in the US energy sector over the next four years.
What's the reason for such a positive forecast? According to Frost & Sullivan senior industry analyst Georgina Benedetti, solar energy is becoming more and more affordable for residential customers.
That's because obstacles such as high installation costs and complex maintenance are slowly being removed.
"New financing methods, such as solar lease programs and power purchase agreements, are diminishing the main barriers to solar system installations," said Ms Benedetti.
In addition, improvements in technology, government incentives and economies of scale are all playing a part.
The report found that the US residential solar market brought in revenues of $1.73 billion (US dollars) in 2011. This annual revenue is predicted to rise to $3.04 billion by 2016.
Ms Benedetti pointed to the effect on the market of competition from low-cost Chinese competitors.
This is forcing US solar PV manufacturers to reduce their costs while increasing the quality of their products - a real win for consumers.
Posted by Mike Peacock


text: Bascom Communications announced last week a new, ultra high speed internet service provided via fiber optic line. They are the first company to offer such a service in Seneca County. Press release provided by Bascom Communications: Communications Company Offers New Service Over Fiber Optic Infrastructure Bascom Communications Delivers Service Announcement and Presentation for Accelerate Full Throttle Bascom, Ohio: Bascom Communications hosted an event to announce Accelerate Full Throttle, the service provider’s newest offering available to members May 1st. Full Throttle offers Gigabit-capable access over Bascom’s state-of-the-art, fiber-to-the-premise infrastructure, featuring faster download speeds and aggregate bandwidth. The service announcement and presentation on the social and economic impact of how fiber optic and Gigabit service from Bascom is propelling Seneca County forward took place on Thursday, April 20, 2017 in the historic Redwood Ballroom of Meadowbrook Park in Bascom, Ohio. Bascom Communications has provided services to Bascom and surrounding communities since 1906. Bascom is a cooperative company and anyone with wired services becomes a member. Once a member, if Bascom has a strong year and posts a profit, the membership receives an allocation back to them in the form of capital credit refunds. Bascom serves around 59 square miles of service territory and covers 99.92% of its subscribers with fiber to the premise. Bascom is one of only a couple providers in the entire state of Ohio, and the only in Seneca County, to offer a service of this magnitude. Many companies use Gigabit service as a marketing ploy but Bascom wants to have people utilize it. To accomplish this, Full Throttle features a metered-usage approach to bring down costs, which allows customers to pay for only what they need and never worrying about speed again, as opposed to traditional internet plans that utilize a smaller bandwidth model to keep costs and resources manageable. Residential customers will be able to choose between numerous, tiered-data plans including an unlimited option, while business customers who want and need it, can improve their productivity and efficiency with Accelerate Full Throttle Business Unlimited. Customers will be able to go as fast as their devices will let them and can and will in many cases see speeds up to 16-200 times faster than those they are used to currently through Bascom or their competition.


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After a Chinese news report claimed Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP) was planning a massive layoff, the solar panel maker on Monday said the report was inaccurate but disclosed that it did cut 10 percent of its workforce in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Economic downturn prompted the world's largest solar panel maker to chop roughly 800 people from the payrolls, said Steve Chadima, vice president of external affairs at Suntech.
The layoffs affected mostly contract factory workers, who were let go as the company reduced its production, Chadima added. Back in Novmber, Suntech trimmed its sales forecast for 2008, blaming the weak euro and credit crunch. The company has several factories in China, and the layoffs took place at the main factory near its headquarters in Wuxi.
"We were slowing down production because of this worldwide slow down in demand for modules," Chadima said.
Suntech's investor relation staff called major investors Monday trying to correct a news report by a business daily in China that appeared on Saturday and posted on Sina.com. A research firm, JLM Pacific Epoch translated the story into English and posted on its Website.
The original, Chinese version of the story, which cited a former Suntech employee, said Suntech started laying off employees in the last quarter, and the workforce reduction would reach 4,000 people, or 30 percent of the company's workforce, around now.
uot;>The story included comments from a Suntech spokesman, who didn't refute the numbers. The spokesman said the staff cut was seasonal because market demand is typically low during the winter.
But Suntech representatives said Monday the Chinese news report exaggerated the layoffs. Four thousand employees would've represented 50 percent of Suntech's workforce, Chadima said.
Suntech has no immediate plans to cut more staff, Chadima said. The company is putting off on its previous plan to hire more factory employees in 2009 until it can better determine market demand.
The Chinese news report also mentioned that some workers were asked to take a long holiday break without pay, and that the company cut executive salaries. Chadima, who initially told Greentech Media that some factory employees did take a two-week break – instead of one week – without pay, called back to say that in fact the workers took paid vacation.
He added that the company didn't cut salaries for the executives. Instead, managers didn't take the year-end bonuses for 2008 "to deal with financial challenges in the next few months."
The company's factories are running at 50 percent to 60 percent capacity, which falls in line with the guidance the company has given to investors. The company recently celebrated reaching a 1-gigawatt production capacity for its solar cells and panels (see Suntech Boasts 1 GW Capacity Amid Tough Times for Solar Market).
Suntech isn't alone in laying off employees. OptiSolar, based in Hayward, Calif., laid off 300 employees – or 50 percent of its staff. HelioVolt, which opened its first-ever solar panel factory last October in Austin, Texas, also has cut staff. SunEdison, a large solar power plant developer in Beltsville, Md., let go 50 to 60 people, a former SunEdison employee told Greentech Media.
Other solar companies, including Q-Cells in Germany and LDK Solar in China, have cut their 2009 sales and production forecast.


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BERLIN (Reuters) -- Volkswagen Group warned that business conditions had become tougher amid declining auto markets.
The business environment has become "significantly more difficult and tougher," the company said in a statement on Tuesday, citing CEO Martin Winterkorn addressing a staff gathering at the group's headquarters in Wolfsburg.
VW works council chief Bernd Osterloh said in a separate statement that the automaker will keep growing but not as dynamically as in the past.
VW has a goal of boosting annual sales to at least 10 million vehicles by 2018 when the company wants to replace Toyota Motor Corp. as the world's biggest carmaker -- a target reaffirmed on Tuesday by Winterkorn.
VW has been saying for months that the carmaker is bracing for "challenging" conditions in the remainder of 2012 as core European markets extend their slump.
The region's car sales fell 8.9 percent in August with Germany, which had long resisted the collapse, shrinking 4.7 percent. Overall European car sales have fallen for 11 straight months.
German automakers have so far been immune to the sales slump hollowing out profits at many Western mass car manufacturers. VW has outperformed its home region this year, keeping eight-month group sales flat thanks to a 5.2 percent increase at luxury division Audi, VW's main profit driver.
Conversely, VW's southern European peers PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, Fiat and Renault all suffered double-digit declines, reflecting their excessive exposure to the region's austerity-hit markets.
Winterkorn's remarks come less than a week after Daimler warned that operating profit at its flagship Mercedes luxury-car division would fall short of planned targets this year, citing the deepening European slump and increasing competition in China.
The day before, VW's newly-acquired sports-car division, Porsche, said it would build fewer cars next year, trim spending and cut costs to offset weaker-than expected auto sales.
"We are gearing up for a challenging environment," Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said on Sept. 20.


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Digital TV News: ALBtelecom
ALBtelecom selects Verimatrix VCAS DRM
Apr 8, 2019 – Verimatrix (Paris: INSD) has announced that Albanian operator ALBtelecom has deployed the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) Broadcast Hybrid solution to provide digital rights management (DRM) for IPTV and OTT service delivery.
News categories: Verimatrix, ALBtelecom, Steve Oetegenn, Skender Koltraka, Albania, Digital TV, DRM, IPTV, NABShow, OTT
ALBtelecom chooses Anevia to launch new OTT services
Jul 30, 2018 – Anevia has supported the launch of IPTV services for ALBtelecom. ALBtelecom is using Anevia’s TV and video delivery software to provide live and non-linear content in broadcast quality and to multiple screens.
News categories: Anevia, ALBtelecom, Damien Lucas, Albania, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV
ALBtelecom to upgrade IPTV with Thomson Video Networks
Jun 4, 2015 – ALBtelecom has announced that it is planning to upgrade its ALB TV IPTV service. ALBtelecom has chosen Thomson Video Networks as its supplier as it increases network capacity to support Ultra HD and up to 240 live channels.
News categories: ALBtelecom, Thomson Video Networks, Albania, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, TV Everywhere
ALBtelecom selects Minerva Entertainment Delivery Platform
Sep 13, 2014 – Minerva Networks has announced that ALBtelecom, the incumbent telecommunication service provider in Albania, has selected Minerva’s Entertainment Delivery Platform to offer television services over its broadband network.
News categories: Minerva, ALBtelecom, Eric Freund, Floreta Zhulali, Albania, Digital TV, IBC2019, IPTV, Middleware
ALBtelecom selects Amino IPTV set-top boxes
Sep 9, 2014 – ALBtelecom has selected Amino set-top boxes to support the rollout of its new ALBtv IPTV service. The company will deploy Amino’s HD devices as part of a tripleplay package including TV services, broadband and telephony.
News categories: Amino, ALBtelecom, Floreta Zhulali, Donald McGarva, Albania, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box
ALBtelecom launches ALB TV IPTV service in Albania
Apr 14, 2014 – ALBtelecom has announced the launch of its Alb TV IPTV service in Albania. The service is available in Korçë and Pogradec, and by the summer of this year the service will cover the entire country.
News categories: ALBtelecom, Floreta Zhulali, Albania, Digital TV, IPTV
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7/5/2006 12:31 PM ET
By Thomas K. Arnold,
Special for USA TODAY
Forget MySpace and iTunes.
The hottest digital entertainment these days is video sites such as YouTube that allow people to post their own short videos, as well as watch thousands of clips posted by fellow users.
It's free, and once you register, you get access to an eclectic array of entertainment, such as racy Japanese lingerie commercials, sports bloopers, pet tricks, music videos and Iraq war footage.
The success of YouTube, which a half-year after its launch is streaming more than 50 million video clips a day, has spawned 180 video sites in the past three months alone.
"Visits to online video sites have increased fourfold in the past six months," says LeeAnn Prescott of Hitwise, an online measurement company. "Online video has become the latest evolution in consumer-generated content."
YouTube is now the 39th most popular website, according to Hitwise stats. Two months ago, it was No. 75. YouTube says 50,000 videos are uploaded to its site daily.
Hollywood wants to use this power to promote movies by posting trailers on the sites in the hopes they get passed around by fans. Dozens of trailers were among YouTube's most viewed sites this past weekend, including a teaser trailer for Transformers (since removed), which is due in theaters next year.
"The consumer ultimately becomes the creative evangelist promoting our films," says Universal Studios' Ken Graffeo.
And not just the big studios are taking notice.
"YouTube is a key component of our overall marketing and publicity strategy," MPI's Greg Newman says. "It allows independent labels like our Dark Sky Films imprint (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) to reach infinitely more consumers than we could ever hope to with a traditional advertising spend."
Average Joes and Janes, meanwhile, are seeking fame.
Brooke "Brookers" Brodack, 20, of Holden, Mass., posted videos of herself dancing and doing parody and was signed to a program development deal by NBC's Carson Daly. One of her videos has been viewed more than 1 million times.
Tim Palen, co-president of theatrical marketing for Lionsgate films, calls the site "the perfect example of the public's unquenchable desire for access."
Lionsgate promotes all of its films on YouTube.
Adds Palen: "Andy Warhol's dream of '15 minutes of fame' has arrived. On YouTube, everyone's an actor, everyone's a director — everyone's a star."


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Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) has announced a partnership with Spotify that will make it possible for social feeds to include songs. The partnership between the two firms will allow the integration of soundtracks into audio cards.
Twitter launched audio cards in 2014 to allow the microblogging platform to play tracks from numerous streaming sites including SoundCloud, Rhapsody, and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iTunes. The new deal now places Spotify in the same category. It means users can now listen to a 30-second preview of a song on moments or on their Twitter timeline. Users can also position the music player at one corner of the microblogging platform so they can continue to listen to the music as they browse through the feeds.
The company seems to be seeking out new opportunities that will transform the social site into the go-to place for consumption, sharing, and music. The partnership also presents a good opportunity for Spotify to improve its competitive strategy against Apple Music. The aim is to maintain its current lead, and it believes that its presence in Twitter will be a significant move to keep things interesting.
Spotify is arguably the largest streaming platform, but Apple Music is trying to close the ranks as it quickly rises in popularity. Spotify currently boasts 30 million active and paying subscribers and 75 million active listeners. Apple claims that Apple Music has 13 million paying subscribers which is quite an impressive number considering it is only one-year old. This makes it a threat that Spotify should watch out for.
Spotify’s performance has been quite impressive. The music streaming platform achieved $2.18 billion in revenue last year. It, however, suffered losses of $194 million from royalty payments and the aggressive strategy that it adopted to boost its user base. Twitter decided to team up with music services after the failure of its own music streaming feature. The social network firm hopes that the presence of Spotify will help to make the social platform more appealing.


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This hormone is absolutely essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, insulin regulation, good cardiovascular health and a strong immune system, among other things. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other serious illnesses.
The results of a recent study by the American Osteopathic Association, which found that close to 1 billion of our planet’s inhabitants are deficient in vitamin D, are therefore truly alarming. The researchers found that this deficiency can be attributed to a lack of sun exposure, chronic disease and the use of sunblocks, which decrease vitamin D production by a staggering 99 percent.
The human body only produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to direct sunlight.
Spending too much time indoors, locked into video games and electronic devices, in combination with too little time spent outdoors, is a serious contributor to the problem of low vitamin D levels. In addition, as noted at the outset, during the little time most of us do manage to spend outdoors, exposed skin is usually covered liberally with sunblock.
Compounding the problem is the fact that illnesses like Chron’s and celiac diseases further negatively impact the ability of some to metabolize vitamin D from food sources, making sunshine exposure even more important.
In addition, very few foods provide significant levels of vitamin D, meaning that maintaining adequate levels of this hormone through diet alone is virtually impossible. Complicating things even more, vitamin D needs to be synthesized in combination with other vitamins and minerals like magnesium to properly perform all of its functions in the body.
"People are spending less time outside and, when they do go out, they're typically wearing sunscreen, which essentially nullifies the body's ability to produce vitamin D," noted Kim Pfotenhauer, D.O., a member of the research team who is an assistant professor at Touro University. "While we want people to protect themselves against skin cancer, there are healthy, moderate levels of unprotected sun exposure that can be very helpful in boosting vitamin D." (Related: Study shows low vitamin D levels linked to increased risk of bladder cancer.)
In recognition of the importance of vitamin D, it is important to be able to recognize when someone in the family may be deficient. Some common signs of such a deficiency include:
Frequent bouts of illness: A study published in the Cambridge Journals found that a lack of vitamin D predisposes children to respiratory illnesses.
Muscle weakness: In order for skeletal muscles to function properly, their vitamin D receptors must be sustained by sufficient levels of this hormone. Sustained muscle weakness is therefore an indicator of a lack of vitamin D.
Asthma: Vitamin D reduces the severity and frequency of asthma attacks.
Periodontal disease: If you find you are struggling with constant bouts of gum disease, which causes swollen and bleeding gums, you may have low levels of vitamin D.
High blood pressure: A study by researchers from Harvard University found that the risk of hypertension was increased 67 percent in women with low vitamin D levels.
Fortunately, increasing vitamin D levels and reducing the risk of serious illness is as simple as getting out in the sunshine more often.
"You don't need to go sunbathing at the beach to get the benefits," said Dr. Pfotenhauer. "A simple walk with arms and legs exposed is enough for most people."
Discover more news on vitamin D at VitaminD.news.


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Public health experts from around the world have strongly criticised the head of the UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF) for suggesting that non-western countries have "no problem" with Coca-Cola and McDonald's sponsoring the Olympics.
Ian Wright, director-general of the FDF, which represents the food and drink industry, told Campaign magazine that the "source of the controversy is invariably Western and metropolitan" and Asian and Latin American countries have "no problem" with the companies.
In the interview published on August 2, Mr Wright said: "Coca-Cola and McDonald's are among the world's most responsible companies. Being involved in the Olympic family and sharing its values allows both sides to benefit from the special value of such relationships.
"You only have to look at Johnnie Walker's sponsorship of the McLaren Formula One team to see that it has not only been very successful but has also advanced the cause of responsible drinking.
"You also have to remember that the source of the controversy is invariably Western and metropolitan. Asian and Latin American countries have no problem with companies that behave responsibly."
But the Children's Food Campaign (CFC) charity claimed the FDF had become a target of global backlash against the Rio Olympics' "carnival of junk food marketing" as it released responses gathered from public health campaigners and experts criticising Mr Wright's comments.
Dr Fabio Gomes, a Brazilian public health nutritionist and World Health Organisation regional advisor on nutrition, described Mr Wright's statement as "outrageous and wrong" and Alejandro Calvillo, who has served on advisory panels to the Pan American Health Organisation, Consumers International and Mexico's national consumer protection agency, described Mr Wright's comments as "offensive".
Tilakavati Karupaiah, an associate professor in the faculty of health sciences at the National University of Malaysia, said: "Our own and our government's efforts to continue to get important health messages across are threatened by the millions of dollars spent on marketing campaigns for junk food and sugary drinks."
Tim Lobstein, policy director at the World Obesity Federation, said: "Child obesity is rising rapidly in developing economies and the last thing the children need are inducements to consume more junk food.
"The Olympic Games should be a beacon of human progress and ability, not a place where poor nutrition is given a halo of gold."
CFC co-ordinator Malcolm Clark said: "Today, as the Rio2016 Olympics begin, we stand in solidarity with public health counterparts in Brazil, and throughout the world, as they seek to counter the effects of the many millions of pounds spent by companies promoting sugary drinks and calorie-dense, highly processed food to families during this period.
"As their angry responses to the UK's Food and Drink Federation makes clear, countries in Latin America and Asia take the health impact of junk food marketing as seriously as everywhere else.
"Ian Wright conveniently forgets that countries such as Mexico, Chile, Brazil, South Korea and Taiwan have been leading the way globally in actions taken by governments to tackle obesity and excess sugar consumption.
"We are writing to the UK embassies of these countries, to encourage them to seek a formal apology from the Food and Drink Federation, and to invite Ian Wright to meet with them and learn more about their innovative, and effective, policy initiatives - including the sugary drinks tax and robust regulations restricting junk food marketing to children."
The FDF said: "We have, of course, received no requests for an apology from any embassy and Ian stands by his comments."
Mr Wright added: "The recent, ground-breaking McKinsey report ranked the most effective interventions to tackle obesity worldwide. Portion control and reformulation of foods came out top, with restrictions on sports sponsorship nowhere on the list.
"At a time when public health budgets are shrinking, restricting sports sponsorship from food and drink companies – whether of grassroots sport or international competitions - would result in less physical activity, not more."
A Coca-Cola Great Britain spokeswoman said the company was proud to have been an Olympic partner since 1928.
She said: "In the UK we are working hard to raise awareness of the no-sugar options we offer and have recently launched new and improved sugar-free Coca-Cola Zero Sugar - our biggest new product launch in a decade.
"Today, every major drink we sell in the UK has a lower or no-sugar option available and since 2005 we've launched 28 drinks with low or no sugar.
"We've also introduced new smaller pack sizes to give people more choice and have put the government's voluntary traffic light labelling scheme on all of our bottles and cans to help people choose the right drink for them.
"We have a responsible marketing policy in place and don't market to children under 12, and through our marketing and advertising we're also working to raise awareness of the low and no sugar drinks we offer."


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Market Research Reports, Inc. has announced the addition of “Global Smart Homes, Buildings (Energy Efficient, Automated) Market (Applications, Technologies, Products and End-User) - Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Research, Future Demand, Scope and Forecast, 2013 - 2020” research report to their offering.
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/07/2014 -- The study concludes that the global smart home and buildings market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 29.5% between 2012 and 2020. The market revenue of $4.8 billion in 2012 is expected to grow up to $35.3 billion by 2020. The main drivers for the growth of the market are government regulations, rising energy costs and raising awareness with respect to environmental concerns.
Energy efficiency has become the need of the hour as the global energy cost is increasing owing to the ever growing demand and environmental concerns of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The construction business is embracing the energy efficiency trend and using building automation system to meet the growing demand for energy efficiency in smart homes and buildings. The global smart, automated and energy efficient homes and buildings market report published by Allied Market Research discusses the in-depth analysis of this market which includes the drivers, restraints and opportunities for its growth.
The revenue of safety and security application is expected to reach $6,132.4 million by 2020 with an expected CAGR of 34.6% from 2013 to 2020. "This market is expected to evidence significant growth due to growing security concerns and enhanced safety features that smart automation systems can currently offer. With an increase in the working population, safety concerns with respect to aged parents and children are the biggest challenge. Smart home address these issues with highly-sophisticated remote monitoring technologies.” states analyst.
However, there are some factors such as high upfront cost and lack of standards and interoperability which are expected to act as restraints for the market growth. North America is expected to generate revenue of $12.4 billion by 2020 growing at a CAGR of 25.9% from 2013 to 2020. However the Asia-Pacific is a high-opportunity market that is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.7% from 2013 to 2020.
The report has profiled some of the key players of the market such as Cisco Systems, Control4 Corporation, Emerson Electric Co. Leviton, Honeywell International, LG Electronics, Schneider Electric, Siemens Buildings Technologies, Smarthome Inc., and United Technologies Corporation (UTC).The report also discusses the key strategies used by these companies to have a sustainable growth in the market.
Inquire about this report at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/allied-market-research/global-smart-homes-buildings-energy-efficient-automated-market-applications
Browse other reports under house and home category at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/house-home
About Market Research Reports, Inc.
Market Research Reports Inc. is the world's leading source for market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest market research reports on global markets, key industries, leading companies, new products and latest industry analysis & trends.
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This week, Clive, Antony, Paul and Harry sit down to diligently
cast a pod about the latest goings on in the PC hardware industry.
First on the agenda, rather predictably, is HP's recent announcement
that it's pulling out of the computer hardware market; a move that affects not only its PC manufacturing business, but also its printer and tablet lines. It's a move that shocked the industry, but is it a sign of what's to come?


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While most businesses suffered, and many have shut down since the pandemic began, the impacts of COVID-19 on the publishing industry have been mixed.
The Early Days
Publishing had a great COVID.
This trend continued into 2021. According to Publisher’s Weekly, in 2021 booksellers sold a total of 825.7 million books. Print book sales overall have risen over 18% since early 2020, demonstrating the public’s need to look at something other than Zoom.
Individual publishing houses profited from these numbers as well. Penguin Random House enjoyed a 6% increase in global revenue from 2020 to 2021.
The primary downside that the book industry suffered during the pandemic was among retail bookstores, with a decline of about 11.3% in 2020, due in large part to less foot traffic during 2020’s extended lockdown.
Publishing’s Own Long Hauler Syndrome
While the publishing industry had a great COVID, the fallout caught up with it in the fall of 2021. After having had only mild COVID symptoms during the peak of global infection, the industry began experiencing its own version of long hauler syndrome.
As early as September 2021, paper shortages delayed the publishing of untold numbers of books. Thanks to the massive spike in online shopping, paper mills have cut back on using pulp to produce paper that we need for books and have opted to make more profitable materials such as cardboard.
Labor shortages also have had an impact on the publishing industry, as we are now seeing labor shortages in print shops, warehouses, and even within publishing houses. Editors have been leaving in droves, looking for opportunities with better work-life balance (and, I’m guessing, better pay). Warehouses and book distribution centers also have seen increases in employee turnover. As of November 2021, warehouses were ranked with the third highest quit rate in the U.S.
These labor shortages contribute to the supply chain issues hitting every industry, from automobile makers to baby formula producers. But there’s a unique strain on publishing due to the fact that print capacity has been gradually diminishing over the past decade, and several large printing facilities in North America closed before COVID, in 2018.
Ports continue to experience delays and backups with an overflow of shipping containers. The labor shortage exacerbates this. With no one to unload the containers and make room for new ones, ships and their cargo are left floating offshore for weeks at a time, leading to huge delays in receiving goods, including thousands of reams of paper and books.
Combine all these issues with the soaring demand for print books brought on by the pandemic, and you’ve got yourself a classic catch-22.
The Impacts of COVID-19 on the Publishing Industry Today
Because backed up ports and supply chain issues have caused delays in printed books reaching their destinations, delays in receiving printed books mean delayed book launches. Which means delayed sales. Which means delayed recuperation of advances paid to authors. Which means delayed realization of profits for publishers.
This past fall, two of our clients’ book release dates were pushed out several weeks due to the paper shortage. As this continues to impact more authors, publishing houses have to start planning six to twelve months farther ahead than usual to manage longer lead times.
How All This Impacts YOU
Publishers are taking longer to review proposals and sign new deals. Editors have reported feeling overwhelmed. Fewer editors to bring existing projects across the finish line leaves less time available to consider new book proposals. Editors must prioritize getting the books that their house has already bought down the production line. Thus, book proposals—no matter how great they may be—might sit unopened for weeks.
In the past, the agents we work with would send a proposal to an editor and get an answer within a couple of weeks, sometimes within a few days.
As of 2022, we’ve seen editors spending four weeks or more with a proposal before making an offer, or even looking at the proposal.
What to Do
If you’re an aspiring author on the hunt for a traditional publishing deal, be ready to practice patience.
The good news is that publishers are still buying books. Before all the supply chain complications, it typically took our clients’ agents four to six weeks to sell to a publisher. Now, it can take a few of months. But they are buying!
We have also noticed that editors are less open to negotiating offers. Recently, a publisher offered one of our clients an advance that was 50% lower than expected. (Based on the average offer we’ve seen for a book of this type by an author of their stature.) The client’s agent went back to negotiate, and the publisher rescinded the offer. So, if you get an offer that feels low, you might consider taking it and finding other ways to profit from having a book.
What the Future Holds
It’s hard to say how the publishing industry will weather these issues. The supply chain problems and paper shortages might clear up in the next few months, but it doesn’t seem likely. The situation could stick around for a year or two, maybe more.
But that doesn’t mean you should wait it out. It’s also possible that the situation will get worse before it gets better. And it could be years before we see publishing return to business as usual (if it does at all). This is why I continue to recommend what I always have: write a book that sells YOU. Don’t count on a book deal or book sales to give you life-changing cash and clout. Leverage your book to increase your income, credibility, and impact, and help you leave a legacy of value for generations to come.
The Bottom Line is This:
The COVID-19 pandemic has finally caught up with the publishing industry. But if your heart is set on a traditional publishing deal, go for it. Don’t wait for it all to get better. Adjust your expectations, and get strategic about how you can leverage your book to help you achieve your bigger goals.


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More than one million users could find their cell services halted, but the ban could be just the PR boost RIM needs for its suffering reputation.
It's been a rough month for Research in Motion: its shares have tumbled, a study concluded that half of BlackBerry users plan to switch over to an iPhone or Android headset, and the BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry Torch 9800 launch did little to sway critics who feel that RIM, which once defined the smart phone, is lagging behind competing devices in terms of hardware and software innovation.
Earlier this week, the UAE attempted to inflict another blow to RIM (RIMM) with the announcement that it is planning to halt BlackBerry service to all users unless the company allowed access to encrypted user data. China, which just recently lifted restrictions on the sale of Wi-Fi-enabled iPhones, as well as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, India and Algeria also stated they were discussing bans as well. The reason? Concern over illegal activity being conducted via BlackBerry communications.
Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated the obvious, that authorities must balance "legitimate security concerns" with the "right of free use and access." But also on the line is the company's reputation. While some might argue this is another nail in RIM's coffin, the company could seize this as an opportunity to revitalize the brand if it plays its cards right. More
|5 people you might not tip (but should)|
|Oklahoma bans local minimum wage increases|
|GM reveals most powerful drop-top Corvette|
|New York's hottest nightclub... for kids|
|'A scammer stole my tax refund'|


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Influencer marketing industry to skyrocket to £20bn in 2023
and live on Freeview channel 276
To put this remarkable growth into perspective, the industry was valued at a mere £1.4bn in 2016, escalating to £12bn by 2022. Such figures reflect an unparalleled trajectory of success for the sector.
The digital age has given rise to various marketing strategies, with influencer marketing standing tall among the most effective ones. Brands, both big and small, are investing heavily in collaborations with online personalities to drive engagement, foster brand loyalty, and boost sales.
Craig Campbell, marketing director at HARO Link Building, a leading expert in the digital marketing domain, said: "The surging numbers behind influencer marketing aren't just about numbers; they reflect a profound shift in how consumers relate to brands.
"Today's consumers look for authenticity and relatable content. Influencers, given their direct connection with audiences, have managed to bridge the gap between brands and their target demographics in ways traditional advertisements couldn't."
This formidable ascent of influencer marketing can be attributed to several factors:
Direct Audience Engagement: Influencers hold a unique position of trust among their followers. This trust, combined with the right branding, can lead to successful campaigns and, consequently, a robust return on investment.
Diverse Platform Reach: With numerous social media platforms available, influencers can reach a diverse audience base, enabling brands to target niche markets effectively.
Cost-Effectiveness: For many businesses, especially startups and SMEs, influencer marketing offers a more affordable yet efficient alternative to traditional advertising.
The expectations for 2023, with an estimated industry growth of another £4bn, further solidify the strength and resilience of this marketing strategy. Brands looking to stay ahead of the curve and engage with audiences in meaningful ways will no doubt continue to look to influencer collaborations as a go-to strategy.
This isn't just a fleeting trend; it's a testament to the power of authentic, personal connections in the age of online communication. As brands continually search for innovative ways to connect with their audiences, influencer marketing stands as a beacon, demonstrating that genuine relationships and trust can indeed translate to remarkable business success.


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Shut-down at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach enters its second week
It has now been a week since strikes by clerical workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 63 have forced the closure of facilities at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as dockworkers and truckers refuse to cross picket lines.
According to the LA Times, seven of the eight cargo container terminals at LA and three of the six cargo container terminals at Long Beach are effectively closed.
The Marine Exchange has reported at least nine container ships due at the ports had been diverted to ports in Northern California, Mexico or Panama as of December 1. The two ports usually receive a half-dozen or so container ships a day. 34 are scheduled to arrive Dec. 4-7
We are tracking these developments at Datamyne. Clearly, delays in shipments and diversions of vessels will result in amendments to manifests, perhaps on a large scale. We are in close contact with Customs and Border Protection, working to capture shipment movements as quickly and accurately as is our norm during these disruptions. Stay tuned.
Update: Tuesday night, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced “an agreement has been reached between labor and management that will bring to an end the eight-day strike that has cost our local economy billions of dollars.”
KPCC Radio reported that all the terminals were open and in “full throttle” Wednesday morning, according to a spokesman for the port. It will take at a minimum several days to catch up with the cargo that’s stacked on the docks, he said.
Our latest information from CBP is that 17 vessels have been diverted to other ports, with 10 going to Oakland, 1 to Panama, and 6 to Mexico. The vessel diverted to Panama and 5 of the 6 diverted to Mexico will not be returning to LA. The vessels diverted to Oakland plan to return to LA to discharge cargo.


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Camelot, the National Lottery operator, is in talks with burger chain Wimpy about establishing a marketing partnership as part of an effort to revive its flagging National Lottery Enterprises division. It is significant that Camelot is considering striking a deal with a small player such as Wimpy, which has 239 outlets, rather than one of the leading burger chains such as McDonald’s or Burger King. Observers believe it reflects the difficulties of extending the National Lottery brand beyond lottery tickets. The Enterprises division has been hit by the collapse of a number of its deals – marketing partnerships with McVitie’s and McCain’s have been dropped (MW December 11 1996). But under the conditions of its National Lottery licence, Camelot is obliged to find ways of raising revenue in addition to sales of lottery tickets. Wimpy appointed a sales promotion agency, Ignition Marketing, in November and talks have been held with a number of organisations about brand tie-ups. Wimpy marketing manager Katherine Young says: “We have spoken to Camelot, along with others, but nothing has been agreed yet and there is no timescale.”
The Advertising Standards Authority is hoping to have an in-house data science team in place by the end of the year to help it regulate online ads more effectively and efficiently.
Technology that liberates marketers is crucial to our industry’s future, as we navigate around siloed departments and dispersed teams but still look to create joined-up, highly personalised campaigns that build brand equity and deliver ROI.
From reading the mood of the nation to better understanding the challenges faced by her own team, Just Eat’s Susan O’Brien is on a mission to bring a sense of light relief to life in Covid-19 lockdown.
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here


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The Game Awards has rolled around once again, so prepare for developers to be awarded for making some of the year’s best games interpolated with a bunch of new trailers and game announcements. Geoff Keighley’s annual event is equal parts award show and video game showcase, and The Game Awards 2022 looks to be no different. In between awards that will go to some of the year’s best games, like Elden Ring, expect to get new looks at some games we can expect to play throughout 2023 and beyond
So far, games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Final Fantasy XVI, and Tekken 8 have been confirmed to appear at the show. On top of that, we also expect plenty of surprises, release date confirmations, and brand-new game announcements that we didn’t know about beforehand. All of these awards and game reveals are a lot to take in, so we’re rounding up every announcement from The Game Awards, starting with its Opening Act pre-show and going through the whole main event.
Opening Act Pre-Show Announcements
- Dead Cells is getting Castlevania crossover DLC.
- Vampire Survivors is available now for iOS and Android for free.
- Netflix released the first trailer for Valiant Hearts: Coming Home.
- Returnal is coming to PC.
- Hellboy: Web of Wyrd announced.
- Horizon: Call of the Mountain for PlayStation VR2 got a new trailer showing combat.
- Raw Fury announced survival horror game Post Trauma.
- Image-manipulated 3D-puzzle game Viewfinder announced.
- Atomic Heart got a new trailer.
- Scars Above got a new trailer and February 28, 2023 release date.
- Relic Hunters Legends got a new trailer.
- Among Us is getting a hide-and-seek mode on December 9.
- Arise: A Simple Story’s developers announced the surrealistic exploration adventure game After Us. It launches in Spring 2023.
- Replaced got a new trailer showcasing its beautiful visuals during both combat and quieter moments.


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The most chilling aspect of that blockbuster Mueller indictment? The bureaucracy behind Russia's onslaught.
The Pyeongchang opening ceremonies included a performance by 1,218 drones working in concert—a new world record.
After months of lurking unused in Google's flagship Pixel 2 smartphone, the company's first homegrown, consumer-focused processor springs to life.
If your smartphone didn't come preloaded with Gboard, you're missing out. Time for an upgrade.
The Doomsday Clock, #ReleaseTheMemo, and more of the week's top security news.
A new fight with AMC is just one sign that MoviePass has settled in for the hard part: actually making money.
A shiny new display tech is on its way—but to OLED fans, it might look awfully familiar.
Meltdown and Spectre, dossier drama, and more of the week's top security news.
A fake Cuphead, a WhatsApp privacy blow-up, and more of the week's top security news.
They can be hacked. They're a privacy nightmare. This year, it's not too late to keep the IoT toys away from the tree.


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By: Bob Kernen
Double digit growth is impressive almost any time, but when something experiences double digit growth for 20 straight years that is really impressive. That is what digital advertising has done since Bill Clinton was president, and nobody knew anything about a girl named Monica.
But even with that impressive number from the IAB, here’s an even more impressive one: growth of mobile advertising grew 66 percent – in just one year, from 2014 to 2015. Mobile advertising rang up $20.7B in 2015.
This is tremendous news for anyone with a mobile strategy. What it means is that your mobile presence no longer has to be looked at as a cost center, but can be a real revenue driver. When you look at what’s possible on mobile, not just tiny awful banners, but real marketing with rich media elements, strong interactivity and valuable data gathering, the possibilities are endless. And in a time when broadcast media struggles to “attribute” their advertising to actual sales and ROI, mobile becomes the perfect vehicle to show your advertisers how their marketing is working through your channel.
More good news was found in pricing data. While digital has challenged CPM rates for several years now, in 2015 pricing actually improved, despite growth of low-cost programmatic ad buying. Also, driving rates up was the growth of digital video advertising. This includes desktop as well as mobile, but the rates being paid for rich media (audio and video) are impressive, and broadcasters and media companies are really well positioned to take advantage of this.
If you have questions or want to discuss ways to improve your mobile monetization, check out our webinar and white paper, or contact us at 248-353-9030 or email email@example.com and we can help you take advantage.


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Amazon warns sellers against price gouging face masks amid coronavirus concerns
Amazon is warning third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform against exorbitant price hikes to face masks amid the coronavirus outbreak that continues to expand across the globe.
The company demands Marketplace sellers abide by its Fair Pricing Policy, a rule set to protect against “pricing practices that harm customer trust” that dictates that you may not set “a price on a product or service that is significantly higher than recent prices offered on or off Amazon.” Yet, due to the coronavirus, the demand for face masks has skyrocketed, leading some sellers to raise prices in response.
Wired reports that prices for some of the most popular options for medical face masks have tripled and, in some cases, even quadrupled. The No. 1 bestseller listing for the category, a pack of 100 face masks sold by a company called Kidirt, is listed at $14.99 with $4.99 shipping, as it does not appear to qualify for Prime. Wired says that’s four times what the product cost a few weeks ago, citing data from Amazon price tracker Keepa.
More expensive and effective face masks, like N95 respirator masks, are also getting price gouged, Wired reports. Products by 3M, one of the most popular manufacturers of such masks, and Honeywell are seeing quadrupling prices, from around $15 to more than $60 for packs of 20. Wired says both 3M and Honeywell are not involved in any way, but neither can the companies control the pricing set by third-party sellers that may buy the masks wholesale and resell them on Amazon.
Amazon, however, can do something about the prices. The company has warned some sellers, it seems, but it has yet to hand out platform bans.


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With Windows 8.1 pretty much left for dead, emphasis and interest is now on Windows 9, and it looks like we may finally get our own J.A.R.V.I.S.
Neowin, which is generally pretty good on Windows stories, reports that Microsoft has bumped up the Cortana audio assistant from engineering builds to "a more stable release cycle."
As Neowin put it, this means Cortana is no longer in the state of "let us see if this works," and is in more of a "let us push this forward and see if we can ship it" stage. This could mean Cortana is looking more and more likely as a part of Windows 9 when it ships, although it could still be cut. The last thing Microsoft wants is another embarrassment.
Cortana is Microsoft's answer to Apple's Siri for its smartphone, but the company claims much more comprehensive and complex interaction. Microsoft has been running a pretty effective advertisement showing how much more interactive Cortana is than Siri. One user on WPCentral.com, the go-to place for all things Windows Phone-related, posted their extensive tests, and it looks like Cortana can deliver the goods.
Neowin says Cortana is an app on your system that looks similar to the Windows Phone version that takes up roughly 25% of your display. They better work on that because I'm not sacrificing a quarter of my monitor for one feature. Cortana is expected to be integrated into the OS as it is on Windows Phone.
Microsoft is going full bore with Cortana, telling Engadget it expects to update Cortana at least twice per month or more if something urgent comes out. So by the time Windows 9 ships – around the second quarter of 2015 – Cortana will have been significantly upgraded as well.
Voice command of a PC is something long overdue and more important than touch. Granted, there will be challenges, like using it in a busy or noisy place, or maybe where you want privacy. However, it's far more important than touchscreen support. Now you don't need to smudge your computer screen, just say "Computer, compose a new email," or "Computer, load the browser."
Neowin also said Threshold builds are becoming more stable as well, although it's still not ready for a preview release. However, given that the current rumors say a Threshold preview won't come until around November, Microsoft has a few months to make things solid.


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After a successful first year in 2022, Oud Fashion Talks will return to Kuwait this May, bringing together fashion experts and power players who have contributed to the region’s fashion scene.
The event will consist of a series of panels and discussions that aim to spark conversation about some of the industry’s key issues and topics.
This year’s key themes will focus on sustainable fashion and its importance and create a bridge between Kuwait and the international world of luxury. By highlighting the challenges of the region’s fashion and creative industry, Oud Fashion Talks hopes to bring together a community of creatives and encourage investments in local designers.
“Kuwait has always been a hub for art and creativity, particularly in the fashion sector. With the evolution and openness in the region, it’s high time for new initiatives to emerge. This motivation drives us to keep up with the industry’s changing landscape,” says Zainab AlAbdulrazzaq, Founder of Oud Fashion Talks.
This year’s edition of Oud Fashion Talks will take place from May 10th to 12th.


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During the recent quarter of the past year, the Internet advertising growth slowed down, so as the revenue of Google Incorporated, falling flat of Wall Street’s current expectations, while compensating a slight improvement in advertising pricing, which caused its shares to go down by 3%.
During the third quarter, the overall number of paid clicks or ads expanded by almost 17%, which was lower than the 25% growth rate that the company delivered during the second quarter.
Overall online advertising rates on the other hand, which was stuck in a recent multi-year drop, moderated slightly during the year’s third quarter, dropping 2% year-every-year. That was an indication of improvement compared to the 6% decrease in its Cost-Per-Click (CPC) during the second quarter.
On Thursday, Google Incorporated’s shares fell by 2.7% in extended trading amounting to $510.11.
Colin Gillis, an analyst of BGC Partners said the CPC decline has already stopped, and that was a big advantage. Gillis also reiterated that if CPCs tend to flat line will help significantly the company’s core.
The posted overall revenue of Google was $16.52 billion for three months, which ended on September 30. Google’s last year’s revenue was at $13.75 billion. Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S conducted a poll among analysts, indicating their revenue estimate of $16.57 for the recent quarter.
Google also significantly increased its spending this quarter as the company has increased employee headcount by 3,000. The total headcount contributed a 46% increase in the company’s research and development spending.
Google announced on Thursday its newly appointed Chief Business Officer (CBO), Omid Kordestani to replace Nikesh Arora. Arora left Google a quarter ago and joined the Softbank Corporation of Japan. The CBO is a significant position to administer all Google’s revenue-generating activities, while acting as a liaison officer to Wall Street and investors at the same time.


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John W. Schoen is an award-winning online journalist, who has reported and written about economics, business and financial news for more than 30 years. He is economics reporter for CNBC.com, and was a founder of msnbc.com, CNBC and public radio's Marketplace.
His reporting covers a wide range of economic stories, from Beijing to Berlin. In the summer of 2012, he reported on the economic and financial turmoil in Europe as a fellow with the RIAS RTDNF German-American Journalist Exchange Program. In 2010, he was chosen as a fellow on the first China U.S. Journalist Exchange, sponsored by the East West Center. He produced a series of reports, China 2.0, describing the increasing strains on China's rapidly growing economy.
Schoen's reporting has earned two Best in Business awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and he was a finalist for a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.
He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Schoen lives with his wife in Connecticut, where his two adult children occasionally come to visit.
Remember inflation? Looks like it's back. Here's what's driving prices higher.
Mnuchin will oversee the Treasury Department in an administration seeking swift changes to tax and trade policies.
President Trump on Monday pledged to "tweak" terms of a trade deal with Canada, the largest market for U.S. goods and services.
Trump took a more conciliatory tone toward the U.S. trade relationship with Canada than he has with Mexico relations.
Trump's tough talk on trade will have a major impact on U.S. exporters.
President Donald Trump is again dangling his signature campaign promise of deep tax cuts for American businesses and households.
Trump's tweet pulls him back into a debate over whether he did enough to distance himself from his family's businesses.
Democrats protested Betsy DeVos on the Senate floor overnight in a last-minute bid to block her confirmation.
Since the banking law took effect in July 2010, lending to businesses and consumers has continued to hit new highs, data shows.
A broad review of the available economic data shows that the overall health of U.S. employment is better than it's been in decades.


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It’s no surprise that some Australian retailers are finding it difficult to add online shopping to their customer offering, as expansion into the online sphere requires some fundamental changes to back-end business operations. But it has to be done in order to compete, as e-commerce has become a necessity for businesses looking to maintain a strong customer base in the digital age.
During Christmas 2015, Australia Post found 53 per cent of Australians purchased products online. Soon after, the National Australia Bank announced Australian online retail sales for 2016 had reached almost $21 billion, a 15 per cent increase from the year before, compared to an average 11 per cent increase in overseas markets.
Big hitters like Amazon, eBay and Catch of the Day have led to significantly lowered prices and offer consumers the opportunity to effortlessly search for lower prices between competitors. This cycle creates enormous pressure for retailers to perform and rapidly adapt.
In early 2014, Lowes successfully revamped its operations by extending its business online. While still very successful in its retail business, Lowes’ management intended to expand into the e-commerce space to further grow the brand and serve customers who love its products but required the convenience of online ordering.
Brother was tasked with addressing Lowes’ print, scan and fax challenges across the retail, warehouse and corporate sector of its business and was able to solve all of the issues faced by Lowes’ move into e-commerce. This guaranteed a smooth transition for the leading Australian retailer to meet the operational needs of its new direction.
For more information, visit Brother Empowers.


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An increasing number of women have decided to venture into entrepreneurship in a wide range of industries. Many of these women are now acclaimed leaders in the business world due to their tenacity, wit and creative thinking. In honor of Women’s History Month this March, let’s take a look at some of these ladies.
Here are nine women entrepreneurs who show that it’s entirely possible to be successful by following your passion.
– Social Entrepreneurs –
The philanthropic world is full of successful female entrepreneurs who have made positive contributions to society.
Roshaneh Zafar is the founder of KASHF foundation, which provides microfinance services to aspiring women business owners in Pakistan.
Elizabeth Dearborn Davis
Elizabeth Dearborn Davis, CEO of the Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda, created a network of business and career education campuses that have transformed the lives of countless women and girls.
In Kenya, Lindsay Stradley has helped those in poverty as well as the natural environment through her work with the company she co-founded, Sanergy.
– Marketing Gurus –
Mastering social media is important for many companies today, and women are taking the marketing and advertising world by storm.
Laura Roeder has found success by showing small business owners how to create effective social media strategies.
Nathalie Lussier is another digital marketing genius who has worked with prominent tech companies. Here are a few of her strengths, values, quirks and words to live by:
- “Strategy without empathy isn’t worth following”
- “Competitive results stem from original ideas”
- “There’s no such thing as too many books or too many ideas”
- “Women in business and technology will change the world”
Few people know the meaning of versatility as well as Marie Forleo, who has developed a respected training program that teaches online businesses how to think outside the box with their marketing.
– Lifestyle Mavens –
Lifestyle products and services aren’t limited to those who are high earners. The Internet has made these things accessible to a larger number of consumers, thanks to websites such as Pinterest and popular design blogs.
One such blog is Design*Sponge, founded by smart entrepreneur Grace Bonney.
New York Times bestselling author Kris Carr has also gotten ahead in the lifestyle industry with her advice—her own life has inspired millions to live abundantly by embracing happiness, compassion and spirituality.
Another woman entrepreneur who has made it big in the lifestyle realm is Danielle Laporte, a personal coach, author and motivational speaker.
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Islamabad: According to a report in a local newspaper, it has been observed that the tax incentives offered to the telecom sector have borne fruit as imports of mobile phones and telecommunication equipment surged more than 50pc during the month of July.
Data available from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed that telecommunication equipment and mobile phones worth $114.01m had been imported during July 2017 in comparison to $74.26m same period last year (SPLY), registering a 54pc increase year-on-year.
The budget for financial year 2017-18 had seen custom duties of 11pc and 16pc being dropped in favour of a uniform regulatory duty of 9pc.
Customs duty on smartphones was decreased from Rs1,000 a set to Rs650 for FY 2017-18.
A cellular company official commented that these imports had increased as a result of tax incentives offered by the government in this FY 2017-18 budgets and also due to rise in demand of telecom services.
He said “Some of the operators may be importing the equipment to upgrade and expand their networks under the PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) Rollout Obligations while others may be doing it to meet consumer demand.”
Telecom equipments imports rose 62pc YoY from SPLY to reach $45.44m during July 2017. Mobile phone imports stood at $68.57m during July 2017, increasing 48pc YoY.
The combined import figure for telecom equipment and phones went down to $1.35b during FY 2016-17 from $1.36b in FY 2015-16.


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The $2 billion global antivirus market may be huge, but its size doesn’t necessarily guarantee its survival, a new report has hinted.
After surveying almost 1,000 U.S. adults, Security.org found faith in the effectiveness of antivirus software dropped, as did overall usage, with first-time subscriber numbers cut in half.
The report states that of all the consumers polled for the report, just 2% had started using an antivirus program in the last 12 months, down from 5% mere three months ago.
Paid versions work better
At the same time, the percentage of users who said they don’t plan on getting antivirus software in the next six months rose, from 61% in November 2021, to 75% in January.
However, usage still remains high. More than three-quarters of adults in the States (77%) currently use antivirus software, and of those, a quarter (24%) have it on their smartphones.
Approximately 30.5 million households have free antivirus protection on their computers, while 49.8 million are using a paid version. While the free version arguably does its job well, paying users were 17% less likely to experience breakthrough viruses or malware over the past 12 months.
What’s more, paying users were more likely to find their software very effective, compared to those opting for the free versions (36% and 24% respectively).
In January 2022, roughly two in five (40%) of those without an antivirus solution were open to installing it on their endpoints in the next six months, up from 25% a year ago. These were most interested in solutions that also come with identity theft protection, firewalls, or VPNs.
> What to do if your PC has a virus (opens in new tab)
> How to tell if your Mac has a virus (opens in new tab)
> Google seeks to highlight the virus threat to your Smart TVs (opens in new tab)
“Perhaps emboldened by enhanced patching and updates, or dissuaded by doubtful experts, a telling number of consumers dropped antivirus protection and questioned its effectiveness over the past year,” the report concluded.
“As emerging dangers threaten security, privacy, cloud data, crypto trading, and cell phones, there will be cybersecurity companies poised to woo open-minded consumers. Those offering full slates of effective affordable services should fare particularly well.”
- Here's our take on the best ransomware protection (opens in new tab) out there


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The all-new Triton pick up truck, a popular model in South East Asia will be introduced in 2014. The Pajero Sport SUV, based on the all-new Triton pick up truck will follow in 2015.
Mitsubishi is a Japanese industrial conglomerate whose interests range from earth moving equipment to automobiles. The firm has been struggling in the automotive business and now plans to concentrate on utility and electric vehicles to script a turnaround. The turnaround plan will span 3 years, beginning from 2014. One of the major vehicles that Mitsubishi expects will play an important part in its turnaround is the Pajero Sport SUV, based on the Triton pick up truck platform.
The all-new Triton pick up truck, a popular model in South East Asia will be introduced in 2014. The Pajero Sport SUV, based on the all-new Triton pick up truck will follow in 2015. Mitsubishi is yet to detail the changes that the next-gen Triton pick up truck will see. A move to a monocoque platform seems unlikely given the Triton platform’s positioning in the utility segment. A body-on-ladder construction is likely to the base of the new Triton platform.
In India too, Mitsubishi has abandoned sedans and hatchbacks to focus on SUVs. So, if Mitsubishi does manage to stick around here until 2015, the current Pajero Sport SUV will get replaced by an all-new model. Currently, the Pajeanaro Sport sold in India is a prime rival to the Toyota Fortuner. Although the Pajero Sport has many pluses to it when compared with the Fortuner, Mitsubishi’s anaemic dealership reach has meant that the Pajero Sport simply doesn’t have the reach of the Fortuner.
The Pajero Sport sold in India is powered by a 2.5 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 178 PS-400 Nm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. While 4 wheel drive is standard, the lack of an automatic gearbox on the Pajero Sport is quite stinging, especially since the SUV costs 30 lakh rupees in many Indian cities. Among other things, Mitsubishi has tied up with the Renault-Nissan alliance to co-develop sedans and electric vehicles. The Japanese automaker continues to remain tight lipped and non-committal about its India plans.


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There is no doubt in anyone’s mind groceries have risen in price. Just this week, my usual grocery basket of food cost me just over $300 when only two years ago it cost me roughly $150 for the same amount of items. No cookie, cakes, chips, or other assorted goodies even graced my basket, just the essentials. There were not even any paper goods, either, such as toilet paper, napkins, and tissues. When talking with a good friend about how much my measly load cost me, she pondered if the reason for all of her friends weight gain was somehow a sign that food was going to become scarce and/or unaffordable in the near future.
You are probably thinking I am a kook right about now, but am I? Remember when a box of pasta was 16 ounces? I realized this week pasta is only 13.25 ounces now. When I was a teen-ager making tuna casserole, the tuna cans contained 7 ounces, now it is 5 ounces. Prices are going up and packaged food is shrinking. If that’s not enough to bother you, think about the increase in gas prices, which the Democrats want to continue to see escalate.
Obama, Biden, and his cronies’ think gas prices should be $10/gallon. When one thinks about the impact of how $10 per gallon of gas would affect our economy, it becomes both scary and nauseating. Costs for manufacturing and shipping food goods would sky rocket. When you begin to factor in the increased cost that a manufacturer would incur to have a building up and running, the increased costs for materials and shipping, it is going to be unbearable for the end consumer to be able to afford basic products. The escalation of raw material and fuel cost will force some companies to close, as they can no longer sell products above their breakeven cost of production. (In the recent Democrat Convention, many of the constituents said they believe that it is wrong for companies to make profit at all.) As more companies close, it will increase demand for the products of those companies that remain, thus allowing them to increase their cost further.
In addition to the lingering possibility of gas reaching $10 per gallon, our country’s credit rating has just been downgraded once again and the Federal Reserve just keeps printing more and more money. It continues to inject money into the economy by purchasing mortgage securities. Printing and continuing to lend money to the United States so they can continue to incur more debt leads to a devalued dollar. As the dollar becomes worth less, inflation increases because it takes more of your money to buy the same product as you did a year ago. Combine this with an increase in gasoline prices to $10/gallon and everyone is in a world of hurt just trying to sustain themselves.
More people are receiving Social Security Benefits than at any other time in our history; unemployment is at an all time high (especially once you factor in the unemployed people who gave up looking), and costs for goods and services are steadily creeping higher and higher. In the last fiscal year, the U.S. government spent a record amount of Social Security disability benefits. This fiscal year, our country surpassed last year’s record disability benefits in the first 11 months of the fiscal year. The government has to get its money for these benefits from either higher tax revenue or by borrowing more money.
Is it time to stock your larder? If you plan on voting for Obama, I would answer a definite “yes” if he gets another four years in office. Stocking your pantry with beans, rice, canned goods, flour, and other essentials may be the only thing to keep you from starving. I am stocking my larder and pantry plumb full. Maybe I am being pessimistic, but I sure will be happy if I’m right. And, if I am wrong and hyperinflation doesn’t assault our country, I can still use the food to feed my family.


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Editor’s note: This commentary is by Luke Albee, who worked for Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., for 20 years and was his chief of staff from 1993-2004. He consults with a non-profit organization called SAM – Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
In Washington, facts have fallen on hard times. Much to my chagrin, “alternative” facts have been used to estimate inaugural crowd size, debunk climate change, and exonerate the guilty.
Vermont is now having a debate about whether to commercialize marijuana. And in this debate, all of us fact devotees should wipe our collective windshields and see clearly what is going on behind the scenes.
When Surgeon General Jerome Adams reminded us that today’s high potency marijuana is not “your parents’ marijuana,” it brought me back to our family’s 10-acre Potemkin farm in South Burlington 45 years ago.
In those days, our chickens roamed without realizing they were “free range,” our sheep were four-legged lawn mowers, and out back on our untilled compost pile, a handful of marijuana beanstalks were growing up to the sky.
Growing marijuana, as several of my family members did, appeared to require all the horticultural dexterity of growing zucchini.
Pot in those days, including the stuff that wafted through my UVM dorm room while the Allman Brothers played, was roughly 2-3% THC.
But that was then.
Now, as the Vermont Legislature and Gov. Phil Scott are considering whether to legalize commercialized marijuana, we need to understand today is far different. We now have a marijuana industrial complex, backed by billions of dollars from the tobacco and alcohol industries. Big banks and hedge funds are lining up to get in the game. The chief investment marketer is former House Speaker John Boehner.
VTDigger is underwritten by:
The target is our children, both in Vermont and around the country. The real money makers these days are the 60% THC edibles: gummy bears, ice creams, sodas, and cookies; and the 99% THC concentrates: waxes, shatters, and dabs being cooked up in labs.
If these are new facts to you, please look them up yourself.
These products are marketed in kid-friendly ways, with colorful packaging and made to resemble popular treats. The industry wants young people to use their products because they know that research has shown that the younger a person is when they begin using marijuana, the more likely they are to develop an addiction to it. The data proves this, as states with legal marijuana markets have higher rates of marijuana addiction than those without.
While the industry is actively marketing its potent products to young people, it is also pushing harmful “medical advice” on pregnant mothers.
In 2017, a study found 70% of marijuana shops in Colorado were recommending marijuana products to “treat” symptoms of morning sickness. The industry-led normalization of marijuana has resulted in a 75% increase in marijuana use during pregnancy across the country.
The rise in youth marijuana use and use during pregnancy warranted Surgeon General Adams to issue a warning that today’s marijuana products are dangerous and called attention to the growing body of scientific evidence showing regular use increases the risk of psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, suicide, lower IQ, and other disorders.
The industry also frequently targets disadvantaged communities as its profit centers. In Los Angeles, the majority of pot shops have opened in primarily African American communities and in Colorado, where pot shops outnumber McDonalds and Starbucks locations combined, they are disproportionately located in similar areas.
In Vermont, don’t expect a lot of pot shops in Shelburne, Woodstock and Norwich.
Addiction is causing mass devastation in our country. And the peddlers of addiction are wasting no time in cashing in on pot. Altria, a Big Tobacco giant, recently invested billions into a marijuana growing company. Constellation Brands, the country’s largest beer importer, invested $5 billion into Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana company with aims to create marijuana-infused drinks. Furthermore, the former CEO of Purdue Pharma, the company responsible for the deceptive marketing of OxyContin, recently went on to head up a marijuana company in Canada.
One little test for those pushing for commercialization in Vermont: Ask supporters if they would consider a potency limit on the products sold in Vermont stores. The answer, after some shoe shuffling and headshaking, will be a resounding and emphatic no. Because potency leads to addiction. And addiction leads to profit.
As Bob Dole used to say: “Something besides good government is going on here.”
The New Mexico legislature last week had the courage to reject commercialization despite massive spending by the marijuana industrial complex. The Vermont Legislature should follow suit and see commercialization efforts for what they are: addiction-for-profit companies looking for the next big payday.
Keep growing your plants in the zucchini patch. If you start your seeds indoors, pipe in music from the Allman Brothers, Pure Prairie League, and the Dead. But let the “millionaires and billionaires” take their addiction money elsewhere.


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Tips to keep your clothes--and your home--from going up in smoke
East County News Service
July 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually, causing an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries and more than $84.4 million in property damage. A lack of maintenance, buildup of lint, placing inappropriate items in the dryer and inadequate venting are frequently cited as contributing factors.
Clothes Dryer DOs:
• DO clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying EACH load of clothes.
• DO clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically.
• DO have a certified service technician clean and inspect the dryer and venting system regularly.
• DO replace plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses with rigid or flexible metal venting, which provides maximum airflow.
• DO keep the area around the dryer clean and free from clutter.
• Always use the appropriate electrical outlet for dryers and all major appliances.
Clothes Dryer DON'Ts:
• DON'T place clothing or fabric stained with a flammable substance, such as alcohol, cooking oils, gasoline, spot removers or motor oil, in the dryer. Flammable substances give off vapors that could ignite or explode. Instead, dry the materials outdoors.
• DON'T leave a dryer operating if you are not home.
• DON'T forget to read the manufacturer warnings in the user manual and on the inside of the dryer door.
• DON'T dry any item containing foam, rubber or plastic, such as bathroom and non-slip rugs and athletic shoes.
• DON'T dry any item that contains glass fiber materials, such as a blouse or sweater with glass buttons or decorations.
• DON'T overload the dryer with wet clothes.
Always install and maintain a working smoke detector in the area of the clothes dryer in addition to others in the home.


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Communications beat Credit Crunch
Our household bills seem to be going up in every sector; electricity, gas and food prices have all seen a rise within the last 12 months. But it seems as though we are getting a good deal when it comes to communication services, such as internet, television, phone and radio.
Ofcom report that we spend an average of seven hours and nine minutes a day using these services, a rise of six minutes since 2006. Despite the increase, we are now paying about £1.53 a month less, at approximately £93.63 a month. The reason for the decrease is said to be due to improved customer deals when buying multiple services through one provider.


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Africa’s biggest TV player is lobbying to have Netflix regulated
13 July 2018
Spooked by Netflix’s growing popularity among African viewers, the continent’s largest television operator wants the disruptor to be regulated.
This call for regulation is a common call from established monopolies who find their grip on a local market challenged by a tech disruptor, and MultiChoice is no different. At first the South African company tried to compete, launching its own streaming service as eyeballs moved online. Now it’s resorted to calling for stricter rules in its own market.
MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela blamed an unregulated Netflix for their lost of more than 100,000 subscribers in the last financial year, and an additional 40,000 in this cycle. In a July 12 interview with the Business Day newspaper in South Africa, Mawela called on regulators to clamp down on Netflix and other over-the-top services.
It isn’t the first time Mawela has bemoaned Netflix’s disruption. In a testimony to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, the CEO said over-the-top service providers like Netflix were already at an advantage because they did not have to contend with affirmative action regulations and Black Economic Empowerment (South Africa’s broad policy to level the post apartheid playing field).
Though Netflix numbers in Africa have not been formally disclosed, it is still nascent in a continent where it has only been available for since January 2016 and where bandwidth costs and speeds could limit its reach. DSTV estimates Netflix has between 300,000 to 400,000 subscribers in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy, where DStv reportedly had 6.6 million subscribers last year. In June 2018 Naspers reported just under 13,5 million subscriber homes for their video services in sub-Saharan Africa, a 13% increase from the previous year thanks to MultiChoice, DStv and GOtv.


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Nokia, the one-time mobile device giant that lost its glory, is finalizing plans for its grand re-entry to the mobile device world. Recent developments which have been disclosed by the company in a statement show that all is on course for the first batch of Nokia mobile devices to roll off the assembly line soon and be available in the market by the end of the year.
We have known for long that Nokia was planning a comeback but it is only now that finally everything seems to be falling in place for that long-awaited return to the mobile market.
In order to set things in motion for its return to the mobile market, Nokia had to clear a few hurdles first since it had previously entered into an agreement with Microsoft when it sold off its mobile division back in 2013 and licensed the Nokia brand to the company.
We have been waiting for this for so long
The course of that happening involves several deals.
- A new company based in Nokia’s home, Finland, has been formed to take charge of the entire process as well as “own” the Nokia brand. Nokia has signed with the company, HMD Global, a 10-year license that will see it exclusively make and distribute Nokia-branded feature phones, smartphones and tablets for the next decade.
- Both HMD Global and FIH Mobile (a subsidiary of Foxconn) have agreed to buy the feature phone device lineup that Microsoft inherited from Nokia that has to date kept the Nokia branding. This is a complete acquisition of assets (including Microsoft Mobile’s manufacturing facility in Vietnam), branding, software and services and 4,500 employees. The deal is worth $350 million according to Microsoft. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of the year.
- HMD Global has acquired rights to use the Nokia brand on feature phones. So in effect, HMD Global will continue to make and market Nokia-branded feature phones alongside the smartphones and tablets that it has been licensed to make and market by Nokia itself.
- Since HMD Global is sharing the spoils with FIH Mobile, it has gone ahead to sign an agreement with FIH Mobile that sees it gain operational control of sales, marketing and distribution of Nokia-branded mobile devices. As such, there should be no conflict between the two. HMD Global will run the show with FIH Mobile as a partner. The latter will avail its facilities including sales and distribution networks, supply chain and engineering to the former under the terms of their agreement.
- HMD Global will pay Nokia annual royalties as a result of the 10-year licensing deal.
- Arto Nummela will head HMD Global as CEO once everything is finalized. Nummela, a Nokia veteran, is the current head of Microsoft’s Mobile Devices business for Greater Asia, Middle East and Africa, as well as Microsoft’s global Feature Phones business.
- While Nokia will have a seat on HMD Global’s board, the company won’t invest in the new outfit or own any equity. It will simply be getting annual royalties from HMD Global.
- HMD Global will make smartphones and tablets under the Nokia brand running on Google’s mobile operating system, Android. Finally, after the false start that was the Nokia X and its siblings, there will be some real Android hardware with a Nokia logo at the back. Good times ahead. Feature phones will still utilize the same proprietary software they have had under Microsoft since HMD Global has acquired rights to that as well.
- So now, in the light of the above happenings, what becomes of Windows 10 Mobile and other devices that were under Microsoft’s fold? Microsoft says that it will continue supporting older devices like the Lumia 650, 950 and others as well as providing support for devices from its other partners like Alcatel, HP, Acer etc.
Long story short, Nokia is back! HMD Global will design and develop the devices while Foxconn (remember the FIH Mobile link?) handles the manufacturing in its famous factories that also churn out Apple’s iPhones by the minute. All that with the blessings of the legends at Nokia.
Are you excited?