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The iPhone X Only Comes in 2 Colors
Finally, after more than a year of rabid speculation and a series of high-profile leaks, Apple unveiled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on Tuesday. At the company's inaugural keynote address from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, Apple put to rest some speculation concerning what colors would grace the brand new handsets, revealing the devices will come in markedly fewer hues than many had hoped.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will come in Space Gray, Silver, and what Apple described as a "beautiful" new Gold. The special edition, 10th anniversary iPhone X will sport only two colors, however: Silver and Space Gray.
While the iPhone 7 was initially available in a total of five colors — Apple even released a limited edition red device in April — all three new devices have decidedly fewer options, all of which should be familiar colors of past iPhones as you can see in images via Apple's website (shown above).
The iPhone X offers less in terms of color, despite promising "the most durable glass ever in a smartphone in Silver or Space gray," according to a company press release. The top-of-the-line phone also has a uniform black front, meaning the color options are only present on the back of the device.
While those looking for a broad spectrum of colors to choose from might be a tad disappointed with the limited options, it looks like the tech giant has its sights set more firmly on other, more consequential specs when it comes to the iPhone 8 and its revolutionary counterpart, the iPhone X.
Check back for more updates on everything you need to know about the big Apple announcements, including the differences between iPhone 8 and iPhone X, when you can pre-order them, the price tag, the iPhone X camera, the new Apple TV 4K and more.


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The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks aren’t the only entities under pressure to deliver when Super Bowl XLIX kicks off this Sunday from Phoenix.
With 30-second spots in NBC’s broadcast of the game going for around $4.5 million (and the bargain price of $4.4 million for those who bought multiple spots), the stakes are high for everyone and anyone associated with the contest. NBC likely feels compelled to deliver outsize ratings and likely hopes the Super Bowl will, as it has four times in the last five years, break the record for the most-watched event on TV. The National Football League will hope a topnotch event can partly erase from fans’ minds recent imbroglios involving its players’ treatment of women and the way it has handled new research showing the game injures the people who take it on to the field. And marketers investing in the event will be hard-pressed to demonstrate their million-dollar, celebrity-stuffed ads can do more than generate posts, likes, retweets and viral chatter, and instead prove the commercials actually generated money from sales.
And then there are the ancillary activities: The parties, the pre-show interviews, the guerrilla stunts and the post-game hoopla. None of it comes for free, and all of it is supposed to produce results, whether they come in the form of ratings, image improvement or cold, hard cash.
Who’s got a fire under their feet? Below, Variety considers the parties most likely to feel the Arizona heat this weekend:
NBCUniversal: Can this media giant wring every drop of promotion from its big broadcast while proving to advertisers the game is worth every cent spent to take part?
No single company may have more at stake than the one broadcasting the event. The Peacock doesn’t just need mammoth ratings to please the sponsors forking over a record price per 30-second commercial. It needs them to generate attention for its own business. The Super Bowl may play a key role in locking up support for “The Blacklist,” which is making a big jump from its comfortable Monday slot after “The Voice” to Thursdays, a day on which NBC’s ability to field a winning team of programs has been in question. NBCU will also promote “Today,” a variety program featuring Neil Patrick Harris slated to debut in the fall, and the debut of a new scripted series called “The Royals” on E!
But let’s get back to those the advertisers. They keep you in business. NBC’s 2015 Super Bowl broadcast will feature a whopping number of freshman sponsors – 15! – who are joining the game’s ad roster as more established marketers like General Motors, Audi and Hyundai leave the field. Can a fleet of rookies, less experienced in the ins and outs of TV advertising and more prone to making horrible gaffes with tone-deaf commercials (Groupon, Just for Feet), help the network maintain the blue-chip experience its supporters expect from the telecast?
The National Football League: Can a new chief marketing officer craft an image of an NFL that’s more inclusive and relevant to younger viewers?
Football has long been America’s game. But recent scandals have shaken the organization to its core, especially as the National Basketball League and Major League Baseball, both of whom have new people at the helm, appear more willing to crack down on festering issues like racism and drug abuse. What’s more, a recent study of Nielsen data by Variety found younger viewers have been gradually walking away from the game. Those dynamics provide ample reason why the league will use the Super Bowl to run a public-service announcement weighing in against domestic violence, an issue that has plagued the organization in recent months.
Dawn Hudson, a longtime PepsiCo marketing executive who has recently come on board as the NFL’s chief marketing officer, will have a chance to strike a new chord for the league this year, just as its season comes to an end and the nation turns its attention to efforts from sports-league rivals.
GoDaddy: Has the entrepreneurial Web-services advertiser overplayed its hand after years in the game?
GoDaddy would likely not be a household name without the off-kilter commercials it runs in the Super Bowl every year. Some have skirted the bounds of good taste, and the company has taken pains in recent years to portray itself as a maturing entity that knows how to play in a world festooned with Anheuser-Busch InBevs and PepsiCos. GoDaddy has hired dynamic ad agencies like Deutsch and Barton F. Graf 9000 for recent efforts rather than mounting efforts cobbled together inhouse.
Even so, GoDaddy’s debut of an ad in which a puppy is jostled out of a pick up truck, and then sent on an arduous journey back home only to find he’s being sold over the Web, seems like a tone-deaf maneuver. On Madison Avenue, puppies and babies are used to entice, not offend or shock, and after previewing the spot on “Today,” GoDaddy thought twice about it and yanked it from YouTube. The idea that GoDaddy thought putting a canine through the paces of movie heroes like Indiana Jones or John McClane only to end up in a moment of crushing defeat would win hearts and minds is a little hard to swallow, and the company has a reputation for publicity stunts. Whatever GoDaddy runs this Sunday will have to be pretty good to make a mark.
McDonald’s: Can the ubiquitous fast-feeder devise a new recipe to get people to return to its Golden Arches?
It’s hard to envision an American landscape without a Mickey D’s tucked somewhere alongside a highway exit or strip mall. Yet McDonald’s has faced sales problems for months. The issue has become so intractable that the Big Mac emporium jettisoned its chief executive earlier this week in favor of someone else in the ranks who might have new ideas.
Yet this venerable American business icon is taking on something a lot more challenging than the price of a Quarter Pounder. The American diet is in flux. We’re drinking more water and less soda. We’re interested in quinoa, protein bars and lots of salad.
On Sunday, McDonald’s will introduce a new item to its menu: manufactured sentiment. The company will unveil a new, short-term initiative aimed at bolstering its “I’m lovin’ it” slogan under which certain customers will be asked to take part in a demonstration of love — calling one’s mother, hugging one’s son, giving a fist bump to the crew manager.
It’s clever and intriguing and, yes, a little mawkish. And it reminds one of Denny’s recent Super Bowl efforts in 2009 and 2010 that told Super Bowl viewers of free-food giveaways. Will this idea from ad agency Leo Burnett serve as enough of a rewrite of McDonald’s menu to get people thinking anew about getting a Filet-O-Fish?
Coca-Cola, Dove, Procter & Gamble and others: Can “nanny-state” advertising win over hearts and minds during what it supposed to be one of the most fun get-togethers of the year?
Viewers accustomed to downing buffalo wings, beer and chips may find Madison Avenue serving up something else this year during Super Bowl XLIX: the advertising equivalent of a spinach-kale smoothie.
Some ads that are supposed to evoke fun and surprise will instead embrace a little finger-wagging. Coca-Cola is set to weigh in against online bullying. Procter & Gamble is expected to fight gender stereotypes. The NFL will tackle domestic violence. And several marketers, like Unilever’s Dove, will explore what it means to be a father.
Let’s not dismiss the plausibility of these efforts. These are companies, after all, whose main job it is to, essentially, sell ice to Eskimos. They are trying to get viewers to go out and put down hard-earned cash for something they don’t necessarily want or need. Coca-Cola, in particular, has been quite skilled in recent years, running ads that try to sell soda even as they warn drinking too much of it can make you fat. And last year, it produced a beautiful commercial featuring a seven-language rendition of “America the Beautiful” that gave much more than a nod to diversity even as it sparked hate comments from viewers who felt the song should be sung only in English.
Younger consumers have shown a predilection for getting more involved with big issues – the environment, hate crimes and hate speech, global sustainability – that directly affect this new generation. So it’s little wonder some marketers are putting on a suit and tie instead of a football jersey and beer goggles. Whether these serious subjects replace the usual parade of jokes designed for drunks watching at the back of the bar remains to be seen.
Savannah Guthrie and “Today”: Newly signed to a contract extension, can one of America’s most-viewed morning personalities carry the day for NBC News during an interview with the president?
Interviewing the U.S. president – a time-honored element of the coverage leading up to any Super Bowl – is always a delicate matter. For NBC, it’s a chance to promote “Today,” the onetime leader among the cereal-and-toast crowd that has stumbled in its efforts to outmatch ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Matt Lauer has handled these duties twice in the recent past, but now Guthrie, who recently agreed to her extend her tenure with the show, will take on the responsibility. She’s no slouch –a former White House correspondent and MSNBC host. On Sunday, however, she’ll have to parry with the nation’s chief executive while also convincing a restless pre-game audience waiting for the main event to consider “Today” once the Super Bowl hoopla fades from NBC’s air.


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Local cruise line adds $480 million to the state economy
On this opening day of the cruise season (to be followed by opening day of boating season this weekend) one cruise ship company says it contributes $357 million to Seattle’s economy and $481 to the state.
A report from Holland America Line, based in Seattle, finds direct spending in 2009 amounted to more than $73 million – mostly for payroll. And passengers spent about $14 million in local shops, restaurants, hotels and museums.
Holland America President and CEO Stein Kruse says since moving its headquarters to Seattle in 1982, it’s increased the number of ships in the line from two to 14. They’ll launch a 15th later this summer.
Are you a cruise person? I must be missing something, because I’ve never really wanted to travel on a cruise ship.
Holland America’s MS Amsterdam arrived in Seattle from Russia early Monday as the cruise season gets under way. Photo courtesy our news partner KING 5 TV.


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Minister Grange Expresses Condolences to Dexter Pottinger’s family
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed “deepest regrets and condolences” at the death of fashion designer and video director Dexter 3D Pottinger.
The popular fashion icon, was found with multiple stab wounds inside his Yarico Place residence off Washington Boulevard on Thursday evening.
At this time, no suspects have been named in the murder of Pottinger, but an outpouring of memories as well as grief have been flooding social media platforms.
"Pottinger will always be remembered for his significant contribution to the development of the Jamaican fashion industry," said Minister Grange.
His contributions to the entertainment and fashion industry in Jamaica are immeasurable and noteworthy as he not only styled some of the country’s well-admired recording artistes but produced diverse designs and honed the talents of numerous young models.
“I consider Dexter to have been an exceptional artist; his designs were works of art. Dexter styled many of our popular entertainers and helped to set the style trend in Dancehall. We have lost a really talented Jamaican,” said Minister Grange.
The news of the violent crime is still surreal to persons within the entertainment industry, as Pottinger impacted the lives of many, whether directly or indirectly.
The Minister, also wished to express condolences to his family as well as his friends at this time of bereavement.


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According to the Evening Standard, the current shortages are being blamed on the UK’s so-called “pingdemic,” which refers to the alerts people receive through the NHS app telling them they have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Individuals who receive this alert are then forced to self-isolate to avoid spreading the virus — at least until they receive one negative COVID test if they are vaccinated or two negative tests for the unvaccinated. These self-isolations have caused disruptions throughout the entire supply chain, as workers across the industry have not been able to report to work, leading to understaffing, delays, and shortages.
“The UK food industry has been experiencing disruption across its supply chain in recent weeks due to staff shortages, and a number of our restaurants have been impacted,” a Nando’s spokesperson said of the recent closures. “However, we can confirm that from today Nando’s will be lending seventy of our brilliant team members to support our key suppliers — working in partnership to help get things moving again. We expect to see this having a positive impact on the affected restaurants very soon, so please bear with us whilst we do everything we can to get our famous PERi-PERi chicken back where it belongs — on your plates!”


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During the pandemic and recent supply chain disruptions, Hershey prioritized keeping up with demand for its products and maintaining service with retailers. While the Pennsylvania-based company continues to value those attributes, it now appears to be more comfortable accelerating its innovation lever.
Hershey has an enviable portfolio of sweets and salty snacks, with innovation a key part of growing its business and maintaining consumer interest in its brands.
One popular confection that has drawn a meaningful amount of innovation attention at Hershey is its popular Reese’s brand. The century-old item, with more than $3 billion in annual sales, has seen its cups stuffed with everything from Reese’s Pieces and pretzels to potato chips and Reese’s Puffs Cereal. It’s also recently extended the peanut butter and chocolate brand into animal crackers and popcorn.
Buck said Hershey’s new product, Reese’s Caramel, is their latest innovation. She also mentioned that the company hasn’t been able to fully capitalize on the growth in the gummies category, but they are planning to improve their position in this area next year.
For Hershey and its competitors, innovation is important to stay relevant to shoppers. A robust pipeline of new on-trend offerings could not only convince some individuals to open their pocketbooks to try it, but potentially rekindle their interest in the brand after going some time without eating it.
Still, with consumers battling higher interest rates and price hikes across the board, innovation might be the key for a company to keep a shopper whose money doesn’t have as much buying power as it once did. Hershey management said its sales team is working with retailers to begin shipping new products in the first quarter of next year.
“We will need to wait until 2024 to see improvement, driven by some of our stronger innovation that will really help the everyday business,” Buck said.
A major part of Hershey’s ability to innovate not only comes from owning brands that are conducive to it, but efforts it has taken to grow its production capacity.
Last year, it announced plans to build a new 250,000 square-foot chocolate facility in the town of Hershey to support many of its iconic brands. The project is part of an ongoing $1 billion investment goal to improve its supply chain and meet future growth. And in April, it purchased two popcorn operations from a co-manufacturer to increase production capacity and flexibility for its SkinnyPop brand.


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Malaysia has the highest number of mobile shoppers in Asia Pacific, according to a report by mobile advertising network BuzzCity, commissioned by the Mobile Marketing Association.
42% of Malaysians do online mobile shopping, compared to 39% of the population in Sri Lanka, 35% in the Philippines, 32% in India and 28% in Indonesia.
Mobile as a shopping channel is now on a par with PCs and a key to driving the change in consumer shopping behaviour.
A third of the population of Asia Pacific (32%) shop with their mobiles compared to a fifth (21%) with PC’s in the region.
Further growth in mobile shopping is expected as nearly 30% of those surveyed said that they would consider using their mobiles for shopping.
The report finds the explosive rise of mobile shopping has caught many retailers off guard and that more people are leaving stores without making a purchase.
At least 22% of Asia Pacific shoppers left stores for a better deal online compared to 13% last year and 27% could not find what they wanted in stores compared to 14%.
Overall, fewer customers are engaging with shop assistants and consequently not making it to the tills, which should signal strong alarm bells for retailers.
The survey was conducted in April and May 2014. It involved 3590 respondents from 26 countries including 11 Asia Pacific markets.


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Deutsche Bank downgraded Netflix to Hold from Buy, saying that the subscriber number miss was not cause for alarm, but was a reason to reconsider the stock's soaring valuation.
The streaming service added 5.15 million users, which is 11.29% lower than the expected 6.2 million. Revenue climbed 6 percent to $3.9 billion.
With all this, the stock is tanking.
Despite this, Netflix added 5.1 million households over the three-month period - giving it 130 million subscribers overall with 57.4 million in the United States and nine million in the UK.
In its letter to shareholders Monday, Netflix acknowledged that it expects to face more competition going forward, including from AT&T (T), which now owns HBO, Warner Bros. and CNN.More news: Federation Internationale de Football Association president says World Cup has changed perception of Russia
In its earnings statement, Netflix said, "YouTube and Netflix are two leading global (ex-China) internet entertainment services".
A call with executives was scheduled for the evening of July 16. Netflix is an extremely expensive stock - at market close, it was trading at $400 per share.
The company added 670,000 subscribers in the U.S. and 4.5 million internationally in its second quarter.
Still, Netflix ended Q2 with 130.1 million global subs, up 25% year over year, with 56 million in the US and 72.8 million elsewhere. Netflix fell short of its forecasts a couple years ago, a shortfall the company blamed at the time on the transition to chip-based credit cards.
Analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak at Pivotal described the second quarter performance and third quarter estimates as "a relative hiccup".More news: Obama in ancestral home Kenya to launch sister's project
Total streaming revenue for Q2 18 is US$3,814 million, up from US$2,671 million during the same period past year.
"I think it's more of a one-quarter issue that shouldn't bleed into the next few quarters, despite the company's conservative guidance for September", Ives was quoted as saying by Marketwatch. The company will spend as much as $8 billion on programming this year. Apple Inc., meanwhile, is spending more than $1 billion on original programming.
Going forward, "We anticipate more competition from the combined AT&T/WarnerMedia, from the combined Fox/Disney or Fox/Comcast as well as from worldwide players like Germany's ProSieben and Salto in France", the company said in the investor letter.
Netflix said Monday that it expects more competition, but dismissed any potential negative impact on its business.
"Our strategy is to simply keep improving", Netflix said.More news: Trump tweets ‘very nice note’ he received from Kim Jong Un


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On Monday, Apple unveiled its smart watch. The Californian company’s device will finally be available to buy from 24 April and will cost between $349 and $17,000 in the US and between £299 and £13,500 in the UK. But something more important was hidden deeper in Apple’s glitzy presentation: a project with the potential to completely change the way we learn about human health.
Alongside its Watch, Apple launched ResearchKit – software that runs on the iPhone and can tap into Apple Watch data. It allows users to participate directly in medical research studies. ResearchKit already has five apps, live now, that link users to studies on Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, asthma, breast cancer and heart disease.
Apple has created a channel for funnelling data from its hundreds of millions of customers directly into the hands of health researchers, and a range of high-profile institutions around the world, from the University of Oxford to Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, have already partnered with the company to take advantage of this unprecedented data-gathering opportunity.
Up until now, large health studies have been expensive and time consuming, involving manual surveys in unrealistic laboratory settings. With ResearchKit, Apple makes running those studies and participating in them as easy as posting to Instagram.
ResearchKit’s first apps focus on asking users to fill in surveys about their health or to perform simple tasks, such as walking around the room, that allow the phone to gather data. But the Apple Watch, both the current version and future iterations, offers far deeper monitoring. For example, the launch model can measure the wearer’s pulse, potentially allowing researchers to monitor the heartbeat of the world in real time: something that has never been done before.
The company has said that it will never see the data itself: instead, it will go directly to the study organisers. But the sheer amount of data available will enable researchers to tackle previously difficult problems, such as finding out whether government health policies are being engaged with by the public.
Gathering and processing data on this scale – data obtained from people who are going about normal daily life rather than being tested in a laboratory – is the true potential of ResearchKit.
“Having one of these things on your wrist, you can pick up how someone’s sleep is,” says Patricia Ganz of the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. She worked with Apple to build the ResearchKit “Share the Journey” app, through which women who have undergone treatment for breast cancer can share their experiences of coping with symptoms such as fatigue and mood changes. “These sensors have the potential to pick up functional aspects of people’s everyday life.”
Access to millions
Apple is not breaking new ground with ResearchKit – smartphones have been used before to gain insight into people’s lives. But its advantage is that the software will be available to millions of smartphones, allowing enormous scope for participation and potentially changing the way medical research works.
Just as many analysts predict that Apple Pay – the company’s mobile payment system – will be successful simply as a result of the iPhone’s sheer market share across the world, so ResearchKit has the potential to succeed owing to the enormous numbers of users it can reach.
Ganz says that although mobile health efforts have been tried before, such things can only work in our current society, in which nearly everyone has a smartphone and the devices are a normal part of daily life. “This is the beginning,” she says.


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Coinbase Beefs Up Legal Team
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KUALA LUMPUR - Video-on-demand or streaming services offering non-religious Islamic content are rare, with only UK-based Alchemiya achieving any kind of multi-country subscriber base. A Malaysian start-up entered the public eye a year ago but progress to start streaming original content has been slow amid lockdown restrictions.
Malaysia’s Nurflix said in February last year it aimed to produce a full catalogue of programming for its subscription platform within a year.
It has not been able to keep to its punishing schedule of filming a dozen shows amid the confines of strict social distancing rules on set. Still, it is hard to blame the media start-up for lagging.
“Obviously, with the conditions we’ve had since the idea for Nurflix was initiated last February, it has been quite a difficult task to execute all our plans,” Amirrul Ar-Rahman, the service’s general manager, told Salaam Gateway. Still no launch date has been set for the streaming service to launch.
“Nevertheless, we are quite satisfied with the fact that we have managed to survive the pandemic and even made some ground.”
When Salaam Gateway last spoke to Nurflix, in July last year, the OTT provider was planning to have 12 shows in Bahasa Melayu finished and available for streaming by October. With a launch date in January 2021 pencilled in, it had hoped to attract a million paying subscribers in its first year thereafter.
Of course, that was during the quiet period of the pandemic in Malaysia when social distancing restrictions were negligible and largely unfettered filming was possible. There followed more forthright lockdowns later on in the year that caused filming to stall.
Hana Ismail, a producer on Nurflix’s flagship show, The Khadijas, said the uncertainty has been unbearable, with restrictions closing sets at times and preventing many of her cast and crew being present, even when studios have been open.
“The regulations have been a challenge, but the uncertainty has been even worse—the fact that next week you could have a totally different type of lockdown. With lockdown restrictions changing and extending for the last few months, we haven’t been able to be sure when we can actually work,” Hana told Salaam Gateway.
Still, the pilot episode of The Khadijas was completed last year and posted onto the Nurflix platform late last month, along with three other original series, some religious instruction programming and an Islamic music show.
Hana’s dramedy features a group of 11 women, all Malaysian celebrities, supporting each other as they perfect their deen.
Moments after the pilot appeared on the Nurflix platform on Jan 22, its servers were jammed, according to Hana.
“The response was quite overwhelming. That was obviously fantastic for us, once we managed to increase the bandwidth, but it also put us under more pressure. ‘Oh my god,’ we thought, ‘now we’ve got to shoot the next episode with this pandemic going on!’,” said Hana.
“At the same time, the response that we got was very encouraging because it reinforced our opinion that people will appreciate the content more because there is just such a lack of positive content like this outside of Nurflix.”
The cast of The Khadijas taking a wefie on set. Photo supplied by Nurflix.
Though it brands itself a “Shariah-compliant streaming service”, the channel’s programmers have steered away from a full catalogue of preaching imams and the focus is on ethics and the teaching of morals across the comedies and dramas in its catalogue.
“As has always been the case with any spiritual entertainment, the challenge has been to make it not boring while delivering a strong message and being aesthetically pleasing,” said Amirrul.
Nurflix has styled itself as “Sopan Stream”, where “sopan” is Malay for decent or polite.
“The ideal situation would have been to have done this two years back. It bothers me so much that sometimes, when we are stuck at home, the things that we are fed on in the media today is very worrying for the children,” said Amirrul.
With its content still free to air, only 16,000 people have so far subscribed to Nurflix, which Amirrul puts down to funding limitations that prevent a full marketing budget. In July last year, Alchemiya founder Navid Akhtar told Salaam Gateway he estimates anything between 70,000 and 100,000 subscribers would provide the sweet spot for a streaming start-up to invest in the infrastructure it needs to scale up.
“If we can’t shoot, we can’t market ourselves aggressively,” said Amirrul. “It's been a domino effect that has been brought about by lockdowns.”
Even without aggressive marketing, Nurflix’s social media presence after a year is promising, with a follower base of 26,000 on Instagram and just over 16,000 on Facebook. These numbers make it a “micro influencer”, according to one metric by branding firm AnyMind. The Khadijas, with its 9,531 followers on IG since its first post in November, is also close to becoming a micro influencer.
Nurflix is still privately funded, which Amirrul said “parried down” expectations “quite extensively”. However, a new crowdfunding model is on the horizon with benefits given to supporters.
Amirrul is also looking to introduce corporate sponsorship for Nurflix’s programming, though he is less interested in allowing product placement.
In contrast, Alchemiya, which started in 2013, last year said it was at a place where it didn’t need investors anymore with steady subscriber growth and a sustainable revenue stream. Last week Akhtar said in a blog post that the service reaches subscribers in over 30 countries.
Like Alchemiya, Nurflix is also seeing demand for its Islamic and Muslim-focused content.
“The good thing about the pandemic is that people have actually seen the need for content like ours, and it has expedited a lot of other things, like people getting better wi-fi connections and getting used to streaming things on their computers,” said Amirrul.
“The pandemic has pushed us a lot more than we had expected and made us become more resolute and believing in the importance of what it is that we're doing today.”
(Reporting by Richard Whitehead; Editing by Emmy Abdul Alim email@example.com)
© SalaamGateway.com 2021 All Rights Reserved


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Archive for the ‘Leaf’ Category
What’s different with the 2020 Nissan LEAF?
Electrification of passenger vehicles appears to be the next major change coming to the global automotive industry. As has often been the case any time there is a shift in automotive technology, Nissan is on the cutting edge of those changes. So, what’s different with the 2020 Nissan LEAF? On the most basic level, the 2020 LEAF joins the rest of the automaker’s lineup in making its full suite of active safety systems standard equipment. Additionally, Nissan has revised the battery systems available with the 2020 LEAF that will provide some of the industry’s best electric performance scores, potential range and overall fuel economy. Let’s take a look at some of the other features that customers can expect to see when they are considering the 2020 Nissan LEAF, coming soon to Jack Ingram Nissan. (more…)
Are you tired of constantly paying for gas? Are you ready to make the switch to an electric-only car? Then you should check out the newest edition of the world’s most popular electric vehicle, the 2019 Nissan LEAF! The Nissan LEAF has become so popular because of its affordability and range. But what is the range of the 2019 Nissan LEAF? (more…)
Is the Nissan LEAF a good car?
Is the Nissan LEAF a good car? Just ask Kelley Blue Book’s team of editors! The 2017 Nissan LEAF was named one of the “5 Best Electric Cars Under $40,000” by the editors of Kelley Blue Book. All five of the vehicles are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, as well as state and local incentives, which brings the net price for each of them to below $30,000. Continue reading for more about the 2017 Nissan LEAF.
By now, you may have seen videos floating around the web featuring a Nissan LEAF magically repelling paint, slush, or other substances. This is thanks to Nissan’s self-cleaning paint, an innovative idea that will someday revolutionize the way we wash and care for our vehicles. This paint, known as Ultra-Ever Dry, was developed by UltraTech International Inc. in partnership with Nissan.
How the Paint Works
The self-cleaning paint relies on nano-paint technology to create a surface that is oleophobic and hydrophobic, meaning that it is able to repel both oil and water. Nissan has explained this as the paint creating an air layer surrounding the vehicle’s surface. The idea is that cars painted with this new paint will look better daily, repel dirt and other substances, and require less cleaning. It will hopefully reduce the overall wear and tear caused when the outer layers of typical paint begin to deteriorate, leaving the metal of the car exposed.
Testing and Availability
Because it is completely different from anything currently available on the market, the self-cleaning paint will be undergoing a great deal of testing before it can become available in the Nissan lineup. There have been tests with the Note and LEAF in Europe as well as testing with the LEAF in the United States. If you watch the videos of the paint in action, these are from the testing stages in the U.S. on the Nissan LEAF.
If you want to learn more about Nissan’s revolutionary self-cleaning paint or if you will be able to drive a vehicle with it anytime soon, talk to the team at Jack Ingram Nissan in Montgomery, Alabama.
Gas prices tend to be high around the world, it is no surprise that Nissan Leaf drivers spend significantly more time behind the wheel than those who drive gas cars. In fact, one study showed that the average Leaf owner drives 50 percent more frequently than owners of conventional cars.
Why People Drive the Leaf More Often
When it comes down to cost and convenience, it does make sense that Leaf owners drive more often. The biggest factor is that they don’t have to worry about paying for gas, no matter how high the prices get. In addition, electric cars like the Leaf are very affordable to operate. Depending on the country in question, electric car drivers even get access to free parking and/or bus lanes, making these vehicles more attractive.
What Drivers Say
Nissan has taken a look at what drivers have to say about the Leaf via specific apps, and this insight was eye opening. It turns out that a large number of Leaf owners originally plan on using the vehicle as a second car, but end up driving it more due to the low servicing and fuel costs combined with the silent ride.
Driving the Leaf by the Numbers
The research in shows that an average Leaf owner will drive the car around 10,307 miles annually. In comparison, a typical combustion-powered car owner will drive just 6,721 miles. This simply confirms that the Nissan Leaf truly is able to take care of your daily driving. The average Leaf driver was on the road 198 miles each week.
To experience the benefits of owning a Nissan Leaf and start driving one everywhere you can, visit Jack Ingram Nissan in Montgomery, Alabama.


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PLAYBACK: Poets, Astronauts, Rebels and the New Content Creators
10.14.11 | YouTube’s SpaceLab; Why Steve Jobs couldn’t fix your classroom; Celebrating National Day of Writing; Digital Badges 101; and listening to YouMedia’s young artists—all in this week’s Playback.
In Orbit: YouTube announced this week it is inviting teens age 14 to 18 to submit science experiments to be conducted in space. Students can submit a two-minute video about their proposed experiment in biology or physics to the YouTube SpaceLab Project. Designed to engage kids in science, entries will be judged by a panel of astronauts, scientists and educators from around the world. YouTube is partnering with Lenovo, NASA, and space agencies around the world.
There are cool prizes for the six regional winners, including a ride on a zero-gravity flight. But the two global winners will see their experiments really take off: The experiments will be put on a rocket and flown to the International Space Station, where an astronaut will carry out the students’ instructions (streamed live, of course).
“If our competition can just play a small part in getting kids interested in science, then we’ll be very, very happy,” Zahaan Bharmal, Google’s head of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told the Washington Post. “My vision is the final live stream will be the world’s largest science classroom.”
More information on how to enter, is available on YouTube. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 7.
Why Steve Jobs Couldn’t Fix Your Classroom: In the midst of last week’s many tributes to Apple’s Steve Jobs and the outpouring of grief online from Mac users everywhere, we didn’t want you to miss this post from John T. Spencer and Shelly Blake-Plock. Blogging at Teachpaperless, these educators present an important counterpoint to those who saw Jobs as an educational visionary who created opportunity for students to create and connect (see Christine’s report on those from last week).
Instead, Spencer and Blake-Plock say it is not the products that have transformed education, but the power of the internet: “[I]t was only once the full force of the Internet became a mainstream staple of our culture—decades after the first Apple IIe was ever sold to an elementary school—that Jobs’ products even had an opportunity to transform education.”
Instead of Apple, authors say, we should be looking to decentralized and democratized models of technology use such as Wikipedia for possibilities for transforming education – not closed systems controlled by corporate interests.
In the end, we have to remember that Apple made and continues to make products. It’s the artists and designers and thinkers who use those products, it’s the people who make connections using those products, it’s the rebels who subvert and augment and redefine the uses of those products (think the origination of iTunes University) that defines transformation.
Plus, Agony and Ecstasy: For another important critique, see performance artist and writer Mike Daisey’s op-ed in The New York Times from last week. Daisey’s show, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” now up at New York’s Public Theater, examines our obsession with these devices and takes Apple to task for its monopoly and labor practices.
In the end, Daisey writes, Jobs was a man who “failed to ‘think different,’ in the deepest way, about the human needs of both his users and his workers.” In short, not the values we want to be teaching our children.
To Keep From Going Insane: The National Day on Writing is coming up next week, on Oct. 20. The New York Times Learning Network, the National Writing Project, Edutopia, and Figment.com are teaming up to collect answers to the question: “Why do you write?”
According to the National Writing Project: “Writing has been fundamental to human civilization since the first hieroglyphs, and it becomes more important everyday in our world that streams with emails, text messages, tweets, and blog posts.”
Figment.com, launched last year, is an online space for teens to share writing online. Teens can submit novels, short stories and poems via their computers or phones, and they can also give and receive feedback on their own work and work posted by others.
For this celebration, Figment is asking for submissions (essays, poems, plays) from young writers that will eventually be collected in an e-book. They’ve already got a great collection going – browse and be inspired here. You can also participate in the celebration by tweeting with the hashtag #whyiwrite. Learn more about the events going on leading up to the National Day of Writing at the National Writing Project.
Plus, for more on writing in the digital age, check out my post on NWP’s book “Because Digital Writing Matters.”
“A Constructive Loud”: That’s how YouMedia lead mentor Mike Hawkins describes the scene at the Chicago Public Library’s digital space for teens, where “the sounds of music, video games and conversation are everywhere.” Hawkins is quoted in this USA Today story, which showcases YouMedia’s new vision for libraries: learning spaces where kids can gain 21st-century literacy skills and learn to become critical media consumers and content creators.
“It’s really a shift from thinking of a library as a repository to a community center, a place where things actually happen,” librarian Taylor Bayless tells USA Today.
But what I always love best are the stories of the kids themselves and how they are using the space. Raymond Abercrombie, 17, comes in seven days a week to discuss poetry and write and perform his own music. You can see students at YouMedia in action in these Spotlight videos.
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text: Nike would have preferred presidential candidate Bob Dole had just left it alone. The sports and fitness apparel marketer said late Thursday that Dole's "Just don't do it" adaptation of its "Just do it" advertising slogan as an anti-drug mantra was not exactly sporting. "We are a bit uncomfortable about being brought into the political arena. While we are supportive of the senator's goal of keeping kids away from drugs, our slogan is based in sports," said Nike spokesman Jim Small. In a speech in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dole suggested the use of "Just don't do it" as an anti-drug slogan. The new pitch would update the "Just say no" pitch popularized in former First Lady Nancy Reagan's 1980s anti-drug effort.


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ZilkerBark is proud to be putting on a dog photography event at Worthy Brewing on July 29th!
The event is a benefit for the Bend Spay and Neuter Project, who could use some help in their efforts to control the pet population. The event will be the 13th ZilkerBarking event. So far, the events have raised over $55k! We're hoping to continue this success in Bend.
So, come out with your dog, or your friend's dog! Tickets are $30 online (Pre-Sale) or $35 day of. You can find more information about the event by clicking here.
Reserve your spot by purchasing a ticket below


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Reno Retail Sets Record Highs, Lows
By Bret Nicholson, Retail Specialist, Marcus & Millichap
Reno’s retail sector is setting records as of February 2022. Vacancies are hovering near an all-time low of 4.9 percent, and asking rents have risen to new heights, averaging $1.72 per square foot on a monthly basis. Sellers are achieving cap rates comparable to those seen in core markets, resulting in sale prices that many would not have thought possible only a few years ago.
A number of factors have contributed to the continued absorption of retail vacancies in Reno. On a local level, Reno now has roughly 150 percent more six-figure jobs compared to 2015. This allows for more discretionary retail spending. In addition, very high construction costs and development delays have forced businesses to consider repurposing existing retail space. For example, a 24 Hour Fitness shuttered at 6155 Neil Road, leaving behind a vacant 24,000-square-foot special-use building. Not long after the health club’s exit, the Coral Academy of Science began renovating the space and is now an operational elementary school.
Despite many vacancies having been repurposed and filled since 2020, demand for retail space in Reno continues. About 265,000 square feet of new construction is expected to be completed in 2022, which will be the highest amount delivered within a single year in over a decade. Nearly all of these first-generation spaces are being leased at rates in excess of $3 per square foot, many prior to construction being completed.
Reports of Northern Nevada’s growth have reverberated across the nation. This is evidenced by many local brokers now reporting that more than 70 percent of their listings are purchased by an out-of-state buyer. While some of these out-of-area purchasers are looking to relocate their businesses, they are the minority in retail. The majority of capital flowing into the sector comes from investors seeking assets in an area with no income tax and laws that are favorable to landlords, which are both found in Northern Nevada. Demand for low management, triple-net leased assets remains the highest, which has pushed cap rates for these assets into the low 5 percent range. Some local trophy retail assets have even sold in the mid-4 percent cap rate range, which is on par with most of the core markets across the West Coast.
Reno was once a market often overlooked by investors. Now, it is achieving record-high rents and sale prices, combined with record-low vacancies and cap rates.


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Like most tech companies, boutique system marker Puget Systems was slammed hard by the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions that have led to widespread shortages of critical components needed to build full systems for its customers. However, according to a new blog post by Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems, the company has finally returned to near-normal operations, indicating that supply for a broad range of system components, including CPUs, is on the mend after a tough year of crushing shortages.
As Puget noted during the opening stages of the pandemic in 2020, the company faced such severe supply shortages on a wide range of components that it was forced to cull its lineup of systems to help ensure supply. These challenges came on the back of existing memory and Intel chip shortages that were well underway before the pandemic. Making matters worse, the shift to the work-from-home paradigm pushed demand for workstations to two to three times more than normal.
One year after the beginning of the pandemic, Puget reported that sales of AMD-powered systems had passed the 50% mark, unseating Intel from its dominating 100% share of the company's sales. That was a stark turnaround from the situation in 2015 when Puget had stopped selling AMD-powered workstations because they weren't competitive with Intel's chips.
Two months ago, the company issued an update, noting that AMD chips had reached 60% of its sales. That's a sure sign that AMD's chip supply has improved, and we've seen similar signs as AMD's Ryzen 5000 chip pricing at retail outlets has fallen to new lows.
Now, 17 months later, Back says that Puget is back to normal lead times for its products and can now keep pace with demand for its workstations. Bach credits the company's industry relationships with helping to restore normal operations and hiring additional staff to help meet demand, but the rebound obviously hasn't happened overnight.
Puget Systems says that "We continue to leverage our reputation and relationships in the industry to maintain our supply, and have always been strong at planning ahead. It has been an incredible amount of work, but I am happy to report that our supply is in a state where we are able to keep pace with demand." However, the company notes that while it continues to experience some problems with supply, they are the exception rather than the norm.
All of this hopefully bodes well for the state of the broader market as signs continue to point to chip supply returning to normal for many different components for PC and workstation builds. But, unfortunately, the recovery doesn't appear to be underway for GPUs. As you can see in our GPU price index, pricing remains in the stratosphere while Bitcoin and Ethereum mining makes a comeback.


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Tough as it was, the Great Recession paled in comparison to the Great Depression, when Stout’s Footwear Co. closed
Last year, the family-owned shoe retailer saw revenue slide 7 percent, to $3.5 million, but Stout’s
held its own against Nordstrom, Shoe Carnival and other big competitors.
Indianapolis-based Stout’s isn’t just surviving. It also is proceeding with plans to open
a store next year on the city’s north side, bringing the number of Stout’s Shoes locations
to four. The company owns a New Balance store in Greenwood, too.
Stout’s also is beefing up its expertise in children’s shoes, and—after several failed
attempts—renewing efforts to sell online.
“It’s day-to-day,” said co-owner Brad Stout, the fourth generation to run the company.
“Every day, you have to fight a good fight or it’s gone. It’s been one pair of shoes at a time
for  years.”
Stout’s version of the good fight involves leaning heavily on its history. Its landmark downtown
location is a throwback of sorts, from the store’s décor—old-fashioned clocks and photos
from the early days—to the personal service that sets Stout’s apart from big-box competitors.
“Every day, you have to fight the good fight or it’s gone,” says co-owner Brad Stout.
(IBJ Photo/Robin Jerstad)
“If you’re really taking care of your customer, your business can be very good these days,”
said Sam Poser, a senior research analyst at the Birmingham, Ala.-based Sterne Agee investment brokerage.
“We think there is opportunity in this market for developing relationships with the consumer.”
Another distinguishing characteristic for Stout’s: its Baldwin Flyer system.
Installed more than 81 years ago, it is a series of pulleys, wires and baskets designed to move shoes
across the Massachusetts Avenue flagship. When a customer is ready to purchase a pair of shoes, an employee places the
product in a basket. He or she then pulls on a connecting wire that elevates the basket high in the air, near the ceiling,
then across the store to the office loft.
A second employee checks the shoes for any abnormalities, wraps the shoes and shoots the basket back
down, diagonally across the store, to the checkout counter. The shoes are packaged and the customer is
on his or her way.
“It’s all part of the show,” said employee Walter Kuhn, smiling.
The Baldwin Flyer system is no longer the time-saving device it was when Stout’s first used it in 1928. The
manufacturer is out of business, too, which makes Brad Stout the one responsible for making repairs. But the novelty machine
brings customers back to see the store.
Brad loves going down to the often-overlooked basement, which has remained almost untouched since it
was constructed. The basement looks much like a dungeon, with mostly gray, cement walls and tight spaces.
The non-concrete walls are made with wood from shoe crates and decorated with graffiti from employees dating as far
back as 1935.
After a pipe leak flooded the basement three years ago, an employee found the original ledger used to
keep the company’s finances. It still has the original submission of $51.36 on March 20, 1886.
Now a co-owner along with his sisters, Wendy O’Brien and Julie Stout, Brad returned to Indiana
in 1982 with an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and plans to attend law school or pursue
a career on Wall Street. He had no intention of entering the family business.
But the shoe store was growing and his father, Harry Stout, was renovating property around the Mass Ave
location downtown. Brad had enjoyed working at the store as a child, pasting labels on shoeboxes for his grandfather.
So he started working for his father.
Within a few weeks, Harry dragged him down from the office loft to start selling shoes. Brad didn’t
like it at first but, looking back, he said he never would have learned how to run the business without
knowing how to sell.
The business’s long-standing success is a testament to the family’s
ability to do both.
“[Stout’s] has been a retail anchor and continues to be,” said David Andrichik,
co-founder of the Massachusetts Avenue Merchants Association. “They have the history and the expertise
to stay successful and continue to draw people from all over Indiana to their stores.”
Indeed, Stout’s old-school service keeps customers coming back.
Repeat customers include Michael Theobald and his wife, Mary Ann. The store is especially important for
Mary Ann, who suffers from plantar fasciitis, a foot inflammation, and needs to be sure her shoes fit correctly.
The couple, who travel to the Indianapolis store from Greensburg in southeastern Indiana, have shopped for shoes
online but keep returning to Stout’s.
“I learned a long time ago, if I can keep [Mary Ann’s] feet happy, she’s happy,”
Michael Theobald said. “We just like the brands and the people [at Stout’s]. They are professionals.
They know what they are talking about and they are not pushy.”
Stout’s also is adding expertise in the children’s market through its recent hiring of Sue
Axlerod-Tooly. Axlerod-Tooly brings 40 years of experience running Indianapolis-based Richard’s
Shoes for Children, which is closing at the first of the year.
Stout said the addition will bring more inventory and knowledge to make the shoe store more competitive.
Stout’s also is trying to make a better presence online through Brad’s son, Brady Stout.
“We’ve failed at e-commerce so many times,” Brad said. “I can’t do it.
[Brady] has a real sense for how to get it done, though.”
Brady, 23, a recent graduate of Indiana University, also sells shoes at the company’s Carmel location.•


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Dairygold Food is one of 55 Origin Green Gold Members for 2022, and one of seven Cork companies to receive the sustainability accolade.
The annual Gold Member event, now in its third year, acknowledges the efforts of companies which have achieved exceptional annual performance on their sustainability targets.
These are measured in areas such as raw material sourcing, water and energy efficiency, waste reduction, packaging and social sustainability, based on the assessment of its independent verification authority, Mabbett.
The awards were announced by Bord Bia. Amongst the other companies awarded were six other Cork offerings, namely Bantry Bay Seafoods, Clonakilty Food Co., Hassetts Bakers & Confectioners, Nutrition Supplies, Staunton Foods Ltd., and Velo Coffee Roasters.
Nationally, Ornua and Lee Strand Cooperative Creamery Ltd. are also on the list, as are the Kerry Group and Murphy’s Bakery, based out of Abbeyfeale.
Deirdre Ryan, Director of Origin Green and Sustainable Assurance at Bord Bia, said the aim of Origin Green membership is to inspire the entire Irish food and drink industry towards sustainable production.
“It’s wonderful to see the range of awardees from all areas of the industry this year, as the assessment of Gold Membership allows smaller companies to be recognised alongside large organisations for the strength of their sustainability achievements.
“Since the inception of the Gold Membership in 2020, it has strengthened the ambition of our members and encouraged Irish food and drink companies to increase their sustainability efforts in order differentiate themselves from the competition in the marketplace.”


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Our web design team has been working with the owner of the Garden & Galley Bed and Breakfast, located in Indianola, Iowa, to update their existing website, create a mobile-friendly website and integrate tools for social media. The new site was launched earlier this week.
When a smartphone or tablet user arrives at the main website, they will be automatically re-directed to the mobile site. Innkeeper Esther Kauffeld-Hoffa has been wanting her site to be mobile-friendly for a while. “It is just wonderful that my clients can easily view our rooms and make online reservations on their smartphones,” said Hoffa. “The timing is also perfect, as it is the height of our season.”
The new mobile site can be viewed by clicking here.


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Star Wars fans, rejoice. It seems that the iconic franchise will continue well beyond Episode IX, which is expected to be released in 2019.
While the future of Star Wars beyond the end of its third trilogy remains unclear, fans will appreciate the fact that there will definitely be something to look forward to after Episode IX.
Over A Decade Of 'Star Wars' Stories After 'Episode IX'
Disney CEO Bob Iger, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, revealed to press that the studio is already talking about what would happen to the Star Wars franchise after its third trilogy ends in 2019 with the release of Episode IX.
"About what could be another decade-and-a-half of Star Wars stories," Iger said, a statement that has stirred the franchise's fans into a frenzy.
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, it subsequently announced that it would be producing a new Star Wars trilogy, which started with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. Disney also said that it will be looking into launching new movies on top of the trilogy, which turned out to be three stand-alone films that kicked off with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story last year.
Disney is now apparently looking beyond the current trilogy and the three stand-alone titles, the second one of which would feature the early days of the legendary Han Solo.
It is unclear if Iger means that there will be additional trilogies that will be released after Episode IX, if future movies will all be stand-alone stories such as Rogue One, or if there will be entirely new franchises set within the Star Wars universe. Whatever the case may be, Star Wars lore has countless stories that Disney can tap into, with the franchise proving that fans will accept new lead characters as they have with Rey and Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens.
If Iger's statement is accurate, it would mean that Star Wars movies are being planned well into the early to mid-2030s, a strategy that Disney had found success with for Marvel and Pixar.
Other 'Star Wars' Tidbits
In his interview with the press, Iger revealed several other tidbits about the future of the Star Wars franchise.
According to Iger, the untimely death of Carrie Fisher, who plays the role of Princess Leia, will not cause any changes to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Fisher's performance will remain in Episode VIII, with Iger confirming that there will be no usage of digital recreation technologies as seen, and criticized, in Rogue One.
Iger also released new details regarding the upcoming Han Solo movie, stating that the film will follow the smuggler's adventures when he was 18 to 24 years old, including how he met his faithful companion Chewbacca and how he acquired the Millennium Falcon. In addition, the film will reveal how Han Solo got his name.
Earlier this month, Disney shareholders were given an exclusive preview of The Last Jedi through a clip that showed what immediately happened after the end of The Force Awakens. The footage showed Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, ask "Who are you?" as Rey hands over his lightsaber.


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CHICAGO - The Detroit Three are driving into the 2013 Chicago Auto Show with an interesting mix of debuts.
General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC aren’t just introducing cars and trucks in different segments, but in completely different industries.
GM is unveiling its new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze diesel for consumers. Ford is showcasing its expansion in racing with the new . And Chrysler will debut its new 2014 Ram ProMaster large van for the commercial market and limited-edition Mopar '13 Dart and 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T Redline.
"It's not that they're not all just pushing products hard, they aren't even pushing the same theme," said Karl Brauer, editor in chief and CEO of TotalCarScore.com. "It's not all about fuel mileage, or it's not all about technology or it's not all about racing; it's about all of those things, but only on for each of the manufacturers.
The show, according to analysts, doesn't carry some of the global appeal it once did in its 105-year history like the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but the show is highly important to the consumer market.
Chicago accounts for nearly 3 percent of vehicle retail sales in the U.S., making it the third-largest buying market in the country behind New York and Los Angeles, according to Edmunds.com.
“This is more of a show that focuses more on consumers and less on industry,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com senior analyst and director of pricing and industry analysis. “Chicago is a fairly significant auto market.”
A study by Foresight Research stated that the Chicago auto show is attended by an average of 27 percent of local resident households.
And those automakers that take Chicago lightly, could be making a mistake. Retail sales increased 28 percent last year from February to March, which was 10 percent higher than the national increase of 18 percent, according to Edmunds.
Below is a look at the expected highlights from GM, Ford and Chrysler at this year's show, and make sure to continue to check back to MLive.com for extensive coverage of the show.
The Detroit-based automaker is expected to be one of the standouts of the show thanks to its Cruze diesel introduction.
The vehicle, also known as Cruze 2.0 TD, will start at $25,695, including a $810 destination charge, the Detroit-based automaker announced Thursday.
"It's a big deal that Chevy is bringing a diesel vehicle to the lineup in the United States," said Brandy Schaffels, TrueCar.com senior editor and content manager. "These tend to be higher performance cars that are giving us diesel powertrains for fuel economy and performance."
Cruze 2.0 TD is the first passenger vehicle from Chevy since the 1.8-liter 1986 Chevette, according to GM.
The four-door compact sedan, which is set to be unveiled later today at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, features a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine that produces estimated 148-horsepower and 258 lb-ft torque with 42 miles per gallon highway, according to GM.
The engine is based on proven architecture already used in European models, where approximately 40 percent of all Cruze models sold feature a diesel engine.
Chrysler is using the 2013 Chicago Auto Show as a platform to launch a couple special edition models, as well as its first product under the recently announced Ram Commercial division.
The 2014 Ram ProMaster, based off the Fiat Ducato large van, will be available in a gasoline-fueled 3.6-liter V6 and a "torque-laden," I-4 EcoDiesel engine, which generates peak torque of 295 lb.-ft. at 1,400 rpm, according to the company.
Chrysler will officially debut the vehicle later today, while also showcasing its new 2013 Dodge Challenger R/T Redline and the extremely limited (500 will be made), Mopar '13 Dart.
The limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart marks the fourth special-edition Mopar-badged vehicle created since Fiat SpA took stake in Chrysler in 2009.
The Dearborn-based automaker will debut a new Fiesta ST Global RallyCross Championship race car this week at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.
The OlsbergsMSE-built vehicle is based off the new Ford Fiesta ST production car, which goes on sale this summer, and will introduce the ST performance badge in the 2013 season of the Global RallyCross Championship and Global X Games events.
The move, according to the Dearborn-based automaker, is part of an expanded Global RallyCross program for "Ford as it capitalizes on the growing popularity of the series and its increased visibility through X Games.”
The first Fiesta ST GRC cars will debut this season with Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan and Ken Block.
The 2013 Chicago Auto Show, celebrating its


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Economists have been using the d-word — deflation — more frequently. Deflation means that prices are falling; what can be wrong about that? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains.
“Actually deflation is something greatly feared by economists. Deflation has been associated with some of our worst economic times and here is why: If prices are falling, businesses are actually taking in less revenue. That means they don’t have as much money to pay their workers, so they are either going to dismiss them or pay them less. If the workers get paid less, then they feel as if they are poorer. They reduce their spending, and we get into this downward spiral where the lower prices lead to lower wages, leads to lower spending. And actually most of the times when we have had deflations, we have had really horrible depression.
“And one way can avoid this would be if everyone simultaneously adjusted their views of what money is worth, because with prices lower your money is worth more. But most people don’t do that. And so what we have to look for is to particularly the Federal Reserve to try to avoid deflation. And they can try to do this by simply printing more money. However, if people simply sit on that money and don’t spend it you could still have the deflation. So this is something we do have to watch out for in the near term.”


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When mainstream media starts paying attention, you know you’re having an impact. An article this week
by the Associated Press confirms that your willingness to boycott
products and sign petitions, your conscious—and conscientious—buying
In a move that may trump Monsanto’s devious plans to manipulate
democracy and keep consumers in the dark, the Grocery Manufacturers
Association (GMA) has declared outright war on consumers’ right to know.
The brand geniuses at Nestlé USA want your money. That’s why they
sell organic Gerber-brand baby food and Sweet Leaf Tea, brands designed
to appeal to health-conscious consumers like you. To capture a share of
the growing market for organics. Trouble…Read More
Big surprise. Big Food was hiding its big donations to the NO on I-522 campaign by funneling them through the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). We knew it was true. Now we know who they are.
The companies who make billions of dollars by selling…Read More
You know who the bad guys are. The brands and companies that have
pumped millions into campaigns aimed at defeating your right to know.
But there are a lot of companies on your side, too. The best way to
reward those companies is to buy their products.…Read More


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Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>
The world's biggest automaker told employees and dealers on Wednesday it was too early to determine the scope, timing and duration of a slowdown but facilities in the United States, its single-biggest market, and in Canada and Mexico are all being considered.
Cindy Knight, a Toyota spokeswoman, said the company had ample supply of most products for the region, adding, We are doing all we can to ensure that vehicles are available to dealers.
We will continue to work closely with suppliers in North America and Japan to minimize any disruptions to Toyota's overall North American operations, Knight said.
Most parts for Toyota's North American-built vehicles come from about 500 suppliers in the region. The company said it continues to receive parts from Japan that were already in the pipeline, limiting the immediate impact of the disruption there.
Shares of Toyota fell 1 percent to close at $82.14 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Toyota has suspended production at all of its 12 assembly plants in Japan at least through March 26. Supply chain disruptions will also force the company to delay introduction of two new additions to the Prius hybrid model.
Toyota ships more than half of its Japan output to overseas markets. It operates nine manufacturing plants in the United States, two in Canada and one in Mexico.
Scores of Japanese manufacturers, including the other big Japanese auto companies, are facing supply chain disruptions after the March 11 disaster.
Suzuki Motor Corp <7269.T> said its three assembly factories in Japan will remain closed on Thursday and Friday. Honda Motor Corp <7267.T> has suspended production in Japan until March 27.
Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for buyer resource Edmunds.com, said shutdowns now occurring outside Japan are probably just the beginning.
All automakers are just now figuring out who supplies every little part. The shortage of any one could shut down an assembly line. Toyota isn't the only one vulnerable; virtually all major automakers have some risks, Krebs said.
While Toyota did not identify where production would be affected in North America, other manufacturers with dwindling inventories are looking at slowing production of low-selling models.
For instance, General Motors Co
Toyota's pickup plant in San Antonio, Texas, could fit the criteria as well, according to a source familiar with the company's thinking.
Full and midsized pickups are among the weakest arm of Toyota's U.S. lineup, which heavily features fuel efficient cars like the hybrid Prius and Camry and Corolla models and popular sport utilities.
Knight said the company had not determined which plants are affected.
Seeking to recover business lost during a safety crisis marked by massive recalls, stepped up marketing, and an improving economy helped Toyota exceed expectations with a 42 percent gain in U.S. sales in February to 141,846 vehicles.
(Reporting by John Crawley; Additional reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Gary Hill and Richard Chang)


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After Apple announced that it will deliver the iPhone 12 and the rest of the range that is still on sale without plug adapters and without headphones, it was expected that many jokes and memes will appear based on this decision. The jokes appeared immediately: “Apple will soon ship an iPhone without a screen”, or “Apple will sell an iPhone without a battery”. Well, soon, we may see iPhone models that come even without that power and data cable.
iPhone 13 could be delivered without the latest accessory in the package
An online questionnaire from Apple asks users if they use the accessories in the box. Given that the new iPhone 12 comes with a single accessory, a cable from USB-C to Lightning, it is quite clear what the company wants to know. He wants to know if that cable he delivers with each phone is really used, or if most respondents use a cable they already have around the house from an older phone.
In fact, this was one of the arguments that Apple used when it gave up the plug adapters and EarPods in the package. Most users already have older accessories and if they don’t, they can buy them now and use them many years from now for the next phones. Apparently, the USB cable is the next one that could disappear from the phone case. It remains to be seen, however, how quickly they will copy this trend after Apple and other companies in the industry. Rumors are already circulating that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S21 without a charger and headphones in the box.
In fact, the iPhone 13 could be the first mass-produced smartphone that could come without a Lightning port. No, Apple will not give up its proprietary standard to replace it with USB-C. The company already has a solution for charging iPhone 12 models: MagSafe, the magnetic charger, which uses Qi technology for fast power at 15W.
Thus, it will be easy for Apple to take the cable out of the box and replace it with a MagSafe charger, on models that will no longer have a physical port. Rumor has it that the iPhone 13 Pro Max will be the first model to give up the Lightning port, while the rest of the variants will keep it for another year.


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The campaign, tagged "Achieve Anything" will include TV, print, radio, direct mail and online advertising. It's the second push for the brand from Interpublic Group of Cos.' Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, which won the account in 1999 after Key ended its two-year relationship with WPP Group's Lord Group, New York. Lord previously had focused on launching the Key brand, formed after the merger of Key Bank and Society National Bank in 1995.
"This year's job is truly to bring to life a brand position," said George Halvorson, exec VP-deputy creative officer of Campbell Mithun. The agency's approach in 2000 concentrated on Key's retirement solutions for individuals and businesses, but this year's creative is more focused on positioning the bank as a one-stop financial-services shop, said Mr. Halvorson.
The initial TV spot, which breaks today, shows a little girl stargazing with her father, then shows her grow up to be an astronomer; a later spot aimed at institutional clients shows how a small business can grow into a large company.
"What we're trying to do with our brand is show our breadth of capabilities," said Karen Haefling, exec VP-chief marketing officer. Key, with $85 billion in assets, is known as a "super-regional" banking company; its subsidiaries include Key Bank and broker McDonald Investments.
Key wouldn't disclose spending on the effort but said it would increase its outlay. According to Competitive Media Reporting, Key spent $12 million in measured media in 1999 and $11 million for the first nine months of 2000.
The media buy for the campaign will combine both spot network TV and national cable buys as well as national and regional business publications.
"We have a need to expand the brand on a national basis," said Ms. Haefling. While the company's consumer-banking activities are regional in nature, other operations, such as investment management and its key.com Web site, are national.
Key is facing a fight for market share against other super-regional banks formed via mergers and acquisitions during the late 1990s. The market is now dominated by large players, such as the combinations of BankAmerica and NationsBank into Bank of America, BankBoston and Fleet Bank into FleetBoston and Wells Fargo & Co. and Norwest.


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April 12th, 2018 – One of the most successful April Fool’s e-mail campaigns has just concluded. Bodeaz cracked an April Fool’s joke on its customers and saw great traction and interest generated. Just within two days, the website saw 30,000 new visitors, with the e-mail open rate at 300% higher than usual, and click rate increasing by 700%.
The April Fool prank that Bodeaz unleashed on its clients was done in two stages. On April 1, customers received a prank email that displayed a new invoice in the name of the customer, with announcements such as ”Order Confirmation: $484.84, Thanks for your purchase!” The fake order receipt took the customers to an April Fool’s landing page, which revealed the prank and offered the customer a 15% discount coupon code along with an apology.
After trapping unwitting customers with the first email, Bodeaz made sure to send another message to confirm that the first email was indeed a prank. The official blog followed soon, apologizing for the joke, and offered an exclusive 15% Easter discount coupon.
The prank invoice and the discount offer can be viewed here: https://bodeaz.com/blogs/fitness/clarification-on-your-last-order
Until next year, we can all wait for the next crazy prank from Bodeaz; after all it will be a win-win prank.
Bodeaz.com is an online shop that believes a healthy lifestyle, good looks and fitness activities should be accessible to everyone. The store aims to become the No. 1 e-commerce store for fitness gear selected and featured for top quality features and performance as well as a reasonable price. Bodeaz is also a community of fitness enthusiasts, and offers wholesale and affiliate opportunities.
For more information, please visit: www.bodeaz.com


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The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Regina Benjamin, has recently gotten some heat over her comments that African-Americans, as well as other ethnic groups, like Hispanics, don’t workout because it messes up their hair.
In an interview with CNN.com, she said: “If you go out and spend $40-$50 to get your hair done, you don’t want to go out and get it all sweaty and wet that afternoon before you got to show it off….When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons.”
Benjamin made her comments at a hair show, where she encouraged hair stylists to create and recommend styles that make it easier to workout and re-style. However, despite the appropriate location—and, in our opinion, insightful comments—some, like Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research (a conservative think tank) told the NY Times that the surgeon general is focusing too much on a “niche” issue that’s “bizarre.”
In fact, the Times notes that “Dr. Benjamin has introduced new fitness initiatives, released a report on tobacco smoke, and unveiled a new icon to replace the old food pyramid. But it’s her unusual stance on hair and health that is likely to garner the most attention.”
What do you think? Is this a real issue for you?


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One of the leading Turkish content distributors in the world, Inter Medya surprised ATF participants with its diverse and remarkable catalogue. At the Asia TV Forum & Market held every year in Singapore, the company’s international sales team impressed its customers with their series, movies and formats.
At the top of Inter Medya’s successful series catalogue was once more Endless Love (Kara Sevda). Produced by Ay Yapim and featuring actors Burak Ozcivit, Neslihan Atagul Dogulu and Kaan Urgancioglu, Endless Love recently took home an International Emmy in the telenovela category. Can Okan, Founder and CEO of Inter Medya, said: “The series has been sold in over 70 countries so far, which is already a great accomplishment, but its popularity increases more and more, attracting a lot of attention from buyers across Asia. We’ve seen great enthusiasm from Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia and India among others.”
Other highlights included Bi Yapim’s dramedy Hayat (Ask Laftan Anlamaz), which had record-breaking ratings in Afghanistan and Pakistan and which became the first Turkish series to ever be sold to Sri Lanka as well as two brand-new series entitled Broken Wings (Kanatsiz Kuslar) and Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters (Fazilet Hanim ve Kizlari). Respectively produced by Koliba and Avsar Film, they both drew lots of attention from buyers across the Asian continent. The COO of Inter Medya, Ahmet Ziyalar mentioned, “We received a lot of positive feedback from buyers for these titles. Already sold in several countries in Europe as well as in the MENA region, and we are confident that they will also be extremely popular in the rest of the world including the Asian market.”
The company’s newest formats, 1 vs. 10, produced by the acclaimed BKM, and Money Monster were particularly popular. They attracted the attention of numerous production companies in the region. “In 2018, we will not only associate the name Inter Medya with Turkish series and movies, but also with formats which we believe will be a global success,” added Can Okan.


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16-17 March 2011, Berlin
The ERA-NET Learning Platform (supported by the ERA-LEARN action) is organising a workshop entitled "Implementing ERA-NETs" which is designed as a training session targeted at current and future ERA-NET coordinators and core partners of the consortia (work package leaders). The training will provide participants with hands-on experience that will support them in coordinating ERA-NET actions and in implementing joint activities, in particular joint calls.
16-17 March 2011, Brussels
Funded by the European Commission, Social Innovation Europe will create a dynamic, entrepreneurial and innovative new Europe. The time has come for Europe to embrace the broad concept of innovation and set an example globally. By 2014, Social Innovation Europe will have become the meeting place - virtual and real - for social innovators, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, policy makers and anyone else who is inspired by social innovation in Europe.
10-11 March 2011, Düsseldorf
The conference invites researchers and entrepreneurs from North Rhine-Westphalia and partner regions in Europe to find new European R&D partners for FP7 projects.
The first events in 2009 and 2010 were a great success with over 450 participants. In 2011, partner regions are: Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and Russia.
The networking event will be structured in parallel brokerage sessions focusing on three topics:
4-5 March 2011, Mannheim, Germany
The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is pleased to announce the kick-off conference of its recently launched research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies" (SEEK).


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The business side of the high-end art world is as dramatic as a Baroque masterpiece – lots of light and shadow.
“Where insider trading is against the law in the financial markets, it is completely legal and actually frequently practiced in the art world,” says Michael Plummer, a founder of Artvest Partners, an art advisory firm. Previously, he was COO of Christie’s Financial Services, and also worked with Sotheby’s for years.
“That’s kind of the game of playing in the art world is that if you are an insider, and you have inside information, then you tend to capitalize on it,” he says. And dramatic life events cause works of art to end up at auction houses in the first place.
“Death, divorce and debt. These are the main consignors,” says David Nash, a co-owner, with his wife, of the Mitchell-Innes & Nash galleries in Manhattan. Before the gallery, Nash spent 30 years at Sotheby’s overseeing paintings, so he well knows how that same drama can trickle down, or up, to the staff.
“It was pretty high pressure when I left. Now it’s 10 times worse,” he says. “Soon as you’ve had one $400 million dollar sale, you’ve got to take the phone call the next morning for the next one.”
And both auction houses seem like they’re giving in to some of that pressure, considering Christie’s is replacing its CEO, Stephen Murphy. Sotheby’s CEO, William Ruprecht, who served for 14 years, is also stepping down. Both companies want to become more profitable.
“What is making them less profitable is the intense competition between both houses,” Nash says.
While there are plenty of high-end pieces of art, only two auction houses can handle works of a certain worth. That means there’s often an auction before the auction when the two houses are bidding against each other as they try to offer better deals and land the customer.
“How far are you willing to go to get something that you have to have?” asks Michael Plummer. “Same psychology that’s in the auction room, that puts two people bidding against each other to drive something up to $140 million is the same psychology that puts two auctioneers bidding against each other to get that piece to the auction itself.”
And it can seem worth it, for either Sotheby’s or Christie’s to do what whatever is needed to lock down a deal to sell a headliner work of art, except it’s not, Plummer says.
“They just don’t make the kind of money that you think they do. When you see those hundreds of millions of dollars of sales, they’re not bringing in the money that people expect that they are, and that I know is a shocking thing to a lot of people.”
Even if you sell a $140 million painting, most of the commission may be given away to the client. Auction houses also offer guarantees that can sound an awful lot like gambling. To secure high-ticket items, the house may guarantee a minimum sale price. But if that sale doesn’t go through, the house is stuck buying that very same, and very pricey, piece of art. One of the problems Sotheby’s is facing, Plummer says, is too much focus on high end sales – the kind that often come with guarantees.
Still, both auction houses say they’re coming off of three years of record-setting sales. while it may seem counter intuitive, this could be the right time to make a bid for new leadership. While it may seem counterintuitive, this could be the right time to make a bid for new leadership, according to David Schick, a luxury industry analyst at investment banking firm Stifell.
“Making a change – I wouldn’t say getting rid of – making a change is easier when times are good,” he says.
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Seprod Group through its biscuit-making subsidiary, International Biscuits Limited (IBL), said it will invest over $170 million to expand factory facilities as it seeks to roll out a new line of cheese snacks.
Over the course of the next two years, the company said it will extend product offerings, eyeing an entry in the extruded cheese snacks segment commencing with the introduction of five new products including the more affordable 16- and 32-gram cheese curls Cheezy Zoolu and King Puffs snacks.
IBL, known for its more popular Butterkist, Ovaltine, Pic Nix, Snackables and other biscuit products, through this latest expansion is seeking to diversify its stake outside of its dominant place in the local biscuit market, with hopes to also significantly increase revenues.
“Equipped with a new oven, oil spray machine and tumbler system, the cheese snacks line is expected to improve profits for the company. This innovation is game-changing and with this new initiative, we expect to see an increase in our revenue by 20-25 per cent,” said Howard Guthrie, general manager of IBL.
“Butterkist has been known as the brand that bakes better biscuits and when we looked at what was being offered to Jamaicans, we realised that we could also bake a better cheese snack. We wanted to offer more, and we saw an opportunity in the local market to offer our consumers a better-tasting product for a better price,” Guthrie added.
Guthrie, also speaking to growth outside the local market, mentioned that plans were also in the works to beef-up export of its products to the Caribbean and North American markets.
“Exciting times are ahead for the Butterkist snack portfolio and the team look forward to achieving dominance in this area,” he stated in a news release.
Following a fire which gutted a warehouse belonging to its parent company late last year, the additional investment, IBL believes, will help to improve productivity and reduce operational overheads. Seprod, the parent company, which is a large distribution and manufacturing conglomerate, said it has over the last five years invested over $2 billion in the local economy as it upgrades its factories and improves warehousing and manufacturing facilities. In the coming months, the company is moving to occupy a section of its new 100,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution campus, with full occupancy of the logistic centre scheduled for completion next year.
Despite setbacks from the fire which wiped out more than 85 per cent of its inventory goods, the Richard Pandohie-led company has continued to keep its business afloat as it forges ahead despite the challenges. Up to the end of December its profits stood at $2.1 billion — a 25 per cent reduction relative to the previous year.


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Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has once again collaborated with LinkedIn for an e-learning initiative to provide creative talents and entrepreneurs in Dubai with the opportunity to register in an expanded package of free educational courses.
This follows the success of the 2020 edition of the initiative and comes within the framework of the strategic cooperation between Dubai Culture and LinkedIn, the largest professional network in the world, to support members of the creative community in facing the challenges imposed by COVID-19.
Similar to the 2020 edition, the 2022 edition also aims to provide an educational membership opportunity for members of the creative and artistic industries as well as enable them to obtain educational courses and workshops across many fields. Under the agreement, the authority will bear the costs of these courses, making them available for free via the LinkedIn e-learning platform.
Shaima Rashed Al-Suwaidi, director of marketing and corporate communication department at Dubai Culture, affirmed the authority’s commitment to supporting creative talents in Dubai and the UAE via public-private partnerships. “By returning with a new edition of the e-learning initiative, we affirm our commitment to continuously working with our partners and empowering members of the creative community in Dubai and the UAE by investing our capabilities and expertise. Through our strategic cooperation with LinkedIn, we are providing a second opportunity for talents and entrepreneurs to explore educational opportunities and benefit from the training programs offered on the LinkedIn platform,” she said.
Al-Suwaidi stressed that this initiative is in line with Dubai Culture’s efforts to achieve its vision of cementing Dubai’s position as a global center for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.
The courses include digital business transformation, crisis management, business development, legal and financial matters, photography, graphic design, electronic games design, product design, visual arts, films, and fashion, among other fields of creativity and business management.
The first edition of the initiative attracted 2,000 registered users, who spent about 1,482 hours on the platform from June 20 to Nov. 20, 2020.


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Uber Technologies Inc is selling its autonomous driving unit, Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), to self-driving car startup Aurora, the companies said on Monday, in a move that would accelerate the ride-sharing company’s goal to achieve profitability. The equity deal valued the ATG at $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
The valuation of ATG has taken a dive from last year, when it raised $1 billion from a consortium of investors including Toyota Motor Corp and SoftBank Group Corp at a valuation of $7.25 billion.
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Uber is also investing $400 million in Aurora, in a deal that valued Aurora at $10 billion, the people added. Uber will hold about 26% ownership interest in Aurora on a fully diluted basis, the company said in a filing. Uber and Aurora will enter into a collaboration agreement to launch self-driving vehicles on the Uber ride sharing network.
The sale will accelerate Uber’s goal to achieve profitability on an adjusted basis by the end of 2021, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview with Reuters.
“This essentially advances our path to profitability,” Khosrowshahi said. (Reporting by Krystal Hu in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis)


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Iron fans can pay on the gate for Wednesday night’s match at Wigan Athletic.
Tickets will remain on sale from the Glanford Park ticket office until 2pm on Wednesday and you can purchase in person, by calling 0871 221 1899 or online via https://ticketing.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/.
Over 260 tickets have been sold for the game so far.
Prices are as follows:
Over 65: £17
Under 18: £10
Under 11: £5
Under 2: £2


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Phil Spencer Confirms That Developers Will Need To Work Harder To Put Games On Both Xbox Consoles
If you’ve been keeping up with gaming news at all this year, you know that there are four new consoles that are going to be hitting shelves in just a few short weeks. Two of those are the Xbox Series X and the digital-only Series S. Both will feature next-gen hardware, but the Series S will come with less memory—both in terms of RAM and storage space. Some developers have expressed concern about this. Spencer didn’t help those concerns, because he confirmed that developers are going to need to work harder to put games on both Xbox consoles.
Xbox’s sales strategy—and to some extent, PlayStation’s—is that a cheaper console will be more enticing to would-be gamers. Coupled with ideas like xCloud and Game Pass Ultimate, the Series S makes more sense than it may initially appear to. Even if some developers are worried about how the Series S will impact their projects.
During the interview, Spencer said that he isn’t worried about the potential issues. He explains, “I think we have proof points, like we’ve said, on PC, that show that you can get absolutely amazing-looking games on great hardware and have those games scale to the hardware capability.” He acknowledges that scaling games to hardware capability comes with some extra work.
“…Absolutely, it is work. There’s no doubt about that. The fact that you have two performance specs now, I’m not going to stand here or try to PR somebody and say two different specs is the same as having one spec. It’s not. We’re doing this because we want to expand the market.” That really is the long and short of it for Xbox—market expansion. Market expansion is the name of the game (pun intended) in the gaming world, after all.
While Game Pass is perhaps the most obvious part of that plan—giving you access to hundreds of games across PC, Mobile, and Xbox in addition to streaming services—the other part is giving you an affordable console to purchase. Spencer backs this up by explaining that Xbox expects the Series S to eventually outsell the Series X. “Maybe buying two $500 consoles is going to be a difficult thing,” he said. So, the thinking was, “Hey, let’s make sure we’ve got something to catch a second-[console] owner.’”
Both consoles will be launching worldwide on November 10, two days ahead of the PS5. You can check out the full Series X and Series S launch catalog here.
Up Next: Evil Genius 2: World Domination Interview: Venus Spy Traps, Shark Tanks And Bond Villains
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- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Michael spent some time owning and running a bar. He is currently living on wheels with his wife, playing video games, guitar, and watching Pewdiepie comment on memes. #Floorgang
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