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As the mobile industry prepares to descend on Barcelona like a flock of gadget-hungry gannets, we look at what could be grabbing the headlines.
HTC has yet to confirm the existence of the successor to the HTC One X (pictured), but details of a 4.7-inch Android mobile called the M7 were leaked back in December, and MWC would seem to be the likely place for an official reveal. According to the leaked specs, the M7 will rock a 1080p screen, giving it an eyeball-slicingly sharp pixel density of 468ppi – that’s more than the iPhone 5’s Retina Display. The screen will use the same optical lamination tech as the iPhone 5, which should mean a thinner body than previous HTC smartphones, and also expected is a Snapdragon 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 32GB of storage, a 13MP f/2.0 main camera and a 2MP front camera.
LG is set for a big MWC this year, and with the company suggesting its Nexus 4 was just one of many collaborations it would be making with Google, we’re expecting at least one new product from the partnership will be unveiled. A 4G LTE version of the Nexus 4 is a possibility, but there’s been lots of chatter about a Google Nexus 5 with a larger screen and beefier processor. But personally, we’d just be happy if they announced they were making enough Nexus 4s that people could actually buy one…
Google Nexus 4G and Google Nexus 5
It’s high time Samsung ripped the wrappers off a new Android tablet (the last was the Galaxy Note 10.1, released back in the summer), and while we expect the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 models to get a rosy cosmetic revamp in time for Valentine’s Day, it’d really be nice to see a whole new model pitched and priced to compete with the Google Nexus 7 and 10 models, which at the moment are hands-down a better choice for prospective Android slate shoppers.
Strongly rumoured to be Sony’s next Android tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z is tipped to boast a 10.1-inch 1080p screen, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage and 8.1MP and 2.2MP cameras. Plus NFC, 4G LTE and Bluetooth 4.0. Not a bad little lot, if it’s all accurate.
Samsung: a new Galaxy Tab?
According to Koreatimes, LG is preparing to dive back into the wonderful world of Windows Phone, with a source claiming that at least one WP8 smartphone is due to be unveiled at MWC, along with a “5.5-inch full HD flagship phone” (could be the Google Nexus 5 mentioned above?).
Sony Xperia Tablet Z
ZTE has already confirmed that it’s launching a phone for Mozilla’s new Firefox OS this year, and MWC could be the perfect place to reveal it to the world. Very little is known about the handset, although we’d bet big that it’ll be affordably priced and specced to match.
Mobile World Congress 2013 kicks off on 25th February, and we’ll be there to poke and prod the wonderful new phones, tablets and other assorted mobile tech wonders. What would you like to see unveiled? Let us know in the comments section below.
Main image courtesy of Flickr user Zevy.
Why touchscreens are only just getting started


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Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) plans to open a new grocery store in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in 2020. This is a new grocery chain by Amazon. This store will have conventional checkouts. An Amazon spokesman stated with CNBC that “Amazon is opening a grocery store in Woodland Hills in 2020.”
On Monday, Amazon listed hiring a position fort its firs grocery location in Last Vegas. The listing is for store leader. The new store will not utilize Amazon Go technology, the technology that allows for customers to check out without waiting in line.
Currently, Amazon owns Whole Foods through a strategic acquisition back in 2017 for USD 13.2 Billion. Whole foods has over 500 stores. Amazon fresh allows for home grocery delivery.
At the moment, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is the top gun in regards to the grocery sector. Although Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, consumers still tend to shop at local grocers every week. The focus of this new grocery chain is to gear towards those consumers that shop in their local grocers while Whole Foods will remain a high-end grocer for specialty foods and organic produce.
“When it comes to grocery shopping, we know customers love choice, and this new store offers another grocery option that’s distinct from Whole Foods Market, which continues to grow and remain the leader in quality natural and organic food,” the Amazon spokesperson said, noting that Whole Foods opened 17 locations this year and that more are planned. The spokesperson said Amazon will continue to invest in grocery delivery with Whole Foods.

domain: news


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Following a four-month closure, Gemini Bistro has reemerged with new food and drink menus, a revamped layout (meant to be more conducive to lingering over cocktails), and a shortened name—Gemini (2075 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park). Read more about the changes here.
Small-batch coffee outfit Passion House Coffee Roasters has soft-opened its first brick-and-mortar spot, Passion House Cafe (2631 N. Kedzie Ave., Logan Square) in one of the recently vacated Bow Truss locations. (Perhaps this is a partial silver lining to that whole Bow Truss debacle.)
After spending time helming the kitchen at Rockit Burger Bar, Amanda Downing has a new post: She’s now executive chef at Ocean Cut (20 W. Kinzie St., River North), a position previously held by Jason Paskewitz.


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Antioxidants Polymer Additives Songwon Announces Full Production for Korean Antioxidants Polymer Plants
Songwon's integrated antioxidants polymer additives production plant in Maeam announces full production status ahead of time, increasing its production capacity for antioxidants from 55.000 to 70.000 tons.
Ulsan, Korea – Songwon has announced full production status for its new antioxidants polymer plant at Maeam, thereby expanding its global production capacity from 55.000 to 70.000 tons of antixodants per year. Construction work was, accorded to Songwon, completed ahead of time, in July 2011 as Jongho Park, Chairman and CEO of Songwon Industrial Group, commented: “We previously announced the start-up of the new capacity to be onstream in August 2011. Our technical and manufacturing teams have exceeded expectations and the new capacity start-up commenced smoothly on July 20, 2011 and is now in full production.”
“The additional capacity is a key step in our commitment to support the growing demand of the polymer industry. We believe that Maeam is now not only the biggest plant in the world dedicated to polymer antioxidants, but also one of the best manufacturing platforms delivering unequaled consistency and reliability of supply. We have achieved this through proprietary technology and a focus on fully backward integrated production of the key intermediates isobutylene and alkylphenols, combined with the benefit of improved economy of scale.”


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Researchers: Some pet products touted as CBD don’t have any
upwards of $30,000 a year for an average-size dog, McGrath said.
The Kennel Club’s chief veterinary officer, Jerry Klein, said CBD is “over-hyped” but promising for treatments like pain relief. He’s hopeful that the growing market will result in more money being invested in research to prove uses.
Meantime, the American Veterinary Medical Association is telling veterinarians they can share what they know about CBD with clients but shouldn’t prescribe or recommend it until the FDA gives its blessing.
“There’s no question there’s veterinary interest in these products as therapies, but we really want to see the manufacturers demonstrate that they’re effective and safe and get FDA approval so we can have confidence in the products,” said Gail Golab, chief veterinary officer for the association.
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Diageo today announced plans for a new virtual reality (VR) experience that will place LDA consumers in a first-person, multi-perspective story about the dangers of binge drinking.
This initiative represents the company’s latest effort – and its second leveraging VR technology – to inform consumers about the importance of responsible decision-making when drinking.
The new program follows Diageo’s October 2016 launch of “Decisions,” a 360° experience that placed consumers in the front seat of a fatal drunk driving crash. In the four months after its introduction, “Decisions” accumulated almost 14 million views, the company reports.
“The experience made a significant impact on consumer perceptions with 73% of viewers surveyed after watching the film saying they are now more likely to stop other people from drinking and driving,” the company says in a release. “In addition, 75% of viewers said they will prevent drinking and driving by planning ahead with a designated driver.”
The new program is once again spearheaded by Diageo’s Digital and Technology Partnerships teams. Joining Diageo in the effort will be Jaunt, the cinematic experience company, who will help with creative vision, production, development and distribution of the experience.
“Telling people about the effects of irresponsible decision-making when drinking is one thing – but giving them the opportunity to see, hear and feel what can happen because of even one bad choice is a potential game changer,” says said James Thompson, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Diageo North America.


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PARIS -- BMW plans to allocate a higher share of i electric and plug-in hybrid output for the U.S. in the coming months, Ian Robertson, the company’s board member for sales and marketing, said today.
BMW has sold 10,000 i3 compact electric vehicles and 280 i8 plug-in hybrid supercars worldwide to date, Robertson said. The i3 went on sale in Europe last November and in May in the U.S. Sales of the i8 began in the U.S. in August.
Both cars are assembled at a plant in Leipzig, Germany.
BMW is producing about 100 i cars each day, “and we are selling about 100 a day now worldwide,” Robertson said.
There have been more than 130,000 test drives of the i3 globally, he said.
Robertson said BMW is considering increasing production of the i8 because of heavy demand.
“We are looking at taking a few i3 slots and making i8s because they go down the same production line,” he said. “The wait times are too long, and we will adjust that and sell more i8s, but cautiously.”
In the U.S., BMW has tallied 3,104 sales of the i3 and 67 deliveries of the i8 through September.
The i8 is sold out through 2015 in the U.S. Deliveries in the U.S. began at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August. The plug-in hybrid starts at $136,650, including shipping. The i3 has a base price of $42,300 including shipping.
Robertson said the i cars have helped polish BMW’s image as a leader in innovation and technology.
Aluminum used to be associated with lightweight technology, but BMW has shifted that perception with its carbon-fiber i cars, he said.
“When I look at brand analysis around the world, technology and innovation are really up [for BMW], and that pleases me,” he said.


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According to Caryn Hodge, coordinator of the Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival, the island sees 1,000 to 1,500 weddings a year.
Anna Maria Island has carved out a niche for itself as a Florida destination for beach weddings and, in a down economy, the expense saved by getting married outside has been a draw to many couples.
"We've seen more people interested since the recession because a lot of the larger hotels like the Ritz and places like that, they price themselves so high that they put themselves out of the reach of many people," said Michael Khouri of Classic Event Management in Bradenton. "But even though people have to keep it affordable, they still want something nice."
According to Caryn Hodge, coordinator of the Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival, the island sees 1,000 to 1,500 weddings a year. Sunday marked the third wedding festival, drawing an estimated 800 people, mostly brides-to-be and their friends.
"I just tell him where to show up," Stefanie Ierulli, 23, of Bradenton, said of her fiance. She is planning her wedding for fall 2011.
David Sauls, 39, who is marrying Meredith Jones, 32, in May, said he had heard about the festival's "Groom Zone," sponsored by Budweiser, as a place for men to get away from cake designs and china patterns.
"I actually heard it on sports radio," Sauls said. "I thought that would be the scam, but it didn't play out the way I thought it would play out because I got told I couldn't go to that part."
The festival included scores of vendors and tours of hotels and restaurants. Sauls and Jones were checking out possibilities for their reception.
Hodge pointed to the island's draw for couples as "a place that's low-key, laid-back, no high-rises."
The festival is a way to burnish the area's reputation as Florida's beach wedding capital, and give local vendors a chance to connect with potential clients.
"I would say probably nine out of 10 people who talk with we end up booking," said Barbara Rodocker, owner of BridgeWalk and Silver Surf resorts.
Classic Event Management can offer a beach ceremony for as little as $399, taking advantage of the fact that the coast looks the same whether a couple spends $400 or $4,000.
"It's been one of the biggest things that saved the island from being as affected as other places," said Hodge of the wedding industry on Anna Maria.
The island has also tapped into the market of other visitors who make Southwest Florida a regular destination.
"A lot of times what we'll get is people from up north, who want to get married in Florida," Khouri said. "One, it's cheaper here, and, two, because you can get married all year long. You don't have to worry about the winter season. Up north, you have such a narrow season for an outdoor wedding. Florida looks good outdoors all year long."


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Star Citizen fans are going to start playing a small piece of the game next week that will only show a basic, and early, segment of the game letting players create an avatar, wander around, open the doors, and clamber inside, but not actually fly the things. That part of the game isn’t ready yet.
Extra features will be added to the hangar module over the coming months that will include customization options and the ability to invite friends. Cloud Imperium are also planning to release a dogfighting module before the end of the year, this will allow the players to test the fighting phase of the game and actually begin flying.
Chris Roberts told Eurogamer that he has decided to make Star Citizen entirely community funded.
“I’m actually not taking money from investors now. The budget for what we’re delivering is about $20 million, and we’re almost there – we’ll probably be there before the end of the year,” he told Eurogamer.
“The nice thing about not taking the investor’s money is, as much as they’re nice investors, they want a return at some point. If this thing’s a big success, they’ll say, ‘EA and Activision want this for about $100 million and that gives me a certain return on my investment’ – but that may not be the best thing for the game. I like the idea that the game gets 100 per cent community funded because all they care about is getting a great game, and all I care about is making a great game.”
The game features Crytek’s CryEngine 3 and the game targets high-end gaming PCs. It’s possible that the game could be made for next-gen consoles as well.
“It would have to be the next generation of consoles,” he said. “Right now we’re just on one platform – but basically [next-gen consoles] are high-end PCs with custom operating systems.”


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IS TOURISM GOLF’S FUTURE?
Last month, New Zealand Golf Magazine (NZGM) asked “Is Tourism Golf’s Future?” This came after NZGM attended the TRENZ Tourism Show, New Zealand’s largest annual business-to-business travel and trade event, run by Tourism Industry Aoteroa (TIA).
Continuing on from last month, we look at trends in golf tourism.
June’s article was based on what we found out at TRENZ and explored how golf is positioned in the New Zealand Tourism industry and how some of our regions were looking at growing golf tourism. In this second part to our report, we will be talking to leading players in NZ golf tourism to find out what the trends are in Golf Tourism and from where we are getting these golfers.
Last year, New Zealand Tourism sent out a press release titled “Record golf tourism hits a hole in one”. This release contained information about strong growth with golf visitors up a record 23% alongside an 18% increase in spend by these visitors for the year ending April 2016. It highlighted an impressive $329 million NZD being pumped into the economy each year from international golf tourism. Chief Executive of IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators), Peter Walton, said the growth in golf visitors to New Zealand in the past year is a great example of what can be achieved within a relatively short space of time when a national tourist board invests in golf tourism promotion and, most importantly, is guided by a sustainable golf tourism promotional strategy.
One year on and New Zealand Golf Tourism Executive Director, Ryan Bradenburg, recently stated that in the 2017 calendar year, rounds of golf played by international golfers across 14 specific marquee courses were up 9% on the previous year, and up 43% since the strategy was launched in 2014 (approx. 35,000 rounds) and close to another 40,000 rounds across the 24 experience courses. The Asian nations lead the way for this growth with rounds of golf from China up 37%, Japan up 2% and the rest of Asia up 51%. Golfers from America, considered the most mature golf market in the world, spend a staggering $19,000 NZD per person while they are here for a golfing holiday.
Tourism is currently the No.1 export earner for New Zealand. It contributes $36 billion to the economy every year, of which $14.5 billion comes from overseas visitors. Golfers happen to be the highest spending of these visitors, staying 27-nights versus 16-nights for an average visitor, and spending $4,800 versus $3,900 for the general tourist. Golfers also are the most satisfied of any group tracked, rating their New Zealand golf holiday a 9.3/10.
New Zealand Golf Magazine talked with the following Golf Tourism experts to get their views on three key questions as they relate to their businesses and facilities. Our expert panel consisted of: Jon McCord (JMC:), the Director of Golf for The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers; Gordon Dalgleish (GD:), current President of PerryGolf, a large international golf tour operator; John Griffin (JG:), the General Manager of Golf at Jack's Point in Queenstown and Shelley Duncan (SD:), Director of Golf at the Otago Golf Club in Dunedin, New Zealand's oldest golf club.
1. WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING WITH GOLF TOURISM?
JMC: We have seen massive growth in the past five years. The interest in the country and its golf courses has been driven by a compliment of offerings and a trend we've seen develop: that it's not only about the golf! New Zealand is not a stand-alone golf destination, it is a multi-faceted destination that offers spectacular scenery and sightseeing, incredible food and wine offerings from North to South, and a wide range of active pursuits that complement the country's golf offerings perfectly. GD: Speaking with regards to the outbound USA market, it remains very buoyant as the economy and stock markets do well, coupled with a relatively strong dollar. The more affluent travellers are seeking great golf experiences. In the last six to eight years, we have significantly grown our “couples business” as compared to the traditional “boy's trips” to Scotland and Ireland. As a result, our longer haul destinations, such as New Zealand have enjoyed a healthy increase. JG: Growth out of Australia is continuing to develop year on year since the introduction of direct flights into Queenstown in the early 2000's. Currently, this group represents around 65% of visiting golfers. The quality of the three premium courses in the region are the catalyst for this growth, coupled with good club golf experiences in Arrowtown, Queenstown, Cromwell and Wanaka. “Fly and drive” is very popular along with golf specific transport providers who offer an excellent hotel to golf return transport system for visitors, along with international tour companies who give clients a reliable, passionate golf experience whilst in the region. Queenstown, of course, is blessed with wonderful accommodation, restaurants and quality night life and entertainment, wineries with exceptional food options, numerous activities and great shopping; all within walking distance of hotels and transport providers. SD: We are seeing an uptake in travel numbers, both off the cruise ships - with an increase in ships coming to Dunedin, plus we are also seeing an increase in “freedom travellers'' who are looking for an alternative to Queenstown. As a club, we have attended the IAGTO conference in the Philippines in April this year and are receiving some bookings from that exposure.
2. AFTER AUSTRALIAN GOLFERS, WHAT IS THE NEXT BIGGEST MARKET AND HAS THIS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 5-YEARS?
The international market has fluctuated in the past 20 years, with the main variables being players
from Asia now dominating the international market. Numbers are still low, in terms of the overall playing numbers, say 8% in total; Japan has a long history of golf and visitors from Japan have a very good understanding for the game, Korea is fast becoming wellrecognised as a golfing nation with many of the world's best players and the Chinese golfing market is developing. The USA/Canadian market appears to be building again. Over the past 5 years, it has become our next strongest market with around 7% of total playing rounds; this market is very golf savvy along with the UK/Ireland market which is much smaller due to long haul travel. SD: We have noticed an increase in golfers from North America and European countries overall. Again, the cruise market is bringing a lot of international golfers to Dunedin from a variety of countries.
JMC: At Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, more than 50% of our total golf for the year comes from North America. This is our largest market by far! We have always had a great following in the U.S. and Canada, especially with flight connectivity continuing to improve. This will only make New Zealand a more attractive and accessible destination. While we have seen great growth in the North American market - it has always been our most productive, Asia is a market that holds amazing potential. Over the past eight to ten years Asia has been a strong focus as golf across the continent is becoming more popular and more accessible. Here too, flight connectivity and interest in golf and “eco-tourism” has driven steady growth, year over year. GD: Our focus has consistently been outbound US golfers, although over the last five years, we have seen an upturn in Asian, South American, Canadian and South African golfers travelling with us. The internet has permitted us to reach golfers who appreciate superior service, regardless of their country of origin. It also makes it a more competitive marketplace which unquestionably helps the consumer, with more choices and options. →
3. WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING IN GOLF TOURISM IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? GD:
We are confident that demand in the couples segment will continue to grow nicely. Golf cruises serve a niche which is extremely loyal when they experience consistently high service levels. For the outbound US market, Scotland and Ireland will forever be the destination market leaders, but New Zealand has a lot of opportunity, particularly if first class, accessible golf courses can be developed around hubs, as we have seen in Queenstown.
With a local perspective, I hope that with the investment that our club is putting into marketing itself and the standard of golf courses in Dunedin, that we will all improve our visitor numbers and golf experiences for visitors to our city. Dunedin has a lot to offer outside of golf with our great wildlife and heritage. It is relatively easy to book accommodation and our city is not too big. As I refer to it, we are a “10-minute city”; you are only 10 minutes away from everything you want to see and do!
In the upcoming five years, I see the interest in golf tourism continuing to grow, albeit at a slower rate. The last three years, have seen tremendous growth. However, with the interest New Zealand has generated from not only a ‘golf tourism' perspective but also from a ‘general tourism' point of view, I see rounds continuing to increase. A big part of seeing continued growth, is the further development of golf offerings within the country. With the opening of recent courses such as: Tara Iti, Windross Farm and Wainui, and with some exciting projects in the pipeline, this will only boost New Zealand's already sterling reputation as a golf destination. Exciting times ahead!
I believe this will continue to grow as NZ continues to be recognised globally as provider of quality golf experiences in iconic destinations. Our reputation in Australia will continue to develop, as more Australians look at Queenstown and NZ as a great holiday destination. It is seen as an easy access alternative to holidaying in Australia because of the outstanding landscape and mild summer temperatures compared to Australia, with a great range of activities all in close proximity. With three or four new courses in the Queenstown/Central Otago region due to start construction, this will only boost our brand as NZ's number one golfing destination and will reactivate those who have visited Queenstown on numerous occasions to return to take on the new challenges whilst enjoying past favourites. The future is very bright, as Queenstown has the capacity to continue to provide a quality experience.
You can see that there has been a lot of growth in the sector with new tourist markets emerging. With some of these exciting views about the future of golf tourism in New Zealand in mind, next month we will be talking to our golf tourism leaders about the Government's role in investing in golf tourism. This should be of particular interest to everyone connected to golf (and that includes not only golfers, golf clubs, and current well-known golf destinations but also our potential new courses of interest, including unique un-tapped destinations) especially regarding the related benefits for the country with the predicted tourism numbers showing a projected growth of over 100,000 visiting golfers by 2024.
↑ Jacks Point Golf Course, Queenstown.
Kauri Cliffs Golf Course, Matauri Bay.
(T-B) Arrowtown Golf Course. Windross Farm Golf Course, Papakura, Auckland.


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New Yorkers seemed to take news of the city's first case of Ebola in stride by going about business as usual.» Read More
The last remaining lab of "mad scientist" Nikola Tesla will open it doors to the public this summer after a fundraising campaign saved the site.
Ebola-infected nurse Amber Vinson did not show the typical symptoms of the virus when she traveled to Ohio last weekend.
President Barack Obama said on Friday that his credit card was rejected at the classy Estela restaurant in Manhattan.
Unlimited bread sticks or bust. In a new report, business travelers rate Italian chain Olive Garden most highly.
Income inequality in the United States is near its highest levels of the past 100 years, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said on Friday.
Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren told CNBC that policymakers need time to process what's causing widespread turmoil in the financial markets.
U.S. consumer sentiment rose in October to the highest in more than seven years, boosted by views on personal finances and the national economy.
Another fitness watch is out on the market and this one aims to help users easily keep tabs on their vital statistics.
Russell Investments and the Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Retirement System dropped PIMCO as their bond portfolios manager following the exit of Bill Gross.
John Kerry is pleading with diplomats from around the world to donate more money and aid to West African nations battling the Ebola virus.
Researchers are trying to find out if denser forests in California are soaking up more water and adding to the state's horrible drought.
The CDC is the latest government agency in the cross hairs, not a good sign for Democrats heading into the midterms, Politico's Ben White says.
An Atlanta-area school district will not admit new students from the West African countries with medical documentation and superintendent approval.
Over the last 14 years, there have been 22 losing streaks of at least six days in length, including the most recent one.
With oil prices hovering around $83 a barrel, business owners say lower energy costs will translate to more business activity—just in time for the holiday season.
Secluded on its own private peninsula, Salt Acres Ocean Estate is the ultimate New England manor.
Goldman economist Kris Dawsey said transportation and global shopping hubs could take a hit should concerns over the virus escalate.
Twitter has launched an in-app audio streaming service, in the hope that users will spend more time on its application.
Being free doesn't necessarily make a university more popular – as the latest rankings show.
Out of the headlines from the Ebola hearings, one big takeaway may have been lost: Every U.S. Ebola patient has been treated with at least one investigational product.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox
American universities produce the majority of the world's billionaires, according to this year's Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census report.
Our story this week on one man's food bonanza gave rise to the pragmatic if not really important question: Should you tip on take out orders?
Should the zombie apocalypse come knocking, these are the 25 worst cities to seek refuge according to Trulia.
It's not the iPhone, or anything inside, that's caught Mad Money host Jim Cramer's eye.
Which companies could benefit from Apple's new payment system Apple Pay? Mad Money host Jim Cramer likes VeriFone.
Mad Money host Jim Cramer explains why he thinks investors should start selling Palo Alto Networks after the company's recent magnificent earnings beat.


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Below is a preview of the feature. As explained by TechCrunch;
“Users who are participating in the test can see who took a screenshot of their story by going to the list of story viewers and seeing a new camera shutter logo next to anyone who took a screenshot of their photo. To be clear, creators won’t get a specific notification when someone takes a screenshot of their story, it will only show up in their list of story viewers.”
Thankfully, Instagram will give users one free pass – the first time they screenshot a Story they will receive a pop-up that lets them know that next time the user will be notified.
If you regularly screenshot Instagram Stories to share with your friends, then Instagram’s latest update may come as worrying news.
The social media site is now alerting people if you screenshot their Story.
Thankfully, it seems that Instagram will give users one free pass – the first time they screenshot a Story they will receive a pop-up that lets them know that next time the user will be notified.
The pop-up reads: “Next time you take a screenshot or screen recroding, the person who posted the story will be able to see.”
Instagram did not reveal much about this specific feature but revealed to TechCrunch that they’re “always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram.”


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Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is facing a lot of criticism for accepting a gold chain from a self-proclaimed godman during an event in Pune on Sunday.
Local TV channels are repeatedly running a footage which shows Amruta accepting a gold chain from Guruvanand Swami, who produced the ornament out of thin air.
The video shows Amruta bowing before Guruvanand Swami and accepting a gold chain presented to her. She, however, did not wear the gold necklace but kept it with her. The crowd responded to Guruvanand's 'miracle' with a thunderous applause.
Rationalists have demanded CM Fadnavis to issue a clarification over the issue.
Meanwhile, Amruta issued a press statement denying any 'miracle'. She said the gold chain was in Guruvanand Swami's hands and that it was not produced through any miracle.
"As the Swami was an elderly person, I bowed down to him as per Indian customs. I also accepted the chain given to me. It was in Swami's hand and not produced miraculously," the press release stated.


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Chinese machinery manufacturers are spreading their tentacles in markets like India where
German manufacturers have had a strong brand following as well as awareness
The year of Germany in India kicked off in September 2011 and concluded in February 2013. Part of the celebration was the Indo-German Mela, which saw the participation of German corporate majors like Siemens, Bosch, BASF, LAPP India, SAP, Voith, Volkswagen and others. A reflection of politics, business, science and education, and culture, the Indo-German Mela offered a glimpse of how Germany derives its strengths in areas of technology including automotive, power generation, medical equipment, machine tools, and others. The event also offered a glimpse into the business ties between the two countries. The presence of German majors like Bosch, Siemens and BASF dating as far back as fifty years, or more, in India. The presence of German industries in India is perhaps the longest by any country that India does business with. The respect for German companies stemming from their quest for offering products that are reliable, precision-made, and of high quality. These very qualities have also made German machine tool manufacturers a favoured destination by Indian engineering majors despite their seemingly high acquisition
A change is in the offing. Despite their indefatigable reputation for high quality products, German machine tools manufacturers are under pressure in India. They are facing stiff competition from their Chinese counterparts. The only country that leads Germany in exports the world over, Chinese machine tools manufacturers are finding their way into the Indian market like never before. Far quicker than machine tools manufacturers from destinations like South Korea, which has an FTA with India. While the lack of a FTA with India is proving to be a spanner in the works for the Taiwanese machine tools manufacturers according to industry sources, the Chinese machine tools manufacturers are carving a place for themselves in the Indian market. And in all probability, at the cost of German machine tools manufacturers who are finding it tough to compete in terms of price. While the German engineering and machinery industry operating in India is trying to save its market share from an aggressively spreading Chinese counterpart, according to its liaison group VDMA, it is the considerable price difference between competing products that is drawing buyers to the Chinese machine tools manufacturers. At the root of the decision is the low price of Chinese machine tools even if they may not last as long as their German counterparts.
Under unrelenting pressure to keep costs down, it is the China-made machine tools that are turning out to be the best bet for many Indian engineering industries. In the last decade, Chinese machinery suppliers grew from a bare presence to hogging the largest market pie of 23 per cent in India. In the process, they dislodged older German players to the second place and 16 per cent of total sales according to Ulrich Ackermann, Managing Director, Foreign Trade for VDMA, the German short form for the German Engineering Federation. This despite the fact that German machine tools manufacturers have enjoyed an enviable reputation and brand awareness in India.
While the 400-strong German engineering companies in India are further increasing their local involvement just as they would in other export markets, Mr Ackermann, speaking at a summit in India, is also said to have opined that growing competition to German companies is compelling them to closely observe and analyse the activities of their Chinese competitors. Not just in markets like India, but in other markets around the world too. Where German companies have traditionally enjoyed a strong market position. According to the industry sources APF spoke to, rising preference for Chinese machine tools manufacturers comes from their price, but also better quality products unlike before. Many Chinese companies are also building a strong supply and service network, the sources opined. While factors of an increase in Chinese presence in India include better earning opportunities for channel partners, it cannot be overlooked that Chinese companies sold machinery worth Rs 31,000 crore in India in 2011 against just Rs 560 crore in 2002. The German machinery industry made business worth Rs 26,000 crore in 2012. Engineering exports in the first six months declined by 15 per cent to Rs 10,800 crore.
(Photographs used are for Illustrative purpose only)


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As part of Starbucks mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time, last weekend, Starbucks UK offered customers the chance to get their hands on a limited-edition illustrated reusable cup, decorated in-store by three local artists.
Building on momentum from previous Valentine’s Days, where during the pandemic customers could gift their loved ones a coffee with a bespoke message written especially for them on the cup, ordering via Starbucks delivers. This year, the celebratory messages have been amped up even further allowing customers to get their hands on special cups with the same celebratory messages but designed by talented local artists.
In London, Manchester, and Edinburgh, on Saturday 11 February, customers were invited to visit three stores across the UK to get their hands on the coveted cups.
The three artists Starbucks worked with to create the designs for customers were: Bee Illustrates (London), Pypah Santos (Manchester), and Katie Smith (Edinburgh).
See below for a gallery of some of the beautiful cups that customers were able to get their hands on!


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Honda is recalling around 2,900 2022 TRX90X youth ATVs for sticking throttles. The company says it has received one report of a sticking throttle involving a crash and minor injuries. While Honda doesn’t describe a remedy for the problem in its official listing with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company urges owners to stop using the machine immediately, and to schedule a free inspection and repair at their local dealer.
The 2022 TRX90X was sold in either red (pictured above) or white, and while there were no substantial changes from the previous year model, this recall only impacts 2022 year models. For more information, head to the Honda recall page.
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Business briefs, Oct. 17-20
CenturyLink offers fast Internet to businesses
CenturyLink is now offering high-speed, one-gigabit-per-second fiber Internet service to about 1,000 businesses in Park City and Summit County. According to a press release, those Internet speeds are now available to more than 20,000 companies across Utah. "Utah is an exciting place to start, grow and conduct business," said Jeremy Ferkin, vice president of Utah operations for CenturyLink, in the release. "CenturyLink’s strong and growing (one-gigabit-per-second) fiber network in Utah will allow more businesses to operate and innovate more effectively." For more information, visit centurylink.com.
AvantLink hosts charity challenge
Park City-based AvantLink, a marketing network company, is hosting a charity event to celebrate its 10-year anniversary of being in business. According to a press release, the company will donate up to $10,000 to Charity: Water, a non-profit organization that provides clean drinking water to people in underdeveloped countries. AvantLink is encouraging people to link to its Charity: Water campaign page on Twitter or Facebook, with the hashtag #AvantLinkTen. Every time the link is shared — or retweeted or liked — AvantLink will donate $10. The challenge will run through the fourth quarter of the fiscal year or until AvantLink hits $10,000. Visit avantlink.com/ten-year to find the link to the campaign.
Deer Valley to host Navajo Rug Show
Deer Valley Resort is set to host its 26th annual Navajo Rug Show, in support of the Adopt-a-Native-Elder Program. According to a press release, the event is the largest of its kind in the country, and the proceeds go to support Navajo elders living in remote areas of the Navajo Reservation in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The event will be held at Snow Park Lodge on Nov. 6 through Nov. 8. For more information, visit anelder.org.
The Christian Center of Park City had a makeover last year, and its boutique felt it was time for one, too.


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With plastic money and online transactions making their presence felt in the business sector post-demonetization, a business will be able to reap more benefits by going online and providing means to execute online sales via e-commerce applications. The Digital India drive has already prepared the path for the Indian e-commerce. You may be a small retail business or an accepted brand, selling online has its share of advantages to offer. If you are an established brand, you will be saving on the investment funds of establishing a real brick and mortar store in a new location. An online business is like a local business on a global platform. Everybody irrespective of their geographical area can access, browse and buy the store products. A small time business may gain a great deal by opening an e-commerce gateway to all its net-savvy customers.
An encouraging forecast for the online Indian businesses:
The McKinsey Global Institute or the MGI conducted a study to analyse Indian consumer market. The study reveals that India currently in the 12th position may advance to fifth place by the year 2025, provided the economy growth is maintained at the current pace. The robust economic growth and increase in income may reach the US$3.6 trillion mark for consumer spending by 2025. It also indicates that Indian share among the global market may become 5.8% which is more than twice its earlier value.
This boost in the economy is partly due to the availability of numerous ways to carry out e-commerce. The web of the internet facility has spread its tentacles far and wide, within the span of few years. A forecast by ASSOCHAM – Forrester study paper, states that the e-commerce revenue for India will quadruple from its current value of $30 billion for 2016 to $120 billion by 2020. The annual growth rate is expected to be maintained at 51% the highest.
With retailers offering huge discounts for online sale, an increasing number of consumers are opting to buy online. Established branded outlets are also contributing to the growth of e-commerce by taking the online route to carry our e-commerce. An increase in the number of working population has triggered this growth in the e-commerce sector. The e-commerce market in India is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate value of 36% during 2015 to 2020, according to the ”India E-commerce Market Forecast & Opportunities .”
The Indian online business gets a boost from the conglomeration of many factors like availability of a smartphone at affordable prices, abundance in WiFi and free data packages offered by the data carrier companies, surge in economic growth owing to increase in the number of working for middle class population, etc. This is the reason that developing an app for smart devices running on different platforms becomes a necessity for a business with an aim to succeed in the online sale. Every business needs to tap the population who spend long hours browsing the web on the smartphones. An app for a business gives it a local touch on a global platform for all the consumers.
Not Just an App, Invest in SEO, SEM and Ad marketing methods:
Once the business is established thru online E-commerce website, the job of the online sales team begins. The online sales team should study and employ methods to attract and maintain a constant flow of online customers who perform online sale at regular intervals. This brings to the important aspect of optimisation, reverse marketing and search engine optimisation techniques, which when employed effectively, jump start the sale and maintain it at a healthy pace to sustain the e-commerce business for a company. The online marketing again is a different job to be performed on regular basis to attract the online audience. The crucial step to maintaining a healthy sale ratio is to retain the customer base which is already engaged in e-commerce with the company at regular intervals. Sending the push notifications through the app customised according to the user browse history helps in this regard. To attract the new online customers, it is necessary to employ vigorous ad marketing techniques, online and offline.
Some Trends in Ad marketing
The total ad marketing spending for the year 2017 is expected to grow by 10% while the digital marketing registers a 30% growth. The total expenditure is expected to cross the Rs. 61,000 crore mark according to the report by the WPP-owned, GroupM media company. With the government encouraging all forms of digital transactions, digital advertising is gaining focus during the post-demonetisation phase. Also, use of Internet as a medium to create and market a brand name is the new method to achieve faster and traceable ROI. Employing the professionals for the tasks is the key to achieving success because they know how to comb and process the mountain of the online user data to offer customised marketing and advertising solutions.


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SambaNova Systems, an innovative company that produces the most advanced and innovative software, hardware and services in the tech industry that runs AI applications, has just announced the availability of the company’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) language model.
This service is now included in SambaNova’s Dataflow-as-a-Service for language, which enhances the ability of SambaNova’s Natural Language Processing (NLP) model with unbeatable speed and accuracy, and enables companies to seamlessly start implementing applications in AI language.
As artificial intelligence becomes an entrepreneurial necessity that plays a huge role in transforming the global economy, customers need complete solutions that are able to operate on a financially sustainable scale. With a fully integrated batch system, including world-class AI models, software and hardware, SambaNova has the most comprehensive, accessible, definitive and effective AI applications worldwide.
SambaNova’s Dataflow-as-a-Service for Language now launches with GPT with a full suite of Natural Language Processing for the production and delivery of language models. The language model leverages deep learning to develop human texts that harness large amounts of data and is the definitive major AI language model and services on the market designed for most business and mission-critical text and document-based use cases.
SambaNova’s low-code API interface enables companies to seamlessly deploy NLP solutions on a scale by making the company’s GPT faster to deploy, easier to use, and deliver faster value-added time, lowering costs. Businesses can be fully operational with a custom language model that delivers unmatched market accuracy in just one month, compared to nine months or a year for other vendors. SambaNova eliminates model and infrastructure problems for machine learning engineering teams by maintaining and training models to achieve high accuracy.
“Enterprises are insistent about exploring AI usage for text and language purposes, but up until now it hasn’t been accessible or easy to deploy at scale. By offering GPT models as a subscription service we are simplifying the process and broadening accessibility to the industry’s most advanced language models in a fraction of the time. We are arming businesses to compete with the early adopters of AI, ” said Rodrigo Liang, CEO and co-founder of SambaNova.
Use cases for SambaNova’s Dataflow-as-a-Service GPT are:
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Sentiment analysis: Enable enterprises to cut on costs and time as they implement the most accurate sentiment analysis in customer support and feedback, brand monitoring, reputation management, among other scenarios.

Document classification: Enable solutions like sorting articles or texts and routing these to relevant teams.

Information extraction: Enable enterprises to cut on time and costs by extracting information from invoices, electronic health records, financial documents, among others with the highest accuracy.

For more information, you may view the company website.


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- In a positive gesture, China said on Friday that it will waive import tariffs for some soybeans and pork shipments from the U.S.
- The two countries are trying to thrash out a broader agreement to defuse their protracted trade war.
- The tariff waivers were based on applications by individual firms for U.S. soybeans and pork imports, the finance ministry said in a statement, citing a decision by the country's cabinet. It did not specify the quantities involved.
In a positive gesture, China said on Friday that it will waive import tariffs for some soybeans and pork shipments from the United States, as the two sides try to thrash out a broader agreement to defuse their protracted trade war.
The tariff waivers were based on applications by individual firms for U.S. soybeans and pork imports, the finance ministry said in a statement, citing a decision by the country's cabinet. It did not specify the quantities involved.
China had imposed the levies in response to tariffs launched by Washington over allegations that China steals and forces the transfer of American intellectual property to Chinese firms, known as Section 301. That includes tariffs of 25% on both U.S. soybeans and pork in July 2018 and a further 10% on pork and 5% on soybeans in September this year.
The waiver comes amid negotiations between the United States and China to conclude a 'phase one' or interim deal to de-escalate a 17-month trade war that has roiled financial markets, disrupted supply chains and weighed on global economic growth.
A deal had initially been expected last month, but the two sides are said to be still seeking agreement on major issues such as which tariffs to roll back and the size of U.S. farm purchases China is willing to make.
Though President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone on progress in talks on Thursday, a new round of U.S. tariffs covering about $156 billion of Chinese imports is set to kick in just over a week away on Dec. 15.
China's tariff waivers on key U.S. agricultural products is a sign of its commitment to the deal, said an industry source who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
"The goal (of this move) is to expand purchases and reassure the United States," said a Chinese source who advises Beijing on the trade talks.
"It should be interpreted as a positive signal. Despite the many political difficulties the two sides face, economic and trade cooperation and moves to stop the escalation of the trade war are in the interest of both parties."
Since late 2018, Washington has similarly exempted some Chinese goods from U.S. tariffs, even as the tone of the trade talks waxed and waned.
At end-October, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) began accepting tariff exclusion requests for Chinese goods subject to additional taxes in effect since Sept. 1.
Prior to that, 14 batches of exclusions for Chinese products had been granted between December 2018 and mid-October this year.
Washington imposed additional tariffs on about $125 billion worth of Chinese goods on Sept. 1, on top of 25% tariffs levied on an earlier $250 billion list of industrial and consumer goods.
Beijing's levies on U.S. soybeans initially brought its purchases of the U.S.' most valuable farm export to a virtual halt, although it has offered waivers to buyers in recent months.
The Chinese government never made the details of these waivers public, however, as well as how to implement such waivers.
Those waivers are said to have expired, although new exemptions may come too late, said an analyst.
"December arrivals are already pretty high and then we're getting into the Brazil crop," said Darin Friedrichs, senior Asia commodity analyst at INTL FC Stone.
"There's limited space to buy new U.S. soybeans at this point."
Exemptions for pork are likely to be in higher demand, with less than two months until China's Lunar New Year holiday, the country's peak consumption period.
China has been scouring the world for more meat to fill a big shortage of protein after an outbreak of African swine fever devastated its massive hog herd, cutting supplies of pork.
U.S. pork exports to China and Hong Kong are already up 47% in volume terms from January to September, even with high duties in place.
A second adviser to the Chinese government said exemptions on the products suited Beijing, as they helped meet market demand for such goods while reducing the trade surplus with the United States.
"We might as well buy soybeans from the U.S. rather than from Brazil. Brazil is actually selling us what was purchased from the United States and they even hiked the prices up before selling to us. In that case, we'd better just buy from the United States," she said.


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Highlighted Important Content
Reviews of Games and Products.
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Laserboy Offers 2D Pixel Laser Action on PC
Lawn Mowing Simulator Ancient Britain DLC Out Now
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Valheim November Development Blog, Small Content Patch Released
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Stellar Monarch Age of Technology Expansion Live
7:38 PM PST, December 9, 2019:
Silver Lemur Games has released the long-awaited Age of Technology expansion to their 4X asymmetric grand space empire builder, Stellar Monarch. In ...
Still There Psychological Adventure on PC & Nintendo Switch
7:41 PM PST, November 20, 2019:
Publisher Iceberg Interactive along with indie developer GhostShark Games released psychological adventure Still There today on PC and Nintendo Switch. The story ...
Astroneer Creative Update & PS4 Release
7:29 PM PST, November 15, 2019:
It’s November and System Era Softworks has released the Astroneer Creative Update today along with the much anticipated Astroneer release on PS4. ...
Astroneer Groundwork Update & Limited Event
6:51 PM PDT, October 24, 2019:
Astroneer fans and players can rejoice as a long awaited feature, the Paver, has been added in the new Groundwork Update. Along ...
Astroneer Wanderer Update, Roadmap Details
7:48 PM PDT, September 26, 2019:
System Era, after just three weeks from the Exploration Update, has released the Wanderer Update along with details of the roadmap ahead. ...
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The minimalist top-down shooter Apolune from Lost Astronaut Studios has seen a price drop by roughly a quarter of its retail price. ...
How to Prepare for the No Man’s Sky Beyond Update
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Oxygen Not Included Launch
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Another update is headed to System Era Softworks’ Astroneer, this time it is the Lunar Update ahead of the 50th anniversary of ...
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System Era’s hit interplanetary exploration game Astroneer has received a huge patch in their free Summer Update with patch 220.127.116.11. The list ...
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Google has announced the roll out of Android Lollipop update for Android One phones in India. Google’s Caeser Sengupta informed via a Google+ that the Android update will be pushed gradually to all Android One phones. However it is not clear that whether this update will be based on Android 5.1 or 5.0. Launches were recently made in Indonesia and Philippines and runs on Android 5.1.
Sengupta said that “To those with Android One phones in India, here’s where we are with the over-the-air (OTA) update that will bring Android Lollipop to you soon. We’ve already started rolling out Lollipop to a small number of phones in India. This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds). We thank you again for your patience, and please stay tuned for further updates.”
Google had announced that the update will be released in the next few weeks. The Android One phones available in India include Spice Android One Dream UNO Mi-498 phone, Karbonn Sparkle V and Micromax Canvas A1. Acer, Alcatel, Asus, HTC, Intex, Lava, Panasonic, Lenovo, Xolo and Qualcomm are also expected to join the Android One programme. Android Lollipop was the most ambitious release of the mobile operating system.
According to data released by Google, the Lollipop build powered just 1.6% of Android devices. Google tracked the data on Android devices for the week ending on February 2, 2015 while computing the statistics. It does not include the figures for Android versions that are on less than 0.1% of the devices tracked.


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What Facebook’s announcements at F8 2017 mean for VR & AR startups
Facebook’s F8 conference today featured AR and VR heavily. I put together some quick analysis on what this means for the industry.
- AR Studio was the the biggest surprise. AR Studio enables many more people to create filters and hides the complexity of working with computer vision and 3D technologies. The content being created, however, will likely be tied to Facebook’s platform.
- Tying produced content means that Facebook will silo some of the best AR content, getting a head start on creating a consumer AR ecosystem. Developers tend to focus on the highest impact platform, creating a dev ecosystem that will be harder for other companies to replicate. This is like Apple launching iOS well before Android causing most devs to adopt their platform first. It took Android several years to catch-up and even now many developers still release on iOS-first/only. This starts a flywheel where developers continue to add content to the platform, which then makes the platform more valuable, which then attracts more devs and so on. Note: Facebook also did this with their social platform early on as well. Most developers were building for Facebook over MySpace & OpenSocial because they were iterating faster, better designed, and higher monetizing.
- Snap, for now, doesn’t seem like they have any technological advantage over Facebook’s AR offerings. Even with the announcement of Snap’s World Lens today, because of AR Studio, Facebook is further along the AR roadmap that Snap was pioneering. They are only missing their version of Spectacles. Given Facebook’s focus on growing Facebook Live and the obvious glasses based imagery in their F8 keynote today, it’s likely they will launch some form of camera-enabled sunglasses soon.
- Facebook’s weakness will be at the OS layer but they are cross-platform and have network effects. Most of the low-level AR tech (SLAM, face tracking) that Facebook demoed today will likely be made available at the OS layer by Apple and Google. The benefit they have is that, by tying content to their messenger and social graph, they may still have all of the most compelling applications. Many of the best features they demo’d are services not apps that benefit from strong network effects, such as chatting with friends and real world hot spots. Facebook’s core strength is here.
How this affects VR/AR startups
- Low-level AR tech companies have a limited window. There may be a narrow window for companies that are building facial tracking, filter libraries, and SLAM tech to sell to competing platforms. I’d imagine, however, that this technology becomes widely and freely available as open source and is a component rather than a business.
- Facebook will be the gold standard for social VR engagement and the benchmark social VR apps will be compared against. Facebook Spaces is what you get when you already have a social graph, brand awareness, and best in class social engagement features. Therefore, the retention and engagement on Facebook’s platform will likely be amongst the best VR apps. This means that we’ll now have benchmarks for what “good” retention and engagement look like in VR. Any new standalone pure social VR applications are already at a disadvantage because they lack the network, but now they have actual numbers they will be compared against as well.
- Social VR/AR apps need to target a niche or provide a unique interaction model versus just being a VR chatroom / social network. It’s obvious that Facebook can continue to add to Spaces and even open it up as a platform for 3rd party devs. As a result, any startup trying to compete on purely being a new communication layer is at a disadvantage. One way to circumvent this would be to create new types of interactions that are fun/solve a problem, position your brand around that one use case, and then build a social layer around that. Even then, Facebook may power the social layer for those apps. Examples of companies doing this are BigScreen and Rec Room.
- Standalone mobile AR apps may not be differentiated enough to be able to get downloads. Given that most people already have Messenger on their phone, any AR apps focused on real life marketing or placing virtual notes/content for other people to find should have an answer for why their app should exist separately vs. just being a part of Facebook’s Camera Platform.
- AR apps on Messenger may create viable businesses. Similar to early Facebook and iOS applications, the right AR app could potentially capitalize on the new distribution channel and buzz around Messenger Camera Filters. Just like other new platforms, however, the key will be repeat daily & weekly usage and not just simple throw away gimmicks.
- Cross-platform tools/SaaS on top of this and competing platforms may be a viable businesses. The camera filters are a publishing and eventual advertising platform, this means that all of the companies and infrastructure that existed for video and other forms of content now need to be AR-enabled as well. Cross-platform tools and technology that are additive to the Camera Platform and/or help non-technical people publish and measure ROI out of these platforms, similar to social analytics products, could help bring brand dollars and performance marketers to AR.
- Reality capture and other technologies that bring VR/AR closer to the real world are opportunities. As fidelity increases and more use cases for VR/AR are discovered, we will want the virtual world to resemble the real world more and more. As a result, there will be a need to increase graphic fidelity, bring real world objects into the virtual world, and create more seamless ways of interacting with virtual objects.
Amitt is a Managing Partner at Presence Capital, an early-stage venture firm focused on investing in VR/AR companies. If you liked this article, please consider recommending or sharing it.


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Darren Goldney: We are the champions!
Unitas Wholesale sets out ambitious targets for success at supplier briefing
Champions for independents and brands – that’s the aim for Unitas as the new company embarks on its first year since forming.
The new business, which came about with the merger of buying group giants Today’s Group and Landmark Wholesale, identified as the home for brands at its supplier briefing hosted by Managing Director Darren Goldney and his senior management team.
The backbone of Unitas’s position is its 99.4% branded stock lines, which dwarves anything that many of its retail competitors – especially the multiples and discounters – can offer.
Speaking in front of a host of senior figures from some of the biggest brands, Goldney asked why suppliers wouldn’t want Unitas to grow and outlined how the merger not only benefits the two buying groups, but also manufacturers by reducing resource on attending fewer events, contact points and central payment.
As a result of efficiencies across the board, Unitas aims to protect independent retailers and small businesses by using its increased purchasing power to provide core ranging, extended availability and exclusive deals. And with Goldney pointing to trends suggesting that there is no longer ring-fenced retail and wholesale channels, there would be a much stronger focus on the end customer.
Aside from the retail arm of the business, Unitas Deputy Managing Director John Mills asked suppliers “not to pigeonhole us” and explained that there will be a big focus on the foodservice side too.
This will mean that there will be a spotlight on product integrity and the best possible promotions to make sure independent foodservice operators can get the best deals.
Mills added: “If we don’t do that, others will kill off independent foodservice operators.”Darren Goldney independents John Mills Landmark merger suppliers Today's Unitas


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Retailers will be excited to hear that from next year Life Instyle Sydney will be moving to Darling Harbour.
Co-located with Reed Gift Fairs at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre, the boutique trade event will now be open from Friday 21 to Monday 24 February 2020.
This move will create a more efficient, one-stop buying experience and increase the community’s potential for business.
Life Instyle’s unwavering commitment to Australia’s vibrant community of local, independent designers, makers and creatives will remain at its heart and a focus on curating a unique and authentic event will be even stronger.
Over the years, the Life Instyle exhibition has helped become a launchpad for hundreds if not thousands of businesses and their products. The exhibition is committed to elevating originality and creativity to bolster innovation and inspiration to the attendees.
The fair brings together exhibitors with unique products and is grouped in various categories including Kids Instyle, First Instyle and Men Instyle. The goal here is to help wholesalers and suppliers get the word out to the consumers via the retailer. This way, more people can embrace Australian-made goods that are produced ethically and eco-friendly.
Conveniently located in the heart of the city and walking distance to hotels and public transport, the ICC Sydney will provide the perfect waterfront backdrop to showcase Australia’s most cutting-edge brands and giving retailers the opportunity to spend more time on the show floor and less time travelling between multiple venues.


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The Solana mobile devices will be available for delivery in early 2023 and will cost around $1,000.
The Osom OV1, built by a team of former engineers and designers from Essential, is being rebranded and repurposed for crypto.
In New York City this afternoon, blockchain company Solana announced its own mobile phone, the Saga, made in partnership with Osom. The device costs $1,000, and preorders open today. Solana says the Saga will be ready in the first quarter of 2023, with a $100 deposit required.
Besides its 6.67-inch OLED display, 512GB storage and 12GB of RAM, It will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip. The device has a 50-megapixel primary camera as well as a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
Rather than on a laptop browser, Saga intends to implement digital asset products and services that will allow users to utilize their crypto on mobile devices.
Along with Saga, Yakovenko also shared the development of Solana Mobile Stack, which is a web3 layer for Solana built for mobile devices. A dApp Store that will run on the Android-based Saga. With its new stack, which will be available to other Android device makers, it envisions a wide proliferation of crypto-native apps, digital services, and digital goods.
“We didn’t see a single crypto announcement at Apple’s developer conference, 13 years after Bitcoin went live,” Yakovenko said in a Q&A session. “I think it’s going to be up to us.”
The NFT marketplace Magic Eden, wallet maker Phantom, and cryptocurrency exchange Orca have joined forces to support the new software from Saga and Solana.
The CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, said at the event, “Everything is going mobile.”. In most countries, mobile phones are the primary device people use to access services, Bankman-Fried said. Currently, crypto products are not easily accessible on mobile devices, he added.


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PES 2019 sold 42 per cent fewer copies than last year’s game, Chart-Track data can reveal.
Even though this only takes into account physical copies, it’s still a huge drop as Konami’s series loses further ground to EA’s FIFA franchise.
This year, PES lost the Champions League – one of the biggest draws – so a dip was expected.
However, the Japanese developer perhaps didn’t expect sales to dip as steeply as they have.
The figures raise serious concerns over whether the series will survive another year, despite the general consensus pointing to a very good football game.
Although sales were hit, PES 2019 still managed to cling on to the second spot – behind F1 2018.
Here’s the full top 10 lies below:
- F1 2018
- PES 2019
- Crash Trilogy
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- God of War
- Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
- FIFA 18
Amazingly, despite coming to the end of its life cycle, FIFA 18 still finds itself in the top 10.
Rockstar’s GTA V – which turns five years old this year – hangs on to the third position, thanks to GTA Online’s plethora of expansions and in-game challenges.
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MANUFACTURINGRecent and archived news stories on: Aerospace, Agribusiness, Chemicals, Electronics, Energy, Fabrication, Industrial, Plastics, Textiles...
Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. said the fuel economy data for its vehicles model years 2013 to 2017 sold in the U.S. is accurate and is not affected by testing irregularities its Japan-based parent revealed last week.
Allergan Plc bought Topokine Therapeutics for $85 million and certain milestone payments.
Santa Ana-based point-of-sale terminal maker ExaDigm Inc. merged on undisclosed terms with Shenzhen Xinguodu Technology Co., Ltd., a China-based maker of POS systems and electronic payments products.
Shares in Foothill Ranch-based Kaiser Aluminum Corporation close down about 1% to $86.58 and a market cap of $1.6 billion after the company reported first quarter net income of $26 million.
San Juan Capistrano-based toilet component maker Fluidmaster, Inc. acquired on undisclosed terms WISA BV, a restroom components designer and maker in the Netherlands.
Jim Graham, owner of Santa Margarita Ford, acquired Santa Margarita Toyota from John Dinsmore.
Anaheim-based Bedrosians bought Oregon Tile & Marble, in Medford, Ore.
Irvine-based textile supplier Momentum Group has been acquired on undisclosed terms by private equity company the Riverside Company, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Rancho Santa Margarita data analytics software maker Compellon has raised $6.7 million in a Series A funding round.
Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. in Anaheim filed for bankruptcy protection and said it will convert debt into equity for creditor Golden Gate Capital.
Irvine-based Edwards Lifesciences Corp.’s shares shot up today after it reported positive results on a pair of less-invasive replacement heart valve clinical trials.
Irvine-based Excalibur Engineering, Inc. was acquired April 1 by Transcat Inc. in Rochester, New York, for $7.35 million in cash.
Only one of four Orange County-based automakers exceeded the national sales pace for new vehicles in March, according to New Jersey-based market researcher Autodata Corp.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved a glaucoma device made by Laguna Hills-based Glaukos Corp.
Cargigi Inc. in Irvine was acquired by eBay Inc. on undisclosed terms.


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Deliveroo is investing 1.15 million euros to encourage restaurants in Belgium, France and Italy to switch to more sustainable packaging options.
Recycled or compostable
Customers receive a 50 % discount on sustainable packaging. With “sustainable”, Deliveroo refers to packaging that is compostable, or made from recycled paper, cardboard or plastic.
Deliveroo says it previously achieved good results with similar initiatives in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. The investment in green packaging could save up to 140 tonnes of plastic, the equivalent of nine trucks of waste. For Belgium, this amounts to 9 tonnes of plastic. In addition, the packaging supplier offsets 550 tonnes of CO2 emissions.


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Australian membership-owned retailer, Liquor Marketing Group (LMG), has announced the appointment of its new Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Harrison.
Mr Harrison brings a wealth of experience to LMG, having previously worked for Lion for nine years in several senior finance roles, most recently as Commercial Director for Business Development; and prior to that, serving as Head of Finance for Malt Shovel. Before Lion, Jonny spent 10 years with PwC as a senior member of its Risk and Controls team.
“Jonny Harrison joins our team with more than 19 years’ experience helping businesses tackle complex problems and designing strategies and solutions to drive sustainable growth,” says LMG CEO Gavin Saunders.
“Jonny’s experience as a finance leader with strong commercial focus will be tremendously advantageous for LMG and I look forward to Jonny working with our Board and Executive team in accelerating growth in our business and delivering maximum value for our members.”
With over 1400 stores included under its retail brands – Bottlemart, SipnSave, Harry Brown, and Thirsty Camel in Western Australia – LMG has experienced extraordinary growth over the past four years, with membership volumes growing more than 50% during this period.
The membership-owned and operated group has kept operating costs low while investing revenue growth into advertising, price support, store refresh, and digital and eCommerce platforms.
“LMG’s investment in advertising, selling and member support has more than doubled over the past four years. This increase has created the opportunity and need for the addition of Jonny Harrison’s role as Chief Financial Officer. Jonny brings to the role vast experience in market pricing analysis, business development, systems and financial management which will support LMG to further drive our members’ sales and profit performance,” says Mr Saunders.
“LMG’s focus remains meeting the customers need to drive sales growth for LMG members who operate under the Bottlemart, SipnSave, Harry Brown or Thirsty Camel WA retail banners. Sales growth of 32.6% over the past two years is testament to winning with customers and it is pleasing to give our independent members growth ahead of what has been reported by other major liquor retailers.”


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One of the biggest conversations today with regard to who bears the brunt for climate issues. It’s a problem that’s famously controversial, largely because it’s easier to point fingers than it is to take responsibility for your role. On top of this, even though modern business philosophy preaches ideas like the triple bottom line (prioritizing people and the environment alongside the company’s profit), more traditional business ideas are singularly focused on the profit of the company. Because of this, many companies see environmental considerations as a liability rather than a responsibility that they must address.
Last week, Time published a piece entitled Planet Earth’s Future Now Rests in the Hands of Big Business. Upon analyzing the role of big business when it comes to climate change alongside United States legislation from the 1980s until now, the article concluded that business, especially big business, has the greatest ability to effect the fast change needed in order to reach climate goals before it’s too late.
But it’s a little more complicated than that. Big businesses will also require the guidance of governments and nonprofits as well as the voice of individuals in order to facilitate an equitable transition toward a greener world.
Although the idea of Extended Producer Responsibility (a legislative approach which places primary responsibility of climate change goals in the hands of the producers) is not new, it hasn’t always seen success. According to the Time article, legislative attempts have largely failed. This is due to a number of factors, including resistance from big businesses, especially those in the energy sector, to block or limit this type of legislation.
However, in spite of the legislative failure, “investors and corporate executives have become more aware of the threat climate change poses to their business and open to working to address its causes.” Essentially, it’s the financial repercussions that climate change will inevitably bring about rather than the financial repercussions of legislation that offers the true incentive for companies to change.
But, this brings about another question: can the private sector lead the way to climate reform without the help of the government? The article says no. “They need a credible system to set the rules of the road and ensure that those pledges can be scrutinized,” says author Justin Worland. In other words, the private sector and government entities must work together in order to reach meaningful environmental goals.
Although the private sector has great power to enact change, historically, it typically doesn’t change fast enough, especially without incentives from the government. Furthermore, the private sector doesn’t have the resources to take into consideration things like the social impact of their actions. Without government guidance, the changes simply won’t come fast enough, and important factors may be ignored.
But, the government can’t do it alone, either. They need meaningful input from companies in order to build a system that big business is likely to follow. It’s also often the private sector that leads innovation and new technologies, which are needed in order to make a smooth transition to a more sustainable world. Governments must harness this power by offering incentives in this direction and encouraging companies to grow in a way that helps them to grow while improving global sustainability.
The benefits of doing business the green way
Businesses are willing to go green as long as they can see a benefit from it. This can be seen in U.S. companies’ response to the Paris Agreement. When President Trump removed the United States from the Paris Agreement, 20 Fortune 500 companies pledged to remain true to the deal in spite of the fact that they were no longer required to do so. This number only grew over the years with 2,300 companies making the same pledge by the time Trump left office.
This goes to show that the private sector does have a desire to adhere to climate goals even if they aren’t required to do so by legislation. However, profits remain a major influence of business decisions. Businesses need to know that they can still thrive while making sustainable choices.
The science shows that they can. Studies show that moving toward sustainable practices helps improve customer loyalty with over 60% of consumers wanting the brands they support to align with their ideals, sustainability being one of the top customer concerns. Furthermore, 68% of impact investors (investors who invest in projects and businesses that make a positive difference in the world) said that their investments met their expectations, and 20% said that their expectations were exceeded. In studies surrounding circular economies, it’s predicted that trillions of dollars may be made with significant increases in productivity and job creation.
Because there’s a profit to be made from doing green business, businesses are motivated to move in this direction on their own. However, guidance from an outside entity is still needed to ensure that their sustainable choices promise longevity and social responsibility.
Take the socially and environmentally responsible first step with TONTOTON
If your company wants to follow the trend of many big businesses, partnering with TONTOTON is a good first step. When you partner with TONTOTON, you can reduce plastic pollution by collecting non-recyclable plastic alongside recycled plastic used in their products. Leave nothing and no one behind. It’s a way for companies to empower impact and to choose responsibility with a third-party certification.
The plastic credits fund projects that support vulnerable communities and help clean up plastic waste in areas where mismanaged plastic waste is in abundance. We employ those in the communities in which we work offering competitive wages, training, personal protective equipment, and access to healthcare. Once that plastic waste is collected, we send it to cement factories to be converted into energy and raw materials.
We offer a short term solution to help minimize your company’s plastic footprint in a way that’s beneficial to both the planet and the vulnerable communities in which we work. This aligns with the premise of the above article; with the help of motivated corporate partners, we’re able to produce a solution that’s effective. However, we can’t stop here. We always encourage our corporate partners to make additional changes beyond the purchase of plastic credits, and here at TONTOTON, we’re always researching new and better ways to address the plastic waste issue.
Take the same path as big business by taking responsibility for your environmental footprint. Partnering with TONTOTON allows you to take that first step today.


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More and more, advertisers want to use influencers to pitch their goods and services to millennials. And increasingly, publishers from Refinery29 to Hearst are happy to oblige, offering advertisers direct access to these social media stars.
Refinery29 offers advertisers access to a hand-picked group of influencers across various social networks. Bustle also has tapped into influencers for brands. Legacy publishers have joined the parade, too. Hearst began working with digital video company Reelio in December to pair fashion influencers with its glossy magazine brands. In March, The New York Times acquired HelloSociety, a digital marketing agency, to augment its branded content arm; while Time Inc. partnered with YouTube fashion network StyleHaul.
For advertisers, influencers can offer an alternative to intrusive ads and a way to extend their reach beyond a publisher’s audience. They can go to any number of YouTube networks for star power, but in theory, publishers have the benefit of having established brands and relationships with social media celebrities.
In practice, though, and perhaps because they’re relatively new at it, publishers often have a hard time executing influencer programs, agencies say.
“They have the foundation in place from a reader perspective that’s needed; if I trust The New York Times, if there’s a new content program I’m more likely to take a look at it, and I trust the quality control is there,” said Mike McLaughlin, managing director of digital, West Coast, at Mindshare. “But they don’t have the established structure that the [multi-channel networks] have. It’s hard to say if they can compete from a scale and backend perspective.”
In some cases, publishers’ use of bloggers feels generic and has a whiff of just serving to inflate a campaign’s performance numbers, agencies say.
Monique Lemus, group director at The Media Kitchen, said while some publishers take time to make sure the influencer marketing represents the brand well, others have fallen short. With one publisher, she said, it had hundreds of influencers promote an article, and while there were some people who clicked through it, the agency didn’t see a ton of engagement.
“The publisher will tack on 20 or 30 influencers including a link in a piece of content in a Facebook post and that’s that,” she said. “It’s just like another add-on. There’s no actual discussion with the influencer about the tone you want to use; it’s very much like copy-and-paste.”
Sometimes the publisher will throw in the influencer marketing piece for free to boost a campaign’s reach. In that case, the agency may have lower performance expectations. But even then, agencies want to know that the influencers have been chosen for the right reasons. Publishers tend to choose people who have a large reach when engagement may be the more important metric to the client, Lemus said.
Horizon Media is a believer in influencer marketing, having created a division at the agency devoted to it. However, it’s seen publishers throwing an influencer component into a campaign and claiming they were going “above and beyond” for the client, said Maikel O’Hanlon, vp of social media strategy at Horizon.
“We see certain publishers treating influencer alliances as another way to generate traffic in a way they used to use paid mechanisms [like] Outbrain and Taboola,” he said.
Some publishers say they go to lengths to choose influencers carefully. “Often, influencers are selected with very little consideration of affinity with the publishing brand and it’s entirely focused on the advertiser’s brand,” said Kai Hsing, svp of marketing at Bustle. “We’re obviously trying to steer away from that.” The Times’ HelloSociety tries to get to know the influencers on a personal level to help determine if things happening in their lives align with certain campaigns. “For instance, if an influencer is about to have a baby, she’d be an especially good fit for a campaign targeting new moms,” said Kyla Brennan, HelloSociety’s founder and CEO.
Of course, the pitfalls of working with social media stars isn’t just a publisher issue; influencer marketing is fraught with measurement concerns, getting influencers to create content that aligns with the brand’s goals and rising prices. Working with influencers requires a lot of hand-holding — entailing more work than some publishers might be prepared for.
The vetting process is key, agreed Howard Mittman, publisher and chief revenue officer at GQ, which works with a pool of 6,500 influencers, a small segment of which it uses to promote brands. “You must curate your network by looking at more than just the total audience they can deliver,” he said. “You must work to find contributors whose ideals reflect the broad values of your organization and you need to manage and maintain relationships with them as you would your staff.”
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Target Corp. (TGT) has stayed ahead of its peers in certain aspects of the business so far this year, despite the unimpressive earnings performance in the recent quarters. Investors remain optimistic about the multi-brand retailer primarily due to its fast-growing store traffic, an area where its closest rivals lag behind, and the resultant sales growth.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings Wednesday before the market opens. Wall Street analysts have predicted Target to report earnings of $1.39 per share, up 13% compared to the second quarter of 2017. Sales are seen growing at about 5% to $17.21 billion.
Earnings and sales are expected to increase by 12% and 2% respectively in the whole of 2018. With the holiday shopping season around the corner, investors can look for an updated outlook from the company, which bets on the steady sales growth to return to profit growth by next year.
Investors remain optimistic about the multi-brand retailer primarily due to its fast-growing store traffic
According to experts, the ongoing traffic growth, which hit the fastest pace in 10 years in the last quarter, and comparable store performance will continue in the June quarter also, driving up the top-line. Initial estimates indicate that store traffic got a boost from the favorable weather condition, enhanced shopping experience brought about by the redesigned stores and competitive pricing.
Meanwhile, the squeeze on margins from high operating expenses will be a dampener – a major challenge the entire retail sector is currently facing. While sticking to the strategy of promoting in-store shopping, Target is also well aware of the need to stay relevant in the highly competitive industry and continues to invest in its e-commerce platform.
In the first quarter, Target registered the strongest traffic growth in more than a decade, which pushed up sales more than 3%. As a result, earnings climbed 8.7% year-on-year to $1.33 per share.
Walmart (WMT), which competes with Target, last week posted a 34% jump in second-quarter earnings, excluding the impact of losses incurred from asset sales in Brazil and equity investment in JD.com (JD). Among the other discount store operators, Costco (COST) reported better-than-expected earnings for its most recent quarter, aided by robust sales growth.
Target’s shares witnessed a massive upswing in the past 12 months, gaining about 52% during the period. The stock opened slightly higher on Monday and maintained the uptrend throughout the session and closed the day at $83.32, slightly up by 0.34%.
Information technology solutions provider Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) on Thursday reported lower earnings and revenues for the first quarter of 2024. Earnings, however, exceeded analysts’ forecasts. First-quarter profit, excluding
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) stands out in the retail space for its unique business model that enables the warehouse behemoth to grow store traffic and market share constantly. Currently,
Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) soared over 13% on Thursday after the company delivered better-than-expected earnings results for the first quarter of 2024 and reaffirmed its outlook for


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Less than third of the largest global apparel and footwear companies (15 out of 43) score over 50/100 in policies and practices related to forced labour risks in their supply chains, according to a recent benchmark. Adidas which scored 92/100 remained the top-scoring company, while Lululemon (89/100) overtook Gap Inc (75/100) to secure the second place.
The overall average score of all the accessed companies remained low at 37 out of 100 found the ‘2018 Apparel & footwear benchmark findings report’ released by KnowTheChain. Adidas and Lululemon achieved a significantly higher score than their peers due to their strong approaches to addressing risks associated with recruitment and migrant workers as well as risks in lower tiers of their supply chains.
The companies scoring below 15/100 include companies across subsectors and regions, including Asian retailers such as Zhejiang Semir Garment (0/100), the owner of China’s largest specialty children’s apparel brand; and Shimamura (0/100), the second-largest apparel retailer in Japan; US footwear companies such as Foot Locker (12/100) and Skechers (7/100); and European luxury brands such as LVMH (14/100) and Prada (5/100).
The average score of subset of 19 companies companies benchmarked in both the years (2016 and 2018) increased from 49/100 to 56/100. While all of the 19 companies improved notably, eight companies (Adidas, Hugo Boss, Kering, Lululemon, Nike, PVH, Ralph Lauren, and VF) increased their scores by more than 10 points.
Despite disclosure of some leading practices, recruitment remains the lowest scoring theme, at 18/100. Only four companies provide evidence that they have reimbursed recruitment fees to workers in their supply chains (Adidas, Lululemon, Primark, and Ralph Lauren), and only seven companies provide evidence of how they support ethical recruitment in their supply chains. Eighteen out of the 43 companies in the benchmark received a score of zero for their lack of action on recruitment. (PC)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India


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You may not be able to purchase junk food with SNAP in the near future, but using food stamps for groceries just got a whole lot easier: Thanks to a new initiative by the USDA, food stamp users will soon be allowed to do their grocery shopping online.
The USDA will partner with retailers like Amazon, Fresh Direct, Safeway, Shoprite, and other smaller regional chains in select test markets before expanding nationwide. The test will run in both rural and urban areas in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
"Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. "We're looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP."
During the test, the USDA will evaluate whether national or local retailers are more accessible to SNAP participants. The USDA will also test out a couple different payment methods.
SNAP users will still have to cover all service and delivery fees, according to Engadget.