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Nickelodeon To Launch Subscription Streaming Service in March
On Thursday, Nickelodeon — a cable channel from Viacom Inc.– announced that it will launch a standalone subscription video service in March. Details including the price will be shared next month.
Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman revealed that the new service will game the mobile market. He hoped that the offering will allure parents and children alike.
However, it is not clear weather the service will provide the original channel content, which is available to its current subscribers on cable and satellite TV.
The owner of the channel, Viacom Inc. has said the novice service will be provided with its own separate brand-name. Forecasts, a little pessimistic though, point out that the new offering might be showing only the supplemental content and recasting the previous shows.
Having said that, if the made perceptions are proven to be true, then the new offering will have not much of the novelty as a similar service – $4 a month offer for “Sesame Street” – already exists in the market. Let’s ‘SpongeBob’ fans figure it out, what the service brings with it, when it gets launched in March.
Nickelodeon is not the only cable channel to offer such a service. Among the others are HBO and Showtime. Similarly, CBS is the channel which is already providing an indistinguishable service. Those living in 14 markets with CBS-owned stations, can watch it live on Internet for $6 per month.
Likewise, The Dish Network Corp. is likely to offer standalone Internet offering for TV channels, previously subscribable on cable or satellite. The Dish service named Sling TV will show many channels including ESPN and CNN. It will price its services at $20 per month.
The Sony Corp. has also planned to launch a service called SonyPlaystation vue with capacity of showing dozens of unspecified channels. The reason is obvious: people seem giving up cable and satellite TV services.
This trend of shifting TV services from cable and Satellite to Internet will put users at ease. Not because, it will cost less – in fact the charges are possibly to go higher – but because it will make consumption easier. Internet will suffice all of the users demands. They don’t need to pay different providers or maintain different devices.
Abubaker Zahoor writes on diverse topics with special interest in innovations, tech-ethics, and inter-and intra- organizational business relationships.


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- Cannabis company, Icanic Brands (CSE:ICAN) has released a positive business update on its operations, despite the COVID-19 health crisis
- The company is continuing to operate as an essential business, with a fully intact supply chain
- Icanic Brands and its subsidiary, Ganja Gold, have both seen impressive revenue increases in the last month
- The company is working on new products for Ganja Gold’s brand, and the launch of a new sister brand
- Icanic Brands’ share price is up 9.09 per cent, and is currently trading for 12 cents per share
Cannabis company, Icanic Brands (CSE:ICAN) has released a positive business update on its operations, despite the COVID-19 health crisis.
While the pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for the global community, the cannabis industry is doing very well right now.
Icanic Brands, which operates in California and Nevada, has qualified as an essential business in California. As such, it can continue operating during government-mandated shelter-in-place orders. The company’s products are available in over 350 licensed dispensaries in the state of California alone.
In addition, Icanic Brands has reported that its supply chain remains fully intact, despite COVID-19 disruptions elsewhere. This includes its cultivation facility in Sacramento, all the way to its distribution locations. Retail and dispensary customers of the cannabis company will be able to continue buying products without interference.
As if this goods news wasn’t enough, Icanic Brands has also reported promising revenue increases since the pandemic started. In February, the company’s revenue as a whole was approximately C$823,980. In March, it had increased by 12 per cent, to approximately $921,152.
Icanic Brands’ subsidiary, Ganja Gold, has also experienced a recent spike in revenue. Ganja Gold saw month-over-month revenue growth of nearly 44 per cent.
Its month-over-month order volume also grew, by nearly 20 per cent. Specifically, Ganja Gold’s order volume went from 132 orders in February to 158 orders in March. Many other cannabis companies have reported similar increases, as COVID-19 keeps people stuck at home with more recreational time.
Icanic Brands CEO, Brandon Kau, said that the company is working to improve gross margins by finding operations efficiencies.
“We are looking to incorporate additional technology over the coming two quarters. Additionally, we are proactively looking to expand our footprint in the US market, and are in talks with potential regional licensing partners,” he explained.
In the meantime, Icanic Brands is working on new products for the Ganja Gold brand. It is also preparing to launch a sister brand, called Taylor’s. Taylor’s brand products will primarily address the lower end of the pre-roll market.
The company hopes to have Taylor’s products on the shelves within the next 30 days.
Icanic Brands’ share price is up 9.09 per cent, and trading for 12 cents per share, as of 2:06pm EST.

domain: news


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The back-to-school shopping season certainly looked dim this year, with many students not returning to the classroom. As we now look toward the holiday season, we can expect a change in holiday shopping habits, too. However, unlike back-to-school shopping, which essentially relies on being able to physically go back to school, holiday shopping will occur no matter what the pandemic situation holds — people will still want to celebrate and buy gifts. The difference this year in holiday shopping is that it won’t be happening in a mall, but online.
Online sales were up over 30 percent in last three months, and a new report by IBM found the pandemic has accelerated digital shopping by five years. Both are good indicators of what we can expect the holiday shopping season to look like this year. However, while the influx of e-commerce shopping will give a boost to many retailers, there will be a lot of competition.
Scaling and optimizing order fulfillment will be a major differentiator for retailers in the coming months, as it will enable them to cut costs while delivering better customer experiences and, ultimately, more customer loyalty.


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SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo is deepening its connections with Facebook's online social network.
The latest bond announced on late Tuesday will enable Facebook users to share more of their activities on Yahoo's websites, including which stories they are reading.
Yahoo Incorporation introduced the Facebook-sharing option in its main new section three months ago.
The same feature will now be available in 26 other parts of Yahoo's site, including its ''omg'' service for entertainment news and sections devoted to television, movies and games.
By tying more of its services to Facebook's popularity, Yahoo is hoping to give people more reasons to visit and stick around its website.
Yahoo ultimately wants to sell more online advertising.
That's an area where Facebook has been gaining ground as its website has emerged as a top Internet hangout.


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Strong growth lifted net profit at Mandarin Oriental International by 91 per cent to US$56.8 million (S$71.9 million).
Revenue for the six months to June 30 was up 7 per cent to US$661.1 million.
Most of the group's hotels benefited from positive trading conditions in the first half year.
Two new luxury hotels opened in Guangzhou and Shanghai and a new management contract for a hotel in Istanbul was announced during the period.
Its global portfolio of properties, including those under development, comprises 45 hotels in 27 countries.
Earnings per share rose to 5.67 US cents from 2.98 US cents previously while net asset value per share climbed by four US cents to 94 US cents.
The retailer declared an unchanged interim dividend of two US cents a share.


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“The Jetsons” — in the flesh!
Before “Frozen” and “Zootopia,” there was a film called “Oilspot and Lipstick.”
Classic cartoons available anytime, anywhere, and on any screen is the pitch from Turner and Warner Bros., who will soon launch a new U.S.-only video subscription service.
The first Brazilian animated film was shown in theaters on January 22, 1917.
The one and only time that Walt Disney held a beauty pageant for the studio’s artists.
Just in time for the 25th anniversary of the duo’s first appearance on MTV…
We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the holiday classic with a gallery of rare artwork from the film.
Morphing has been an important part of vfx for quite a while. Here’s 10 memorable morphs that made us go wow!
What have they done to poor Woody?
Jim Hillin, the cg supervisor of “Beauty and the Beast,” reveals the creation of an iconic moment in Disney animation history.


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NEW YORK — Consumers this spring are planning to spend the same or more at retail than last year, according to the latest Deloitte survey.
In its 2012 Spring Consumer Pulse survey, Deloitte found that more than two-thirds of consumers surveyed (67%) said they plan to spend the same or more, a 9% increase from 2011, with many of them feeling slightly better about the economy than this time last year (57% versus 52% last year).
When it comes to where these respondents plan to shop, almost two-thirds (65%) said they're shopping more online to get the best product or price, an increase of 13 percentage points from 2010. Deloitte also noted a boost in social networking and mobile activity, as 46% of smartphone owners indicated they have used phones to research product prices online — an increase of 10 percentage points from 2011 — while 45% of respondents said they're interacting with retailers through social networking sites, the research firm said.
Despite these sentiments, inflation remains a top concern, Deloitte said. When asked what might cause them to hold back spending in the months ahead, 76% said higher prices generally, followed by higher energy costs (69%) and higher medical bills (44%). Similarly, 80% said they expected to spend more on food this year, while 52% agreed that new spring merchandise seems to have higher prices.
The 2012 Spring Consumer Pulse survey was conducted between March 5 and 7 and included a nationally representative sample of 1,000 consumers.


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MONTREAL - Alimentation Couche-Tard says it remains committed to acquiring Casey's General Stores despite the legal roadblocks set up by the company's board.
The Iowa-based convenience store chain has filed several lawsuits and legal motions to thwart Couche-Tard's US$1.9-billion hostile takeover bid. The latest came Monday when it filed a motion to dismiss Couche-Tard's counterclaim against an accusation of stock manipulation.
Couche-Tard president and CEO Alain Bouchard said these legal manoeuvres are inappropriate and only mislead Casey's shareholders.
"Why not give the choice to the true owners, the shareholders," Bouchard said Tuesday during a webcast to discuss Couche-Tard's fourth-quarter and year-end results.
The Montreal-area convenience store operator saw its profits surge in the fourth quarter as it benefited from higher merchandise sales, solid fuel sales, controlled expenses and proceeds from the opportunistic sale of Casey's stock.
Couche-Tard (TSX:ATD.B), which operates under various banners including Mac's, Provi-Soir and Circle K, said it earned US$68.8 million, or 37 cents per share, for the period ended April 25.
That's up more than 81 per cent from US$38 million, or 20 cents, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items such as Couche-Tard's sale of Casey's shares, it earned 29 cents or three cents better than analyst estimates.
Higher fuel prices, acquisitions and the higher Canadian dollar boosted revenues by nearly 34 per cent or US$1 billion to US$4 billion. That also beat analyst estimates of US$3.88 billion.
Bouchard foresees great opportunities to expand its business but will continue to be patient about not overpaying for targets such as Casey's General Stores in light of current market conditions.
"We believe our offer price represents full and fair value for Casey's."
He said the US$36 per share all-cash offer gives Casey's shareholders an immediate premium and avoids any uncertainty about the future performance of Casey's stock.
As for Couche-Tard's results, Bouchard said he was satisfied with the numbers and believes the efforts of the last few quarters have put it in "a pretty good position for the upcoming years."
"It is these same efforts that made fiscal 2010 a record-breaking year for us in terms of net earnings, right in the middle of a recession," he said.
"That makes me pretty proud of what we accomplished and it makes me confident for the future."
Couche-Tard said its quarterly profit increased because of higher U.S. motor fuel gross margins, increased merchandise sales, acquisitions and a reversal of provisions.
The company, which reports in U.S. currency, also scored an $11.4-million gain, net of taxes, on the disposal of nearly two million Casey's (Nasdaq:CASY) shares on the day it announced its takeover bid. Casey's shares rosethree cents Tuesday to match the US$36 offer price by Couche-Tard.
For the year, Couche-Tard earned $302.9 billion, or $1.60 per share, on a fully diluted basis. That compared with $253.9 million, or $1.29, a year earlier.
Annual revenues increased 4.1 per cent to $16.4 billion, from $15.78 billion.
Irene Nattel of RBC Capital Markets said Couche-Tard is starting the fiscal year from a strong operating base and with stabilization in the North American economies.
"We should expect improving operating trends as we move through the year. As for the Casey's situation, it is evolving largely in line with expectations," she wrote in a report.
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Couche-Tard's shares closed up 64 cents, or 3.22 per cent, at $20.50 in Tuesday trading.
Couche-Tard is the second-largest convenience store chain in the North America with 5,878 stores, including nearly 4,400 company-owned locations.
- Photos: Women's March In New York City30 Pictures
- PHOTOS: 16 Betty White quotes to brighten your day17 Pictures


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, a grocery delivery
venture that promises to deliver within 10 minutes, has raised $60 million from investors including Glade Brook Capital, Nexus, and Y Combinator, and individual backers Lachy Groom, Neeraj Arora, Manik Gupta, among others. 19-year-olds Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra left computer science degrees at Stanford University to build Zepto earlier this year.
Palicha said quick-commerce or Q-commerce is a big opportunity. China has a number of players in the segment, as does Europe, including the UK-based Dija, founded by former Deliveroo employees, Germany’s Gorillas and Flink, and France’s Cajoo.
Zepto is expanding across Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi-NCR and will be launching in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata over the next month. It has its tech office in Bengaluru and operations in Mumbai. Zepto has hired senior leaders from Flipkart
, Uber, Dream11, Pharmeasy, and Pepperfry
“Our median delivery time is 8 mins 47 seconds. The magic of the model is how we pack and dispatch goods in under 60 seconds. The last mile is like any other delivery model
,” he said.


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China vows to fight US 'at any cost' as trade spat worsens
Jill Colvin and Gillian Wong, Associated Press | 4/6/2018, 7:20 a.m.
WASHINGTON — China vowed on Friday to fight the U.S. "at any cost" after President Donald Trump proposed slapping an additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods in an escalating trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.
Trump's surprise move Thursday to instruct the U.S. trade representative to consider the additional tariffs came a day after Beijing announced plans to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.
In Beijing, the Commerce Ministry said China doesn't want a trade war — but isn't afraid to fight one.
"China will dedicate itself to the end and at any cost and will definitely fight back firmly" if the U.S. persists in its "protectionism," the ministry said in a statement.
Trump's proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle since World War II. Global financial markets had fallen sharply as the world's two biggest economies squared off over Beijing's aggressive trade tactics. They calmed down Wednesday and Thursday on hopes the U.S. and China would find a diplomatic solution but slid Friday after Beijing said it would fight the Trump administration's latest threats.
The White House announced after the markets closed Thursday that Trump had instructed the Office of the United States Trade Representative to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate and, if so, to identify which products they should apply to. He's also instructed his secretary of agriculture "to implement a plan to protect our farmers and agricultural interests."
"China's illicit trade practices — ignored for years by Washington — have destroyed thousands of American factories and millions of American jobs," Trump said in a statement announcing the decision.
The latest escalation comes after the U.S. on Tuesday said it would impose 25 percent duties on $50 billion of imports from China, and China quickly retaliated by listing $50 billion of products that it could hit with its own 25 percent tariffs. The Chinese list Wednesday included soybeans, the biggest U.S. export to China, and aircraft up to 45 tons (41 metric tons) in weight. Also on the list were American beef, whiskey, passenger vehicles and industrial chemicals.
Earlier in the week, Beijing announced separate import duties on $3 billion of U.S. goods in response to the Trump administration's duties on all steel and aluminum imports, including from China.
U.S. officials have sought to downplay the threat of a broader trade dispute, saying a negotiated outcome is still possible. But economists warn that the tit-for-tat moves bear the hallmarks of a classic trade rift that could escalate. And already, the tensions have rattled global stock markets.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called China's move "unjustified" and said Trump's proposal was an "appropriate response to China's recent threat of new tariffs."
"Such measures would undoubtedly cause further harm to American workers, farmers, and businesses," he said in a statement. "Under these circumstances, the President is right to ask for additional appropriate action to obtain the elimination of the unfair acts, policies, and practices identified in USTR's report."


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A village has a new shelter for young people to meet up thanks to shoppers paying Tesco’s 5p carrier bag charge.
The local supermarket take part the Bag of Help scheme where proceeds of the compulsory carrier bag charge introduced by the government is donated to good causes in the area.
Following the award of £2,000 by Tesco Stores in its ‘Bags of Help’ vote, Ruskington Parish Council decided to use the money to partially fund the erection of a youth shelter on the Elm Tree Road playing field area in the village.
The shelter was manufactured and installed in late September by Caloo Ltd.
“The shelters are a popular choice with children as they can gather with friends at a designated social space and it gives them a destination point rather than lingering in a playground or other areas of the village,” said a spokesperson from the company.
“Additionally, a youth shelter is the perfect addition to provide some sheltered seating within a play park setting, members of the public can hide from the sun or shelter from the rain while out for a walk/play with friends and family.”


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Nigerians have taken to social media to react after Big Brother Naija housemate, Liquorose, rocked a silver see-through outfit to an event in Lagos Nigeria.
Glamsquad Magazine notes that popular American singer, Rihanna once rocked a similar attire to an event.
Liquorose rocked hers to the TeknoXBBN Lagos Fashion show on Thursday night.
Liquorose was styled in a see-through outfit in the video that went viral, prompting various reactions from admirers who compared her to colleague Angel.
Angel has undoubtedly gotten ongoing backlash from netizens over her attire because she constantly exposes her body during the Big Brother Naija Show, and has previously stated that she does not value her body.
Liquorose, on the other hand, rarely wears revealing outfits, and many admirers were taken aback when they saw her dressed in such a way at the current event.
Many netizens reacted angrily to this, claiming that if Angel had worn such an outfit, she would have been hounded cruelly online.
ayomi_mic wrote: Se this one na fashion or madness nitori oloun
doubrababy_ wrote: If it was angel now you people will kill her, now it’s liquo I’m seeing fire everywhere. Double standards.
thick_nd_bold bwrote: If is angel u guys will start dragging her now this same person is now a queen
zitabenita wrote: This is trash. Just remove the pant and I’ll be okay


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Two men feared to have washed away in floodwater
Looting victim sends message to those stealing during TC Debbie
Three teenagers charged for allegedly stealing alcohol.
Booze looted from store in the wake of Ex TC Marcia
Man convicted of looting during Gympie’s flooding has escaped jail
Alleged looter to appear in court next month.
Youths caught allegedly looting in Bargara


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A craft beer pioneer deserves a fitting tribute.
Especially if it’s Carol Stoudt, founder of Stoudts Brewing Company in Adamstown, and first female brewmaster since Prohibition.
Earlier this month, Stoudt announced her retirement after 33 years. Production at the brewery is being scaled down immediately and brewery operations are expected to end by early spring.
“I did my part. Now it is up to the new generation to continue the tradition of innovation that defines craft beer,” she said at the time.
In her honor, Sly Fox Brewing Company in Pottstown has collaborated with Stoudt’s brewing team to create Black Lager. The schwarzbier is described as a “brilliant jet black,” thanks to ingredients of Midnight Wheat and de-husked roasted malts.
“We teamed up with the original beer rebels at Stoudts to create a beer that bucks current trends and pays homage to the rich history of craft lagers in southeast PA spearheaded by Carol and her brewing family,” said Tim Ohst, Sly Fox’s director of brewery operations, in a statement. “What’s more punk rock than a black lager in a simply labeled sixteen ounce can?”
- Troegs Independent Brewing has released a new, year-round beer: here’s how you can get it
- Yuengling teases new beer, so what is it?
Stoudt built the brewery on German beers brewed in the Reinheitsgebot tradition. It has long been recognized as a top-flight brewery, winning more than 20 prizes in the Great American Beer Festival, the country’s top brewing competition.
Sly Fox said Stoudt has been a friend in the brewing community and provided support and encouragement to startups.
To promote the collaboration, a series of punk concerts, Black Lager Punks Beer Tour, are booked at several live music venues. The next show on March 17 will fill The Nitro Bar in West Reading for St. Patrick’s Day and feature groups, Big Green Limousine and Urinal Cakes.
Look for Black Lager in kegs and cans throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In the meantime, Stoudt’s Restaurant & Pub, an outdoor bier garden and antiques mall at the complex remain open.
Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.


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EA Sports' Rory McIlroy PGA Tour isn't a bad game per se in that it's a golfing video game that lets gamers play digital PGA-caliber golf, but it's at risk of missing the cut.
Rory's still world number one though, even if Spieth is far more marketable hence why he's the brand pro. My word, first time I've ever talked about golf on here.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Cartoonists at The Beano have come up with The Neds and their two children, Asbo and Chavette. “It’s a bit of harmless fun,” says a spokesman for DC Thomson, publishers of the comic in Dundee. However, “ned” is a Scottish insult, one powerful enough for the Scottish Parliament to have once considered banning its use (somehow). The Children’s Commissioner, Kathleen Marshall, has also weighed in, worried that the new strip might offend “those who choose to dress in baseball caps and tracksuits”.
Starbucks has taken, grandly, to appointing “coffee ambassadors” around the globe. “I recognise that the world of coffee is sometimes difficult to navigate,” says Lui Soo Ling, a Malaysian “ambassador”, in a newspaper interview about her role. “As coffee master and coffee ambassador,


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Money Talk Podcast, Friday Feb. 17, 2023
Landaas & Company newsletter February edition now available.
Advisors on This Week’s Show
(with Jason Scuglik and Joel Dresang)
Week in Review (Feb. 13-17, 2023)
Significant Economic Indicators & Reports
No major announcements
The broadest measure of U.S. inflation showed the pace continued to ease in January. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said its Consumer Price Index rose 6.4% from January 2022. The rate was down for the seventh month in a row after hitting a 41-year high of 9.1% in June, but it was still far above the Federal Reserve’s long-range target of 2%. Shelter costs accounted for about half of the 0.5% increase in the index from December. Food and energy prices also contributed to the monthly gain. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core CPI rose 5.6% from the year before, the fourth monthly decline after a recent peak of 6.6% in September.
Suggesting revived consumer demand, retail sales rose 3% in January, the first increase in three months. The Commerce Department reported that all 13 major retail categories increased revenue in January, led by bars and restaurants and car dealerships. Only electronics and appliance stores posted a decline from the year before, when sales overall rose more than 6%. Since January 2022, sales at bars and restaurants jumped 25%. Total retail sales adjusted for inflation also rose for the first time in three months but remained below the peak set last March.
The Federal Reserve reported no change in industrial production in January as utilities suffered from an unseasonably warm month following an unseasonably cold December. The falloff in utilities output offset the first gains in three months from both manufacturing and mining. Overall industrial output has not had a monthly gain since September. Industries’ capacity utilization rate fell for the fourth month in a row and for the second consecutive month stayed below the 50-year average. High capacity rates can indicate rising inflation.
The Commerce Department showed continued weakening in housing in January, as the annual rate of building permits and housing starts trended lower, below pre-pandemic levels. Permits, which indicate plans for future construction, were 8% under where they were in February 2020, with authorizations for single-family housing slowing for the 11th month in a row. Housing starts slipped more than 4% from December, with new single-family construction down 19% from its pre-pandemic pace and 36% behind December 2020, which was the highest point since before the financial crisis. The annual rate of houses under construction also declined slightly in January but remained near record levels.
The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose for the first time in 10 weeks. An indication of employers’ reluctance to let go of workers, the rolling average stayed 49% below the 56-year average and was near its all-time low, reached last April. Total jobless claims rose less than 1% from the week before to 1.9 million, compared to nearly 2.1 million the year before and 18.9 million claims at the same time in 2021.
Inflation on the wholesale level rose 0.7% in January, reversing a slight decline in December. Prices for goods gained more than those for services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the Producer Price Index increased 6% from the year before, the slowest pace since March 2021, down from a peak of 11.7% last March. The core PPI, which excludes volatile prices for food, energy and trade services, rose 0.6% for the month and 4.5% from the year before, also the lowest 12-month gain in nearly two years.
U.S. economic growth slowed in January, though not as much as in December. Still, the Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators suggests a recession in 2023. The index was down 3.6% in the latest six months, compared to a 2.4% contraction in the six months prior. The business research group said indicators led by the yield curve signal a downturn this year despite “robust” numbers on employment and personal income. Among the factors it said should contribute to a recession are high inflation, rising interest rates and weaker consumer spending.
MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK
- Nasdaq – 11787, up 69 points or 0.6%
- Standard & Poor’s 500 – 4079, down 11 points or 0.3%
- Dow Jones Industrial – 33827, down 42 points or 0.1%
- 10-year U.S. Treasury Note – 3.83%, up 0.08 point


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It must have come as a shock to the Apple Universe when the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently announced its decision to ban all iTunes movies and eBook services. The move was made as part of the CCP’s desire to reject the westernization of its people in favor of traditional ideas. It would also seem to be an attempt to protect the technology industry that resides within China’s borders from outside poachers.
From a financial standpoint, this could be a devastating decision for Apple’s revenue flow and bottom line. In recent years, the marketplace in the mainland China region, which also includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, has accounted for approximately 25% of the technology giant’s sales revenues.
The CCP’s actions come amid exhaustive efforts by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook to build a relationship between his company and China’s leaders. Based on estimates, Cook has made at least seven trips in recent years to mainland China as the company’s ambassador. Regardless of how he felt things were progressing, it is once again clear that what China says and what China does are two entirely different things.
Of course, Cook could have saved himself a lot of money, time and effort has he consulted with other US technology leaders like CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and CEO Jack Dorsey from Twitter. Both of these companies have been trying to make inroads into the China region despite the fact that both of its products and services are currently blocked throughout that region.
At risk for all these international technology giants is the opportunity to break into and gain status in one of the most dynamic markets on the planet. If it’s not Apple, it could be anyone else that the Chinese government might arbitrarily decide to favor while leaving all other competitors sitting on the outside looking in.


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Lucky Pet® is making it easier than ever for trade customers to place orders, request a visit and browse its range. On June 12, the company launched a new website, price list and catalogue to help retailers learn more about its UK-made pet products.
All products on the new site are barcoded by both size and colour, to help stockists reorder.
Other new services include a stockist locator, which will allow pet owners to find the nearest store that stocks Lucky Pet® products. The company also plans to create a new retail-to-stockist scheme. Managing director, Kay Wright, said: “Our aim has always been to support local pet shops.”
Kay added: “We have also introduced over the past months our new characters, they are on our building, on our marque and our vehicle. We have also incorporated them in our name to run alongside our more traditional logo.” The fun, new cat and dog figure will be appearing as part as Lucky Pet®’s standard branding.
To view the new website visit www.luckypet.co.uk.


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Hyderabad-based electric vehicle manufacturer and retrofit kit solution company e-Trio has raised $3 million (Rs 22 crore) in Series A round from HNI investors based out of Singapore. The group of investors is led by serial investor, Janardhan Rao, founder of Triumph Global Group, a Singapore head-quartered international commodity trading house with a consolidated revenue of over $900 million (Rs 6,661 crore).
It maybe recollected that in August 2020, Autocar Professional had revealed eTrio’s gameplan and the launch of its first retrofitted e-LCV. The company says the new investment will enable the company’s foray into new electric vehicles in three-wheeler and bicycle product lines. The company aims to focus on customer acquisition across both B2B and consumer segments.
Touro, Etrio`s three-wheeler brand is scheduled for market launch in October 2020, which will come in two variants – Touro Mini and Max – across both cargo and passenger segments. The cargo variant is currently undergoing pilots with leading e-commerce and logistics players and has already been booked for around 500 units. Stepping into the electric bicycle segment, Etrio will also introduce the Ashva and iSwitch e-bike lines in the coming months. The company plans to scale up aggressively by deploying its electric range of vehicles through a mix of sales and leasing options.
The EV maker says the fund will be utilised to fuel its go-to-market strategy, set-up sales and service networks across select cities, and hire key personnel over the next 6-9 months.
Commenting on this, Deepak MV, co-founder and CEO, Etrio said, “With over a year of extensive work, we finally make our big transition from retrofitment to creation of new electric vehicles. We will continue to evolve as an EV OEM bringing reliable products based on superior vehicle architecture, efficient system integration, robust design, and connected systems to drive mass adoption of EVs in India. With this funding, we will strengthen our product portfolio to target B2B logistics platforms for growth with diverse product offerings and more geographical presence. We aim to enter the highly-dense three-wheeler EV market starting with the cargo segment aimed at e-commerce logistics space and then subsequently set up its channel network for driving both passenger and cargo 3-wheeler sales across major states in the North and South India. Our focus now is to deliver customer delight through the introduction of new product variants, superior after-sales service, data-driven approach and customer-centric culture.”
At present, the company has dedicated vehicle manufacturing and assembly set-up spread across 20,000sqft at Hyderabad and is in the process of achieving 100 percent localisation of the supply chain by end FY2021.
This series A investment constitutes the first part of fundraising for the company and the company plans to raise an additional round in early FY2022 towards investments for R&D for new product development, in-house manufacturing of key electric components and production capacity ramp-up.
Also read: e-Trio targets B2B platforms for growth, launches new e-3W
e-Trio launches first certified retrofitted electric LCV at Rs 775,000


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Gaining access to accurate information on land, buildings and other factors needed for the investment making-decision process has been one of the greatest challenges facing foreign retailers in Vietnam, according to Hong Won Sik, General Director of LotteMart in Vietnam.
The lack of such information has made it difficult for investors to make decisions quickly on investment plans, Hong Won Sik said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency.
He added that finding experienced staff is also not easy, and if found, the wage level is too high to hire them.
It will be very useful if clear and correct information is available for foreign enterprises, the general director said, adding that improved transparency and time reduction in handling administrative procedures by State agencies will also strongly appeal to foreign businesses.
The prospect of the retail market in Vietnam, according to Hong Won Sik, is promising, given Vietnam’s population is expected to reach 100 million and 70% are participating in the economy with income increasing each year.
The Vietnamese Government has been investing heavily in infrastructure, helping the economy to grow quickly, he said.
He said he is confident in LotteMart’s chances in Vietnam and welcomes competition from other international retailers.
The general director said LotteMart has a number of subsidiaries which provide a wide range of services, such as supermarkets, cinemas, fast-food chains, coffee shops and hotels, and will strive to win trust from Vietnamese consumers.


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As the holiday buying season approaches an ever-growing list of toys have been recalled, and that means the grinning green Grinch won’t get the chance to take some presents from under the tree because they’re already gone.
Millions of toys from Mattel Corp., subsidiary Fisher-Price, Hasbro Corp., RC2 Corp. and others have been affected most among the 80 percent of U.S.-sold toys that are made in China.
Reasons for recalls range from highly publicized lead paint, which can cause brain and nerve damage, to having magnets and other smaller parts that are a choking hazard or that can link up in the intestinal tract and cause infections and perforations.
General choking hazards also can prompt recalls.
Parents and others in the market for toys for toddlers and young children are faced with a myriad of Web sites and recall lists.
A simple Google Internet search made last Thursday for “recalled toys” got almost 1.5 million results.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site www.cpsc.gov, has a list of recalled toys.
And a spokeswoman for the Toy Industry Association in New York said the association’s www.toyinfo.org was a good source for information on recalled toys.
Recalls could shift Christmas toy shopping patterns
“I believe it’s going to have a lot of effect,” David Pfountz, manager of the Wal-Mart on Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport, said of the recalls.
He said people may shift money they normally spend on toys for children to clothing and electronics, including the already hot video games and accessories.
“We’ve not seen an increase in toy sales. It’s not a decrease,” Pfountz said. “We’re having a big increase in electronics and clothing.”
Another issue affecting toy sales is the lack of a run-away hit in toys like the Wii video game system from Nintendo has been in gaming or the Tickle Me Elmo once was for Mattel.
“There’s really not one hot toy this year,” Pfountz said.
He said one that has sold out is a cat that meows and moves in response to petting, part of a line called Fur Real. The company also sells other animals.
A new T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo was released Thursday — it can hiccup — but Pfountz said it remains to be seen if Elmo can help rescue Christmas toy sales.
The Wii video game consoles are in short supply nationwide. Pfountz said limited Wii shipments arrive sporadically.
Linda Bolton Weiser, a toy analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. in New York, Monday declined an interview involving toy recalls, saying the issue had received too much attention and wasn’t going to be a major impact on toy sales this year.
“No one really wants to hear it at Christmas time, but it’s (the toy recall situation) a mess,” said Stephanie Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, not associated with Oppenheimer & Co.
Pfountz and other toy retailers said they and their companies are careful to pull recalled toys off the shelves as soon as the recalls hit.
In some cases, he said, a whole family of toys is pulled temporarily even if just one item was recalled. An example are the Cars toys based on the popular movie, although he said only one vehicle was found to have lead problems. The rest are back on the shelves.
Eric Johnson, professor of operations management at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, predicted in October that toy prices will increase by 10 percent next year because of increased costs of testing toys and of possible shifts of production from China to Europe or the United States.
Chris Bynre, a toy analyst from New York, agreed that the cost of toys likely will be higher this time next year, but he disagreed on the reasons. He said major U.S. retailers like Wal-Mart have held toy prices down for the past few years but that increasing petroleum prices, pressure to increase wages in China and currency exchange rates will increase toy prices because petroleum is needed to make plastics.
However, he said most toys will continue to be made in China because of economics and that it would not be reasonable to make large quantities of plastic toys in the United States because, among other things, the supply chain, other infrastructure and the employee base simply don’t exist here.
“If you want to pay $75 for a Barbie, go ahead,” Byrne said of Mattel’s iconic offering that has not been subject to recall this year, but is among the 80 percent of U.S.-sold toys made in China. “If you have a child of a certain age, the only country of origin they care about is the North Pole.”
‘Hot Dozen’ and ‘Lead Free’
As for this holiday season, hopes are high in toy retail that the recalls won’t dampen 2007 holiday sales, and the usual lists of top toys have made the rounds — although often amended after release to remove recalled toys.
Toy Wishes Magazine, with the help of veteran toy analysts Byrne and Jim Siler, released its annual “Hot Dozen” for toys for the holiday season.
November and December account for about two-thirds of U.S toy sales, which in 2006 totaled about $22 billion, with video games and accessories accounting for another $10 to $13 billion.
“Mattel has already took the hit in the third quarter,” Byrne said. “I don’t really see a huge impact on this issue.”
On the other hand, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 2008 Lead Free Platinum Awards were recently announced by Stephanie Oppenheim, a child development expert, and her mother, author Joanne Oppenheim.
They have been independent toy analysts since 1989 but because of the recalls did not publish an annual book for the first time in 15 years.
Oppenheim said that during the RC2 Thomas train recall, one lead-tainted toy lead to another, she said.
“The present they sent kids (after the recall) had lead in it and they had to recall that, too,” Oppenheim said.
The Oppenheim list of lead-free toys, including those free of imbedded lead, and from the phthalates used to soften plastics, is at www.toyportfolio.com.
She said home testing for lead is not reliable, and the portfolio is pushing for federal or at least more state regulations. Illinois bans imbedded lead and California bans phthalates.
An Ohio television station’s investigation last week found recalled toys still on store shelves there, although all but one — a “Sarge” toy from the movie cars — were flagged at checkout and not sold. It also found lead in toys not on recall lists.
The Oppenheim Web site has a list of myths, including that purchasing at big box retailers avoids recalls, and that plush stuffed animals are safe since some, including a Curious George monkey, were painted with lead paint.
Asked for hottest sellers, Byrne cited anything in the High School Musical or Hanna Montana lines licensed by Disney.
“Anything Hanna Montana will sell out this year,” Byrne said.
In alphabetical order, the magazine’s top 12 are:
• Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses by Mattel. Barbie is Princess Genevieve, the seventh of 12 sisters in a magical world. The dolls sell for $24.99, the horse and carriage for $32.99.
• Bratz Forever Diamond by By MGA Entertainment. The latest Bratz fashion dolls have outfits with sparkling diamond-like stones, and each doll comes with a real diamond pendant that girls can wear. The retail price is $29.99.
• Butterscotch My Fur Real Friends Pony by Hasbro. A life-size, interactive pony with advanced animatronic technology supplies realistic movements and sounds. The retail price is $299.99.
• Digi Makeover by Radica Games Ltd. A plug-and-play gadget plugs into the television. Kids take their picture and digitally enhance the image by adding makeup, hairstyles and accessories. It sells for $59.99.
• Fly Wheels XPV by Jakks Pactif Inc. This radio-controlled vehicle flies through the air. It takes off and lands from any hard surface and can soar more than 20 stories into the air. The retail price is $59.99.
• Kid Tough Digital Camera by Mattel unit Fisher-Price. Made for kids, it comes with dual hand grips, binocular view finder and sturdy construction. The built-in 1.3-inch LCD screen holds up to 60 pictures, includes big buttons and simple controls, and has a USB-computer connection for downloading photos. It sells for $69.99.
• Lego Mindstorms NXT by Lego. A robotics toolset is the NXT brick — a "brain" that is the tech center of every creation. Using motors, ports and technologies like Bluetooth, this set uses light, sound and touch sensors to make advanced robots. It sells for $249.99.
• Magtastik by Mega Brands. A brightly colored magnetic building set. The retail price for a starter set is $29.99, with individual sets $5.99 and up.
• Monopoly Here & Now by Hasbro. A limited-edition remake of the classic game, the new version revamps Monopoly as if it were invented today. Buy and sell at today's prices and move playing pieces that are iconic structures. Properties include Times Square, Rodeo Drive and other landmarks, while the railroads become airports. The retail price is $29.99.
• Speed Stacks Stackpack by Play Along. A sports toy that involves kids stacking and restacking specially designed cups in precise formations. The retail price is $39.99.
• T.M.X. Elmo by Fisher-Price. This is the latest version of the popular Elmo franchise known for dancing and giggling. Elmo still drops to the floor in paroxysms of hysterical, limb-flailing laughter, but the new version for this Christmas hiccups. The retail price is $39.99.
• And Wii by Nintendo Co. A video-gaming platform with a two-handed controller puts players at the center of the experience. The retail price is $250, although it is in short supply at retailers. Secondary market sales on eBay can range from $300 to $500 and a www.walmart.com package including games and accessories is almost $700.
Byrne said that limits on computer chip production are slowing Wii deliveries, predicting supply won’t catch up to demand until the first or second quarter of 2008.
The Wii made last year’s Oppenheim list because, Oppenheim said, it gets children up off the couch and active. She said others include retro offerings such as the Inch Worm by Radio Flyer and a new Candyland Castle game by Hasbro. She doesn’t like the new Monopoly because it’s large money amounts require a calculator and take away opportunities for impromptu math lessons.
What to do, what not to do
Most manufacturers and some retailers will take recalled toys in and give vouchers or refunds or provide a new part or component to make the toy safe.
Disposing of recalled toys can present a problem, especially if they contain lead because in theory toys buried in landfills could leach lead into the groundwater.
And some reports from across the country indicate some people may be donating recalled toys to charities or thift stores.
Most makers request that lead-contaminated toys be returned, but Oppenheim said it is confusing for consumers because some request the toys go back to stores while others ask for returns to the manufacturers.
She said consumers should push for tighter toy testing regulations. And she also said that toy buyers should realize that much of the recent flood of toy recalls was brought about by tighter testing demanded by retailers.
To look for recalled toys, consumers may go to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site, as well as to the Web sites of individual retailers and toy makers such as KB Toys, Toys R U, Mattel and Hasbro.
Internet searches using the name of the toy also can pinpoint recalls. Also, many retailers, including Big Lots, will post toy recall information in their stores.
Also on the Web:
• American Speciality Toy Retail Association: www.astratoy.org
• KB Toys: www.etyoys.com/safety
• Mattel: www.mattel.com/safety
• Toys R Us: www.toysrus.com/safety
• Hasbro: www.hasbro.com
• RC2: www.rc2.com


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The Danish Competition Council has approved the merger between Norlys Tele Service A/S and Verdo Tele A/S subject to remedies
On 14 March 2022 the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (”DCCA”) received a complete notification of the merger between Norlys Tele Service A/S (“Norlys”) and Verdo Tele A/S (“Verdo”). The merger was referred to the DCCA by the Danish Business Authority and was approved by the Danish Competition Council (“DCC”) subject to remedies on 25 May 2022.
Norlys, who is part of the Norlys Group, owns optical fiber infrastructure – mainly in Jutland. Norlys provides internet access to retail suppliers of broadband connections and TV services (“service providers”), including Norlys Group’s own retail supplier, Stofa A/S (“Stofa”), through the Norlys Group’s subsidiary OpenNet A/S (“OpenNet”).
Verdo is a subsidiary of Verdo a.m.b.a. (75 %) and Norlys (25 %). Verdo owns optical fiber infrastructure in the area in and around the Danish cities Randers and Hobro. Prior to the merger, Verdo entered into a service provider agreement with Stofa, and Stofa has so far been the sole service provider using Verdo’s infrastructure.
In December 2020, Verdo entered into an agreement with OpenNet in order to provide other service providers access to Verdo’s infrastructure. In 2021, Verdo initiated negotiations with two service providers on terms and prices for access to Verdo’s infrastructure.
The DCCA consider that the merger entails a risk of enabling Norlys to foreclose input (access) to the downstream market. Input foreclosure only entails restrictions on competition if the input is significant for the product concerned on the downstream market. This is the case due to the fact that service providers are not able to supply broadband connections in the retail market without internet access at the wholesale level, there are no real alternatives to Verdo’s infrastructure and finally there are significant barriers to entry to the wholesale market.
The DCCA also considered that Norlys would have an incentive to raise prices for competing service providers, who wanted access to Verdo’s infrastructure, as Norlys then would be able to shield the Norlys Group-subsidiary Stofa from the competition from other service providers.
The DCCA found that input foreclosure would significantly impede effective competition on the markets for retail provision of TV services and fixed broadband connections.
Based on an overall assessment the DCCA considered that the merger would give rise to unilateral, vertical effects on the market for wholesale of internet access in the area of Verdo’s infrastructure.
The DCCA’s investigations showed that despite the fact that both Norlys and Verdo own optical fiber infrastructure in Jutland, there is no overlap wihtin their ‘footprints’. Thus, there are no horizontal concerns in relation to the merger.
To address the DCCA’s concerns for unilateral, vertical effects, Norlys offered commitments. Norlys offered to ensure that service providers, who wants access to Verdo’s infrastructure will be granted access on equal terms compared to the Norlys-Group-subsidiary, Stofa. Furthermore, Norlys committed to offer all interested service providers the same wholesale and campaign prices that Verdo had already negotiated with the two third party service providers up to three years after the DCC’s decision.
The DCC assessed that the remedies offered were sufficient to address the unilateral effects identified by the DCCA.


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‘The Daily Show’ Host Trevor Noah Names Lil Kim As His Favorite Female Rapper
The Daily Show is set to return tonight (September 28) with a brand new host. South African comedian Trevor Noah is taking over the desk from Jon Stewart.
To help promote the season premiere, Noah fielded questions from cast members of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood. Amber Hunter asked Comedy Central’s newest star about female rappers. Noah answered by giving a big shout out to the Queen Bee.
“I really enjoy female rappers. I was always a big fan of Lil Kim,” revealed Noah. “In fact, she was the only rapper whose lyrics I knew at the time.”
Noah later shared which artists are on his music playlist at the moment. Adele, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Drake are among the performers getting the most plays from the stand-up comic.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah debuts tonight at 11/10 c on Comedy Central.
Posted on 29 Sep 2015 by LilKimZone
Huffington Post: Is Lil Kim a Forgotten Fashion Icon
Before sourcing the "Crush On You" video as inspiration for her inaugural performance of BBHMM at the iHeartRadio Music Awards Rihanna unknowingly paid homage to rapper Lil Kim at another noteworthy event, the 2014 CFDA Awards. There, the Barbados native opted to wear a see-through Adam Selman dress made of 230,000 Swarovski Crystals. It stirred up tons of controversy and NSFW disclaimers on digital publications across the world wide web. However, in 1999, fresh off her debut album "Hardcore" going platinum Kimberly Denise "Lil Kim" Jones had donned a similar look for the then VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.
"Oh Kim, she's my idol" the late Alexander McQueen uttered as he bowed to Brooklyn-born MC as she presented him with the Avant-Garde Designer of the Year award. Kim was wearing an areola bearing crop top; a slip less full length beaded skirt, high mid-calf booties and an adorned masquerade mask that resembled one seen in Mugler's F/W 1999 Haute Couture show. Her raunchy lyrics that boasted throwing lips to male genitals and "sexcapades" with some of R&B's most eligible bachelors landed her a spot in hip-hop history. Such graphic wordplay was unheard of coming from a female artist who had achieved some level of mainstream success. But, other than those explicit rhymes Kim embracing something else that was arguably unheard of and unseen from a female rapper, high fashion.
Out the gate "the first rap bitch to rock Chanel" delivered bars like "I used to wear Moschino, but every bitch got it. Now I rock colorful minks because my pockets stay knotted" and "Sippin Zinfandel, up in Chippendales Shop in Bloomingdales for Prada bags Female Don Dada hats". No high profile brand was excluded from Kim's rhymes. She took pride in self-proclaiming that she was the one who had folks rocking "the Prada The Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Versace and Louis [Vuitton]" in her song "Heavenly Father." The luxury brand plugs and fearless style choices opened up the door for Lil Kim to become a fashion girl. She was a front row fixture at Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Tommy Hilfiger and Betsey Johnson runway shows during New York Fashion Week. Kim became the face of the luxury Italian label Iceberg and landed a Mac Viva Glam ad campaign. She also gained the attention of Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine, covering the November 1999 issue completely nude, painted in the Louis Vuitton monogram print, as well as securing features in Vogue, Nylon, Paper, Out and Vibe magazine. This Grammy Award winning artist is arguably the pioneer of "ghetto fabulous" blueprint.
Inga DeCarlo Fung "Foxy Brown" Marchand, another female rapper whose debut project, "Ill Na Na" dropped just a week after Kim's, had her foot in fashion as well. John Galliano was a huge Foxy fan. When he took the helm at Christian Dior, he dressed the "dark skin Christian Dior poster girl" for the label's New York boutique opening. Galliano even called her "the most modern icon of the 21st century." Brown sat front row at Zac Posen and Marc Jacobs fashion shows, wore Manolo's and Norma Kamali and scored a Calvin Klein campaign but still, Kim's boundary pushing style had an edge that Foxy Brown couldn't match.
From the lime green fur donned during the No Way Out tour in New York to freeing the boob at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center for the VMA's, Kimberly Jones solidified herself as a fashion icon. However, when the fashion icon conversation arises rarely is she mention. She didn't make the cut for Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Fashion Icons or WhoWhatWear Top 20 Fashion Icons lists. Even now in 2015, her style from the 90s and early 2000s all of its ghetto fabulous-ness is inspiring Taraji. P Henson's wardrobe as Cookie Lyons on the hit show Empire. While Lil Kim's arousal provoking lyrics landed her in the conversation of being on of the most influential hip-hop artist of all times, her style choices have left her with the forgotten fashion icon title. Still, that acknowledgment technically gives her some fashion icon recognition after all, right.
Smithsonian Acquires Classic Hip-Hop Photos Of Lil’ Kim, Eazy-E, T.I.
More than 400 classic photographs of hip-hop artists including Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, T.I., Black Sheep and N.W.A.’s Eazy-E have been acquired by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian announced last week.
Scheduled to open in 2016, the museum has already added some remarkable music objects to its permanent collection, including J-Dilla’s production gear, chic dresses from En Vogue, a replica of Funkadelic’s mothership, items from Chuck Brown’s estate and a drum from protopunk band Death. (Bandwidth has done a lot of reporting on the museum’s music acquisitions. Catch up here.)
The newly acquired photographs come from the Eyejammie Hip-Hop Photo Collection, spanning images by a range of photographers. Music historian and former Def Jam publicity director Bill Adler assembled the collection, which showed at New York’s Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery between 2003 and 2007, according to the Smithsonian.
Julia Beverly, founder of Southern hip-hop magazine Ozone and biographer of the late Texas rapper Pimp C, posted on Instagram this week that more than 20 of her images are included in the collection. Her photos feature Southern rappers Lil Jon, T.I., Slim Thug, David Banner, Rich Boy and Mike Jones.
The Eyejammie photo collection will be part of the Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts, curated by Rhea L. Combs. Now under construction on the National Mall, the museum is scheduled for completion in fall 2016.


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Apple has been unable to keep interest in its smartwatch high during the summer season, according to new smartwatch sales data from IDC.
The report claims that Apple Watch sales fell to 1.6 million in the second quarter of 2016, a 55 percent decline from the 3.6 million sales recorded in the same quarter last year.
Part of the reason for the decline, according to IDC, may be rumors of the Apple Watch 2 launching this fall. Buyers may be waiting for the improved second edition, which is expected to feature a faster processor, higher resolution display, and a FaceTime camera.
Apple is still ahead of the pack in the smartwatch market, even at 1.6 million quarterly sales. Samsung came second with 600,000 sales, a slight increase on the 400,000 sales last year.
Apple Watch strap on market loosening?
That said, Apple’s hold on the smartwatch market is starting to dwindle. It went from 72 to 47 percent market share in the past year, as more devices from Lenovo, LG, and Garmin hit the market.
“Despite a down quarter, Apple remains far and away the market leader in smartwatches,” said IDC in a press release. “Apple faces the same challenges as other OEMs, but the pure exposure of the device and brand through tactical marketing gives it a leg up on the competition.”
Apple introduced a host of new updates to the Watch at WWDC 2016 last month, including a much faster load time that pleased app developers. That, bundled with the upgraded specs, may be enough to keep investors and wearable fans happy.
In the wearable market, the Apple Watch is a big player, but does not control the market like it does with smartwatches. It remains firmly behind Fitbit and Xiaomi, both sell a range of fitness trackers.


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Our Picks: Top Produce Retail Trends and Products from PMA Fresh Summit
Among the world’s leading fresh produce industry trade shows, PMA Fresh Summit pays special attention to positioning itself as a pageant for the latest industry trends—a place where companies can inspire each other with innovative products designed with these trends in mind. In particular, the Fresh Ideas Showcase exhibit allows exhibitors to highlight the new products they are most excited about and attendees to get a big dose of new ideas and inspiration in a compact space.
Produce Report was once again on-hand at the 2018 edition of Fresh Summit, held October 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida, to talk to fresh produce industry leaders, identify trends and check out the newest products. As usual, we paid special attention to the Fresh Ideas Showcase.
The following are our 2018 fresh produce trends and some examples of the products that companies have created in response to those trends.
The Mini Fresh Produce Craze Continues
There are many possible reasons why mini fruits and vegetables are a hit with US consumers. Obviously snacking and convenience are a big factor (see below), and snacking in particular is often emphasized on mini-produce packaging. But mini produce also produce also provides visual novelty and a cuteness factor for sharing photos on Instagram and other social media. Smaller produce can also can help with portion control and waste reduction in single-resident households, which are near an all-time high in the US.
The Rockit brand of apples is a club variety originally commercialized in New Zealand, where it was marketed as the world’s smallest apple. It’s already had a lot of success in Asian markets. Now Chelan Fresh is ramping up commercial production of Rockit apples for the US market.
This year at Fresh Summit we noticed quite a number of companies offering mini potatoes, often with convenience-boosting features such as being pre-seasoned or microwave-ready.
There were also multiple small tomato offerings at Fresh Summit 2018. It’s hard to get more mini than Tomz Tomberry tomatoes from NatureFresh Farms, which it calls ‘The World’s Smallest Tomato’ (the cultivar is licensed from Dutch breeder Eminent Seeds).
We also took note of Sprinkles “micro-grape” tomatoes from Mastronardi Produce’s Sunset brand, CuteCumber Poppers from Mucci Farms, Yummy Sweet Peppers from J&J Family of Farms and Mini Munchies from Pure Flavor.
Fresh Produce Keeps Growing More Colorful
Novel colors and shapes of produce are eye-catching on the shelf. Multi-colored tomatoes have been especially popular with supermarkets in recent years. Many green, orange and purple tomato cultivars were on exhibit this year. We also liked pink lemons from Limoneira and rainbow baby carrot packs from Southern Selects.
Snacking and convenience are at the heart of more and more products
People are busy. They want things now. Companies are constantly experimenting with products that can be sold in or adjacent to the fresh produce section that will save consumers’ time and energy. Also, exhibiting this year was Chinese company Vingoo, which makes automated fresh orange juice squeezing machines. Already widely deployed in China, the fresh vending machine saves on staffing costs and allows customers to see inside as it prepares their fresh cup of OJ.
As part of the trend toward convenience and snacking, we noticed more and more instances this year of different types of produce being combined into one package.
Living herbs for more freshness
Shoppers who buy culinary herbs are much higher than average spenders, so it’s an important segment for produce managers. Living herbs have been around for a long time, but seem to be steadily increasing in popularity and variety. One product that caught our eye was clamshell herbs with roots attached from Living, which maximize both freshness and convenience.
Packaging: Top-seal, stackable and sustainable
As more and more produce is being sold pre-packaged, the industry is looking for ways to make packaging more innovative and more sustainable. Top-seal packaging is popular, as are other formats that are easier for consumers to stack inside of their refrigerators.
Jiamu of China was among several eco-friendly packaged products and material suppliers offering biodegradable options made from a variety of materials.
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Telecom giant MobiFone reported a decline in profits and revenues in 2022, and said they fell short of targets.
At a review meeting on January 5 the company said revenues fell to VND28.329 trillion (US$1.18 billion), and profits to VND2.71trillion.
They had been VND31 trillion and VND4.96 trillion in 2021.
The bright spot in the business last year was that data revenues increased by 27%.
In April it had launched MobiFone Pay e-wallet and Mobile Money e-money.
With the telecom market saturated and revenues on a downtrend, the company this year eyes new businesses such as digital finance, digital health and digital education, chairman Nguyen Hong Hien said.
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Never met any of “The Real Housewives of Orange County”? Don't miss your chance Saturday when Tamra Barney, Peggy Tanous and Lynne Curtin host the grand reopening of one of their favorite spas in Tustin.
Barney is still on the show, and we hear that Bravo could be there filming for Season 8. She'll tell you all about WinesbyWives, her wine club, and CutFitOC, a new fitness studio she's opening in Orange County. Season 6 housewife Tanous arrives fresh from her appearance at Thursday's Orange County Fashion Showcase in Newport Beach.
Curtin will bring her jewelry, and part of the proceeds from those sales and a silent auction will benefit Ronald McDonald House. “It's a wonderful charity,” Curtin said. “I will always be grateful to them for their help when my family needed it most,” she recalled of the time years ago when her father was ill.
The red carpet rolls out at 11 a.m. and the party continues until 3 p.m. at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, 2981 El Camino Real in the Tustin Marketplace. To RSVP, visit events.savvygirlpr.com or email email@example.com.
- High wind warning in effect for Orange County until Saturday afternoon
- Freight train hits person in Anaheim, Metrolink trains halted
- Pacific Coast Highway re-opens after car-motorcycle crash
- After 18 years, California Mission models are back at Knott's Berry Farm
- Auto magnate Fletcher Jones' Balboa Peninsula house hits market at $30 million


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Nokia to launch new Lumia model in US with VerizonAgence France-Presse
HELSINKI—Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia said Monday that it had chosen the second-biggest US operator, Verizon Wireless, to exclusively distribute its new Lumia 822 model when it is launched this autumn.
Nokia said the new phone, designed to appeal to first-time smartphone buyers, would be available at Verizon “this autumn” but did not specify an exact date or price.
A higher-end Nokia phone, the Lumia 920, is, meanwhile, expected to be exclusively launched in the United States through the country’s biggest operator AT&T, according to media reports.
Both launches are due in the first half of November, according to industry experts quoted in specialized media.
Verizon has some 95.9 million mobile phone subscribers, while AT&T has 100.7 million.
The success of the two models in the US, the market of reference for mobile telephony, is seen as crucial for Nokia’s future as it falls behind on the smartphone market amid stiff competition from Apple’s iPhone and Samsung.
In 2011, the Finnish company began phasing out its Symbian operating platform in favor of a partnership with US software maker Microsoft.
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Shares of gunsmith Sturm, Ruger (RGR -1.75%) are down 7% as of 3:15 p.m. EDT Thursday in response to fiscal Q3 earnings released last night.
Analysts had been expecting the armsmaker to report $0.92 per share in profits for its fiscal third quarter. Instead, Sturm, Ruger reported profits of just $0.52 -- a miss by more than 40%.
But was the company's news really that bad? Granted, Sturm, Ruger didn't earn what it was "supposed" to, but compared to last year's $0.53 in Q3 profits, this year's earnings actually only declined by a penny. On the other hand, sales were up 10% year over year at $115 million, so ideally, earnings wouldn't have declined at all. Also, the quarter's results were significantly below the trend for the year. So far, through the first nine months of 2018, Sturm, Ruger has seen its sales slide 7.5%, but its earnings are down only 6%.
If you infer from these numbers that profit margins must have slimmed in Q3 -- you're right. Operating profit margins fell by 220 basis points in the quarter, to 10.6%.
Sturm, Ruger did not give new earnings guidance in its report, but for what it's worth, analysts are looking for the company to nearly double earnings in its final quarter of the year, to $1.01 per share on sales of $137 million.
Given how far off the mark they -- and Sturm -- were in Q3, however, investors can be forgiven for feeling a little bit wary of this latest prediction.


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Apple Car Canceled
Apple in February 2024 canceled the Apple Car project and has ceased all work on an autonomous, electric vehicle. Apple no longer intends to come out with an Apple Car. The approximately 2,000 employees working on the car were reassigned to Apple's generative AI team, laid off, or sent to other divisions within the company.
A look back at the Apple Car's history and the many changes in leadership and scope can be found in our Apple Car history guide. With the car project canceled, Apple's focus now turns to AI and products like the Vision Pro.
Apple's Car Project History
In 2014, Apple began working on "Project Titan," with more than 1,000 car experts and engineers developing an electric vehicle with limited self-driving capabilities at a secret location near the company's Cupertino headquarters.
The Apple Car project has shifted and changed multiple times over the course of the last several years due to internal strife and leadership issues, but development has continued. Though 2016 rumors suggested Apple had shelved plans for a car, by 2020, it was back on. In 2022, it was revealed that Apple's plan for a fully autonomous vehicle was not going to work out, with the project scaled back, and in 2024, rumors suggested it was pared back once again.
Apple is now working to release an electric vehicle with driver-assistance features similar to the functions offered by Tesla vehicles. The car will have a Level 2 autonomous driving system, which includes steering and brake/acceleration support, but the driver remains in control of the car and must pay attention on the road.
Apple originally planned to have a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals that would operate on its own, but that is no longer the case. Apple went for a simpler design in order to get some kind of car to market, and it is expected to see a release no earlier than 2028.
Apple's AI and machine learning chief John Giannandrea is heading up the Apple Car project, and Kevin Lynch, known for his work on the Apple Watch, has also joined the Car team and it said to be largely responsible for Apple's push toward producing a vehicle. Under Lynch's leadership, Apple scaled back the car project to something that would be feasible for launching this decade.
Apple is said to have created a high-end processor for the Apple Car, and it is the most advanced component that Apple has developed to date, with 4x the power of four Mac chips. It's made from neural processors that can handle the incredible AI load needed for an autonomous vehicles. TSMC is expected to manufacture the chip, and that's the same company that makes chips for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple's car will use LiDAR sensors, radar sensors, and cameras to improve the driver assistance features.
Because Apple has no experience with car manufacturing, it will need partners to produce the vehicle, and Apple is said to be working on securing partnerships in the automobile industry. It is not yet known who Apple will work with, but it has held discussions with Hyundai and other companies.
The Apple Car has been described as Apple's "next star product" with Apple able to offer "better integration of hardware, software and services" than potential competitors in the automotive market. The Apple Car is likely to be marketed as a high-end vehicle rather than a standard electric vehicle, but Apple is aiming for a price point under $100,000.
In June of 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke publicly about Apple's work on autonomous driving software, confirming the company's work in a rare candid moment. Apple doesn't often share details on what it's working on, but when it comes to the car software, it's harder to keep quiet because of regulations.
"We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects. It's probably one of the most difficult AI projects actually to work on." -- Apple CEO Tim Cook on Apple's plans in the car space.
Since early 2017, Apple has been testing self-driving vehicles on public roads in California, using several 2015 Lexus RX450h SUVs leased from Hertz. The SUVs have been spotted on the streets of Cupertino host of sensors and cameras as Apple prepares its self-driving software, and testing has ramped up over the years. Apple has more than 60 test vehicles out on the road.
Apple was aiming to launch its autonomous car by 2028, but all work on the car has now stopped.
Design and Self-Driving Capabilities
Apple initially had incredibly ambitious plans for the Apple Car, and the company wanted to design a fully autonomous vehicle that would require no interaction from the driver, a goal that no car manufacturer has been able to achieve.
As it turns out, that plan was too ambitious, and Apple was forced to scale back. Apple Car rumors pointed toward a design with no steering wheel or pedals with an limo-like interior focused on hands-free driving similar to the Lifestyle Vehicle from Canoo, but now Apple Car will have a more traditional vehicle design with a driver's seat, steering wheel, and pedals. It will be now be similar in functionality to a Tesla, with the Apple Car able to provide steering and brake/acceleration support while the driver remains in control of the vehicle. The Apple Car will use LiDAR sensors, radar sensors, and cameras for driver assistance features.
Apple pivoted to a simpler design in order to be able to bring a vehicle to market following years of delays. If Apple is not able to deliver an electric vehicle with the scaled back feature set, Apple executives may cancel the project entirely.
The initial design for the Apple Car featured four seats that face inward, allowing passengers to have face-to-face conversations with one another, plus it had a curved ceiling that resembles the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle, but with the project shifting toward a standard electric vehicle with some limited self-driving capabilities, it will now have a standard design.
As of right now, Apple does not have a partner for the car's manufacturing, and there is no solidified design. Apple is said to be speaking with car manufacturers in Europe.
Apple has considered Apple Car designs with a large iPad-like touch screen in the middle of the vehicle, which would not be too dissimilar from the design of Tesla vehicles. Users would be able to interact with the central panel, and it would be integrated with Apple's current devices and services.
The processor that's in development for the car was created by Apple's silicon engineering group, which has also created the processors for the M1 Macs, iPhones, and other devices. Bloomberg describes this chip as the most advanced component that Apple has designed internally, with the power of four Mac chips.
It's said to be made up of neural processors that are able to handle the artificial intelligence requirements of autonomous driving. The chip runs out, and may need a sophisticated internal cooling system.
Safety is a major focal point in the design of the Apple Car. Apple wants to create a safer vehicle than companies like Tesla or Waymo, and so engineers are building in redundancies and backup systems that will kick in to avoid driving system failures.
Charging and Battery
The Apple Car could be compatible with the Combined Charging System, a standard used for charging electric vehicles. Companies like Tesla, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Kia, Hyundai, and others all support the CCS, and adopting the same standard would allow Apple Car owners to use charging stations that are already available.
Apple is developing a new battery design that has the potential to "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range. Apple is creating a "monocell" design that will bulk up the individual battery cells and free up space inside the battery pack by removing pouches and modules that hold battery materials. This will allow for more active material in a smaller package. The battery technology has been described as "next level" and similar to "the first time you saw the iPhone."
Apple has held talks with four suppliers of LiDAR sensors that are smaller, more affordable, and more easily mass produced than current LiDAR systems, which are too bulky and expensive for use in mass produced vehicles. Apple is reportedly planning to use sensors from Wenmao, the company that supplies LiDAR sensors for the iPhone.
Apple Car Cost
The Apple Car is likely to be priced as a "very high-end" model or "significantly higher" than a standard electric vehicle. Rumors suggest that Apple is planning to price it under $100,000, but even at $100,000, it would be notably more expensive than entry-level Tesla vehicles. It would be on par with the higher-end Tesla Model S.
Apple Car Development History
Apple's interest in a car dates back to before the original iPhone, and Apple executives discussed building a car before the device launched. Steve Jobs considered developing an Apple car, and even met with the manufacturer of the lightweight, inexpensive "V-Vehicle" in 2010, but is said to have ultimately decided not to work on a car in 2008, preferring instead to focus development on the iPhone.
With the iPhone now secure as Apple's most profitable device, Apple has turned to other avenues of research and development, once again exploring the possibility of a car-related project. The first details on the Apple Car started leaking out at the beginning of 2015.
In February of 2015, a mysterious van leased to Apple was spotted driving around streets in Northern California. The van had a camera rig attached to it with multiple cameras, leading to speculation that Apple was using it to develop a product similar to Google Street View. More outlandish speculation ranged towards the possibility of a self-driving vehicle, but people who spotted the vans quickly determined the vans had drivers. Apple later came out and said the vans were related to a mapping project, but they were undoubtedly the catalyst that led to the discovery of Apple's secret on a car.
Just days after the vans were first spotted, an unidentified Apple employee emailed Business Insider, suggesting Apple was working on a project that would "give Tesla a run for its money." The source said that Tesla employees were "jumping ship" to work on a project at Apple that was "too exciting to pass up."
That tantalizing hint led several media sites to dig deep into Apple's plans, and in mid-February, Financial Times learned that Apple was recruiting automotive technology and vehicle design experts to work in a "top-secret research lab." That piece highlighted Apple's hiring of former Mercedes-Benz Research and Development exec Johann Jungwirth and pointed out Apple's efforts to research automotive products.
Financial Times and other media sources initially speculated Apple was perhaps developing an advanced software platform to build upon CarPlay because a full-on car project sounded unbelievable, but just hours later, The Wall Street Journal launched a figurative bomb. Apple was indeed working on creating an electric vehicle, said the site, a project that it started exploring in 2014.
According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Apple had hundreds of employees working on designing a minivan-like electric vehicle under the code name "Project Titan." Steve Zadesky, Apple VP of Product Design was leading the project under Dan Riccio, and was given the go ahead by Apple CEO Tim Cook to recruit upwards of 1,000 employees, many from within Apple. Apple executives met with contract manufacturers of high-end cars like Magna Steyr, who Apple might have worked with had the car project not shifted focus.
Apple's car team explored a wide range of technologies, including silent motorized doors, car interiors sans steering wheel or gas pedals, augmented reality displays, an improved LIDAR sensor that protrudes less from the top of a car, and spherical wheels, but there was no clear vision for the car and executives disagreed even on major points like whether the car should be autonomous or semiautonomous, leading to delays and internal strife.
As a result of the internal issues, in January of 2016, Steve Zadesky announced plans to exit the project, leaving questions as to who would take over following his departure. In July of 2016, former Apple exec Bob Mansfield, who had retired from Apple in 2012, returned to lead the electric vehicle team.
After Mansfield began heading up the project in the summer of 2016, Apple's car strategy allegedly shifted towards autonomous driving, and in August and September of 2016, Apple laid off dozens of employees who were working on the project following an internal "reboot," many who have gone on to join other autonomous driving startups.
Apple adjusted the project to focus more heavily on the "underlying technology" for autonomous vehicles rather than actually building an automobile, and while initial rumors suggested the company was still developing a car and was continuing to pursue partnerships, later information indicated work on an actual car has stopped for the time being.
Apple has been granted a permit from the California DMV to test self-driving vehicles on public roads, and its vehicles, Lexus SUVs with radar and sensor equipment, have been spotted out on the road already. Apple may also be have purchased a testing site in Arizona that it previously leased.
Apple is also working on a shuttle program designed to transport employees between Apple's office in Silicon Valley. Apple is partnering with Volkswagen and will be installing its self-driving software in Volkswagen T6 Transporter vans to serve as an employee shuttle.
In August 2018, rumors suggested Apple could potentially be exploring the idea of a full Apple-branded vehicle once again. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is working on an Apple Car that will launch between 2023 and 2025, despite rumors suggesting that Apple has ceased its work on an autonomous vehicle and is instead focusing on software.
Apple in January 2019 culled the Project Titan team once again and removed over 200 employees. In 2020, Bob Mansfield, who had been overseeing the project since 2016, retired and John Giannandrea took over the car project. Apple's Kevin Lynch is also working on the Apple Car team in addition to working on Apple Watch.
Doug Field, a former Tesla executive who was heading up the Apple Car project alongside John Giannandrea and Kevin Lynch, departed the company in September. It's unclear how this may affect Apple Car development, but it could be a major setback as he was the vice president of special projects. Lynch is taking over for Field, handling Apple Car development.
Apple in June 2019 purchased Drive.ai, a self-driving vehicle startup that designed a self-driving shuttle service. Apple hired multiple Drive.ai employees in the areas of engineering and product design for its own self-driving car project.
Apple held talks with electric vehicle company Canoo in early 2020, but talks ultimately did not move forward. Apple and Canoo discussed several options from an investment to an acquisition as part of Apple's efforts to further its electric vehicle project.
Apple in 2022 scaled back the Apple Car project, dropping plans for a full self-driving vehicle that requires no user interaction. Instead, Apple aimed for a car with an autonomous mode that would be able to be engaged on highways, but manual driving would be required in other areas. In 2022, Apple dropped all plans for a more radical design without a steering wheel or pedals.
Further changes were made to the Apple Car in 2024, with Apple again scaling back on its plans. Apple is no longer aiming for a full autonomous mode on highways, but instead it will have more limited driver assistance features such as steering and brake/acceleration support. The Apple Car driver will need to remain in control of the car and will have to pay attention to the road.
Development has been scaled down because Apple wants to be able to bring a vehicle to market before the end of the decade.
Apple Car Leadership
The Apple Car project has seen multiple leadership changes and hundreds of employees have been laid off during the course of development, but it is now under the leadership of John Giannandrea, Apple's AI and machine learning chief, who took over the reins from Bob Mansfield after Mansfield retired in 2020.
Kevin Lynch, known for leading development on the Apple Watch, has joined Apple's autonomous vehicle team to oversee Apple Car development in addition to working on the Apple Watch, so Apple has some of its top talent developing the vehicle. Lynch replaced Doug Field, a former Tesla executive, who left the company in September 2021.
Apple started with team of about 200 employees working on the Apple Car, but was said to be aiming to have more than 1,000 employees. Since early 2015, Apple has been recruiting employees from the automotive industry and other car-related fields, such as researchers with specialties in battery technology and autonomous systems.
Over the years and through the changes to the Apple Car project, Apple has hired hundreds of high-profile employees with expertise in cars and autonomous systems, poaching from a wide range of car companies. Some employees on Apple's team have previously worked for major companies like Tesla, Ford, and GM, while others have been recruited from smaller companies like Tesla, Volvo, Karma Automotive, Daimler, General Motors, A123 Systems, MIT Motorsports, Ogin, Autoliv, Concept Systems, General Dynamics, and tons more.
High-profile Apple hires from Tesla include former mechanical engineering manager David Nelson, former senior powertrain test engineer John Ireland, former Tesla head recruiter Lauren Ciminera, who may be working to recruit additional employees for the car project, and former Tesla vice president Chris Porritt, who may have joined Apple to play a key role in the development of the Apple Car. Porritt has decades of experience in the European automotive industry, having worked for companies like Land Rover and Aston Martin prior to joining Tesla.
Former Tesla senior CNC programmer David Masiukiewicz joined Apple in April 2016 to work in the Product Realization Lab, perhaps creating prototypes of parts designed for the Apple Car. Kevin Harvey, who previously worked in the CNC machine shop at Andretti Autosport, is also working in the lab.
Other notable hires include five employees from A123 Systems, a company that specializes in producing batteries for electric vehicles. Apple faced a lawsuit (now-settled) from A123 Systems over the poached employees, several of whom had expertise in lithium ion batteries designed for electric vehicles. The company's former CTO, Mujeeb Ijaz, is one of Apple's highest profile hires. Ijaz led a team responsible for research and development at A123 Systems, and prior to that, he worked at Ford as an electric and fuel cell vehicle engineering manager.
Apple has also recruited two former Ford engineers and an engineer that came from General Motors, and it has been poaching battery experts from Samsung. Other former Ford employees, with expertise in body work, include Todd Gray and Aindrea Campbell.
In mid-2015, Apple hired Doug Betts, who previously served as the Senior Vice President of the Chrysler Group, where he was the global head of operations leading product service and quality. Betts may be part of the operations team working on Apple's car project.
Apple hired several employees from electric motorcycle startup Mission Motors, reportedly leading to the company's shutdown. Apple recruited six engineers from the startup, whom are said to have electric drive expertise.
Apple has been hiring individuals with expertise in autonomous vehicles, such as Tesla Motors engineer Jamie Carlson, who worked on Tesla's autonomous vehicle firmware project, Paul Furgale, a researcher with specialization in autonomous vehicles, Jonathan Cohen, NVIDIA's former director of deep learning who worked on deep learning for NVIDIA's Drive NX platform, and Jaime Waydo, who formerly served as Waymo's head of systems engineering.
Apple has also hired Megan McClain, a former Volkswagen engineer, Vinay Palakkode, a graduate researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, Xianqiao Tong, who developed driver assistance systems for NVIDIA, Sanjai Massey, a Ford engineer who worked on connected and autonomous vehicles, Stefan Weber, a Bosch engineer who worked on driver assistance systems, and Lech Szumilas, a Delphi research scientist with former expertise in autonomous vehicles.
Other 2015 hires include Tesla Motors engineering manager Hal Ockerse, who worked on driver assistance system components; Subhagato Dutta, who worked on an automotive algorithm team at Texas Instruments; and Yakshu Madaan, who previously worked at Tata Motors, the largest Indian automotive manufacturer.
In the summer of 2016, Apple hired Dan Dodge, who formerly ran BlackBerry's automotive software division and developed QNX, the software platform found in a wide range of in-car infotainment systems. Dodge's automotive software expertise suggests he is working on the team developing Apple's autonomous car system.
Apple has at least two dozen former BlackBerry QNX employees working on developing an in-car software platform at a facility in Kanata, Canada.
Popular YouTuber and engineer Mark Rober temporarily worked on Apple's special projects team developing VR technology that's designed to be used in self-driving cars both to mitigate motion sickness when doing activities like reading in the car, and for entertainment purposes.
Rober has been with Apple for a few years now and is listed on several related patents. The VR technology would specifically be used within autonomous vehicles that do not require a person to be driving.
Apple in August 2018 re-hired Doug Field, who spent five years working at Tesla where he oversaw production of the Model 3. Field served as Apple's VP of Mac Hardware Engineering until he left Apple for Tesla in 2013. Field left the Apple Car team in September 2021 and was replaced by Kevin Lynch.
Apple in July hired Steve MacManus, a former Tesla executive with expertise in car exteriors and interiors. MacManus now works as a "Senior Director" at Apple and could be working on Apple's car project. In 2020, Apple picked up Jonathan Sive, a BMW vehicle engineer who also worked at Tesla and Waymo, and Stuart Bowers, another former Tesla vice president who worked on Tesla's self-driving system.
Apple in 2019 hired former Tesla VP Michael Schwekutsch, who worked on motors and transmissions. Schwekutsch later left the company in late 2021 to join an air taxi startup. He had been working as a senior director of engineering on the special projects group, aka Apple's car team. Apple lost three other hires in the same timeframe, including chief engineer for radar systems, Eric Rogers, engineering team battery manager Alex Clarabut, and hardware engineering manager Stephen Spiteri.
In December 2020, Apple hired Manfred Harrer, a Porsche executive with expertise in chassis design. Harrer was considered one of the best engineers in the Volkswagen Group, serving as the head of chassis development at Porsche prior to overseeing the Cayenne product line.
A former top Volkswagen manager told Business Insider that Mr. Harrer was a "hidden champion," and the "measure of all things in his field." Prior to working on chassis development at Porsche, Harrer worked for BMW and Audi.
Apple in June 2021 hired former BMW senior executive and self-driving vehicle startup founder Ulrich Kranz for its car project. Kranz founded Canoo, a self-driving car startup that he left earlier this year. Prior to creating Canoo, Kranz helped to develop the i3 and i8 vehicles at BMW, where he was employed for 30 years.
Apple in August 2021 hired two former Mercedes engineers to work on its special projects group to work on the Apple Car. One hire has expertise in the mass production of vehicles, vehicle steering, dynamics, and project management, while the other has similar expertise.
In May 2022, longtime Ford engineer Desi Ujkashevic joined the Apple Car team. Prior to departing Ford for Apple, Ujkashevic served as the Global Director of Ford's Automotive Safety Engineering Office. She had a hand in the development of the Ford Escape, Explorer, Fiesta and Focus, plus she worked on electric vehicles. Ujkashevic has a wealth of expertise that will benefit the Apple Car project, and she could be involved in helping Apple develop safeguards for electric vehicles.
Apple in July 2022 hired former Lamborghini executive Luigi Taraborrelli, who oversaw oversaw chassis and vehicle dynamics engineering/R&D prior to joining Apple. He helped lead the design of suspension components, rims and tires, steering and brake systems, exhaust systems, fuel systems, driver assistance technologies, and more.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in March 2022 that Apple's car team had been "dissolved for some time," and that it must be reorganized within the next three to six months for mass production of the vehicle to begin by 2025, which is Apple's target production date.
Several rumors about the Apple Car have included details suggesting Apple employees are working on the project at a top secret location in the Bay Area. Rumors and speculation suggested Apple's car campus is located in Sunnyvale, California, just minutes from the company's 1 Infinite Loop Campus in Cupertino.
Several of the buildings potentially associated with Apple's car project have secret internal names referencing Greek mythological characters like Zeus, Rhea, and Athena, all of which are tangentially related to "titans" in Greek mythology, perhaps hinting that the buildings are related to "Project Titan."
Building plans Apple filed with city officials suggest the company's Sunnyvale facility, codenamed "Rhea," is being used for something car related, with references to automotive terms like "lube bay," "wheel balancer," "tire changer," and "wheel sensor.
Apple is rumored to be operating a secret vehicle research and development lab in Berlin. The facility is said to employ between 15 and 20 men and women from the German automotive industry, all with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware, and sales. The workers at the lab have all been described as "progressive thinkers" in their fields.
Apple in late 2018 leased a large manufacturing facility in Milpitas, California. It's not clear what Apple plans to use the site for, but it could potentially be related to the car project.
Apple's self-driving car program focuses heavily on safety, with Apple's vehicle protocols outlined in a white paper released by Apple. vehicle that's deploye is put through "rigorous verification testing" using simulation and closed-course proving grounds, and the test drivers operating the vehicles must complete multiple training courses. Apple also has safety protocols in place that require the driver to take over whenever necessary, and for the car to give control to the driver when it encounters situations it's unable to deal with.
Apple no longer plans to release a vehicle.