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The Launch Industry: Navigating The Negotiation Table
By Kelly Holder
Back in the 1990s money, along with champagne, was flowing through the halls of launch vehicle companies and the global satellite industry at large. Times were good. Those years experienced a significant increase in the number of commercial launches and everyone hoped it would last. This flow of steady business propelled the launch service providers to develop new and better rockets, which proudly stood ready for liftoff on their launch pads waiting for contracts to become final.
Today, there is no way to sugarcoat the problems that exist. Unlike the robust business of yesteryear, launch service providers find themselves contending with an industry where supply outweighs demand. "The number one issue facing the launch industry in 2004 (and beyond) is overcapacity," says Philip McAlister, director of Futron, a consulting firm based in Bethesda, MD. "Launch demand for the next decade will probably be between 40 and 60 launches per year worldwide, while the available capacity is anywhere from 100 to 150 launches per year. This is going to continue to put financial stress on the industry in 2004 and beyond."
This serious dilemma has left the world’s space-faring nations caught in a cycle of price wars and a super aggressive market; each trying to distinguish itself from the other in order to win launch orders from fewer customers who are now more demanding of launcher services.
A Buyer’s Market
While the pool of global launch service customers has shrunk, the power those clients hold has increased. They come to the negotiating table knowing exactly what they want and offer an impressive list of demands, keeping the checkbook out of sight until they are satisfied. Across the board, many of the satellite operators sing the same tune when it comes time to procuring a launch for their payload. Even though their list of criteria–reliability, flexibility, competitive and fair pricing, and a proven launch record–have not changed throughout the years, their scrutiny for detail has.
Having been in the satellite service provider business since the 1960s, Intelsat knows a thing or two about procuring launch services for its satellites. With the launch of its 10-02 satellite planned in the second quarter of this year, and the expected launch of Telstar 8 in mid-year–pending the final closing of its acquisition of the North American satellite assets of Loral–Intelsat keeps launch companies on their toes. "[We] select launch services based on an evaluation of technical/programmatic factors, contractual terms and conditions and financial aspects," says Terry Edwards, senior director of spacecraft and launch programs management for Intelsat. "The most important technical/programmatic factor is the heritage and launch record of the launch vehicle to be used for the launch service."
And make no mistake: launch procurers are acutely aware of the competition that is out there for their business. Bridget Neville, senior vice president for engineering at Panamsat feels as many others do. "Oversupply of capacity [is the number one issue facing the launch industry.] With fewer satellite launches and more launch capacity, there’s more competition for each launch." Although its launch schedule for 2004 is small–just one launch, the Galaxy 14 later this year–Panamsat operates a fleet of more than 25 satellites in orbit. And like its brethren, Panamsat is a company making its demands known. "On a top 10 list, reliability would be numbers one through eight. Then price, then flexibility," says Neville.
With a global fleet of 16 geosynchronous satellites under its operation and a heavy launch schedule planned for 2004, SES Americom is a company that will hardly go unnoticed by launch service providers. "SES Americom has a very full launch schedule this year. In early February we launched AMC 10 and in mid-May we are launching AMC 11. This summer we have another two launches planned, Worldsat 2 and AMC 15," says Monica Morgan, vice president of corporate communications for SES Americom. Having its launch vehicle contracts already in place, SES Americom’s deciding factors were similar to what launch providers continue to hear. "Reliability is our number one criteria, then flexibility and fair pricing," says Morgan.
Like SES Americom, Telesat Canada’s feelings regarding the launch procurement process are much the same. According to Roger Tinley, vice president of space systems for Telesat, "The satellite industry needs another year of highly reliable services from the launch industry." With more than 30 years of experience, Telesat has successfully launched 12 Anik satellites along with two Nimiq satellites, and plans to further expand its fleet with the launch of Anik F2 this spring. "We look for reliability, a competitive price, flexibility and good customer service when selecting a launch service provider. In addition we are looking for offers with innovative methods to provide financial compensation should there be a launch failure," says Tinley.
Within the Asia-Pacific region not only are some of the regional operators echoing their global operators’ sentiments, but forward momentum is on the horizon for this region’s launcher business. Last year, China put its first human in orbit, rejuvenating the space-based business assets of the country, which include the Long March rocket. Chinese space officials hope to have the Long March garner a significant portion of the future commercial payload sector. "Asiasat has launched two satellites on Long March and for non-U.S. made satellites, Long March is very attractive now and continued success will obviously increase its competitiveness," says Peter Jackson, executive director of Asiasat. The Hong Kong-based satellite operator has a fleet of just three satellites and no launches planned for 2004. Asiasat, however, still has a strong voice at the negotiation table every time it enters the launcher boardroom. "Reliability, unchanged product and flexibility in contract terms" are what Jackson is looking for from launchers. "If all else were equal then price would be the deciding factor," he adds.
Shin Satellite PCL of Bangkok is gearing up for its much-anticipated launch of its IPStar satellite later this year. The IPStar satellite will offer telecommunications and multimedia services to households, businesses and public organizations.
In addition to the Long March, Japan’s H2A rocket will also re-enter the playing field this year, according to industry executives. The Japanese government has decided to privatize the troubled H2A launch vehicle program by 2005. Isao Yamazaki, executive chief engineer for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, says that the rocket would return to flight later this year, following last November’s launch failure.
The Burden of Proof Rests on the Launchers
If indeed the H2A and the Long March return to commercial activity in the near future, it will only mean that the oversupply issue will continue to influence contract negotiations. Even though the market currently is flooded with more vehicles than it needs, these providers are going to, now more than ever before, hold in high priority the client’s needs for service. Price wars are sure to continue. The challenge of launch service providers then is to do whatever it takes to distinguish themselves from each other and garner orders. And in a time when the growth of the commercial market is minimal and the state of the launcher industry is depressed, that can be hard to do.
"The complexities of our industry make it almost impossible to pinpoint just one factor or issue facing the launch industry in 2004. Predatory, nonmarket pricing is certainly a chief concern," says Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch. The company prides itself on "creating long-term partnerships," says Maser. "Signing a launch contract is the initiation of each relationship. The activity between the signing and mission completion is a journey that bonds these relationships well into the future." Like any provider, Sea Launch also takes customers’ needs seriously. "Customers want reliability and schedule assurance. We do what we say we’re going to do when we say we are going to do it." As far as pricing goes it is not one of those companies lowering its price to win customers. "Sea Launch will not sacrifice the integrity of our service for price. We are focused on mission success, which can be assured only in a rational pricing environment," says Maser.
Echoing Maser’s feelings about the price wars is Clayton Mowry, president of Arianespace Inc. "The key issue in today’s market is pricing. Those service providers driving the market down with rock-bottom prices will not be able to ensure the quality of their services over the long run."
Arianespace’s family of launch vehicles is equipped to handle small-to-medium payloads through to the heaviest. This range may be an advantage when wooing potential customers who can look to them for many different size payloads. "Customers want tailored solutions to meet their needs," says Mowry, who is fairly positive about the state of the industry. "Overall we’ve sensed a more optimistic mood among the larger satellite operators," he says, referring to the continued demand for Direct-to-Home video and new data services, as well as applications such as High Definition and interactive TV. "We see a slow but steady recovery in the market," he says.
In addition to pricing, back-up launch assurance is also paramount for customers. Heeding this call, Boeing Launch Services (BLS), Arianespace and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. signed an agreement last year to provide a new commercial service offering that combines the three launch service providers to ensure on-time launches for customers around the world. The new launch services alliance offers commercial customers the ability to fly on one of the three launch systems. Under this agreement, customers can transition among launch platforms for maximum flexibility to ensure on-time delivery to orbit. This tri-party alliance also preserves each launch provider’s ability to individually market and promote its own unique platforms and capabilities to customers.
But the devil is in the details as they say, and the customers will ultimately decide if this alliance proves financially successful for the providers involved. "From what I understand, the alliance arrangements are not cast in concrete and different back-up and contingency agreements can be crafted for each contract," says Asiasat’s Jackson. "If this is the case, then it could provide significant benefit for the customer."
Telesat’s Tinley adds that having an alternate vehicle available in a short timeframe if there is a problem with the prime launch vehicle makes good sense, but this alliance is fairly new and the terms remain somewhat ambiguous. "This type of backup arrangement, however, is certainly something we will explore the next time we go to the market for launch," he adds.
Clarification of contract terms within such strategic partnerships will be key in winning new business and retaining customer loyalty. When dealing with three separate launch service providers, geographically dispersed launch locations and variants in rockets, customers need to be more sold on the "seamless" transition of switching vehicles if the need arises. "Intelsat understands the underlying point behind the ‘back-up alliance’, but currently we do not have any launch services contracts that implement this offering," says Edwards. "Subject to more detailed review of the specific arrangements, such a back-up provision might be of interest, assuming that it does not unduly complicate the spacecraft/launch vehicle integration activities and does not significantly increase the overall program cost."
In addition to ironing out commercial contractual details, launch service providers are also seeking customers outside the commercial arena. Like most other observers, International Launch Services (ILS) sees the number one issue facing the industry as the slow growth in the commercial market. "The critical buying factors remain constant: reliability, schedule assurance and competitive terms," says Eric Novotny, ILS vice president of marketing, adding that ILS is in the business of selling complete services, not just rockets. "We bring an integrated service offering to our customers that extends from contract signing to spacecraft separation, including mission management and licensing assistance," he says.
With little evidence of anything more than a modest recovery predicted for the near future within the commercial marketplace, launch vehicle companies are also looking to their respective governments for support, either through launch contracts or funding. "There is a recognition of the importance of government business worldwide. While government orders have been a cornerstone of most launcher programs, defense and science missions are making up a larger proportion of the business while the commercial launch market is recovering more slowly," says Novotny. "Government business is key in determining which launch companies will remain viable in a few years."
Another launch provider feeling the sting of a depressed commercial satellite market is BLS. The company formally announced that it will offer Sea Launch as its primary commercial launch system, with its Delta 2 still available commercially and its Delta 4 taking a break for a few years with hopes of reentering the commercial market when conditions improve. According to Robert Villanueva, spokesperson for Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, "BLS understands the needs of its customers and recognizes that customers look at a variety of factors with respect to their mission requirements. These factors include: reliability record, scheduling availability, orbit requirements, launch vehicle performance, the quality of the mission and launch services support and price, to name a few."
The lingering question on everyone’s mind is when the current industry depression will end. "Specifically, 2004 will look much like 2003. We saw 17 commercial launches and 46 non-commercial launches worldwide in 2003. We will see about the same number in 2004," says McAlister. "I do not anticipate any growth. Demand for satellite services will continue to be global with the United States and Europe being the regions with the greatest total demand. The companies that satisfy that demand will be located all over the globe."
Overall, it looks like the problems plaguing the launcher industry today will not go away anytime soon. But despite the uninspiring forecast, there are still those involved with commercial space transportation that remain hopeful and excited that the sun will come out (maybe not tomorrow) and the birds will continue to soar toward Geostationary orbit. In the end, such elements as customer satisfaction, unambiguous agreements and launch assurance will decide the winners from the losers.
Kelly Holder is the managing editor of Via Satellite magazine. She has covered the satellite industry for five years.


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Published on April 15th, 2013 | by naatlstaff0
Swapping Trash for Fresh Produce
Mexico City’s innovative monthly Mercado del Trueque (barter market) in Chapultepec Park is a winning trifecta for citizens, local vegetable and plant vendors and the city’s secretariat of the environment. There, residents can exchange cardboard, paper, glass, aluminum, plastic bottles, electronic devices and other waste for paper chits that are redeemed at kiosks for vouchers worth points.
The traders can then use the vouchers to buy tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, lemons and other produce from participating farmers from surrounding districts. Mexico produces 40 million tons of garbage annually, but only recycles about 15 percent. With this barter system, farmers have gained a new place to sell their produce and earn extra income, while the materials collected are processed for industrial reuse.

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Listed clothing retailer, Edgars Stores Limited, has revealed its intention to delist from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) for subsequent listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX).
Edgars’ planned migration is subject to shareholder approval and the granting of all necessary regulatory authorisations.
In a cautionary notice this week, new company secretary, Chipo Mafunga, said the directors have since approved the de-listing of the firm from ZSE.
“The Directors of Edgars Stores Limited wish to advise all shareholders and the investing public that the board, subject to shareholder approval and the granting of all necessary regulatory authorisations, has approved the de-listing of the company from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, immediately followed by its listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange,” she said.
According to Mafunga, more details will be available to shareholders with regards to the transaction once all regulatory processes have been finalised.
“Further details of the transaction will be provided to Shareholders once all regulatory processes have been finalised.
“Shareholders are therefore advised to exercise caution and consult their professional advisers when trading in the company’s shares,” she said.
The clothing retailer joins a number of other businesses that have migrated from the primary bourse, the ZSE to US dollar denominated VFEX. Market watchers have largely guided the VFEX to maintain a growth trajectory experienced in 2023 where big cap counters like Innscor, Natfoods and hospitality group African Sun moved to the exchange.
New issuers are also expected to debut on the exchange as they seek hard currency to hedge against currency volatility as well as attract quality investors from the regional and international markets.
For Edgars, its migration to a US dollar denominated exchange will be a perfect hedge at a time the retailer is facing stiff competition from cheap imports flooding the local market.
The group engages in the retail of clothing, footwear, textiles, and accessories in Zimbabwe, and operates through six segments, which are Edgars Stores Retail, Jet Stores Retail, Manufacturing Carousel, Micro Finance Club Plus, Corporate Head Office, and Financial Services.
In addition, it provides microfinance loans to the lower — to middle-income customer group.


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The sale will see the transfer of some £6.1bn in assets under management, along with 140 employees, to the Liechtenstein-headquartered buyer.
In an announcement today (February 28), Abrdn said this part of the business would need to build much greater scale, and to do that it would need to operate under a new owner.
Abrdn has retained its model portfolio business, which chief executive Stephen Bird said was the “modern, efficient” way of doing discretionary management.
The MPS team will be moved to sit within Abrdn’s adviser vector in order to "maximise opportunities available through that business’ distribution model".
We were spread far too thinly, but now we’re much more focused.Stephen Bird, Abrdn
Asked why Abrdn was selling its DFM business, Bird said the group wants to be much more focused on where it can grow, generate capital and invest in those parts.
The focus is on scaling up both the adviser and Interactive Investor businesses, Bird said.
The sale of Abrdn Capital follows the asset manager’s decision to sell Parmenion back in 2021, the adviser platform which returned to a profit after three years of losses under Abrdn.
Richard Wilson, CEO of Personal at Abrdn, said: “DFM is a high quality, profitable business with a strong client focus and a brilliant team. However, in line with the way the market is moving, it needs greater scale and will be a better fit for LGT.
"Within Abrdn’s personal vector, our strategy for growth is focused on integrating the services of ii with financial planning services for our customers.”
The DFM business being sold to LGT delivered around £40mn in revenue in 2022, and currently serves around 4,000 clients.
Today, the asset manager also published its final results. In 2022, the group recorded an IFRS loss before tax of £615mn, following a profit of more than £1bn the previous year.
Bird stressed on a call this morning that this figure was a non-cash accounting loss relating to falls in share prices of listed stakes, as well as tough markets impacting its investment business.
“We’re profitable,” said Bird, pointing to the group’s £1.1bn in capital.
Operating profit fell 19 per cent, to £263mn from £323mn in 2021.
The company said this dip in operating profit was down to a decline in investment revenue, as net outflows for the business totalled £10.3bn.
Bird dubbed 2022 “one of the toughest investing years in living memory”.
The group’s adviser arm and Interactive Investor - which Abrdn bought last year - partially offset falls in investment revenue.


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Violence at India Apple plant: What exactly happened at Karnataka unit?
The plant became operational earlier this year. There were 5,000 workers initially. But the number rose to 10,500, according to Karnataka factories department report.
On December 12, several thousand workers of an Apple manufacturing unit in Bengaluru ransacked the office complaining that they were not getting their salaries. The facility of Wistron Corporation, which manufactures iPhone, is located at Narasapura Industrial Area of Kolar district, 51 kilometres from Bengaluru, India’s tech and investment hub. The vandalism by the workers — setting cars on fire, breaking windows, doors etc — raised concerns as it could impact investment in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said.
A week later, the government submitted its report probing what caused the violence and why the workers were disgruntled.
Here is what happened:
1. Over 150 people were arrested in connection with the violence.
2. As industry bodies termed the incident as a blot in the industry-friendly image of Karnataka, the Centre asked the state government to expedite its inquiry.
3. The department for promotion of industry and internal trade asked the state government to ensure that the “investor sentiment is not affected due to such one-off incident”.
4. The Karnataka government in its probe has said that the unit could not manage the increased operation. The plant became operational earlier this year. There were 5,000 workers initially. But the number rose to 10,500, according to Karnataka factories department report.
5. The HR department has not been adequately set up with personnel of sound knowledge of labour laws, resulting in various violations.
6. In October, the plant introduced 12-hour shift replacing the earlier eight-hour shift. There were glitches in attendance system as well.
7. Wistron on December 19 decided to remove the vice-president who was in-charge of business in India. In a statement, it has apologised for the payment delays and said some restructuring measures are being taken so that this does not happen again.
8. The unit was shut following the rampage but the authorities are hopeful that it could restart function in a few days,
9. Wistron said no manufacturing equipment has been damaged, though it lost in the range of New Taiwan Dollar 100 to 200 million, which is about Rs 52 crore.
10. As per a statement issued by Apple, it is putting Wistron on probation and the company is not going to receive any new business from Apple till corrective measures are enforced and completed.
Wistron is one of the 16 entities which have received approval for incentives under the government’s production linked incentive plan. Currently, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are being assembled by Foxconn in Chennai, and iPhone 7 by Wistron in Bengaluru. The Kolar facility assembles the latest version of the iPhone SE.


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Get growing: Starting a farmers market may be no easy undertaking but there are some resources to get you started. (Photo courtesy of Oakley Farmers Market)
Do you think a tailgate market would be a great addition to your neighborhood? According to Molly Nicholie, program director of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Local Food Campaign, you’re not alone. “We very frequently get requests from community members wanting a market in their community, as well as businesses wanting to host markets at their location,” says Nicholie.
But starting a market is no easy undertaking, she cautions. “The challenge for any new market is that balance between supply and demand,” Nicholie says. “It takes a lot of time and energy for a farm to start selling at a new market and new markets often take a while to build a customer base.” She also notes that with 14 tailgate markets already established in Buncombe County alone, many farmers are too busy to take on new markets. It many cases it may be better to direct the community’s energy toward supporting existing markets, Nicholie says.
But Gladheart Farms farmer Jeff Weaver says, “I know of some farmers that are frustrated about not being able to get into markets, or, if accepted, are limited on what they can sell,” says Weaver. “There is still room for targeted locations which would create possibilities for some of the smaller, startup farms and vendors.”
“I think that there are a lot of neighborhoods in Asheville that could use a small or medium-sized market targeted to the population that lives there,” says Oakley Farmers Market organizer Josh O’Conner. “In my opinion, it’s all an issue of scale, and it may be as simple as having one or two vendors.”
Here are a few tips from ASAP and the coordinators of the Oakley Farmers Market for those considering starting their own neighborhood market:
• Find your worker bees: Form an energetic, hands-on market committee.
• Decide on size: Consider the needs of the neighborhood and how much market it can support.
• Create a mission/vision statement: Articulate what you want your market to accomplish.
• Do a market study: This can be as simple as looking at the number of residents in the neighborhood and the distances to surrounding markets.
• Find a location: Connect to churches, community organizations or even businesses — preferable situations would offer visibility, ample parking and free rent.
• Explore other markets: Make relationships with vendors and learn about what you want from your market.
• Market the market: Social media and the Nextdoor social group are useful for organizing volunteers. Ultimately, word of mouth is key for bringing in traffic.
• Talk to ASAP: The organization is an invaluable resource.
• Keep it truly local: Reach out to farmers and vendors who live as close to your neighborhood as possible.
• Start small: Focus on the basics first — produce, meat and dairy. These are the things people want most at a market.
To find a farmers market near your community visit www.appalachiangrown.org or visit ASAP’s market calendar at fromhere.org/events/category/farmers-market


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Joe Kirgues, co-founder of gener8tor, is urging startup founders to “be aggressive” in pursuing funding from federal programs aimed at helping businesses survive the pandemic.
“As people look harder and harder at these programs, they’ll find there are resources available to help them get through the next two months,” he said yesterday during a webinar hosted by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
In a conversation with MMAC President Tim Sheehy, Kirgues gave an update on the gener8tor Emergency Response Program, which helps small business leaders, startups, nonprofits, musicians, artists and freelancers that are impacted by COVID-19.
The program includes a suite of webinars, and gener8tor staff work one-on-one with each company to help them engage with available resources. It was developed in Indiana, where gener8tor worked with economic development officials to craft business response programming, Kirgues said. The program has more than 5,000 participants.
He acknowledged the challenges that both individuals and business leaders are facing but expressed optimism that many companies can find innovative ways to make it through the current crisis.
“If you sit there and work on the problem of how you get enough revenue to stay in business for the next four or five months, it’s not going to be fun. But I suspect the majority of businesses can come up with a better model — at least one good enough to stay in business through this,” Kirgues said.
See more on the program: http://www.gener8tor.com/emergency-response-program
Listen to WisBusiness: The Podcast with Joe Kirgues: http://www.wisbusiness.com/2020/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-joe-kirgues-co-founder-of-gener8tor/
-By Alex Moe


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It’s official. Minneapolis and St Paul duplex owners know it’s a great time to sell a duplex.
So much so that duplex sellers with equity contributed a whopping 74 percent of the new inventory on the market the week ending November 17, 2012.
Now, the total number of listings for the week was down by two from the same week one year ago. However, just 44.8 percent of those duplexes listed for sale were being sold by people who had equity in their properties.
The increased presence of traditional sellers usually means higher average sales prices. And yet, in something of a market anomolly, the average final list price for the week this year was $134,772; down from last year’s sold price of $134,772.
Pending sales for the week were down by one from last year. However, 60 percent of the twenty sellers who received and accepted offers on their properties have equity. This is up 7.6 percent from last year.
In the single family market, there was a minor increase in inventory, with the number of new listings up 11.4 percent from a year ago. Meanwhile, pending sales were also up 9.8 percent.
In all, inventory is down 29.4 percent, totalling less than 15,000 properties to choose from in all on the Multiple Listing Service.
In all, there are less than four months of inventory on the market, meaning it truly is a seller’s market.


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Hands-on review: CRKD Nitro Deck for Nintendo Switch
With the eye-catching Game Boy Advance/Game Cube looks, the Nitro Deck fits nicely in your hand, giving players a great new way to play their Switch games.
Acer expands Predator monitor line with MiniLED, OLED models
Acer launches four new models to its Predator gaming monitor series, including two MiniLED and two OLED displays.
Hands-on Review: Samsung S95C 65-inch OLED TV
Showcasing the best in OLED technology, the S95C offers an immersive home viewing experience that blows you away.
Samsung unveils premium innovations to its television lineup
Samsung has focused on enhancing the user experience by making complex technologies more intuitive and making design, display and sound innovations.
Hands-on review: Panasonic TH-65LZ1500Z OLED Television
The Panasonic OLED TV TH-65LZ1500Z offers a superior viewing experience with its 65-inch OLED display and advanced features.
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus reinvents rotating display form factor
The company also announced powerhouse ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 and innovative Lenovo Magic Bay accessories, and a new ThinkBook 13x Gen 2 Wireless Dock.
Lenovo goes bigger, bolder with new dual-screen Yoga Book 9i
Lenovo introduces a multifaceted Yoga Book 9i dual-screen device, stunning Yoga desktop, category-defining tablets, and a novel motion-capture device concept.
Samsung advances new era of screens with new line-up
Samsung Electronics has unveiled its new Neo QLED, MICRO LED and Samsung OLED line-ups alongside lifestyle products and accessories.
Acer debuts new additions, refreshed models to product range
The announcement includes new additions to its Aspire and Nitro ranges, as well as announcements on its Swift and Predator products.
Lenovo introduces new devices with next-gen features
The new generation of IdeaPad Pro 5i and IdeaPad Pro 5 brings various new features for enhanced performance to improve the user experience.
Hands-on review: HP Spectre x360 14 laptop
HP Spectre x360 14: A sleek 2-in-1 laptop with impressive performance, vibrant OLED display, and versatile design. A top contender in the market.
Hands-on review: Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro
This is the 'Pro' model of the GT 3 series and boasts a premium look and feel. The 46mm watch face is made from titanium which really stands out on the wrist.
Hands-on review: OPPO Reno8 5G smartphone
OPPO's smartphones are known for two particular things: design and camera. OPPO’s latest smartphone, Reno8 5G, excels in both areas.
Hands-on review: Lenovo Yoga 7i laptop
Lenovo has already proven itself in 2-in-1 laptops but decided to push its lineup by launching the new Yoga 7i Gen.
OPPO reveals new Smartphone, Pad and IoT products for Australasian market
OPPO launches Reno8 series Smartphone in Europe and Australasia, along with OPPO Pad Air and new IoT products.
Hands-on review: Huawei Watch Fit 2 and Huawei Band 7
Huawei releases new Watch Fit 2 and Band 7, offering affordable smartwatch and fitness tracker options for summer.
Hands-on review: Huawei Watch D smart watch
The Huawei Watch D is a strong contender in the premium smart watch market, with innovative features and a sleek design.
Hands-on review: HP Evo Spectre X360 Flip Ultrabook 13.5” laptop
HP's Spectre X360 Ultrabook impresses with its ergonomic design and seamless performance, making it a versatile laptop worth considering.
Hands-on review: Panasonic 65' JZ980 OLED 4K Smart TV
We got our hands on one of the most impressive Smart TV’s Panasonic has ever produced. Ever Kiwi household should take note.
Alienware launches new high-spec gaming notebook range
Alienware says the M-series is optimised for power, while the X-series balances mobility and the latest gaming tech.
ASUS showcases latest lineup at the Incredible Unfolds virtual launch event
ASUS reveals new foldable Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and commemorative Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition at virtual launch event.
LG to demonstrate new ways of using flexible OLED displays
LG will demonstrate its new flexible OLED technology at CES 2022, showing how it can create new and different experiences in the home.
Worldwide market for smart home devices holds steady amid disruption
Smart home device market sees steady growth despite supply chain disruptions and economic challenges, according to IDC.
Cybercriminals increase attacks on vulnerable retailers as global supply chain crisis worsens
Cybercriminals are increasing attacks on retailers amid the global supply chain crisis, warns cybersecurity firm Imperva.


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Transatlantic Air Freight Rates Soar as US Imposes Europe Travel Ban
Theloadstar.com March 12, 2020
Transatlantic air freight rates are expected to soar, possibly overnight, following the US travel ban on mainland Europe, excluding – for now – the UK and Ireland.
Up to 80% of air freight capacity on the transatlantic could be cut as airlines ground passenger flights, with bellies normally taking the lion’s share of the capacity on the route.
“IAG, Air Canada, Virgin and Aer Lingus are all going to be very busy,” said one senior air freight analyst. “There is a tremendous amount of trade between the two continents, and the vast majority is in bellies. If that capacity plunges, you can only imagine the reduction in trade on the Atlantic. There is going to be tremendous pressure on capacity.”
One European forwarder told The Loadstar: “This is going to be another case of ‘pay to play’. Where prices are going to go is anyone’s guess.” Current dynamic load factors on the transatlantic are 78% westbound, and 60% eastbound, according to Clive Data Services. Even with a modest assumption of 60% of the capacity removed, demand is easily going to outstrip supply.
“There are so few airlines with freighters left,” said the analyst. “The US majors have none, it’s really only Lufthansa and AF-KLM, and they have cut their freighter fleets. This is a big gift for IAG.”
Forwarders said that any BSAs on non-cut capacity would be unlikely to be honored by the airlines, and in any event, most contracts would only last until the end of the month.
“The US market tends to work on spot rates anyway.”
Airlines throughout Europe are said to be in meetings to determine how to manage their capacity, with more information expected this afternoon. Some are already talking about using passenger aircraft just to move freight on the transatlantic – and are looking to command a high price for it.
Trucking is also expected to be key, with mainland European carriers looking to fly goods into Canada and Mexico on passenger aircraft and trucked over the borders into the US. In Europe, forwarders are looking to truck freight into the UK for Virgin and IAG flights into the US.
“Cargo is going to be redirected and trucked,” said one forwarder. “The multinational forwarders will already be diverting it to the UK.”
However, belly capacity from the UK has already been cut. BA announced on 2 March it was cutting back transatlantic flights as passenger demand fell. Norwegian cancelled 22 long-haul flights between Europe and the US from 28 March to 5 May.


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House OK's bill to give businesses regulatory relief
Small businesses in Maryland will get a little relief from regulation updates under a bill approved by the House of Delegates Friday.
The bill, HB16, would require non-emergency regulatory changes to go into effect on four specific days a year, rather than having these changes take effect on any given day and going unnoticed by those affected. The change is intended to make it easier for small businesses to stay on top of new regulations and avoid penalties for breaking the law unknowingly.
State agencies made close to 2,000 non-emergency regulatory changes in 2012. That evens out to about five a day. Not all those new regulations are relevant to business, but many are, such as changes to health codes or labor rules.
Staying on top of all those changes can be a big challenges for small businesses, which have limited staff to dedicate to monitoring the Maryland Register, according to Arora.
“Easily small businesses can find themselves on the wrong side of the law,” Arora said.
Under the new legislation, most non-emergency regulation changes would go into effect the first of the month in January, April, July or October.
Sarah covers health care, higher education, biotech and technology.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission in Thailand SEC shows that it is willing to support ICOs
Thai Securities and Exchange Commission Supports Creation of ICO Laws Amazon Decentralized: How Blockchain Tech Will Transform Online Retail, Networking
What major advantages Blockchain brings into the way people use social networking and financial transactions
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With Gibraltar’s huge success in the gaming industry, it now plans to do well in the cryptocurrency field.


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By Adalbert Balmer. Wiring Diagram. Publised at Saturday, December 23rd 2017, 18:19:50 PM. One Wire Alternator Hook Up and 3 Wire Alternator Hook Up.
By Adalbert Balmer. Wiring Diagram. Published at Friday, December 15th 2017, 05:47:54 AM. Wire an outlet at wiring diagram
By Detlev Holderman. Wiring Diagram. Published at Friday, December 15th 2017, 04:22:10 AM. I am looking for the ignition switch wiring diagram for a 71 ac at wiring diagram
By Adalbert Balmer. Car Review. Published at Friday, December 15th 2017, 01:07:12 AM. Wiring led light bar at wiring diagram
By Adalbert Balmer. Car Review. Published at Thursday, December 14th 2017, 16:43:37 PM. That dream may seem a nightmare to owners of the Audi S4, S5, A6, or A7, though. That’s a short list of Audis with the formidable 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, or formidable before this crossover cutie topped them all with 354 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. Horsepower swells 30 percent over the latest Q5 3.0T and its 272 horses and 295 pound-feet. Audi manned up this 3.0T with a stiffened block and a beefier crankshaft and bearings. More air gets through the sizable single-frame grille than in Audi cars with the 3.0T. Enlarging the radiator further improved cooling, allowing boost to rise to set this new bar for 3.0T power.
By Adalbert Balmer. Car Review. Published at Thursday, December 14th 2017, 16:28:11 PM. For its third birthday, the Dodge Magnum gets a bit of cosmetic surgery, chiefly around the headlights, seeking to correct what Chrysler design chief Trevor Creed described as the Magnum‘s “wide-eyed look.” In addition to scowling new headlights, the ’08 Magnum also gets a new grille and the new interior.
By Mario Dresdner. Car Review. Published at Thursday, December 14th 2017, 14:24:38 PM. Folding the 40/20/20 rear seats pushes maximum volume to 60 cubic feet — roughly equal to the 5 Series GT with its second row folded flat. Now boasting the longest wheelbase in the segment, BMW also says rear seat legroom has been increased by roughly a half inch.
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Open Letter to Executive Vice President Vestager and Commissioner Breton: Google Search is not Compliant with the DMA. We Urge the European Commission to Take Action
This week marks a significant milestone for digital markets in Europe, as the deadline for the designated gatekeepers to adhere to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has finally come. On this important occasion for European businesses and consumers, eu travel tech sent a letter to Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner Thierry Breton, raising pressing concerns regarding Google’s compliance with the DMA’s ban on self-preferencing under Article 6.5.
The DMA was designed to foster a competitive and fair digital landscape across Europe. Article 6.5, in particular, aims to eliminate self-preferencing practices that can skew competition and limit consumer choice. This provision is especially vital in the context of Google Search, which plays a pivotal role in how consumers access information online.
eu travel tech’s letter highlights that, despite the critical nature of the DMA and extensive consultations with business users, Google’s proposed solutions for Article 6.5 fall markedly short of what is necessary to ensure compliance with the new rules. Google continues to favor its own services on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), undermining competition. In travel search, this includes the display of Google’s comparison products for Hotels, Flights, Things to do, Trains, and Vacation rentals with units that are more prominent, interactive and rich than any other search result.
It is imperative for Google to propose new, DMA-compliant solutions for its search practices. Should Google continue to fall short of compliance, we urge the European Commission to do everything in its power to ensure that the DMA is enforced.
We look forward to seeing progress on this crucial matter for European digital markets and consumers.


text: HomeBitcoinPro Traders Unfazed by Bitcoin Price Stalling at $12,400, Data Shows Pro Traders Unfazed by Bitcoin Price Stalling at $12,400, Data Shows By Crypto News Pipe August 20, 2020 Bitcoin 0 Comments Derivatives data and other key metrics show pro traders remain strongly bullish on Bitcoin despite the recent rejection at $12.4K. Source: Pro Traders Unfazed by Bitcoin Price Stalling at ,400, Data Shows Tags:Bitcoin Related Posts Chainlink, MakerDAO Honored as World Economic Forum ‘Tech Pioneers’ As Bitcoin price staggers, ‘whale’ wallets may be becoming an endangered species Bitcoin’s Price Is Rising, But Data Shows No One Wants To Sell About Author Crypto News Pipe Crypto News Pipe is a cryptocurrency news aggregator service. It presents a continuous flow of articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Add a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment:*Name:* Email Address:* Website: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


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Regrouping Litchfield sells theater
Published: Friday, January 25, 1991 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 25, 1991 at 12:00 a.m.
CHARLESTON - Litchfield Theaters Ltd., one of the top 20 cinema companies in the nation, has sold its theater in Litchfield and 34 screens in Tennessee and Florida, according to a company spokesman.
The company, which has about 250 screens across the Southeast and 12 in Spartanburg, is reorganizing after the recent death of Chairman A. Foster McKissick. The sales will allow the company to regroup and prepare for future growth, possibly doubling its current number of theaters, says Jack Jordan, advertising director. TEXXXT.L
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ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis County says on Nov. 23 alone a total of 11 businesses were sent letters with instructions to cease "cease all indoor service" as instructed in the latest public health order.
They've added to a growing list of establishments throughout the county that are refusing to follow the safer at home order that went into effect Nov. 17.
The safer at home order "requires that restaurants must cease all indoor service and are only allowed to provide outdoor service, carryout, and delivery. All Drinking establishments must only provide carryout and delivery."
However, restaurants and bars have pushed back, claiming the new rules unfairly target their businesses and not places such as gyms and salons.
Here are the 11 businesses that weren't sent letters on Monday, which state the offense is a "misdemeanor, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 1 year, or a fine of up to $2,000, or both."
Poor Richards - Eureka
Twister's Lounge - St. Ann
Final Destination Bar & Café - St. Ann
Sunset Lanes - Marlborough
Crest Bowl - Florissant
Du Bowl Lanes - Melville
JP Fields - Clayton
Sushi Ai - Manchester
The Brewhouse - Maryland Heights
Johnny's West - Maryland Heights
Hot Shots - Maryland Heights
Last Friday, judge denied the request by the Missouri Restaurant Association and more than three dozen restaurants, for a temporary restraining order against County Executive Dr. Sam Page's ban on indoor dining.
The growing rate of daily positive cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in the region is putting local health officials on edge.
© 2020 KMOX (Entercom). All rights reserved


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The Technology 202: More than 200 companies call for a national privacy law
WASHINGTON - A broad coalition of more than 200 retailers, banks and technology companies is releasing new recommendations for national privacy legislation today in a clear push to get out in front of lawmakers promising to rein in their data collection practices in the next Congress.
The Business Roundtable's consumer privacy legislation framework, provided exclusively to The Technology 202, calls on the United States to adopt a national privacy law that would apply the same data collection requirements to all companies regardless of sector - while ramping up Federal Trade Commission staffing and funding to enforce the rule. It calls on companies to give consumers more control of their data and form a national standard for breach notification.
"We see a real need to both protect consumers at a time when digital services and the digital economy is so important and expanding, and at the same time, making sure we're advancing global competitiveness," said Julie Sweet, chief executive of Accenture North America, who chairs the Business Roundtable's technology committee.
Members of the Business Roundtable include chief executives from companies such as Apple, Walmart and Wells Fargo. And some of its top executives such as J.P. Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon and AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson will meet with policymakers including Ivanka Trump and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., at a CEO Innovation Summit in Washington later today.
The fact that such a wide cross-section of companies - far beyond the technology campuses of Silicon Valley - are actively seeking ways to change the collection and storage of data online reflects a sea change for the privacy debate in the United States. Companies such as Salesforce or Verizon, for instance, may not be in the eye of the political storm in Washington recently in the way that, say, Facebook has - but they also have skin in the private debate.
After all, every company is a technology company; it's not just popular social networks or search engines that will be subject to national privacy legislation but any company that handles personal information online. As the Marriott data breach highlighted just last week, companies that are rarely associated with the technology industry hold tremendous amounts of data about individuals - and they may not be doing enough to protect it.
All this puts even more pressure on policymakers - especially Democrats who have pledged to get tough on Big Tech as they take over the House. They will need to craft a bill that fulfills their promise to crack down on tech companies' highly publicized misuse of their customers' data but that also does not impede businesses big and small, in every sector from retail to media.
The Business Roundtable's framework is relatively broad - and that reflects the challenge. Its recommendations to lawmakers include:
- Streamlining existing federal data collection laws so there aren't conflicting regulations.
- Historically, federal law has been sector-specific, with different standards for businesses handling sensitive information such as financial services or healthcare.
- Some self-regulation: Companies should adopt some widely considered best practices, such as considering privacy from the design phase of a product or conducting consumer or conducting privacy assessments. But the law shouldn't mandate that.
Ensuring any law has flexibility to determine what kind of consent consumers need to have for their data. It does specify that companies should recognize consumers' right to transparency about how their data is being used and provide ways for them to access and change their data, and delete it under certain circumstances.
Creating a national standard for breach notification laws that would take the place of state laws. But it does not get into specifics about when a company should notify consumers it was hacked. It just says within a "reasonable" time.
Putting the FTC as lead agency to enforce the law. It also calls on state attorneys general to coordinate with the federal government. Currently, state attorney generals have been some of the most powerful enforcers in data breach cases.
Considering how the law will impact small businesses that do not process much personal data. Lawmakers should be wary of the risks a privacy law poses to innovation, it says.
What's more, Business Roundtable does not include some of the highest profile technology companies that have recently been under fire for their mishandling of user data. For instance, Google, Facebook and Amazon are not members. (Amazon founder and chief executive JeffrBezos also owns The Washington Post.)
It's a big tech day in Washington, and it remains to be seen whether privacy will be top of mind. Technology executives, including some who are also part of the Business Roundtable such as Oracle chief executive Safra Catz, are expected at a separate White House lunch on innovation with the Trump administration - in what's appears to be easing an easing of tensions after President Trump's clashes with Silicon Valley on issues ranging from anti-conservative bias to antitrust issues. (IBM, whose chief executive is also attending, tells me for instance its priorities for that meeting include artificial intelligence and quantum computing.)
Whether or not it comes up at the White House today, the devil will be in the details as lawmakers try to craft a privacy bill before 2020, when a law in California is slated to go into effect.
Already, Democrats are saying they will not support a national bill that is weaker than protections consumers have in local jurisdictions. And The Washington Post reported, some Democrats in the wake of the Marriott breach want the U.S. to adopt fines that are similar to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation , which contains fines up to 4 percent of a company's global revenue if it fails to comply with its requirements.
Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the ACLU, said any company that handles personal information is going to have to tighten its ship if a national law passes. But some companies will feel the burden of a national privacy law more than others, whether or not they're considered a technology company, given the way many operate in today's digital economy.
"If you're in the business of profiting off of shady intrusions on people's privacy, then I think you need to worry," Stanley said. "There is a reckoning that's taking place right now."


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Hamburg gets a new “Polaris” lounge for the gaming scene
Hamburg Messe und Congress, RCADIA and Super Crowd Entertainment Launch Gaming Convention October 28-30, 2022
Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), the RCADIA gaming house and event organizer Super Crowd Entertainment have announced plans to host the show codenamed Polaris as a new version of games October 28-30, 2022. A trailer can be viewed at https://bit.ly/PolarisTeaser. Polaris is set to bring a mix of gaming, esports and Japanese pop culture to Hamburg,
Photopia, Future Moves and Polaris
“The launch of Polaris marks the third major event after Photopia in 2021 and Future Moves in 2022,” said Bernd Aufderheide, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress. The focus will be on gaming, cosplay, i.e. dressing up as a movie, book or video game character, and content creation. Many esports experts are expected at the show thanks to RCADIA and the new gaming house in Bergedorf, which recently hosted the Hamburg Games Conference.
A gaming convention to bring digital innovation to life
“Our goal is to showcase digital innovations and make them tangible, attract industry partners and connect them with a very large community,” said Tomislav Karajica, Founder of Imvest Group and one of many creative minds behind the new salon. . Along with a face-to-face event, Polaris will also go digital in the form of an app and streaming show. Polaris is set to become “Europe’s most technically advanced and entertaining hybrid show,” said Super Crowd CEO Wolf Lang.


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Niwot, CO 80503, USA
Phone (303) 443-5060
Toll free (888) 742-5060
Office Depot Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP), Boca Raton, Florida, reported third quarter sales of $2.8 billion, down 4% over the previous year’s quarter.
The company reported an operating income of $108 million and a net income from continuing operations of $60 million.
Year to date sales were reported at $8.1 billion, down 2.5% over the same period in 2018.


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Revolut adds 22 new cryptocurrencies to its list
Revolut’s increase in crypto offerings is key to cementing ‘super app’ status
Image source: RevolutCrypto/Revolut.
Revolut has announced the release of 22 new cryptocurrencies available to customers in the UK and EEA, taking the number of tokens available to well over 40.
This is the third major addition of cryptocurrencies for sale on its platform since the fintech giant decided to allow bitcoin purchases in 2017.
With a tenth of the population holding crypto and Britain ranking first for crypto and DeFi activity in Europe, offering the 22 new tokens in the UK seems like a sound strategy.
New tokens include metaverse giants ApeCoin (APE) and Sandbox (SAND).
APE is the crypto dropped in March by Bored Ape Yacht Club, creators of the popular “Bored Ape” NFTs and Sandbox is the third largest Ethereum blockchain-based metaverse, has been around since 2013.
Two notable DeFi tokens have also been added: the Payments Protocol Request (REQ) and the Ethereum Classic (ETC) blockchain development platform.
“We’ve given our offering a big boost while giving people more control over their finances and giving them secure access to new tools and services built in crypto,” said Emil Urmanshin, Chief Crypto Officer at Revolution.
Crypto has been central to Revolut’s quest to become the global one-stop-shop banking provider.
In July, the London-based company unveiled its “learn to earn” crypto courses, where customers were rewarded with Polkdadot (DOT) tokens upon completion of the course.
Last year, AltFi reported that Revolut had closed a job posting on LinkedIn for a technical crypto manager, with the role requiring the employee to set up a Revolut crypto exchange.
A few months prior, Revolut undertook its second major token release, adding 11 more cryptos including Cardano (ADA), Uniswap (UNI), and Filecoin (FIL) to its roster.


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Video didn't kill the radio star, iPods haven't murdered CDs and the "box" is definitely still alive and kicking despite years of hysteria about television having one foot in the grave.
When it comes to tech trends, we do like to predict which newcomer will kick its predecessors to the kerb.
Now with Nielsen Online declaring social networking to be one of 2009's fastest-growing categories exceeding email use for the first time ever it's the blog's turn to be scrutinised for signs of terminal illness.
Web monitors Hitwise say that in the year to April 2009, visits to social networking and forum sites increased by 16 per cent in Australia, with visits to blogs dropping by 27.5 per cent in the same period.
One of the leading blog providers, Blogger (now owned by Google), has suffered traffic decreases of 87.3 per cent year-on-year, at a time when Facebook visits have grown by 124 per cent.
Already, more than 5 million Australians are Facebook fanatics. For the 75 per cent who aren't, the online network is like a virtual pub, where you and your chosen "circle" can share photos of your weekend shenanigans, look up old classmates or simply waste time on trivia quizzes that prove your pop culture mettle.
Long-term blogger Shalini Akhil, a Melbourne novelist, admits her social media life has wooed her away from "obsessive" blogging. Two years ago, she was posting regular updates on two blogs but in 2007, she abandoned one of them and now prefers short status updates on Facebook.
"I must admit I am more active on Facebook and Twitter than I am with the blog," she says. "I only blog 'real' news now and use other social media a lot more for day-to-day stuff."
With celebrities like Oprah Winfrey flocking to join the bite-size blogging bandwagon of Twitter where you "tweet" what you're doing in less than 140 characters the concept of the micro-blog has exploded over the last year, with Twitter recording a staggering 2400 per cent growth.
Akhil says for her, it's the portability and spontaneity of Twitter that got her hooked.
"I send tweets from my phone when I'm out and about and I like the immediacy and brevity of it," she says. "It also feels a lot more intimate than blogging, for some reason."
Video game blogger Gabriel McGrath says he's still a committed blogger but he's using Twitter to lure readers to his blog, JustOneMoreGame, which covers retro, indie and coin-op games.
McGrath tweeted a meme called BackGames, asking people to describe a famous video game if the plot ran backwards the concept took off and sent him 21 times his usual week's traffic.
While McGrath uses Facebook to socialise and Twitter to unearth interesting blog articles, he thinks the blog itself can never be replaced for its depth.
"Twitter is a bit like the trailer for a movie, the chat you have with a friend while you queue for popcorn," he says. "But blogs are still the film, the main feature."
But not everyone is happy with the impact of social networking and micro-blogging, as Sydney fashion journalist Patty Huntington discovered during her recent social media experiment. For her coverage of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, she decided to dump lengthy blog reviews in favour of short grabs via Twitter.
"There was a huge amount of flack over my RAFW coverage, primarily because I failed to sit down and do those wordy blog posts that I've done for three years now," she says.
Huntington sent more than 30 tweets a day from the event, which tripled her blog traffic but left many readers feeling duped.
"People were expecting 2000-word posts but Twitter has just exploded and we've got the ability to email photos from a BlackBerry and live stream video I just wanted to do something more intimate."
While she enjoys the contrast of Twitter and its global exposure, she refuses to join Facebook and says her blog remains her "marquee" product.
"There's a heap of people on Facebook and Twitter who would never blog," she says. "They're kind of involved but they're just dabbling."
Blog search engine Technorati has tracked blogging trends across the world and says the activity has definitely reached mainstream status. In its 2008 State Of The Blogosphere report, it says 184 million people have started a blog. Of the 1200 bloggers surveyed across 66 countries, most had been at it for an average of three years and collectively they were creating close to 1 million posts every day. Among them, 64 per cent were part of a social networking site and 41 per cent used Twitter.
Google Australia spokesperson Rob Shilkin says as one of the world's first free blogging services, Blogger is still going strong, with Nielsen NetRatings reporting slight year-to-year growth for both their unique users and time spent per month on Blogger.
Shilkin says the rise of Facebook and Twitter hasn't pushed blogs aside, simply expanded the spheres of communication.
"As internet speeds get faster, innovative new services (like Facebook and Twitter) become available and the internet becomes available on more devices the whole internet ecosystem grows, including people reading and writing more blogs," he says.
Jenny Sinclair, who was The Age's first blog columnist back in 2001, says we can credit the blog with enabling the success of new conversation tools.
"Blogs made Facebook possible," she says. "They gave us the feeling that the internet was something that ordinary people could do somewhere to set up your own opinions. And Facebook makes that even easier."
Now with more advanced web 2.0 tools to give people a voice and a presence, Sinclair says the blogging pack may be dividing between experimenters and stayers.
Career bloggers like gossip guru Perez Hilton have proven that if you're good enough you can use your musings as a launch pad.
McGrath says as a voracious follower of seven blogs, including Boing Boing, which has become its own brand, blogs are definitely becoming more professional.
"The writing, editing, using video and photos, many blogs have lifted their game in recent years and there's a bit more corporate involvement," he says. "My prediction is that more bloggers will get 'deals' and 'writing jobs' out of it."
Business analyst Karin Quadros hopes to one day sell her handmade creations from her craft blog Kayi Dreaming, which she started to explore her creative side. "I think blogging is a great way to promote yourself, especially if you're an independent designer," she says.
"I have seen close friends use their blog as a craft career kick-starter and I want to eventually do the same."
Of course, not everyone wants that kind of exposure. Sinclair says many of the world's most popular blogs remain anonymous kept separate from the prying eyes of people you know.
"As soon as your mum or your employer start reading your blog, I think you'd start to become more closed," she says. "When you think nobody is reading, it's more liberating. You can say exactly what you think."
And that means for the web's most mysterious commentators, Facebook and blogging don't mix.


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We’ve got a Reader Question which actually stems from a friend of mine who made a giant blunder during a flight booking through OTA FlightHub and ended up paying dearly for it.
Thailand Extends Visa on Arrival Fee Exemption For Tourists From 21 Countries Including China & India
Thailand will be extending their Visa on Arrival Fee Waiver for tourists from 21 countries and regions, including China, India who can enjoy the visa-on-arrival fee exemption until late April this year.
From next Monday onward Japan will be charging a departure tax of 1000 Yen which will be charged to each international departure in order to fund tourism related expenses.
It’s Thanksgiving Day again, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States that comes with both stressful situations but also good shopping opportunities in the travel sector.
Many hotels, airlines and their loyalty programs will have deals in the coming days so after having a nice turkey dinner in the circle of your family maybe you should look out what they have in store this year.
A passenger plane loaded with two tonnes of Durian (also known as the worlds most stinkiest fruit) was delayed for over an hour after passengers revolted as the stench went from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin.
In order to save international roaming fees many travelers seek out a local SIM card when traveling abroad and airports / vendors have reacted in offering them from vending machines in the arrivals area if local laws permit.
U.S. Switches Back From Daylight Savings Time – Reminder From Airlines To Check Departure/Destination Time
The U.S. has just switched back (Nov 4th) to Standard Time from Daylight Savings Time and apparently airlines had experienced troubles with customers missing their flights in the past so many of them reminded this year to check the time carefully.
Following a few unfortunate incidents and media reports of problems with Thailand Immigration lanes where Chinese visitors got into arguments with other travelers the immigration bureau has now opened Special Lanes for Chinese Citizens.
The counters which have been declared as ‘VIP Lines’ are obviously anything but – instead of privileged treatment they are designed to keep the order in the immigration area and prevent rowdy behavior.
Yep they did it again! There is a large thirst for Duty Free products from South Korea among mainland Chinese travelers who then smuggle these goods into the country and sell at a big profit and they made headlines for all the wrong reasons again starting a brutal fight inside one of Incheon Airports Duty Free Shops.
Three of these ‘shoppers’ or smugglers as I prefer to call them got totally out of control and video footage shows a man stomping on a woman’s head after she went to the floor following an initial fight with another female competitor.
Is Your Flight Too Hot Or Too Cold? Flight Attendant Union Introduces App To Track Temperature Trends
Flight Attendant unions have unveiled a new called “2Hot2Cold” to track and report uncomfortable temperatures on flights which is now available for download in the app store for both iPhone and Android.
There was an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal yesterday where they interviewed the CEO’s of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines about Economy Class and their own flying habits.
The Electronic Baggage Tag that Rimowa introduced just a few years ago seems to be ending it’s existence prematurely as the manufacturer already took it out of the new series.


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European telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding (pictured) said she wants new legislation to cut the cost of text messaging as people travel within the EU.
The Commission has today launched a new website which shows how much all EU domestic operators charge customers for texting abroad.
According to the European Regulators’ Group (ERG), the average cost of a roaming text message in the EU between October 2007 and March 2008 was €0.29, but can be as high as €0.80 for Belgian mobile users.
Texting from an Irish mobile abroad costs between €0.29 and €0.39 per message.
“EU citizens should be free to text across borders without being ripped off,” said EU Telecoms Commissioner, Viviane Reding.
“Roaming charges have already drained the wallets of mobile customers too much, especially the 77pc of young people who send texts while using their mobile abroad.
“It is not a good sign for the competitiveness of Europe’s mobile industry that it still hasn’t got the message that credible price reductions are needed to avoid regulation. I will therefore recommend to my fellow commissioners that we propose a regulation of SMS roaming in October. We will also have to discuss in which way to address data roaming, which continues to be heavily overpriced,” Reding said.
Calls from the European Commission on the mobile phone industry for self-regulation and voluntary reductions of prices have not been answered. A proposal for measures to cap the cost of text roaming is expected to be sent to the European Parliament and the Council in the early Autumn.
“In the view of the ERG, a price cap between €0.11 and €0.15 per SMS would be appropriate,” said Dániel Pataki, chairman of the European Regulators’ Group.
“On data roaming, we will have to continue to assess the need for additional regulation. We call on the industry to be vigilant on data roaming prices so that price regulation can be ruled out in the future. The ERG is also concerned that lower wholesale charges for data roaming should be available to smaller and newer operators.”
The Commission’s new roaming website shows that while an Estonian on holidays in Cyprus might pay as little as €0.07 to send a text, a British mobile user could pay €0.63 to send a text from Italy. A new study by the Danish regulator (National IT and Telecom Agency) shows that costs paid by operators are negligible (€0.008).
Prices for data services while roaming still range from €0.25 per MB to over €16 per MB (IP/08/1048). High wholesale rates prevent smaller operators and operators from smaller EU countries from offering more competitive data packages to their customers.
By John Kennedy


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According to sources in Milan, Dsquared2 and Ennio Fontana, who took the helm as general manager of the Italian fashion brand in March last year, have decided to part ways.
Fontana’s appointment came after the departure of Sergio Azzolari, who moved on to assume the role of chief executive officer at Roberto Cavalli.
Fontana’s transition mirrored Azzolari’s, as Fontana had previously served as the general manager of Roberto Cavalli, while Azzolari held the CEO position at Dsquared2.
At Dsquared2, Fontana was entrusted by the brand’s founders, Dean and Dan Caten, with the responsibility of fortifying the brand’s international business development and implementing expansion strategies aimed at solidifying its market positioning. Before his tenure at Roberto Cavalli, Fontana held a similar role at Philipp Plein, where he collaborated extensively with the brand’s eponymous founder and creative director.


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What’s old is new in the world of Toyota. The company has a new plan for extending the lifecycle of the cars it makes. It wants to “refurbish” its cars to make them as close to new as possible, the same way you can refurbish your cell phones. Or, at least, Toyota wants to do that in The United Kingdom.
Toyota’s president and marketing director of Great Britain told Autocar that the new process will form the backbone of a new mobility sub-brand called Kinto.
“We need to stretch the way we look at life for both the vehicle and the customer,” Agustín Martín told the British publication.
He said automakers need to think beyond the usual two or three year life cycles that are popular. The plan is to extend those cycles to “at least 10 years.” Toyota will take vehicles back to the factory after their first use cycle — which is usually when they are returned from a lease. From there, Toyota will refurbish the car “to the best standard” in order to make sure the second owner has as new a car as possible.
It would then do the same sort of process for the third use cycle — meaning the car could be refurbished more than once. After that cycle, Toyota would turn its focus to recycling the car as best it can. It would reuse parts from the vehicle that are still in good condition, rebuilding batteries and more.
One can assume this would go a long way to increasing Toyota’s already stellar reputation for reliability.
Right now, there’s no word on if a similar program would be coming to the U.S. or to any other country. The company told CNET’s Roadshow the program is still in the early stages in the UK. It also declined to comment if it would be coming stateside.
The program is based out of Toyota’s plant in Burnaston, where it builds a couple different types of Corollas.
It should be pointed out this is not the first time a company has “refurbished” cars. Czech car manufacturer Tatra used to recondition some of its 603’s dating all the way back to the 1960’s and 70’s.
In exchange for a newer model year of car, the older Tatra would be brought back to the factory. From there, it was upgraded to match the current model years specifications, refurbished, and sent out to replace an older 603. It’s a great communist scheme and something that needed to be mentioned, lest Jason Torchinsky write me up.


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Media Release: Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct is live
Supply Nation has launched Indigenous Business Direct – Australia’s premier listing of Indigenous businesses.
Indigenous Business Direct features a diverse range of Indigenous businesses from across Australia and is free for all to access. Indigenous Business Direct includes two categories of Indigenous businesses: Certified Suppliers with 51% or more Indigenous ownership, and Registered Businesses with 50% or more Indigenous ownership.
“This is an exciting step for Supply Nation and the Australian Indigenous business sector,” Supply Nation CEO Laura Berry said. “Indigenous Business Direct represents a new, more inclusive approach to facilitating the business opportunities offered to Indigenous businesses. Together with the introduction of the Federal Government’s new Indigenous Procurement Policy, we anticipate Indigenous Business Direct will drive a significant growth in the Indigenous business sector.
“Since our launch six years ago, Supply Nation has established itself as a leader in supplier diversity in Australia and has supported corporate Australia and government at all levels to embed Indigenous businesses within the supply chain of their organisations.
“The Supply Nation Board and I look forward to working with our partners, members and Indigenous businesses to continue to work towards our vision of a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable Indigenous business sector,” Ms Berry concluded.
The government’s new Indigenous Procurement Policy will drive engagement with the Indigenous business sector through the introduction of mandatory set asides for government procurement officers, a target of 3% of all government contracts to be awarded to Indigenous businesses by 2020 and minimum requirements for Indigenous employment and Indigenous supplier use for all new contracts over $7.5m.
Senator the Hon. Nigel Scullion, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, today welcomed the launch of Indigenous Business Direct.
“Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct will be the first point of call for government procurement officers looking to fulfil their targets under the new policy. The register will make it easier for government to contact Indigenous businesses about procurement opportunities.
“I urge all Indigenous businesses to register with Supply Nation. It is streamlined, it is free and, importantly, it is publicly available. It will be great for engaging their business with the Commonwealth. And why wouldn’t you want to do business with an Indigenous organisation? There is a huge amount of talent and great practice within the sector. It makes great business sense,” the Minister said.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Supply Nation Senior Communications & Media Officer, Lorna Nolan at [email protected]


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SP AusNet appeals smart meter decision
Power supplier SP AusNet has appealed against the Australian Energy Regulator’s “final decision” on pricing for home-based smart meters.
The AER had determined that suppliers could charge a collective $1.1 billion for smart meters, but SP AusNet now says this is not enough.
The company says its expenses had been underestimated by more than $100 million over the last four years.
SP AusNet will apply for a review to the Australian Competition Council on November 30.
The AER has estimated that the smart meter charge would add around $60 each year to the average household bill.
This entry was posted onWednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 12:28 pm and is filed under Energy Efficiency, Home Energy, Regulation & Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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Marlborough craft beer Moa says it’s the first craft beer to be sold in duty free stores now that it’s on shelves in JR / Duty Free stores at Auckland Airport Arrivals and Departures.
Moa’s general manager Gareth Hughes says this is huge news for the brewery.
“We know the powerful impact duty free stockists have on liquor sales and product consideration, so we couldn’t be in a better place than the JR / Duty Free stores at the nation’s busiest airport.
“It’s the first time a craft beer has been offered in duty free in New Zealand and, we’re told, the world – we’re excited to be blazing the trail and hope more of our craft colleagues will follow,” he says.
But Monteith’s disputes these claims, saying they were the first – four years ago.
Monteith’s marketing manager, Jennie Macindoe, says Monteith’s has been in and out of the duty-free market for years after first selling Monteith’s through Regency Duty Free stores in 2007.
“Our decision to begin selling through duty free stores was extremely well received at the time due to awareness of our West Coast brand. We quickly grew our sales over the following years but the reality is that beer is not a key driver in duty free stores given the fact people tend to purchase items such as spirits, perfume or electronics when travelling abroad because of significant duty savings offered.”
So who’s right? Well it depends on your definition of craft beer. Craft beer microbreweries are traditionally seen as small, independent and traditional, so going the amount of beer brewed each year, plus the fact Monteith’s is actually owned by DB… we’re giving Moa the moral victory here.


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Facebook has been dubbed the No. 1 social media company in the world, and the popular site is cleverly taking advantage of the fact that it has access to 1.55 billion individuals’ personal information to increase its advertising income. It is well known that technology and advertising go hand in hand, the latter generating a great majority of revenue in the Internet field. For that reason, now more than ever, business owners are realizing the importance of stepping into the social media world, but is that beneficial to us, the consumer?
Back in April, Facebook announced that more than 40 million small businesses were registered to the site; however, only 2.5 million pay for advertising. That is probably something that Mr. Zuckerberg is not thrilled about, but he wasted no time to fix that. He and his team have come up with new ad features to attract small business owners who are still skeptical about spending big bucks on the popular social media site.
One of the invasive ad features provides businesses the demographic info of people physically coming in, out and around the store. Yes, you heard right; what you like, what you don’t like, the stores you walk into and other personal information will be shared with those retailers as a part of the targeting process. This is a very lucrative way for Facebook to increase its billions, and it’s all done via the location setting on any smartphone. The Facebook app already builds a history of our whereabouts. Do we even have privacy nowadays?
But don’t panic, as there is the option of turning off the GPS on your phone. That way, your device doesn’t share your location with the gazillion apps running on it. If you don’t know how, here is what to do:
- Go to the settings on your phone and select privacy
- Go to Location services
- You will see a list of apps that use location services
- You can choose to disable them all by sliding the button to the left
Over the course of more than a decade, the social media entrepreneur has turned Facebook into a money-making machine, and we can’t deny he’s done well, but has he gone too far this time? Before sharing, or better yet, selling our information to all those businesses, shouldn’t he at least buy us dinner first?
By Cynthia Paola Bautista


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As part of their year one BBA programme in marketing, students take part in a range of company visits to get hands on experience.
Here student Devin Nathaneal recalls a recent visit to the new Google HQ.
Walking into the Google headquarters in Singapore, it’s immediately obvious this is not like any other company.
The atmosphere is nowhere near any of the places that I have worked at previously. It was vibrant, lively and far from conventional.
When Google opened its first office in Singapore in 2007 it had just 24 staff. Last year it moved into brand new offices after its numbers grew to over 1,000 “Googlers” (as it calls its staff).
When our host, an NUS alumnus, showed us around, I was particularly interested in the office design. Closed doors are almost non-existent.
Instead the design of the office aims to promote creativity and interaction. The atmosphere is very informal and staff are allowed to wear what they think is comfortable.
Our host told us about Google’s top down and bottom up approach, where even the youngest and newest Googlers have a say in the decisions made despite the huge size of the company.
I am very much in favour of this approach as it removes much of the hierarchy and seniority in the company, and empowers all the workers. It must be very exciting knowing that every day when you step into the office, you can make a huge impact in Google and society.
Hands on experiences like the visit to Google HQ show us how marketing concepts such as the 4Ps are applied in real life.
We were able to see and learn how marketers communicate and interact with each other, how the marketing team push the company’s objectives, and ultimately the execution process of the different strategies.
The Google visit was very personal to me as it is my dream to work in such an impactful company. This is probably the kind of job I would stay in for many years.
As someone who enjoys working independently and creatively, I feel that Google would be a great place for me to work after I graduate. Our visit to the Google offices has certainly inspired me to work even harder to earn my dream job.


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In light of this recent Donald Sterling revelation, it is becoming more apparent that he is going to have to sell the Los Angeles Clippers. Nobody can make the owner of anything sell it against their will, but you will eventually start to see people stop showing up to games. His product won’t be profitable in very short order. Also, the other owners around the league aren’t going to want to be associated with him because of the backlash.
The source of that tape that TMZ obtained was a picture on Instagram of Sterling’s girlfriend and Magic Johnson. That apparently is what set him off.
Ironically, Magic Johnson reportedly wants to buy the Clippers from Sterling. His pockets are certainly deep enough and it makes sense given his ties to the area. He’s already a part-owner of the Dodgers, so what’s one more team?
Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. “Magic’s absolutely interested,” one source closely connected to Johnson’s business interests told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night.
Magic Johnson and Guggenheim had been aggressive in pursuing a purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers – only to have the Buss family make clear to them the franchise isn’t for sale, sources told Yahoo Sports.


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Felix Lee may only be 24, but he’s already on a mission to democratise mentorship.
He is the co-founder and CEO of ADPList, and has his sights set on providing people all around the world with an engaging and revolutionary way to access mentorship.
Launched last year, ADPList is a platform for people to find, book and meet mentors around the world, providing anyone with access to some of the best minds — starting with the design and product management community.
It is now available in over 70 countries with 20,500 mentees and more than 2,500 mentors actively contributing. It handles 5,000 bookings a month and organically facilitated over 252,000 minutes of mentoring sessions as of July 2021.
At the back of this strong growth, ADPList announced today (August 17) that it has raised US$1.3 million funding from Surge, a rapid scale-up program by Sequoia Capital India for startups in India and Southeast Asia.
From product design to tech entrepreneur
Felix grew up in a humble family in Singapore, in which “the idea of self-starting was very much ingrained” in his upbringing.
Instead of moving on to university like most of his peers, Felix daringly took off on a solo expedition to Indonesia and the United States in search of inspiration. There, he explored the world of technology past the familiarity of Singapore, before returning home for military service.
Enrolled in a polytechnic engineering course, Felix felt his drive for creativity and creation was restricted by the components he used. He wanted to challenge the boundaries of possibility, and found creative freedom in design. Product design soon became his creative outlet and “a space for problem solving.”
In 2019, Felix attended online design courses after school. Eventually, “this passion turned into a calling” for him.
He was inspired to create products with purpose, that “can make this world just a little better for humanity”. In time, however, he thinks that ambition turns into “ventures with purpose.”
Unlike most, Felix started his career when he was still a student. It’s a risky move by Singapore’s standards but he has shown that with risk and consistency, comes rewards.
Being early in my career taught me the value of a relentless mentality. The consistent day-to-day showing up is what builds one’s character – good to get going early.
One of our mentors, Siu Rui (co-founder of Carousell), told us to do things that didn’t scale. I went out and talked to every user about what was working and what wasn’t, and this feedback made the product better. It became something people needed. If I could do things over, I’d do things that didn’t scale earlier.
– Felix Lee, co-founder of ADPList
ADPList’s humble beginnings as a Google spreadsheet
Felix and his co-founder James Baduor wanted to make the sharing of knowledge into something that was scalable. The pair idealised bringing this knowledge to people around the globe who would otherwise “never have had the opportunity”.
Felix identifies the disparities between the way knowledge is shared among different groups of people, based on “who can afford or who you know.” Likewise, sharing knowledge with a greater community is traditionally “done through first connections, not far and wide”.
ADPList first started out with mentorship in the field of design because Felix and James were both designers to begin with. As the company gains traction, they’re now opening up doors to mentorship for product managers and software developers.
The duo started ADPList last year in April 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with just a Google spreadsheet. This open-sourced spreadsheet was born out of the founders’ desire to help the many designers who found themselves jobless in the pandemic.
They found that the tab in the spreadsheet which received the most clicks was the one focused on mentoring, which inspired them to build it into a platform, Amazing Design People List – ADPList.
Everyone thought it was a crazy idea; no one believed it would work. ‘Why would someone mentor a stranger in an entirely different country?’
But our mentors have proven to the world that people can, in fact, open up their conversations for others. In January 2021, we more officially launched our website, and the global community rallied with it.
– Felix Lee, co-founder of ADPList
Getting more than 2,500 accomplished mentors onboard
ADPList’s success did not come easily.
“In the first couple months, no one quite believed in the mission that was rallied to create access and equity for mentorship — we made phone calls for sponsorships and partnerships, and no one would give us meetings. It’s crazy,” lamented Felix.
Over time, they worked relentlessly to break more barriers — not just with global communities, but companies and sponsors as well.
ADPList now connects 20,500 mentees in over 70 countries to more than 2,500 actively contributing mentors from the world’s leading companies, including FAANG and other firms like Spotify, Twitter, LinkedIn, Nike, Twitch and Coinbase.
ADPList welcomed their mentors onboard with ease, as many professionals in the industry genuinely want to give back to the community.
“Our platform empowers them to do so flexibly and cross-border,” said Felix, adding that mentors are often encouraged when they see the impact of their mentorship in a form of intangible achievements, such as when their mentee gets a job, promotion, or improved work outcome, amongst many others.
From the first moment I started mentoring with ADPList, I knew it was more than an act of ‘passing on knowledge’.
After clocking 6,000+ minutes across 10 time zones with 100+ mentees from more than 15 different counties, I can tell you one thing for sure: every session is a unique exchange of our lives, our stories and our dreams. There is no better feeling when Amazing Design People find each other.
– Michael Tam, Global Design Director at IBM iX, and one of ADPList’s mentors.
Felix also recounted his experience mentoring a young man based in Nepal two weeks ago. He had shared with Felix that he had few resources to tap on, but was glad to have ADPList as one of his go-to learning spaces.
What’s even more inspiring that he actually goes on to share the knowledge with the kids in his village.
“At ADPList, when you mentor someone, you mentor more than an individual — you mentor their community, city and hopefully, country. The impact is priceless,” said Felix.
“The best part of ADPList is getting to touch someone’s life, no matter how brief a moment. To remind them that someone out there believes in them more than they might themselves and to encourage them to dream bigger. That to me, is an achievement.”
New directions and growth
Felix attributes ADPList’s success to their mentors and the broader ADPList community. Almost 90 per cent of their bookings are cross-border.
This propels Felix and James’ vision of a world with accessibility to knowledge without the restraints of location or affordability.
“Every mentor’s voice is a unique community, and we want to design a place for mentors to grow their network of mentees that continue learning from them for years — in different formats from one-to one sessions, groups, content and more.”
“In fact, we’re working to introduce more formats for mentors to make their impact.”
While booking a mentor at ADPList is free at the moment, a paid model will be introduced in the future but mentorship will remain accessible for all.
Featured Image Credit: ADPList / Screenshot of ADPList
The post How this 24-year-old S’porean built a platform to match you with mentors from FAANG companies appeared first on Vulcan Post.


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Resident Evil VIII has a firm release date, along with certain other firm assets, and Capcom have revised upwards their earnings forecast in the news of the week!
Square Enix is getting ready to revive the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Pokemon GO players ruin the UK government's lockdown, and CD Projekt Red may be fined 10% of their Cyberpunk 2077 revenue in the news of the week!
Nintendo Switch eclipses the launch of PS5 and Series X, The Playstation brand is pretty much dead in Japan, and Microsoft attempted to buy Nintendo and Squaresoft in the news of the week!
Yoshinori Kitase promises further destruction of Final Fantasy VII, Atlus is busy fixing Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne HD Remaster, and Japanese developers share their resolutions for 2021 in the news of the week!
Sony pulls Cyberpunk 2077 from PSN, CD Projekt Red claims that the game is profitable, and CD Projekt Red deep throats the Chinese Communist Party in the news of the week!
Cyberpunk 2077 is a disaster, CD Projekt Red has been misleading customers, and the company has lost 29% of their share price in the news of the week!
The spectre of censorship hangs over the release of Atelier Ryza 2 because of past untruthfulness, the Gravity Rush director leaves Sony, Persona 5 Strikers is getting a Western release, and Dragon Quest XI has been unreleased in the news of the week!
Square Enix announce Saga Frontier Remastered, Square Enix announce Neo: The World Ends with You, and Square Enix makes work from home a permanent feature of their development environment in the news of the week!
The PS5 is built to mechanically fail, the Capcom hack has revealed a ridiculous treasure trove of information, and Tidus gets excommunicated by the Church of Yevon in the news of the week!
Sony of California cancels third party Japanese developers, Sony of California cancels first party Japanese development, and Sony of California cancels Japanese customers (and Christmas) in the news of the week!
PS5 launch day is cancelled, Square Enix quarterly profits are cancelled, and PSVR is cancelled in the news of the week!


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Some would say there’s a malaise surrounding the social media revolution and the most recent tech bubble. The best and brightest of our economy are piddling around with micro-transactions and trying to get people to
click on ads. It’s not about changing the world, it’s about extracting small amounts of money from huge numbers of people.
For those that would say that’s a problem, we still have Elon Musk.
Elon Musk made his money off of PayPal, a classic internet business designed to make it easier for people to spend online. Ever since, he’s been putting that money into projects conceived on such a scale that he’s rumored to have served as the inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in the Ironman series. First he made the Tesla roadster, an eco-friendly electric car for the ultra-rich speed-freak, then he set to work as CEO of a private space company. The goal for Hyperloop, his latest project, is to get people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in just 30 minutes. Presumably to other places fast, as well, but who knew there were places besides LA and San Francisco?
Here’s a snippet of a recent interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek:
He calls it a “fifth mode of transportation”—the previous four being train, plane, automobile, and boat. “What you want is something that never crashes, that’s at least twice as fast as a plane, that’s solar powered and that leaves right when you arrive, so there is no waiting for a specific departure time,” Musk says. His friends claim he’s had a Hyperloop technological breakthrough over the summer. “I’d like to talk to the governor and president about it,” Musk continues. “Because the $60 billion bullet train they’re proposing in California would be the slowest bullet train in the world at the highest cost per mile. They’re going for records in all the wrong ways.” The cost of the SF-LA Hyperloop would be in the $6 billion range, he says.
It definitely brings to mind the people-mover tubes from Futurama, and anything that makes life more like Futurama deserves at least $6 billion. He also wants to build a vertical take-off and landing commercial jet. And go to Mars. He does not lack ambition.
Needless to say, there are a lot of people calling Musk’s Hyperloop ridiculous – 900 mph is very fast, after all. Especially for something that would need to transport people individually in order to meet Musk’s “leave when you get there” notion. But we’re living in a world that just made driverless cars legal. So who knows?