text:
Postal workers have voted strongly in favour of taking industrial action over pay, in what would be the first national postal strike since 1996.
Royal Mail recently asked for a stamp price rise to cut its losses
About 77% of Royal Mail's Communication Workers Union (CWU) members who voted in the ballot supported the move.
The union is in dispute with the Royal Mail over its 2.5% pay offer.
A series of walkouts will now be held by about 130,000 CWU members, unless new talks can lead to a breakthrough in the dispute.
The union said workers' pay should rise to the national average over the next five years. Royal Mail says this amounts to £1bn and is unaffordable.
The ballot result was announced at the union's annual conference in Bournemouth.
"Unacceptable" cuts in jobs and postal services as well as "attacks on postal workers' terms and conditions" were the key issues of the dispute, said CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward.
"Postal workers have rejected the company's arguments, rejected their plans for the future and delivered overwhelming votes in support of their union.
"We say to the public the threat to the very future of your postal services is real."
The union is legally obliged to give Royal Mail seven days notice of any industrial action.
Mr Ward added that no date would be set for strike action at this stage.
"We will give the Royal Mail a further opportunity to back off from their cuts and come back to the negotiating table with a fresh approach."
But he added: "The size of the yes vote and Royal Mail's hostile behaviour makes this an even more serious dispute."
Royal Mail says it has made a "realistic and fair" offer which includes a 2.5% increase in basic pensionable pay.
UK POSTAL MARKET FACTS
Businesses send about 87% of all mail
Only 10% of mail is household to household, with 3% posted by the public to business
The 500 biggest firms account for 50% of all mail sent
There are now 18 licensed mail operators, including Royal Mail, TNT Post UK, DHL Global Mail and UK Mail
The offer also comprises an £800 share dividend and a 50% share in any savings above budget in an employee's local unit.
Postal services minister Jim Fitzpatrick warned workers that a national strike would harm their cause - and could damage the Royal Mail.
Staffs should instead look to solve their differences through "constructive discussions" instead, he said.
'Need to modernise'
The union held three ballots, covering 127,000 Royal Mail workers as well as two separate groups of employees involved in pay and jobs disputes.
About 5,000 of union members working in Post Offices were balloted in protest at closures, pay and moving post offices inside WH Smith stores.
And cash handlers, who deliver money to branches, also voted on a strike.
A Royal Mail spokesman said that the ballot result "will not change the absolute need for Royal Mail to modernise, which is in the interests of everyone in the company."
He added: "Mail volumes have already fallen and more people are using electronic communications."
The company's rivals were already 40% more efficient than Royal Mail, the spokesman added.
James Greenbury, chief executive of rival firm DX Group, said he expected to add more customers in June alone than in the last 12 months if postal workers do go ahead with the proposed strike.
Damage to small business
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that a postal strike would severely damage the UK economy and called on both sides to negotiate a solution.
"Small businesses would be hardest hit by this dispute," said FSB trade and industry chairman, Clive Davenport.
"They employ over half of the private sector workforce in the UK and are totally reliant on the Royal Mail. Other mail providers do not offer an alternative to small firms because of their size.
"A cheque delayed in the post can mean the difference between life and death for a small business, which means that this strike cannot be allowed to go ahead."


text:
Read the affiliate disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser effortlessly and without spending any money. Read more
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is aiming to be one powerful beast for the next generation of console gaming.
In a Wired exclusive, PlayStation lead architect Mark Cerny announced what we can look forward to for the next generation console.
As for internals, Cerny announced that the PS5 will be using third-generation Ryzen technology, something many have guessed since the architecture launched. The GPU will be based on AMD Radeon Navi which will support ray tracing technology.
Of course, the use of AMD hardware will lead to the console’s backward compatibility. According to Cerny, PS4 games will be playable on the PS5 alongside PSVR. Great stuff!
This, of course, means that physical media will be alive and well in the next generation. Cerny is keen to point out that PlayStation does have a point to make with cloud gaming. With PlayStation Now being successful, why abandon that?
Impressively, PlayStation 5 will be abandoning an internal mechanical hard drive in exchange for an SSD. Wired claims that loading in Spider-Man was reduced from 15 seconds to 0.8. With faster storage and a much faster CPU, this should be no surprise.
Finally, PS5 will have support for 8K displays. With Sony pushing 8K televisions, it makes sense. However, will the SoC be able to push those kinds of visuals?
PlayStation 5 will not be released in 2019. Now that Sony’s specs are out in the wild, let’s see what Xbox has to offer!

domain: news


text:
The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business Sustainable Market Share Index, research on the growth of sustainably-marketed products, is highlighted in a recent Fortune article. Sustainability is the new disrupting factor in the consumer packaged goods industry.
Excerpt: “Luckily for the planet, research from the New York University Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) shows shoppers aren't all talk but are actually following through with buying more sustainable goods. ‘Across virtually every category of consumer packaged goods (CPG), sustainability is where the growth is, which I think tells you something about where consumers are,’ CSB Director Tensie Whelan tells Fortune. While there might still be a gap between intentions and actual purchasing, Whelan says, ‘the bottom line is if you look at our data there is a massive shift in the last five years.’”
To read the full feature, click here.
Tensie Whelan on Sustainably-Marketed CPG Growth in Fortune
Friday, November 8, 2019


text:
By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS
It’s an issue lighting up legislative bodies across the country this year: Raising the minimum age to sell tobacco products.
Legislation to increase the purchase age to 21 has been introduced in more than a dozen states and in Congress since the beginning of the year, and several additional states may see similar proposals pop up in their law-making sessions in coming weeks.
In California, the state assembly approved a bill in early March to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21. The bill currently awaits the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown before it can take effect and make California one of two states in the country with the highest legal age for tobacco products. Hawaii got the ball rolling on the issue last year when it passed its law in June.
Outside of Hawaii, the current minimum age for tobacco sales is 18, except in four states. In Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah, the minimum age is 19.
Numerous cities – including San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York City – have upped their minimum cigarette sales age to 21. Supporters argue that such laws can help delay youth from getting hooked on smoking, and possibly even prevent them from ever trying the addictive products.
Momentum around laws to increase the tobacco sales age has been building recently over the past year, with passage of the legislation in Hawaii, and now California, providing a stronger push behind the cause.
About two years ago, only 15 cities had passed legislation to increase the minimum age to 21. Now, more than 130 municipalities across the country have done so, according to Tom Geist, regional director for Tobacco 21, an organization advocating for a national change.
“Initial public support has been great for these measures and the implementation of something like this is quite a bit easier than an indoor smoking ban,” Geist said. “Cities also are more immune to Big Tobacco’s influence.”
The states where legislation to increase the sales age to 21 has been introduced this year are: Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
In New Jersey, the state legislature voted in January to raise the age from 19 to 21, but Gov. Chris Christie “pocket vetoed” the bill by choosing not to sign the measure into law. Fifteen localities in New Jersey already have raised the legal age of tobacco and e-cigarette sales to 21.
In addition to tobacco-related industries and many convenience store retail associations, opponents of the effort include those who see it as a contradiction to tell people who are under 21 that they can’t buy tobacco products – but are old enough to drive, vote or enlist in the military.
“I’m not a fan of smoking and don’t myself, but I think our government is way too much of a nanny state,” said California Assemblyman Donald Wagner, explaining his opposition to the state’s bill to raise the minimum age.
“In almost every way, we say an 18-year-old is mature enough to make important and very personal decisions, from little things like getting a tattoo to big things like joining the military and going off and dying for your country,” he said. “To say, ‘OK, except when it comes to smoking, you can’t make that personal choice. You’re not wise enough, you’re not mature enough,’ I think, is an overreach of government.”
According to a March 2015 report released by the Institutes of Medicine, raising the legal tobacco sales age to 21 nationwide would reduce smoking rates by 12 percent and result in about 223,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer lung cancer deaths among those born between 2000 and 2019.
In addition, an article published last October in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported that three out of four American adults – and seven in 10 smokers – favor raising the minimum age of tobacco sales to 21.


text:
5 biggest announcements from Build 2017, Day 2
Over the last few years, Build 2017 has been flashier on day one and little dull on day 2. However the trend was turned upside down at the 2017 edition where day 2 had a lot more announcements and bigger plans than day 1.
Microsoft gave a glimpse of its future plans with windows 10, developer tools, mixed reality and a lot more next-gen features. Let’s have a look at the 5 biggest announcements from Day 2 of build 2017 conference.
- Fluent Design System and Fall Creators Update : Microsoft is having big plans with the Windows 10. It made some considerable announcements on day 2 and those included the new design language, Fluent Design System. It has also given a name to the next big feature in Windows 10, named as Fall creators update.
- Story Remix : Story remix is an upgraded version of current photos app available on Windows 10. It works great with the stored photographs and creates stories on its own to be shared with others. Microsoft claims to have implemented 3D effect along with a great set of transitions. It can also pick tracks from Groove music app.
- Cloud Clipboard and Timeline : Microsoft has added an amazing feature with OneDrive. Users can now copy their files on one device and paste them on another device using cloud based storage. Along with that, the timeline allows to go back in time and restore uninstalled or deleted programs. Another feature called Files on Demand, will help you browse through your OneDrive files without using the local storage and you can download only the files you need. These features will come integrated with the next Fall Creators Upgrade.
- iTunes on Windows Store : One of the biggest and unexpected announcements in the build 2017 was that iTunes is now coming to Windows Store. Microsoft recently launched its student centric version Windows 10 S, which can download apps only from Windows Store. To make users do not lose their minds, Microsoft has taken this step and it sounds even more sweet after the recent announcement by Spotify that it is making a debut on Windows store too.
- Focus on mixed reality : Over the last few months, Microsoft has shown a great support for Mixed reality. At build 2017 too, it showed great plans for the upcoming months. Developers can even preorder the mixed reality kits from Acer and HP.


text:
Apple is being fined $25,000 dollars every day for missing due date to deliver prove in the claim against Qualcomm
Apple is being fined $25,000 perday for missing a court-forced due date to create prove in an administration claim that asserts versatile chip provider Qualcomm has been forcing unjustifiable authorizing terms on the creators of cell phones.
A lady takes a gander at the screen of her cell phone before an Apple logo. ReutersA lady takes a gander at the screen of her cell phone before an Apple logo. Reuters
The fine forced Thursday by a government officer judge in San Jose, California, is retroactive to 16 December and will stay as a result until 29 December. On the off chance that Apple hasn’t created every one of the 1.3 million records secured by a request issued in October, US Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins means to expand the fine.
In an announcement, Apple said it intends to request Cousins’ decision for a situation setting the Federal Trade Commission against Qualcomm, whose innovation is utilized as a part of the greater part of the world’s cell phones.
“We have just created a large number of records for this case and are endeavoring to convey the millions more which have been asked for in an uncommon time allotment,” said Apple, which is situated in Cupertino, California.
San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc. declined remark.
In spite of the fact that it isn’t specifically engaged with the FTC’s suit against Qualcomm, Apple has been coordinating with the US government in its examination. Qualcomm is looking for Apple’s records as a feature of its push to demonstrate the FTC’s claims aren’t right.
As the creator of the iPhone, Apple additionally has an issue against Qualcomm. Apple sued Qualcomm in an alternate claim soon after the FTC held up its dissension. Apple is blaming Qualcomm for mishandling its energy to blackmail sovereignties from iPhone advancements that have nothing to do with its innovation. Qualcomm has denied those affirmations and is countersuing Apple, raising the spite between the two organizations.
Regardless of whether Apple is fined the most extreme measure of $350,000 through 29 December under the court administering, it will scarcely bother an organization that has about $270 billion in real money.


text:
Hoarders and gougers are the opposite ends of the supply and demand curve of a crisis.
Right from the beginning, some people speculated in things like hand sanitizer. Some of them may have made a lot of money.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Twitter has been alive with attacks on and outings of those trying to profit off the crisis and panic.
Public officials in Canada and the United States threatened legal action against gougers.
New York Public Radio wrote on March 13, “N.Y. Lawmakers Push New Bill To Combat Price Gouging As COVID-19 Spreads.”
As early as March 6 the B.C. government was, according to that province’s Tri-City News, “ready to use emergency powers to curb price-gouging.”
A CBC headline March 14 read, “Kijiji bans listings for toilet paper, surgical masks amid COVID-19 price-gouging.”
As other sites such as eBay and Amazon did the same, some of the speculators – the gougers – seem to have lost the bet.
The NY Times reports on Matt and Noah Colvin: “While millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.”
Few people will feel any sympathy, but let’s not gloss over an important part of what the Times wrote – “while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer.” The Colvins have involuntarily gone from gougers to hoarders.
And while the wrath of the public, and therefore the politicians, is focused on people like the Colvins, a huge number of our fellow citizens are the hoarders. They are the ones who cause the short supply that drives the price and panic.
Did you go to the grocery store, brave the crowds and take four of something when you could have gotten by with one or maybe two?
If you did, you are a hoarder.
The gouger doesn’t care what his action does to people across the country. He cares only about himself.
The hoarder doesn’t care about the person behind him in line who needs goods for his or her family. He only cares about himself.
To be fair to hoarders, the federal government started it. On Feb. 27th Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said, “There’s no magic to this… it’s really about first of all making sure you have enough supplies.”
So people went out and got a lot more than they needed, with no heed to people behind them in line.
Saturday the Ontario government addressed the over-buying: “Please practice normal grocery buying habits and rest assured that our grocery production and supply chain will continue to provide Ontarians with the food we enjoy each and every day.”
“Rest assured, we have plenty of food that will continue to reach grocery stores on a regular basis,” the statement said.
Premier Ford reiterated the position in his Monday press conference.
In a time of crisis – and this is one – we have to work together as best we can.
Some things will go up in price as there is a strain on supply, and higher prices will force some people to share. That is a part of what prices do, from an economics perspective.
That is not to excuse out and out profiteers, but it is a warning to us all to not be irresponsible hoarders.


text:
01/11/2017 · YES you can make more money Bitcoins are systematically produced from something called the “blockchain”. Often called “mining”, tech whizzes use highly advanced technology to create.
One of the fastest, easiest but also riskiest ways you can make money with Bitcoin is by trading it. Basically you’re trying to buy Bitcoin when the price is low and sell it when the price rises. However, trading Bitcoin successfully is not a matter of luck or guesswork.
But can you afford to get involved, and will it actually make you rich? We took a crash course in crypto to find out.
CRYPTO WHAT? Bitcoin, the world's first.
I think the FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) offers superior long-term return potential than Bitcoin while many of its members.
WE all dream of a life in which money is no object. Fancy restaurants, designer clothes, exotic holidays . . . But new.
Bitcoin watchers have told investors who expect its price to boom on the back of its recent halving to be patient and not.
Many are keen to travel again with 69 per cent of the Britons saying they are keen to take a holiday sooner rather than later, or as soon as officially confirmed as safe to do so, according to new.
20 Aug 2019.
Our robot colleague Satoshi Nakaboto writes about Bitcoin.
Welcome to another edition of Bitcoin Today, where I, Satoshi Nakaboto, tell you what's been.
Bitcoin's price should have been $89,399 by now, according to dickline.info.
to eToro, where you can buy Bitcoin so they can make 'money' to 'eat'.
3 Mar 2020.
The advertisement was styled as a news article and ran with the headline: "The biggest deal in Shark Tank history, that can make YOU rich in.
We Grow Bitcoins 05/04/2017 · We Grow Bitcoins is a really popular and new opportunity that is making it’s rounds on social media among network marketers. Now, first off, let me make it clear I am NOT promoting this business opportunity as an affiliate or distributor. I have all the facts about this business in my We Grow Bitcoins
Iptay Donors Bowl Ticket Information Season Ticket Holders & DAF Donors General Public Bowl Ticket Sales Hours: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri | 800-WEB-FOOT | 541-346-4461 | [email protected] | @OregonDuckTix Buy DeAndre Hopkins was the only Cardinals player included. Craig Grialou and Mike Jurecki discuss where Hopkins landed and why Chandler Jones was snubbed again. Former Cardinals linebacker Rob. Bitcoin Scalability Problems Many
25 Nov 2019.
You can invest in Bitcoin by buying and holding the cryptocurrency in the hopes it will increase in value over time. Bitcoin is extremely volatile and.
Bitcoin can be traded quickly online, buy-to-let is an illiquid investment, which means it can take months to buy or sell a property.
If you want to get brilliantly rich, shares are still the.


text:
April 13, 2022
In the Media
CTL Deputy Director Jim Rice was interviewed by Fox Business in regards to smaller ports becoming viable alternatives to overcrowded docks:
Right now, any one disruption has a huge impact on just about the entire supply chain, it's really fragile [...] there's some big benefits [in utilizing smaller ports] until you run into the same problem at the other place. To be able to be responsive, that's critical for them.


text:
The story so far: GPU and AI chip giant Nvidia on March 22 announced the release of a specially designed version of its advanced H100 chip that complied with U.S. export regulations. That means it could sell it to Chinese tech companies. The move came after months of policy changes by the Biden administration that aimed to crack down on China’s access to U.S.-designed technology such as chips and semiconductors.
Why is Nvidia changing its chips?
In September, Nvidia was ordered by officials to stop exporting two high-level chips - A100 and H100 - to Chinese customers due to concerns about the technology being used for military purposes in the future. Nvidia shares were hit by the move. Another chipmaker, AMD, also admitted that its MI250 AI chips were hit by the export ban.
The restrictions were part of the Biden administration’s larger push to curtail the flow of advanced hardware and active components to China, so as to prevent the country from building up its AI, intelligence, and military capabilities. Most of these chips made by the top players in this sector, are also made in Taiwan, a country which China claims is part of its own.
The U.S. Department of Commerce was not clear as to what technical chip specifications would attract an export ban. However, the Chinese foreign ministry and the commerce ministry both criticised the move in strong terms at the time.
(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today’s Cache)
Will there be a difference in performance?
Nvidia has remained tight lipped about the H800’s technical specifications, but stressed on the fact that the H800 complied with U.S. export regulations. However, the H100 is a highly advanced and sophisticated piece of technology that fulfils high-demand AI use cases and accelerates their speed. For this, the chip-to-chip data transfer rate needs to be high, or the AI model may be at risk of losing its speed.
Citing an anonymous source, Reuters reported that the chip-to-chip data transfer rate of the H800 was around half of the H100.
Speaking about a newly released H100 GPU in March, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had said that it could bring down large language model processing costs “by an order of magnitude.”
Apart from artificial intelligence, the H100 also supports cloud computing. Some companies using or planning to introduce H100 hardware or technology include Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, Meta, Google Cloud, and Open AI.
Where will the chipsets be deployed?
An Nvidia spokesperson said that the H800 technology is being used for cloud computing by the Chinese internet giant Baidu, the e-commerce platform Alibaba, and the entertainment conglomerate Tencent. Mr. Huang noted that the chips would power the work of startups concentrating on generative AI and large language models.
In March, Baidu CEO Robin Li unveiled the AI-powered Ernie chatbot, meant to be a rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While a recorded clip showing the chatbot’s reported accomplishments led to plummeting shares, positive user feedback after a day again caused shares to rise.
Baidu has plans to bring Ernie to its search engine, similar to the Bing and OpenAI collaboration.
How crucial are the A100 and the H100 in AI development?
Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Google are in a race to bring AI-enhanced features and search engines to the public. In order to power the supercomputers that make such complex processes possible, they will need high level hardware such as the H100 and A100. The Nvidia A100 costs about $10,000 and thousands of such chips are required in order to power AI processes such as Microsoft’s AI-enabled Bing chatbot. This could result in companies paying billions of dollars to test their products even before they reach the public.
However, cost may not be such a large entry barrier as Mr. Huang claimed that the company’s technology was bringing down the price of the hardware required for AI processes. Mr. Huang said that with Nvidia’s GPUs, a large language model (LLM) could be built at the cost of around $10 or $20 million, as per a CNBC report.
While the A100 came out in 2020, the H100 came out in 2022. Demand is evidently growing for these chips, as the more expensive H100 brought in greater quarterly revenue than the A100 at the start of 2023.


text:
On the heels of IFA and in the shadow of Apple and T-Mobile, Super Mobility Week has the makings of a quiet alternative show.
Not a fan of the new Google Maps apps for Android and iOS? Chances are, you're not going to like the new after-search ads in the apps, either.
HP, Samsung, Xerox, and Canon banded together to create the Mopria standards for making it easy to print from mobile devices. Up next: an "explosion" of new printing uses.
Don't count the location-sharing social network out just yet. With a growing user base and an increased focus on advertising, Foursquare is still kicking.
The social network launches a new feature to remind the media that its 1.15 billion members can serve as sources for stories.
The social network is promising more relevant ads, if you're willing to tell it why you don't like the ones you're seeing now.
The founder of Oculus and mind behind the modern VR movement is enthusiastic about his industry's burgeoning prospects, but sees challenges too.
In sharply written letter opposing settlement offer in EU case against Google, News Corp. exec says Google is stifling competition and exploiting its dominant market position.
The person allegedly took six bodies for the iPhone 6 off the assembly line and sold them to a local gadget market in Shenzhen.
Stanford and Duke will use the new platform to track blood-sugar levels, blood pressure, weight, and other health measurements.


text:
The Nintendo Switch Oled model is coming out later this year, and gamers can start pre-ordering now.
However, like with other big product launches in 2020 and this year, gamers are struggling to find an option to buy one.
The good news is that Nintendo Switch Oled pre-order options have started today in North America and have already begun in the UK.
Argos has an active page offering the Nintendo Switch Oled console that appears to allow you to add it to your trolley.
So that might be the first place to try when trying to buy in the UK this month and later in 2021.
The official GAME UK page states that console hunters can sign up to get updates regarding availability, adding:
“We’re currently out of stock of the Nintendo Oled Model. Enter your email address below to sign up to receive email updates when stock becomes available again.”
But like those customers who have been trying to buy Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles in 2021, it looks like this new Nintendo product is going to sell out quickly.
Gamestop revealed on Twitter today that they would begin selling Switch Oled consoles today as part of the pre-order process.
And if you check the site right now, it states that the $ 349.99 console is currently not available to pre-order.
The only consolation is that gamers could receive updates regarding when the new Nintendo Switch console is available to buy via Twitter messages and official sign-ups.
The Switch OLED Model features a host of improvements over the original model, such as a wider adjustable stand for tabletop mode and a LAN port for improved online performance.
With 64BG of internal storage, the Nintendo Switch OLED Model can hold more games – although you’ll probably still need an SD card if you download lots of games.
Finally, Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch OLED Model will feature improved audio thanks to the beefier speakers.
Elsewhere, the stylish new console will launch with a brand new colour scheme, as well as the classic Neon Red and Neon Blue set-up.
Fans will be able to purchase a white model, complete with white Joy-Con controllers, a black main unit and a white dock.
Unlike the Switch Lite, the OLED Model will support both handheld and docked gameplay, meaning it can be played at home on the TV, and on the go.
This post originally posted here Daily Express :: Gaming


text:
4-story Staybridge Suites proposed for southeast corner of Daniels, Fishback
Staybridge Suites wants to build a 101-room hotel within three blocks of both the 500-room Great Wolf indoor waterpark resort and hotel that is now under construction and the Big League Dreams sports complex.
The four-story, 75,196-square-foot building with an outdoor swimming pool is proposed for 2.2 acres on the southeast corner of Daniels Street and Fishback Road in Manteca. It would be in front of the Sizzler restaurant and west of the Arco AM/PM gas station-convenience store and car wash located on the northeast corner of the Airport Way and 120 Bypass interchange.
Access to the hotel will be from a private driveway 300 feet south of the intersection to avoid creating traffic issues on Daniels Street as well as for nearby residential neighbors.
While parking is on all four sides of the hotel, most of it will be in the rear toward Sizzler.
The hotel will have windows on all four sides with limited windows facing the rear elevation to the east and southeast where there is a city-owned parcel. Windows facing the northeast are about 130 feet away from single family homes on the north side of Daniels Street. The hotel will come in at just under 50 feet in height.
Staybridge Suites is an all-suite residential-style hotel with more than 200 locations. Most of their hotels are in the United States but they also have locations in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and South America. The hotel is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group that also includes Regent Hotels, the Crowne Plaza, as well as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express among others.
There are two Staybridge Suites locations in Sacramento, plus one each in Rocklin, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, San Jose Fairfield, and the Silicon Valley.
They also have locations in Southern California. Manteca will be the first Staybridge Suites location in the San Joaquin Valley.
Staybridge will be Manteca’s seventh hotel when you include Great Wolf which will end up being the largest hotel ever built in the Central Valley with 500 rooms when it opens in 2020. The owners of Orchard Valley are working to locate a second hotel at their project at Union Road and the 120 Bypass across from the Hampton Inn.
Great Wolf located in other cities has helped increase hotel investment despite being a self-contained resort as far as the indoor waterpark portion of their project. That’s because they have events/conference centers that attract people who do not book rooms at Great Wolf but do elsewhere as they prefer not to take advantage of the indoor waterpark.
The growth of hotels is expected not only to create jobs — Great Wolf alone will employ 250 fulltime and 250 part-time workers — and bolster the economy but also generate more hotel room taxes to help pay for day-to-day services such as police and fire as well as street maintenance.
Hotel room taxes collected by the City of Manteca are expected to grow 30.7 percent from $1,321,000 this year to $1,726,770 in the fiscal year starting July 1.
The boost is almost all attributable to a decision by voters in November 2018 to increase the city’s room tax for the first time in 27 years from 9 to 12 percent. The estimated $1,321,000 the city expects to receive in room taxes in the current year ending June 30 reflects only three months of the higher tax.
Room tax receipts have been growing by double digits for the past five years prior to the increased rate due to increased occupancy and higher room rate charges. The room tax receipts totaled $912,685 in the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
The opening of Great Wolf in mid-2020 will bring a significant increase in room tax revenue for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Based on historic 70 percent occupancy figures for its resorts Great Wolf expected to collect $4,237,000 in annual room taxes at the previous 9 percent rate. The additional 3 percent tax will generate $1,412,333 more in room taxes.
All of the increase from the taking the tax from 9 to 12 percent will go to the city.


text:
Leaked video with Samsung Galaxy S3 specifications has shown up in Vietnam.
If the new iPad 3 has been presented by a Vietnamese website before its release date, it is now time for the new Samsung Galaxy S3 to be introduced in a similar way. On 3rd of May Samsung will introduce the new device in London. But until then, some guys in Vietnam look like they have taken a quick look to the specifications of the new Galaxy S3.
They say that its display has a 4.6 inches diagonal, and its resolution is set to 1280 x… Continue to Samsung Galaxy S3 Specifications Leaked Video In Vietnam


text:
Sonia Syngal has worked for Gap Inc. for 12 years. She's a 1993 graduate of Kettering University and earned a master's in engineering systems from Stanford University in 1995. Photo courtesy of Gap., Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 14 (UPI) -- Sonia Syngal has been named the new global president of Old Navy, Gap Inc. announced Thursday.
Syngal, who most recently was executive vice president of Global Supply Chain and Product Operations for Gap, will continue to report to Gap Inc. CEO Art Peck.
"Syngal will lead the brand's continued reinvention of the value space with quality, accessible fashion for everyone," the company said in a statement.
Stefan Larsson left last fall to become the CEO of Ralph Lauren. On Sept. 30, the share price of Gap took a dive following the announcement of the departure of Larrson, who turned Old Navy into Gap Inc.'s No. 1 brand. The Old Navy brand is contributing 42.2 percent of total revenue, compared with the Gap brand, which is just 36.4 percent of total sales, according to Seeking Alpha.
Syngal, who has worked for Gap Inc. for 12 years, returns to Old Navy where she was senior vice president of the brand's international division before being tapped to lead Gap's enterprise-wide global supply chain in 2013.
"Sonia is an inspiring leader with a proven track record leading transformation and driving product-to-market innovations," Peck said. "Following a comprehensive search, I'm confident Sonia is the right leader to enable Old Navy to realize its substantial, long-term growth potential."
Before joining Gap, Syngal spent 10 years at Microsystems and six years at Ford Motor Company.
"Old Navy is truly changing the value space with great design and quality apparel that the whole family loves, and I can't wait to focus my energy on continuing to deliver that promise to our customers," Syngal said. "How we continue to transform our product engine, focused on balancing amazing product with operational excellence will be key to unlocking Old Navy's next phase of growth."
Gap's fiscal year 2015 net sales were $15.8 billion. Other Gap brands are Banana Republic, Athleta and Intermix.
Sonia holds a master's degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University (1995) and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University (1993).
Jill Stanton, who served as interim leader at Old Navy, will become a strategic adviser to support a seamless transition as Syngal takes the helm.


text:
Nissan Lifts Profit Guidance on Forex Windfalls, Cost Cuts
BY :CHANG-RAN KIM
FEBRUARY 09, 2015
Yokohama. Nissan Motor lifted its annual earnings forecast on Monday, expecting its highest operating profit in seven years due to favorable currency movement and further cost cuts.
Japan's number-two carmaker by sales also lowered its global sales forecast by 150,000 vehicles to 5.3 million, expecting weaker sales particularly in China and Russia due to weaker-than-expected overall demand in those markets.
Nissan raised its operating profit projection to 570 billion yen ($4.79 billion) for the year to end-March from the previously forecast 535 billion yen. A poll of 29 analysts by Thomson Reuters puts the profit at 589.9 billion yen.
For October-December, operating profit nearly doubled to 156.0 billion yen, eclipsing the 121.42 billion yen estimate of 12 analysts. Growth was helped by a low base of comparison from the year-earlier quarter, when earnings were pushed down by increased marketing and other spending.
Nissan changed its dollar rate assumption to 108.8 yen for the year from 104 yen, lifting the value of revenue made in the United States, its biggest market.
"We anticipate good full-year results as our product offensive and positive momentum in North America and Western Europe offsets volatility in other markets," chief executive Carlos Ghosn said in a statement.
However, strong sales growth in the United States was achieved partly by offering consumers incentives well above the industry average.
In the third quarter, discounts cost Nissan around $3,500 per vehicle, according to researcher Autodata.
"Our profitability in the United States still lags competitors," corporate vice president Joji Tagawa said. "This year, we'll aim to improve this by controlling costs and incentives more, as well as improving product pricing."
The launch of bigger, higher-margin vehicles should also help, he said.
Nissan has said improving profitability is its top near-term priority, with a target of 8 percent operating margin by the year to March 2017.
So far this year, its margin was 5.9 percent under its own calculation that includes Chinese profits under previous accounting standards.
For the third quarter only, Nissan reported a 5.3 percent margin, far short of compatriot Toyota Motor's 10.6 percent.


text:
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park plans to start construction in mid-July on a $22 million Japanese garden on its West Michigan grounds.
DeVos was voted into the U.S. Direct Selling Association (DSA) prestigious Hall of Fame in 1979 for efforts to put Amway on the map. (Jay Van Andel was inducted into the exclusive club in 1987).
The Michigan Economic Growth Authority Wednesday approved work plans for four brownfield redevelopment projects expected to generate $39.4 million in new investment and create or retain 512 direct jobs.
With record breaking 2011 sales topping $10.9 billion and double digit growth in nine of its Top 10 markets across the globe and an innovative manufacturing line that will produce its Nutrilite products gearing up, Amway is on a proverbial roll.
WWJ’s third day at the International Consumer Electronics Show was the first official day of the world’s largest tech trade show. The tech on display included familiar auto names — and upstarts building the no. 1 selling computer for Walmart.com.
DeVos appeared on WWJ-TV CBS Detroit’s show “Michigan Matters” talking about how our state needs to break its cycle of relying on big business and monolithic ways of doing things.
It’s an American success story thanks to Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Russian customers. In fact it’s a worldwide love affair with their health and beauty products that put Amway on the map.
Carol Cain takes an exclusive “behind the scenes” look at Amway Corporation, a global powerhouse that employs thousands worldwide.
It’s East meets West as three powerful Michigan families join forces today when the Ilitches, DeVos’ and Van Andels announce a blockbuster marketing sponsorship revolving around the Detroit Red Wings.
Why are Meijer, Amway, Steelcase, and Wolverine Worldwide suddenly moving in together? It’s all about jobs. Carol Cain gets the details in a special “Michigan Matters.”
- Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland... Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland... Student Construction Science... Detroit Red Wings Vs. Chicago...
- Ticket Chicks At The Detroit... Detroit Tigers @ Texas... Detroit Tigers @ Texas... Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago...
- Detroit Tigers @ Texas... Detroit Tigers @ Texas... Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago... Detroit Tigers Vs. Houston...
- Detroit Tigers Vs. Houston... Detroit Tigers Vs. Houston... Detroit's Robocop Statue... Detroit Red Wings @ Anaheim...


text:
Companies of all sizes can fall prey to cyberattack. Just ask T-Mobile, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world and a recent victim of criminal hacking.
The massive data breach compromised the personal information of more than 54 million people, putting nearly half of the company’s customer base at risk. Among the data stolen were social security numbers, driver’s license information, birth dates, and other information criminals could use to steal identities and create fraudulent accounts.
Here’s what we know so far.
A cyberattack on T-Mobile servers exposed the personal information of more than 50 million people, including social security numbers, birth dates, drivers license information, and other sensitive customer data.
The company announced that it was investigating a breach on August 16th, one day after Vice reported that an underground forum post was attempting to sell personal information obtained from T-Mobile servers for 6 bitcoin (or roughly $276,000).
T-Mobile soon confirmed the hack, reporting that “(our) systems were subject to a criminal attack that compromised data of millions of our customers, former customers, and prospective customers.”
Who is the hacker?
John Binns, a 21-year-old American with a prior history of cybercrime, has claimed responsibility for the attack. He is currently living in Izmir, Turkey, where he moved with his mother when he was 18.
Binns first reached out to Alon Gal, co-founder of cyber intelligence firm Hudson Rock, claiming to have carried out the attack to harm U.S. infrastructure. Gal would later share Binns’ messages regarding the attack on Twitter.
Binns would go on to speak publicly about the attack in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. He provided proof of his involvement to WSJ via Telegram and claimed he conducted the attack “to generate noise”.
The Wall Street Journal could not confirm if Binns was working alone or had an accomplice, though he did mention needing help acquiring login credentials for T-Mobile servers.
How did he hack T-Mobile?
That depends on who you ask.
Binns told the WSJ that he gained access to T-Mobile servers through an unprotected router in late July. While searching for gaps in T-Mobile’s security defenses, he was able to infiltrate a data center in Washington that gave him access to more than 100 company servers.
By August 4, he had accessed the servers storing personal information and stolen millions of files.
“Their security is awful,” Binns said.
Of course, T-Mobile characterizes the breach in a different way. According to CEO Mike Sievert, “the bad actor leveraged their knowledge of technical systems, along with specialized tools and capabilities, to gain access to our testing environments and then used brute force attacks and other methods to make their way into other IT servers that included customer data.”
Who was affected?
T-Mobile released a statement on August 20 confirming that the names, birth dates, social security numbers, phone numbers, driver’s licenses, and IMEI information for approximately 7.8 million customers was stolen in the breach. More than 5.3 “current postpaid customer accounts” were also accessed.
Over 40 million former or prospective customers were also compromised, exposing their names, social security numbers, birth dates, and drivers license information. More than 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customers also had information like their names, phone numbers, and account PINs illegally accessed.
According to their latest statement, T-Mobile has notified almost all customers affected by the data breach. Customers who are believed to be safe from the breach will see a banner announcement on their account login page.
How is T-Mobile responding?
T-Mobile is offering any customer who might have been affected two years of free identity services through McAfee’s ID Theft Protection Service. They are also recommending that customers sign up for their free scam-blocking protection through Scam Shield.
Moving forward, T-Mobile has tightened their defenses through “long-term partnerships” with Mandiant, a cybersecurity company, and KPMG LLC, a consulting firm.
Are You the Next Victim of a Cyber Attack?
Take our security quiz below to find your cyber risk score.
Phillip Long – CISSP, CEO of , along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.


text:
French billionaire Bernard Arnault moved to consolidate control over Christian Dior for about 12.1 billion euros ($13.2 billion), folding the fashion house’s operations into the LVMH luxury empire in one of his biggest transactions.
The deal, in which the Arnault family is offering to buy out minority investors in Christian Dior SE for 260 euros a share and shedding some of its holdings in rival Hermes International, unites ownership of one of the most iconic fashion brands under one roof. That’s 15 percent above the Monday closing price of Dior, which the family already controls with a 74 percent stake.
The two-part transaction, which comes amid a China-led revival in the luxury-goods industry’s fortunes, simplifies a complicated ownership structure and crowns the career of the biggest consolidator in the business. Arnault, who has a net worth of $46.3 billion, took control of the parent companies of Dior and Louis Vuitton in the 1980s and later added brands ranging from fashion label Fendi to jeweler Bulgari and suitcase maker Rimowa.
In the latest deal, LVMH is taking over a fashion house whose voluminous “New Look” helped revive French haute couture in the postwar years and whose designers have ranged from Pierre Cardin to John Galliano, for 6.5 billion euros. LVMH, 47 percent controlled by the Arnault family, already owns Dior perfumes and beauty thanks to a 1960s-era transaction to raise capital for the then-troubled fashion brand.
“Reuniting Christian Dior Couture and Christian Dior Parfums, so one brand under one leadership, has to be a good thing for LVMH shareholders,” Stephen Mitchell, head of strategy for global equities at Jupiter Asset Management, said in a Bloomberg Radio interview. “It does clean up the corporate structure.”
LVMH rose as much as 4.9 percent in Paris trading, while Dior gained as much as 13 percent.
Dior investors can choose payment in cash or stock of Hermes, using shares in the rival Paris-based luxury company that the Arnault family received in 2014 after a controversial effort by LVMH to build a stake.
Swapping the Hermes stock for Dior shares helps the family cash out of a profitable investment without paying taxes on a sale. LVMH surprised its rival in October 2010 by announcing it held 17.1 percent of the company. The move led the Hermes founding family to file a lawsuit and to form a holding company to protect its ownership. LVMH in 2014 ended the drama, distributing the shares to investors.
Hermes shares have risen about 350 percent since the end of 2008, the year in which LVMH began buying derivatives on the stock. The deal lets the Arnault family benefit from those gains at a time when the LVMH CEO has been warning of the risk of a new financial crisis, saying at a press conference Tuesday that persistently low interest rates “encourage investors to make stupid mistakes.”
“This is a good acquisition for LVMH in our view, given the strong brand of Christian Dior,” analysts at Barclays said in a note, adding that it’s a “good use of its balance sheet.”
Hermes was down as much as 6.2 percent. The transaction means millions of the LVMH rival’s shares that have been held by the Arnault family could soon hit the market.
The shift streamlines the Arnault family’s holdings as its 68-year-old patriarch moves to give his children greater responsibility over parts of the far-flung empire. Antoine Arnault oversees Italian coat-maker Loro Piana, Delphine Arnault is a top executive at Louis Vuitton and Frederic Arnault was installed as joint CEO of Rimowa after LVMH’s acquisition last year.
LVMH, whose full name is LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, is paying about 15.6 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization over the past year for Christian Dior Couture, which it will acquire for 6.5 billion euros under the second part of the plan announced Tuesday.
Dior, whose look has been refreshed in recent decades by the likes of Galliano, Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane, already works closely with LVMH. The fashion house’s watches, for example, use movements made by LVMH’s Zenith brand, and Arnault said cooperation would increase after the deals.
Bringing the two companies under the same umbrella will ease Dior’s access to financing for stores and marketing as well as making it easier to move talent between the perfume and fashion arms, Arnault said. Dior Couture also owns prime real estate, including stores in Paris, London and Tokyo.
“This is an operation that shows our confidence in the French economy as well as in LVMH going forward,” Arnault said at the press conference. “It will allow us to increase the synergies that already exist between LVMH and Christian Dior Couture.”
The deal will have little impact on Christian Dior’s eight production sites in France, said Sydney Toledano, the 65-year-old CEO of the fashion house, who has run it since 1998. Other LVMH-owned brands have also maintained control of their factories.
“As with creativity and product development, I believe that the Dior touch has to remain distinct in production,” Toledano told reporters.


text:
More Brewing Co., two other downtown Bartlett businesses receive village grants
Bartlett's economic development grant program just had its biggest month yet with three downtown projects getting a boost, including the forthcoming new location of Villa Park-based More Brewing Co.
The 8,000-square-foot restaurant and brew pub, being built on the southeast corner of Railroad and South Oak avenues, received the maximum $50,000 amount from the Bartlett Economic Development Assistance program to put toward eligible aspects of its roughly $4 million investment in the site.
"It's the biggest development project in our downtown for quite a while," Bartlett Economic Development Coordinator Tony Fradin said.
More Brewing Co., which operates locations in Villa Park and Huntley, is expected to open in Bartlett this spring.
Company owners -- brothers Perry and Sunny Patel -- bought the former site of Lucky Jack's for $101,000 from the village, which had previously acquired it to raze the vacant building constructed in the 1870s to make the land more marketable.
At the time of the sale, the brothers also received an economic incentive from the village offering a 50% rebate on its sales taxes up to $100,000 or for 10 years, whichever comes first. But the more recent BEDA grant is from a village program that invests Bartlett's portion of video gambling taxes in businesses that generate sales tax.
Originally intended to attract new businesses like More Brewing Co., the program also encourages reinvestment in existing businesses, Fradin said.
The grants are available for up to 50% of the cost of an eligible project, with $50,000 being the cap to ensure there's enough money for a variety of businesses to benefit.
Last month was the first time more than one grant was approved at a single village board meeting, with three businesses receiving one.
The others were Le P'tit, which received $41,000 to put toward the transformation of a 140-year-old barn into a nearly completed wine and tapas restaurant, and Pasta Mia, which will use a $20,825 grant for the replacement of some old windows into new sliding ones, Fradin said.
Pasta Mia is a good example of a long-standing business in the village benefiting from the grant, he added, being a bridge from the former Bartlett Plaza conversion into the new Streets of Bartlett development downtown.
Fradin said he's pleased the availability of the grants for business attraction and retention is on the rise.
Since 2019, the village has paid out $322,000. There have been a total of 19 grants approved, including these three most recent ones, providing $500,221 for projects bringing $7.9 million in investment to Bartlett.
Previous recipients have included the renovation of Streets of Bartlett, One Twenty Live, O'Hare's Pub/Midway Landings and Rebecca's Cakes.


text:
Dunkin' Donuts wants to open 9,000 new stores.
It's an ambitious goal for any retailer in this climate. And it might seem especially bold for Dunkin', which said this summer it is drastically slowing expansion plans.
scaling down while refining a new concept and then ramping up was
always the brand's plan, said R.J. Hottovy, an analyst who covers the
brand for Morningstar. Over the summer, Dunkin' said it would pare down
its menu at some locations, remodel stores, bring in new equipment and
sell more food in supermarkets and other non-Dunkin' locations.. . . more


text:
EcoPrint Europe Live 2012, which takes place in Berlin from 26-27 September 2012, has officially announced HP as its headline partner for the event, signalling the market leader‚Äôs strong support for sustainability in print. The event will provide a focused attendance of professionals with guidance, support and inspiration for sustainability.
EcoPrint has already received excellent support from potential exhibitors and visitors from around the world, suggesting that the industry is ready to embrace both the show and its vision of a profitable, sustainable future.
Marcus Timson, Director, EcoPrint said, We are absolutely delighted to have the support of HP as a headline partner for EcoPrint Europe 2012. To have such a prestigious technology leader as HP declaring its support for the event is a great endorsement of the concept and vision of the event. HP is clearly committed to a sustainable strategy and therefore has plenty of expertise to contribute to the content and profile of EcoPrint and we are excited to be working in partnership with them.
Ronen Zioni, Marketing Director, HP, GSB EMEA, said, Once again, HP is recognised in News Week‚Äôs Top 25 US Sustainable Brands, and also features within the world‚Äôs top 100 sustainable brands. So it should come as no surprise that HP recognises that the EcoPrint event is both a great idea and the perfect platform for HP to communicate the message of sustainable print business to an audience of printers, agencies, marketers and brands. The reality is that the leading brands of the world are aligning their supply chains to their goals for carbon neutrality, and print must fall into line. At EcoPrint, HP will showcase innovative print technologies that enable a wide range of application projects in retail, interiors, point of sale, outdoor advertising and packaging as well as developing content for visitors and attendees looking for inspiration and information for sustainable, innovative and profitable print. We look forward to working with the EcoPrint team to create an exciting new event format for the print and marketing industries.


text:
Though Volkswagen loves to point at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant as a working example of efficient production and energy conservation, the German automaker refuses to answer questions as to whether or not the plant will produce VW’s new crossover SUV.
Tennesseans are hopeful that they will indeed be given the honor of making this new vehicle. In fact, they are so keen on getting the assignment that a whole gaggle of local officials made their ways to Wolfsburg, Germany to make their case at VW headquarters in early June. Industry observers believe that taking on the crossover will double the number of workers at the plant from 2,500 to 5,000. Currently, each year, the plant generates about $53 million in state and local taxes along with more than $643 million, according to a recent University of Tennessee study.
Writing about the trip, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said, “We are always looking for ways to work with them and encourage their growth in Chattanooga.” Jim Coppinger, the mayor of nearby Hamilton County, expressed similar thoughts when he said, “No doubt it takes incentives.”
Most believe that VW will make a decision in July.


text:
Watch_Dogs, the new IP that comes to you from Ubisoft, just had a new developer diary released. Watch_Dogs is an open world action-adventure video game. In Watch_Dogs you play as Aiden Pearce, who has the ability to hack into the cTOS in the game, which allows him to solve various obstacles. Watch_Dogs was first revealed at last years E3 and then had new gameplay shown off at Sony's PS4 announcement meeting. Watch_Dogs will be releasing on the PS3 on November 19, 2013 in North America and November 22, 2013 in Europe. The game will be a PS4 launch title and will release at a later date.
Today Ubisoft, has released a new video for their highly anticipated game in Watch_Dogs. The video that was released is a developer diary that is apart of Sony's "Conversations With Creators." The Conversation With Creations is a series where developers from different companies talk about developing games for the PS4. In this weeks episode, Ubisoft talks about the development of Watch_Dogs on the PlayStation 4. Now may I present you with the video that was released.
Source: PS Blog.


text:
EUROPE continues to be the top holiday destination for Indonesians, while Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey also rank high on the popularity scale.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily at the ASTINDO International Travel Fair (AITF) over the weekend, ASTINDO executive chairman and Golden Rama Tours & Travel president director Anto Haditono said: “Europe has always been a favourite destination. The recent improvement of the visa application process (to enter Europe), from two weeks to three days, has made the Schengen states even more attractive.”
Panorama Tours Indonesia managing director-Leisure Travel Management, Meity Lukito, begged to differ: “I think it is the improving (Indonesian) economic condition that is driving traffic to Europe. (As the shorter visa application process is newly implemented), not everyone is informed about the new visa policy yet.”
Packages to Europe accounted for 40 per cent of Panorama Tours’ sales during AITF, while Turkey contributed 20 per cent of overall business, according to Lukito. Turkey packages have been selling well in recent years, drawing seasoned travellers looking for new destinations.
Meanwhile, WITA Tours director of sales and marketing, Rudiana noted a growing interest among Indonesia’s high-end segment in visiting far-flung exotic destinations such as Iceland.
“This is a niche market of travellers who have ‘been there, seen all’, so they are looking for new places to visit. Often, they travel with their families, spend between US$5,000 and US$8,000 per person, and stay up to 10 days.”
While longhaul travel has its charm, tried-and-tested neighbouring destinations continue to attract flocks of Indonesian visitors.
“Singapore’s new integrated resorts have attracted a lot of (family) travellers, while Malaysia remains in the eyes of the travelling public because it offers more affordable accommodation,” said ASTINDO’s Haditono.
Meanwhile, Thailand was heavily promoting itself at AITF, where a four-day Bangkok-Pattaya package including accommodation cost as low as US$140 per pax.


text:
Axcella™ is pioneering a new class of products called Designed Amino Acid Compositions (DAAC™), rationally designed product candidates that are intended to leverage the diversity and synergy of amino acid biology in order to restore health across a network of dysregulated pathways. The company brought on MBI to not only help refine the overall brand, platform and messaging, but also to create a new website and graphics to act as vehicles to tell their complex science and story in simple and straightforward ways.
Axcella’s former website was full of old, vague messaging that regularly brought on extensive questions from outside visitors trying to discern what the company did. MBI’s role was to revamp their company story, succinctly explain the new class of products they were developing (DAAC) and how they were doing so (Axcellerator™ platform), and create new graphics to conceptualize these complex abstract ideas. With a goal of launching the new website and messaging prior to the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, collaboration between Axcella and the MBI creative and account teams led to clear and concise messaging with a visually stunning backdrop to present these new concepts.
Axcella, in collaboration with MBI, successfully launched their new website right before the Christmas holiday to rave reviews from their internal team and Board of Directors. As a result of the new, clear messaging and vibrant, engaging website, the company has welcomed continuous, spontaneous praise from outside investors and potential partners for the content and visuals since the launch.


text:
General Motors has pulled an ad targeted at college students that implied riding a bike was uncool and awkward.
The ad, which ran in college publications, shows a woman riding in the passenger seat of a car and seemingly laughing at a college-aged male biker, who is portrayed as embarrassed and tries to hide his face.
“Reality sucks,” the ad reads. “Luckily the GM college discount doesn’t. … Stop pedaling…start driving.”
The backlash against the ad was widespread, with the League of American Bicyclists providing some awesome sarcastic commentary on what they called “one of the more remarkably ill-conceived car ad campaigns of all time.” They write:
If you are a student looking to add tens of thousands of dollars of long term debt, care little about the environment, and want to lump two tons of steel around campus while paying through the nose for insurance, gas, and parking… General Motors has got a perfect deal for you. Bonus: it’ll make you fat and unhealthy! All you have to do is give up that dorky bicycle that’s easy to use, practically free, gets you some exercise and is actually fun to ride.
An GM spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the ad—which was turned into a poster and plastered around campuses—was intended to be “a bit cheeky and humorous and not meant to offend anybody.” The company also apologized extensively on Twitter, directly responding to many who had complained about the mockery of bikers.
Recent data show that young Americans are already driving less than they were in 2001.


text:
The 9th. April confirmed that Google has officially renamed Hangouts Chat in its G-suite for Google Chat. Although this does not mean that GChat will be returned, the rebranding only applies to the business version of Google products.
The video call application has been renamed to Google Meet. The brand Hangout has been officially removed from the GSuite. GSuite is a paid business version of Google and gives access to Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, etc.
Google first confirmed the rebranding of The Verge. And according to the Google representative, there will be no change in the (classic) consumer version of Hangout, which means that the Hangout brand will continue to exist for the regular consumer version of Gmail.
Ordinary users still have access to the consumer version of Hangouts. The Hangouts, formerly known as GChat, was a very popular messaging service until they lost the game to applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger.
What has changed in Google Chat?
Google has specified the marking of meeting places for its chat service only for the corporate service. Google Chat is designed to improve performance, not for individual messages in Google Hangouts in a normal version of Gmail.
Google Chat on GSuite has a number of specific features, such as B. Rooms, which are designed for organizational teams. MPs can exchange and share files with other team members. Google Chat has bots that give users access to other applications, assign tasks and schedule appointments, as well as other messaging services such as Slack.
For video calling and meetings, Google offers the Google Meet application, formerly known as Google Hangouts Meet. The meeting service is only intended for paying users who own the business version. Google Meet has seen an incredible increase in the number of users as a result of the new domestic standards that have spread around the world as a result of the pandemic.
Google also announced that it will offer Google Meet’s advanced video conferencing features to all users of the Google Meet website up to the age of 30. September 2020 has extended the G-Suite and the G-Suite for Education free of charge.


text:
Nintendo Switch System Update 10.0.3 has just been deployed by Nintendo and you might have guessed what it does.
In a similar fashion as Sony’s PS4 firmware updates, Nintendo’s latest Switch system updates improves the general stability of the platform. According to Nintendo’s official release notes for this firmware update, this is all there is to it. Luckily, we have the Switch homebrew scene which reveals that today’s system update updates the Switch OS's certificate store, which contains all of the files that the Switch uses to help identify servers as trustworthy (HTTPS).
In addition, it seems that the update adds a new filter option to the “Great Deals” section in the Nintendo eShop to help users sort the best deals.
As for the sake of completeness, we’ve included Nintendo’s official release notes down below:
Nintendo Switch System Update 10.0.3 Release Notes
Ver. 10.0.3 (Released May 25, 2020)
- General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.
The Nintendo Switch is available globally now. System updates 10.0.0, 10.0.1 and 10.0.2 were released last month. The 10.0.2 system update was aimed to address a Switch Pro controller issue causing incorrect joystick control.


text:
Florida Police are looking for three men that stole $60,000 in iPads from a local Best Buy in 60 seconds. The trio of culprits broke into a Best Buy early in the morning Monday and made away with 60-90 iPads.
That’s one way to avoid Apple’s online shipping dates. The cast of Oceans 11 would be proud.
Naples News reports:
“Lee Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an alarm activation at Best Buy located in Coconut Point, 8000Mediterranean Drive, Estero, just before 5 a.m. They found the rear door pried open and merchandise on the ground.
The store’s manager said an initial check showed a cage door pried open and 60 to 90 Apple iPads missing. The manager estimates the value to be about $60,000.00, according to reports.”
The men were dressed in black, and the report notes that they made “a specific search for the iPads” upon entering the store. According to Best Buy surveillance, it took the thieves one minute to grab the iPads, drop them in a black bin, and walk out the back door.
As Cult of Mac notes, while this was a fast grab, it doesn’t break the record. Back in May, burglars in Ohio stole 24 MacBooks and an iPad from an Apple store in under 30 seconds.
Now it’s time for you to try and break the record! Just kidding. Don’t do that.


text:
few minutes ago a brand new video titled Legion at the Lake: Crowds pack Lake of the Ozarks amid pandemic was revealed by the youtube channel: King youtube
As informed in the by King youtube: t’s business per usual at the Lake of the Ozarks as resorts, bars, restaurants and tourist attractions stay busy with out-of-towners vacationing over Memorial Day Weekend.
Photo courtesy: Scott Pasmore
For Scott Pasmore, the lake isn’t just a vacation spot, it’s like a second home.
“Since kindergarten, I’ve been coming here. It’s one of my favorite places in the country to come,” said Scott Pasmore.
That’s why the fear of COVID-19 didn’t scare him from coming to his favorite getaway.
“It all boils down to what you do for your own safety,” said Pasmore.
He’s not the only one braving travel thousands are also here for the holiday weekend.
“I was at Backwater Jack’s,” said Pasmore. “My buddy said ‘I heard this place was packed, so lets go by and check it out.’ We pull in there walk through a crowd go upstairs and go look over to a pool and absolutely packed. We went up on a deck I thought it would be safer and I shot this video.”
In fact, the video he shot over the weekend went viral on social media. Making national headlines, drawing harsh criticism and sparking a debate about whether or not businesses are opening up too soon.
Check Out the video :
We will keep following releated news and posting anything we find


text:
USA: McDonald's says 2005 'off to good start'
US fastfood giant McDonald's has said it is off to a good start in 2005 with global systemwide sales for McDonald's restaurants rising 8.3% in January.
In constant currencies the sales rise was 6.3% compared to January 2004. Comparable sales for McDonald's restaurants worldwide increased 5.2%. Comparable sales increased 4.1% in the US and 5.4% in Europe against tough prior year comparisons of 13.4% and 6.5%, respectively.
"Our performance in the US continues to reflect the vitality of our menu, service and marketing initiatives along with our strategic focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience," said CEO Jim Skinner.
"Europe's January systemwide sales rose 11.6%, 6.9% in constant currencies, reflecting strong contributions from Germany's reenergised everyday value menu along with additional strategic value activities in Germany and the UK aimed at driving customer traffic," he added.
"While I am encouraged by January's results, we must continue to make progress to strengthen our European business. We are focused on enhancing our performance across the region through relevant menu offerings, targeted marketing and improved operations, with emphasis on service," Skinner said.
Systemwide sales include sales at all McDonald's restaurants, including those operated by the company, franchisees and affiliates. Comparable sales represent sales at all McDonald's restaurants in operation at least thirteen months, excluding the impact of currency translation.
As McDonald's and Wendy's introduce healthier options amid rising obesity levels and a general interest in healthier foods, some fastfood companies have been going in the opposite direction, introduci...
Last month a customer at an outlet of US fastfood chain Wendy's claimed to have found a severed finger in her food. The news spread like wildfire, fuelled by intense media interest, and Wendy's sales ...
It's easier talking to your customers if you speak their language. With millions of speakers of minority languages around the world, food processors and retailers need to be able to communicate with t...
US fastfood company Yum! Brands is intending to buy a stake in Russian fastfood chain Rostik's, a key competitor of its mainstream brand KFC, according to the RIA Novosti news agency, which quoted a r...
Fastfood company McDonald's is testing a healthier blend of oil for cooking its fries in a small number of restaurants, according to an Associated Press story published by the Chicago Tribune....
Fastfood company McDonald's is planning to expand its franchise network in China, according to the China Daily....
Fastfood chain McDonald's has today (Monday) announced the appointment of Peter Bush as the new managing director/CEO for McDonald's Australia....
Fastfood chain Wendy's is planning to give away Junior Frosty desserts this weekend at restaurants throughout the US as a thank you gesture to its customers after the affair of the alleged finger in t...
- Price an underlying tension across European FMCG
- Interview: UK trade body on Brexit's policy impact
- Danone's Q3 sales - what the analysts say
- Interview: UK trade body on the impact of Brexit
- It won't just be Unilever to push for Brexit hikes
- Nestle lowers outlook on "softer environment"
- Bel takes majority stake in MOM Group
- Mars launches Maltesers in the US
- Abbott sees international nutrition sales fall
- Online snack seller Graze makes US retail debut
- The Big 15: Strategies and Priorities of Top Packaged Food Players in Comparison
- Omega-3 in Food and Beverage:Time for a Reboot?
- Global Food Packaging: Innovating for Greater Convenience and Quality Image
- Packaged Food: Quarterly Statement Q3 2016
- Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Facebook's origin question persists
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
Maybe President Barack Obama could have passed along some advice to Mark Zuckerberg at that Silicon Valley dinner at John Doerr's house in February, writes Cromwell Schubarth on Silicon Valley BizBlog.
Those folks who obsess about your origins will never go away.
In the same week that Donald Trump chimed in on the debate about whether Obama was born in the United States, a question that has dogged him for years now, the folks who claim they helped invent Facebook popped up again.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
Agent Losness Group Apartment Brokerage | Campbell, CA
Senior Security Architect/Engineer Bryn Neil International | Mountain View, CA
Retail Loss Prevention Detective FT: Bloomingdale's Stanford, CA Bloomingdales | Palo Alto, CA
NEW CLIENT - ENTRY LEVEL B2B SALES - PAID TRAINING IMMEDIATE HIRE | San Jose, CA
Retail Merchandiser Hair Care Distributor | Mountain View, CA
- Most popular
- Dice.com to roll into downtown San Jose
- New Relic, Hortonworks IPO winners are mostly Benchmark, Peter Fenton
- EMC signs deal with Sobrato for new Menlo Park building
- Intel sells land in Santa Clara to Legacy Partners
- $1B 'unicorn' club got crowded in 2014: Here are the startups, funders
- Wells Fargo a billion-dollar winner in LendingClub's IPO
- In 2014, downtown San Jose grew up a little more (Slideshow)
- New twist in Milpitas as Integral 'evaluates options' for developments
- Menlo Park office building sells for whopping $1,455/foot
- Tesla expected to miss sales forecast by 40 percent, analyst says
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around San Jose


text:
Can DESH do what SEZ can’t?
In February, the government announced its intention to abolish the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) law. Instead, they said they would replace it with something called the Enterprise and Service Center Development Act (DESH). And with the new legislation set to pass during the current parliamentary monsoon session, we thought we might examine why SEZs in India have not lived up to their promised potential.
This is what our software exports were worth in fiscal year 2021 (FY21). Now, obviously, you can attribute that to a whole host of things. Visionary entrepreneurs, exceptionally talented IT employees and a large English-speaking population. But there is something else too – the amount of incentives and the tax benefits made available to IT businesses through Special Economic Zones â designated areas with special economic regulations to help businesses thrive.
But before we get too far ahead, we need to explain what these SEZs actually do and how they came about.
Let’s go back to 1965 when the small town of Gandhidham in Gujarat became India’s (and even Asia’s) first SEZ. The government then carved out a small plot of land to attract manufacturing plants with one key lure: tax breaks. The area became known as the Kandla Export Processing Zone (EPZ). And as the Kandla experience matured, other EPZs began to appear across the country.
The government’s goal was simple: boost the country’s export engine and earn money while creating more job opportunities. But progress was still slow. Until the 1990s, when the government looked at the success of SEZs in China and decided to step up a gear. A key example came from Shenzhen â a SEZ born in the 1980s. transformed the region from a humble fishing village to an industrial giant that was home to over 90,000 foreign companies and attracted over $300 billion in foreign investment.
Thus, the Indian government passed the SEZ Act in 2005 to give a boost to its export plans. He was telling businesses that they would get a 100% income tax exemption on all export earnings for the first 5 years. A 50% exemption for the next 5 years. And the option to reinvest the profits into what’s called the SEZ reinvestment reserve for another 5 years (essentially reinvesting the money into upgrading machinery and such) and getting tax exemptions again .
And the results look promising at first glance. From a measly 19 SEZ in 2005, we now have over 250 SEZ today. At the same time, the quantum of exports from these SEZs also soared â from just â¹22,840 crore to almost â¹7,60,000 crore.
But if you peel back the layers, you’ll find that things aren’t all right.
You see, the purpose of creating SEZs was to push manufacturing and promote massive industries producing things like steel, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. But more than 60% of the country’s SEZs are actually in IT, ITeS electronic hardware and related spaces. Basically the software and its ilk! And while that’s definitely a good thing for IT, SEZs served a distinct purpose: to give manufacturing a boost.
But that plan never really took off.
Why? you ask.
Well, one of the main reasons is space constraints.
Just to give you some context, when the Shenzhen SEZ was created, it covered an area of ââ327 km2 (which was later expanded). But in India, the average size of an SEZ is about 1 km2. There are no mega SEZs. And this is partly related to the problems of acquiring these large tracts of land needed for SEZs. In the end, these small SEZs simply did not have the right facilities and high-quality infrastructure needed by manufacturers.
Yet another issue, as they say in the real estate industry, was âlocation, location and locationâ. You see, some research suggests that SEZ locations were chosen for the benefit of local politicians who speculated in real estate. Thus, in many cases, the SEZs were not located according to the economic potential of the region. Instead, they were chosen to maximize the revenue of a small coterie of corrupt politicians. And as a result, the development has not spilled over to neighboring towns either.
And over the years, companies began to ignore SEZs because the tax incentives were no longer attractive. Businesses enjoyed similar benefits elsewhere as well. Add to that the fact that SEZs tend to be on the periphery, with labor issues often resulting in inflated wages. Businesses had to spend more just to locate here.
While 378 SEZs received final approval, only 268 of them are operational. The others have gone through a denotification process. That means the developers just raised their hands and said, “Listen, we don’t want to go ahead with the SEZ after all. Units don’t work very well and we don’t have money to keep things running. And even if you consider the SEZs that are fully operational, you will see that there is a lot of vacant space. In fact, 10 crore square feet of space which is valued at â¹30,000 crore.
And that’s what the government is trying to change now by introducing something called the DESH Bill.
So how is it going to be different?
Well, it’s too early to tell. But from what little we know, it seems the government isn’t just trying to push exports this time around. He wants companies to manufacture for India and the world. Thus, even if a company focused solely on manufacturing for domestic needs, it would be entitled to benefits if it moved to a “development center”. Second, while most decisions in the area of ââSEZs were attributable to the central government, the DESH bill will likely also seek greater input from state governments. In this way, there is more cooperation between the state and the center. Third, they intend to make the DESH bill WTO compliant.
What does that mean?
Well, you see, the World Trade Organization (WTO) wants to make sure that all countries engaged in international trade follow the rules. This means that a government cannot offer excessive tax breaks and subsidize production, just to ship these cheap goods and services around the world. With the new legislation, the Indian government hopes to provide just the right amount of incentive to avoid the wrath of the WTO.
And yes, this obviously does not solve all the problems with SEZs that we talked about earlier. But the government hopes the lessons learned from pursuing the SEZ program will help it write better rules this time around, so India can prosper.
Will this actually happen?
We will have to wait and see.


text:
You can now shop eBay without fear that the designer handbag you’re bidding on could possibly be a fake.
The auction shopping website has been working on their fashion presence over the past year, with exclusive collections from Derek Lam and Narciso Rodriguez and hiring Andrea Linnet as Creative Director and Annabel Tollman as Brand Ambassador. Now, eBay wants to start battling the ever standing problem of selling counterfeits
On Monday, in collaboration with the CFDA, eBay will launch a campaign against counterfeit goods and stolen designs. Their tagline “You Can’t Fake Fashion” will adorn limited-edition totes retailing at $35 as well as bags customized by a slew of CFDA members including Tommy Hilifiger, Billy Reid, Diane von Furstenberg, Marchesa, Rodarte, Tory Burch, Jason Wu and The Row, which will all retail for $150.
The designer canvas totes will be exclusive to eBay and all proceeds will benefit the CFDA. What’s better than that?!
– Taneisha Jordan
Source; Photo: ElleSee the Top Ten Summer 2016 Trends for Women Over 40


text:
Pivotl hosted their The Future of Fintech event last night which showcased a number of UK unicorns and up and coming startups to an audience of fintech entrepreneurs, investors and senior executives. Keynote speakers on the night included senior executives from TransferWise and Funding Circle and we also heard from some startups that Rise London, formerly known as Barclays Accelerator have been mentoring.
Editorial director of Pivotl, Tom O’Meara introduced the event and explained that digital disruption is a hot topic at the moment, which is evidenced by the growth rates of investment. Sarah Gill, Pivotl senior reporter explored how last year was a record breaking year for fintech investment, but this is something that was seen in 2014 and 2013 and is very likely to happen in 2016 also.
Alongside this, Gill highlighted how 2016 could be the year that the rollout of fintech will fall into place as industries like money lending continue to excel. The main reason for this is a desire for change as consumers move reluctantly away from banks.
“European fintech is much bigger than one city,” Gill said in relation to the hype surrounding London as fintech centre of the world. Although London is a great city, she gives the example of Hamburg based fintech startup Kreditech which has grown at an astonishing rate and talks more widely about Europe as a fintech space.
Despite the increased investment in all areas, there has been a slight decrease in funding of cryptocurrency startups, but financial institutions realise that “the potential for blockchain is something real,” Gill said. She predicts that banks will start taking meaningful steps as challenger banks are coming.
Lukas May, head of international growth at TransferWise, spoke about how their company exists because of problems the founders had when sending money abroad using banking services. With a fast growth rate, May said that they have seen a lot of success but there is a long way to go.
“People define fintech in different ways, but I don’t like any of the definitions. Being a mission player in the financial services, fintech should be when you find a problem and try to solve it,” May said. He also explained how speed of execution is critical and this mission is a race as startups are always up against all players.
TransferWise operate using the classic Silicon Valley mindset, which is to find a problem and solve it, but May reveals that it can get messy, especially as the business grows. May presented the idea that we cannot predict who will be doing money transfer in the future, but his company is beginning to reach scale and reach maturity.
“We’ve crossed the rubicon and there is no going back as it will not be acceptable in the future for a financial institution to create a product and ram it down throats,” so fintech adoption lies in consumer preference.
David De Koning, head of communications at Funding Circle, shares a similar view and asked the audience whether they would create a bank if the entire financial system was blown up and if this form of institution would be the best mode of lending.
De Koning states that Funding Circle can do what a bank does and can do it pretty well, but explained that the future of fintech lies in remaining humble because no one in London’s fintech scene has reached where they want to be.
The Future of Fintech sponsor Avant Credit’s managing director Raj Singh said that fintech should create huge opportunity in an unaddressed demand, like his company does. “We still think there is a place for banks, but will need to figure out quite quickly what assets they still have.”
Singh continues to say that 2016 will be an interesting year for fintech with new trends emerging, but as the global economy is struggling, this is will a challenge for everyone. That is where accelerator programs like Rise London can play a huge part in a fintech startup’s future, as Isabel Cooke, assistant vice president of open innovation explained.
Rise London is an open innovation platform that finds innovative disruptors in the space. Alongside this, the accelerator runs a three month program where startups, such as Cutover, Everledger and Splittable were mentored.


text:
Racing fans that want to get the most of out of their day at the racing track have a new tool in their arsenal, with NASCAR announcing a partnership with the creators of the FanVision live media controller — but owners of NASCAR's previous offering are being left out in the cold. The FanVision is a portable audio and video streamer that will allow users to access in-car camera feeds, official timing information, and instant replays, all delivered live by a wireless network at a given racing event. The device is already offered at many NFL venues, with NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps calling it a device "that will have immediate impact on how the sport is consumed." (Nilay reviewed the NFL FanVision a couple years ago and called it "intuitive" and "fun to use.")
While the upgrade may be good news for new buyers, it most likely won't sit well with those who shelled out for a similar device that has been supported at NASCAR venues since 2006. The FanView offered a reduced set of the same functionality, with a smaller, lower-resolution screen, and after two years of rentals was made available for purchase in 2008 at a starting price of $369.95. Those who bought the device could activate it on-site at racing events they attended, making it an investment for the rabid racing fan. With the new system, however, FanView devices will no longer be supported whatsoever. NASCAR has said that FanView owners "may" be eligible for an unspecified discount on the new device, though with an original receipt required, it's unclear how many will be able to take advantage. As for the FanVision device itself, it will be available for rental at various NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event weekends beginning February 18th, or can be purchased directly from FanVision for $299 — although it sounds like rental is the far smarter option based on today's news.


text:
A court case claims Apple wanted to stop third-party devices, services and software from accessing and using iTunes' DRM system, FairPlay.
In July 2004, Real Networks debuted Harmony -- software that converted files sold by its music store into a FairPlay-compatible format. Apple stopped the hack in its tracks.
Was this correct?
Music labels were frightened. File sharing was killing the industry. Jobs always argued iTunes helped "keep honest people honest." Apple had to invest in copy protection to sell music at all.
Apple was under pressure. If it failed to keep iTunes secure, labels would stop selling music through it and might impose penalties. Apple was required by music labels to actively maintain and protect FairPlay DRM. If Apple had failed to end Harmony when it appeared, iTunes was finisihed.
Apple and the labels later agreed to sell music without copy protection via iTunes Plus, but not every label signed-up immediately.
EMI joined first, announcing its new spirit of liberalism at a big 2007 PR do hosted at its London HQ, which I attended. Apple CEO Steve Jobs and then-EMI CEO Eric Nicoli spoke, and Damon Albarn's band performed.
"Our goal is to give consumers the best possible digital music experience. By providing DRM-free downloads, we aim to address the lack of interoperability that is frustrating for many music fans. We believe that offering consumers the opportunity to buy higher quality tracks and listen to them on the device or platform of their choice will boost sales of digital music," said Nicoli at the time [Italics mine]. EMI research suggested 84 percent of online music customers would be happy to spend more on music if sold DRM-free at higher quality. "Higher-quality tracks outsell low-quality downloads by a factor of ten to one," he said.
'By the end of the year'
Jobs thought the other majors would join in fast: “We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year,” he said. It took two years.
That it took so long subverts the common argument that labels wanted to undermine iTunes by ensuring music sold through the service would play on other devices.
What had changed was recognition by labels that legal punishment of file-sharers wasn't preventing music from being stolen online. They needed to offer consumers a product equally as good as those being shared, and this meant music free of DRM. "DRM-free songs are far more popular than tracks sold with DRM applied," Wippit CEO, Paul Myers said.
"Apple has been a true pioneer in digital music, and we are delighted they share our vision of an interoperable market that provides consumers with greater choice, quality, convenience and value for money," said Nicoli.
Jobs addressed the lock-in accusation in 2007. "Some people doubted Apple's sincerity," he said. "They said we had too much to lose by breaking the link between the iPod and iTunes. We are continuing to do the right thing for the customers."
Nicoli was pragmatic: "We believe we have to trust our customers. The fact is that some will disappoint us by stealing our music, and we will continue to combat piracy. This move will make digital music more accessible."
When the history of music file protection is written, it will show the labels' attempts to litigate against file-sharing utterly failed. Apple's move to offer DRM-free music files actually helped the music industry rehabilitate itself. The locked-in nature of FairPlay was a by-product of industry fear, which maybe was exploited but ultimately abandoned in favor of trusting music fans more.
Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.


text:
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Paul Zahra said the removal of QR codes for Victorian retail is an encouraging step towards living with Covid and called for the indoor mask mandate for office workers to be scrapped next – an important requirement for the revival of the Melbourne CBD.
“We thank the Victorian Government for the easing of restrictions announced today and we’re looking forward to health measures being relaxed further in the coming days,” Mr Zahra said.
“QR codes and density requirements have served an important purpose over the past two years of the pandemic, but they’ve passed their use by date as we transition to recovery and living with Covid.
“Today’s changes are a show of good faith to business and the community that pandemic protocols will be removed when it’s safe to do so. Confidence is currency for business – and removing some of the barriers to entry of a retail store and hospitality venue help restore a sense of wellbeing for customers and their teams. The density quotients have also been a significant barrier to profitability for hospitality operators who have been amongst the hardest hit through the Omicron and Delta waves.
“We are focused on the removal of the mask mandate, which is serving as a massive disincentive for getting people back into the office. Melbourne’s office occupancy rate is the lowest in the country at 4% – foot traffic is languishing and it’s severely hampering CBD retailers in their recovery efforts.
“CBDs are a concern across the country, and Melbourne in particular – our capital cities a far cry from the thriving hubs they were once before. The international border reopens next week to tourists and business travellers, but this isn’t a silver bullet solution as it will take years for tourism levels to get anywhere near pre-pandemic levels.
“The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way our city’s function and we need to look at bold ideas to inject them with new life. It’s important there’s a continued collaborative approach between government, business and industry and we acknowledge the efforts that have been made by state and territory governments in this regard.”
ARA Media Team
T 0419 270 863
About us: The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse national retail body, representing a $360bn sector which employs 1.3 million Australians and is the largest private sector employer in the country. As Australia’s peak retail body, representing more than 100,000 retail shop fronts and online stores, the ARA informs, advocates, educates, protects and unifies our independent, national and international retail community. To learn more about ARA’s exclusive member benefits and more, visit retail.org.au