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MSC Musica spent a second night at anchor outside Cape Town Harbour Friday, prevented from entering the port by strong winds gusting up to 50-knots.
MSC Magnifica (a sister ship to South Africa-based Musica) has embarked on MSC Cruises first-ever World Cruise, a 119-day voyage of discovery and adventure to 49 cruise destinations in 32 different countries, […]
South Africa wants to triple the number of cruise tourists visiting the country via Cape Town by 2040, according to Derek Hanekom, the country’s Minister for Tourism.
An elderly American cruise passenger was taken off Seven Seas Explorer due to a medical emergency during her 15-night roundtrip Cape Town cruise along the coast of South Africa.
Anecdotal reports from the first passengers taking a cruise from Durban aboard the new SA-based cruise ship MSC Musica indicate that wait times at the N-Shed terminal for boarding have been reduced […]
Oceania Cruises will be homeporting Nautica in Cape Town for a set of roundtrip cruises during the 2019/2020 cruise season, but will also be cruising from South Africa with Insignia, a sister […]
Pacific Princess will cruise from Cape Town during the 2020 cruise season bound for Fort Lauderdale, with an option to extend all the way to Los Angeles as she completes her 111-night […]
While Cunard Line sails between Cape Town and Southampton every year, it’s traditionally been less often that this historic route is operated by its flagship Queen Mary 2, but that has changed […]
Phoenix Reisen will send its cruise liner Artania to Cape Town in 2020 for a cruise along the South African coast, and across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.
Boutique cruise line Azamara Club Cruises has announced it will sail a full South African cruise season between December, 2020 and March, 2021, out of Cape Town aboard Azamara Journey.


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Nintendo is entering the $70 games space, starting with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Confirmed during the newest Nintendo Direct, the sequel to 2017’s Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will launch at the price point that’s been adopted by publishers such as Sony and Ubisoft. The evening before the Direct, retailers had priced the game at $70.
In the past, Nintendo has opted to play the waiting game for other industry trends such as online and subscription services. The question wasn’t if Nintendo would follow suit, but when, since games being $70 is still fairly new and started back in 2020 with Sony’s first-party PlayStation 5 games.
Towards the end of 2022, Microsoft confirmed that three of its big 2023 games, including Bethesda’s Starfield, would be priced at $70, Ubisoft plans to join in on the new price point as well, starting with the eventual release of iits online pirate game Skull & Bones.
How this new price point affects other Nintendo juggernauts such as Pokémon or Mario remains to be seen. But Ubisoft plans to price specific games at $70, while other titles may be priced lower. Since Nintendo franchises frequently have spinoff games, the publisher may adopt a similar model.

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LG on Monday took the wraps of new G Pad tablets, devices that will come in a variety of sizes and will compete directly against Samsung’s similarly sized tablets, but not only. But strangely enough, the company did not reveal that many details about the new products, when it comes to actual specifications.
“Customers tell us that they want a wider range of devices that offer sizable screens without compromising portability,” LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company president and CEO Jong-seok Park said. “Unlike smartphones, tablets are not one size fits all. So we designed the G Pad Series for a diverse target audience, some who prioritize portability while others want the best multimedia experience possible. G Pad delivers on all counts.”
The new G Pad models will come in 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch versions, and will be unveiled at the MedPI 2014 trade show later this week. According to the press images offered by the company, the three devices will come in different colors, including blue, white and black. Pricing details or actual release dates aren’t available at this time.
The company did say that software features built on top of Android including QPair 2.0 and Knock Code will also be found on the G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1 models.
A second image showing the three new LG tablets and the full press release follow below.
LG EXPANDS TABLET OPTIONS WITH NEW G PAD SERIES MODELS
Three New Tablets Satisfy Consumer Demand for More Choices to Fit Their Lifestyles
SEOUL, May 12, 2014 — LGElectronics (LG) is adding three new tablets to its G Pad series to offer more options for tablet users. The new G Pad devices — G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1 — will be unveiled at the MedPI 2014, one of the biggest IT/Tech trade show in Europe, taking place in Monaco from May 13-16. LG’s extended tablet portfolio, which also includes the well-received G Pad 8.3, will significantly expand LG’s footprint in the tablet market.
“Customers tell us that they want a wider range of devices that offer sizable screens without compromising portability,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Unlike smartphones, tablets are not one size fits all. So we designed the G Pad Series for a diverse target audience, some who prioritize portability while others want the best multimedia experience possible. G Pad delivers on all counts.”
Highlights of LG’s new G Pad Series tablets are:
● G Pad 7.0 : Designed to be held in one hand, LG’s smallest tablet is a non-the-go entertainment hub that delivers both portability and power.
● G Pad 8.0 : With its 8-inch display, LG’s mid-sized tablet offer san immersive multimedia experience and smooth multitasking.
● G Pad 10.1 : With the largest display and battery, LG’s 10.1-inch tablet provides endless hours of entertainment and fun.
The latest G Pad tablets will also include LG’s proprietary UX features such as QPair 2.0 and Knock CodeTM. With an updated version of QPair, which was first introduced on G Pad 8.3, users can effortlessly connect to their Android-powered smartphones via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls and messages and now be able to respond directly from the G Pad. What’s more, Knock Code™ enables users to power on and unlock their LG smartphones in one easy step by entering a personalized “knock” pattern on the smartphone’s display. Knock Code™ offers convenience and greater security as the knock pattern can be entered anywhere on the screen in any size — with the display on or off — using a personalized sequence of two to eight taps for more than 80,000 possible combinations.
Additional details of LG’s new G Pad tablets including specifications and availability will be announced locally in the weeks ahead.


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Chinese e-commerce company JD.com made a pitch on Wednesday to attract more European luxury brands to its site, saying it can offer faster delivery and better protection against fakes than bigger rival Alibaba.
High-end Swiss leather goods brand Bally made its biggest underlying profit in a decade last year, buoyed by growth in the United States and Japan, Chief Executive Officer Frederic de Narp said in an interview.
Tommy Hilfiger has won the prize for the Best In-Store Initiative at World Retail Congress in Dubai - granted in recognition of Hilfiger’s path-breaking Fall 2016 TommyNow runway show and global media platform.
Dubai's apparel and footwear market, valued at $11.5 billion in 2016, accounted for the largest share of the Emirate's retail sector, according to an analysis. Apparel leads the category with 73% market share.
Debenhams' chairman has urged retailers to think about offering consumers more experiences rather than selling them more “stuff”. He said consumers, particularly Millennials, want to do more than just buy products.


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The proposed centre will have the most modern food processing and packaging facilities and will also provide employment opportunities to the local youths
ABU DHABI – Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group International, an Indian-owned multinational retail chain with more than 190 Lulu Hypermarkets across all the six Middle Eastern countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Egypt, has announced that it would set up a modern food processing and logistics centre in India’s Jammu and Kashmir.
This was announced by Yusuffali MA, Lulu Group Chairman, during a meeting with a delegation from Jammu & Kashmir held on the sidelines of the UAE-India Food Security Summit 2020, organised by the Consul General of India Dubai in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry and Invest India.
The delegation was headed by Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production and Horticulture, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, according to a group statement.
“We are happy to announce our firm plan to open a base in the scenic state of Jammu & Kashmir which has an immense potential in the field of fruits and vegetables, pulses, spices, dry fruits and other products. We are one of the leading importers of food and non-food products from India and setting up of a new food processing and logistics centre will further boost exports of Kashmiri products to GCC and other countries, said Yusuffali during the meeting.
Currently, Lulu imports apples and saffron from Kashmir, and imports will significantly increase in the coming years, he said. The proposed centre will have the most modern food processing and packaging facilities and will also provide employment opportunities to the local youths.
Lulu imported more than 400 tonnes of Kashmiri apples during January-November this year, falling short of its target due to the restrictions of the covid pandemic, he added
During the meeting, the Lulu Group chief recalled that Lulu Hypermarkets was the first retailer to import the famous Kashmiri apples across its 190-plus hypermarkets in GCC and far-eastern countries last year.
The initiative to import Kashmiri apples to the Gulf was the direct result of meetings held during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE, where Yusuffali shared his willingness to procure Kashmiri agricultural produce and set up a logistics hub in Srinagar for uninterrupted supply, recalled Yusuffali during the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by Jahangir Hashmi, Additional Secretary, Horticulture Department of Jammu and Kashmir; Neelu Rohra, Consul, Commerce Section; Ananth AV, Lulu Director; Salim VI, Chief Operations Officer; Salim MA, Director of Lulu, and other officials.


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NATSO, the national trade association representing truckstops and travel plazas, announced it has partnered with Caribou Coffee to offer craft-roasted coffee to the selected NATSO-represented truckstops and travel plazas throughout the United States.
“Our mission at NATSO is to advance the success of our truckstop and travel plaza members,” says Lisa Mullings, president and chief executive officer of NATSO. “By offering a premium product that appeals to the general driving public as well as the truck driving community, we believe this strategic alliance with Caribou Coffee advances that mission.”
Caribou Coffee is the nation’s second-largest coffeehouse chain with more than 400 company-owned coffeehouses and 129 franchised and licensed locations. “For truckstops and travel plazas looking to enhance existing programs, or change their branding message, the Caribou brand offers a total coffee solution and branding opportunity that may not exist with every travel center in the marketplace today,” says Hank Suerth, senior vice president of commercial businesses at Caribou Coffee.


text: On June 21, ECCK Chairperson Dirk Lukat participated in the 2022 Korea Times Forum: Policy Suggestions to Yoon Government, as a panelist. Taking the opportunity, Chairperson Lukat talked about the ECCK’s mission on working to remove regulations that hamper the growth of European and Korean business alike in Korea. Also during the panel session, he mentioned international standards, labor reform and transparency in regulations and policies. (Photo: The Korea Times) “Digital transformation is driving the economy. Business needs to adjust to those changes to survive in a very competitive situation” he stated. “Not to mention that Korea needs to adapt international standards as administrative process will be simplified allowing new products to reach markets timely, reducing the cost and making it more attractive for companies to invest in Korea.” (Photo: The Korea Times) The forum was also attended by experts from various fields including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Executive Vice Chairman Woo Tae-hee, American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) Chairman James Kim, and Korean Academic Society of Business Administration (KASBA) President Han Sang-man.


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Hanteo Album Chart said on the 19th that by 13th from the day their album was officially released on the 13th, their 4th album has sold over 71,624 albums making a record for most albums sold in 5 days after its release.
Super Junior's 4th album has been the fastest selling album so far. Previously, girl group SNSD held the record for selling over 50,000 albums in a week but Super Junior broke the record selling over 70,000 in just 5 days.
Strong sales are good sign for Super Junior also 1 big factor for the sales is the huge popularity of their title song "miinah" and also their masculine transformation which showed a huge hit as well as the strong dedication of fans for the comeback of Super Junior.
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Credits: Blueprincess824 @ dailykpopnews


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On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, Krispy Kreme will be selling a festive doughnut that features a green glaze and specially formulated green dough.
The clover-colored glazed doughnut made its debut last year, but this year, for the holiday, the chain will change the name of its iconic doughnut from Original Glazed to O’riginal Glazed.
Krispy Kreme Green O’riginal Glazed Doughnut will be available for one day only at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. You can find out which shops are participating by clicking this link.
If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think of it in the comments.
(Image via Krispy Kreme)


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It?fs official, project YN 15747 has been christened MY Lady Petra. The luxury motor yacht „? the eighth vessel to join Heesen Yacht?fs award-winning 47 meter class „? was launched on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at the facility in Oss, Netherlands.
What?fs more, the proud owners of this luxury yacht just so happen to be Mr. and Mrs. Heesen. Frans Heesen, the former owner and founder of the shipyard began the project back in 2010 when he appointed Bannenberg and Rowell, known for creating eclectic yet pleasing integrated atmospheres, to design the interiors of the new yacht.
While the christening brought joy to many, mixed emotions were felt as Mr. Heesen took the opportunity to announce his retirement from official functions in his company.
"It?fs time for me to enjoy life with my family and friends" said Heesen. "I am going to be the Brand Ambassador of this wonderful company that I found some 35 years ago. I will always be there to support the brand and promote it to the end of my days!"


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The service will launch in April, marking a significant new entrant the competitive SVOD market that Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video currently dominate.
Anticipation around HBO’s OTT offer has been growing every since it was first mooted last year, as premium cable providers seek new ways to reach potential subscribers.
Recent Parks Associates research suggested as around 17% of US broadband homes would be likely to subscribe the service. Market leader Netflix has nearly 41 million US subs, according to its most recent financial filing.
HBO Now will launch through a deal with tech giant Apple on iOS devices and PCs in time for the launch of season five of fantasy ratings winner Game of Thrones. Discussions with HBO’s existing network of distributors and digital partners are on-going, the firm said.
Costing US$14.99 a month, the service will offer all of HBO’s top shows such as Girlsand True Detective, plus Hollywood movies, original HBO Films, documentaries, sports, comedy and music specials. There will be more than 2,000 titles available in total, including upcoming shows such as Westworld and The Brink.
HBO will offer a 30-day introductory free trial period to new customers that sign up via Apple in April.
“HBO NOW is the next phase of innovation at HBO,” said Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO, HBO. “With this new partnership, a natural evolution for the network, we have access to millions of Apple customers who are used to getting their favourite apps immediately. Now, they can do the same with an HBO subscription.”
“HBO NOW offers a new generation of HBO fans many of the best TV programs in the world without a cable or satellite subscription,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services. “Now, with the same simplicity as buying an app, customers can subscribe to HBO NOW and instantly start viewing their favorite HBO programs as they air – this is huge.”
The service will sit alongside HBO Go, the on-demand service it offers its cable subscribers.
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Stagwell and Clarita Unite to Revolutionize Digital Marketing Solutions
25 March, 2024
In a strategic move to boost digital marketing and performance, Stagwell, a renowned challenger network aimed at revolutionizing marketing, is joining forces with Clarita, an integrated communications agency. This partnership will bring together the expertise of both entities, offering innovative solutions and improved scalability to their clientele.
Stagwell, listed on NASDAQ as STGW, is set to work hand-in-hand with Clarita’s team led by Pedro Cavalcanti, a creative genius who has previously worked with agencies such as AlmapBBDO and Africa. Clarita, established in 2018, boasts an impressive portfolio with clients like Harald and JHSF.
The collaboration will be spearheaded by Vinicius Reis, the president of Stagwell Brazil and CEO of Crispin Porter and Bogusky (CP+B) Brazil. The focus will be on enhancing digital marketing, media, and performance. The partnership promises to bring an agency specializing in sales conversion, lead generation, clicks, forms, landing pages, and advertising (including Google Ads and Facebook Ads) to Stagwell’s regional portfolio.
Reis stated his excitement about the partnership with Clarita. He believes that this alliance will allow them to serve clients at the local level more effectively while driving exponential growth for the clients. He also highlighted that this is their second Brazilian affiliate in less than three months, demonstrating their rapid growth.
Clarita stands to gain from Stagwell’s extensive global client relationships and digital and advertising agency presence around the world. Additionally, they will have access to Stagwell Marketing Cloud’s technology tools, a suite of proprietary SaaS technologies for marketers. This partnership aims to attract new customers by making their processes more efficient and innovative while generating more opportunities for creative and high-value-add solutions.
Cavalcanti expressed his enthusiasm about Clarita’s affiliation with a global group. He sees this as validation that they have been on the right track for the past five years. He is eager to collaborate with other players in the network, especially in applying their expertise in performance to make client campaigns more assertive and connected to what their consumers expect.
The Stagwell Global Affiliate Program enables agile global solutions for customers. It allows Stagwell to partner with regional experts to expand marketing capabilities to new regions. In less than two years, Stagwell has formed partnerships with nearly 80 affiliates across APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and North America. This has extended Stagwell’s global operational reach to 98 countries.
About Clarita: Clarita is an independent communications agency that focuses on strategy, creativity, and results. They operate as a full-service agency with a consultancy profile.
About Stagwell: Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is a network designed to transform marketing. They aim to connect culture-moving creativity with cutting-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, their more than 13,000 experts in over 34 countries share a single purpose: to generate effectiveness and improve business results for their clients.
In conclusion, this partnership between Stagwell and Clarita is set to bring a fresh perspective to gym marketing. By focusing on gym lead generation and innovative advertising for gyms, including Facebook ads, they are poised to attract more gym members through their cutting-edge digital marketing solutions.


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A great example of why monopolies are bad can be seen in the practices of the two companies Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The merger of the two has resulted in them wielding enormous power when it comes to live concerts. As a result, consumers get both price-gouged and lousy service.
Back in 2009, New Jersey congressperson Bill Pascrell, Jr., among others, warned that allowing the merger would be bad but the Obama administration waved it through. In 2018, Pascrell wrote an article saying that all their dire predictions had come true.
When President Obama was deciding in 2009 whether to approve a merger between the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, and the biggest ticket provider, Ticketmaster, a group of bipartisan lawmakers pleaded with his administration to block the deal. This coalition, which included me, understood that the joint company would strangle competition in live entertainment.
Obama’s top antitrust regulator at the time, then-assistant Atty. Gen. Christine A. Varney, reassured critics that “there will be enough air and sunlight in the space for strong competitors to take root, grow, and thrive.” The merger was waved through and became final in 2010.
Eight years later, there are no strong competitors taking root, growing or thriving. The online ticketing market, now a $9-billion business, is still dominated by Live Nation-Ticketmaster. In 2008, the two companies held more than 80% of the market share. Combined, the new company, Live Nation Entertainment, has grown even larger, acquiring other ticket companies, promoters and festivals, including Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.
Live Nation Entertainment controls “nearly every aspect” of the ticket business, producing record-high ticket prices and onerous fees, according to an investigation published last month by the New York Times. The Department of Justice is now looking into complaints that the company, which also manages hundreds of top artists, tried to coerce venues into using Ticketmaster.
The whole pricing and selling system is so opaque that the rank gouging that is going on is hidden. In the latest episode of his show Last Week Tonight John Oliver exposes what is going on behind the scenes and why it is that concertgoers are paying such huge prices for tickets.


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US online retail giant Amazon said Wednesday it is creating more than 6,000 full-time jobs in the United States as it expands its deliveries system.
The decision to hire additional employees to process customer orders was taken to "meet growing customer demand," the Seattle-based company said.
The hiring will expand staff at 19 of the company's more than 50 delivery centers across the country.
Amazon has been expanding its delivery options beyond its $99 a year membership program Prime, which offers two-day delivery on tens of thousands of products on its website.
The new Prime Now service for Prime members offers paid one-hour delivery and free two-hour delivery for selected urban areas, such as Manhattan and Miami.
Amazon employed about 154,100 full-time and part-time employees worldwide at the end of 2014.
Shares in Amazon were up 0.7 percent at $428.35 in morning Nasdaq trade in New York.
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With the unsettling political atmosphere we have going on in the world, Americans already have enough issues and stresses on their plate. But sadly, with many crooks using the internet as a tool to rip people off, we have a whole new set of problems to deal with as we go about our daily lives. But luckily, this alarming scam was caught in time, and with your help, you can help spread the world about the demented new thing that criminals are doing, while using one of America’s largest companies as a front.
America’s Freedom Fighters was the first to begin circulating the information about an alarming Facebook scam that many users are falling for, as it looks completely legitimate on the surface. An offer that appears to be from Lowe’s Home Improvement store offers customers a $50 coupon to use just in time for Mother’s Day.
After clicking the post, potential customers are then taken to what appears to be an official Lowe’s survey site, where most people miss that the URL in their window is not the official address of the home improvement website. Unassuming users then put their information into the survey thinking that they’re about to get a nice little coupon. But it’s all designed as a sinister plot to steal your information, and wipe out your entire bank account.
As America’s Freedom Fighters reported, here’s what the survey looks like:
Customers on Facebook have been asking Lowe’s whether or not the coupon is valid, and Lowe’s has confirmed this coupon and website is definitely a scam.
As a result of a similar coupon scam, Lowe’s responded by issuing this statement:
“Please be careful when responding to any pop up ad either online or via social media; as, more often than not, the offer of gift cards or other prizes to customer’s in the guise of a specific company are set up to get your personal information for nefarious purposes.”
As is the case with many coupons and ‘too good to be true’ offers on Facebook, this one is a phishing scam designed to steal your information and reel in your Facebook friends as well. So, don’t fall for it!
A good way to know if a coupon or offer is legit:
Go to the company’s Facebook official page and see if the offer is posted there.
If it is not posted, look on the company’s official website, and see if there are any details there.
If the coupon is not posted in either of those places, it is likely not legitimate, but you could also contact the company directly to know for sure.
Note that if you ever click on one of these fake offers, you could be putting your data and security at risk. Stay safe, and avoid clicking on fraudulent posts.
Scams similar to this have made their rounds on Facebook in the past, but these cams all have two very telling thing sin common: The companies mentioned in the posts are not participating in the promotion, and there is really no coupon at all. To avoid falling victim to scams like this in the future, the Better Business Bureau offers these following tips for helping you identify Facebook scams:
- Don’t believe what you see. It’s easy to steal the colors, logos and header of an established organization. Scammers can also make links look like they lead to legitimate websites and emails appear to come from a different sender.
- Watch out for a reward that’s too good to be true. If the survey is real, you may be entered in a drawing to win a gift card or receive a small discount off your next purchase. Few businesses can afford to give away $50 gift cards for completing a few questions.
People are such jerks. Be sure to help get the word out about this latest scam and alert your friends and family!


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Office crunch yields furniture glut
- Jackie Noblett
The latest symbol of the local recession’s depth just may be the lonely cubicle no one wants.
Used furniture dealers are gearing up for what they anticipate will be a flood of calls from struggling companies looking to rid their offices of no longer needed chairs, desks and cabinets to raise cash, expedite potential moves and purge the metal and fabric mementos of better times.
“With all of the layoffs, I think there will be a big wave of companies trying to divest their assets,” said Marc Poirier, owner of Peartree Office Furniture in Framingham. He has seen a steady flow of calls from businesses to buy their furniture and expects the real wave to surge early next year.
The market for office furniture, new or used, is weak, meaning resellers are forced to be selective of what they take in and how much they can pay for it.
“The problem is that usually there aren’t enough buyers. Any reseller has to take into account what they can sell and storage costs,” said Jim McAnn, vice president of sales at Brooks Interiors Inc. in Wilmington.
The recession already has taken a toll on local businesses in the form of surging bankruptcy filings and tens of thousands of layoffs this year. Not long after, the businesses involved, often in the process of moving, look to get rid of excess baggage.
Doing so can save a firm thousands of dollars in moving costs or help avoid expensive fees for not vacating a space in the allotted time.
But managers are often quite surprised when they find out how much those Herman Miller chairs are worth.
A glut of used furniture locally, combined with weak demand both here and in other markets and the overall low resale value on the assets, means companies can expect to get pennies on the dollar for their unwanted goods.
Jackie Noblett can be reached at email@example.com.
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There’s more than a little talk about the onerous nature of securities filings, especially for young companies, including firms involved in financial technology, that are just getting started with business. The argument goes that making disclosure is expensive—and not infrequently, … Continue Reading
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During my Congressional testimony on Facebook’s Libra, plenty of policymakers expressed their concerns about potential AML vulnerabilities. So for this week’s Fintech Beat, I explore blockchain forensics, as well as the technological and regulatory challenges facing firms and cutting edge … Continue Reading
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It was a pleasure interviewing Europe’s capital markets chief, Steven Maijoor, at Georgetown Law. Among the interesting observations: First, that decisions on cross-border equivalence are not yet finished and that negotiations were continuing. Second, that Facebook’s cryptocurrency at least as … Continue Reading
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Two recent lawsuits against Google’s App Store have brought information to light regarding the company, its success, and future endeavors.
Google is swimming neck deep in quite a few lawsuits. While lawsuits are commonplace for nearly every major corporation, they don’t always loom so large. A total of 37 states in the US are suing the company over antitrust violations. The government of Australia has threatened legal action over a lack of supporting local journalists. Epic Games recently started a legal battle with the company. And finally, consumers have launched an unsealed lawsuit over the cut that Google takes from applications on its store. Now, this is far too much to take in at once, so we’ll take a look at the first and last lawsuits.
The reason we’re paying attention to these lawsuits is because they’re identical, if not the same, in nature. As it so happens, Google has a monopoly over app markets in Android devices. Considering the popularity of said devices, this is no small feat. While Google has repeatedly stressed that other options are available to the general public, most of them prove limited, impractical, or even banned in certain regions. The Google Play Store is Android’s definitive stop for applications. And while the company doesn’t make a habit of posting its sales figures online with a lot of pomp and grandeur, certain numbers have been un-redacted for the lawsuit.
Google apparently earned a whopping USD $11.2 billion in the year 2019, solely generated via Play Store revenue. Other than this, Google’s income came from two sources: first being, gross income, with the second being operating costs. The former generated USD $8.5 billion, with the latter stands in at USD $7 billion. All of this accumulates to an operating margin of 62%. Now, with such an obscene amount of money being generated with just a functional app store, users began to take note of certain factors that Google was not being upfront about.
Apple’s App Store takes 30% of an app’s generated revenue. This is not something the company shies away from, despite receiving criticism for it. What would, however, be worse is if this were not made crystal clear from the get go. It seems that Google, by retracting their earnings and revenue, have tried to ensure the opposite of crystal clear. Another concern of these lawsuits is that Google is actively engaging in anti-competitive action, in order to maintain its monopoly. Information by both lawsuits has been unearthed, revealing that Google has actively offered the likes of Netflix and Riot Games incentives, along with certain restrictions, to make sure they never leave the Play Store. Such monopolization unabashedly goes against the concept of a free market.
Whatever the results of these lawsuits may be, one thing is clear: no company needs the insane amount of money that Google is generating. By reducing their cut of the earned profits, the company could cut developers indie and otherwise across the board some slack, while losing a bare minimum of their profit. Information uncovered by the lawsuits has also revealed that Google only needs 6% of all app revenue in order to break even. 30%, along with incentives to monopolized the market, is overkill.
Photo: Charles Platiau / Reuters
Smartphone cameras are moving past their point-and-shoot identity – MobileSyrup
With the launch of Apple’s iPhone 13 and several advancements in its camera systems, I think I’m reevaluating how I feel about smartphone cameras.
Since using the OnePlus 8T and an iPhone 11, I’ve really started to fall for mobile phone cameras. That feeling was solidified in 2020 after spending time with the iPhone 12 Pro and the OnePlus 9 Pro, which both feature impeccable camera systems and have snapped some of my favourite pictures from the past year.
The pictures are so good in some wide shots that I’d even compare them to my mirrorless DSLR — as long as you don’t zoom in too much, of course. Still, in the back of my mind, I’ve always just told myself that using a smartphone camera is acceptable in a pinch and that they’re just modern-day point-and-shoot cameras.
Well, the other day, I found an old Canon Sureshot 76 zoom point-and-shoot film camera. While it’s a lot of fun to use, it’s also an excellent reference point to show how far above point-and-shoot cameras the modern smartphone has come in the last few years.
Over the past weeks, my partner Alex and I have gone on a few photo walks, but two, in particular, stand out. One time, I went out with just my Canon film camera, and in the other instance, I had the OnePlus 9 Pro. While both times I had fun, I actually enjoyed the photographic experience more when using the smartphone.
This is because, like my mirrorless, the phone gave me control over composing and exposing my images. There’s still definitely something to be said about the feel of a film image, but in terms of taking structured shots that nearly always look great, the smartphone won every time.
You can use a mobile phone camera just like a point-and-shoot if you want, and it still works great, but if you want to take things a step further and get more out of it, you can by diving into a slew of settings, apps and accessories.
There are quirky vintage photo apps, pro modes that let you take long exposures, clip-on lenses and, even in some phones, reasonably capable video features. I even shot a portion of my iPad mini video with an iPhone 12 Pro just to test this out, and generally, the footage looked great.
Sure, you can usually still tell the difference between an image taken by a high-end camera vs. a smartphone, but the fact the results look so similar in some cases is even more impressive. While I know this example is a little unfair, since the person behind the lens is a professional photographer, this iPhone 13 Pro camera test by Austin Mann that I found while reading the Lux breakdown of the same camera, shows off how powerful Apple’s new shooter can be.
While no phone will replace my Fujifilm X-T3 camera any time soon, it’s nice to know that in a pinch, my handset can still grab some fantastic shots.
Plus, there’s something special about having a device that can pack so much power into such a small form factor, and the fact that you have it on you nearly always.
Blizzard seemingly removes a reference to Jeff Kaplan in Overwatch 2 – Dot Esports
Fans on Reddit have noticed that a reference to former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan has been removed from the upcoming sequel’s New York City map. Players spotted that the Sept. 25 Bastion Rework announcement video for Overwatch 2 shows the pizza shop formerly called Jeph’s Corner Pizza is just Corner Pizza.
Fans can see the change for themselves around the 1-minute mark in Bastion’s announcement video, which shows the hero’s new ultimate and the pizza shop in the background. The nod to Kaplan doesn’t seem to be on the shop’s sign, however.
The measure is likely a part of Blizzard Entertainment’s push to remove in-game references to its employees in the wake of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.
Since the lawsuit’s filing, the company revealed it would rename Overwatch‘s McCree, named after a Diablo 4 lead game designer. A statement from the World of Warcraft team said the staff would “remove references that are not appropriate” for Azeroth—presumably referring to easter eggs involving Alex Afrasiabi, a former senior creative director for the game who was directly named in the lawsuit.
In April, Blizzard announced that Kaplan was leaving the company. He was replaced by Aaron Keller, a prominent member of the Overwatch team who helped design the beloved King’s Row map. Kaplan’s departure came before the wave of lawsuits filed against Activision Blizzard.
In the official news release, Blizzard said Kaplan “has decided to leave the company after a long and storied career.” At the bottom of the release, Blizzard included a “personal note” from Kaplan, where he says, “It was truly the honor of a lifetime.” Kaplan’s reason for leaving Blizzard remains unclear.
Now, as Blizzard continues to grapple with multiple lawsuits, the company has begun to erase numerous employee-related Easter eggs and references that appear in Blizzard games. The removal of “Jeph” comes as Blizzard makes changes to company policy.
In August, a Blizzard rep told Kotaku that “[Blizzard] will be reviewing the real-world references currently used in our games and making decisions based on how they best represent core values for our games.” That month, the company announced it would change McCree’s name.
Jeph’s Corner Pizza wasn’t the only reference to Kaplan, however. Reddit users also spotted a coffee cup saying “Jeph” in Overwatch 2, a nod to a picture in which Kaplan holds a cup of coffee with a misspelled version of his name. The cup stands on a copy of a book called “The Green Hills of Stranglethorn,” a quest from World of Warcraft also designed by Kaplan, as spotted by a user. It’s unclear if that reference will also remain in the sequel.
Apple to Fix Issue Preventing iPhone 13 Users From Unlocking With Apple Watch in Upcoming Software Update – MacRumors
In a support document, Apple said affected users can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch and use their passcode to unlock their iPhone 13 until the software update is released. The feature, which is designed to let you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask or ski goggles, can be toggled off in the Settings app under Face ID & Passcode.
Apple did not specify which software update will include a fix, nor did it provide a timeframe. The first beta of iOS 15.1 was released five days ago, but Apple could also choose to release a minor iOS 15.0.1 update with bug fixes.
As we reported, affected users might see an “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch” error message if they try to unlock their iPhone 13 while wearing a face mask, or they might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch.
Apple today announced that it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. The event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
As with WWDC and last year’s fall events, this new event will be held digitally with no members of the media invited to attend in person. Apple will likely provide pre-taped segments for…
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro arrived in October 2020 in a range of color options, with entirely new hues available on both devices, as well as some popular classics. The 12 and 12 Pro have different color choices, so if you have your heart set on a particular shade, you might not be able to get your preferred model in that color.
iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone…
YouTube is planning to stop supporting its YouTube app on the third-generation Apple TV models, where YouTube has long been available as a channel option.
A 9to5Mac reader received a message about the upcoming app discontinuation, which is set to take place in March.Starting early March, the YouTube app will no longer be available on Apple TV (3rd generation). You can still watch YouTube on…
Apple has teamed up with Maroon 5 to add the group’s new song “Memories” to the Memories feature in the Photos app, allowing it to be used for photo slide show creations, reports Billboard.
“Memories” will be available as a soundtrack option for a limited time and it is available to iPhone and iPad users running the latest iOS 13 and iPadOS software.
Memories in the Photos app are created …
Serif today announced across-the-board updates for its popular suite of Affinity creative apps, including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and the Apple award-winning Affinity Publisher for Mac, all of which were among the first professional creative suites to be optimized for Apple’s new M1 chip.
“After another year which saw record numbers of people switching to Affinity, it’s exciting to…
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller sat down with tech journalist Steven Levy for a wide-ranging interview about the smartphone’s past, present, and future.
The report first reflects upon the iPhone’s lack of support for third-party apps in its first year. The argument inside Apple was split between whether the iPhone should be a closed…
The finish line is in sight! Apple’s annual iPhone event is likely just a week or so away and all eyes will be on the company as it unveils the next version of its most popular product line. With any luck, we’ll also see the next-generation Apple Watch and perhaps even some new AirPods.
Other news this week saw Apple making some more changes to its App Store policies in response to a…
August is rapidly drawing to close, which means Apple’s annual iPhone launch event is right around the corner. iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 rumors are continuing to circulate, and we’re also hearing about Mac updates likely coming a bit later.
Apple is also finishing up work on its upcoming software updates like iOS 15, with some late-addition features starting to go live in beta while …
The iPhone 13 is widely expected to come with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities, and while it may seem rather nuanced to the average consumer, with only improved speeds and being “up to date” in the realm of Wi-Fi technology, it’s actually a fairly significant improvement, laying the groundwork for much of what we know the future holds.
To truly understand Wi-Fi 6E, MacRumors sat down for an exclusive…
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Consumer brands continue expansion into urban Chinese markets
A total of 22 companies tracked by research firm Kantar Worldpanel have acquired Chinese consumer bases in excess of 100 million urban households, according to the company's latest report.
Specifically, YST Group, Haday and the Coca-Cola Company recorded the fastest gains in consumers during the one-year period ending in early October.
China Resources also entered Kantar's ranking for the first time, thanks to the strength of brands such as Snow and C’estbon, and its takeover of Jiangzhong Pharmaceutical Group.
The ranking is based on tracking household consumption behavior across more than 100 product categories in 20 provinces and four municipalities.
“Amid economic uncertainty, big FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies continue to launch new products to win consumers who are more in favor of brands that promise to improve their health and lifestyle,” said Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China.
Yu suggests there is still room for existing brands to acquire shoppers by extending into relevant categories or through acquisitions.
However, product innovation is difficult as consumers become more sophisticated thanks to a vast array of brands to choose from. Many leading players successfully grew their user bases either by launching more premium products to attract young middle-class shoppers or by expanding into new territories.
YST Group, for example, has expanded beyond its Nongfu Spring bottled-water brand to add vitamin water and even masks and facial moisturizers to capitalize on the booming beauty sector.
Online channels are also indispensable to retain consumer. Market leaders such as P&G, Yili and Mengniu are all enjoying strong shopper growth through online sales as they try to make their products more accessible to Chinese consumers.


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Meating the Demand
Popularity of Barbecue Rising Like Sweet Smoke in the Upper Valley
Tim Schloss, pitmaster at the Route 4 Country Store in Quechee, checks a batch of pork loins, pork shoulder, pork sirloin and pastrami. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Purchase photo reprints »
Kam McIntyre, of Singleton’s Market in Quechee, fills the kettle in the smokehouse with corn cobs to smoke cheese and Canadian bacon. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Purchase photo reprints »
At the Route 4 Country Store in Quechee, owner Margie Battaglia weighs baby back ribs with Steve Schulz, who is a consultant at the store and does the seasonings for the barbecue. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Purchase photo reprints »
Ham from Singleton’s Market in Quechee. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Purchase photo reprints »
Quechee — A New England tradition that died out around 1800 has come back in Upper Valley as some area businesses tap into the popularity of slow cooked and smoked meats that has been making a resurgence across the country during the last decade.
Ten years ago, there were few places in either Vermont or New Hampshire that produced high-quality smoked meats. Locating a restaurant — or even a shack — selling a pulled pork sandwich that didn’t come out of a can required a long road trip.
Now, this part of the Twin States has at least four retail smoke houses, four restaurants and a couple of stands selling barbecue prepared after long hours of slow cooking over low, smoky hardwood fires.
And the demand is growing, business owners say.
In the last few months, the rich mingled smells of wood smoke and slow melting fat have become familiar lures for customers passing two businesses only a few miles apart on U.S. Route 4 in Quechee. And because popularity of its barbecue, a restaurant in Fairlee is making its national award-winning ribs, brisket and pulled pork, which had only been served once a month, regular weekly items on the menu.
“It’s definitely a big part of our business,” said Margie Battaglia, the owner of Route 4 Country Store in Quechee, who added a large barbecue cooker that sits prominently in front of the store, wafting maple smoke and the aroma of slow-cooking pork and beef into the air.
“It was my husband Tony’s dream,” she said. Tony Battaglia died at the end of February after suffering a stroke.
“We put quite a lot of money into replacing the smaller cooker we had,” said Margie Battaglia, adding that sales of pulled pork, brisket and ribs have been very strong, thanks to the help of pitmaster Tim Schloss and other volunteering friends. “We’re keeping Tony’s dream alive.”
Schloss, who worked as cook during his 30 years in the South and gained an understanding of barbecue, uses Tony’s recipes to cook the pork and beef over a slow maple wood fire. “It takes 10 or 12 hours, and it smells great,” he said.
Down the road a couple of miles, Tom Singleton recently opened a northern branch of his family’s market that has been an institution in Proctorsville, Vt., for more than 40 years. The store features bacon, ham, poultry, sausage and other meats prepared in the new smokehouse built out by the front parking lot.
“My father started smoking meats in 1946 in Reading, and then when he opened the store in Proctorsville, he just kept on doing it,” Tom Singleton said.
“It’s a large part of our business. We probably smoke and sell 500 pounds of bacon a week, and a lot of pepperoni, ham and pork chops,” he said.
The wooden siding of the smokehouse is decorated with deer antlers, given by customers, making it look like a rustic Vermont sugar shack, particularly when the smoke comes through the vents on the top. “We didn’t shoot all those deer. People just drop them off, and we put them up,” Singleton said last week during a tour of the building.
To smoke the meat, cheese and salmon that the store sells takes a couple of days. “You have to make sure that it’s not too hot. You don’t want it to cook, but just be hot enough to start rendering the fat and get the smoke flavor. We have to keep an eye on it,” he said. “People really seem to like it, and nobody else is doing (cold smoking) anywhere close to here along Route 4.”
In Fairlee, demand has been so great for the monthly barbecue prepared by the national award-winning Bare Bones BBQ team that the Whistlestop Cafe is going to serve the beef brisket, pork, ribs and smoked duck every Saturday, co-owner Crystal Johnson said last week.
“We don’t offer it until after 2 p.m. when we do it once a month, and I know every time that I’m going to be sold out by 3 p.m. The demand has really (grown). It’s not like it used to be. It’s fantastic now,” she said.
The weekly schedule also will be good for the Bare Bones team as it prepares to compete in a few weeks at one of the top national barbecue competitions in Memphis in May, Johnson said. “It’ll be good for us to get that extra practice.”
The owners of Big Fatty’s BBQ, with restaurants in Hartford and Burlington and Maple Street Catering in Wilder, are looking at possibilities for expanding because of the high demand, said General Manager Brandon Fox.
“Our sales have been constantly expanding, and catering is a big part of it. There a lot more places (in Vermont and the Upper Valley) now serving barbecue, but it really hasn’t affected our growth,” he said. Big Fatty’s was one of the first area restaurants to tap into the growing popularity of barbecue.
The word barbecue, which comes from the Taino people of the Caribbean, began showing up in New England diaries and journals as early as 1733, when a writer talked about going to a barbecue, said Robert F. Moss, a Mount Pleasant, S.C., resident and author of Barbecue: The History of an American Institution.
“There was really a long tradition with colonial Yankee barbecue. New England had more of a barbecue tradition then than the South. There are a lot of references to barbecue and going to a barbecue. There was even a newspaper ad in 1769 for a restaurant offering barbecue — turtle and pig. It was definitely popular through the American Revolution. I’m not sure how long it lasted, but around 1800, it seems to disappear.
“I think there were a couple of places in Boston, but really from 1800 to some time in the 1990s, there wasn’t much barbecue in New England,” Moss said, during a telephone interview last week.
In the South, barbecue remained strong and little shacks and restaurants were common throughout the region. However, barbecue, like blues music, died out nationwide during the 1970s with the rise of fast food places siphoning off the customer base. “They just couldn’t compete,” Moss said.
Since about 1990, the slow-cooked fare has made a resurgence in the South and during the last 10 years or so, barbecue and smoked meats have been rapidly gaining popularity in places not traditionally known for the food like the Upper Midwest, New England and Canada, spurred on by the growth of barbecue cooking contests and shows on the Food Network, he said.
There is a growing demand for high-quality, specialty cured meats in Vermont that could be expanded to markets in the rest of country, according to a recent study conducted for The Vermont Farm Viability Program, which is part of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
“There’s definitely a lot of farmers and others in the state experimenting and producing cured meats for regional and national markets. The study showed with the right, high-quality products there is a demand,” said Liz Gibson of the Farm Viability Program.
The study confirmed what Green Mountain Smokehouse in Windsor and North Country Smokehouse in Claremont, both U.S. Department of Agriculture certified facilities, have been finding out over the past few years. Both have seen a large increases in sales.
“We’ve put on additions to our building every year for the last six years to keep up with the sales,” said North Country owner Mike Satzow, noting that he has a customer base of chefs throughout the country who buy the company’s specialty products and cottage-cut smoked bacon.
“We have 30 employees, and we’re hiring now. Our business has been very strong,” he said.
At the Route 4 Country Store in Quechee, the business struggled along with the rest of the country during the last few years of the economic downturn, Margie Battaglia said.
“My husband believed this new barbecue cooker would turn things around and save the business. And it’s really bringing the people in. It’s definitely helping. It’s a big part of our income,” she said.
Warren Johnston can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 603-727-3216.


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Mergers and Acquisitions in the Pet Care Industry in 2013
The pet care industry is highly concentrated, with the top five companies accounting for nearly 50 percent of all sales globally. 2013 was a big year for shakeups in the industry with Del Monte’s purchase of the premium holistic brand Natural Balance and Affinity’s purchase of Mogiana Alimentos. These aggressive moves mean consumers can expect more innovation across the industry.
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israeli nbc m15 gas mask.1 filter& 1 drinking tube new this is the same gas mask and filter officially issued to special forces and standard combat soldiers of the israeli defense forces(idf) during war nuclear. biological and/or chemical attack, or the threat of it.N100 Respirators, Respirator Mask SetonRespirators giving 100 percent filtering efficiency for non-oil-based air particulates . N100 respirators are designed to keep people from inhaling non-oil-based particulates. As per federal standards, these dust masks can prevent 100% of particulates from being inhaled when properly worn. Best used for sanding, grinding, mineral processing and similar activities, they can effectively block paper filter mask israel
Jan 28, 2020The first 20,000 Bio-Block masks are in production in Argamans Jerusalem facility and will retail for about $50. They will be available in about two months. An store will be opened once the masks and other protective products are ready, says Gabbay. Meanwhile, inquiries about orders can be sent to [email protected]Paint Respirators & Masks - Paint Protective Wear - The paper filter mask israelThe protective mask is made of non-woven fabric The protective mask is made of non-woven fabric layers and melt-blown filter material which can resist 85% of non-oily particles, dust, pollen, smog and other pollutants. With adjustable nosepiece for proper fit and easy to breathe through. The extra-soft ear loops eliminate pressure to the ears. 4-hours one time use is suggested.
Apr 08, 2020Although new CDC instructions for making DIY face masks include incorporating a coffee filter, board-certified internist Nate Favini said that coffee filters, paper towels and tissues (even in layers) arent very effective at filtering out microscopic particles. And they cant be washed.The ClearMask ClearMaskThe transparency and comfort from the ClearMask provides natural, empathetic communication and eliminates barriers caused by traditional masks. Wear the ClearMask without hiding your face. The ClearMask is the first fully transparent, FDA-cleared, class II surgical clear mask with full-face visibility.
Schempf sent Kennedy every material she had seen discussed on the internet as being potentially useful as a mask, from blue shop towels and bandanas to paper towels and vacuum cleaner filters.What kind of filter should you put in a face mask?According to a video explainer from Missouri S&T, you can cut a piece of the filter material, and fold it into your existing, homemade mask. Many masks available for purchase online also come with paper filter mask israel


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Since Washington and Colorado first legalized marijuana in the United States in 2012, 14 more states and Washington, D.C. have followed suit for recreational use, and another 33 have approved marijuana for medical purposes. The economic impact of the marijuana business could generate $130 billion, annually, into the U.S. by 2024. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of money to be made in cannabis.
CBD in CPG
One area where cannabis is becoming increasingly popular, and often lucrative, is within the CPG industry—with big brands getting in on the action. Constellation Brands, the beer, wine, and spirits producer, has a nearly 40% stake in the Canopy Growth Corporation, which just started distributing their CBD-infused sparkling water, Quatreau, to U.S. retailers. Even Marth Stewart is on the action, with Martha Stewart CBD launching a retail partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe. And you can now find CBD products in stores like Kroger Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, and even Urban Outfitters.
CBD is the concentrated liquid extract of a hemp or marijuana plant, and does not contain THC—meaning it doesn’t produce the high, or psychoactive effects, of THC. It is also legal in all 50 U.S. states. Because CBD oil is said to help reduce swelling, pain and inflammation, and can help with stress and anxiety, it’s often looked to as a healing ingredient, which is why it’s becoming so popular among health and wellness brands.
Effects at the shelf
Because we’re still in early stages when it comes to legalized marijuana, CBD oil benefits and the mass-market industry, we’re not seeing many CPG products in local grocery stores just yet. But with the way the industry is moving, and as brands big and small start to look into the market of cannabis and CBD products, it’s worth being prepared for whatever impact those products will have on category management and retail merchandising.
What do we mean by being prepared? Think about the logistics of introducing products like this to shoppers. What message does the product convey to customers? What category will these products live in? In such a highly-regulated category, understanding packaging logistics and how to properly and effectively display nutritional information and ingredients will be essential. Like the explosion of organic and natural foods and products in recent years, the same trend could happen with cannabis and CBD oil products, and it’s important to understand how those items will look and resonate on the shelf.
Testing these items first, before they are even prototyped in the real-world, can give brands a leg up when it comes to solving these new-product issues. Using virtual simulations, brand and retail teams can visualize these products on the shelf, and test different scenarios, category arrangements and shelf options to get a feel for how they will live in a store. So if Coke wants to launch a new wellness beverage infused with CBD, should that product live within the soda aisle, or should it live within the natural foods and wellness aisle? Perhaps both? These are the types of things that can be decided before ever creating the product physically.
As the movement toward legalized marijuana continues, brands will continue to consider and experiment with cannabis and CBD products. It follows, then, that they leverage solutions that can help them make fast, sound, in-store decisions that will allow them to stay ahead of the game when it comes to launching these types of products to market.


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“The nubia Z20 will be the second smartphone in the world to have support for 8k video recording”
The nubia Z20 is next in line in the Chinese brand’s smartphone lineup, slated to go official in China on August 8th. Nubia Z20, according to the brand itself, will set a new benchmark in the premium smartphone segment with exclusive features including a ‘flexible’ display, 8K video recording capabilities, and other flagship hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10, the South Korean giant’s offering in the Note series, is scheduled to launch on August 7th, just a day before the nubia handset. Can the nubia Z20 steal the Note 10’s thunder? While only time will tell that, details of both phones are already out helping us paint a clearer picture.
At the Global Mobile Internet Conference summit recently, nubia president Ni Fei announced that the nubia Z20 will sport a ‘flexible’ display. Not to be confused with a ‘foldable’ or ‘bendable’ screen, this means that the entire display panel will curve around the edges in order to provide a truly immersive experience.
Fei also went on to say that the ZTE nubia Z20 will, in fact, be the second smartphone in the world — after the nubia Red Magic 3 (review) — to support video recording in up to 8K resolution. While the Red Magic 3 caps 8K video recording at just 15fps, it remains to be seen whether nubia will enhance the feature in its forthcoming flagship.
On a related note, the nubia Z20 is also being rumoured to sport 20X hybrid (digital + optical) zoom in the rear telephoto lens. This first came to light when President Ni Fei shared two live images on Chinese social media, apparently taken on the nubia Z20 showing off its zoom prowess. While there’s no way to confirm the presence of 20X hybrid zoom on the Z20, ZTE’s Axon 10 5G having the same feature does substantiate this fact.
Other than that, there’s no doubt that nubia Z20 sports top-of-the-line internals. It will likely be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC, or at least the Snapdragon 855, coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It is also rumoured to get next-gen 5G connectivity support.
As mentioned above, nubia’s Z20 launch coincides with the launch of Samsung’s big-ticket Galaxy Note 10, which is happening in New York just a day before. The Note 10 has been leaked almost in its entirety. It will feature an almost bezel-less design with a small punch-hole on top for holding the selfie camera. It will also boast flagship features, including the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB storage. However, it appears to be just a evolutionary upgrade that lacks the ‘wow’ factor… if these rumours are to be believed. And that’s exactly where the nubia Z20 could shine with its unique features.
The nubia Z20 could also prove to be a blockbuster deal, over the Galaxy Note 10, if it’s priced in the upper mid-range, considering the pricing of its predecessors. Having said that, both the nubia Z20 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will pack a punch, and we shall have to wait to see whether the nubia Z20 can turn out to be the dark horse or not.


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In 2020 there is one thing that has gone viral, and that’s a virus. The COVID-19 coronavirus has become global public enemy number one, with online searches going through the roof. 4.2 million searches for the term ‘coronavirus update’ were made in April 2020 alone.
With these surge in searches, comes a surge in businesses targeting Cornavirus themed search terms (ahem, yes, this article included). And, of course, wherever there is muck there is gold for prospectors willing to get their hands dirty.
In terms of COVID-19 themed digital threats, the curve has not yet been flattened but continues to grow. We’ve been keeping an eye on the Coronavirus click fraud trends, so far.
Coronavirus Malware fraud
Researchers at CheckPoint have recently found that there are at least 16 malicious apps for Android devices targeting the Coronavirus crisis. Many of these aim to offer assistance (such as contact tracing) in the chaos of the pandemic, but are mostly platforms for fraud. As the team point out, “Fraudsters are exploting people’s concerns to spread mobile malware which claims to offer coronavirus related information and help to users.”
These apps are loaded with malware which is used for anything from click fraud and ad fraud, to ransomware or phishing attacks. It’s also interesting to note that there hasn’t been a significant upswing in the amount of fraud during the COVID-19 outbreak, but that the fraudsters have pivoted towards using these terms to focus their efforts.
The CheckPoint team point out that, “… (Recently) more than 30,000 new coronavirus domain names have been registered, of which 0.4% (131) were malicious and 9% (2,777) are suspicious and under investigation.” It’s now thought that new coronavirus related domain names stand at over 50,000.
It’s worth pointing out that the actual apps are not currently available on the Google app store, but are in fact downloaded directly from these suspicious websites. Usually in the form of downloadable app packages with the .apk file extension. These sideloaded apps usually include one of these malware files which fraudsters can then use as intended.
What does this mean for marketers?
The advertising platforms such as Google are aware of the risk from these Coronavirus themed apps and are monitoring them in their app stores.
One of the high risk malware trojans is Hiddad, which is short for hidden ad. This malware is currently being used in an Arabic language coronavirus app, but could be adapted to other software at any time. In fact, Hiddad has been around since at least 2017.
With the huge volume of searches for ‘coronavirus’ online, it’s advised that marketers are careful with their PPC targeting. Use negative keywords when possible and try to optimise your ad targeting with long tail keywords, specific geo-tagging and excluding locations.
If you are using coronavirus or COVID keywords in your PPC ads, keep a close eye on your IP addresses and any suspect activity such as surges in traffic or high bounce rates.
Click fraud traffic during lockdown
From our own data here at ClickCease, we’ve noticed that internet traffic is up generally, with the corresponding clicks on ads surging too. In the 30 days up until 12th May 2020, online traffic was up 26.5% compared to the previous 30 days.
The rate of fraud, overall, hovers around 14% but is still particularly high for some specific industries.
As usual, we found the industries most affected by click fraud have been the on-demand services .
Fraud traffic by industry April-May 2020
|On demand services (locksmiths,plumbers)
Legal services do normally see a higher level of click fraud, so this industry is actually seeing a relative dip in fraud.
The countries most targeted for click fraud in April – May 2020:
All of the data above comes from ClickCease clients in countries where we have 20 or more clients. This allows us to give an accurate overview of fraudulent traffic by industry and territory.
Of course, we have seen that tourism and hospitality has taken a hit, but in the form of PPC cancellations. Most travel focused businesses have put the brakes on their digital marketing for the time being.
The cure for coronavirus click fraud?
Although every effort is being made to find a cure, it seems that the threat continues to grow. And just when we think we might have a handle on it, the figures jump up again…
Yes, click fraud isn’t going anywhere soon, so keeping an eye on your ads traffic is still a necessity.
ClickCease is one of the best tools to monitor and defend against click fraud on your Google or Bing Ads. In fact, as the top-rated anti-click fraud software available online, ClickCease is the best tool to make sure your marketing efforts aren’t struck down by COVID-19-related click fraud.
Check out the free trial of our industry-leading click fraud defense software to see for yourself.


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Apple is set to release both an iPad Mini and a new computer, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, next week at a big media event.
New reports suggest pricing will start at $1,699. Its larger version, which is already on the market, retails for $2,199.
Someone who appears to have his or her hands on the new 13-inch computer posted pictures on a Chinese website, WeiPhone.com. The pictures showed the battery layout of the 13-In Retina MacBook Pro, as well as all the ports on the sides of the computer. The ports included in the new model are MagSafe 2, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, two USBs, SD card, HDMI.
MacRumors pulled a few of the shots of the ports, up close. Here are what they look like:
Photo: WeiPhone via MacRumors
For more pictures of the new computer, head over to WeiPhone >
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Former FBI Director James Comey's book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, sold more than 600,000 copies in its first week of sales, according to its publisher. That's 400,000 copies more than Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury sold in its first week, but that doesn't mean Comey's book will become the next Trump-critical blockbuster: Fire and Fury has been on the New York Times bestseller lists for 15 weeks and has sold more than 2 million copies to date.
Comey's nonfiction book — published through Macmillan’s Flatiron Books in a reported $2 million deal — pre-sold nearly 200,000 copies before its release and consistently topped Amazon's hourly-updated bestseller list following its April 17 release in the U.S. and U.K., as well as topping lists from Nielsen BookScan and iBooks on its first week.
The Times' hardcover nonfiction list has seen an explicitly Trump-related book at the No. 1 position every week since the middle of January 2018, and the not-exactly-stable publishing industry isn't missing the opportunity to capitalize on the political climate. Random House inked a deal last week for #NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line, written by two survivors of the shooting in Parkland, Fl., David and Lauren Hogg, to be published June 5. Where does James Comey's book fall in the ranking of Trump-centric bestsellers?
Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury hit an early snag that definitely won't trip up Comey: Macmillan's initial print run consisted of 150,000 copies, a number far below demand as evidenced by the more than 2 million units that have been sold to date across all formats. This wasn't an oversight as much as an example of how difficult print sales can be to predict. Nevertheless, Macmillan took away its lesson — Trump exposés sell like hotcakes in 2018 — and have given A Higher Loyalty a 850,000-copy run, the largest Macmillan has printed so far this year. Given A Higher Loyalty pre-sales, it appears printing 850,000 copies was a smart move.
A few warning signs hint that Comey's book may simply be a success rather than a blockbuster. On Sunday April 15, George Stephanopoulos's much-touted ABC News interview with Comey averaged 9.8 million viewers: A strong showing, but lower than CBS's Academy of Country Music Awards' average of 12.1 million viewers that same evening, and well below Stormy Daniels' appearance on 60 Minutes, which drew an average of more than 22 million viewers. One attendant to a DC bookstore's midnight release event for A Higher Loyalty noted the smaller turnout, calling it a "different experience" in relation to the same store's release of Fire and Fury.
But the most meaningful metric that could prove whether Comey can compete with Wolff is how long A Higher Loyalty can stay on the bestseller lists, not whether it makes it there at all. Time magazine recently crunched the numbers, ranking The Times' nonfiction list of bestsellers since November 2016, and picking out every book "explicitly about Trump." They found that, since mid-January, every top best-seller has been about Trump: Fire and Fury topped the list in January and Michael Isikoff and David Corn's Russian Roulette beat it in March before losing its spot to Jennifer Palmieri's Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World.
So, is Comey's book objectively as popular as Wolff's take on the Trump administration? Not yet. Only the coming weeks will confirm whether A Higher Loyalty has the staying power to qualify as successor to Wolff's Fire and Fury, which has now passed its 15th week on The Times' hardcover nonfiction list.
One thing's for sure: Comey seems happy to feed the narrative that he's the underdog in the publishing industry's 2018-era Trump bump. "I don't crave to be known," he said during a Thursday interview for The New Yorker Radio Hour, adding that he'd be more comfortable "not doing something like this."


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Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Agito, a free-to-play mobile RPG release last year in Japan, will be making its way to Windows X, er, 10 sometime later this year. The game is somewhat of a prologue to Final Fantasy Type-0. The player takes control of a student in a military academia in the same world as Type-0, some of whose characters will cross paths with the protagonist. A port of the game has also been in development for the Playstation Vita for at least a year.
Mobius Final Fantasy, until recently called "Mevius," is set to release in Japan on June 4th for Android and iOS devices. The free-to-play RPG, which we last reported on in March
, features a plot that involves becoming the Warrior of Light. Against Chaos. In a world with which the protagonist has no familiarity, where a princess awaits the arrival of the prophesied Warrior, and where a knight named Garland and a fairy named Echo offer aid and advice along the way. Alright, while Square Enix doesn't appear to be pulling any muscles with the plot setup, the game does boast an expansive world map and a touchscreen-interactive battle system. Still no word on a Western release, but with the effort their putting into this one (see our previous newspost), I would expect an import.
Finally, Tomoya Asano, the director for the Bravely Default series, has released a few new comments on the future of the franchise. Ideas for a third title do exist, Asano said, but the development team is debating whether the next title should take the form of a sequel or something "completely new." That doesn't give us much to go by, but Asano did say somewhat reassuringly that, in addition to their interest in trying out some new things, the team is carefully considering fan feedback from previous releases. Asano reiterated that above all, the team is currently concerned with the Western version of Bravely Second.
Incidentally, this is the first time anyone connected with Bravely has spoken of a Western release. So with that, it looks like we will indeed be getting it!


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Comcast Expects Disney to Buy Final 33% of Hulu in 2024, but What if the Deal Doesn’t Happen?
In the minds of many customers, Hulu being a Disney property is already an established fact. After all, when Disney announced it was raising prices for its various streaming platforms, Hulu was included. That must mean that Disney owns Hulu outright, doesn’t it?
Well, not exactly. Comcast still owns a 33% stake in Hulu after Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019 brought the House of Mouse’s ownership stake in Hulu to 66%. Because of a deal with Comcast, Disney will have the option to buy the remaining third of the streamer from Comcast as early as January 2024.
According to reporting from CNBC, Comcast expects Disney will follow through on that option, but the price is only rising. The COVID-19 pandemic boosted the value of Hulu, and many are wondering if Disney is really willing to write the huge check it will have to if it wants to acquire the rest of streamer.
“I think if Disney could roll back the clock today, I’m not so sure they would enter into that deal,” said Neil Begley, an analyst for Moody’s Investors Services. “Disney has this huge bill to pay in 2024 at a time when they’re already investing a lot of money into Disney+.”
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts probably wouldn’t mind if Disney decided not to buy Hulu though. Roberts has been a big believer in Hulu historically, dating as far back as when he broke off talks with DIRECTV regarding a possible acquisition in 2013. Roberts was blocked from buying all of Hulu in 2019 when Fox was acquired by Disney, leading to the 66-33 split of the streaming platform, but some investors are wondering if Roberts might try to buy Hulu again if Disney balks at the price for the 33% that it doesn’t already own.
Activist investor Dan Loeb, on the other hand, is enthusiastically in favor of Disney acquiring the rest of Hulu. In a letter to CEO Bob Chapek, Loeb wrote, “It would even be prudent for Disney to pay a modest premium to accelerate the integration. We know this is a priority for (Disney) and hope there is a deal to be had before Comcast is contractually obligated to do so in about 18 months … We believe that integrating Hulu directly into the Disney+ DTC platform will provide significant cost and revenue synergies, ultimately reigniting growth in the domestic market.”
Comcast is moving ahead as if Disney will indeed be purchasing the rest of Hulu; the company is moving a all of the next-day streaming rights for NBCU shows from Hulu to its own fully owned and operated streamer Peacock by this fall. So, while Disney will have the right of first refusal, if the company decides to turn down the opportunity to purchase the final third of Hulu and focus on Disney+, expect Comcast to pounce fairly quickly.
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale.
It offers a good selection of current TV shows and its ad-supported tier is cheaper than both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. You will be able to watch most shows from networks like ABC and Fox, and cable channels like FXX, FXM, HGTV, and more.
The service has a Limited Commercials plan for $7.99 a month, or you can upgrade to their No Ads plan for $14.99 a month. For $69.99 a month, you can get Hulu Live TV from major cable channels, live locals and regional sports networks.


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Irvine, California-based OSI Creative, a designer of custom packaging, point-of-purchase and point-of-sale displays and promotional items, announces that it is purchasing the assets of Long Island, New York-based New Dimensions Research Corp., a full-service designer and manufacturer of dynamic displays and merchandising for leading consumer brands. The transaction is expected to close in February 2019.
According to its new soon-to-be owners, NDR has been creating award-winning displays and point-of-purchase programs for the world’s top brands for more than 60 years. The company has received more than 150 awards for its unique designs and quality displays.
“The agreement with NDR is a significant milestone in our growth strategy that will increase our presence in the strategic East Coast market,” says Joe Baksha, OSI Creative’s president and CEO. “Building a strong geographic presence is critical in developing mutually-rewarding customer relationships and fostering in-person collaboration in designing and executing retail branding programs that drive consumer interaction and product sales. Key employees of NDR will remain with the organization.”
Baksha said the agreement will not only enable OSI to provide its service to current and potential new customers of both companies, but will also expand its purchasing power with supplier and manufacturing partners.