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In the wake of changes to Steam’s default privacy settings yesterday, unofficial data and sales tracking kingpin Steam Spy is doomed. Many developers who relied on it are mourning its passing, but some are saying good riddance.
The service scraped publicly viewable Steam profiles to estimate game sales along with troves of other data. Some developers, especially smaller ones, viewed it as a key resource. Without Steam Spy to guide their decision-making processes, they feel like they’re in the dark again.
“This really sucks,” Dreamfall director Ragnar Tørnquist wrote on Twitter. “SteamSpy has been an invaluable tool for us. And more transparency in games sales would be great for the industry in general.”
Game designer Andrew Crenshaw laid out exactly how availability of data helps developers—and what they now stand to lose. “Losing Steam Spy is terrible news for indie game devs,” he wrote. “It was one of the few resources that small developers had for assessing the market. It’s also encouraged publishers to be transparent with their developers about sales figures.”
“Pour one out for Steam Spy,” wrote Pillars of Eternity executive director Adam Brennecke, echoing a sentiment shared by many developers at the mercy of Steam’s whims. “Thanks for being there in times of darkness.”
That said, developers mostly seem to view Steam Spy as a necessary casualty of a that’s gained a burst of particularly pointed momentum in a week that’s seen Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg get grilled by Congress (and roasted by Twitch).
“As much as I like Steam Spy, making users’ libraries hidden by default is 100% the right privacy call,” wrote Sean Barrett, a developer who worked on the original Thief.
There is, however, the looming question of why Valve suddenly embraced privacy after years of leaving users’ profiles comfortably open for examination. The question, said programmer Per Vognsen, is whether Valve made this call for the good of users or because its bottom line was in danger. “It’s in Valve’s interest to make game development and publishing on Steam seem more attractive than it really is,” he said, “and public sales data from Steam Spy has been an empirical cold shower for that kind of hype.”
Some, meanwhile, think the downsides of Steam Spy outweighed its benefits. Accurate sales data is a powerful tool, but inaccurate sales data that people believe to be gospel can be a weapon of mass annoyance.
“Unfortunately, the vast majority of Steam Spy armchair statisticians I’ve witnessed completely misinterpret every little bit of data on there,” said No More Robots founder Mike Rose. “Steam Spy disappearing means that people who actually know what they’re talking about can now still estimate current sales pretty well, while people who are maybe not the best at this stuff can’t make up their own numbers anymore.”
In some cases, people even used Steam Spy data to demean or harass developers, something Night In The Woods developer Scott Benson’s dealt with.
“Goddammit how am I going to be a consumer advocate if I can’t see an unreliable estimate of how a game sold and then do bad math to come to a concrete number of how much the LAZY DEVS did or did not make,” he wrote, adding that Steam Spy was a “double-edged sword” that helped him see how games were selling before his own came out, but a pain in the aftermath because the site’s data on Night In The Woods was apparently not accurate.
Emma Maassen, head of Kitsune Games, thinks that despite the headaches, Steam Spy was still far too valuable of a resource to write off entirely. “People misused it and took the numbers at face value all the time and used it to draw unfounded conclusions,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean plenty of devs didn’t use it to cautiously and carefully inform their business decision. That tool is gone now, in a market that’s rougher than ever.
Vlambeer’s Rami Ismail summed it all up.
“The biggest issue after Steam Spy will be a lack of semi-dependable context for developers researching or negotiating with others,” he said. “The biggest advantage is that no one will have to explain to devs and users alike that no, these numbers might look accurate, does not mean they are.”
You’re reading Steamed, Kotaku’s page dedicated to all things in and around Valve’s wildly popular PC gaming service. Games, culture, community creations, criticism, guides, videos—everything. If you’ve found anything cool/awful on Steam, send us a message to let us know.


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After banning Happy Meal toys and plastic bags (among other things), the city of San Francisco is now turning its attention to another pressing issue. On Tuesday, the city's Board of Supervisors President David Chiu introduced legislation that would ban the unsolicited distribution of the Yellow Pages.
Chiu argues that in the age of the Internet, the large volumes delivered to homes and offices are becoming increasingly obsolete. As a result, he says end up going directly to the recycling bin. Currently, Chiu's offices estimates that more than 1.5 million copies of the Yellow Pages phone books are delivered door-to-door in San Francisco every year.
"If we're serious about the environment, it's time we recognize that phone books are a 20th century tool that doesn't meet the business or environmental needs of the 21st century," said Chiu.
But not everyone is on board with Chiu's new "green" proposal. According to the San Francisco Gate, one trade group promised to challenge the measure in court if it is approved. Instead of allowing for an "opt-out" provision for consumers as other cities have, Chiu's proposal goes much further:
Under the proposal, phone companies and other distributors and publishers of Yellow Pages phone books would be barred from leaving them on doorsteps and in lobbies without receiving advance permission.
The Yellow Page companies could contact consumers by e-mail, direct mail, phone solicitations or in person, asking if they would like the directory. If the response is positive, the phone book could be delivered. Consumers also would be able to pick them up at a distribution center.
Unsolicited deliveries, however, could result in fines of up to $500 for each violation. The law would be enforced by the city's Department of the Environment.
The white pages - whose general distribution is mandated by state law - would not be affected. Dual white and Yellow Pages phone books would have to abide by the new restrictions, if they are approved.
According to the Yellow Pages Association, the proposed measure "would be an infringement of our constitutional rights - the right to distribute speech," a spokesperson for the group said, noting that the Yellow Pages business actually represents a $13-billion-a-year industry. (Who knew?)
She said that it would unfairly target one industry. Direct-mail companies, phone solicitors and the like would not face the same clampdown, she said.
Ditching the Yellow Pages altogether may also pose problems for small businesses who solicit new customers with their ads.
The Yellow Pages aren't just unpopular in San Fran -- the Seattle city council is considering a similar proposal.
If you don't wish to receive a copy of the Yellow Pages, the association offers an opt-out site: www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

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Impact of Covid 19 on Edtech Industry in India | Growth or Setback?
one month ago in Education
As the world is dealing with a crisis due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of business sectors and industries have to undergo major financial losses. In India, the picture is not different. However, crises often bring a few opportunities too. After the Covid-19 outbreak, people have understood the value of digitalization. Working from home has helped many people to retain their jobs even in this difficult time. On the other hand, classes at schools and colleges have been halted. But, many students are availing education through online classes. The pandemic has brought a platform for the edtech industry to grow in India.
Over the last few months, a lot of significant investments have been noted in the edtech sector. At the same time, Government of India (GOI) has introduced a few plans to give support to the edtech industry. According to industry experts, expenditure in the edtech industry will be around $10 trillion in next ten years. A survey conducted by SimilarWeb has revealed that top edtech companies in India have experienced 26% of growth in visitors between April (2019) and March (2020).
Status of India’s Edtech before Lockdown
According to a report published by TRAI, the total number of internet subscribers grew from 665 million in June 2019 to 687 million in September 2019. The growth rate is around 3.35%, and the growth has remained steady throughout the year of 2019. Since 2020, higher growth of internet users has been noted after a nation-wide lockdown was announced by the Indian government.
Growth in the number of internet subscribers is a positive sign for the edtech industry. With a higher number of internet users, edtech businesses or startups can expect more traffic for the apps. Specialization of skills in the technology sector has also boosted the edtech industry in India. Students are seeking specialized courses. What could be more convenient than pursuing an online specialized course for skill development?
However, before the pandemic, there were many challenges for the online learning industry. The most important thing was the social outlook towards online learning. Learning something sitting at home without attending classes in an institution was a thing that Indian parents did not use to validate. After the pandemic, the outlook has changed to a large extent. Online-based learning is possible, and Indian parents have started believing in it.
Status of Edtech Industry after Pandemic
Since the nation-wide lockdown was imposed, outlook towards online learning has changed. Since the last few months, schools and colleges have remained closed. But, education for students has not been halted due to e-learning. With limited infrastructural provisions, many institutions and colleges are providing online classes to students.
The pandemic has also disrupted the orthodox higher education sector in India. A large number of students prefer studying abroad. But, pandemic has forced them to return to the country. In this scenario, online learning has become the best alternative to such students. Physical distances do not matter in online learning. Students can now attend online classes. For further assistance with their courses, they opt for various edtech applications or platforms.
How Lockdown Boosted the Edtech Industry?
According to the industry experts, there are around 5000 edtech startups in India at present. All these startups are offering courses in various segments. From vocation courses to professional skill development training, students have many choices for courses as per their areas of interest for studying. There are many edtech applications that intend to help school and college students to prepare for their board examinations and other competitive exams like JEE-Main, CAT, etc.
Lockdown has led to closure of schools, colleges and coaching centers. For students, e-learning is the best alternative at this point of time. Before lockdown, the edtech industry was growing steadily. After lockdown, the growth curve has taken a massive upward jump. India is now at the unlock phase, as the government has decided to lift the lockdown to resume commercial activities in the country. However, the GOI has not clarified the future of schools and colleges yet. They are expected to remain closed for another 4-5 month at least. Hence, even after the lockdown is lifted, online learning has still remained the best option for learning for students.
Challenges for the Edtech Sector in India
The lockdown has disrupted the orthodox education sector in India. As a result, the edtech sector has gained significant boost. But, there are still plenty of challenges for the edtech companies and startups. Some of these challenges are discussed below:
· Lack of Infrastructure: In the 21st century, not just electricity but the internet should reach every house in India. However, in the present scenario, it looks like a distant dream. The Government of India has pushed the rapid construction of fiber optical connections throughout the country through the Digital India scheme. In most of the urban and semi-urban places in India, high-speed internet connection will be available for everyone. However, it would take a good amount of time to reach the rural places. Till then, the edtech industry will be restricted within urban and semi-urban India.
· Lack of Affordability for Technology: Though the internet is a basic need in today’s time, it is not free in India yet. Many people cannot afford high-speed internet connection despite living in urban or semi-urban places in India. Not every person in this country has access to smartphone devices.
· Lack of Knowledge: Edtech will play a significant role in skill development. But, many people are not well-accustomed in using technological devices yet. This is a big challenge for the online learning industry. The industry aims to give skill development courses to people from all age groups. While young people in India are well-accustomed with smartphone devices and the internet, older people still struggle with clarity in understanding technology.
· Government Regulation and Policy: Before the pandemic, GOI did not have clear policies for regulating the edtech industry. Lack of government initiatives to promote the edtech sector used to be discouraging for startups or entrepreneurs. After the pandemic, the government has started initiatives to promote the edtech sector.
Government Initiatives to Support Edtech
In order to promote online learning, the Government of India (GOI) has introduced the SWAYAM program. Through this initiative, the GOI is aiming to address three major aspects of the education industry. These aspects are:
· Accessibility: Government has plans for infrastructural development so that everyone in the country can be benefited through online learning.
· Quality: Through various regulations and policies for edtech, the government is committed to provide quality learning to students.
· Equity: For the growth of an industry, equity or fund is the most important thing. Through the SWAYAM program, the government encourages startups and entrepreneurs to invest in this field.
Through SWAYAM, 42 post-graduate on-engineering and 82 undergraduate courses will be offered to the students in July 2020 semester.
For the encouragement of the teaching fraternity, the government has launched another scheme which is named as DIKSHA. This initiative aims to serve the teachers through the National Digital Infrastructure. It gives scalable and seamless digital infrastructure to students so that they can conduct the online classes without facing any difficulties. For delivering quality education with interactive learning experience through the online platforms, infrastructural support is essential.
To support online learning after the pandemic, GOI has launched an application, namely National Test Abhyas. This AI-powered application will help the students to take preparations for competitive examinations like NEET and JEE-Mains.
Surveys on the Future of Edtech in India
To understand the future of the edtech industry in India, various surveys have been conducted in recent times. Some of these surveys and studies have been highlighted in the following section.
· KPMG has released a report titled as “Online Education in India: 2021”. Determining the trends on Google searches, KPMG has predicted that paid users for various edtech apps or businesses will increase. It was 1.6 million in 2016. In 2021, it will be around 9.6 million.
· According to NASSCOM report titled “EdTech – The Advent of Digital Education”, the edtech sector has magnetized 5 times more funding in the last 5 years in India. It also underlines that more than 3000 startups have been incorporated since the last 5 years in this industry.
· A report prepared by DataLab revealed that India could procure potential $2 billion opportunities in the edtech industry. The report comes with the title “The Future of India’s $2 Bn Edtech Opportunity”.
Online learning is not a temporary platform for learning in the pandemic scenario. It is a platform that can make education easily accessible for everyone. Many people will get the opportunity for remote skill learning through edtech applications or startups. Skill development will fetch better job opportunities for the people. The future of the edtech industry looks promising in India. But, most importantly, growth of this industry promises better education for the country.


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The retailer advantages from a one-stop resolution.
Brian Cornell, CEO of Target, said customers might come into their store with a short shopping list or specific item, but they fill their baskets and leave with lots of purchases.
“We’re seeing a guest who is shopping all of our categories and using our one-stop solution,” Cornell said in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday. The retailer had previously reported third-quarter earnings that significantly exceeded analytes’ estimates.
Target’s diverse range has gained added importance as shoppers restrict the number of trips during the coronavirus pandemic, Cornell said. The average ticket increased 15.6% year over year in the quarter.
“We see a lot of families coming to pick up a new Barbie or something for their kids – a Lego item,” he said. “But while they’re there, they buy Microsoft items or Apple. Even during the pandemic, kids are growing out of their clothes, so guests come over for Cat & Jack, but while they’re there, they discovered that we were Levi’s Red Tab.” available for them and their families. They also visit food and drink and discover our Good & Gather brand. “
In the third quarter, Target announced that sales on the Internet and in stores open for at least a year were up 20.7% year over year. Comparable digital sales rose 155% while sales in the same store rose 9.9%.
Target has seen shoppers visit more often and put more in their baskets. Combined transactions in the Target stores and on their website increased 4.5% year over year, while the average ticket increased 15.6% for the quarter.
So far this year, the company announced it had gained $ 6 billion in market share, with stock gains of $ 1 billion in the most recent quarter.
Instead of naming retailers who are stealing market share, Cornell would point to the company’s numbers, which say they are “very cheap compared to our competitors.”
“It was broad-based,” he said. “We are gaining shares from our traditional competitors as well as from specialist competitors.”
And, he said, Target’s recent deal with Ulta Beauty will entice customers to spend more and more visits to its stores and website when they do. Next year, a smaller version of Ulta will open in over 100 Target stores with a curated mix of beauty items from lip gloss to perfume. The beauty articles will also be available online.
He said beauty “is a great category that combines style and frequency in our business.”
He added, “It’s just one more way for us to improve the experience and bring a new partner into our Target stores and on Target.com.”


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Want to join the conversation?
$MOH expects the $AET/$HUM asset acquisition to add to its earnings upon closing. Company expects to fund the deal with available cash, but has also received a debt commitment letter from Barclays in support of its financing obligations under the agreements.
$GOOG’s Waymo accuses Uber of stealing its intellectual property. Startup Otto, which was recently acquired by Uber, also named in the lawsuit. Stage set for another dramatic legal battle!
We all knew $VALE CEO Murilo Ferreira was going out soon, but now I hear he has no idea who will succeed him!
$JCP, another traditional retailer that just shocked us with its biggest number of store closures.


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Polymer Group Inc
Apparel/Garments | On 28th May 2017
Over 45 per cent retailers in the US plan to utilise artificial...
Textiles | On 27th May 2017
The Fabric of Change initiative of Ashoka and the C&A Foundation is...
Every fifth sale we make on Zapyle is a repeat purchase
e-Commerce is still evolving fast with constant flux and surprises
Moving towards sustainability is also a social change
The Indian market has huge potential in technical textiles, and by far,...
Sidwin Fabric is a manufacturer and exporter of polypropylene textiles and ...
Voith Paper GmbH & Co. KG
The glass mat industry is growing by five to eight per cent annually. Kai...


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OCTOBER 31, 2001
Williams and Pepsico
PEPSICO BEVERAGES INTERNATIONAL is to return to Formula 1 with its 7Up brand. The drink firm enjoyed a hugely successful deal with Jordan Grand Prix back in 1991 but has avoided being involved in the sport since then. The deal is for several years and Pepsico will use Williams in its advertising and promotional activity.
The deal is believed to be similar to that between McLaren and Schweppes with only a small branding deal but massive exposure on drinks cans around the world.
"The partnership with 7UP will help bring Formula 1 racing closer to millions of fans worldwide through promotions, events and of course, advertising," says Williams's head of marketing Jim Wright. "We feel we have one of the most focussed teams in a highly competitive sport and 7UP shares many of our same values for success."
With Red Bull making inroads into traditional soft drink markets the move is no big surprise and it is expected that there will be a similar deal eventually involving the Coca-Cola Corporation, although it remains to be seen what form this will take.
|Print News Story|


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The increase of 48% is the biggest year-on-year increase in inflation since January 1992, when the country, then ruled by Carlos Menem (1989-1999), was starting to emerge from hyperinflation.
In the fourth month of 2022, prices increased 6% from March, down 0.7 percentage point from the previous month’s measurement, when the biggest monthly increase in recent times was recorded 20 years (6.7%).
Goods had a positive change of 6.4% in April compared to to March, while services rose another 5.1%, numbers that add up to 60,4% and 38,9 %, respectively, in the annual comparison.
The highest increases recorded in April were in the segments of clothing and footwear (9.9%), hotels and restaurants (7.3%) and health services (6.4%).
12190152 On the other hand, the sectors that showed the smallest increases were communication, with a monthly increase of 3.7%, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco, with advance of 3.3%.
Consumer prices increased by 50,9% last year, experiencing a acceleration in relation to 20,1 % verified in 2020.
For this year, the Argentine government had initially projected an annual inflation of 36%, but in the refinancing agreement recently reached by the Executive of Alberto Fernández with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), there is an inflation projection for 2022 between 30% and 48%.
However, analysts consulted monthly by the Central Bank of Argentina maintain that inflation will be 60, 1% this year and from 38, 5% in 2023.


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Amazon is under fire in Europe. On Tuesday, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager revealed official antitrust charges versus Amazon over how the tech huge usages information about merchants on its platform, in addition to a brand name brand-new examination into the seller.
Amazon has actually dealt with increasing analysis from regulators both in the EU and United States, part of a more comprehensive reaction versus Big Tech and the power that it wields. The business isand in for comparable factors.
In Europe, the Commission has actually been examining Amazon’s double function as a platform for merchants and as a competitor to those merchants for the previous 2 years. Vestager revealed that following the examination, the Commission had actually discovered Amazon guilty of abusing its dominant position as the greatest online market in France and Germany — Europe’s 2 greatest markets.
The Commission’s examination found that big amounts of information about third-party sellers were readily available to Amazon staff members and streaming into the business’s automated systems. Access to this information provides Amazon an unreasonable benefit, the Commission stated, as it permits the business to run without the regular threats associated with retail competitors.
“We must ensure that dual role platforms with market power, such as Amazon, do not distort competition,” stated Vestager in a declaration. “Data on the activity of third party sellers should not be used to the benefit of Amazon when it acts as a competitor to these sellers.”
As this is an initial choice from the Commission, Amazon will have a possibility to react prior to any fines are provided. Amazon didn’t instantly react to an ask for remark.
The 2nd examination revealed by Vestager will check out the possible favoritism of Amazon’s own retail deals and those of market sellers that utilize Amazon’s logistics and shipment services. In specific, it will analyze how sellers are picked to appear in the “Buy Box” on the ideal side of the page when you’re searching the site. Appearing in the Buy Box provides a substantial benefit to sellers as their items are greatly promoted to Amazon Prime users.
Antitrust warms up all over the world
This is far from the very first time Amazon has actually come under fire from the EU Competition Commission. Back in 2017, Amazon consented to alter its ebook agreements with publishers after another prolonged examination. Vestager likewise led that examination, in addition to a variety of other effective examinations into United States tech giants, consisting of Apple and Google.
Vestager has a credibility for being terrifying and unflinching when dealing with down the world’s most affluent and most effective business, and has long asserted that she is identified to guaranteewhich European customers are getting the very best offer.
Europe has a long history of pursuing antitrust examinations into tech giants, however the United States is significantly doing the same. The House of Representatives antitrust subcommittee likewise implicated Amazon, in addition to Facebook, Apple and Google, of suppressing competitors and hurting United States customers.
Earlier this year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos offered statement to the subcommittee, stating: “I believe Amazon should be scrutinized. We should scrutinize all large institutions, whether they’re companies, government agencies or nonprofits. Our responsibility is to make sure we pass such scrutiny with flying colors.”


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Entertainment and sports venues are exploring the trends driving today’s hyper-connected consumer in an effort to enhance the fan experience during live events. According to industry analysts, the average consumer carries at least three devices on their person and returns to a residence with nearly a dozen screens for both entertainment and professional use. This “always on, all the time” culture is changing the ways in which people work and consume entertainment.
As a result, strategic conversations of executives responsible for planning, building, or renovating sports and entertainment venues are zeroing in on digital engagement strategies that require the latest technologies to achieve desired business objectives.
New Strategies Require Venue Migration to IP Networks“Stadiums and arenas that hope to maximize the benefits of the digital world will have to re-think the implications of their video strategy,” notes Joe Walsh, vice president of sales, sports & entertainment division at VITEC. “Many stadiums today rely on an RF (radio frequency) infrastructure.
Read more at:


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Samsung has had a troublesome couple of months and the^( seems to be set to lead to much more hassle for the corporate, with a brand new record suggesting that Samsung has briefly halted production of the ^( .
Consistent with South Korea’s Yonhap Information Company, the Korean producer has halted production because it investigates a spate of fires with its supposedly-protected^( . The hole pointed out an unnamed supply at a Samsung provider as pronouncing that the verdict used to be reached in cooperation with government in China, the USA and Korea. Quite tellingly, the supply is going additional to mention:
…this degree features a Samsung plant in Vietnam that may be liable for international shipments (of the Galaxy Note 7)
We’ve reached out to Samsung for an authentic remark however the corporate has now not but replied. Then again this kind of choice isn’t overly unexpected; an exceptional international remember over explosive fears could have been dangerous sufficient, however the corporate confident all customers that the alternative devices fastened the problem. As an alternative, over the last couple of days there were seven other instances of^( .
Even though Samsung does be ready to repair the problem, there’s no ensure it’ll have service reinforce with Galaxy Note 7, and suggest that involved Galaxy Note 7 consumers come into retailer to speak about converting to some other handset.^( for any Note 7 consumer. AT&T and T-Cellular have long past additional and stopped promoting or replacing the
We’re looking ahead to an legitimate remark from Samsung in this and can replace this submit with additional info as we’ve got it.


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In its Sustainability Report 2022, DS Smith claims it has designed out over 313 million pieces of so-called ‘problem’ plastic from customer packaging portfolios in the last two years while implementing its Circular Design Metrics and facilitating fibre-based substitutions.
According to DS Smith, this equates to more than three million units per week over the two-year period from May 2020 to April 2022. The company says that this demonstrates both customer and consumer demand for fibre-based packaging as an alternative to hard-to-recycle plastics.
Samantha Upham, sustainability business partner – sales, marketing & innovation at DS Smith, comments: “With our help, customers are accelerating their ambitions to remove problem plastics from their products.
“By using our Circular Design Metrics, we can easily show not just where plastic can be replaced, but how circular their packaging is right now and where we can make improvements together.
“All 700 of our designers have been trained in our Circular Design Principles, which means we can design out problem plastics at inception stage and find alternative fibre-based solutions which deliver the required attributes.”
Packaging designed by DS Smith according to the Circular Design Principles includes the recyclable fibre-based box solution created to supply a COP26 initiative led by Toast Ale, which aimed to highlight the role of food waste in the climate crisis with beers brewed using surplus bread.
Another solution includes DS Smith’s paper-based clip strip sachet holder for Bisto Gravy, which the companies claim is reusable and recyclable. DS Smith says that it designed the clip strip display to ensure it would adhere and take refills while being able to withstand temperature changes and avoid moisture absorption.
Paul Blakeway, customer marketing at Tesco, says: “Bisto Best Sachet Chiller Units have been a highly effective tool, placing the product at the place most relevant to shoppers in store, the chiller aisle, right next to the protein that best accompanies our gravy sachets, driving trial and awareness to new shoppers whilst being more sustainable.”
DS Smith notes that, in a recent survey, 41% of consumers said they wanted packaging made from alternative renewable sources. In addition, 52% of British consumers reportedly said they would purchase products that contain less plastic to help improve recycling rates in the UK.
As part of DS Smith’s Now & Next sustainability targets, the company is aiming to take one billion pieces of plastic off supermarket shelves and replace them with corrugated alternatives. The company says it has already reached the target of manufacturing 100% reusable or recyclable packaging, ahead of the 2023 target.
In addition to plastic substitutions, DS Smith also reports a 29% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per tonne of production since 2015 in its Sustainability Report 2022. The company is aiming to reduce Scope 1, 2, and 2 GHG emissions by 46% by 2030 compared to 2019, as well as reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050.


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Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has signed licensing deal with Immanence-IDC to distribute the latter’s anti-aging cosmeceutical range of products in eight countries
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive licensing deal with Canada-based Immanence-IDC to distribute the latter's anti-aging cosmeceutical range of products in eight countries.
The company's 10-year licensing agreement with Immanence-IDC will span eight countries, including India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Egypt, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.
"This association marks a new beginning for us in one of the fastest growing segments in dermatology," the Glenmark Pharmaceuticals COO, Arvind Vasudeva, said in a statement.
He said the association would enable the firm to consolidate its leadership position in dermatology across these markets.
"This 10-year agreement with Glenmark will open new markets for us and through a network of more than 1.5 lakh dermatologists, it will allow us to reach more than 1.5 billion people," the Immanence-IDC board chairman, Eric Dupont, said.
Commenting on the tie-up, the Immanence-IDC president and CEO, Luc Dupont, said with the agreement with Glenmark, the company's products would be available in over 12 countries. "Our goal is to establish a presence in over 25 countries over the next two years," he added.
On Thursday, Glenmark Pharma ended 0.36% up at Rs304.10 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, while the benchmark Sensex declined 0.11% to 19,591.18.
Unichem Laboratories has received approval from the US health regulator to market Divalproex Sodium Delayed Release tablets in the US market
Unichem Laboratories said it has received approval from the US health regulator to market Divalproex Sodium Delayed Release tablets, used for seizure disorders, in the US market.
The company has got the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Divalproex Sodium Delayed Release tablets in strengths of 125mg, 250mg and 500mg, Unichem Laboratories said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The company already has nine drugs in the US that have been approved by the USFDA, it added.
On Thursday, Unichem ended 4.61% up at Rs204.05 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, while the benchmark Sensex declined 0.11% to 19,591.18.
Atul Auto sales for the financial year 2010-11 stood at 19,406 units as against 12,345 units during FY-09-10, an increase of 60%
Three wheeler manufacturer, Atul Auto Ltd said that its auto sales for the financial year 2010-11 stood at 19,406 units as against 12,345 units during FY-09-10, an increase of 60%.
The increase in sales registered by Atul Auto is the result of its continuous increase in the supply of best suited vehicles for rural and semi rural India, adopting innovative technology and improving quality of vehicle life.
The production and sales of Atul Auto's vehicles has been on constant high since 2008. Commenting on the upward growth trend, Vijay Kedia, director, Atul Auto said, "At the beginning of the year we had projected a growth of 50% on sales but we beat our own estimate and achieved 60% growth due to better market condition and increasing dealer network."
He further said, "We have grown substantially higher than the industry which grew 18%. We sold 5,931 units in the last quarter of the FY10-11 against 4,217 units last year 2009-10. We see great market potential for our vehicles. Taking into consideration the growing demands, especially in the semi-urban and rural markets, the sales are likely to grow substantially up further in current year."
On Thursday, Atul Auto ended flat at Rs129.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, while the benchmark Sensex declined 0.11% to 19,591.18.


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Best Buy Co Inc – Forecast fourth-quarter comparable sales below analysts’ estimates, as the electronics retailer braces for a hit from likely product shortages during the crucial holiday shopping season and higher shipping costs. Reported Earnings per share of $2.08 adjusted vs. $1.91 expected on revenue of $11.91 billion vs. $11.58 billion expected.
Zoom Video Communications – Shares are set to open at their lowest level in over a year even as the one time pandemic darling reported Q3 revenue of $1.05 bln, beating analysts’ estimates of $1.02 bln. ZM also raised its full-year revenue forecast to about $4.08 bln from $4.01 bln, above analysts’ estimates of $4.05 bln. Shares are lower as caution returns to high growth stocks.
Xpeng Inc – The Chinese EV maker is sharply higher in early trading after reporting Q3 deliveries growth of 199% Y/Y and 47.5% Q/Q to 25,666 units, exceeding the company’s guidance of 23,000 to 25,000 vehicles. Revenues from vehicle sales increased 187.7% to $847.4M, mainly due to higher vehicle delivery, especially for the P7. Revenues from services and others grew 182.2% to $40.3M. The company also increased its Q4 guidance.
Apple Inc – Back on watch after holding up the entire market yesterday trading back to fresh all-time-highs. The rally followed last week’s Apple Car update, share are modestly lower premarket however after Italy announced it would fine both Apple and Amazon $225m in the latest anti-trust suit to go against the tech giants.
Tesla Inc – Higher premarket for the third straight session coming off a solid performance Monday while the rest of the Nasdaq was under pressure. The company officially said it will begin delivering its performance Model Y edition in China soon after CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter the Model S Plaid could be in China as soon as March over the weekend.
Ispecimen Inc – The micro cap biotech company is back on watch actively traded premarket extending gains for a second day. The stock more than doubled Monday, in its best day ever day, after the online marketplace for human biospecimens secured contracts with the U.S. govt for COVID-19 research. Some other biotech cos that also jumped despite no apparent news: Longeveron LGVN extended its recent sharp rally. LGVN
DICK’S Sporting Goods Inc – Reported record third quarter sales and earnings delivering a 12.2% increase in same store sales and also raised its full year guidance – Q3 earnings per diluted share of $2.78 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share of $3.19, up 51% and 59% respectively easily topped estimates. The sporting goods retailer raised its full year 2021 earnings forecast per diluted share to $12.88 to 13.06 and raises its full year 2021 non-GAAP earnings per diluted share guidance to $14.60 to 14.80.
Qualigen Therapeutics – Another micro cap biotech rallying on little to no news with high social media chatter. $36m market cap, 26m free float.
Petros Pharmaceuticals – $17m market cap, 6.6m free float. No news. Increased online, retail interest.
Pasithea Therapeutics – $29m market cap 5.5m free float. No news. Increased online, retail interest.


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GOOGLE In our last post on Google Now we explained What is Google Voice and How it is so amazing and a game changing feature added by Google. The most exciting feature of Google Now is the Voice search. This voice …
WINDOWS The public release of Windows 8.1 code-named Windows Blue is around the corner (The expected release date in 17th October). This is a much anticipated release, as it is said to bring many radical changes in Windows 8. So many of us are contemplating to upgrade to Windows 8.1 as soon as possible. Those lucky few with access to MSDN and Technet has already got the privilege to test it out. Starting 17th October, Windows 8.1 will be available via Windows update for all existing users and those who want to upgrade, they can do so by going for a fresh installation of Windows 8.1, which will be available as a standalone product.
MOBILE Smart Phone is a craze among today’s youth and first thing they look at while deciding to purchase a phone is the price tag, the features and specifications comes second. Today almost every company in the market has a phone that suits to every pocket and that makes our decision to buy the next phone little complex. It is difficult to choose the perfect phone within our budget. So to make your shortlisting process easier, we are presenting below a list of 10 Smart Phones for those budget conscious phone freaks.
ANDROID Android has paved the way for many companies to jump into the mobile and tablet manufacturing business. Among them few have carved a niche for themselves like Micromax. Recently Micromax has come up with many attractive phones and tablets. But with introduction of Canvas series of phablet (Essentially Canvas can be termed as a combination of Phone and Tablet) it has ascended greater heights. Micromax Canvas 2 A110 also known as the Superfone is the cheapest Phablet currently available in the market with an impressive specs. I bought it couple of days ago and here is my hands on review of the same.
APPLE An iOS device without games is like a computer without software. With release of iPod touch the demand for music has been suppressed by the demand for Games. Thanks to high quality 3D games in App Store. There are scores of new games being launched everyday with some big brands battling on the app store. If you consider yourself an avid gamer and you are lucky to posses an iDevice, you can’t ignore the following games from App Store. Get ready to experience the iOS gaming pleasure.
GADGETS The advent of the latest technology has had a deep impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives. Tablet PCs are considered the latest innovation in the computer industry and they have been designed keeping in mind the needs of people from all walks of life and of all age groups. These days, doing business, watching movies and listening to music while travelling has all become ridiculously easy and all credit goes to tablet PCs. In addition, parents even prefer using the aid of the latest technology to educate their children, as a tablet PC can potentially act as the gateway for heaps of infotainment for your kids. This has been combined with the power of Open Source Android and availability of tons of amazing free and paid apps from Google Play Store.
ANDROID It seems the Tablet market in India is growing pretty rapidly and this growth is being supplemented by introduction of low cost tablets with open Source Android as the platform of choice. HCL, Micromax and Pantel technologies are leading the bandwagon to release the quite affordable low cost tablets in India. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has collaborated with Pantel technologies to release affordable tablet by the brand name T-Pad. Recently we got an opportunity to try our hands on BSNL T-Pad IS703C tablet and we got a mixed review of the tablet for our readers.
BROWSERS The internet is essentially like a vast disease and parasite filled jungle. If you’re moving around on it through your browser, you need to make sure that you’re well protected from infections of all types. It’s easy, very easy, to find yourself the victim of hackers, Trojans, data miners, information thieves, viruses, worms and malicious bots all over the web. There are also fun programs like spyware, malware and adware that can screw your computer up. With all these threats lurking around the net, hidden in many forms, you should really think about maintaining tight security all around.
ANDROID Today Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in market. According to the survey, over 50% Smartphones in market feature Android as their operating system. Thousands of developers across the globe have been fascinated by this Linux …
WEBMASTER Mashlife Wordpress theme is the first theme developed by Qlogix Solutions and they have done a fantastic job. It not only offer a visual similarity but offers almost all the features available in Mashable. Almost all the features available in Mashable has been cloned into Mashlife theme. So we regard Mashlife as the best Mashable clone theme.


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Las Vegas and New York – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a new multi-year, global marketing partnership with Thorne that names the company as the “Official Sports Performance Nutrition Partner” of UFC. Thorne, one of the world’s leading health and wellness, technology, and supplement companies, also becomes an “Official Partner of the Performance Institute®”, UFC’s state-of-the-art training and research facility that has served more than 400 athletes since opening in 2017.
Under the terms of the agreement, Thorne’s line of NSF Certified for Sport products will be integrated into supplement plans created by UFC-registered dietitians for athletes training at UFC’s Performance Institutes in Las Vegas and Shanghai. Thorne will also have ownership of the Performance Institute Nutrition Stations, dedicated areas that provide individualized health and wellness solutions to UFC’s athletes. “Embedded,” the all-access video content series featuring Dana White and top UFC fighters, will also highlight Thorne as Presenting Partner of select episodes, with unique product integrations. Additional partnership enhancements include integrated digital marketing campaigns, VIP experiences, consumer sweepstakes, and hospitality.
Said Clint Wattenberg, Director of Sports Nutrition, UFC Performance Institute: “Thorne is the unquestioned leader in quality and innovation in the sports nutrition supplement industry, making them the perfect match to support the UFC PI and the athletes who choose to use our services. This UFC-Thorne partnership shows UFC athletes, as well as consumers, where to find the safest and highest-quality products available.”
Added Jeff Novitzky, Vice President of Athlete Health & Performance at UFC: “We’re thrilled to bring Thorne on board as our Official Sports Performance Nutrition Partner. Thorne is an industry leader with an unmatched reputation for quality and safety in their nutritional products and supplements, including what all UFC athletes should look for in making safe sports supplement choices, third-party testing for banned substances. Through decades of clinical research and science, Thorne has proven that its products are scientifically backed, safe, and free of banned substances.”
“Thorne has long been committed to providing scientifically backed natural solutions for the most unique and complex health and wellness issues,” said Paul Jacobson, CEO of Thorne and Onegevity Health. “When we were approached by UFC to assist in addressing athlete health and performance issues, we felt we could help by deploying our Onegevity health intelligence platform, including testing, data-based solutions and Thorne supplements. We are excited about this new partnership and honored by the trust UFC has shown in Thorne and our ability to help address both the immediate and long-term health needs of their athletes.”


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The days of the credit card PIN may be numbered, thanks to an announcement this morning from the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) along with Visa and Mastercard that it has developed a standard for using biometric authentication on payment cards in the country.
The standard will cover palm prints, voice, iris and facial recognition, and is open to other forms of biometric data too. The initial focus is on fingerprint biometrics though.
While some banks have been working with biometrics for a while now, and even work to capture such data on behalf of Home Affairs, the importance of today’s announcement is that it creates a standardised and interoperable way of recording biometric information.
In effect, it means your FNB card fingerprints will work with a Nedbank reader.
Walter Volker, CEO of PASA, says that while banks have been using biometrics to a certain extent, they’ve been limited to in-branch transactions due to the fact that there is no global standard for biometric data use and storage, and banks are locked into individual vendors who use proprietary systems.
“PASA’s role is to facilitate interoperability,” Volker says, “Multiple banks can issue cards, and those cards can be used at other banks’ ATMs. That’s what we mean by interoperabilty and it opens up network effects”
Volker says that he hopes the standard developed in South Africa will eventually be used globally for biometric data in payments.
At the moment, however, no banks are signed up to the system here, although he expects the social payments agency to sign up soon. Current fingerprint readers may be compatible with a software upgrade.
The standard deals with the danger of data loss by mandating that biometric data is only stored in an encrypted form on the card itself, and not held in a centralised database.
This distributed model, it’s claimed, limits the exposure to data loss. This is the same principle that phone companies use for fingerprint readers – all data is stored and authenticated locally (although not always that securely).
“The benefits of biometrics are security and convenience… People find keeping passwords secure and up to date difficult,” says Taurai Tarugarira, a senior director at Visa for sub-Saharan Africa. “The reality is that it’s harder to forge biometrics.”
Tarugarira says that the standard will call for ISO 19794 for authentication, but actual implementation of that standard and the format for biometric template storage will be down to individual card issuers. The new PASA-led standard will make sure other banks’ readers are compatible.
We’re awaiting more technical details on how the standard will be implemented, however Tarugarira said that it would call for readers which are capable of distinguishing between inert, fake fingerprint moulds and living tissue. This is done by testing for a pule or bloodflow in subcutaneous flesh.
“That information is going to remain stolen, and I’m not going to change my fingerprints. I also don’t know what they’re going to do with information about my children or about my husband or about his family,” Balebako said.
“I don’t know what to do. I work in this field. I’m a security researcher. I’m a privacy researcher. And I don’t know what to do. I can’t see there’s much I can do to protect myself,” Balebako said.


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Darjeeling, Kalimpong to soon become favourite spots for adventure tourism
The tourism department of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will be developing places, such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, to promote adventure tour ism in the hills. Necessary steps will be taken to make these places more than just a tourist destination.
People visiting Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong for holidaying will now also be able to take part in adventure activities. This move is motivated toward consumer attitude, which is changing, and travellers now want to get more involved in various activities. Also, to get away from the run-of-the mill experiences, travellers these days are now looking out for more experiential and adventurous experiences.
GTA is now working to develop infrastructure in the hills and will soon be offering tourists with facilities like hill biking, paragliding, rafting and cycling. Besides promoting adventure tourism, major steps will be taken to make travellers aware of homestay facilities in these regions.
Referring to this development, an official from the GTA tourism department said that ‘camp stay’ options will also come up near Tiger Hill. Sangay Sherpa, who looks after adventure tourism, informed that travellers visiting the hills can opt to enjoy rafting at Malli in Kalimpong. For mountain biking, one can go till Chatakpur in Darjeeling. Places like Sandakphu and Singalila are also gaining popularity for trekking.
As per news reports, 80 percent travellers in Darjeeling are below 40 years, and it is expected that adventure tourism will help boost the number. Officials from the GTA tourism department also informed that apart from developing infrastructure for homestays and adventure tourism, measures will also be taken to ensure security and safety of tourists.


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Walmart USA Awards Giti Tire Automotive Supplier of the Year and Hardline Supplier of the Year Honors.
“Monster” Tajima’s Electric Vehicle Places 2nd Overall at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Giti Tires. Famed road racer Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima turned in an “electrifying” performance in the 93rd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, placing second overall in his 1.1MW (megawatt) electric racing car riding on special GitiCompete tires.
Chester County’s new day began Monday, when Giti Tire’s Enki Tan, Gov. Nikki Haley and Chester County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey – flanked by large video screens and a dais that included more company, state and local officials, as well as Singapore’s ambassador to the United States – unveiled the company’s name and elephant logo. Soon after, workers removed the covers from Giti tires ringing the porch of the Gateway Conference Center in Richburg.
Giti Tire executives joined Governor Haley along with State and Chester County officials today in announcing the plan to build a new tire manufacturing plant to meet growing demand in the North American market. The $560 million facility will be located in Chester County and is expected to generate 1,700 new jobs over the next 10 years.


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Since the official KTM site put a “Coming Soon” below the pictures of RC 200 and RC390, people have gone crazy speculating how soon we will be able to see them on the streets. As much as I would love to see one of the KTM RC bikes screaming past me tomorrow, there’s still a long way to go before actual deliveries begin.
Yesterday I went to pick up my Duke 390’s service booklet and tax receipts. There I got chatting with the manager and he said the RC bikes aren’t coming anytime sooner than July 2014. I was surprised at his observation, but it makes sense.
KTM won’t launch the bike before showing it off at the Auto Expo in Feb 2014. Even after we see it there, there will be a gap before bookings open, then another few months before deliveries begin. So the July estimate might not be wrong after all.
Another pointer that you can take is from the recent price increase of the Duke 390. The bike now costs 7,000 more, but that isn’t enough. The RC series bikes are expected to launch at a premium of around 30,000 bucks and be over 2.5lacs. Keeping that in mind, the Duke 390 will see another price rice before the RCs are launched. This second price increase can’t be too quick either.
So people, if you are waiting for the RC 390, it might be a while before you get to scratch your ass with its headlights. I am sitting cozy with the Duke 390, which I bought before the price hike (hurray!), and I am not waiting for anything but weekends!


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Community small business organizations will gather
at the University of Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga
Campus on Thursday, Aug. 17, at a free event to
discuss financing options for entrepreneurs.
Hosted by the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of
Commerce and Accion, this event features a
panel-style discussion from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on
what you need to qualify for small business
“Small business owners will be able to connect with
local lenders one-on-one at this informative event,”
said President and Chairwoman of the Rancho
Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce Ruby Huey.
“There are so many choices when it comes small
business financing, the panel will give
entrepreneurs the answers they need to choose
which option is best for their business.”


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In an official statement on the Quattro website, it said: “We believe iAd is the best mobile ad network in the world, and starting next month we’re going to focus all of our resources on the iAd advertising platform. We are no longer accepting new campaigns for the Quattro Wireless Network, and we will soon begin winding down existing campaigns. As of September 30, we will support ads exclusively for the iAd Network.”
Apple bought Quattro in January of this year for $275 million, which many believed was a reaction to Google buying AdMob for $750 million in November 2009. Eight months on, or five months from the announcement of iAd, and Apple is closing Quattro down.
Apple did a similar thing with music streaming website Lala. It acquired Lala in December 2009, only to close it in April of this year, with many speculating that an iTunes.com website would follow in its wake.
This is a familiar strategy for big companies, buying out the competition and then closing them down. However, while Apple may have considered Quattro a threat at some stage, it is really Google alone that it needs to focus on, particularly considering the Google-purchased AdMob was a Quattro competitor.
There was a small possibility that the FTC would interfere with Google’s plans to purchase AdMob, but it eventually gave the all clear, establishing the search giant as a leading player in the mobile advertising market. Considering 96 percent of Google’s profits come from advertising, it’s no surprise it wants to claim the mobile sector as well.
Google is clearly bothered about iAd, however. In June it came out swinging handbags left, right, and centre about how the Apple closed ad network would hurt competition and give developers less choice for which ad services to adopt, effectively making iAd the only fully-functioning ad network on iOS devices.
It says a lot about Apple and how much it fears Google when its only method of competiting is to close the competition out.


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Guest Post: Digital Health: Top Performer For the Next Decade
It’s been another record raise for digital health companies in the first quarter of 2016: $1.8 billion in venture capital. It’s the latest sign that the convergence of healthcare with digital technology continues to demonstrate incredible potential. The continued funding surge is no fad, as it is becoming clear to VCs that digital health will emerge as a top performer across the venture investment landscape throughout the next decade.
The funding data comes from Startup Health, a global entrepreneurship development company for transformative healthcare chaired by former Time Warner Chairman and CEO Jerry Levin and backed by prominent investors such as Steve Case and Mark Cuban.
As recently as 2011, digital health attracted less than $1 billion in venture capital. But in 2015 digital health venture startups raised a record $4.5 billion according to Rock Health, up from $4.1 billion in 2014 representing over 125% year-over-year growth.
Why is this happening? Until recently, healthcare remained stubbornly behind other industries in the adoption of modern information technologies. But that is starting to change. We are seeing ample evidence that digital health not only is increasing the quality and efficiency of healthcare — and at a time when record numbers of Americans are insured, but also is responsible for a meaningful amount of out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, igniting a consumer trend to demanding the best value for the healthcare dollar.
In addition, digital health companies are actually “walking the walk” by bringing together IT, communications, software and hardware technologies that deliver platform solutions with demonstrable return on investment.
Of the money raised in Q1, Oscar Health, a web-assisted health insurance company, landed the most VC last quarter, raising $400 million. To date, the company raised more than $475 million and is reportedly valued at $2.7 billion in just its third year after going live. While I like its concept of an online, consumer-focused health plan, the company’s valuation is hard to support given its current membership and the hyper-competitive nature of the insurance business. Its investors must foresee explosive growth in membership and a solid plan to reduce medical expenses. But I believe they can succeed and prove a consumer-focused health insurance model that will be of great benefit to many.
Other digital health companies that raised at least $100 million were oncology analytics company Flatiron Health, genomics sequencing company Guardant Health, consumer health information business Healthline, and Mindmaze, which uses virtual reality to treat neurological disorders.
Digital therapeutics, a newly expanding category of healthcare companies, is also coming on strong. Among the quarter’s winners in this sector was young startup Pear Therapeutics, which focuses on treatment of substance abuse with digital therapeutics and raised more than $20 million.
Among the biggest digital health investors in Q1 was University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which made four investments. Among the companies in which it invested were Lantern, which uses technology to integrate mental health into primary care, and Health Catalyst, a big data analytics company. UPMC invests in four technology areas: clinical tools, population health, consumer centric healthcare and business services and infrastructure.
Companies I believe will get great traction over the coming years are CareSync, a family health record that collects, organizes, and stores health information on a secure, privacy platform, Zipnosis, a startup that provides virtual care platforms, that recently raised $17 million in its Series A, and HealthReveal, a company that’s leveraging advanced analytics and biomonitoring for early detection and diagnostic and treatment guidance to preempt the advance of disease.
Another of my favorites is HealthEdge, which is a Psilos portfolio company. They provide modern, disruptive technology that delivers a suite of products that enables health insurers to leverage new business models, improve outcomes, drastically reduce administrative costs and connect everyone in the healthcare delivery cycle.
Like all venture backed companies, it will take time for these companies to become the next Google or Apple. But finally America is on an inevitable path toward improving healthcare outcomes and quality while lowering the cost of healthcare, and technology will be the enabler of this endeavor. Expect digital health to become “Health” over the next 10 years, as technology becomes the backbone of the healthcare business environment, just as it is in our other industries.


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The long de-listed first-person horror game Devotion is returning to sale for the first time in two years, as announced by the developer Red Candle Games via Twitter. The Taiwanese game originally launched on Steam in February 2019 but was removed from sale after only a week due to sparking a controversy surrounding an allegedly mocking depiction of Chinese president Xi Jinping.
We hope to provide a direct and simple purchasing channel for players who’re interested in our games. pic.twitter.com/1SxzBZSiyW
— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) March 15, 2021
In June of last year, the game did receive a limited physical release, but only in Taiwan. More recently, the game was due to receive a re-release on GOG in December of last year. This launch was cancelled, however, with GOG citing “messages from gamers” as being the reason for the reversed decision to sell the game.
After these repeated troubles with larger distribution platforms, Red Candle Games has decided to instead sell the game through the company’s own channels, providing a DRM-free version for sale digitally on the developer’s official website. The game costs $16.99 and can also be bought as part of a bundle, including the soundtrack, costing $20.68. Red Candle Games’ previous release Detention has also been made available for sale on the site, and the company said they intend to release future games in the same way too.
What do you think about Devotion returning to sale? Did you miss out on picking it up before? Let us know in the comments.


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11/07/2014 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)
Minnesota – Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been released from an endorsement deal with Nike after being indicted on felony charges. As reported by WebProNews, the NFL player who was charged with reckless injury to a child after being accused of injuring his four-year-old son while purportedly disciplining him, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault, for which he will not serve any jail time.
As noted in the report, Nike previously suspended Peterson prior to the football player’s guilty plea, but officially ended their sponsorship after.
A spokesperson for Nike is quoted as saying of the matter in a brief statement, “Adrian Peterson is no longer a Nike athlete.”
In accordance with his plea deal Peterson will receive a fine of $4,000, be required to perform 80 hours of community service, and be put on probation.
Justice News Flash delivers the latest in Minnesota Sports News.
Address: 215 South Olive Suite 300 W. Palm Beach FL 33401


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According to Register Hardware O2 is blaming Apple for the “frustrating and disappointing experience” those who tried to get an iPhone 3G this week have dealt with. According to O2 Apple has been unable to provide it with enough stock of the iPhone 3G despite 02’s request for more devices.
Don't Miss: iPhone 8: Everything You Need to Know
If you were wondering if the iPhone 3G would be in short demand I guess that is your answer. 02 says the device will be in very short supply for weeks. O2 says that it was receiving pre-orders in the amount of 13,000 per second when its website collapsed this week.
O2 has opted to split the limited number of devices between existing customers who pre-ordered and new customers and will provide them on a first come first served basis. I’m betting the lines are already forming at your local O2 store.
Buy Now: Sony PlaysStation VR In Stock Here


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The shadow chancellor Ed Balls has said that proposals to jail reckless bankers "is the way forward."
Mr Balls added: "The challenge now is to make sure we don't have a repeat of these issues in the future. The Government needs to act now."
More top news
Simon Cowell says he "felt like a bit of an idiot" after learning the Britain's Got Talent winner used a stunt double dog during the final.
An advert for luxury fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent has been banned for featuring a model with a visible rib cage and stick-thin legs.
Every school rated as inadequate by Ofsted will be turned into academies under new laws, the Education Secretary has announced.


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McDonald's to open Thursday
The Perham McDonald's is getting close to its opening date.
The finishing touches are being put on the building, and the restaurant is expected to open August 23, barring anything unexpected.
The arches went up last week. See next week's Focus for a full story.


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Battlefield V is an upcoming first-person shooter set in World War II. The game features single-player campaign scenarios similar to Battlefield 1. For example, one of the main missions focuses on a female solider, her history, and her family. The developer said that Battlefield V tells the "untold stories of World War II", but it's unclear if they're works of fiction or interactive reenactments.
Today, EA released the game's launch trailer. While the trailer doesn't showcase anything new, it does give us a taste of the multiplayer gameplay and campaign. As expected, Battlefield V features a lot of dramatic moments and set pieces. Hopefully the final product will live up to everyone's expectations.
Unlike Battlefield 1, it seems like the focus here is to merge all forms of gameplay — foot, vehicular, and aerial — into every map. There seems to be a lot of environmental variety too. Hopefully snipers won't run amok in this iteration of the game. There need to be better balancing this time around, especially when it comes to certain loadouts having unfair advantages.
Battlefield V was supposed to launch earlier this year, but was delayed to November 20, 2018 a few weeks ago. The beta test was quite rough around the edges, especially when it came to performance on Xbox One. Even the Xbox One X performance wasn't that great.
Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate needs a family plan, because it's 2020
Why doesn't Xbox Game Pass have a family plan? It really should have a family plan.
Microsoft reportedly replacing dozens of journalists with AI on MSN
Roughly 50 employees will no longer work for MSN to curate news after this month. Recent reports state that Microsoft plans to replace these roles with artificial intelligence.
Samsung's new 'Access' smartphone upgrade program comes with Microsoft 365
Samsung has introduced a new upgrade program called Access in the U.S. In addition to making it easier for you to upgrade to a new phone, the subscription service also offers Samsung Premium Care and a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Best Xbox-themed Pride Accessories
June is LGBT Pride Month, which means that it's time to show your spirit! Check out these awesome Xbox-themed LGBT Pride accessories.


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The Ferrari factory is widening its global grasp with the recent announcement of a new factory-owned operation, Ferrari Australasia, that will take over the distribution of the Italian marque in Australia and New Zealand.
Ferrari is now distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Kiwi Neville Crichton's company, European Automotive Imports.
EAI is wholly owned by Crichton, and is one of the companies in his Ateco Group of companies that also includes Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd, Ateco Automotive NZ Ltd and the latest company, Fiat Chrysler NZ.
This is a new joint venture company which will take over Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep and Chrysler distribution in New Zealand from May 1.
During its seven years distributing Ferrari in New Zealand and Australia, EAI has dramatically increased the brand's market, delivering more than 1000 Ferraris since it took over, in comparison to the 1500 delivered in Australasia over the previous 53 years.
The company has opened four new Ferrari dealerships in Australia, including the A$38 million dollar Ferrari Maserati Sydney and Zagame Ferrari in Melbourne, described at their opening as the "best Ferrari dealerships in the world" by senior Ferrari management.
EAI also recently revamped its dealership in Newmarket, Auckland.
The expansion of the Ferrari factory operation and the start of Ferrari Australasia is part of the Italian company's push to "strengthen its personal relationships with clients".
The CEO of Ferrari Japan, Herbert Appleroth, is now head of Ferrari Australasia. He says Ferrari has taken over as official importer in several "mature markets" where the marque has long been established.
Japan was the first market to be incorporated into the regional network, in 2008, and Australia and New Zealand are next.
Ferrari's senior vice-president of commercial and marketing, Enrico Galliera, said the company had a long history in Australia and New Zealand, where the brand had captured "the hearts of sports car owners for more than six decades".
He said that Ferrari had reshaped its business around four "geographic hubs", including one dedicated to the Far East that will oversee all its activities in the Asia Pacific region, excluding China.
Ferrari sales are split 20 per cent in North America, 50 per cent in Europe, 20 per cent in Asia Pacific and 10 per cent in the Middle East.
While Ferrari Australasia will take over the distribution of the marque across the two countries, European Automotive Imports will continue with its wholly-owned Ferrari Maserati Sydney dealership - which accounts for 40 per cent of Ferraris sold in Australasia - and will also continue to store and distribute Ferrari parts in New Zealand and Australia on behalf of the new factory-owned importer.
EAI will also continue to distribute Maserati in New Zealand and Australia.
Maserati has committed to launching all its forthcoming new models in Australasia in partnership with EAI.
New dealerships will be opened on the Gold Coast and in Sydney and Melbourne and existing dealerships will be expanded as sales grow to a planned 1500 by 2016, an eight-fold increase.


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Microsoft says that it has more than 300,000 downloads of beta tools for developers creating applications for its Windows Phone 7 app store, which is set to compete with the app-laden marketplaces for the iPhone and Android phones.
Smartphones - News
Remember when Princess Leia's holographic distress call blew you away? Nokia and Intel announced that they'll try to put similar 3D technology on mobile phones.
Just days after making its updated version of App World available to all, Research In Motion acquired Cellmania, a company that offers back-end infrastructure for application stores.
Huawei Technologies plans to launch the U8150, which is based on Android version 2.2, at the Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) consumer electronics show, the company said via e-mail.
Dell on Tuesday dived into the highly competitive smartphone market, releasing the Aero in the U.S.
A proposal by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to require all mobile devices sold in the U.S. to include FM radio chips is meeting growing opposition from IT and mobile trade groups.
The Windows Phone Developer Tools have been downloaded more than 300,000 times, Microsoft said, as the company prepares to offer a new application store and mobile operating system.
As smartphones and tablet computers infiltrate medical operations, doctors are finding new applications to provide shortcuts for their busy work days. That includes a new voice-enabled medical search app for the iPhone announced by Nuance Communicati...
Nokia has signed an agreement to acquire Motally, a privately owned U.S. company that has specialized in tracking and reporting usage statistics on mobile websites and applications, it said on Friday.
Smartphones and modems are about to get faster mobile broadband connections -- 14.4M bps (bits per second) and 42M bps, repectively -- using HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access).
Sure, if someone steals your iPhone, you might be able to remotely wipe it in order to protect sensitive data. But what about catching the thief? An Apple patent application, filed earlier this year but posted online Thursday, describes sophisticated...
Nokia's Messaging for Social Networks will never make it out of the beta stage. On Friday, Nokia said it is discontinuing the application and instead will use what it has learned in the upcoming N8 smartphone.
Images posted at Chinese site Tieba.baidu.com allegedly Nokia's latest N9 smartphone -- and, Gizmodo notes, it looks like a slimmed down MacBook Pro!
BlackBerry users may find it easier to buy applications now that App World 2.0 is broadly available.
Flipboard broke new ground when it launched its flashy iPad app last month that "socialized" the news by turning feeds from Facebook, Twitter, and such into a slick electronic magazine. Now Blancspot Media is promising to bring the pizzazz of social ...
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Amazing Media Response to Bitcoin City
Today, 11 June 2018, marks the official start of the testing of Elipay, Eligma’s solution for cryptocurrency payments at daily shopping. Elipay is the result of Eligma’s vision to make the benefits of blockchain technology part of the everyday shopping experience, which resulted in our dream to create Bitcoin City — an offline shopping ecosystem open to crypto payments and the underlying technologies. Luckily, we did not have to go far with our ideas. Eligma’s headquarters are located in BTC City, one of the biggest business and shopping centers in Europe. As a result of the partnership between Eligma and the BTC company, Bitcoin City is now becoming a reality. As the first crypto-friendly shopping mall in the world (with 24 stores offering Elipay and many more expected to join the project), BTC City (a.k.a. Bitcoin City) has created quite a media stir. In the last 10 days alone, we have recorded over 130 articles on this subject all over the globe. Here are some of the press highlights:
Eligma is an important milestone of an incredible business evolution: from a warehouse complex to the first fully crypto friendly shopping mall! (Newsbtc — Today’s Bitcoin News)
Slovenia's BTC City to Become World's First Fully Crypto Friendly Lifestyle Center
A former warehouse complex in one of the smallest countries in the EU is now moving towards becoming the first…
How is Eligma bringing crypto into the mainstream? It all started in a small country that is big on blockchain, but we aim to use this experience for a global outreach! (Nasdaq)
Slovenia Plays Host to the World's First "Bitcoin City"
One of the smallest countries in the EU may also have some of the biggest ambitions. Slovenia has announced that its…
Crypto at every shop, hotel and bar? Eligma is certainly doing its part to make that possible for every shopper! (CryptoSlate)
A Slovenian Shopping Mall is Transforming Into an Actual 'Bitcoin City'
Slovenia's largest shopping city, aptly named BTC City, is on its way to becoming the world's first genuine "Bitcoin…
Eligma explains the revolutionary highlights of the Bitcoin City shopping ecosystem — its roots, present and future. (CoinGeek)
Slovenia opens first 'Bitcoin City' - Coingeek
Slovenia, one of the smallest countries in the European Union is certainly not resting on its laurels when it comes to…
Among others, we were featured on: Block-chain; Bitcoinmarketinsider; Bitcoincasinos; Bitcoin Block Explorer; Bitcoin Exchange Guide; CoinCapPrice; Coin Krypto; CoinWire; Crypto Breaking; Crypto news; Cryptodisrupt; Coin-hero; Cryptosvibe; The Cryptonomist; CryptosVibe; Journal du coin; Market Exclusive; RTTNews; Thriller Crypto; Toinnov; Zycrypto.
Join our vision and our community!


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LAST UPDATED : Aug 21, 2019, 06:03 AM IST
- Amazon to use Prime Now for food delivery launch
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- Hyderabad to get Amazon's largest campus in the world
India may soon host e-commerce giant Amazon's largest campus building in the world. It has been built on a 10-acre parcel of land at Nanakramguda in the Hyderabad's IT hub. The building has been up and running since mid-July but is not yet fully occupied. It currently houses around 7,000 people, which is slated to increase to about 9,000 by September end.
- Amazon Rakhi Sale-Rakhis, gift boxes and hampers for brothers and sisters
Amazon Rakhi sale has incredible offers for both brothers and sisters, with the sale collection offering discounts on rakhis, gift hampers, rakhi quote cards and other quirky gifts. The Amazon Rakhi sale is one-stop destination for all your festive needs.
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Flipkart is set to roll out a free video service for all of its 160 million customers this month as the company looks for new ways to increase its user base in smaller towns and cities, it said on Monday. Flipkart, based in Bengaluru, said it would offer movies, short videos and web series on its app, but added it won’t venture into original content right now.
- Watch-out for these smartphones during Amazon Freedom Sale 2019
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- France says Brazil leader lied, escalating Amazon dispute
In a sharp escalation of tensions over fires ravaging the Amazon, France on Friday accused Brazil's president of having lied to French leader Emmanuel Macron and threatened to block a European Union trade deal with South American states including Brazil.


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I had two of his books a long time ago. Long gone / misplaced / lost. But, if you are interested in the music of the 60s and 70s, the books and trees inside contain a veritable cornucopia of visual information relating to the music of the day.
I have often thought that it would be interesting to see something similar done for the software industry – again starting in those heady days and how companies were gobbled up, grew, where the founders went to etc … I think the results would be fascinating.
“A federal copyright board has raised the music streaming royalties for songwriters and music publishers by more than 40% to narrow the financial divide separating them from recording labels.
Up to this point, music streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, and others, have had to pay out 10.5 percent of their revenue to music publishers and songwriters. Now, though, after the court ruling, those platforms will need to fork over 15.1 percent of their revenue.
It is still amazing to me how little artists get paid for streaming. While this is a step forward … it is a long way from being fair. Afterall, people complain about the Tax on the app store at 30% – and yet a tax of 90% being reduced to 85% percent for music makes the news and is seen as acceptable.
A slight break in the flow … but an important one ….
When it is important, you just have to do it. This is one of those things. When the chaps started Ad Venting this Advent, one of the other chaps reminded us of the celebration of Zappadan a period of time that should not go unnoticed … Dec. 4th (The date of his death) to today … Dec. 21st. (the date of his birth.)
… yes – we know that is ‘Bass Ackwards’ – but what are you going to do?
“It isn’t necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.
Zappadan: A message of hope for the season
The first night of Zappadan is called Bummernacht and should be celebrated on Dec. 4.
But it’s not too late. Redemption can be achieved by listening 3 times to Lumpy Gravy.
Some say that you should listen to Lumpy Gravy 3 times – but ‘some’ are wrong.
Side – yet interesting note …. Lumpy Gravy was released 50 years ago this year. This chap has written previously and elsewhere about the formative musical foundations that 1967 gave us – adding this one to that catalogue.
As I was saying … THEN …. be prepared to …
But be sure to keep the true spirit of Ramadan Zapadan (stand by for a separate post on this!), which ends today (December 21st), knowing that full well …
And in honor of Zapadan – of course – it is only the right thing to do.


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Move over, Kris Kringle; there is a new Santa in town. And he’s black.
Founded by former NBA player Baron Davis, the Black Santa Co. hopes to offer a black hero, a figure for children to look up to. This Santa is not to be confused with Nas’ black kneeling Santa or Larry Jefferson, the first black Santa to spread cheer in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. If you’ll notice, Davis’ Black Santa has a striking resemblance to the former pro-baller, and he exists for a different reason.
“The Black Santa Company is a storytelling-products company that celebrates cultural diversity, the joy of giving and the magic of good,” Davis told The Root. After dressing up as Santa for Halloween and receiving rave reviews, Barron decided to launch the company, which will introduce Mrs. Claus in February.
“We as African Americans spend so much money … $93 billion … after every Christmas, and it goes nowhere," Davis said. His hope is that some of the money will be circulated within the black community. The Black Santa Co. sells a bevy of holiday gear—T-shirts, baby clothes and the classic ugly holiday sweater. After all, what would Christmas be without the ugly sweater?
Now Black Santa is officially among a cadre of heroes. After all, the world could use another black Santa.
Felice León is multimedia editor at The Root.


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Several new trade pacts such as the one with EU and Trans-Pacific Partnership are expected boost Vietnam’s economy as many foreign investors are already showing keen interest in making investments in the country. These pacts will also let Vietnam take advantage of low tariffs, which will benefit its exports to top markets like the EU, the US, Japan and Australia.
The newly-signed FTA with the EU, for instance, will remove more than 99 per cent of tariffs on goods traded between the two economies over a period of seven years. And the TPP is expected to boost shipments within the bloc of 12 Pacific-rim nations, which accounts for 40 per cent of the global economy. Negotiations on the deal have been recently completed and it is now pending the approval of the countries' legislatures.
With manufacturing in China becoming expensive due to high labour costs and government policies, US investors' interest in Vietnam is on the rise, which was proved after more than 30 business executives seeking investment opportunities in construction visited the country. Also many leading US companies like Nike and Mast Industries are contemplating building their manufacturing activities in Vietnam.
New FDI pledges between January and November rose 1.1 per cent to $13.55 billion from the same period last year, while the additional funds for existing projects were estimated at $6.67 billion in the period, according to the General Statistics Office.
However, experts are of the opinion that while Vietnam is emerging as the next hot investment destination, its government must resolve issues around customs and tax procedures and introduce investor friendly policies.


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HELENA — Halloween is a holiday that is normally filled with all kinds of fun activities for people of all ages, but with Coronavirus still lurking as we head into the haunted holiday, how should we safely celebrate?
MTN reached out to the Lewis and Clark County Department of Health and Human Services to ask this very question.
Public Health Officer Drenda Niemann says, “Doing some trick or treating in your small neighborhood, making sure that you are staying 6 feet apart, and wearing your mask in that situation is probably okay, having big parties where you have lots of people in a small space- not such a good idea.”
These rules fall under Governor Steve Bullock’s directive, but each county may have separate regulations in place for the fall celebration.
Niemann says, “The way we have trick or treated in the past needs to look different this year. The downtown area has been a real draw for people to come and hangout together and celebrate together. Certain neighborhoods have been a draw, but what we are recommending this year is that we not gather in those big groups."
If you aren’t sure how to safely participate in Halloween more suggestions can be found on the CDC’s website, broken down into high, moderate, and low risk categories.
The CDC lists traditional trick or treating as a “high risk” activity, along with having trunk or treats, or attending crowded parties.
If you’re looking for a moderate risk activity, the CDC recommends participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped bags are lined up for families to grab, attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart, or visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people are wearing masks and social distancing.
For those looking for low risk Halloween options, the CDC recommends carving pumpkins with members of your household, doing a Halloween scavenger hunt, or having a virtual Halloween costume contest.
According to the an article published by the National Confectioners Association, data collected since September 6th, shows--compared to this time last year, Halloween chocolate and candy sales are up 13%. according to the National Retail Federation, 53% of people plan to decorate for Halloween, up from 49% last year.
It looks like the Coronavirus won’t scare people away from Halloween this year.
Just be sure to check with your local county health department before venturing out on the haunted holiday.
Niemann also says “Halloween masks are not a substitute for cloth masks and should never be worn under a costume mask due to possible difficulty in breathing. Instead, consider making or using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.”


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CONCORD, N.C. -- Philip Morris USA announced $200 million in upgrades to its Concord cigarette plant Tuesday, a move that's expected to help secure the plant's 2,600 existing jobs, reported the Charlotte Observer.
State and local leaders provided millions in incentives to attract the investment, which was $60 million more than local leaders had expected.
Philip Morris is now the county's second-largest private employer, after NorthEast Medical Center. The average wage at the Concord plant is $917 per week.
The Cabarrus plant makes Marlboro brand cigarettes for U.S. and overseas markets.
Philip Morris's decision to upgrade the plant comes as the American cigarette industry faces an uncertain future.
Although overseas tobacco sales are growing, U.S. cigarette consumption is in decline. The industry also is battling a $280 billion lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department, which says the industry deceived Americans about the hazards of smoking and promoted its products to young people.
Philip Morris said the Cabarrus upgrades will make that plant more efficient. Of the investment, $140 million would cover the installation of 12 high-speed cigarette-manufacturing modules to replace 18 lower-speed ones. That will allow the plant to produce 15 percent more cigarettes with the same number of workers.
"The productivity will go up so they can compete here," Gov. Mike Easley said in announcing the upgrades.
The cigarette giant, based in Richmond, Va., also is installing an automated system for moving cigarette paper and other materials from a 10-story storage building to the production floor.


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Apple Replay: Analyst’s Warning Signals Tough Times Ahead for Tech Giant
Jan 18, 2024
In consumer electronics, Apple has long been the undisputed heavyweight champion. With a history of remarkable success, the tech giant has faced its fair share of challenges, but none may be as significant as the warning recently delivered by stock analyst Bruce Kamich. As Apple’s stock faces an 8% dip from its December peak, Kamich’s analysis raises critical questions about the company’s future.
Apple’s aim to become a household name with an annual revenue of over $375 billion has been extraordinary. From the iconic Macintosh computer in the 1980s to the game-changing iPhone in 2007, the company has consistently produced beautifully designed and user-friendly products. However, Kamich’s warning revolves around Apple’s most crucial product – the iPhone.
While Apple’s iPhone has been a revenue powerhouse, accounting for nearly half of the company’s $90 billion in sales in the last fiscal quarter, challenges are developing. The global smartphone market has matured, and competition, particularly in China, is becoming fierce. Reports of Chinese regulators expressing concerns about state workers owning iPhones instead of local brands like Huawei and Xiaomi add to the growing challenges.
Barclays’ analyst Tim Long has even issued a rare “underperform” rating on Apple stock, citing weakness in iPhone volumes and concerns about Macs, iPads, and wearables. Long emphasises that the latest checks reveal worse iPhone 15 data points in China and a generally soft market in developed countries.
Adding to the concerns, reports suggest that Apple is reducing iPhone prices in China by $70, possibly in response to weaker-than-expected sales. However, some industry experts speculate that these price cuts might be strategic and aimed at maintaining a competitive edge during the crucial Chinese New Year sales quarter.
To understand the potential impact on Apple’s stock, Kamich, with over 50 years of experience, turned to technical analysis. Unfortunately for Apple enthusiasts, his assessment is far from optimistic. The charts indicate a lack of strength, with prices trading below the 50-day line, raising the likelihood of a break of the 200-day line. Kamich points to the On-Balance-Volume (OBV) line showing weakness since December, signalling that sellers are more aggressive than buyers. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) oscillator further adds to the concerns, crossing below the zero line for a sell signal.
In a straightforward conclusion, Kamich advises investors to avoid the long side of Apple’s stock, emphasising the weakness evident in both charts and indicators. As Apple Replay takes centre stage, the tech giant faces a critical juncture, with investors closely watching for signs of recovery or further decline in the coming months.
Kamich’s technical analysis not only highlights current weaknesses but also raises questions about Apple’s ability to regain momentum. As investors assess risk and reward, the coming months will be pivotal in determining whether Apple can weather the storm or if further declines are on the horizon. Tim Long’s underperform rating serves as a stark reminder that even industry giants are not immune to market fluctuations.
In conclusion, Apple Replay is not just a buzzword but a critical examination of the tech giant’s standing in the market. Kamich’s warning serves as a wake-up call for investors who have long seen Apple as a reliable performer. The challenges in China, coupled with technical indicators pointing south, create a scenario where Apple’s next moves will be closely monitored by both Wall Street and Main Street. Whether it’s a strategic dip or a more prolonged decline remains to be seen, but one thing is clear – Apple’s future is under scrutiny like never before.


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Reliance Jio; a name that has created quite a sensation India with it’s cheapest 4G service is now again back in the news as we hear that Reliance Jio and Google might launch the most affordable 4G smartphone in India later this year. This so-called affordable 4G device will only work with Jio with all Jio apps and services pre-installed.
According to a report by The Hindu, both Reliance Jio and Google have partnered and are working together in launching to launch a 4G smartphone before 2017. This smartphone might be a second innings for Google with the Android One project with Micromax, Lava, Karbonn, Spice that was shelved long ago due to various factors, and that’s a discussion for some other day.
However, the partnership between Reliance Jio and Google might give enough boost to Google, given that Reliance Jio is known for trendsetting pricing strategies that will help Google catch the momentum. To remind you Sundar Pichai has already mentioned that there is a strong need for cheaper smartphones in India and should be priced well under $30 (Rs. 2035) with 4G support, so it only makes sense Google has joined hands with Reliance Jio. Currently no other details like specifications, pricing are known at the moment, so we will have to wait for some more time to know more.
Sanchit Gogia, CEO at Greyhound Research speaking with the publication said
Such a smartphone will help Jio increase data adoption- helping it render movies and music over its network. It will also improve the overall quality of service delivered on the Jio network.