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Gen Con and Mayfair Games Extend Co-Sponsorship through 2017
Gen Con LLC has formalized an agreement with Mayfair Games, an award-winning game company, securing their Co-Sponsorship of Gen Con’s yearly convention through 2017. Mayfair, perhaps best known as publisher of Settlers of Catan has co-sponsored Gen Con each year since 2011.
Adrian Swartout, CEO of Gen Con LLC in a release said:
Whether teaming with our charity partners, running record-breaking events, or delivering a world-class Exhibit Hall experience, Mayfair Games has taken every opportunity to amplify the excitement of Gen Con. Given their amazing performance as Co-Sponsors during the prior three years, we know that they will be an integral part in our ramp up to Gen Con 50, taking place in 2017.
In 2013, Mayfair further increased their growing collaboration with Gen Con, holding a series of high profile on-site events and expanding their Exhibit Hall presence. Mayfair’s Warp Speed Tournament, a charity event benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, featured players participating in Star Trek Catan culminating in a showdown with geek icon and celebrated Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Wil Wheaton. In addition, Mayfair set an Official Guinness World Record for most players in a single Settlers of Catan game, netting 922 players in total.
Mayfair and Gen Con hope to create more new destination programming in 2014, expanding gaming and events opportunities for attendees.


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STOCKS to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Thursday:
AGO - ATLAS IRON - down one cent, or 0.96 per cent, at $10.35
Atlas Iron says it's going through a good patch thanks to buoyant iron ore prices and a record boost in production.
BLD - BORAL - up 28 cents, or 5.89 per cent, at $5.03
Australian building products maker Boral will enter into a partnership with a US firm to create a $US1.6 billion ($A1.68 billion) plasterboard and ceilings joint venture.
FMG - FORTESCUE METALS GROUP - down 16 cents, or 2.96 per cent, at $5.24
Fortescue Metals Group's quarterly iron ore shipments have grown by four per cent from the previous quarter, slightly less than expected.
NCM - NEWCREST MINING - down six cents, or 0.59 per cent, at $10.14
Newcrest Mining has beaten expectations to produce 586,573 ounces of gold during the September quarter.
TEN - TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS - down 0.5 cents, or 1.72 per cent, at 28.5 cents
Ten Network Holdings' full-year loss has blown out to $285 million amid one-off writedowns and falling revenues.
WPL - WOODSIDE PETROLEUM - down 52 cents, or 1.35 per cent, at $38.00
Woodside Petroleum is confident of reaching its 2013 production targets after posting a 9.5 per cent boost in quarterly production.
Originally published as Stocks to watch at close on Thursday

domain: news


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Meredith Corp. has made another change.
The publisher is shuttering the almost 90-year-old Family Circle magazine, with the last issue of the monthly publication that has a circulation of 4 million being the December 2019 issue.
The closure of the home magazine, which Meredith acquired in 2005 as part of its purchase of Gruner + Jahr USA, will result in job losses for 25 staffers at the magazine, while it also announced another 45 positions will be cut company-wide.
A Meredith spokesman stressed, though, that a recently announced $50 million investment in digital, video and e-commerce is creating more than 200 jobs.
As for Family Circle’s management team, some will be moved to other Meredith magazines. Its executive editor Rory Evans will take up the same role at Real Simple, while editor in chief Cheryl Brown will become executive editor of Health and Brendan Smyth, its publisher, will do the same job at Health.
Closing Family Circle is just one of a number of moves Meredith has made since it acquired the Time Inc. portfolio of media brands in January 2018, making it the largest magazine publisher in the U.S.
This included off-loading former Time Inc. brands Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Time. The only former Time Inc. brands Meredith still has are People, InStyle, Travel + Leisure, Entertainment Weekly and Real Simple. It also owns Better Homes & Gardens, Magnolia Journal, Martha Stewart Living and Southern Living.
“Our portfolio philosophy continues to emphasize investing in brands that are market leaders and/or possess the highest growth potential. Sometimes, that means making hard decisions,” said Doug Olson, president of Meredith Magazines, explaining his decision to shutter the magazine.
“Fortunately, we have been able to find new roles for some of the Family Circle team, and I would like to thank the entire group for its hard work and wish those employees affected the best in future endeavors.”
Read more here:


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Apple shares closed higher in the US Thursday, but are lower pre-market as its fourth quarter earnings showed it sold fewer iPhones in the July-September period. The tech innovator also reported forecast beating earnings and revenues, amid a higher than expected average iPhone sale price.
Apple shares ended the US Thursday trading session 1.54% higher at $222.22. However, the stock slid after the closing bell and is currently some 6.25% in the red.
Apple earnings details
After the US closing bell Thursday, Apple published its earnings results for the July-September period – its financial fourth quarter.
The tech giant said revenues for the period surged 20% from a year earlier to hit $62.9 billion. Meanwhile, profits, meanwhile, climbed 31% to $14.1 billion.
Apple also reported an average iPhone unit sale price of $793. That much higher than the $618 average unit sale price in the same quarter a year earlier and also above market expectations for a figure closer to $750.
While those figures were above expectations, the number of iPhones Tim Cook’s business sold, disappointed. Apple sold 46.89 million iPhones during its fiscal fourth quarter, below analysts’ forecasts for around 47.5 million.
And its this number that could push Apple’s share price to below the total $1 trillion valuation level it currently stands at.
Despite the potential downbeat reception to the earnings report, CEO Cook was positive.
“We’re thrilled to report another record-breaking quarter that caps a tremendous fiscal 2018, the year in which we shipped our 2 billionth iOS device, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the App Store and achieved the strongest revenue and earnings in Apple’s history,” Cook said.
“We concluded a record year with our best September quarter ever, growing double digits in every geographic segment,” Apple’s CFO, Luca Maestri added.
Following on from the broadly strong earnings results, in which Apple also recorded a 27% increase in its services revenue, the Cupertino-based tech firm also issued upbeat guidance for the final three months of 2018 – its first fiscal 2019 quarter.
Following the release of its new range of X version iPhones, apple expects:
- Revenues of $89-$93 billion.
- Gross margin between 38-38.5%.
- Operating expenses between $8.7-$8.8 billion.


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The ground beef subject to recall was produced at Packerland Packing's facility in Green Bay, US on 2 September, and was distributed to food stores in seven US states: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. No meat was exported.
Stores in the seven states have been asked to remove the product from their shelves. The ground beef was sold under the following brands and codes: Imperial Beef, Fine Ground, 81/19 G18148FR; PPC's Ground Beef, Fine Ground Sirloin, 95/5 G49548RO; and PPC's Ground Beef, Coarse Ground Sirloin, 95/5 G49540PP.
"Our company's paramount concern is for the safety of our customers, and we have been working closely with the USDA to ensure that the recall is completed successfully," said Steve Van Lannen, general manager for Packerland Packing.
Packerland initiated the recall after its internal testing indicated that the ground beef was possibly contaminated with E. coli. An internal records review at Packerland indicated the product was mistakenly shipped.
For the food industry however, E. coli has always been bad news. Beef industry leaders have met frequently to formulate actions plan in order to help make the beef supply chain as safe as possible.
Last year for example, more than 200 industry leaders, representing each link in the beef production chain, participated in a two-day working summit that was sponsored by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
This summit focused on identifying good manufacturing practices, interventions and research needs to reduce the incidents of E. coli O157:H7. Action steps were identified for each industry segment: cattle production, fabrication, processing, retail and foodservice.
The reason for such concern of course is the fact that the meat industry must fight to retain the fragile trust of the public. Following health scares associated with beef in both North America and Europe, the industry is now one of the most regulated in the world.
And meat companies are on high alert for any possible bacterial outbreak or health scandal. The industry has taken a battering in recent years - following reports of a possible link between BSE and new variant CJD in 1996, UK sales of beef products declined immediately by 40 per cent, and in April 1996 household consumption was 26 per cent below the level seen in the previous year.
Export markets were completely lost. The price of beef cattle fell by over 25 per cent, and many abattoirs had to temporarily close down or put their workers on short time.


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Calls for Executive Firings Miss the Greater Economic Context
Football is a business. But it's time to stop treating business as football. Specifically, I'm referring to the "Fire the Coach" approach to management. We've seen a lot of that lately, especially in the global automobile industry where business has been miserable.
The latest target, or victim, depending on your viewpoint, is Katsuaki Watanabe, president of the hugely successful Toyota Motor. The rumor mill has Watanabe heading out of office because the hugely successful Toyota is no longer hugely successful. It is projected to lose nearly $1.7 billion in its fiscal year ending March 31. That would be Toyota's first operating loss in nearly 70 years.
Never mind that Watanabe has led Toyota since June 2005 -- taking the company to record sales and profits in 2007, the year Toyota toppled General Motors as the world's biggest car company in terms of global production and sales. The media have been beating drums for Watanabe to throw himself on his sword because Toyota will record a rare loss -- under his stewardship.
And because Toyota's governing board seems headed in that direction -- pushing Watanabe out in favor of someone who presumably will never ever lose sales or money -- some in the media are holding up Toyota as the standard of corporate responsibility and accountability.
Here's a snippet from a Dec. 29 column by James B. Treece, industry editor of Automotive News:
"Corporate Japan believes in CEO accountability, in contrast with the United States, where General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner still has his job."
GM, as we all know, has lost substantially more than $1.7 billion. In fact, it has lost $72.3 billion since 2004 under Wagoner's reign. By that measurement, applying Fire the Coach rules, Wagoner is 40 times more deserving of dismissal than Watanabe.
But here's arguing that all of that is sloppy logic and in many ways inherently unfair. Here's also suggesting that Fire the Coach management will solve nothing -- or remedy very little -- in an arena where game policy is athwart common sense, as it is and has been in a United States absent effective industrial and energy policies.
And here's the kicker: I'd venture that Toyota is facing its first operating loss because it played the game as aggressively as its domestic rivals in the United States.
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The United States based company - 3D Makery.com founded by Nigerian serial entrepreneur, Israel Ovirih has adding a new dimension to selfies in Nigeria, by launching the first of its kind 3D scanning and printing service the “ultimate selfie technology” in Nigeria and Africa. It can be of you, your spouse, child, or pet, anything that can be scanned inside the Shapify booth preserve the most memorable moments with the ultimate selfie.
The introduction of this service marks the first in Africa and one of the numerous few that are available globally.
3D Makery offers wider range of 3D printing services, its first viable minimum product - the 3D selfies or shapies
Speaking at the 3-day unveiling event at Ikeja City mall, Lagos, 3D Makery Nigeria Chairman and Founder, Israel Ovirih explained that the one of a kind destructive technology that will outshine every other technology availing youths employment through self dependence in Nigeria.
According to him, “3D technology is opening up a whole new world of possibilities and the reward of 3D printing technology is that the scan can be used to produce a full color figurine known as a ‘Shapie.’ So, rather than a half cocked snapshot you can have a 3D printed sculpture to either keep as your own or give as a gift”.
“The so-called “shapies” use 3D printing technology and designed to bring joy and happiness each time a person gazes upon the "Mini-Me".
“We’re thrilled bringing this advanced 3D tools and knowledgeable support team to help grow Nigeria’s technology business. We have had success and satisfaction with this technology and, upon experiencing the technology ourselves, knew it would be a benefit for Nigerians. We are confident customers will embrace this technology. While it’s still wonderful to have collections of photos, this 3D technology offers a new way to revisit a memory with a 3D portrait.” He said.
On the mechanics of the 3D Technology, the Chief Operating Officer, 3D Makery Nigeria, Damola Kolawole explained that the booth where all this magic happens contains four wide-view, high-resolution scanners that rotate around the person inside in order to capture them from all angles. The level of detail that can be captured by these scanners is such that it will even pick up things like a logo on a shirt or the jersey of your favorite sports team.
“The hundreds of images that are generated in this way are then automatically stitched together with special software and a 3D model is generated from that composite. After the digital model is created, the figurine can then be produced”. He concluded
The event recorded massive turnout with notable faces in Nigeria entertainment industry like former Mr. Nigeria Bryan Okwara, Sound Sultan, Ghanian Actress Juliet Ibrahim and many more having their pictures taken.
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Engine size matters...
So the Chancellor said he will reduce Vehicle Excise Duty for cars up to 1500cc. He also said it would be back dated to November 2000. Being the driver of a 1400cc I would like to claim my Vehicle Excise Duty back. There was no mention of how we do this. Any ideas? Claire Ridley
Howard Gross, chartered accountant at Gross, Klein & Company, says: The new lower Vehicle Excise Duty rate for cars between 1200cc and 1549cc will come into force on 1 July 2001 and the Chancellor will backdate this extension to November 2000 and send out rebates to eligible motorists in July 2001.
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Grand Junction’s Edgewater Brewery hosts beer celebration
WHAT: Western Colorado Craft Beer Celebration
WHEN: Saturday, March 28, 2-6 p.m.
WHERE: Edgewater Brewery, 905 Struthers Ave., Grand Junction
COST: $20 per person, open for ages 21 and older
Mix together a dozen western Colorado breweries, music and 400 participants and out pours the third annual Western Colorado Craft Beer Celebration. The event is held in conjunction with Colorado Craft Brew Week, which runs March 21-29.
Edgewater Brewery (905 Struthers Ave., Grand Junction) will host the brew-centric event on Saturday, March 28, from 2-6 p.m. Entrance costs $20 per person aged 21 and older. Tickets are available at the door on a first come, first served basis. Tickets will be capped at 400. Last year the event sold out.
Fees include unlimited tastes. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild. Local band Zolopht will play throughout the event as well. Last year, the event raised more than $2,000 for the guild and organizers hope to top those funds this year.
“[The craft brew scene] is a cool part of Colorado’s culture and it’s growing year after year,” said Katlin Birdsall, Kannah Creek Brewing Company spokeswoman. “The town of Grand Junction supports Colorado craft beer.”
Breweries expected to attend include Colorado Boy (Ridgway), Copper Club Brewing Company (Fruita), Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company, Ouray Brewing, Ourayle House, Palisade Brewing, Revolution Brewing (Paonia), Rockslide Brewery (Grand Junction), Suds Brothers Brewery (Fruita), Telluride Brewing and Two Rascals Brewing (Montrose).
WHAT TO EXPECT
According to Birdsall, Western Colorado Craft Beer Celebration attendees should come with a full stomach and an open mind. She suggests eating a big meal before the event and being willing to taste a variety beer styles, even if it’s out of one’s comfort zone.
“It’s a chance to talk to the people behind the breweries,” Birdsall added.
Kannah Creek will have two specialty beers on tap at the event. The first is the Flanders Brown with raspberries, which was a collaboration brew with Two Rascals Brewing in Montrose, Colo.
“Our brewers actually spent the night in their brewhouse during the brewing of this beer since it’s a two-day process,” Birdsall said.
The second beer will be the Simultaneous Black IPA, which was brewed by five Colorado breweries at the same time and same day at each respective brewery.
Rockslide Brewery’s head brewer, Zorba Proteau, plans to bring three full kegs to the event, including a pale ale, a stout and the Kokopelli Cream Ale.
And Nate Sitterud, head brewer at Sud’s Brothers Brewery, confirmed that he will feature two beers — a marzen lager and the WTF Lager, which he considers to be a Bavarian Helles beer.
“We like to support the local economy and keep the money local,” Sitterud said. “The quality is better that way.”
Edgewater Brewery will serve its full food menu throughout the event.
For more information, visit http://www.kannahcreekbrewingco.com.
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‘Me siento agradecido por ello:’ Voces Unidas, organización sin fines de lucro de Glenwood Springs, recibe a poeta laureado de Colorado
Bobby LeFebre llevaba un collar de grandes cuentas cilíndricas rojas sobre una chaqueta gris y aunque compartía su historia y sus poemas de forma virtual, los miembros de la audiencia podían sentir que sus palabras…


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Ever since Congress changed the rules of the U.S. Postal Service's game nearly a decade ago, USPS' rivals and some of its larger customers have raised concerns over whether it subsidizes fast-growing delivery products that compete in an open market with proceeds from flagging monopolies such as first-class mail that have been hammered by digital conversion. The debate has recently flared anew. This time, it surfaces at a critical juncture for USPS as well as for companies involved in postal commerce.
Over the past 45 days, several parties have asked the Postal Regulatory Commission, the agency that oversees USPS' operations, to take a deep dive into how the Postal Service accounts for costs across its product lines. The question, according to entities ranging from Atlanta-based UPS Inc. and Memphis-based FedEx Corp. to the Association for Postal Commerce, a group composed of large mailers, is whether USPS provides enough information about its costs to prove the quasigovernmental agency is covering each product's expenses from its corresponding revenue stream, or if it is, in effect, "robbing Peter to pay Paul." By law, USPS provides costing data in its annual compliance review, submitted to the postal commission.
For UPS and FedEx, which compete and collaborate with the Postal Service, the concern centers on whether USPS shifts funds from so-called "market dominant" products such as first-class mail to support the expansion of expedited delivery services like Priority Mail and Parcel Select. Both services allow businesses consolidating large parcel volumes to induct them deep into the postal system for final deliveries, mostly to residences. The services are labeled "competitive products" because they compete with private-sector companies, although Parcel Select has become a de facto monopoly because it levers USPS' unmatched delivery network (by law, it delivers to every U.S. address) and is priced at levels no other provider can touch. UPS and FedEx, for example, use Parcel Select to provide "last-mile" parcel deliveries to mostly residential areas that lack the customer density for either company to serve efficiently on their own.
The dispute has its roots in a 2006 law that gave the Post Office the flexibility to adjust pricing on competitive shipping products such as Express and Priority Mail. The law also simplified the process of changing rates on its monopoly mailing services by tying future increases to adjustments in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). At the same time, USPS was required to ensure that revenues from shipping services adequately covered its costs. The law was the most sweeping change at USPS since the 1971 reorganization that created the present-day postal organization. The 2006 law was also designed to create a level playing field in shipping services between USPS and its private rivals.
Over the years, as digital commerce fundamentally changed the world of mailing and shipping, USPS' shipping business has thrived even as its mailing revenue and volumes have fallen. In its 2014 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, USPS' "shipping and package services" volume grew by 300 million pieces, an 8.1-percent increase over the prior fiscal year. First-class mail volume, USPS' most profitable service line, declined 2.2 percent year-over-year. In its fiscal first quarter, shipping and package volume rose by 12.8 percent from the prior-year period, buoyed by a surge in holiday e-commerce traffic. First-class mail volumes fell by 1.1 percent. These trends are expected to continue for years to come, and even USPS executives see no reversal in the decline in mail volumes or revenues.LACK OF VISIBILITY?
At this point, the opacity of USPS' methodology and disclosures make it impossible to take a good look under the hood, according to the complaints. "We don't have the transparency to make a determination" on whether cross-subsidization is occurring, said Keith Kellison, UPS' vice president of global public affairs. "We know there are red flags," such as a recent USPS disclosure that only 55 percent of USPS costs are tied to specific products, Kellison added.
UPS and others contend that USPS applies costing methodologies from the 1970s to the different and dynamic business environment of today. At the very least, UPS wants the Postal Commission to conduct a thorough review of USPS' accounting practices, and a dedicated regulatory proceeding may be warranted to achieve that goal, Kellison said.
Gail Adams, a spokeswoman for the Postal Commission, declined comment on the status of the current proceeding. Adams noted that, by law, a test is required to ensure monopoly products don't cross-subsidize competitive products. In its most recent compliance report, USPS said the incremental costs of competitive products were $11.2 billion, while revenues were $15.3 billion. Because revenues exceeded incremental costs, there was no cross-subsidy based on USPS' numbers, she said.
In its filing, USPS furnished examples of how it adequately and publicly accounts for investments made to support the growth in its competitive product line.
USPS has its supporters. Jerry Hempstead, a longtime top parcel executive and today head of a consultancy that bears his name, said USPS has been "very disciplined about cost allocation by product for decades," and that it "goes out of its way to prevent any inference that a particular class (of) mail is not carrying its fair share." Hempstead surmised that the UPS and FedEx filings smack of sour grapes because USPS is a formidable competitor in the business-to-consumer segment that has come to dominate U.S. parcel shipping. He also wonders if the private carriers' actions are prompted by their displeasure over USPS raising parcel select rates by 9 percent, while keeping Priority Mail rates unchanged. The increases, which the commission approved in late February, take effect April 26.
Gordon Glazer, who was been involved in postal operations for more than 25 years and is today director of modal optimization strategies for consultancy Shipware LLC, said it's hypocritical for UPS and FedEx to complain about any alleged USPS accounting sleight of hand when they act in concert to raise rates, increase charges for add-on or "accessorial" services, move in concert to change pricing on ground parcels measuring less than 3 cubic feet, and jointly freeze out third-party parcel consultants who negotiate parcel rates on behalf of their clients.
"I think it is a lot easier for them to point the accusing finger at their competitor now more than ever, which is a validation in its own right of the true competition that (USPS) has morphed into," Glazer said.


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The breakfast cereal giant has updated its global policy to not condone, fund or conduct animal testing – something it has purportedly done for 65 years, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Kris Bahner, senior VP of Kellogg Global Corporate Affairs told BakeryandSnacks that the food manufacturer is largely a plant-based company.
“Approximately 95% of the ingredients in Kellogg foods have no animal products, and 99% of our foods are meatless,” he said.
“We recently added clarity around animal testing to an existing commitment to reflect practices that have been in place for several years.
“We had not included animal testing in the Animal Welfare Commitment prior as the frequency of testing is so rare, but understand reiterating our approach publicly is helpful to stakeholders.”
Unless explicitly required by law
According to the company’s Responsible Sourcing – Animal Welfare Commitment (updated December 2018), tests will be conducted by accredited third-party facilities if decreed by governmental agencies.
‘Only when governmental agencies explicitly require animal testing to demonstrate safety or quality are studies conducted by accredited third-party facilities that follow proper animal welfare guidelines,’ it reads, adding, ‘We do not maintain any testing facilities.
‘We support replacing animal testing with other validated methods to ensure the safety and quality of new food ingredients.’
PETA has applauded the Battle Creek-based company.
"All over the world, food processors are becoming aware of the fact that no marketing name can justify the gavage, poisoning, suffocation and slaughter of harmless rats in cruel and fatal experiments," Mathilde Dorbessan, business communications manager for PETA France told this site.
"PETA applauds the Kellogg Company's decision to turn to more effective research methods that do not exploit animals."
According to the animal rights organization, the Special K and Froot Loops maker had been testing on animals since the early 1950s.
An email from PETA France to BakeryandSnacks stated that, between 1995 to 2016, Kellogg led, funded or provided equipment for experiments on 1,213 rats and 60 hamsters.
It added PETA USA had first called on Kellogg to stop practicing and fund animal experimentation back in 2007.
In the following years, the company undertook to reduce and limit the scope of its tests on animals, requiring audits of all the experimental laboratories with which it worked, and eliminating animal experimentation in its own labs.
This new policy, finalized last week, prohibits the conduct, financing, support and endorsement of animal testing, PETA France told this site.
In 2016, Kellogg’s made a pledge to source 100% cage-free eggs in their largest markets by 2025.


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Card Act's Collateral Damage: Networks
The effects of the new credit card law are beginning to spill over from the issuers to payments networks like Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc.
In the latest example of an issuer cutting rewards in order to conserve profits, Citigroup Inc. is slashing some travel insurance benefits on its high-end credit cards. But while rewards programs are usually the province of card issuers, these insurance perks are required by the networks, to help distinguish their elite products.
Hence Citi's cutback risks denting the reputations of high-end network brands like Visa Signature and World MasterCard. The issuer will continue to provide the insurance, but at a level closer to the minimum required by the networks.
Visa and MasterCard "would like the shared benefits on these products to be as high as possible. Anything that's going to make my brand more premium is good, and this is going in the other direction," said Eric Grover, a former Visa executive and the principal of the consulting firm Intrepid Ventures.
High-end network brands "are intended to convey a level of benefits," he said, and now, "cardholder perception will be, 'Citi is doing it, but they're doing it on my Visa Signature.'"
Most major issuers have already cut their rewards programs as a result of the recession, deteriorating credit quality, and, especially this summer, in anticipation of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which President Obama signed in May.
That law, parts of which went into effect this month, has started squeezing issuers' profits. Many have reacted by raising interest rates and fees on existing cards; Citi said this month that it was adding annual fees to certain existing accounts.
Until now MasterCard and Visa, which do not issue cards, have been largely unaffected by the law. But Citi's new cutback shows that the networks' fortunes are intertwined with those of their issuer customers.
"The Credit Card Act has changed the economics of the industry and so therefore the type of offering, on everything from price to various services, including this one, is going to have to be re-rationalized," said Leigh Allen, a former Citi investment banker and the principal of the consulting firm Global Consumer Finance Advisory LLC.
Features like travel accident insurance have historically added "value to the relationship between the issuers and the card associations. Now one little chunk of it is going to fall by the wayside and maybe other pieces could follow," Allen said. "It's not a disaster in and of itself, but what else is going to happen as the industry reconfigures and re-rationalizes itself?"
Citi said last week that it is reducing the amount of "travel accident insurance" it offers on several elite cards, in some cases to a quarter of the former coverage levels, effective Oct. 1. It started informing cardholders of the change in July.
Such insurance is one of a handful of perks that networks require issuers to provide on high-end card brands, like World MasterCard and Visa Signature, as well as on cards that run on American Express Co.'s network. Other such perks include extended warranties on retail goods and car rental insurance.
Travel coverage on Citi's Platinum Select, Diamond, MasterCard World, Visa Signature, American Express and Professional cards is falling by 75%, from $1 million to $250,000. On its American Airlines AAdvantage World and Signature cards and its Amex Chairman card, coverage will be halved, to $500,000.
"In this difficult market environment Citi must make changes to its travel accident insurance coverage levels on certain Citi credit card products," Samuel Wang, a company spokesman, wrote in an email. "Based on our research the new coverage levels remain competitive with those in the industry."
Betty Riess, a spokeswoman for Bank of America Corp., said Friday that its coverage levels vary; on its Visa Signature products, travel accident insurance ranges from $250,000 to $1 million, and on its Amex-branded Accolades cards, the level is $1 million. She reported no recent changes in coverage.
A spokeswoman for Capital One Financial Corp. said by email, "We have not altered these benefits and have no plans to do so," but did not provide the amount of coverage it offers.
Discover Financial Services also reported no change in coverage. "Select consumer and business credit cardholders receive up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance and the issuer may choose to provide additional coverage through Discover Network."
JPMorgan Chase & Co. did not respond to queries.
Visa requires a minimum insurance level of $250,000 on its Signature cards; MasterCard requires a minimum level of $200,000 for its World brand, according to spokeswoman Joanne Trout. "In terms of brand impact, Citi's proposed change of $250,000 is still competitive in the marketplace and, therefore, we don't anticipate it will impact the World brand," Trout said.
But Jennifer Doidge, a Visa spokeswoman, sounded a different note: "Some enhancements are required to meet minimum levels; however, many issuers offer these benefits at a level above and beyond what's required, in order to provide their cardholders with an optimal experience."
Citi, of course, is MasterCard's largest issuer, and most of its portfolio is MasterCard branded, although it also issues cards on the Visa and Amex networks.
"Anything Citi does cutting back benefits has to be more worrisome to MasterCard, because they're more exposed," Grover said.
But for both MasterCard and Visa, which developed their World and Signature products in part to win some of Amex's traditional elite, high-spending business, any issuer pullback is cause for concern.
"These brands are trying to be competitive with Amex, and if we've got major issuers pulling back on benefits, that has an effect," Grover said.
An Amex spokeswoman said its network business "works in partnership with all of its issuers to construct products that meet the needs of our bank partners' customers," but would not provide specifics about its level of required travel coverage. Amex's cards business did not respond to queries.
Most observers agreed that the immediate impact on Visa and MasterCard was likely to be "mildly negative … but not overwhelming," in Grover's words.
Even though travel insurance is a network-guaranteed perk, most cardholders tend to blame their issuer, not their network, for cuts in rewards, according to Rick Ferguson, the editorial director of the loyalty marketing publication Colloquy, which is owned by Alliance Data Systems.
"Visa Signature is a nice brand in and of itself, but for the most part I think folks are still thinking of those cards as Citi cards," he said. The damage to the network brands is likely to be limited "if it's not a move made across the board by every Visa Signature issuer."
Nor are the networks likely to lose much fee revenue from the decision, according to Scott Strumello of Auriemma Consulting Group. "The issuer is obliged merely to supply those benefits. They don't have to get them through MasterCard, and if they can get a better deal on their own, many do," he said. The networks "certainly don't lose money on it, but it's certainly not a big revenue generator for MasterCard or Visa."


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Mercedes S-Class Cabrio officially unveiled
Billed as one of the "most beautiful and exclusive S-Class cars of all time," the model closely echoes the S-Class Coupe but it eschews the fixed roof for a retractable three-layer acoustic soft top which is available in black, dark blue, beige and...
Still Awaiting Diesel Fuel Economy
Ford Inside News
June 4, 2014
By: Austin Rutherford
The All-New Transit is about to make its North American debut at Ford dealers after production began last month. Ford had been keeping a tight lip on the utility van's fuel economy and power figures, but...
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with '600-plus horsepower' officially unveiled [w/video]
Dodge has officially unveiled the most powerful vehicle to ever wear the Challenger name – the SRT Hellcat – complete with over 600 horsepower courtesy of a supercharged, 6.2-liter Hemi V8. It will be...
Alan Mulally will Retire
Ford Inside News
May 1, 2014
By: Austin Rutherford
Ford has officially announced that its Board of Directors has decided to name current COO Mark Fields as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company, effective July 1, 2014. Current CEO Alan Mulally...
New VW Tiguan and Crafter Officially Coming in 2016 Along with All-New Porsche Panamera
Things are really moving over in camp Volkswagen, as the manufacturer keeps announcing all manner of future plans, from new factories to new models and markets. The latest session of reveals covers the...
2014 Hyundai Genesis officially revealed with four engines and AWD
After numerous spy photos and teasers, Hyundai has officially introduced the all-new Genesis.
Unveiled today in Seoul, Korea, the second generation of the Genesis benefits from the firm's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language...
DECEMBER 11, 2012
It’s been a long road with plenty of scoops of both camouflaged prototypes and unmarked cars captured during testing and photo shoots, but now the time has come for Skoda to release its third generation of the successful Octavia series, which is seen here in liftback...
By Steven J. Ewing
Posted Aug 24th 2012 1:30PM
The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport goes on sale this fall, packing a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, premium interior features and sporty (sort of) exterior design elements. And while Ford originally told us that the Sport would produce "at least 350...
VOLKSWAGEN AND PORSCHE FINALIZE CREATION OF INTEGRATED AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
Wolfsburg – The creation of the Integrated Automotive Group between Volkswagen and Porsche was finalized on August 1 as planned. “The path is now finally clear for a bright future together. Even closer...
All-New Lincoln MKZ Offers More Standard Features, Lower Price Than New Lexus ES 350
MKZ Hybrid, available at same price as base gasoline-powered model, projected to remain America’s most fuel-efficient premium midsize sedan
> The all-new Lincoln MKZ midsize premium sedan...
JULY 03, 2012
Some 22 years after the launch of the first Clio as a replacement to the '5' and more than 11.5 million cars sold in more than 115 countries around the world, Renault has now unveiled the fourth generation of its supermini ahead of its public premiere at the Paris Motor...
June 29, 2012
Mercedes has officially unveiled the CLS Shooting Brake.
Described as an "unprecedented version of a sports car with five seats and a large tailgate," the model has a sporty design which borrows a few cues from the 2010 Shooting Brake concept. Notable...
JUNE 07, 2012
About a year after the market launch of the MP4-12C, McLaren has announced a new package of enhancements for its supercar headlined by a 25hp increase in power from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8.
If you have already bought the MP4-12C, we have good news for you, as most...
Carlos Ghosn Officially Confirms Rebirth of Datsun Brand in 2014, Reveals New Logo
MARCH 20, 2012
A couple of weeks back, we told you about the rumors regarding Nissan's plans to revive its Datsun brand for emerging markets. Today, Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn made it...
Officially Official: Spark Joining Chevrolet U.S. Lineup
GM confirms what GMI reported weeks ago.
October 12, 2011
By: Nick Saporito
Almost a month ago GMI reported that the North American market would be getting Chevrolet's Spark mini-car in updated form. This morning...
All-New Ford Focus Officially Certified at 40 MPG with Features, Technology Competitors Can’t Match
•The all-new Ford Focus is certified by the EPA at 40 mpg highway with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is overwhelmingly preferred by American drivers
•Ford Motor Company now...


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Kroger (KR -1.89%), like many stocks, plummeted in Monday trading as investors faced a massive oil-price war and coronavirus-driven sell-off. These fears have led to a run on store shelves. So strong were the sales in hand sanitizer that the company made the decision to ration that product.
However, despite the panic buying that currently drives store traffic, Kroger, like other consumer staples stocks, sold off amid the fear.
Still, grocers do not typically see a big or permanent drop in business amid panics. Moreover, Kroger offers advantages that may make it a more appealing stock investment than other large grocers.
Kroger's financials appear attractive
Kroger has benefited in recent weeks after news broke that Berkshire Hathaway had opened a stake in the Cincinnati-based grocery giant. Looking at the financials, one might see what attracted Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett and his team to Kroger stock.
Wall Street predicts average annual earnings growth of 6.8% per year for the next five years. Also, Kroger trades at a forward P/E ratio of around 11.8. This valuation comes in well below that of peers such as Walmart (WMT 1.32%) and Costco, even though Kroger's P/E ratio has risen from 2018 levels.
To be sure, Kroger has lagged Walmart in sales growth. Kroger grew its sales by 2.3% in 2019, while Walmart had a 2.9% increase in net sales. However, Walmart trades at a forward P/E ratio of 22.4. This differential means that buyers of Walmart stock pay close to double the multiple for just over 26% more growth.
This struggle is nothing new. In 2017, Kroger stock fell as Amazon stoked fear in the industry by purchasing Whole Foods. This move led to fears that the e-commerce giant could supplant grocery retailers such as Kroger. However, as Kroger showed that it can grow despite that new competitive threat, its stock gained some traction. Still, the fact that Kroger stock remains well below its 2015 peak of $42.75 per share shows that Kroger has not fully recovered from the Amazon-induced sell-off.
Further, investors should take the company's dividend into account. At $0.64 per share, Kroger's dividend yields just over 2%. Moreover, with a payout ratio of close to 27.2%, it should remain in a position to continue its 11-year streak of consecutive dividend increases.
Kroger (and Kroger stock) holds a unique position in the market
Both the valuation and the dividend payout benefit Kroger stock. According to Progressive Grocer, Kroger was America's second-largest grocery chain in 2019, lagging only Walmart. The majority of these grocers remain in private hands. The only other publicly traded retailers in the top 10, Walmart and Amazon, sell a more diverse array of items. This means that Kroger is the largest company to trade predominantly as a grocery play.
Moreover, those other companies source a significant percentage of their goods from China. Yes, Kroger began a partnership with Alibaba in 2018 to sell its Simple Truth products in China. Still, that amounts to a tiny percentage of its overall business. Though Kroger did not break down China sales, Simple Truth was a $2.3 billion brand at the end of 2018, a small percentage for a company that reported $28.9 billion in sales for the fourth quarter of 2019.
Kroger also can offer some assistance to those who either have COVID-19 or are afraid of contracting it through contact with the novel coronavirus. It operates 2,758 retail grocery locations, and 2,268 of those stores also operate pharmacies. Additionally, many of its stores provide delivery services. Not only can the company deliver groceries in as little as one hour, but it sells over 70,000 items through delivery alone. Between the massive physical footprint and the extensive online offerings, Kroger offers an authentic omnichannel experience across much of the country.
Some investors may understandably harbor fears about buying in the current market. However, some companies will benefit from the virus, as we saw in the recent run on various health- and cleaning-related products sold many retail stores. Moreover, the stock sell-off offers investors the chance to buy stable, well-run companies such as Kroger at a lower price. Thanks to the 6% drop in price over the past week, investors can now buy Kroger shares and its income stream at a discount.


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Bandai Namco has announced a new Red Bull Levels event that will reveal more about Elden Ring.
Red Bull Levels, the series that draws back the curtain on video game development, will host a live event on February 19 where key members of the BANDAI NAMCO team will join selected content creators as they reveal how one of the year’s most anticipated games came to be.
Red Bull Levels: Elden Ring kicks off at 16:00 CET on February 19th and will provide fans with a unique opportunity to hear development stories, exclusive insights and gameplay tips.
Fans will be able to see enhanced gameplay before launch as well as hear commentary from the minds behind the game.
In addition to a deep dive into the gameplay, the team will talk about how they worked with George R.R. Martin to create a world rich in captivating themes and stories.
Multiplayer features will also be shown.
Elden Ring releases February 25 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.


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Sustaining Operations and Avoiding Closures will Still Prove Challenging
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 21, 2020
Jason Brandt, President and CEO, ORLA
503.302.5060 | firstname.lastname@example.org
Wilsonville, OR– Today, Congress unveiled a $900 billion relief bill to provide short-term economic relief to the country in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan includes several items that will benefit restaurants and lodging establishments, most importantly a second round of access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with unique provisions aimed to assist the restaurant and lodging industries, which continue to endure unparalleled job and revenue losses.
In addition, the Oregon State Legislature is holding a third special session of 2020 and is poised to pass To-Go Cocktails legislation as well as statewide caps on third party technology and delivery expenses charged to restaurants.
“Hospitality operators in Oregon have been pleading for both long-term and short-term economic support,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Today’s developments will assist restaurant and lodging establishments with their quest to survive. However, it does not change the unsustainable trajectory facing thousands of Oregon small businesses who have ongoing bills for their dining rooms with little to no revenue to cover those expenses.”
Today’s developments in the Oregon Legislature are expected to assist operators in realizing additional revenue for cocktail programs accompanying food purchases for takeout and delivery while also assisting operators with cost control on expenses.
“The progress made today at both the state and federal levels feels like getting a new pair of running shoes,” said Brandt. “There is still a race for survival in conjunction with vaccine distribution and the majority of operators will remain unprofitable. Our reality remains the same – we are attempting to stretch out our cash until we actually get to the light at the end of the tunnel we’ve all been talking about.”
The federal plan announced today targets restaurant and lodging relief with provisions including:
Other provisions in the bill that will benefit hospitality operations include the deductibility of business expenses paid with PPP loans, enhancement of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), extension of the augmented Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), and increased tax deduction for business meals.
The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which is comprised of over 10,220 foodservice locations and 2,000 lodging establishments with a workforce of 183,191, and a total economic impact of $13.8 billion in annual sales for Oregon.


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Molson Coors sees cost cuts, sales growth with control of MillerCoors
"Synergies" — a corporate term that can include job cuts — are among the key benefits that Molson Coors Brewing Co. is touting with its planned $12 billion purchase of SABMiller PLC's stake in the MillerCoors LLC joint venture.
Molson Coors executives are not yet providing details of what those synergies will include, assuming the transaction is completed in the second half of 2016.
However, MillerCoors, the nation's second-largest brewer, faces significant challenges regardless of its corporate ownership structure. And Milwaukee is home to around 1,400 MillerCoors employees, the venture's second-largest local workforce. MillerCoors employs 2,000 people at its brewery and offices in Golden, Colo.
MillerCoors' headquarters is in Chicago, where it has 450 employees including its sales and marketing divisions.
The company splits its remaining corporate employees between Golden and Milwaukee, reflecting the legacies of Coors Brewing Co. and Miller Brewing Co. MillerCoors was created in 2008 by combining the two brewers.
With Denver-based Molson Coors now preparing to take sole ownership of MillerCoors — a transaction designed to resolve U.S. antitrust concerns about the planned sale of SABMiller to Anheuser-Busch InBev NV — will there still be corporate offices in three cities?
And with MillerCoors enduring continued sales declines, could there eventually be more brewery closings beyond the previously announced plan to shut down the Eden, N.C., facility?
"I understand the question, but frankly it's simply too early for us to have specific decisions and details about future operations," said Colin Wheeler, Molson Coors senior director of global external communications.
Both Molson Coors' planned purchase of SABMiller's 58% stake in MillerCoors as well as London-based SABMiller's planned merger with Anheuser-Busch InBev "are in the early stages of a very complex set of transactions that are far from closing," Wheeler said Wednesday, after the official announcement of both transactions.
"So for the foreseeable future, it's business as usual at MillerCoors and at Molson Coors," Wheeler said.
During a webcast conference with industry analysts, Molson Coors CEO Mark Hunter was asked about possible additional brewery closings.
"At this stage, we're not going to give any more details on synergies," Hunter said. He added there would be "more detail to follow in due course."
If that answer provides little comfort to Milwaukee employees, they can consider the fact that MillerCoors has continually invested in its local operations.
Since 2008, the company has invested more than $100 million in the Milwaukee brewery, much of that through equipment upgrades and energy and water conservation measures, according to the company. In 2012, MillerCoors bought a warehouse adjacent to its brewery for future expansion.
When MillerCoors announced in September the planned closing of the Eden brewery, which will be completed by fall 2016, the company said it would shift that production to five of its seven other facilities, including Milwaukee's State St. brewery.
Also, MillerCoors in 2013 and 2014 did a technology upgrade at the Highland Blvd. offices in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee jobs are split evenly between the brewery and the corporate offices, with around 700 employees at each, said Jonathan Stern, MillerCoors director of media relations.
The corporate functions based in Milwaukee include human resources, finance, learning and development, information technology and business transformation, Stern said.
In Golden, MillerCoors has 1,600 employees at the brewery, can plant, end plant, glass plant and malting operation, and 400 corporate employees who work primarily in integrated supply chain and finance, Stern said.
Molson Coors, itself created by a 2005 merger of two companies, continues to operate corporate offices in both Denver and Montreal.
The expected cost savings from Molson Coors' sole ownership of MillerCoors would likely include more shared services and enhanced purchasing power of supplies, said Gavin Hattersley, MillerCoors chief executive officer and Molson Coors chief financial officer, during the teleconference.
Also, the new corporate structure simplifies the decision-making process for both MillerCoors and its wholesale distributors, Hunter said.
"Very simply, we know the business, we know the markets, we know the players and we know the brands," he said.
The cost savings are expected to reach $200 million annually by the transaction's fourth year, according to the company.
Molson Coors expects the transaction to add $4.7 billion in new annual revenue and more than $1 billion in new earnings. That will help Molson Coors pay down debt and invest more money in its brands, Hattersley said.
"As CEO of MillerCoors, I am very excited about the firepower we can use to support our brands and restore growth in the U.S. business," he said in a statement.
That firepower is sorely needed.
The sale of the MillerCoors stake to Molson Coors will give it a 26% U.S. market share, with Anheuser-Busch InBev controlling 44.7% of U.S. beer sales, according to trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights.
The craft beer segment, which includes dozens of Wisconsin breweries, has been growing at the expense of the big brewers. The craft segment in 2014 accounted for 11% of U.S. beer sales volume, marking the first time that segment hit the double-digit mark.
In its most recent financial report, MillerCoors said its underlying net income declined 8.6%, from $376.7 million to $344.4 million, for the period that ended Sept. 30. The company's revenue dropped 3.7%, from $2.37 billion to $2.29 billion.
MillerCoors' strategy includes an increasing number of higher-priced brands in what it calls the "above premium portfolio."
That includes brands from its Chippewa Falls-based Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. subsidiary, which operates a satellite brewery at 1515 N. 10th St., just north of downtown Milwaukee overlooking I-43.
The "above premium" segment of MillerCoors, which also includes the Blue Moon, Redd's and Smith & Forge Hard Cider brands, makes up 10% of its sales, compared with 7% two years ago, Hunter said during the teleconference.
Molson Coors' sole ownership of MillerCoors will give it the right to sell Miller Lite, Miller High Life and other Miller legacy brands globally, Hunter said. He said Miller brands have cachet in many overseas markets.
Finally, there are "encouraging signs" for some of MillerCoors' largest brands, Hunter said.
That's an apparent reference to Coors Light and Miller Lite, the joint venture's two largest brands, which have seen stagnating sales. During the third quarter, Coors Light sales declined, and Miller Lite sales increased — both in what the company called the mid-single digit range.
However, both brands gained market share in the premium light beer segment, according to Nielsen data cited by MillerCoors.
Recent national business updates from the Associated Press


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Emory University Hospital Midtown awarded for supply chain excellence
Aug. 31, 2018
Emory University Hospital Midtown has been awarded the 2018 Supply Chain Performance Excellence Award from Vizient, the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the U.S. The hospital was selected as the top-ranked performer out of a group of five Vizient academic medical center members. This is the third year that Emory University Hospital Midtown has won a supply chain excellence award.
The award honors Emory University Hospital Midtown as the top-ranked performer in supply chain management as measured by supply expense at the facility level, as well as supply expense management within select departments including: laboratory, imaging, radiology, blood services, cardiology and surgical services.
A supply chain is defined a system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer, while managing costs during that process.
“We are proud of our exceptional team of staff contractors who work closely with our doctors, nurses and other clinical staff members to evaluate the medical supplies we need and negotiate pricing and contracts with medical vendors,” says Lee Partridge, director of Materials Management at Emory University Hospital Midtown.
“For example, we work with one of our orthopaedic surgeons to determine the best type of implantable devices needed for knee and shoulder replacements, then we negotiate the best prices for these items with the device manufacturer. An agreement is then signed to purchase those devices at Emory for one set cost for a certain period of time.”
The materials management team also work closely with clinicians to determine what medical devices are no longer needed based on new development of products and technology, so unnecessary items or outdated devices are not purchased
“The materials management team working on our supply chain operation has done an excellent job managing the overall costs of supplies and utilizing those supplies carefully throughout the hospital and health care system,” says Daniel Owens, CEO of Emory University Hospital Midtown. “We appreciate the diligence they show in working with numerous outside vendors to keep costs manageable.”


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For the past few decades, the trend has been towards faster and faster computer processors. Mobile devices are changing that trajectory.
In his presentation at Ecomm 2008, Adrian Cockcroft of Netflix describes his ‘millicomputer’ concept. A millicomputer is any device that uses less than a watt of power, or to put it another way, a computer that fits in your pocket, but won’t burn your leg! As Adrian reveals, today’s millicomputers are already impressively powerful. But as millicomputers look set to eclipse even notebook computers in the next few years, their capabilities will become even more impressive.
He looks at what makes today’s millicomputers, including the iPhone, so impressive as well as some of the surprising capabilities that lie within your Zune player. The consumer space for mobile computing can only get hotter, as the iPhone competes with Android in the OS market, and Intel and Arm battle it out for supremacy in the production of mobile hardware.
Looking further into the future, Adrian offers a glimpse of some of the amazing possibilities that await us, as mobile computing becomes ever more powerful. Web servers that fit into your pocket, real-time 3d sound projection and more will revolutionize the way we work and play. Adrian also talks about how the open-source prototyping activities of the Home Brew Mobile Club are helping today to make these things a reality by pushing at the boundaries of what is possible with conventional mobile technology.
Adrian Cockcroft is Director of Web Engineering at Netflix, where he manages a team that researches and implements personalization algorithms. He also publishes iPhone apps and is researching into highly efficient compute platforms by defining a new ultra-low-power concept called Millicomputing.


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Christian Outreach in Action hosted its second You are Special Women’s Day, a free day of pampering, food, fashion and workshops, on May 9.
About 360 women took part in the day, which included workshops on nutrition, fashion tips on a budget, health screenings, job skill development and information on healthy relationships, exercise and living a healthful lifestyle.
Participants were given a nail painting or a haircut, as well as a new outfit, a purse filled with toiletries, a cooking demonstration and a free bag of groceries to take home.
COA is a nonprofit organization in downtown Long Beach that works to clothe and feed the homeless.
– Staff report
- Former Santa Ana teacher gets 190 years for sexually assaulting girls during Philippines
- 1 dead, 4 hurt after small plane crashes into Riverside home
- Retail-restaurant roundup: Taco Bell nixes Naked Chicken Chalupa; Sweet Lady Jane bakery
- Sunday's Oscar fail joins this list of 10 great gaffes
- Man injured in crash on the 22 freeway


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SINGAPORE--Oracle has melded its business intelligence (BI) middleware with Siebel Business Analytics, creating an application suite that works across databases other than its own.
Part of the Oracle Fusion Middleware product family, the Oracle Business Intelligence Suite allows users to collect and analyze information from a range of databases including Oracle and non-Oracle databases, such as those from IBM, Microsoft and Teradata, as well as from business applications from Oracle and SAP.
Steve Illingworth, senior director of BI at Oracle Asia-Pacific, said: "Siebel Business Analytics did things we didn't do [previously]. Now, we've got business intelligence technology that can go to IBM's DB2, Microsoft's SQL Server and Oracle Database."
He added that the company has increased its emphasis on the BI market with the creation of a dedicated BI business unit, consisting of a specialist sales force, specialist consultants and a partner development team.
With this announcement, Oracle is pitting itself more strongly in the BI market against established rivals such as Business Objects, Cognos, and Hyperion, as well as up-and-coming vendors such as IBM and Microsoft.
According to Gartner, the BI software market in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.6 percent between 2004 and 2009. The research firm also forecasted that the market will be worth US$3 billion by 2009.
Oracle is hoping to capitalize on the large installed base of customers who are already using Oracle database, and persuade them to switch to its BI suite.
"If you're already using Oracle Database, why would you not use Oracle BI?" said Illingworth. "Why would you buy a Mercedes Benz and replace its engine with a Subaru engine? It wouldn't work."
The Oracle Business Intelligence Suite offers features such as query and analysis, enterprise reporting, mobile analytics, dashboards and portal technology, integration with Microsoft Office and Excel, and real-time alerting.
It is available in three flavors: Enterprise Edition, which is targeted at large companies with multi-vendor database environments; Standard Edition, which offers pre-integrated BI infrastructure software and tools for an Oracle environment; and Standard Edition One for small and midsize businesses.
Oracle BI Suite Enterprise and Standard Editions are available today, while Standard Edition One will be available after May.


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Gujarat, India – In the last two years, the Gujarat government has received over Rs 15.6 billion in funds from the National Development and Reform Fund (NDRF) to build roads, bridges, ports, airports and power lines.
The NDRF has allocated a total of Rs 15 billion for roads, Rs 9.7 billion for bridges, Rs 7.5 billion for ports, and Rs 2.5 bn for airports.
These funds were earmarked for roads in 2015-16 for the construction of road, rail, power, and high-speed rail lines.
In April this year, the state government announced Rs 8.5 crore as a grant to the state highway department for the purpose of upgrading and widening roads in the state.
The funds were handed over to the Gujarat Development Authority (GDA) in May last year.
The state government said the funds were part of a comprehensive infrastructure plan.
“We have been working on these roads for a long time.
It was a strategic project that we have been pursuing for some time now,” Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on April 30.
“These funds will go to highways, bridges and airports.”
Modi said the money would be used to build highways in the southern and western parts of the state, and build a few more high-tech projects.
“The highway department is now getting funds for roads and infrastructure that is going to be built in the future.
The amount of money that we are receiving is the largest in our history, and we are going to spend it on roads and other infrastructure,” he said.
“We are making roads and airports accessible, and it will give us an edge in the long run.”
Gaurav Jha, director general of the Gujarat Urban Development Corporation (UGDC), told NDTV, “The money is a gift to the government.
It will go towards the construction and upkeep of roads in our state.”
The GDA also said it had not yet received any money from the NDRF.
“There is no funding for any other projects that have been approved by the government,” Gaurav said.
In March, Modi announced the state’s first phase of roads would be completed by December 2019.
In a similar manner, the UGDC also announced a Rs 8,000-crore road construction plan for 2019-20.
“In the next two years the government will build the 1,000 km stretch of roads from Dharwad to Surat, with an additional road of 1,200 km and a road of 600 km, along the route.
The remaining 200 km of roads will be made through private projects,” the UGC said.”
This project is being developed with the cooperation of the private sector,” a spokesperson for the Gujarat state government told NDtv.
“The government is also providing the money to build the first phase.”
According to the GDA, the remaining road projects in Gujarat are being completed.
Samsung and Care Mobile, the joint venture of Samsung Electronics Co. and Care Group, are offering consumers the option of downloading a free version of the Android-based Samsung One, the company’s flagship phone.
The free Samsung One Android app will be available for download on Google Play and other digital storefronts from today through Aug. 29.
Users will have the option to install the Android software on their devices to take advantage of its security and features.
The Samsung One will be free of the security patches that have been included in previous updates.
The company has been working on a new version of Android for its phones, and it was expected to launch in the fall.
But that is no longer the case.
Utah’s police department has opened an investigation into the claim that Utah’s Department of Transportation has issued a $5,000,000 payment to an online bank account for “Utah UI”.
The claim is based on a claim made by a woman who claims she received a payment from the Utah Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade and Economic Development (OITED).
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, Utah’s Office for International Trade & Economic Development is tasked with administering Utah’s export-related tax, but OITED is not.
The department says it is a separate entity.
“The Utah Office for Economic Development administers the Utah-U.S.-U.K. Business & Tourism Partnership Program, a joint program that helps to expand Utah’s exports and trade with the U., as well as promoting Utah’s unique trade relationship with the United Kingdom,” the Utah department said in a statement.
“We have been in regular contact with the Office for Trade & Investment since the beginning of its existence, and the OITOD Office is fully aware of this situation.”
The statement added that the Office of the Trade & Industry’s policy is to not confirm or deny the existence of programs.
The claim has been around since early September, when the Utah Attorney General’s Office sent out an email asking for information about the claim.
Since then, a representative of the Utah Office of Economic Development has called a press conference and released a statement confirming the claim was made.
“I’ve heard from many people who have had money transferred to the account.
I think it’s a scam,” said one person, who did not want to be identified.
The woman, who said she was a former employee of the state’s Office, told the Associated Press she had received a check from the state for $5.2 million, which was to be paid to the Utah office’s bank account.
She also claimed she received $100,000 from the Office in December.
The office said in the statement that “the Office of Trade & International Development does not provide tax refunds or other financial support to individuals or businesses.
We do not have an account of any sort.”
However, the Utah legislature has said it will not approve a bill that would allow the state to refund money to the woman if she files a lawsuit.
“Any such lawsuit should be filed in the court of public opinion,” said a statement from the legislative majority, which has no power over the governor.
“Our job is to make sure the people of Utah get a fair and accurate tax system.”
The claim was first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune on Friday, and Utah’s attorney general’s office has also contacted the state agency investigating the claim, Utah Department OF Transportation, to clarify its role.
FluentUi addon allows you to access a number of FIFA 17 player stats, including the FIFA 17 Player Stats API, as well as a variety of other features.
The addon is available for download here.
FluentUis stats can be accessed from the game launcher.
As with many of the addons for FIFA 17, the game’s main menu displays the available statistics.
The main menu shows the FIFA 19 player stats page, and the player stats tab can be opened by clicking on the FUTTPlayerStats icon in the menu bar.FIFA 17: The Latest Addon is available here.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
If it weren’t for the U.S. government, we’d be living in a dystopia, a dystopian world ruled by a dictator who controls all information about the world.
That’s what the U, or the United States, is.
The U.K. is the closest thing we have to a dystopic dystopia.
That may not be a coincidence.
The U.k. has a unique relationship with bitcoin.
The country is the first to adopt bitcoin, a digital currency with the potential to change how we transact in the world and in our economy.
Since bitcoin was created in 2009, the U have adopted it, and more than 1,000,000 people in the U are now using bitcoin.
But bitcoin isn’t just about money.
It’s also about freedom.
Bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, can help protect privacy and limit government intrusion.
And the U is just starting to embrace the technology, with legislation expected in the coming months that would make bitcoin a regulated financial instrument, and would help the U develop the infrastructure needed to support bitcoin.
For those who don’t know, Bitcoin is a digital commodity that’s used to buy and sell goods and services.
It is the backbone of the digital currency Bitcoin, and its value fluctuates according to the demand and supply of bitcoin.
Bitcoin can be purchased for a small amount of bitcoin in exchange for goods or services.
Bitcoins can be exchanged for goods and payments from other digital currencies, including the ethereum blockchain, or Ethereum, a blockchain that powers Ethereum, the virtual currency powering Bitcoin.
A central hub of the e-commerce industry in the United Kingdom, the eCommerce industry has a lot to do with the U and U.J. For example, Amazon.com is the U’s largest e-retailer, with more than 4 million retail stores, and the ecommerce industry employs more than 13 million people.
The eCommerce boom is also driving interest in bitcoin, with the digital currencies value soaring, and with people around the world becoming increasingly familiar with it.
But the U has a special relationship with the bitcoin market.
Its use as a currency is considered to be illegal by many countries, including Japan, and there’s an ongoing debate in the country about how to regulate the use of bitcoin for commerce.
The United States has its own regulatory process, and it’s not clear how the U would go about regulating the bitcoin industry in Japan.
In the U., bitcoin is referred to as a “digital currency” by some and referred to by others as a commodity, but by other governments, it’s a different word.
The currency is also referred to under different names in different countries.
Bitcoin is a decentralized and open system, meaning it’s distributed and cannot be controlled by one party.
It operates entirely independently of a central authority, and is based on peer-to-peer technology.
The blockchain is the ledger of all transactions on the bitcoin network, and as a result, it is impossible for a central party to control a bitcoin network.
Bitcoin has grown rapidly over the past two years.
According to Bitcoin.com, it has more than doubled in value since its creation in 2009.
Bitcoin, along with other digital assets, is used to pay for goods, services, and other items that consumers want or need.
It can be used to secure a purchase online, or for payments by mobile payments systems.
Its value fluctuate based on the demand for and supply for the digital assets.
Bitcoin was created as a decentralized, decentralized network of computer code that is untraceable and impossible for anyone to control.
As such, it can only be used as a payment instrument.
That means that while bitcoin is the most widely used digital currency, the blockchain is a more secure method of storing the currency.
The blockchain, which is created and maintained by a decentralized network, holds a record of all bitcoin transactions and their outputs.
Bitcoin is the only currency that has a public ledger of transactions.
This allows the blockchain to verify that the transactions have not been made without anyone knowing about them.
The value of bitcoin is tied to the price of gold, which represents the supply of a physical commodity that can be bought and sold on a global market.
As a result of a spike in demand for gold, bitcoin has seen its value rise dramatically in recent months, and has surged as well.
Bitcoin’s price is also tied to supply, as it is used for transactions between individuals.
While there is no central authority controlling the supply or value of bitcoins, it does appear to be a fair market for them.
For example, there are two bitcoin exchanges.
One is called Bitfinex, and while it’s unclear which exchange will receive the bitcoin the other will, they do both operate with the same bitcoin address.
If one exchange is hacked, the other can easily be hacked


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The first compostable one-cup coffee pods from a major manufacturer will go on sale this week in a battle to stop the 20bn pods used every year around the world from ending up in landfill.
Italian espresso giant Lavazza is aiming to replace its entire range of home use capsules with new eco-friendly ones – at the same retail price – by the end of the year.
It is thought that 95m cups of coffee are drunk in the UK every day, but increasingly popular single serve pods have become an environmental scourge – typically ending up in landfill where they can take up to 500 years to break down.
The 20bn capsules currently consumed every year are enough to circle the Earth 14 times.
The complexity of packaging – often a mix of different materials such as plastic, foil and aluminium – combined with used coffee dregs – can make them difficult to recycle and process in standard municipal recycling plants.
Lavazza says its new biopolymer-based Eco Caps break down into compost in as little as six months when combined with food waste for council collection.
Provided local authority rules allow it, used capsules could be thrown in the food waste bin.
However, where this is unavailable, Lavazza has teamed up with waste collection service TerraCycle to establish a network of public access drop-off points for consumers to dispose of capsules which need to be industrially composted.
David Rogers, managing director of Lavazza UK, said: “This major investment confirms our commitment to excellence and sustainable development.”
Its new research, also published on Monday, shows that more than a third of people in the UK admit to throwing their used coffee capsules into the bin because they don’t know how to properly dispose of them.
Consumers also feel generally confused about what can and cannot be recycled, with 72% admitting to feeling overwhelmed when trying to understand the various recycling symbols.
The coffee company Nespresso – part of the Swiss multinational Nestlé – encourages consumers to send back their used aluminium capsules in the UK in special bags while it has also trialled council collection schemes.
Most compostable or biodegradable pods on the market have been launched by small, niche brands.
$A separate range of 100% compostable pods made from sugar cane and paper pulp, made by online retailer Halo, can be put into home compost or food bins.
Halo co-founder Richard Hardwick said: “The coffee revolution has happened and one of the key challenges the industry now faces is the millions of tonnes of waste created as a result.
“Aluminium and plastic coffee capsules are difficult to recycle so most of them end up in the bin, and that’s why up to 75% are currently being sent to landfill every minute.
Most people don’t understand the irreversible damage these coffee capsules are inflicting on the planet.”
Published on theguardian.com
Better latte than never … compostable coffee pods go on sale
- Lavazza to Launch 100 percent Compostable Coffee Capsules in November
- New Biodegradable Coffee Capsules
- New Edible Whiskey Pods Made from Seaweed
- Sky News Invests in Bioplastics


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Girl Scouts Kick Off Cookie Season
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- It's that time of the year again to get your hands on your favorite girl scout cookies. The treats recently went on sale but the girls officially kicked off the season on Friday by hosting a party at the Alpine Bank in downtown Grand Junction. They set up shop all day, where they sold the cookies and also learned about money management. “It will help out our troops and also, it will really help out us to get our cookie credits,” said Delaney Kidd, Girl Scout. “It helps us go to a camp or get other stuff from a Girl Scout store.” If you missed your chance to get your cookies on Friday, they will still be on sale for weeks. You can download an app for your smart phone where you can look up the closest place to buy them.


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Well that was fast: Moto G Android 4.4.2 update already landing
We were all ready to get out hands on the Moto G sometime in January, as Motorola finally made the crazy-good-deal smartphone available to shoppers in the US, when out of the blue, Motorola started selling the Android smartphone in late November. This early arrival was definitely appreciated, but it didn’t come without cost; as we noted last week in our Moto G review, instead of the KitKat we were hoping for, Motorola instead shipped the Moto G with Android 4.3. That was very much not the end of the world, and we knew it would just be a matter of time before an update came out. Well as things turn out, we hardly had to wait at all, and today see Motorola get started with its Moto G Android 4.4.2 release.
That means all the camera, dialer, emoji, and UI improvements we’ve come to expect from Android 4.4, hitting your Moto G beginning today. Both versions of the handset – with international or with US-focused 3G bands – are seeing their own respective updates arrive.
We know Motorola likes to say how it’s not getting any special treatment from Google, but however strongly you believe that, this is still a pretty darn impressive turnaround time.


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The Spice Girls have announced a worldwide partnership for touring, merchandise and campaigns with Universal Music Group.
Emma Bunton, Mel B, Geri Horner and Mel C signed the deal with UMG’s Bravado division, and the multi-year partnership will see the iconic girl group featured on a variety of merchandising, including clothing collections, new “direct-to-consumer” products, and advertising campaigns.
It marks the first time in 20 years that the licensing rights for the Spice Girls brand - including touring - has been assigned to one firm, and the mega-deal promised big things for excited fans across the world.
The partnership also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the girl group’s debut album Spice, which was released in September 1996.
Bravado previously released a clothing collection inspired by the group’s debut single Wannabe, which also celebrated its 25th anniversary back in June.
“We are so excited to be working with Bravado again, especially in this our 25th anniversary year and are looking forward to collaborating with the team,” the band said in a statement.
The exciting partnership will see the Spice Girls and UMG “work hand-in-hand to deliver new products and capsule collections to retail partners around the world”, the label said.
Rachel Redfearn, VP A&R and brand management at Bravado, said the best-selling girl group’s impact on popular culture “cannot be overestimated”.
“They stand for positivity, inclusion, bravery and diversity. All delivered in a bold, fun and energetic package. This message is as relevant today as it was in 1996… maybe more so,” she shared.
“Bravado’s alliance with this most iconic of bands will allow both existing and new fans the long-awaited opportunity to be a part of the legacy.”
UMG, who own all the rights to the Spice Girls back catalogue, did not disclose any financial details of the deal.
The Spice Girls skyrocketed to fame when they released their hugely successful debut single Wannabe in 1996, and their pop careers went from strength to strength.
They released their debut album Spice, which featured other hit singles including Say You’ll Be There, later that year, and went on to release two more albums - Spiceworld in 1997, and Forever in 2000.
The group reunited in 2019 for a UK and Ireland tour, which raked in more than £58 million, and it’s been rumoured they will be taking to the stage once again, with Mel B insisting the girl group will be touring soon.
Later this month, the Spice Girls will release a special 25th anniversary edition of their debut album, which features previously unreleased songs, demos and mixes.


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Uber is making a move to cater to the millions of users in emerging markets with low-cost smartphones and cheap data plans.
On Tuesday, the tech giant unveiled “Uber Lite”, a minimal, 5-megabyte app with a reimagined, stripped-down interface designed to make booking rides easier and quicker for users with “spotty connectivity” and “slower than average internet speeds”.
The new app still has the core features of the regular one we know and love but drops all the bells and whistles in favour of saving space and increasing response time. Maps are optional and graphics are reduced to the bare essentials.
The app also caches information so many functions are available even if the user is offline.
For the time being, Uber Lite is only available on Android phones, which make up the vast majority of the Indian market. IOS accounts for just 2% of smartphone sales in the country, which is why Uber is yet to commit to bringing the app to iOS, at least for now.
In a country with dozens of regional languages and limited connectivity, Uber Lite will introduce specific features for the Indian market like multiple language choices and the ability to book rides offline.
“Uber Lite is piloting in India and coming to more countries later this year,” the company stated in a blog post.
Uber’s move is a response to their main competitor in India, Ola, which launched their own Lite app earlier this year. Theirs is said to be even slimmer, using less than 1 megabyte of storage space.
Lite initiatives are not novel, though: both Google and Facebook have launched slimmed-down versions of their apps in certain regions.
Via The Verge


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Cashless Tipping Made Easy with DipJar
Device allows tipping with credit cards and it is as simple as it sounds - you 'dip' and go
“Sorry, no spare change” will soon be invalidated as an excuse to skip tipping your barista or food server with this new technology that allows small-value transactions in one quick step.
More and more people are using plastic instead of cash even for small transactions like buying the morning coffee or a brunch sandwich. DipJar acknowledges this shift by creating a quick way of tipping perfect for food service establishments, charities or even street performers.


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When it comes to Texas wine and grapes, you don’t hear as much about the Cross Timbers region as you do the High Plains or the Hill Country. But wine lovers know it’s home to a surprising number of top-flight vineyards and wineries. And on Feb. 15, you’ll get a chance to sample wines from 10 of them ― all made with 100% Texas grapes ― when the Dallas Farmers Market presents a Texas Wine Tasting in partnership with the Cross Timbers Wine & Vineyard Association.
Situated in a sweet spot that includes Fort Worth and points west, Cross Timbers’ gently rolling hills stretch south from the Oklahoma border almost to Austin. Most of the wineries are an easy day trip from Dallas. The farmers market event offers a chance for a taste before you make a trip.
The event includes one of the state’s hottest newcomers, 4R Ranch Vineyards & Winery near Muenster. Last year, its 2017 Nectar Nero Texas Rosé earned one of only nine sweepstakes medals awarded at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition ― a first for Texas wine.
Similarly, Lost Oak Winery in Burleson, which will also be at the tasting, paved the way earlier in 2010 for Texas firsts at the prestigious contest with a double-gold for its viognier, made from grapes grown at Brennan Vineyards near Comanche.
Other wineries in the farmers market tasting lineup include Bluff Dale Vineyards (Bluff Dale), Bull Lion Ranch and Vineyard (Clark Mountain) and Reddy Vineyards (Brownfield). Tickets are $35 and include two selections from each of the 10 wineries. Go to Eventbrite and look for Texas Wine Tasting. Cheese boards and warm Swiss raclette sandwiches will be available for purchase.
And the weather, with highs predicted in the low 60s, should be a lot friendlier than last year, when the event was held on a windy, bone-chilling day in the 40s. Even so, it was sold out.
Clearfork Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. 4801 Edwards Ranch Road, Fort Worth (The Trailhead at Clearfork). farmersmarket1848.com.
Coppell Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday and Feb. 22, March 14 and 28. 768 W. Main St., off Bethel Road. 972-304-7043. coppellfarmersmarket.org.
Cowtown Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays year-round, rain or shine. 3821 Southwest Blvd., Fort Worth, under the tents in the parking lot of Texas Outdoors, on the Weatherford traffic circle (the confluence of U.S. 377, State Highway 183 and Camp Bowie). 817-763-0193. Facebook: Cowtown Farmers Market.
Dallas Farmers Market: The Shed, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Monday-Thursday. The Market food hall, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (until 8 p.m. Fridays). 1010 S. Pearl Expressway. 214-664-9110. dallasfarmersmarket.org.
Farmers Market of Grapevine: 325 S. Main St. Year-round store: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. 520 S. Main. farmersmarketofgrapevine.com
Frisco Fresh Market: Outdoor market 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Main Street at Frisco Street, adjacent to the east side parking lot of Toyota Stadium, Frisco. friscofreshmarket.com
Frisco Rotary Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon every third Saturday November-April. 8821 4th St., Frisco. friscorotaryfarmersmarket.com
Four Seasons Market-Carrollton: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. 2722 N. Josey Lane. fourseasonsmarkets.com.
Four Seasons Market-Colleyville: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. 100 Main St., Colleyville. fourseasonsmarkets.com
Four Seasons Market-Flower Mound: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. 1500 Cross Timbers Road. fourseasonsmarkets.com.
Four Seasons Market–Las Colinas: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. 7701 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. fourseasonsmarkets.com.
Four Seasons Market-Richardson: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Dal-Rich Towne Square, 101 S. Coit Road. Fourseasonsmarkets.com.
Georgia’s Farmers Market: Open daily. 916 15th St., Plano. 972-516-4765. Facebook: Georgia’s Farmers Market.
Historic McKinney Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon, Feb. 15 and 29, then March 7 and 21. Weekly market resumes in April. Chestnut Square Historic Village, 315 S. Chestnut St., McKinney. 972-562-8790. chestnutsquare.org.
Lakewood Village Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 9 and 22, March 8 and 22, then weekly starting April 5. 6434 E. Mockingbird Lane at Abrams. goodlocalmarkets.com.
Lola’s Local Market: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Home of Lola the Pig. 1771 Kever Main (off State Highway 5), Melissa. Facebook: Lola’s Local Market.
Pantego Farmers Market: 2 to 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday year-round. New Main Brewing, 3533 Marathon St., Pantego. arlingtonfoodies.com
Ridgmar Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays. 900 State Highway 183 N. (across from Ridgmar Mall), Fort Worth. 817-246-7525.
West Plano Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Corner of Plano Parkway and Chapel Hill. The Shops at Willow Bend, 6121 W. Park Blvd. Facebook: Red Tent Markets.


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August data released yesterday from The Nielsen Company, confirms what research firms and observers have been asserting for months: that Android is now the most popular smartphone operating system.
Nielsen reports that Android was the top choice among people who bought a smartphone in the past six months, while Blackberry RIM and Apple iOS are in a statistical dead heat for second place among recent buyers. Among all smartphone owners, Blackberry still clings to its lead with 31 percent of the market, the firm says, though its edge over Apple, with 28 percent, is slipping while Google's Android is gaining rapidly, now with 19 percent of smartphone users.
Given that the BlackBerry OS 6 update was greeted with lackluster reviews and the wait for the forthcoming OS refresh with the Playbook tablet remains uncertain, RIM's window of opportunity to stop the erosion of market share may be closing. In addition to encroachment from consumer devices like iPhone and Android-based smartphones, Microsoft is preparing to introduce the first Windows Phone 7 devices next week.
The Nielsen figures are in line with the US smartphone market share data released this week by measurement firm comScore, which reported RIM's share among US smartphone subscribers dipped to 37.6 percent by the end of August, down from 41.7 percent three months earlier. Apple's share held nearly steady at 24.2 percent, while Google's Android climbed from 13 percent at the end of May to 19.6 percent by August.
Microsoft continued to slip, accounting for 10.8 percent of smartphone subscribers, down from 13.2 percent, while Palm rounded out the top five, down only slightly to 4.6 percent. Despite losing share to Google Android, most smartphone platforms continue to gain subscribers as the smartphone market overall continues to grow, the firm notes. The total number of smartphone users in the US rose 14 percent to 55.7 million during the three months ending in August.
| Top Smartphone Platforms |
3 Month Avg. Ending Aug. 2010 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending May 2010
Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+
Source: comScore MobiLens
|Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers|
|Total Smartphone Subscribers||100.0%||100.0%||N/A|


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The development of the fixed networks will not just help telcos offer FTTH service, but will also help them in offloading data from wireless networks.
The Camon series focuses on camera-centric phones and the forthcoming device will feature dual-flash for low-light photography, industry sources said on Tuesday.
Oppo and Vivo, both founded by Chinese billionaire Duan Yongping, cut the margin offered to large chains to 14-15% from 23-25%, the executives said.
UO Albert, a small robot part of the program Coding&Play for children coding education, is on display during CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Forthcoming devices that will feature this processor will include the thin and lightweight 2-in-1s from Dell and HP as well as the NUC that Intel had introduced.
The mass consumption of digital cameras is high, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, the companies said, calling for digital cameras to be on par with other ITA products at 18%.
This week, technology researchers publicised security flaws in central processing units, aka chips, that run computers, servers, phones as well as smart TVs and refrigerators. Chips made by Intel, AMD and ARM pretty much run every computing machine in the world, and potentially hackers can steal personal information. How scary is this?
India has millions of computers running unlicensed software. If you own one of those, you have no protection because software patches won’t be sent to you.
The trend is likely to continue in 2018 as brands such as Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo and Vivo penetrate deeper into smaller cities and towns to increase sales.
Technology companies are scrambling to fix serious security flaws affecting computer processors built by Intel and other chipmakers and found in many of the world's personal computers and smartphones. The two hardware bugs discovered can be exploited to allow the memory content of a computer to be leaked. Such a leak could potentially expose stored passwords and other sensitive data, including personal photos, emails and instant messages. Here's a look at what's affected, what's being done about it and whether you should worry.
In a statement on its website, Apple said all Mac and iOS devices are affected by both Meltdown and Spectre.
Honor View 10 will be the most affordable AI device available at Rs 29,999 for the Indian consumer. It has been priced at Euro 499 or about Rs 38,000.
As per COAI data, Bharti Airtel held the top position with 29.68 per cent market share and added another 40.4 lakh subscribers during November.
Vishal Kaul, Director at Samsung India, said the segment has seen de-growth in the past quarters, but the company has been able to expand its market share.
Lowe Lintas release said the agency bagged the account on the back of informal evaluations Xiaomi has done of multiple agencies to identify its communications partner.
Airtel will offer the scheme on Galaxy J2 (2017), Galaxy J5 Prime, Galaxy J7 Prime, and Galaxy J7 Pro priced in the range of Rs 6,990 to Rs 19,900.


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SAN FRANCISCO – When Google announced it would be releasing the VP8 video codec under an open source license, all of the major browser vendors jumped up to support it.
Well, all of them except Apple.
The WebM Project, a partnership between Google, Mozilla, Opera and dozens of other software and hardware makers, provides web developers a way of embedding video and audio in HTML5 pages without plug-ins, and without resorting to patent-laden technologies.
Watchers of the open web have been waiting for this development for some time. The HTML5 video playback experience varies greatly between browsers, with different browsers supporting different flavors of video, creating a poor user experience and forcing developers to rely heavily on plug-ins like Flash and Silverlight. Google was widely expected to take a step towards solving the video problem on the web with Wednesday's WebM announcement.
Indeed, within minutes of the project's launch here at Google I/O, links went up to new versions of Firefox and Opera with built-in support for WebM video. Chrome support will be coming in the next beta, due later this month. Microsoft says that Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, due to arrive as soon as the end of 2010, will support VP8 video playback if a user has installed the free codec on their copy of Windows. Adobe says Flash Player will also support it as soon as possible. Executives from Mozilla, Opera and Adobe were all on stage during Wednesday morning's keynote to pledge their support.
But nobody from Apple appeared, and as of Wednesday afternoon, the company has made no such announcement about support for WebM video in Safari. When asked to comment on this story, Apple didn't respond.
Of course, Apple has a great deal of time and money invested in a competing technology, H.264. Its Quicktime ecosystem is built on H.264, and it uses the video format for all of its content served through iTunes. It's also the native format on iPads, iPhones and iPods.
Most video on the web – approximately two-thirds of it – is served in the H.264 format, but various licensing requirements make some nervous to use it. Apple owns patents around H.264 and benefits from the licensing fees that allow its use (so does Microsoft, and many other companies).
So, will Apple begin supporting a open source video codec that competes for space on the web with H.264?
"Stranger things have happened, but I'd be surprised if that happened soon," says Christopher "Monty" Montgomery, creator of the Ogg container, an open source video and audio technology integral to the new WebM Project, in an e-mail to Webmonkey.
Apple has sent not-so-subtle threats about possible patent violation complaints being brought against supporters of open video codecs. In an e-mail to a blogger, Jobs warned that MPEG-LA, the licensing group that oversees H.264, was assembling a patent portfolio to "go after" open video codec makers.