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Reuters Market Eye - Shares in Blue Dart Express (BLDT.NS) gain 20 percent on hopes that plans by its main stakeholder DHL Express (Singapore) Pte Ltd to sell a 6 percent stake will attract strong demand, raising prices.
Blue Dart said on Wednesday DHL Express (Singapore), part of DHL, will sell 6 percent stake in the Indian air express courier firm via an offer-for-sale to comply with SEBI's regulation that all companies must have at least 25 percent public shareholding by next year.
DHL Express currently owns 81 percent in Blue Dart.
Trending On Reuters
India will issue a new decree this week for land purchases that has stirred disquiet across the country but which the government says is necessary to build roads, ports and power stations for higher economic growth. Full Article


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By Kim Rahn
It's a dilemma Korea has encountered many times before: plenty of tourists ― indeed, numbers are rising ― but a dearth of attractions with which to occupy them.
In the past year, visitor numbers have increased, largely on the back of a weak won.
But with exchange rates turning unfavorable to foreign visitors, the growth is beginning to slow. So authorities are faced with the same old problems: Put simply, the nation lacks things for foreign tourists to see and do.
The tourism industry has been aware of the shortcomings for some time and has made efforts to develop new attractions and programs.
Now another pair of developments are about to come to fruition. At the end of the month a premium Korean restaurant called Unamjeong, which has been revived from a famous comic, and an exhibition hall named "Star Avenue", which will help re-ignite Hallyu, or the Korean Cultural Wave.
Korean food is growing more popular among foreigners and has become an important part of tourism, especially after the hit soap opera "Jewel in the Palace", which featured royal court cuisine from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
In line with the trend, a Korean restaurant will open in High1 Resort in Gangwon Province on June 30 that rekindles its namesake from the best-selling comic book series "Sikgaek" ("Le Grand Chef
" - "Gourmet"
Created by one of the nation's most renowned cartoonists, Huh Young-man
, the comic features food from all parts of the country, ranging from the cheap and popular available at street eateries to the rare and luxury cuisine of restaurants.
The popularity of the cartoon resulted in a movie re-make in 2007 and a drama last year, starring Kim Rae-won
and Kwon Oh-jung
The set of Unamjeong, one of main venues in the soap opera, was built at the resort and it has been remodeled for real life operation.
"We planned to put the restaurant in operation after shooting in the first place as part of efforts to provide not only various leisure attractions, but also premium foods representing Korea and Gangwon Province", said Yoon Hyun-joo, assistant manager of the resort complex.
Some of the food featured in the cartoons and the drama will be offered at the restaurant. Twenty-two menu items are currently planned, ranging from food eaten by noble families of the Joseon era to royal court dishes. Various kinds of "namul" (seasoned wild greens), especially those from Gangwon, are also included.
Two special tonic dishes have been prepared, each made with badger and duck fed with sulfur ― the latter was featured in "Jewel in the Palace".
"The menus can be changed according to season and visitor response. After monitoring guest responses and preferences during 10 days of pilot operation, the restaurant will finalize its seasonal menus for the grand opening on July 10", Yoon said.
The resort sought advice on the food from several traditional institutes and restaurants, including the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine and the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.
A teahouse named "Daryegwan", where visitors can enjoy the popular drink and learn about the Korean tea ceremony, is another feature.
Prices at the restaurant range from 35,000 to 150,000 won.
"Unamjeong will not only offer foods but also publicize Korea's food culture. We use the best-quality ingredients, ceramic tableware made by artists and waiters and waitresses wear `hanbok', or traditional costume", Yoon said.
Some say Hallyu is over. Others, though, say the phenomenon is far from dead. They believe that new, improved Hallyu-related attractions are required ― not just the exportation of Korean dramas and movies.
Their calls may be answered if the latest at Lotte World in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, is any kind of pointer. An entertainment venue named "Star Avenue" will open on June 30 and will offer various exhibitions and information on nine Hallyu stars and groups.
"With entertainment content about Korea's representative stars, Star Avenue will give foreign visitors a chance to enjoy the Korean Wave in a fresh way", said Kim Nam-sik, director of the Star Avenue PR agency.
The nine are models for the Lotte duty free shop: music stars TVXQ, Rain
and Big Bang; actors Park Yong-ha
, Song Seung-heon
, Choi Ji-woo
, Ji Sung
and Kang Ji-hwan
; and Japanese transgender makeup artist Ikko.
The 1,100-square-meter hall is comprised of five sections ― Star Showcase, Star Center, Music Star, Drama Star and With Star.
Star Showcase is an exhibition of the entertainers' items, such as soap opera props.
"Song donated a motorbike helmet and a leather jacket which he used in `East of Eden
', and Rain
, his concert costumes", Kim said.
At Star Center, visitors can see the entertainers' music videos and film scenes on a 360-degree, high-definition screen, which has been adopted in Korea for the first time.
Music Star has a small concert stage where visitors can select a song from a jukebox and then sing along and dance as if they are pop singers themselves. Their performances can also be recorded on CD.
"We also plan to have the stars hold autograph ceremonies for fans at Music Star", Kim said.
At Drama Star, sets from "Dae Jang Geum
", "East of Eden
" and "Jumong
" are set up. Visitors can try on costumes used in the dramas and have their picture taken.
With Star provides visitors with a chance to become part of the soap operas ― they can have composite photos of themselves taken in a scene from the dramas, and on movie posters or CD covers. They can then be printed on stickers.
Admission is 10,000 won, with proceeds to be donated to charity.
"We expect Star Avenue to bring tourists to southern Seoul and develop the region as a tourism and shopping destination. Lotte is developing package programs including a visit to Star Avenue. A shuttle service connecting Lotte World in southern and Lotte Hotel in northern Seoul is also under consideration", Kim said.
At the opening ceremony on June 30, stars including Rain
, Choi and Song will attend.

domain: news


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Despite numerous hits that downplayed the natural rubber (NR) market over 2018/2019, its total downfall was prevented and ING Research analysis highlights rallying causes that supported the market.
An early wintering season in Southeast Asia and strategic seasonal storms has allowed a cumulative production between Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Vietnam totaling to 1.88mt in the first two months of 2019, up just 0.7% year-over-year (YoY), according to GAPKINDO. Exports from Thailand over Jan-Mar 2019 equaled 908kt, a mere 3% decline YoY.
Stepping in, the International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC) is expected to limit NR exports of its member countries by 240kt over a four-month period starting April 2019. The agreement has Indonesia and Malaysia reducing exports by 98.2kt and 15.6kt as of 1 April, whilst Thailand will cut shipments by 126.2kt from 20 May onwards. It is unclear how ambitious such an agenda would be in response to the NR market.In the previous ITRC intervention, these countries agreed to cut exports by 350kt for the first three months of 2018, but prices continued to trend lower for much of 2018 once the limits were lifted.A beneficial outcome of the current ITRC policy depends greatly on the US-China trade tariffs, even though outlook does not look overly constructive at present.
Meanwhile, Vietnam and Cambodia both exhibit strong export flows. Vietnamese exports increased 26.1% YoY to 401kt over the first four months of 2019, adding nearly 75-80kt of rubber to global supply over the period; Cambodian supplies increased by 10-12kt, with exports rising 23% YoY to 48.2kt in early of 2019. Additional supply from these two growers does partly offset the cuts from ITRC members.
India supplemented supply recovery by importing 582kt of NR over the 2018/2019 fiscal year (Apr-Mar), a 24% increase YoY. These additional imports followed devastating flooding in Kerala, which saw Indian production fall by almost 8% YoY to 642kt, according to India’s Rubber Board. Forecasts of a relatively normal monsoon in India this year is expected to recover its domestic output for 2019/2020, which should subsequently reduce the country’s domestic deficit.
Conversely, Chinese NR imports remain critical, with imports over the first quarter of 2019 amounting to 470kt, down 16% YoY, while imports over 2018 fell by 7% YoY to total 2.6mt. This comes as China’s tyre production continues to trend lower – cumulative output over the first three months of 2019 were down by almost 11% YoY, at 187m units only. China’s Association of Automobile Manufacturers lists 2.52m sales in March, down 5.2% YoY. Sluggish demand/vehicle sales in China leaves its SHFE inventories at the top end of the five-year high for this time of the year. However, narrowing YoY declines and a reduction in VAT boosts expectations of sales to support the SHFE.


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The big picture: The venture, codenamed Project Libra, will reportedly be backed by Facebook’s own stablecoin and allow for both personal transfers on its platforms and payments on other websites. Think of it like a checkout option such as PayPal in which shoppers can use it to pay for goods and services online.
Facebook has been working on its own cryptocurrency for more than a year. Preliminary rumors suggested the initiative would initially focus on the remittance market in India but according to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook is preparing to cast a much wider net.
The Journal said Facebook is recruiting dozens of merchants and financial firms to help launch the platform. The social network is also said to be interested in linking the stablecoin to its core ad engine, using it as a loyalty program that rewards users for their active use of the service.
It’s a bold undertaking that comes at a tumultuous time for Facebook but if successful, it could be a huge boon for the social network and put pressure on other payment products like PayPal and Apple Pay.
Despite its privacy issues, the one thing Facebook has going for it is its size. With 2.38 billion monthly active users (nearly a third of the world’s population) as of March 31, Facebook has a tremendously large user base and lots of them are buying things online.


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Arnold Clark has set aside its car sales priorities with the opening of a £5 million Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Innovation Centre which aims to educate motorists on the benefits of EVs.
The AM100 car retail group regenerated a former Phoenix Car Company dealership to create the building which at the heart of a project developed in partnership with Transport Scotland, OLEV, Scottish Power, Energy Saving Trust, Go Ultra Low, Strathclyde University and The NVT Group.
The facility, on Dumbarton Road in the West End of Glasgow, is not intended as a car sales location, instead prioritising education on AFVs as the UK heads towards a 2030 ban on the sale of purely petrol of diesel-powered internal combustion-engined (ICE) cars.
Arnold Clark chief executive and managing director, Eddie Hawthorne, said: “There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about EVs. And this is something we as an industry need to educate our customers about, which is what we’re trying to do.
“We’ve invested well over £5 million in our Innovation Centre in Glasgow. It’s not a site we are selling anything from. It’s specifically an innovation, information and educational centre.
“The centre displays alternative fuel vehicles from all the manufacturers we represent, plus some we don’t.
“We currently have 60 vehicles on-site. These include fully electric, plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and commercial vehicles that are also alternatively fuelled.”
There will be five dedicated Innovation Centre product geniuses working at the facility – who will specialise in alternative fuel vehicles – to advise customers.
The centre is owned and operated at Arnold Clark but its partners in the project will also contribute insight into about how AFV technology is shaping the way we drive.
Describing the holistic approach taken to meet visitors’ motoring requirements, Hawthorne said: “We ask the right questions – ‘What’s right for you? What do you need? What’s the best vehicle and package that works for you?’ – and then obviously we want to talk to them about charging, infrastructure, where they’ll charge it, and that’s why we’re partnering with other people.
“What we’re trying to do at the Innovation Centre is just showcase everything that’s out there, and it’s not just about electric vehicles.”
As well as providing a vital resource for motorists looking to make the switch to an AFV, the new Glasgow Innovation Centre will also benefit Arnold Clark employees, providing them with an opportunity to learn about advancing technology through training available on-site.


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thePlatform, the Comcast-owned video publishing company, has hired John Frankovich to vice president of consulting services, and promoted Chris Drake to VP of business development.
Frankovich, a founder and former CEO of pro services firm Vortex Consulting Partners, will head up thePlatform’s international consulting team and report to COO and CFO Jamie Miller Frankovich has also served as CEO and co-owner of Ramp Technology Group, a company focused on interactive design software product engineering, and SVP of Capgemimi, a global management consulting and technology outsourcing company.
Drake, who will continue to report to SVP of sales and marketing Marty Roberts, most recently was executive director at thePlatform, heading up global business development efforts and pay-TV business strategy and sales. Before joining thePlatform, he was director of marketing and strategic relations at RealNetworks.
Some of thePlatform’s biggest operator customers include A+E Networks, BT, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, Liberty Global, Rogers Communications and Time Warner Cable.
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Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras tour is expected to produce a new post-pandemic high in accommodation and tourism spending, with hotels in Sydney and Melbourne reporting they are almost sold out on the pop icon’s tour dates and demand is rivalling New Year’s Eve and the Australian Open.
In line with an international trend of soaring spending on hotels, retail and restaurants in stops on the American singer’s tour, hotel bookings in Sydney during the show’s four-night run are 5 per cent higher than this time last year.
Across the city, hotels are already 84 per cent full over the weekend beginning Friday, February 23, according to Accommodation Australia.
Hotels’ numbers in Sydney have already trumped those of World Pride, while hotel operators in Melbourne say demand is on track to outdo New Year’s Eve and the Australian Open.
“Twenty twenty-three was the biggest February hotels have seen in years, and Taylor has topped it,” Accommodation Australia chief executive Michael Johnson told AFR Weekend. “Major events like these are a boon for hotels and a huge boost for the visitor economy. Whatever you think of her music, everyone in NSW should be thanking her for coming.”
While early estimates from Venues NSW predict the pop star’s seven-concert run could inject more than $140 million in the local economy, tourism insiders argue there are signs that number will grow.
Hotel operator Ovolo, which has four hotels in Sydney and Melbourne, is at 90 per cent occupancy across its venues for both stops of the Eras tour, and has sold out its South Yarra property for the second night of Swift’s run in Melbourne.
The hotels group has never before seen a single event trigger the same market reaction, Ovolo Hotels Australia marketing manager Toby Franklin said.
“We have never witnessed such a surge in demand at Ovolo Hotels during this period, particularly attributed to a single artist,” he said.
“Throughout the year, there are instances when occupancy reaches similar levels, typically during events like the Australian Open in Melbourne, or New Year’s Eve. However, never at this level.”
In Sydney, its hotels at Woolloomooloo and at the Woolstores in Ultimo are 94 per cent full for the weekend of the tour. Demand is set to peak on Sunday, February 25, with both hotels already 96 and 97 per cent booked out.
Hotels data compiled by Google Hotels reveals room rates at many venues have soared to twice their usual price on the nights the tour is taking place. Rates in Sydney five-star hotels for Saturday, February 24, are averaging $1142 for the night, up from a usual monthly average of $553. Four-star hotels are averaging $899 for the evening.
In Melbourne, the average rate for a five-star hotel on Saturday, February 17, has reached $974, up from a usual rate of $458, while four-star hotels are averaging $739 for the evening, compared with the usual average of $287.
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For U.S. companies concerned about what the modified accelerated-cost recovery system bonus depreciation could do to their cash flows, future income tax liabilities or their fleet acquisition plans, there is an alternative.
“There’s a misconception that truck fleets must purchase their trucks in order to take advantage of the tax savings available from the federal legislation passed late last year,” said Olen Hunter, national sales director of PACCAR Leasing (PacLease). “But that’s not the case since PacLease incorporated the reduction into its lease program by reducing its lease rates. This allows customers to take full advantage of the bonus depreciation without all the potential downsides.”
By leasing their trucks through PacLease instead of purchasing them, companies can even out their cash flows throughout the life of the trucks,* Hunter said. Plus, for each truck that a company leases using bonus depreciation, it can save the company nearly $11,000 over the typical life of a 5-year lease. That’s money it could use for other purposes.
How does that happen? Assuming a tax rate of 34 percent and an interest rate of 6 percent, a company purchasing a Class 8 truck that costs $125,000 would pay nearly $20,000 in interest over the life of the loan and receive a tax depreciation benefit of about $42,500, all of it in the first year, Hunter said. At the end of the loan, after selling the truck, it would cost about $106,700, which includes other tax benefits, estimated proceeds from the sale, income taxes on the proceeds from the sale and projected preventive maintenance expenses. If the company instead chose leasing through PacLease, the net cash outlay, after tax, would be approximately $10,000 less than the cost of ownership.
Companies that buy trucks to take advantage of the bonus depreciation could end up changing their fleet acquisition plans, he added. Placing a larger than usual number of new trucks in their fleets, by pulling forward their purchasing plans, can have implications for their operational budget three or four years down the road after warranties expire and maintenance costs jump as components wear out and must be replaced or repaired.
By leasing their trucks, companies don’t take on responsibility for maintenance, Hunter said. That’s included in the cost of full-service leasing. And they don’t have to deal with selling the truck when it comes time to dispose of it and acquire a replacement unit.
But time is of the essence, Hunter said. When Congress extended and expanded the bonus depreciation provision late last year, it required that companies take delivery of the equipment and that it be ready for use by Dec. 31, 2011. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010, extended the bonus depreciation provision from Sept. 8, 2010, through the end of 2011, according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. For the year 2012, the bonus depreciation will revert back to 50 percent for all qualifying assets placed into service through Dec. 31, 2012.
“OEM build schedules are filling up quickly,” Hunter said. “Because of PacLease’s relationship with truck manufacturers Kenworth and Peterbilt, PacLease has pre-arranged build slots that it can offer to leasing customers. But since the build slots are filling, companies shouldn’t wait until the third or fourth quarter to place orders, particularly for popular aerodynamic and hybrid diesel-electric models. If they wait until the third or fourth quarter, there may not be enough time for the trucks to be manufactured and delivered by Dec. 31.
“Before deciding whether to buy or lease trucks and employ the bonus depreciation, companies should conduct what’s called a net present value analysis of the lease or loan payment stream,” Hunter said. “This allows them to make comparisons between financing alternatives, reviewing the payments in today’s dollar value.”
*PacLease recommends companies consult with a tax professional regarding bonus depreciation and its implications for their operations.


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Charlie Shrem is the former CEO of a bitcoin exchange called BitInstant. In 2014 he pled guilty to one charge of aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business. He served one year in a federal prison.
According to a his remarks on a 2017 TABB Group podcast, Shrem launched an online business called Daily Checkout when he was 18 years old. Shrem discovered bitcoin while he was an undergraduate student at Brooklyn College and founded BitInstant in 2012 to facilitate bitcoin payments. The key to its success was partnering with payment processors that had physical locations throughout the U.S. BitInstant received angel investment support from Roger Ver and Winkelvoss Capital.
In 2013, a BitInstant customer, Robert Faiella, was buying bitcoin on the platform and reselling the cryptocurrency to other people who then used it for transactions on Silk Road, an online marketplace primarily used for criminal activity. Silk Road was shut down in 2013 after the arrest of its founder, Ross William Ulbricht, by the FBI. Shrem had been aware of Faiella's reselling, and although he warned Faiella away from using BitInstant, he did not inform law enforcement.
Since leaving prison, Shrem has continued his bitcoin advocacy, expanding it to blockchain technoloy in general.
In 2012 Shrem received a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
We visit more than 100 websites daily for financial news (Would YOU do that?). Read the John Lothian Newsletter.


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NEW DELHI: It seems Toyota Fortuner
doesn’t like being second to anyone. Just after a month of being relegated to second position in full-size SUV sales, it has forced its way back on to the top in May with sales of 579 units.
In April 2016, the sales of Fortuner
, at 509 fell below the new-generation Ford Endeavour
which sold 541 units. According to industry sources, the sales of Endeavour
in May 2016 fell a little as compared to April to 501 units.
Before May, Endeavour has been seeing consistent month-on-month growth since its launch in January this year. Toyota Fortuner
, on the other hand has been seeing significant fall in sales since November 2015. In December 2015, its sales fell below the 1000 unit mark for the first time in a long period. Even in May 2016, the sales of Fortuner well to almost one-third of what it was selling in the same month last year. Fortuner sold 1,528 units in May 2015.
is all set to launch the new generation of Fortuner later this year around Diwali, which, the Japanese automaker will hope, will bring back the numbers for this popular SUV. This would be the first major facelift for the SUV ever since its launch in 2009.
Recently, Toyota also brought in the new generation of its top-selling multi utility vehicle Innova
, and named it Innova Crysta
. This new launch helped steady the fledgeling sales of the MUV. In May 2016, the sales of Innova Crysta jumped 44 percent
to 7,259 units, up from 5,028 in the same month last year.
Overall, the mid-size SUV segment, which includes SUVs priced between Rs 15-25 lakh, has seen its sales dip in May. From sales of 1,946 units in May 2015, the unit sales of mid-size SUV has fallen to 1,268 units, which is a y-o-y fall of 34.8 percent.
The other competitor, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport’s sales have come down to 72 units in May 2016, from 208 in May 2015. The only SUV in this segment to see a decent growth in May is Honda CR-V which sold 69 units, up from 48 in the corresponding month last year.
Both the other SUV segment, that is the compact as well as the premium SUVs, have seen their sales increase. According to the industry source, premium SUV sales has seen a slight growth in sales from 737 units in May 2015 to 795 units last month. This segment includes most SUVs from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Toyota’s Prado and Land Cruiser, Porsche Cayenne etc.


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There was plenty for investors to consider on Thursday, including a pair of labor market updates and speculation that one of Wall Street’s most struggling retailers might go bankrupt. Market participants made it clear that they didn’t like anything they saw, driving the stock further lower.
Before the opening bell today, the Department of Labor said that weekly jobless claims (opens in a new tab) fell from 19,000 to 204,000 in the last week of 2022, more than economists expected. Continuing claims also fell slightly, down from 24,000 to 1.7 million.
Additionally, a report by ADP showed that the private sector added 235,000 jobs in December. Not only was that more than the 182,000 private jobs created in November, but it beat economists’ consensus estimate for 153,000 new jobs.
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Both data points underscore an extremely tight labor market – a sticking point for the Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation. To complicate matters, the numbers precede tomorrow’s much-anticipated December jobs report (more on that below).
Employment data followed layoff announcements from several large companies. Among the most recent cuts to be unveiled were Amazon.co.uk (AMZN (opens in a new tab)-2.4%), which announced the disappearance of 18,000 pink sheets, and stitch correction (SFIX (opens in a new tab)+9.4%), which has undertaken to reduce the salaried workforce by 20%.
In other Single Stock news, Bed bath and beyond (BBBY (opens in a new tab)) climbed 29.9% after the homewares retailer fueled bankruptcy speculation following a commercial update (opens in a new tab). BBBY said it expects to report a net loss of $385.8 million in its fiscal third quarter and anticipates lower year-over-year sales due to “declining customer traffic and reduction in stock availability levels”. Additionally, Bed Bath & Beyond said it had “substantial doubts” about its ability to continue operating, given “recurring losses and negative cash flow from operations”. The company is exploring strategic alternatives, including selling assets or filing for bankruptcy.
With regard to the main stock market indices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.0% to 32,930, the S&P500 returned 1.2% to 3,808, and the Nasdaq Compound fell 1.5% to 10,305.
The Best Dow Dividend Stocks
The apprehension around tomorrow’s jobs report is mounting, especially in the wake of today’s economic reports and Wednesday’s Fed Minutes in which the central bank reiterated its support for a “restrictive policy stance” to bring down inflation.
“As we await tomorrow’s jobs report, there is a lot of angst in the air,” said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network. “One of the most predicted recessions in history is very likely to hit this year. Yesterday’s manufacturing business sentiment survey was down, seemingly confirming this result. The Fed is looking to significantly weaken the labor market, in search of lower inflation, and according to meeting notes released yesterday, it will continue to raise rates until that happens.”
And while all signs suggest the labor market will weaken significantly, little to no movement on that front was likely made in December. The consensus estimate, adds McMillan, is that the economy added 200,000 jobs last month, slightly lower than what we’ve seen in recent months, but still strong growth.
This keeps the potential for volatility high, but also serves as a lesson to market participants that investing is a marathon, not a sprint. In other words, stay focused on the quality names that have the highest probability of weathering the storm. One place to find these businesses that stay put is with the best Dow dividend stocksa collection of best-in-class companies well positioned to generate revenue and deliver superior performance in times of market uncertainty.


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Atari filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, trying to sell its brand logo and Pong
I'll admit it: I was always more of a Commodore guy. But news that Atari's U.S. operations have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection still stings. For an obsolete-computer nut like me, there's just something comforting knowing that the brand is still out there, even if it's changed hands and strategies multiple times and has mostly existed to license its old games.
Still, if you believe the spin in the company's press release issued today, this may not be Game Over for the entity, which was originally founded by Nolan Bushnell in 1972, and was at one time headquartered in Sunnyvale. (Steve Jobs was an early employee.)
The company said it is filing for bankruptcy to separate its U.S. operations from its current French owner, Atari SA, and "secure independent capital for future growth, primarily in the areas of digital and mobile games." (Read the press release here.) It will try to sell its assets, including one of its most valuable -- the brand logo -- and game titles such as Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, and others.
I tried to get a handle on the current company's extant Bay Area presence without much luck. The company at one time owned Los Gatos-based game company Cryptic Studios, but divested that holding in 2011. Last year, the company was looking to open a San Francisco office, according to this Business Insider story. And it recently listed a job opening in San Francisco here. It lists offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Lyon and London.
In its bankruptcy filing, Atari lists Santa Clara-based Tavant Technologies Inc. as its No. 2 creditor. Atari owes $243,336 to the company, according to court records. Attorneys for Atari didn't immediately return a call for comment.
Nathan Donato-Weinstein covers commercial real estate and transportation for the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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New Podcast from Food Focus! Hard Labour - Tackling the Problem of Labour in Agriculture.
Posted on Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Many sectors in modern agriculture depend on seasonal labour to plant, maintain, and harvest crops. Often these jobs are done by temporary foreign workers, new immigrant, or undocumented workers. In fact cheap labour is essential across the entire food system from farms, through processing to restaurants and retail. The COVID pandemic has highlighted dependence of the food system on these low wage workers. In this episode Mike speaks with Evan Fraser, the Director of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph about the issue and what we might do to move forward.


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The Jordan, Knauff & Company (JKC) Valve Stock Index was up 19.0 percent over the last 12 months, while the broader S&P 500 Index was up 15.2 percent. The JKC Pump Stock Index fell 0.8 percent for the same time period.1
The Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slowed from 61.3 percent in August to 59.8 percent in September. The new orders index and backlog of orders index both fell during the month and are now below their six month averages. The prices paid index fell 5.2 percentage points to 66.9 percent, the first time it has been below 70 percent this year. Survey respondents are again concerned about tariff-related activity, with a chemical products manufacturer stating that tariffs are starting to take a bite out of profitability.
The U.S. economy added 134,000 jobs in September. Hurricane Florence likely impacted this number as about 300,000 workers were unable to work. Job gains were seen in manufacturing, construction and mining. Retail and leisure and hospitality lost jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent. Payroll growth was revised upward by 87,000 jobs for July and August.
The United States became a net natural gas exporter on an annual basis last year for the first time in almost 60 years. From January through June of this year, net natural gas exports from the U.S. more than doubled the average daily net exports during all of 2017. U.S. exports of LNG rose 58 percent through the first half of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017. Exports of natural gas by pipeline to Mexico grew by 4 percent in the first half of the year, while exports by pipeline to Canada declined by 14 percent. Net natural gas exports are expected to rise through 2018 as additional LNG export capacity comes online and as natural gas infrastructure in Mexico is put into service.
U.S. crude oil exports increased by almost 80 percent from the first half of 2017 to the first half of 2018 and set a new monthly record of 2.2 million barrels per day in June. Crude oil has now surpassed hydrocarbon gas liquids to become the largest U.S. petroleum export. China, South Korea and India were the largest markets. Europe was the second-largest market for U.S. crude oil exports.
On Wall Street for September, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.9 percent and the S&P 500 Index increased by 0.4 percent, while the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.8 percent. Strong economic data including consumer confidence, industrial production, consumer spending and durable goods orders significantly boosted the market. While investors were concerned by the lingering trade conflict between the U.S. and China, the Trump Administration imposed $200 billion of new tariffs on China and threatened to impose another $267 billion if China retaliates. China responded with $60 billion in retaliatory tariffs.
1. The S&P Return figures are provided by Capital IQ.
These materials were prepared for informational purposes from sources that are believed to be reliable but which could change without notice. Jordan, Knauff & Company and Pumps & Systems shall not in any way be liable for claims relating to these materials and makes no warranties, express or implied, or representations as to their accuracy or completeness or for errors or omissions contained herein. This information is not intended to be construed as tax, legal or investment advice. These materials do not constitute an offer to buy or sell any financial security or participate in any investment offering or deployment of capital.


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Last month, Ecotality became the latest green company to fall foul of the tricky emerging market when it filed for bankruptcy.
It leaves customers of its Blink network of charging stations--and indeed, owners of businesses who had them installed--unsure as to what their next step should be.
For the latter, it may be worth looking towards rival network Chargepoint, which is now offering a trade-in for owners of Blink EV stations.
Via the dontblinknow.biz website, Chargepoint offers Blink customers an upgrade to a dual-port CT4000 series charging station or a single-port station--with trade-in credits of $2,200 and $1,200 respectively.
The stations feature J-1772 connectors and supply 240 Volts of power at up to 30 amps. What's more, the dual-port chargers allow two parking spaces to be served by each charger, reducing installation costs for businesses.
And any Blink customer is eligible to upgrade from a single-point Blink station to a dual-port Chargepoint unit (where wiring and electrical service permits).
Last year, a Plug-In America study rated Chargepoint's network as significantly more reliable than that of Ecotality.
Chargepoint now has the world's largest network of independently owned and operated electric car charging stations, it says, and more than 45,000 customers today.
Blink station owners have until December 15 to take up Chargepoint's offer. They should be aware that owners of electric-car charging stations can take a 30-percent tax credit up to $30,000 per location, but only through the end of this year.
If you're a business owner who wants to ensure continued support for charging stations on your property, you've now been offered a life-line.


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The Bentayga is Bentley's first attempt at making an ultra-luxurious, super-capable SUV. It's got all sorts of features and tech any $230,000 luxury car should have, in addition to all of the advantages of being a sport utility vehicle. It's built for comfort, and bought by those who can afford a second, sporty car. Which is why we have no idea to as why someone was just caught lapping a Bentayga at the Nurburgring.
The Bentayga is based on the new Audi Q7, but in place of an unexciting diesel engine, Bentley put a 600-horsepower, twin-turbo, 6.0-liter W12. Sure, it's mighty fast, but it's not built to set a lap time.
It's not unheard of for automakers to test their super-luxurious offerings at the 'Ring—the Bentayga was even spied there during development. But this probably isn't a test vehicle. Our guess? It's a Bentley owner out having a lark on an open-lapping day. Or maybe it's a high-performance Bentayga Speed prototype?
Whatever the reasoning may be, we're not against seeing Bentley's first SUV slap some curbing and slide around the legendary Nordschleife.


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Sanford Center Introduces Holiday Marketplace for Small Businesses Without a Storefront
Just in time for the holiday season, small businesses without a storefront got the opportunity to showcase their products at the inaugural Sanford Center Holiday Marketplace this past weekend.
Stocking stuffers and presents for under the Christmas tree were on display at this newest addition to Bemidji’s seasonal celebrations. For some vendors, this opportunity to show off their products in-person does not come often, as many do not have a storefront to support their ventures.
While location is key, another important component to hosting this holiday marketplace is the timing. Vendors got the chance to sell to not only those interested in the marketplace itself, but also those from Friday’s Night We Light parade and the UND/BSU men’s hockey game.
Some of the vendors sold traditional holiday presents, such as Perfect Plushie Paradise, while others pulled in a different crowd. This included jewelry made out of antlers by William Klaus and Tinker Tyke Threads, which makes rompers modified for children with different needs.
Along with the 18 vendors, the Sanford Center continued to celebrate the spirit of the season by bringing back their fan-favorite and family fun community holiday ice skating event.
The Sanford Center looks to bring back the Holiday Marketplace next year and hopes to expand it for more vendors.


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Ex-CIOs appointed to Australian e-health records committee
Tasmania invites bids for $15m CAD upgrade
Australia Post creates dedicated e-commerce unit
Samsung confirms hack on LoopPay subsidiary
Turnbull admits to using private email server
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EU banks warned off Bitcoin by watchdog
Advised to wait for regulation.
Jul 7 2014 11:52AM
Telstra digs in for exchange, duct price fight
Megaport adds weight to ACCC inquiry.
Sep 12 2013 6:16AM
Telco metadata 'loss' mooted under Greens' warrant plan
One reason to keep existing access regime.
Jul 16 2013 11:12AM
Telstra faces rejig for NBN fibre 'pull through'
Pressure to keep ISPs better informed.
Dec 18 2012 5:57PM
Apple drops 4G claim from iPad marketing
For some countries, not others.
May 14 2012 6:50AM
Brits rile up over iPad '4G' claims
Latest country to mull legal action against Apple.
Apr 10 2012 6:39AM
Telstra rivals welcome wholesale inquiry
Watchdog acknowledges potential price squeeze.
Dec 16 2011 10:54AM
Watchdog: SEC wasted US$1m on data storage
Prompts crackdown on IT procurement.
May 25 2011 1:55PM
TPG to escape ACCC fines for unlimited ads
No twin bites of the cherry.
Jan 7 2011 6:00AM
Watchdog attacks Google US$4m lobby spend
Behind on transparent lobbying.
Aug 9 2010 6:48AM
Watchdog issues spam warning to real estate agent
Targets real estate sector.
Jan 8 2010 11:18AM
Corporate watchdog to appeal One.Tel ruling
Battle heads back to the courts.
Dec 18 2009 10:10AM
Video: Watchdog says ISP-level filtering works
MD of net filtering company confident field test will deliver a green light.
Dec 14 2009 2:49PM
Watchdog issues advert warning to Microsoft
Sends Microsoft a letter.
Nov 19 2009 6:19PM
Telcos should compensate complainers, says watchdog
ACCAN calls on Conroy to ‘threaten’ industry with further reform.
Oct 26 2009 10:13AM
VHA concerned with proposed watchdog powers
Undesired side effect to regulatory reform.
Oct 8 2009 1:02AM
Watchdog puts telco industry on notice
Mobile and wireless internet speeds under microscope.
Oct 1 2009 3:40PM
India watchdog calls for VOIP
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has decided to allow ISPs to compete with telephone companies using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).
Aug 26 2008 8:14AM
Watchdog exposes Google antics
An anonymous tipster who alerted the Australian competition watchdog about Ebay's proposal to force its users onto the Paypal payments system was none other than Google.
Jun 2 2008 8:02AM
Advertised broadband not up to speed, says UK watchdog
Orange, Bulldog and Tiscali are among ISPs slammed by consumer watchdog Which? for providing home broadband at speeds far slower than the advertised "up to 8Mbps".
Aug 6 2007 11:13AM
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In numbers: The state of corporate sustainability reporting
Over the past 12 months, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has worked with consultancy Radley Yeldar to survey 158 corporates on their approach to sustainability reporting. Here, edie rounds-up the key findings.
Undertaken by Radley Yeldar and commissioned by global advocacy association the WBCSD on Monday (23 October), the Reporting Matters survey asked 158 corporates across 17 sectors a variety of questions about how they report on their carbon emissions, waste outputs, water footprints and social impacts.
After several other recent reports revealed that a huge proportion of companies to have pledged to align their actions with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are yet to set any measurable targets related to the Goals or monitoring progress against them, the survey sheds new light on how the business community is tracking progress on the goals.
It also documents the transition in reporting formats, from paper reports, to downloadable PDFs and interactive webpages, while tracking the corporate trend of moving to integrated sustainability reporting that couples environmental, social and financial data in one document.
Carried out alongside three in-depth explorations of what best practice looks like for modern sustainability reporting, the survey acts as a snapshot on reporting challenges and SDG action. Here, edie rounds up the survey’s key findings.
1) 89% of businesses are acknowledging the SDGs in reports
After recent research revealed that achieving all 17 of the SDGs in full could add $12trn to the global economy, dozens of big-name corporates have moved to map their actions across the SDGs – including the likes of Tesco, Unilever, Coca-Cola and BT.
Other companies to have aligned their sustainability strategies with the SDGs in recent times are property developer Canary Wharf Group – which is striving to create the world’s first “SDG-compliant” micro-city and beverage giants Pernod Ricard and Diageo.
As the trend towards SDG alignment continues to gather pace, the 89% of the respondents to the WBCSD survey were found to acknowledge the Global Goals in some way in their latest sustainability report.
2) However, just 15% are measuring contributions to the Goals
However, WBCSD concluded that only 53% were actively mapping their sustainability strategy to SDGs considered relevant to their sector, with just 15% measuring their contribution to the Global Goals.
The findings echo a key talking point of edie’s recent SDG roundtable. During the session, representatives from organisations including Vodafone, The Body Shop and DNV-GL concluded that the majority of corporates were still in “mapping” stage of SDG action – with many choosing to overlay the Goals onto existing CSR strategies – due to a lack of available metrics to measure their impacts.
3) Combined reports increased by 11% last year
The future of sustainability reporting is something of a hot topic at the moment, with corporates and academics alike continuing to argue the case for ditching the standalone sustainability report in favour of an integrated document which combines environmental, social and financial data.
Just this summer, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) launched a database of 200 academic studies highlighting the potential positive ramifications of adopting integrated reporting, such as higher market valuation, increased stock liquidity and a longer-term investor base.
In the wake of this research, the WBCSD survey found that one-third of the corporate respondents produced combined reports for this financial year – an 11% increase on 2017 figures.
4) Four in 10 businesses call their CSR documents ‘sustainability reports’
The findings come as the likes of Kingfisher, Bunzl and Innocent are making calls for businesses to move away from sustainability “jargon” when addressing consumers, employees and board members, in a bid to drive greater engagement by making the concept relevant at a personal level.
Additionally, only 41% of the respondents titled their latest progress document a “sustainability report” – down from 53% last year.
5) 53% have interactive websites for sustainability
If you’ve searched for a company’s sustainability report in recent months, the odds are that you will have landed on an interactive website rather than being directed to a PDF download portal.
More than half (53%) of the 158 companies to have responded to the WBSCD survey – including global food and beverage giant Nestle – were found to have produced a webpage including the bulk of their sustainability report content in the past financial year. This figure is up from 44% in 2017.
Some of the most innovative digital reports in recent times have come from Virgin Media, which this year utilised multimedia assets with football themes to engage key stakeholders with its latest efforts, in light of the popularity of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2016, meanwhile, the company launched the world’s first 360 sustainability video, which it followed up last year by publishing a string of GIFs, infographics and social media posts in lieu of a hefty PDF.
6) There are 10 times as many reporting requirements now compared to 1992
As well as corporate trends in sustainability reporting, the WBCSD and Radley Yeldar also analysed how global reporting requirements have changed over the past 20 years.
Their research found that there are now ten times as many legally-required ethical social and governance (ESG) reporting requirements for businesses to meet than there were before the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
The survey additionally concluded that the number of voluntary reporting requirements has increased from fewer than 10 to 182 in the past decade, with up to 80% of these being issued by non-governmental organizations.
The results of the survey can be read in full here.


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Forgent Networks announced late Thursday that its Compression Labs Inc. subsidiary has filed suit against 31 companies for patent infringement — among them, Apple. Compression Labs alleges that these companies have infringed its U.S. Patent No. 4,698,672.
The patent describes a “coding system for reducing redundancy” that Forgent says is integral in JPEG image compression.
A brief history
Neither Forgent nor Compression Labs, which it acquired in the late ’90s, developed the JPEG image compression format. JPEG itself stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, which is the name of the committee that created the standard in the mid-1980s. JPEG has been adopted worldwide as a means of compressing image data, and its popularity and use grew with the increased public popularity of the World Wide Web in the mid-90s.
“Essentially, [our patent] is the mathematical algorithm that JPEG uses to do the compression of data,” Michael Noonan, Forgent Director of Investor Relations, told MacCentral. “So while we can’t claim all the steps in JPEG and certainly do not, our technology is an integral part of that process.”
Forgent has been asserting its patent since 2002. In July of that year, the company issued a press release stating that it had “sole and exclusive right to use and license all the claims under the ‘672 patent that implement JPEG in all ‘fields of use’ except in the satellite broadcast business.” Since then, Forgent has been negotiating arrangements with each of the companies named in this new suit. The suit was provoked after that negotiation proved fruitless, said Noonan.
At the time, Forgent’s claim elicited a response from the JPEG Committee. “It has always been a strong goal of the JPEG committee that its standards should be implementable in their baseline form without payment of royalty and license fees, and the committee would like to record their disappointment that some organisations appear to be working in conflict with this goal. Considerable time has been spent in committee in attempting to either arrange licensing on these terms, or in avoiding existing intellectual property, and many hundreds of organisations and academic communities have supported us in our work.”
Over the past two years, Forgent has struck licensing deals for this patent with companies in Asia, Europe and the United States worth about $90 million. The highest-profile company to strike a deal with Forgent was Sony, which Noonan said paid out a one-time licensing fee worth about $16 million.
Apple has company
Companies beside Apple named in the suit include Adobe Systems Inc., Agfa Corp., Axis Communications Inc., Canon USA, Concord Camera Corp., Creative Labs Inc., Dell Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Fuji Photo Film Co. U.S.A., Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Gateway Inc., HP, IBM, JASC Software, JVC Americas Corp., Kyocera Wireless Corp., Macromedia Inc., Matsushita Electric Corp. of America, Oce’ North America Inc., Onkyo Corp., PalmOne Inc., Panasonic Communications Corp. of America, Panasonic Mobile Communications Development Corp. of USA, Ricoh Corp., Riverdeep Inc., Savin Corp., Thomson S.A., Toshiba Corp. and Xerox Corp.
These companies are hardly the only ones who develop products that read or write JPEG, however. Would smaller publishers and developers of software that support JPEG possibly be liable? “Presumably,” answered Noonan, though he refused to comment further.
Apple declined to comment for this story.


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In September 2014, the State of New York legalized medical cannabis via the New York Legislature. It was a very significant victory for the medical cannabis industry and for patients considering how populous of a state New York is. New York recently issued proposed medical cannabis industry regulations. As expected, they are strict, and have a high barrier to enter the New York medical cannabis market. Per Marijuana Business Daily:
Businesses seeking to become one of five companies that will be allowed to operate up to four dispensaries each must pay a $10,000 application fee. They also must submit a $200,000 check for the actual license, though that will be refunded if the application is denied.
If approved, the license would be valid for two years, according to the regulations. Businesses would lose their permit if they don’t start operations within six months of approval.
Each cultivator would be allowed to grow only five strains, which advocates say will limit income for businesses and put undue stress on the industry, making it difficult for the program to move forward.
New York is a great example of what the medical marijuana industry will likely look like in states that legalize medical cannabis in the future. There will be heavy regulations, limits on strains, a small amount of licenses being issued, and hefty fees for those licenses. Compare that to a state like Oregon, which has a $4,000 fee to get a dispensary license, and assuming there is not a moratorium on dispensaries in the city being applied in, there are no limits on the number of licenses that can be issued, nor are there any restrictions on strains or forms of cannabis that can be sold. Over time, states will understand the need for a balanced and sensible regulatory system and many states will have to work out the kinks.


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Can eating more fish reduce migraines?
Bethesda, MD — If you suffer from migraines, eating more of certain kinds of fish may help reduce the frequency and pain, results of a recent study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the University of North Carolina suggest.
For 16 weeks, the researchers tracked 182 adults who followed one of three healthy diet plans, each containing fish, vegetables, hummus, salads and breakfast items with differing levels of fatty fish or fatty fish oils as well as vegetable oil.
Entering the study, participants averaged more than 16 headache days a month and more than five hours of migraine pain per headache day. Additionally, a brief questionnaire indicated migraines prompted “a severe impact” on most of the participants’ quality of life.
Findings show that consuming a diet with high levels of fatty fish or their oils and lower levels of linoleic acid found in vegetable oils contributed to a 30%-40% reduction in total and severe headache hours each day and overall monthly headache days.
The American Heart Association lists salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna as types of fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
“Changes in diet could offer some relief for the millions of Americans who suffer from migraine pain,” Chris Ramsden, lead study author and clinical investigator with the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of NIH, said in a press release. “It’s further evidence that the foods we eat can influence pain pathways.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends anyone age 2 and older consume 8 ounces of seafood a week, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
The study was published online July 1 in The BMJ, the journal of the British Medical Association.


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Samsung didn’t reveal a new Fan Edition smartphone alongside the Galaxy S23 lineup at Galaxy Unpacked, but it did have a surprise announcement concerning the base Galaxy S22 model from last year. The 2022 flagship received a flat $100 discount, and in a roundabout way, this makes it the S22 FE we never received.
Samsung usually stops selling previous-generation flagships once a new series is out, and indeed, you can no longer buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra in the USA. As of this writing, the S22 Ultra page redirects to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
However, the company will keep selling the base Galaxy S22, and during its S23 launch event in San Francisco, Samsung announced a new price of $699 for the 2022 flagship phone. The Galaxy S22+ is still available for the original price of $999.
The Galaxy S22 is almost like the new Fan Edition smartphone
Samsung released the Galaxy S22 flagship last year for $799 and the Galaxy S21 FE for $699. So, even though the company didn’t reveal a new Galaxy S22 FE phone for 2023, the $100 flat price reduction certainly makes up for it.
We don’t know how long the Galaxy S22 will remain in stock, but given that Samsung announced the $100 price cut on stage at Unpacked, the S22 is probably here to stay for a while.
Filling the $699 price segment with the Galaxy S22 may be an even better solution than releasing a new Fan Edition phone. The Galaxy S22 is a full-fledged flagship with premium firmware support, and it would’ve been difficult for a Fan Edition smartphone to offer better features for the price and fill its shoes.
By dropping the Galaxy S22 to $699, Samsung has essentially turned it into a Fan Edition smartphone — the one we never got and FE enthusiasts deserve. Assuming this price cut happens in every market where Samsung would’ve released the S22 FE.
The Galaxy S22 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 platform (in the USA). It has 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage, a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and much better build quality than any other Fan Edition smartphones released to date.
If you want to spend a little extra and get the newer Galaxy S23, Samsung has it up for pre-order for $799.


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Heffel Fine Art Auction House conducts VR promotion
Heffel Fine Art Auction House of Toronto has released a virtual reality presentation promoting an upcoming auction in that city. Developed by Alchemy VR, the five-minute presentation allows consumers to view one of the lots in the May 30 auction, the painting Figures Schématiques by Paul-Émile Borduas. According to the company, this is the first promotion of its kind by a Canadian auction house. It is aimed primarily at international art collectors who may consider bidding on the work, which is estimated to be worth $3 million to $5 million. The presentation is available in English, French, Arabic, German, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese. It was sent by mail to prospective collectors in customized packaging.
"We are thrilled to be able to connect with international collectors and enthusiasts through this virtual reality experience," said David Heffel, president of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. "Paul-Émile Borduas' Figures schématiques presents a once-in-a-lifetime market opportunity, and this VR channel will enable an international audience to discover and enjoy Borduas' monumental canvas."


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What you need to know
- Apple is rolling out tags to help refine App Store searches.
- These are showing up for users on both iOS 14.4.2 and the iOS 14.5 beta.
- No, these aren't AirTags.
Searching the App Store has always been a pain, but it seems Apple is trying to rectify that with a new tags feature, making search results more contextual.
According to a report by MacRumors, some iPhone users have begun to see tags appearing in the App Store when searching for popular terms, such as "photos" or "wallpaper." For example, after you search for "photos," tags like "collage," "editor," "storage," and other relevant terms pop up in a scrollable ribbon underneath the search bar.
Once you tap on one of these tags, results will be curated to show relevant results. So if you search "photos" and then tap "collage," the results you get will be photo apps that let you create collages. If there's even more possible options, another tag can also be selected to further refine App Store results.
This feature does not appear to be available to everyone just yet, so it seems that Apple is slowly rolling it out. While most users who do see it are on the iOS 14.5 beta, I am currently also seeing it on my iPhone 12 Pro running the public release of iOS 14.4.2. This means that it could just be a server-side thing, and Apple just needs to flip a switch so eventually everyone has it, regardless of iOS version and whether or not they're using the best iPhone.
Apple says that 70% of customers use the search tool to find apps, so these new search tags should help significantly. Back in 2016, Apple introduced the Search Ads feature, which lets developers pay Apple to have their apps shown at the top of search results, which should be based on the relevance of the app, among other factors. However, this doesn't quite work well all the time.
At the moment, iOS 14.5 has been in the beta phase since February 1, and the seventh beta was released earlier this week. Tim Cook has said that next software update will come early spring, which could just be a few weeks away.
And sorry, but no, these are not the AirTags you're looking for.


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Skip navigation! Story from News. Unfortunately, Watson and Seyfried's privacy has been compromised, thanks to the work of online hackers. This recent hack eerily coincides with the release of an alleged sex tape featuring actress Mischa Barton. With such egregious affronts to privacy becoming commonplace, it's clear that women celebrities are being especially targeted by hackers and trolls. But how much do you know about the history of such attacks? After months of speculation since the pair announced that they were on a break in October, fans finally quelled their hopes for a reunion between Kylie Jen. Based on their shared commitment.
More from Pop Culture
On August 31, , a collection of almost private pictures of various celebrities, mostly women, and with many containing nudity , were posted on the imageboard 4chan , and later disseminated by other users on websites and social networks such as Imgur and Reddit. The images were initially believed to have been obtained via a breach of Apple 's cloud services suite iCloud ,    or a security issue in the iCloud API which allowed them to make unlimited attempts at guessing victims' passwords. The event, which media outlets and internet users referred to under names such as the "fappening" a portmanteau of "fap"—a slang term for masturbation —and "the happening" and "Celebgate", was met with a varied reaction from the media and fellow celebrities. Critics felt that the distribution of the images was a major invasion of privacy for their subjects, while some of the allegedly depicted subjects questioned their authenticity. The leak also prompted increased concern from analysts surrounding the privacy and security of cloud computing services such as iCloud—with a particular emphasis on their use to store sensitive, private information.
The list is actualized every day. If you find any mistake or something is missing, let me know on email. You must forget on the sites like 4chan or Reddit. They are too much exposed, to much clicking and to much bulshit along the way.
You can totally see her tits in that leopard print bodysuit. Love it! Not the kinda content you were expecting, so sorry for baiting you. These are the previously unreleased pictures from a photoshoot for The Sinner She looks stunning, as always.


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The Partnership With SAMCO Will Begin With a Trial of 3 Check Cashing Kiosks in Northern California.The Meteoric Rise Of Bitcoin ATMs. Founded in 2016 and touted as the largest Bitcoin ATM network in. of machines per state behind California and New.
Awesome: California gets its first Bitcoin ATM | ATM
Not only does it dispense cash, it allows people to buy or sell bitcoin.
Sylmar CA — Coin Cloud Bitcoin ATMFirst Bitcoin Capital Corp (BITCF) and Simple Automated Money, Inc (SAMCO) have announced a partnership to introduce check-cashing Bitcoin ATMs into Northern.
Los Angeles Introduces Bitcoin ATMs-Competitor to DollarBitcoin ATM network Coinsource has installed two new and additional bitcoin ATMs in San Diego, California, the company announced.In London, the Bitcoin ATM can be found at The Old Shoreditch Station on Kingsland Rd.ATM locations in: Inglewood, Hollywood, East LA, Los Angeles, Downtown, Hawthorne, Lomita, Long Beach, Compton, LAX, Westside, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills.
San Diego gets its first Bitcoin ATM - CBS News 8 - SanFirst Bitcoin Capital Corp have announced that they will be integrating check-cashing capabilities into high traffic ATM locations throughout Northern California in.
First Ether ATM announced • Sebfor - Bitcoin, EthereumComing Soon to America: Bitcoin ATMs. shipping in November will be on the west coast.First Bitcoin Capital Corp Installing Automated Check-Cashing and Bitcoin ATMs Into California High Traffic Markets.Bitcoin News: BITCF and SAMCO to Install Automated Check-Cashing Bitcoin ATMs in California.
Why are there already Bitcoin ATMs in Hong Kong andSan Francisco may only be the fourth most populated city in California, but it is the first in the state to welcome a Bitcoin automated teller machine.Asia Nexgen, a Hong Kong based bitcoin exchange has launched a physical store enabling customers to purchase bitcoin and store it in their digital bitcoin wallets.
Coinsource, the leading Bitcoin ATM Network, has launched six new machines in California, bringing the total number of machines in the region to 19, and 55 across the.The Seoul Bitcoin ATM can be found in the Coffee Sedona Coex Mall.
Another form of currency that has become available in the past few years is known as bitcoin.Other Bitcoin ATM locations in the US include the Imbibe Cigar Bar in Albuquerque, New Mexico.For a few glorious days this past weekend, on a conference center floor in San Jose, California, the Robocoin machine.Coinsource has added nine bitcoin ATMs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, making it the largest ATM network on the West Coast.
BITCF is a publicly traded Canadian company that seeks to acquire bitcoin start-ups and invest in companies that are developing bitcoin software or hardware applications.
Coinsource Launches Five Bitcoin ATMs in PhoenixThis map can show you a variety of things including the fee %, location, nearby amenities, type.I am glad that you are here and strongly encourage everybody, ESCPECIALLY any.Are you living in California, then we have a good news for you.
A restaurant near City Hall and a jewelry store in the Gaslamp Quarter are the first business in San Diego to have a Bitcoin ATM.ATM Marketplace Research Centers offer insights, ideas and analysis on a variety of topics, including ATM software, ATM.
Coinsource launches 6 new bitcoin ATMs in CaliforniaI wanted to give you guys a quick run down of how it worked out for me.Bitcoin users in Los Angeles will now be able to exchange digital currency for cash at two bitcoin-to-cash ATMs that opened in Los Angeles in late June. The ATMs.First Bitcoin Capital Corp Installing Automated Check-Cashing and Bitcoin ATMs Into California High Traffic Markets.,Read most current stock market news, Get stock.
Meet California's first Bitcoin ATM | PCWorldHere are some of the most popular bitcoin ATM locations in Downtown Toronto.
CA$H-4-COIN$ | Virtual Bitcoin Atms - 'NEW 'VirtualCoinsource, a leading bitcoin ATM network, has added 14 new machines in California this month, marking their largest ever multi-machine installation in any area. Last.The Bitcoin ATM located in Istanbul can be accessed at the Airport.
Announced in a blog post on March 9th, ether.camp has produced a hybrid Ethereum and Bitcoin ATM.A Bitcoin ATM is set to be unveiled at a conference in Silicon Valley Thursday, the first of its kind in California for the digital currency.Trade bitcoin for cash instantly at a Coin Cloud Bitcoin ATM.
CoinSource Brings New Bitcoin ATMs to California and TexasBITCF and SAMCO to Install Automated Check-Cashing Bitcoin ATMs in California.
There are Bitcoin ATMs located in Seoul, South Korea, and in Hong Kong.
ZenBox BitCoin ATM Serves 10,000 Daily Commuters AtUnlike traditional currencies such as dollars, bitcoins are issued and.
Bitcoin ATMs come to USABITCF has also announced it has begun development for integrating bitcoin trading purchasing and selling capabilities throughout the current network of 85 SAMCO kiosks that are installed throughout America.Instacoin is a network of ATMs in Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City and Gatineau that allows you to exchange cash for Bitcoin instantly, without providing banking.
Bitcoin owners in Los Angeles will be able to exchange their virtual currency for cash at two bitcoin-to-cash ATMs set to open next week.It has been quite a busy month for BITCF, with other announcements that the company will be launching an ICO for an alternative cryptocurrency called Weedcoin.The other, in Nimbin (near Brisbane), can be found on Cullen Street.
Discover the Stories That Matter Join over 100,000 people who get the most important news stories and the best shopping deals from Heavy delivered right to your inbox.There is also a Bitcoin ATM in Montreal, which is located at the Montreal Bitcoin Embassy on St-Laurent Blvd., just above Sherbrooke St.


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The Graph, a blockchain data company providing services for some of DeFi’s most popular apps, has raised $12 million in a token sale that sold out in just over 24 hours.
The Graph Foundation announced today the successful sale of 400 million GRT tokens for $12 million in funding, performed entirely on-chain using The Graph’s own technology. The sale represents 4% of the total GRT supply and included 4,500 participants across 90 countries.
The tokens will serve a key role in scaling The Graph’s services over the coming years, as DeFi app growth fuels the need for vast amounts of blockchain data at high speed.
The Graph helps customers access blockchain data through more familiar database interface languages like SQL, easing the integration of the data into blockchain-based applications. Decentralized finance, or DeFi, applications are a major source of demand for data from The Graph, as they use blockchain data to help set interest rates on loans and customer deposits.
Data from The Graph is so essential, in fact, that a glitch in the system caused by explosive demand led to issues at several DeFi services for hours, including at lending protocol Aave and decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch.exchange.
The Graph announced the token sale on October 13 and took registrations from more than 14,000 non-US residents until October 15. Seventy-five percent of tokens were purchased in the first 24 hours by 3,000 select participants with strong connections to The Graph’s community.
The Graph plans to launch its mainnet network within the next two months, which will allow token holders and other infrastructure operators tfo begin staking and earning tokens by facilitating data requests from The Graph customers. GRT tokens purchased during the sale are non-transferable until after the mainnet launch.
The Graph has proven itself an essential part of DeFi infrastructure, and could continue to grow its customer base as more companies store and search for data on the decentralized Web 3.0. Just like Ethereum, The Graph is gearing up for the future with an eye on decentralization and scaling, and the successful GRT token sale should help with both.
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Hellertown’s popular holiday kickoff, Light Up Night, is getting a bit of a makeover this year.
As is tradition, the event will be held the Friday after Thanksgiving, which this year is Friday, Nov. 24.
However the normally hour-long event will be extended to three hours, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber SVP Jessica O’Donnell said in an email that the longer time frame for the festivities will keep attendees in the community longer, and help showcase more of what downtown Hellertown has to offer.
Once a part of Light Up Night, 15-minute trolley rides through town will again be offered to guests this year, for a fee.
There will also be a cash bar serving adult beverages, in addition to the traditional hot cocoa and cookies available for free to revelers of all ages.
O’Donnell also promised more entertainment and music than in years past, as well as participation by more local nonprofit organizations, who might do things such as sponsor an activity.
“These are only a few of the new additions we have confirmed thus far,” she said, adding that sponsors are being sought to help fund the expansion of the event.
Light Up Night is held downtown at Hellertown Borough Hall and across the street at Detwiller Plaza, where the borough’s light displays are ceremonially turned on with the flick of a switch. This year new decorations on the light poles up and down Main Street–large wreaths with LED lights–will also be turned on for the first time.
The culmination of the evening–for the little ones, anyway–is traditionally Santa’s arrival on a decorated firetruck, after which he visits with kids and is available for photos inside Borough Hall.
If your organization or business is interested in participating in Light Up Night this year, contact O’Donnell at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


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The vice president - growth and monetisation says Flipkart has strategically identified video as a key platform to onboard the next 200 million consumers into the e-commerce fold.
When Flipkart announced the launch of its video streaming platform, Flipkart Video, in 2018, many tipped it to rival the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. A Walmart entity, Flipkart has deep pockets to create 'Sacred Games' or 'Forgotten Army' type of shows, or any other Rs 100 crore-plus projects.
However, as Prakash Sikaria, vice president - growth and monetisation at Flipkart, puts it, "Our focus today is on interactivity and gamification." Credited with launches like Flipkart Travel, Flipkart Plus, Flipkart Ads, Flipkart SuperCoins, and the mind behind Flipkart Video, Sikaria has been with the Bengaluru-based e-commerce platform since 2014.
Flipkart Video streams movies and shows acquired, or licensed, and also commissions ‘Originals’. Viewers watch videos on Flipkart to earn rewards, which they can later redeem while shopping. Says Sikaria, "As users evolve in their digital journey, the barriers between shopping and entertainment will cease to exist."
At a time when Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar are making headlines by acquiring movies before they’re released in theatres, Flipkart Video has chosen to focus on bridging the gap between content and commerce through entertainment.
In an interview with afaqs!, Sikaria speaks about consumer behaviour on the platform, among other things.
Flipkart has been streaming videos for quite a while. What is your observation on the viewers, who they are, and where they come from?
With data prices becoming more affordable over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the use of mobile screens for personalised entertainment. Hence, in 2018, Flipkart strategically identified video as a key platform to onboard the next 200 million consumers into the e-commerce fold. This led to the launch of our video offering on the app in 2019, and over the past year, we’ve seen a very positive response from viewers across the country.
Over the last six months, we have invested in building a first-of-its-kind interactive video platform (with shows like ‘Kya Bolti Public?’ and ‘Super Fan’). The current Flipkart Video audience is a mix of users from metros and Tier II-plus cities, for whom we have truly democratised entertainment. Over 40 per cent of our current users are from metros, and the rest are from Tier II-plus cities.
How can the video content be a tool for Flipkart to acquire e-commerce customers?
We believe that video can play a key role in onboarding new consumers into the e-commerce fold. Our technology expertise has helped build unique content experiences that are designed for the mobile screen.
A key differentiator for Flipkart Video today is that users can engage with the content and win tangible prizes. This elevates their journey on the platform and gives them stronger reasons to increase the time spent on the app, on a daily basis.
Is there an overlap between people watching content and buying products? Or, is it that only e-commerce customers are watching the content and spending more time?
Our user base has two kinds of audiences today. One that is new to e-commerce and explores our offerings after spending time on (Flipkart) Video. And two, users that are regular Flipkart shoppers, who’re keen to explore our wider offerings. We’re seeing a healthy mix of both types of users on our platform today.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen a rise in the time spent by users on the app, where they’re seamlessly switching between watching videos, participating in shows, playing games, and shopping (all facilitated on a single app).
Why is the time spent on Flipkart so critical? You have rolled out an expensive proposition, like video streaming…
As users evolve in their digital journey, the barriers between shopping and entertainment will cease to exist. Ours is an in-app video streaming service that is reimagining entertainment for the mobile-first consumer.
The success of our video offering lies in the fact that we have designed it, keeping the Indian consumer - what they’re seeking and what they truly care about - at the centre stage.
"With the introduction of our interactive shows, Flipkart Video clocked a 2.5x jump in viewership in March and April"Prakash Sikaria
Can I touch on the shirt Maniesh Paul (host) is wearing while hosting the show (Kya Bolti Public?), and get a similar product offering?
That is an opportunity that definitely exists. This need is currently addressed by our ‘Flipkart Ideas’ platform, which bridges the gap between content and commerce seamlessly. Launched in 2019, it has a feed of engaging content, across videos, images, GIFs, stories, polls and quizzes, along with tips and tutorials from top brands and influencers.
The Ideas feed is customised according to the user’s taste and interests, with a wide range of categories to choose from, including fashion, parenting, reading, food and nutrition, travel, arts and crafts, photography, and more. The curated selection of content makes shopping easier for customers and guides them through their purchases.
Having said that, with the evolving nature of our Flipkart Video content, we’re always evaluating refreshing formats to drive engagement on our platform. So when such an interaction makes a case for engaging entertainment, you will see us making a transition.
"For the foreseeable future, interactive content will be a focus for us"Prakash Sikaria
It is stated that Flipkart Video streams 5,000 TV shows, movies, and short films in various languages. Then, you have ‘Originals’, too. Doesn't that make you a direct competitor in the OTT space?
While we began our journey by building a content library through great partnerships, our focus today is on interactivity and gamification - which we believe sets us apart from other OTT platforms. With the introduction of our interactive shows, Flipkart Video clocked a 2.5x jump in viewership in March and April.
The second season of our successful interactive show ‘Kya Bolti Public?’ witnessed a 3x surge in users, as compared to the first season, which is another testament to the growing popularity of this entertainment format.
Every now and then, we hear that Flipkart is in talks with the producers, and they’re commissioning a big-budget show. What will be your content strategy? Will you have 'Sacred Games' or 'Forgotten Army' of your own?
We will continue to evaluate opportunities that will bring forth first-of-its-kind content across genres and formats. For the foreseeable future, interactive content will be a focus for us, given the positive response we’ve received so far.
We give users the joy of new interactive entertainment every day with tangible rewards. We’re thrilled to give them new reasons to come back (to us) on a daily basis.


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South Park: The Stick of Truth Delayed to Spring 2014, New Gameplay Footage Released
I have to be honest. I’m not that surprised, as we have not heard that much about South Park: The Stick of Truth with only a month and change left until its release. Even its demos at E3 2013 and the more-recent NYCC 2013 were hands-off which was peculiar. The game has officially been delayed until next spring, and will launch on March 4th, 2014.
Ubisoft’s North American President, Laurent Detoc, cited what could be interpreted as a poor build under the supervision of the game’s former publisher, the now-defunct THQ. “Within three weeks after acquiring the game, we sadly realized we had to turn this thing upside down if we hoped to deliver the experience everybody wanted,” Detoc said, “it’s been such a major overhaul to get to the point where we are that we couldn’t let it go, even if that meant missing December.”
South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker added, “Getting the game up to the crappy standards of the show has been a real challenge and we’re excited to say it’s taken way longer than we thought it would.”
South Park: The Stick of Truth is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment and will be published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. You can check out the new gameplay video below.


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Blizzard employees have told Kotaku that the company is developing a Warcraft-themed augmented reality game for smartphones. The game is reportedly inspired by Pokémon GO, [...]
Chinese tech company Huawei has told CNBC that it plans to commercialize augmented reality (AR) glasses within “the next one to two years”. Huawei is China’s largest [...]
Adobe released a preview of a powerful new AR editing & creation tool, currently named ‘Project Aero’. The key feature of Aero that sets it apart from [...]
Today, Google is announcing ARCore, a software-based solution for making more Android devices AR-capable without the need for depth sensors and extra cameras. It will even [...]
As AR starts to take off amongst developers it was only a matter of time before we saw a fully functional Yu-Gi-Oh! demo.
When someone brings up the idea of [...]
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on December 1st, 2016 and has been republished in relation to the recent Ready Player One movie trailer [...]


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Abercrombie & Fitch is to close its Gilly Hicks stores in the UK after disappointing sales, raising questions about the future of its Hollister chain.
Gilly Hicks is Abercrombie's Australian-style underwear brand and there are five stores in the UK, including one on Regent Street and stores in both of Westfield's London shopping centres.
Abercrombie plans to close all its standalone Gilly Hicks stocks around the world after reporting a fall in third quarter sales.
The retailer reported a 12pc drop in third quarter sales and warned that spending among young consumers remains "weak".
Mike Jeffries, chief executive of Abercrombie, said: "Our results for the third quarter reflect continued top-line challenges, with overall spending among younger consumers remaining weak.
"Until we have seen a clear trend improvement, we are continuing to take a cautious approach into the fourth quarter and are working to end the year with appropriate levels of fall carryover inventory."
The closure of the Gilly Hicks stores, which will cost Abercrombie up to $100m (£62m), has been announced as US fashion brand J Crew prepares to open in the UK.
J Crew will open a store in Regent Street on Friday, its first store in the UK.


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It’s fair to say that Tim Cook’s ‘Year of Apple Pay’ never really took of as recent reports show that in the US the mobile payment service’s growth has slowed down, whilst in the UK the majority of people, even those who are using Apple Pay, are not aware of any Apple Pay points or symbols.
However, this just confirms the healthy attitude of most people about mobile payments: it’s an evolution rather than a revolution.
And Apple has now taken that process of evolution in a new direction by launching a carrier billing service to its iTunes customers in Russia. Users simply type in their mobile number when they purchase music, books or games from the store.
The company has done this relatively surreptitiously, and it’s not even the first time it ventured into alternative digital payments. At the end of October, the company launched the same way of paying in Germany with a partnership with O2/Telefonica.
In Russia, Apple is partnering with Beeline, the country’s third-largest mobile operator that is owned by the Dutch VimpelCom.
Apple’s foray into the world of carrier-billing brings much needed credibility and publicity to a technology that in reality been around longer than most other mobile payments.
One of the biggest reasons carrier-billing has failed to capture the minds, and the wallets, of the people is because of the high fees associated with the carrier charge, usually between 10 and 30 per cent compared to the credit card’s usual 2 per cent. However, in recent years those fees have been brought down, and it is likely that Apple has secured an agreement that would keep the fees in single digits.
“It opens up the market significantly. A lot more people have phones and phone accounts,” Charlene Li, an analyst at research firm Altimeter Group, told CNBC.
Fresh off securing $63m in funding and appointing a new CFO, the Stockholm-based provider of contactless and mobile card readers has partnered with China's payments giant, UnionPay, on increasing card acceptance for European SMEs.
Coinable became the latest cryptocurrency exchange company to receive a licence that allows it to operate in the state of New York.
Wirecard has partnered with Apple Pay in France to launch boon, its mobile payment application.
It’s no secret that customers increasingly prefer to use mobile banking apps to manage their cash ‘on-the-go’ over online banking.


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Indian FTR 1200 S
Indian Motorcycle India has officially started taking bookings for the FTR 1200 S and 1200 S Race Replica, priced at Rs 14.99 lakh and Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), respectively. Inspired by the championship-winning FTR 750 flat-track race bike, the pair of motorcycles were revealed in October last year. The FTR series is powered by a new liquid-cooled 1203cc V-twin engine which produces 120bhp and 112.5Nm of peak torque and is mated to a 6-speed transmission.
Although the engine is inspired by the one found on the Scout, Indian Motorcycle claims that 80 per cent of the components are new, including a new crankshaft that helps the engine rev quicker. Unlike true flat-track motorbikes which have same sized 19-inch wheels on the front and back, the FTR 1200 S arrives on the more conventional street tyres. The motorcycle has an upright seating position, similar to a scrambler. Indian has added several premium features to the FTR 1200 S, including Bosch stability control with a six-axis inertial sensor, selectable riding modes, all controlled by a bright 4.3-inch colour touchscreen instrument console. The company will bring the FTR 1200 range to India as a CBU, like all other Indian models, and the deliveries are expected to begin from next month.
A design update for the Ninja
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R: Kawasaki India has launched the ZX-6R in India, priced at Rs10.49 lakh. The Japanese brand started accepting pre-bookings back in October last year with a token amount of Rs 1.5 lakh.
For this year, Kawasaki gave the Ninja ZX-6R a design update, making this model resemble its big brother, the ZX-10R. Other changes include reworked ergonomics and new LED headlamps. The supersport is powered by a 636cc in-line four-cylinder engine that produces 128bhp at 13,500rpm and develops 70.5Nm of peak torque at 11,500rpm. The Ninja ZX-6R is also equipped with rider aids like KIBS (Kawasaki Intelligent anti-lock Brake System), KTRC (Kawasaki Traction Control), and KQS (Kawasaki Quick Shifter) to make it one of the best middle-weight supersport motorcycles on sale around the world. What’s to be noted is the fact that the Ninja ZX-6R is the only 600cc middleweight sports bike on sale in India. And in the absence of Yamaha R6 and Triumph Daytona, the Ninja ZX-6R has practically no competition in its segment.
Custom-made to triumph
2019 Triumph Thruxton TFC: Triumph has revealed the limited edition 2019 Triumph Thruxton TFC, to introduce the company’s new line of factory-custom motorcycles called Triumph Factory Customs. Limited to just 750 units worldwide, the special-edition Thruxton is an uprated version of the 1,200cc parallel twin which produces an extra 10 horsepower, taking the power figure from 96 to 106hp. Additionally, the Thruxton TFC gets titanium Vance & Hines exhaust, and new engine mapping including revised riding modes for Rain, Road, and Sport.
Not only is the Thruxton more powerful, it is also 5kg lighter than the standard variant, weighing in at 198kg (dry). It sports a special carbon-fibre bodywork along with a 'Deep Satin Black' paint finish and brushed-aluminium-finished inserts on the tank. The 2019 Triumph Thruxton TFC is currently available in the UK on order with a price-tag of £17,500 (or Rs 16.15 lakh).
Harley bets big on the LiveWire
Harley-Davidson LiveWire: We now have a price tag on Harley Davidson's first electric motorcycle, LiveWire. The company revealed the production ready version of the bike at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month and announced the pricing: It starts at $29,799 (about `21 lakh). Harley, which has been working on the LiveWire project for the last five years, claims that it represents the future of the company. Though the iconic brand is yet to reveal Livewire's power and performance figures, it claims the bike's power from its H-D Revelation electric powertrain will arrive at 100 per cent as soon as you twist the throttle, which will propel the bike from zero to 96kmph in under 3.5 seconds. It offers a range of about 117km of “urban roads” on a full charge. The 2020 LiveWire is currently only available for pre-ordering in the US with deliveries expected in the second half this year. The availability for other markets is yet to be announced by the company.
BMW R 1250 GS
BMW R 1250 GS: BMW Motorrad has launched the new R 1250 GS adventure-tourer in India with a starting price of Rs16.85. It is the replacement model of the iconic R 1200 GS that made its debut in 2004. The 2019 BMW R 1250 GS gets a larger 1,245cc boxer motor replacing the 1,170cc engine powering its predecessor. Thanks to the bigger engine, the power figure has also gone up. While the older engine produced 125hp and 125Nm of torque, the new R 1250 GS’s engine makes 136hp at 7,750rpm and 143Nm of torque at 6,250rpm. BMW has also added VVT (Variable Valve Timing) tech, which BMW calls ‘ShiftCam’ technology, to the engine, making R 1250 GS the first production BMW motorcycle to feature the technology. BMW has equipped it with a 6.5-inch full-colour TFT screen along with an LED headlamp cluster. The motorcycle is available in BMW R 1250 GS and BMW R 1250 GS Adventure variants.


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French DRM bill 'state-sponsored piracy' - Apple
Apple has denounced France as a sponsor of piracy after the country's parliament backed a bill that, if enacted, will force the company to open its DRM technology to other hardware vendors and online music stores.
Speaking to Reuters, an Apple spokeswoman blasted the move as "state-sponsored piracy", adding: "If this happens, legal music sales will plummet just when legitimate alternatives to piracy are winning over customers."
The company also claimed interoperable music "cannot be adequately protected".
If the bill becomes law, Apple's most likely course would be to shut down the French incarnation of its iTunes Music Store, the leading digital music vendor in France, according to its closest rival, VirginMega, the Virgin Group's French online music joint-venture with media company Lagardère. Apple's market leadership was confirmed this week by a VirginMega spokesman cited by VNUnet.fr.
Interestingly, VirginMega attempted to sue Apple in August 2004 in a bid to force the iPod maker to open up its DRM technology, called FairPlay, but failed to persuade the French court that Apple was behaving in an anti-competitive fashion. That said, the court also noted that Apple's decision to keep FairPlay to itself did put consumers at a "disadvantage". ®


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Microsoft is reportedly a week away from launching the new Windows Phone 7. The phone will be available in the United States about a month later. It will feature an Xbox gaming platform.
It will also reportedly have a camera, GPS, compass and touch screen. AT&T will be the exclusive service provider.
Typing on an Android or IOS mobile device could soon get a lot easier. Google has acquired Blindtype, a company that specializes in figuring out what people actually mean to type when they hit the wrong keys. Its system adjusts to the typist's perceived keyboard and typing style.
Paris Auto Show
Environmentally-friendly cars took the spotlight at the Paris Auto Show. Electric cars and other vehicles with the latest environmental technology crowded displays over the weekend. The show included a Lamborghini with a special system to filter carbon out of the exhaust.
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Safari’s latest update now blocks all third-party cookies by default
Yes, all of them.
Apple has long championed the security of its ecosystem, and now it’s a bit more secure as Safari now blocks all third-party cookies. All of them. That change means an end to advertisers or websites being able to track you across the internet using tracking cookies, by default.
Phew, you can just hear the throngs of privacy advocates letting out a collective sigh of relief. Apple’s push to fully block third-party, cross-site tracking is the only responsible way to handle things without exceptions, loopholes, or “oh just a little bit is okay” factoring into decisions.
Apple engineer John Wilander, who worked on the feature, says that this update to Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) might not even be noticed by most users, as the feature has been doing most of this already over the last few years since ITP was added to the WebKit core that powers Safari.
This update takes several important steps to fight cross-site tracking and make it more safe to browse the web. First of all, it paves the way. We will report on our experiences of full third-party cookie blocking to the privacy groups in W3C to help other browsers take the leap.
— John Wilander 🇺🇦 (@johnwilander) March 24, 2020
READ MORE: Safari is now used by over a billion people
Google has also committed to nuking third-party tracking cookies but its timeline is a slow phase-out with full blocking in 2022. Apple, please make a desktop version of Safari for Windows again? Please? Then I can go back to using one browser on all my devices, without needing multiple browser extensions to disable third-party cookies.
- Due to coronavirus, Apple Card holders can skip their March payment without penalty
- Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone that features a “world facing” 3D camera
- Coming soon to an iPhone near you: ads in your push notifications
- Google wants you to know Apple’s Safari web browser isn’t as private as they say it is