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Although the Food Gallery at Frist Campus Center stays open late on Thursdays and Saturdays, selling the infamous pizza that has become a part of going out for so many students at the University, usually when we think of food in Princeton — a town filled with expensive restaurants and small specialty shops — pizza doesn’t come to mind.
Instead, students and tourists alike tend to associate the town with the arguable leader of affordable college eats: Hoagie Haven.
Sal Cicero, the new owner of Iano’s Rosticceria, plans to change that by kicking off a rebranding of the pizza place, which is located across the street from Nassau Hall. It all starts with a new name for the decades-old storefront — Princeton Pi.
“We want to be very creative and very different. When you think of Princeton, you don’t think of pizza,” Cicero explained. “I want to create a landmark just like Hoagie Haven, and the new name references that to tie into both the local community and the tourists.”
Cicero has already expanded the variety of pizza he serves in the shop by offering over 20 new kinds of pies with wider plans to introduce further menu changes, new merchandise and extra deals in the months following the name change.
Hoagie Haven co-owner Costa Maltabes and his brothers kept a simple formula intact for the already-popular sandwich shop when they acquired the restaurant about 10 years ago — keep the quality up, the portions big and the hoagies easily customizable.
The novelty hoagies piled high with fries, mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders that the shop is now famous for were born out of customer requests, according to Maltabes.
“You wouldn’t necessarily think of making these combinations up when you’re sober, but they are really good though,” Maltabes said. “We don’t just put up anything anybody comes up with. We definitely try it out and make sure it’s a tasty sandwich.”
However, besides establishing a social media presence through an active Twitter account and Facebook page, Maltabes has taken a no-frills business approach to accompany the throwback simplicity of his shop. The approach focuses on the food and relies upon the luxury of the strong community reputation which the shop has fostered over its years of business.
Cicero plans to use more dynamic strategies to appeal to local residents and University students alike in an attempt to foster an identity within the community for the newly minted Princeton Pi that he feels Iano’s currently lacks.
To build that sense of community with the University, he has already begun the process of collaborating with students from the math department to create a tough equation as a challenge for customers each month. Whoever solves the puzzle first will receive one of the new shirts branded with the pizzeria’s new name and logo that Cicero has designed.
The shop will also sponsor an eating contest similar to Cheeburger Cheeburger’s "pounder challenge" in the coming year, according to Cicero. Finish a whole specialty pie, win a shirt and verifiable bragging rights complete with your picture on the wall of the store.
Besides the new policies focused on fostering more active community participation in the restaurant, two of the biggest changes to the pizza place will come in terms of the menu. Early next year, Cicero plans to introduce a breakfast menu at more affordable prices than he has been able to find around the town.
However, the addition of a discounted late-night menu may be the most important tweak in transforming Princeton Pi into a true rival of other after-hours stops.
“In Princeton after 10 [p.m.], you have two choices: Wawa and Hoagie Haven,” Cicero explained. “But neither of those are close or convenient for kids on campus. Do you really want to walk that far for a snack?”
Cicero intends to fill that void for students farther up-campus by extending his hours until 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with the introduction of six new specialty hoagies similar in style to those offered by Hoagie Haven.
He hopes to draw the late-night student crowd — a crowd which makes up about 20 percent of Hoagie Haven’s business, according to Maltabes.
In spite of all of the coming changes, Cicero insists that at its heart Princeton Pi will try to keep its identity as a pizzeria.
“I wanted to bring good pizza to Princeton,” Cicero said. “Our goal is to be known as the best pizza in town.”


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Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific is building on its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of a new distribution centre in Coyol Free Zone, Alajuela. The facility based in a business park for medical device manufacturing companies, half an hour drive north of the country's capital.
The 15,000 sqft building will be used to stock laboratory supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for cleanroom applications.
This is the third expansion for Thermo Fisher in Costa Rica in the last seven years, increasing capacity by 52%.
In The Costa Rica Star, it was reported that the Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade, Dyalá Jiménez, said: “Our country is LATAM’s second main medical devices exporter and is among US’ major suppliers. Today, we see how a company from this sector grows with us. The opening of Thermo Fisher’s Distribution Center reflects our hard work to attract high-quality companies of a highly dynamic sector, that creates solid business, competitiveness, innovation and certainly, high value-added.”
The facility will also be used for the storage of chemicals and hazardous materials and is in the process of acquiring ISO-9001-2015 certification.

domain: news


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"If there are issues on competitiveness, I recuse myself."
And those issues are definitely there, given that Google has the Chrome and Android OS, while Apple offers Safari – he also leaves the boardroom when talk turns to the iPhone.
"From my perspective I don’t think Google sees Apple as a primary competitor," he told journalists prior to addressing Google shareholders, according to the BBC. Google’s legal counsel, Kent Walker, noted:
"The law is clear that there is a safe harbor under the Clayton Act for companies that don’t have overlapping revenue in different areas, and we’re comfortable with that position."
At the shareholder meeting, Schmidt said that in spite of the economic downturn, Google is investing in innovation, particularly in search, its core business.
"Information is what we do. Doing it right and doing the world’s perfect search engine remains very, very difficult."
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text: Engadget - Another Mobile World Congress has come and gone. While we weren't treated to a mountain of device launches, as seen in previous years, we definitely all came away with some favorites. LG outed a few handsets, HTC's One made its first public appearance and Firefox OS made a grand entrance with additions to the new platform from a few different handset makers. And, on the wireless side, we were treated to what has to have been the biggest NFC love fest we've ever witnessed. Follow on past the break to check out some of our favorites from this year's MWC, then weigh in and let us know what you think about the show.


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New postpartum recovery ad is poignant and real — and major network refused to air it
It’s not until a woman gives birth that she typically learns about the unseen world of postpartum peri bottles, frozen menstrual pads and mesh underwear. Though birth recovery is a major feat that often involves stitches and weeks of bleeding, it’s not something many people talk about, and it’s certainly not something we’re used to seeing on TV. Frida Mom, a brand that makes postpartum products for women, recently tried to change that with a moving ad that shows the reality of a mom’s first days after birth. Instead, the ad was rejected by a major network, and now frustrated moms are demanding a change.
The Frida Mom ad opens with a woman waking up to her newborn’s cries. She carefully climbs out of bed with her still-swollen tummy on full display, and waddles to the bathroom in her mesh underwear. She cleans herself with a small squirt bottle as she sits on the toilet and sucks in a sharp breath like she’s in pain. The ad is breathtaking in its raw portrayal of a typical mom’s postpartum routine.
Frida Mom says that their ad was “rejected by ABC & the Oscars from airing during this year’s award show” on February 9, 2020. And according to HuffPost, the commercial was rejected for being “too graphic with partial nudity and product demonstration.”
The brand posted the ad on YouTube instead with a message explaining why they disagree with the network’s rejection. “It’s just a new mom, home with her baby and her new body for the first time. Yet it was rejected,” the message reads. “And we wonder why new moms feel unprepared.”
Since the ad was shared on YouTube, it’s been viewed over 1.8 million times and sparked a major backlash against ABC. “‘Nudity’ is not a woman in her underwear,” one commenter writes. “We need to stop glamorizing pregnancy and childbirth and show the realities that having children is not all sunshine and rainbows.”
Even celebrities have spoken out. Actress Busy Philipps shared the ad on her Instagram account, along with a caption that takes media companies to task for upholding a double standard in advertising. “You probably don't even flinch when an Erectile Dysfunction ad comes on but this ad is rejected,” she writes. “I think this is an incredible piece of advertising that accurately represents something millions of women know intimately. And I'm so f**king sick of living in a society where the act of simply being a woman is rejected by the gatekeepers of media.”
Advertising aimed at women is often held to absurd standards of propriety. Until 2017, ads for menstrual products notoriously featured blue liquid in product demonstrations, as red liquid has typically been considered taboo. In 2010, the tampon brand Kotex was told by three broadcast networks that they couldn’t use the word “vagina” in a menstrual product ad. Social media advertising comes with double standards, too. Last year, Facebook was called out for blocking ads about lubricants for women going through menopause but not ads selling erectile dysfunction medications for men.
Despite the pushback from social media platforms and broadcast networks, people really do want more honesty and accuracy in advertising and media. When Care.com asked real moms for their takes on the Frida Mom postpartum ad, they overwhelmingly said they think it’s important, and they want to see more commercials like it.
“We definitely need more ads like this out there,” says Becky Jochim, an Omaha, Nebraska, mom of one. “It’s real life. It’s raw. It’s powerful, and it lets us moms know we’re not alone.”
Angela Bailey, an Ohio mom of two, tells Care.com, “This brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea postpartum was like this until I was experiencing it. Every piece of media I've seen up to this has depicted postpartum as just losing sleep and feeling exhausted, always making it somewhat comical. This shows the truth.”
No two birth stories are alike, but every woman who gives birth goes through a recovery period. Every woman has postpartum bleeding, has to wait for her uterus to shrink back to its normal size and has to deal with discomfort while her postpartum body heals. The Frida Mom ad doesn’t depict something inappropriate; it depicts a nearly universal reality for postpartum women. Maybe it wouldn’t seem so “graphic” if people and brands were actually allowed to talk about it.


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Thinking outside the box seems to be Filipino fashion designer Jude Macasinag’s forte.
From gowns and barongs embellished with five-centavo coins to modified bayong with pearls, Jude’s intricate—if not out of this world—designs continue to impress celebrities and global fashion news portals alike.
The latest addition to his list is Vanity Fair France. On Wednesday, June 22, Macasinag announced in a Facebook post that his work was featured on the international magazine's website.
Quoting the article translated into English, his caption read, “Fashion is no longer a matter of shop: it is lived both in the workshop and in a gallery-style space, is adorned with quilted effects that accentuate the couture dimension, a sophistication also highlighted by the return of the fetish accessory of feminine elegance: the glove.” It added that this is the credo of the Klein blue look (glitter on skin) created by Macasinag.
The Pinoy fashion design scholar shared a closer look at his work in an Instagram post on June 4. Macasinag said that it was part of his collection titled Manifesto, which was showcased during their class' graduation show.
In a separate Facebook post, Masinag said that the show's front row seats featured key personalities in the French fashion industry, including Brigitte Macron (First Lady of France), Bruno Pavlovsky (CEO of Chanel), Sidney Toledano (CEO of LVMH), and French fashion designer Isabel Marant.
More than his acclaimed works as a fashion student at Institut Français de la Mode, the France-based Filipino designer has also dressed Nadine Lustre, Alaiza Malinao, Pia Wurtzbach, and Iza Calzado in the pivotal moments of these women’s respective careers.
In her Wildest Dreams visual album, Nadine wore Macasinag’s “Figure 1.6” gold-embellished dress, which was part of the latter’s Suvarnadvipa series from 2018. According to Macasinag, the dress acts as a retelling of the pages of the Boxer Codex (a late sixteenth century Spanish manuscript), which depicts the “sense of spirituality in self, nature, and heavenly beings” of pre-colonial Filipinos.
Former Miss Universe Philippines finalist Alaiza Malinao wore Macasinag’s Kinnari liquid gold dress during the competition's preliminary round. The dress was made from aluminum material with tiny metal plates “meticulously linked and unlinked one by one” at the exact measurement of Alaiza’s figure. It took more than 500 hours of pure handwork.
For Macasinag, the dress was an ode to the Kinnari vessel unearthed in Mindanao which “personifies the feminine ideals of beauty, grace, and accomplishment.”
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurzbach shone brightly while sporting the glitzy Sunburst Barong for the cover story of a local fashion magazine in 2020. The masterpiece was also worn by Macasinag during his high school graduation at Philippine High School for the Arts in Mt. Makiling, Laguna.
In an Instagram post in 2018, Jude greeted actress Iza Calzado with a happy birthday along with a throwback picture of the actress wearing his pearl-encrusted, Barong-inspired jacket and asymmetrical pleated skirt for the Ani Ng Dangal awards that year. Macasinag said that Iza was one of the women who made him feel worthy of being believed in.
Macasinag moved to Paris to study at the Institut Français de la Mode in late 2019. He was 19 years old at that time and has since been exhibiting his works in museums and fairs in the Philippines and abroad. He is now set to take Masters of Fine Arts in Fashion Design in the same school.


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China has drafted sweeping regulations targeting online travel agencies and platforms based in the country after a deadly boating accident involving Chinese tourists in Thailand fueled claims of lax oversight, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The regulation by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism would mandate that online travel providers improve rescue and emergency plans, better vet and manage their on-ground service providers, purchase liability insurance, and protect clients’ personal information, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal policy deliberations.
It would represent Beijing’s first concerted attempt to monitor online tourism outfits, which have proliferated as Chinese tourists fan out across the globe.
The ministry did not immediately reply to a faxed request for comment on Friday.
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Activision raises guidance on PS3 hopes
Following a gangbusters holiday, publisher raises revenue predictions by $30M after reexamining the console's European launch; PS2 Downhill Jam, DS and Wii Guitar Hero announced.
Two weeks after Activision first issued a preliminary earnings report announcing it had a record holiday season, it has increased guidance for the current quarter. On January 25, Activision predicted it would take in $170 million in revenue during the January to March 2007 quarter, the fourth in its 2007 fiscal year. Today, the company increased that number to $200 million.
Speaking to analysts in a conference call, Activision CFO Thomas Tippl said that "better visibility regarding the allocation of PlayStation 3 hardware" was the main reason for the revision. Later, Tippl expanded on that statement, saying Activision had received "more specific information...from Sony on how their units are going to break out" for the console's March 2007 launch in Europe. "We have reflected that in our updated guidance," he said.
But while $200 million is a solid figure for a traditionally slow time, it was just a fraction of Activision's record-setting haul during the October to December 2006 quarter. By the company's estimates, it racked up $822.8 million between October 1 and December 31, 2006, besting the $816.2 million in revenue during the same quarter in 2005. It expects quarterly net income--that is, profit--to rise some 84 percent year on year, going from $67.9 million to $124.8 million. The figures remain preliminary pending an investigation into Activision's stock-option-grant practices.
In a conference call with analysts, Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith showered praise on his company's bread-and-butter franchises, Call of Duty and Tony Hawk. According to NPD, Call of Duty 3 racked up more than $85.8 million in US sales from its release in November until the end of the year. Activision said it also took in more than $10 million from international sales of Call of Duty 2 map packs on Xbox Live Marketplace during the quarter.
US 2006 sales of Tony Hawk's Project 8 exceeded $43.9 million, while Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam eked out just over $9 million. Despite the latter's lackluster numbers, Activision also announced it was porting the game to the PlayStation 2 during the April to June 2007 quarter.
Above all, though, Griffith singled out Guitar Hero II for particular praise. Despite only being released on one platform--the PS2--the game headbanged out more than $93.6 million in the US alone in 2006, according to NPD. Griffith credited the game's success to an extensive publicity campaign, which includes some 7,500 demo kiosks, and better-than-expected sales of the PS2.
"The PS2's success certainly benefited Guitar Hero and, you know, some would say Guitar Hero maybe benefited the PlayStation 2 platform as well," he said. Griffith also said he expects the PS2 to have surprising longevity. "If you look back at the PSone, when they got down to that $79 price point that year they sold 2.5 million units and there's a long way to go still on the PS2's price point."
Griffith also gave his company's predictions on how the 2007 console race will shape up. Activision's current estimates peg the Xbox 360 as selling 5 million units in North American during the calendar year. The publisher has the Wii, PS2, and PS3 tied at 4 million apiece. The company also said it expects "10 million handhelds" to be bought on the continent during the next 12 months, though no platform was specified. Activision also expects the $59 price carried by most third-party PS3 and 360 games to hold, as will the $49 sticker slapped on Wii games.
For the company's 2008 fiscal year, which begins on April 1, Griffith said Activision will have 60 individual products, or SKUs, which would "aggressively target the Nintendo platforms." He said the company "will be focusing on our most successful franchises--Call of Duty, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero," though he stopped short of announcing specific new titles. Griffith did, however, say that Guitar Hero titles are coming to the Wii and DS.
The first quarter of Activision's FY2008 has 360 Guitar Hero II and Call of Duty: Roads of Victory scheduled to ship. It is also the tentative launch window of the long-in-the-making PC shooter Quake Wars: Enemy Territory. Finally, the quarter will see the release of a wide spread of cross-platform games based on three films: Spider-Man 3, Transformers, and Shrek the Third.
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Are Apple’s China Fortunes Fading?
Is Apple paying the price for a series of missteps in China? Backchannel’s Jeremy Hsu seems to think placing blame on regulators in China is a little overblown. The writer spells out some reasons why Apple is seeing its fortunes slip in China, among them being late to the market with services like Apple Music and Apple Pay that face better, and cheaper, homegrown competitors.
UK Newspaper Circulation Dips in March
Aggregate print circulation figures for the UK’s national daily newspapers dipped incrementally (0.1%) in March vs. February, but were down 4.4% compared with a year earlier, according to ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) – UK data cited by MediaTel. Among the dozen titles tracked, only “quality” daily The Times and free tabloid Metro saw circulation increases vs. March 2016, up 4.8% and 9.9% respectively. Daily Mirror and the Daily Record lost the most readers from a year earlier—nearly 12% each.
China Mobile Hits 500 Million 4G Subscribers
China’s shift from slower mobile service networks to 4G LTE has happened swiftly. Counterpoint Technology Market Research reports that telecom China Mobile hit 500 million 4G LTE subscribers at the end of 2016, taking just 27 months to achieve the feat. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), almost 520 million 4G LTE-enabled smartphones shipped in China in 2016.
Digital Privacy Is on the Minds of Consumers Worldwide
In a new survey from research provider Ipsos and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), an independent, nonpartisan think tank on international governance, 57% of consumers worldwide expressed more concern about their digital privacy in 2016 compared with the previous year. However, the level of concern has dropped slightly since 2014, when roughly 65% of respondents were concerned about their confidentiality on the internet. Alarmingly though, about the same number believed their own government to be a contributing source of concern regarding their digital privacy.
Ant Financial Enters Bike-Sharing Fray
Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial joined the ranks of investors in China’s bike-sharing service Ofo, according to a statement released by Ofo online over the weekend. Ofo did not disclose the size of Ant Financial’s investment, but the two companies are expected to collaborate on managing Ofo’s payments and on expansion overseas. The bike-sharing sector in China has drawn a great deal of attention, and investment, recently.
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In advance of Small Business Saturday, which takes place on November 30, and the holiday shopping season, Pinterest has launched Pinterest Shop, which is a new dashboard curated by Pinterest that showcases the profiles and products of small businesses in an Etsy-style fashion.
Currently, the Pinterest Shop has 17 different small businesses that make and sell unique goods and have uploaded their product catalogs to Pinterest. The products are automatically turned into Product Pins. According to Pinterest, it will continue to update the Pinterest Shop with products from businesses.
It seems like social platforms are trying to get on the bandwagon to launch shopping experiences based on audience interests in unique products and curated collections.
Platforms like the Pinterest Shop, Etsy, Instagram and Amazon are gibing SMBs opportunities to be found on their platform.
Pinterest’s visual platform acts as a discovery engine for users to generate ideas, which translates easily to users who view a pin and decide to make a purchase. Users can browse a selection of curated products from small businesses within the same environment they are familiar with. This ability to show case a profile and connect with a business’s audiences in a personal and familiar way can help drive sales for the holiday rush.


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businesswire | August 03, 2023
Tachyum® today announced that it has completed porting of all the software necessary for chip validation on the Prodigy FPGA prototype before it is sent for tape out with the successful running of the Xen hypervisor on a QEMU software emulator.
Xen is a type-1 hypervisor providing services that allow multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical host system, sharing resources such as memory, processing and devices. Its bare metal capabilities allow the Xen hypervisor to communicate directly from the host’s hardware, acting like a lightweight operating system. It supports four types of virtualization: paravirtualization, full hardware virtualization, full virtualization with a set of paravirtualization drivers, and paravirtualization with hardware virtualization support.
Tachyum demonstrated its support of XEN running in three different modes:
Standard “dom0” mode – the most privileged domain and the only virtual machine that has direct access to hardware by default. From dom0, the hypervisor can be managed and unprivileged domains (domU) can be launched.
Hyperlaunch – enabled seamless transition for existing systems that require a dom0. Provides a new general capability to build and launch alternative configurations of VMs, including support for static partitioning and accelerated start of VMs during host boot while adhering to the principles of least privileged.
Dom0less – a set of Xen features that enable the deployment of a Xen system without a control domain (dom0). It is a hyperlaunch-like configuration with static partitioning without using dom0. This means that there are no virtual devices and hardware resources are statically assigned to a specific virtual machine using the passthrough method.
“In order to assure that Prodigy truly becomes the means for transforming data centers into Universal Computing Centers, we need to ensure that it can properly handle any number of components, software and technology available now or in the future,” said Dr. Radoslav Danilak, founder and CEO of Tachyum. “By successfully running Xen in our Prodigy software emulator, we can confidently assure organizations that they will reap the full benefits of Prodigy when it becomes commercially available. I’m proud of the work of our highly skilled software team as they continue to complete the final components needed before tape out.”
Prodigy delivers unprecedented data center performance, power, and economics, reducing CAPEX and OPEX significantly. Because of its utility for both high-performance and line-of-business applications, Prodigy-powered data center servers can seamlessly and dynamically switch between workloads, eliminating the need for expensive dedicated AI hardware and dramatically increasing server utilization. Tachyum's Prodigy delivers performance up to 4x that of the highest performing x86 processors (for cloud workloads) and up to 3x that of the highest performing GPU for HPC and 6x for AI applications.
Tachyum is transforming the economics of AI, HPC, public and private cloud workloads with Prodigy, the world’s first Universal Processor. Prodigy unifies the functionality of a CPU, a GPGPU, and a TPU in a single processor that delivers industry-leading performance, cost, and power efficiency for both specialty and general-purpose computing. When hyperscale data centers are provisioned with Prodigy, all AI, HPC, and general-purpose applications can run on the same infrastructure, saving companies billions of dollars in hardware, footprint, and operational expenses. As global data center emissions contribute to a changing climate, and consume more than four percent of the world’s electricity—projected to be 10 percent by 2030—the ultra-low power Prodigy Universal Processor is a potential breakthrough for satisfying the world’s appetite for computing at a lower environmental cost. Prodigy, now in its final stages of testing and integration before volume manufacturing, is being adopted in prototype form by a rapidly growing customer base, and robust purchase orders signal a likely IPO in late 2024. Tachyum has offices in the United States and Slovakia.
Virtual Desktop Strategies, Virtual Server Infrastructure
Businesswire | July 07, 2023
Denodo, a leader in data management, and Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, are excited to announce Denodo as a Technology Partner of Alibaba Cloud to deliver the Denodo Platform on the Alibaba Cloud global Marketplace. This partnership enables businesses to leverage the power of data virtualization for logical data integration and management, and real-time analytics in a hybrid cloud environment.
The Denodo Platform, renowned for its logical data integration and management capabilities, offers multiple subscription options on Alibaba Cloud tailored to meet the budgetary needs and functional requirements of medium and large businesses enabling them to start small with departmental projects for faster decision-making and scale to enterprise level as the business needs evolve for simplified data integration and management.
“Denodo’s partnership with Alibaba Cloud allows enterprises to use a logical approach to rapidly access and deliver data siloed across multiple sources in any multi or hybrid cloud environments,” said Selina Yuan, Vice President of Alibaba Group and President of International Business for Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “By leveraging data virtualization technology, a fast-growing data integration approach for modern data and analytics, Alibaba Cloud customers can accelerate the time to decisions and at the same time simplify data management and integration processes.”
The Denodo Platform for Alibaba Cloud offers a unified web-based user interface with single-sign-on, an AI-powered data catalogue, ML-enhanced smart query optimization, Apache Zeppelin-based Denodo Notebook, and numerous other cutting-edge features. It brings the same full-featured capabilities as the award-winning Denodo Platform deployed in on-premises environments to the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem. With Denodo Platform for Alibaba Cloud, organizations can easily build their logical data fabric or logical data mesh architecture for enterprise wide data democratization.
“Many of Alibaba Cloud customers have global footprint and their data and analytics efforts depend on creating a real-time view of all of their data, in multi or hybrid cloud environments,” said Angel Viña, CEO and Founder of Denodo. “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering innovative solutions and empowering businesses with the tools and technologies they need to succeed in the digital era where data remains distributed across regional and cloud boundaries.”
Denodo and Alibaba Cloud’s product teams are working closely together to introduce new capabilities, including a free trial on the Marketplace. Both companies are also collaborating on various go-to-market efforts, such as co-selling initiatives in local markets.
“With native support for Alibaba Cloud Storage Services and MaxCompute coming soon and the ability to integrate data across ApsaraDB for Oceanbase, PolarDB, and AnalyticDB, the Denodo Platform enables superior analytics capabilities in the Alibaba Cloud,” added Viña. “Looking ahead, Denodo and Alibaba Cloud have ambitious plans for our partnership and the value it will bring to our joint customers.”
Alibaba Cloud and Denodo are united in their commitment to empowering enterprises to thrive in the digital age through data-driven insights and seamless integration. This partnership marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards unlocking the full potential of data virtualization in the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem.
The Denodo Platform for Alibaba Cloud will be featured in its full glory at Denodo’s annual user conference – DataFest – in Singapore on July 13, in which Yuan will address the Denodo customers in a keynote presentation about the product offering along with Denodo’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Alberto Pan.
Denodo is a leader in data management. The award-winning Denodo Platform is the leading data integration, management, and delivery platform using a logical approach to enable self-service BI, data science, hybrid/multi-cloud data integration, and enterprise data services. Realizing more than 400% ROI and millions of dollars in benefits, Denodo’s customers across large enterprises and mid-market companies in 30+ industries have received payback in less than 6 months.
About Alibaba Cloud
Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com) is the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. It offers a complete suite of cloud services to customers worldwide, including elastic computing, database, storage, network virtualization services, large-scale computing, security, management and application services, big data analytics, a machine learning platform and IoT services. Alibaba maintained its position as the third leading public cloud IaaS service provider globally since 2018, according to IDC. Alibaba is the world’s third leading and Asia Pacific’s leading IaaS provider by revenue in U.S. dollars since 2018, according to Gartner.
Server Hypervisors, Backup and Disaster Recovery
businesswire | July 25, 2023
Zyxel Communication, an industry-leading provider of secure broadband networking, Internet access and connected home products, will supply the WiFi 6E hardware needed to power Windstream’s 8 gig expansion this month, marking a major milestone in both companies’ dual efforts to expand fiber access across the U.S.
As part of its high-speed fiber business, Kinetic by Windstream has enabled 8 gig service to more than 400,000 homes in its predominately rural 18-state service area, giving it a bigger 8 gig footprint than any other carrier within its 18-state service area. Zyxel will assist the fiber optic deployment by providing its EX7710 multi-gigabit ethernet gateway, as well as its WX5610 wireless extender, to customers upgrading to 8G service – allowing for lightning-fast connectivity throughout their home, even when multiple devices are in use.
“Getting 100% fiber optic connections to more homes, especially in underserved communities, is a huge step toward keeping our customers on the cutting edge of Internet accessibility. But with more devices than ever connecting to the network, building a fiber infrastructure is only half the battle,” said Clay Fisher, chief marketing officer at Kinetic. “Zyxel has been an outstanding partner in our efforts to expand broadband, and their hardware will help ensure our customers can experience the full benefits of fiber.”
Zyxel’s WiFi 6E router, EX7710 supports tri-band wireless, adding the new 6GHz bands to deliver faster, more reliable internet access throughout the home and office. Featuring both 10GbE WAN and 10GbE LAN to ensure 10 Gbps line rate data transfers, delivering unmatched connectivity. Experience lightning-fast WiFi speeds of up to 4.8 Gbps on both the 6GHz and 5GHz bands, providing unparalleled connectivity for all your devices, while ensuring smooth, low-latency connections even when multiple users are online.
“Fiber is the future. That’s why it’s been great to see multiple countries dedicate resources to ensure all their residents, whether in the city or the country, have equal access to high-speed Internet,” said Brian Feng, Senior VP of Zyxel Communications. “In the US, we appreciate Windstream’s dedication to ensuring rural areas aren’t left out of the WiFi revolution, and we’re thrilled to be able to play a part in their expansion.”
About Zyxel Communications
Zyxel Communications delivers technological innovations and has connected the world to the internet for more than 30 years. Whether establishing access through fixed or mobile broadband solutions, Zyxel Communications offers a comprehensive and flexible portfolio of products that’s keeping service providers ahead of the competition.


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Bestpass, a company that provides nationwide toll management to commercial fleets, recently surpassed $100 million in toll-related savings for its customers, which range in size from independent owner-operators to mega-fleets with thousands of vehicles on the road.
Bestpass saves its customers money on toll by in several ways, including:
- Simplifying back-office activity, saving administrative time and associated cost
- Obtaining the highest possible volume discounts on behalf of customers who would not otherwise be eligible
- Identifying and correcting misreads and streamlining violation processing
“We’re in business to simplify toll for our customers,” said John Andrews, president and CEO of Bestpass. “Achieving this new milestone of $100 million in savings is a testament to the value that Bestpass provides to the thousands of fleets and drivers that rely on us every day to manage their toll."


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With cars in short supply – and more expensive than ever – drivers are keeping their vehicles longer than ever, with the average passenger car on the road for over 13 years in 2022. That means more maintenance – and for the dealers who sold those vehicles to drivers, it could mean lots of new business for their repair and maintenance departments. Indeed, surveys show that 55% of car owners would prefer to have dealers service their vehicles; after all, no one knows the vehicle better than the people who manufactured and sold it, many drivers believe.
Despite that, many consumers seek out cheaper non-dealer service options, often out of concern that dealer services will cost too much, that any existing service agreement will expire without them realizing it, or that their service agreements (if they even purchased one) won't cover the service or repairs they need. Instead of losing out on these customers, dealer repair shops can implement advanced technologies – using artificial intelligence, data analysis, and computer vision technologies – to provide customers with a precise estimate of how much a repair is going to cost, and present them with the most cost-effective options for carrying out that repair.
In most cases today, in order to capture more business for their service departments, dealers – of both new and used vehicles – will offer customers extended warranty vehicle service contracts, which feature discounted or even free service for an array of vehicle repairs and service. Although it sounds like a good deal – enabling customers to get better-quality services at discounted prices – many consumers just don't trust these agreements, which often contain small print loopholes' that exclude coverage for common repairs or service procedures. Experts recommend doing extensive research before buying one of these agreements – while others simply recommend skipping them altogether.
For many drivers, the risks associated with these agreements (which often have to be paid for in advance) just aren't worth it – and they would rather take their chances with third-party service centers. But even less-expensive non-OEM parts and service – subject to the same inflationary pressures as OEM parts – are increasing in price. For many, that means either repairing their vehicle themselves (if they have the skills) – or eschewing a repair and hoping for the best. According to US government statistics, 39% of Americans would have to go into debt in order to cover an unexpected expense (like a vehicle repair) of as little as $400, while that percentage would rise to 59% if the expense was $1000 or more.
Those grim statistics represent an opportunity for dealers to attract customers seeking lower-cost and higher-quality services and repair. Implementing new tech solutions will help capture this opportunity. AI-based analysis systems can enable dealer shops to acquire in-depth data about the vehicles customers bring in for service, enabling them to begin to build detailed profiles on those vehicles. Using that data, repair staff can focus on detecting potential problems before they occur. Instead of having to do expensive and time consuming exploratory work in order to determine the problem, shops can deploy accurate, AI-based machine learning systems which can deliver in-depth data on the issues and provide indications of exactly what needs to be done.
AI systems can also save consumers money on parts. Data garnered from built-in and externally operated sensors – which can gather thousands of data points on the condition of a vehicle, how the car was driven, whether it was involved in accidents that could impact a repair process, and much more – along with high-resolution cameras that produce images that can be analyzed utilizing computer vision technology, enable repair shops to build a profile on all of a vehicle's parts, along with indications on when parts need to be replaced. For example, often, a major engine problem has its roots in a filter that the shop neglected to change, or a leak that went undetected. By keeping a constantly-updating profile on vehicles dealers can rely on this system to predict when a part needs to be replaced or what other preventive maintenance needs to be undertaken. Repair personnel will have a much better idea of what needs to be done, and how, enabling customers to avoid major repair costs down the line.
Dealer shops are also in a much better position to utilize AI systems than their competition. With in-depth information about the vehicles they sell – courtesy of the manufacturers who provide them with those vehicles – dealers have access to better and more in-depth data about vehicles than non-dealer repair shops. With that data included in the AI-equipped analysis system, dealers will be able to provide far more accurate information to customers on what needs to be done, in a much more efficient – and less expensive – manner.
Dealer services are almost always going to be more expensive than those provided by third-party shops – but AI-based repair analysis can be an important tool in reducing costs and hassles for customers. With systems like these in place, dealers will be able to retain far more business than they would have been able to with standard service agreements. And with the reputation for good, fair, and effective service that AI will help them achieve, dealers will be able to bring in more customers to their showrooms, too.


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|Jennifer Heuett gazes out at Crater Lake
From journalist Nellie Bly’s 1890 trip around the world in 72 days to Cheryl Strayed’s 1,100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995, women have been destroying the stigma of female solo travel for more than 100 years.
Although there’s always some risk to traveling (as there is to getting in your car to drive to the airport), the idea that women shouldn’t travel alone is just plain antiquated.
Another solo traveler, Jennifer Heuett, recently created Travel + Trust & Wanderlust, a website dedicated to helping women who want to travel solo.
Heuett has been traveling on and off for the past 12 years. She embarked on her first solo trip four years ago, when she moved to New Zealand and ended up staying for three years. Heuett was inspired to create the website in April, when her grandmother broke her tailbone and Heuett drove alone to her hometown of Boise, Idaho.
“There’s women out there that would never road trip by themselves, that would never go six hours by themselves, and I’m not okay with that,” she says. “I want to break these stereotypes; I want to break these barriers that women traveling solo is dangerous.”
The website went live only a month ago, but already Heuett has received positive feedback. She kicked off the site with a social movement planned for Oct. 3 — the Day of Trust, where women pledge on the website to go out and do something new by themselves, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.
“It’s about expanding your mind, expanding your bubble and having a new experience by yourself,” Heuett says.
In addition to social media campaigns like the Day of Trust, the website will provide giveaways and guides for women to start planning their solo trips. Heuett will provide safety tips and hints about how to travel cheaply.
Travel + Trust also has Wanderlust Advocates, four women — including two from the University of Oregon — who will write about their travel experiences and help with the site’s social media.
UO student Bridget Coleman is one such advocate, and she says she would not feel fulfilled without travel in her life. “Traveling gives you perspective, and as a woman, it gives you power that you can use to take on anything that the world may present you.”
Heuett says, “My biggest goal is to make this a worldwide community where women can come here and feel empowered and inspired to travel solo and get that vital information they need to do so.”
She also believes that solo travel is important for women because they spend so much time caring about others.
“Women are huge multitaskers, regardless if they’re married or not or have kids,” Heuett says. “I feel like we take on a lot, and with traveling solo — you have that freedom; you gain confidence; you find little pieces of yourself that you never knew existed. You come out a better person.”
For more information, check out traveltrustwanderlust.com.


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Change is coming. No, I am not talking about new policies from our administration. Apple just announced their latest installment to the iPhone line- iPhone OS 3.0. This upgrade will provide new possibilities for developers and users alike. Some of the new features are to be expected (landscape SMS and Mail, Copy & Paste) but some will be downright delicious! Here’s a rundown of some of the new features and why you should be excited.
Some New Features:
In-App Purchasing: Allows businesses to sell additional content to the user after an app has been downloaded.
Why this is Important: This will open the doors to pay-as-you-go applications. One new possibility is a free ebook reader that allows you to buy books as you read them (think amazon kindle). Also iPhone game developers will now be able to sell additional levels for eager gamers. Who knows- we might even see some gambling applications.
Peer to Peer Connectivity: Adds multiplayer capabilities to your iPhone application using Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology is more than fast enough to make games run smoothly and you will not be required to go through the pairing process when you connect two iPhones together. One downside with using Bluetooth technology is that players will have to be in close proximity with each other in order to connect.
Why this is Important: Peer-to-Peer will allow you to play your favorite multiplayer games with your friends. Think of how cool Sonic will be with your best friend backing you up with Tails?! Or the insanity the would ensue with two Monkey Ball players bouncing around trying to get to the goal?!
Apple Push Notification Services: Oh I’m excited about this one. This will allow apps to notify you with new information, even when the app is not running. This is Apple’s response to background applications. Push notifications will preserve battery life and keep users up-to-date. Sounds like a win-win!
Why this is important: Every application out there could take advantage of this new technology. Instant message applications could notify you that there is a new message from a friend, News Applications could deliver the latest news story straight to your iPhone as it occurs, Trading applications could tell you when your stock hits a weekly high and offer to sell your position, Games could alert you that some new levels are available to download. The possibilities are endless- this is a big win for iPhone owners.
Accessories: Now welcoming all tricked out iPhone products! This feature will allow third-party hardware developers to create products to interact with the iPhone.
Why this is important: This is what I’m envisioning- little devices that plug into your iPhone connect that will turn your iPhone into a TV remote. Heck, this could turn your iPhone into an expensive light switch! It could plug right into your treadmill and show you workout stats while playing your favorite song. This feature will put your iPhone at the center of your geeky world.
This was just a sample of the new features available in the new update. Apple boasts that there will be over 1000 new APIs (application programming interfaces) developers will be able to take advantage of. The new update should be available in mid-June. Drooling yet?


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When you stream a movie off Netflix, you're in the cloud. Do you think you'll be watching more movies on a DVD, or will you watch them over the Internet with your smartphone, tablet, car dashboard, computer and TV over the next five years?
When you pull up the MarketWatch iPad app to get the latest headlines, you're in the cloud. Do you think you'll consuming more of your news in newspapers and magazines, or over apps in the next 10 years?
When you watch "30 Rock" on Hulu, you're in the cloud. Do you think you'll be watching more cynical sitcoms on your cable or satellite subscription at the turn of the decade than you do right now?
Not to mention Facebook, online gaming, and all the other cloud activities.
The Cloud is going to be one of the biggest growth industries in the history of business. And in our new book, "30 Stocks for the Cloud Revolution", we've identified the 30 companies best positioned to benefit from this huge new tech sector.
Anyway, the entire concept of the cloud as an industry has been around for more than a decade, but it's only now that the tectonic plates of technology are aligned for the Cloud Revolution to take off. As ubiquitous broadband becomes a reality, as the cost of data storage has continued to plummet for decades now and as processing powers in smartphones, tablets and car dashboards surpass what the best PCs could do just five years ago, we're all moving toward consuming, storing and accessing our information, entertainment and work in the cloud. Look at some of these numbers:
• Cloud stocks were up nearly 80% over the last 12 months compared with the broader markets being up about 6% – Lazard
• There are an estimated 1.8 billion Internet users worldwide … close to a 400% increase since 2000. – IWS
• More than 20 hours of YouTube videos are uploaded … every minute. – YouTube blog
• More than 200 billion emails are sent … every day. – Radacati Group
• In 2005, mankind created 150 exabytes, or 1 billion gigabytes, of data. This year it is estimated we will create 1,200 exabytes. – Economist
• "By 2020, a significant portion of the digital universe will be centrally hosted, managed or stored in public or private repositories that today we call 'cloud services.' Even if a byte in the digital universe does not 'live in the cloud' permanently, it will, all likelihood, pass through the cloud at some point in its life." — IDC
• Cloud-computing companies are growing 15% to 30%-plus for the last year, which is significantly higher than the broader IT-industry growth of the high single digits. - Lazard
• IBM says it is investing $6 billion in cloud computing over the next five years … up from about zero over the last five years. – IBM
• The cloud industry already has started exploding in growth and will become a $100 billion industry this year – BofA.
In many ways, the cloud is a more specific way to invest in the exploding app revolution, which is the fastest-growing industry in the history of the planet. All of us use our smartphones/tablets/dashboards/computers/smart TVs and so on to consume ever more content and to access our work easier, so the cloud is likely to balloon.
As everybody starts to realize just how big the potential of the cloud and just how many fortunes will be made selling into and servicing that cloud, that balloon will bubble. Invest in the Cloud Revolution stocks before the rest of the Street takes them to truly bubbled heights in coming months, quarters and years.


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2009 March 30
Fred Segal's New Kids
(NEW YORK) Ron Robinson is looking to get more designers in his RONROBINSON | Fred Segal store…literally. In April, Robinson is launching the L.A. Designer Series. Each month, the store will host an in-store designer event featuring a showing of his or her latest collection. The featured designer will also create exclusive, limited-edition one-offs for the boutique. "We created the L.A. Designer Series to showcase the tremendous talent that exists in the fashion and beauty industries in Los Angeles," said Robinson. "This is an opportunity for our customers to meet the designers and for the designers to have some creative freedom in presenting the product they have developed. We have allowed them to express themselves in the visual merchandising of the total store as well. It will be a fun and creative experience for all."
First up? The Columbian-cum-Angeleno designer Juan Carlos Obando, whose intricate craftsmanship has earned rave reviews and a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nomination. "Working with Ron Robinson is something I have wanted to do for a long time," said Obando. "Apothia and RONROBINSON | Fred Segal on Melrose is an L.A style landmark, so launching N.4 with them is a direct shot to the consumer I imagine embracing the brand." And J.C. Obando has more launches in store--not only will he debut a new hair care line entitled N. 4, but also a limited edition scarf, which is a preview to his first cruise collection set to debut in New York in June. Should you live near the Melrose institution, drop by the store to celebrate the partnership with an afternoon fête on April 4.
Want to stay chez Karl Lagerfeld? The designer has signed on to create a signature hotel in Macau, China which will welcome guests come 2017. Lagerfeld's major hospitality endeavor...
Phoebe Arnold, formerly fashion director at Ponystep, has been named senior editor at LOVE...David Perel, formerly president at Next Act Media, has been named editorial director at...
Big shuffles at Bauer Publishing: Dan Wakeford is out as EIC of In Touch and Life & Style, 12 years after joining the European mag company's stateside HQ. David Perel has been named...


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A massively widespread glitch had made its way into Steam, Valve’s video game market, as users found themselves in other people’s accounts when they tried logging into their systems.
In the most recent updates by the spokesperson from Valve, it was confirmed that Steam is back up without any inconsistencies. The spokesperson also confirmed that no unauthorized actions have been performed that needed the attention by Valve and no additional steps are required to be taken in order to safeguard the account information. They also mentioned that configurational changes produced a caching issue that allowed users access into randomly generated pages.
When the issue had crept up, widespread confusion ensued when on Christmas Day the gamers who logged in using their Steam account found themselves in other people’s accounts. In this event, users could view the gaming libraries and some other sensitive information, such as home address and credit card info, of complete strangers.
Initially, Valve remained silent on this issue and within hours of this glitch, the company had shut down the services to prevent any further damage from taking place. Twitter and other social media platform were quite ablaze with updates regarding the issue at hand, claiming that people were able to make purchases from the accounts that they didn’t own.
This breach has caused a major outburst in the gaming community as well. Gamers were advised to stay out of the Steam servers and not click any links that redirected them to it. The services were back on after a short while, but till the official statement was made by Valve, people were not allowed to retrieve data from their accounts.


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So, T-Mobile has to get creative to attract iPhone users, and that's where the "Bring your own iPhone" marketing comes in. The plan is outlined in a new blog post from T-Mobile wherein the company is going to actively support the iPhone. T-Mobile stores will have iPhone 4S demo units on hand, and staff will be trained to help customers. T-Mobile will also be developing iOS versions of its myAccount, Visual Voicemail and T-Mobile TV apps.
Then there is the monetary incentive. T-Mobile is making it sound like it is a special promotion, but it is really just the new unlimited value plan that was launched last week, which offers unlimited everything for $69 per month to users that bring their own phones. The marketing puts this at a savings of $50 per month over AT&T's plan that includes unlimited voice and text, and 5GB of data. Of course, it also means no 3G unless you're in a lucky area where the 1900MHz spectrum has been lit up for T-Mobile.
The last time we heard about this plan, it didn't have a launch date, but now it has officially been slated for September 12th, the same day as the new iPhone announcement. How's that for timing?


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Apple iPad Pro Could Debut Breathtaking iPhone-Beating Technology – Forbes
Next year, Apple will release an iPad model, likely an iPad Pro, with a next-generation processor that will beat anything any iPhone available at the time will match. That’s according to a report from Nikkei Asia which says that Apple is testing chip designs using a 3-nanometer (nm) production process from TSMC.
It’s claimed the new-generation processor will arrive in the second half of 2022 so, if Apple sticks to its regular timetable, the October 2022 release tablet would have the new chip. It’s very advanced, so an iPad Pro seems most likely, but an iPad Air is a possible alternative.
The width between transistors on a chip, expressed in nanometers, indicates how advanced the chip is. A 10nm chip is commonplace, 7nm is better and the current chips in the iPhone 12 are 5nm, which puts it at the front of the pack.
TSMC says that 3nm technology increases performance by between 10% and 15% compared to 5nm, while power consumption—arguably just as important, if not more so—is reduced by between 25% and 30%. This step-change in power would be enough to radically upgrade what the chip could do.
MORE FOR YOU
So, you might have expected the next step forward to debut in an iPhone, right? After all, a smartphone is much more alive to the importance of power consumption being reduced than a tablet, because an iPad’s battery is so much bigger.
But no, according to the report, the iPhones released in 2022 will use an in-between technology, that is, a 4nm chip. Faster than current chips or this Fall’s iPhone 13, but not a match for the 3nm processor.
This is big news. While it’s true that the 5nm A14 Bionic chip arrived in the iPad Air 4th generation last Fall before it took up residency in the iPhone 12 series phones, that’s only because the practicalities of manufacturing in a world riven by Covid-19 meant that the iPhone was delayed.
And the iPad Air only came a few weeks before the iPhone 12, so the chip was almost simultaneous in the two devices.
But if this report is correct, the 3nm chip would be released in an Apple tablet around a year before it hit the iPhone.
This year and last, Apple released iPad Pro updates in the Spring, while the iPad Air was updated in September 2020. An annual update to Apple’s tablets is not guaranteed, though not unheard of.
If the iPad Air is refreshed this Fall, then it could mean the 3nm chip would appear in an iPad Air in the same slot in 2022.
Much more likely, I suspect, is that Apple will adopt an 18-month cycle for its premium tablets this year and next, meaning that a new iPad Air will pop up next Spring, with the 3nm iPad Pro following in Fall 2022.
Perhaps the iPad-before-iPhone cadence is down to the fact that it may take time for the 3nm manufacturing process to ramp up. Popular though the iPad Pro is, the numbers are a fraction of those needed for an iPhone production run. Those extra months may be required to build up production of 3nm chips.


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Papalinos Pizza will have an expanded menu at a second location that is planned to open next month near Springhurst Towne Center.
Allan Rosenberg, owner of Papalinos, said the pizzeria will be located at 3598 Springhurst Blvd. in a 2,800-square-foot location that formerly housed a Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen store. That store previously moved to 3521 Springhurst Commons Drive.
Rosenberg added that customers should expect a different experience at his new restaurant compared to Papalinos' Baxter Avenue location, which opened in 2010.
“It’s going to be a completely different format,” Rosenberg said.
The restaurant will offer table service and will have a bar and expanded menu, including more salads and appetizers than the first store.
While he doesn’t expect to have the same amount of foot traffic he does at his Highlands location, he does expect a decent amount, particularly with the Cinemark Tinseltown USA movie theater nearby.
Rosenberg wouldn’t disclose his investment in the new location.
With the second location a few weeks away from opening, Rosenberg now is turning his attention to more expansion. He is in the process of scouting possible locations across the region in cities such as Lexington, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
“I don't know if expansion was part of the plan in 2010," he said. "I was just focused on the one store. It became the plan as we became more popular.”


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It is actually a summary video of the occasions that occurred in the 2018 game as well as spoile as a result the entire story as well as the crucial moments of the video game. It is actress Felicia Day (seen in Buffy versus
The vampires) which was hired to retrace the experience that led our two warriors on top of the mountains.
The entire is organized by drawings that have actually been stuck in a grimoire, in order to provide a specific atmosphere.
We will especially keep in mind from the existence of Mimir who will not hesitate to give us some interesting narratives and at the exact same time put some jokes also.
PlayStation hDivision fired about 90 employees of its departments of Sales and Marketing in its North American Division. According to Informa axios, Sony Interactive Entertainment hDivision proceeded to a mDivisionsive destitution of workers on the occDivisionion of a “global transformation” that aims to end the team merchandiser, responsible for being in contact with physical stores and other derived products.
What can be understood Division a movement that pushes Sony to concentrate efforts on digital markets – which represents more than 50% of software sales – with special emphDivisionis on PlayStation Direct, your online store pending Arriving in Spain, carries with it the cessation of almost a hundred business team workers. These employees were responsible for going to physical stores to close distribution agreements of their products and make sure that said retailers knew their products well.
According to the information, the already exempted did not know Sony’s plan until the moment they were notified of the dismissal.
PlayStation Direct, a strategic income source for Sony
Axios Holds in your report that those affected by the lack of communication and the scarce time margin between the decision and its corresponding notification. It wDivision in September 2019 when PlayStation gave the output pistol to PlayStation Direct in the United States, its own digital chain of sale and distribution of hardware and software products. Its main advantage is the absence of so many intermediaries: they themselves sell directly to the consumer, increDivisioning the profit margins.
“PlayStation Direct hDivision achieved significant income in the US market just over a year from starting to work,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment Director General, Jim Ryan, in May 2021. We speak of one forecDivisiont of more than 600 million dollars Billed for the fiscal year that we have just finished March 31, 2022. PlayStation Direct is also available in Germany and the United Kingdom; Coming soon in more countries in Europe.
Until December 31, Sony hDivision distributed more than 17.3 million PlayStation 5 units, its new generation console. Before the semiconductor materials crisis and the problems in the supply chain, Sony hDivision gone from a forecDivisiont of 22.6 million units sold from PS5 until March 31 to a prognosis of 19.3 million consoles since its premiere. Next May we will know if they have reached this goal.


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It is unusual to begin a new job — particularly a job at a news organization — by looking back. However, on my first day as TWICE’s new assistant editor, I was assigned the task of summing up 2005 for this issue. Unlike my colleagues, I have not had extensive experience in tracking the consumer electronics field over a long period of time. So my perspective of last year for this assignment will be one of the casual consumer.
Looking at TWICE’s 2005 back issues I couldn’t believe how many of the topics broached in these pages were subjects that I recall encountering while reading my daily newspaper. The constant presence of consumer electronics products and issues in the mainstream media, I believe, is a testament to how far this industry has come in the past 20 years in its quest to become a part of everyday life.
The industry has been affected significantly by all of the major events that take place. For example, one of the biggest ongoing news topics of 2005 was Hurricane Katrina, a catastrophe, that along with everything else, wreaked havoc on retailers and suppliers in that region.
Indeed, 2005 saw a lot of ups and downs depending on what part of the consumer electronics industry you represent. Among the ‘ups’ were record-breaking attendance numbers at January’s International CES, testament to the sheer growth of an industry taking the world by storm.
Speaking of taking the world by storm, if the constant stream of telltale white headphones dangling from the ears of subway riders and city side-walkers is any indication, it is probably safe to say 2005 could be considered the point on the timeline where our society officially entered the “Age of the iPod” in mass numbers.
Apple’s sales skyrocketed well beyond expectations quarter after quarter last year, largely due to iPod sales. The company appeared to make a concentrated effort to disband its traditional image as an exclusivity-based brand by concentrating on expanding its successful iPod line so its numerous versions might potentially appeal to a wider variety of customers. As a result, 2005 saw the launch of the relatively low-priced iPod Shuffle (suggested retail of $99), as well as the reconfiguration of the portable media player mold with the introduction of the video-capable iPod which featured screens for viewing digital media. Convergence was also the name of the game when the company teamed up with Motorola to launch the first cellular phone with MP3 capabilities.
On the retail end, hundreds of CE dealers in the Gulf States were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many were forced to deal with a variety of problems in the aftermath of the storm including flooding, looting and poor communications. Our managing editor John Laposky reported that a study by TWICE research partner The Stevenson Company found the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina had the potential to cost CE and majap retailers about $300 million in lost fourth-quarter sales.
In January, Ultimate Electronics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a deal that gave Mark Wattles, founder/CEO of Hollywood Entertainment, control of the chain. In April, the company failed to meet a final deadline to work out a plan to pay back debts and fund a way out of bankruptcy so the chain was forced to put its assets on the auction block after announcing the impending close of at least half of its stores.
Two other household names moved towards a merger in 2005 as well. Starting in the fall, Whirlpool began to show interest in buying its rival majap manufacturer, Maytag, although the deal would not be finalized until early 2006.
On the subject of household names, TWICE did a bit of brand expansion itself in 2005 with a new sister publication: TWICE China. Launched in April, TWICE reported that the Beijing-published Chinese edition was “developed in response to China’s rise as one of the key players in the international consumer electronics industry.”
In Washington, Congress agreed on a 2009 hard cutoff date to bring an end to analog TV broadcasts, despite concerns from organizations like the Consumers Union about lower-income residents who currently rely on free over-the-air broadcast signals.
And the U.S. Supreme Court attempted to settle a debate between the entertainment industries and developers of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software regarding whether or not P2P developers should be held responsible if users employ the technology to violate federal laws by illegally sharing copyrighted materials.
The arguments in MGM v. Grokster were somewhat reminiscent of the landmark Betamax case of the 1980s. In this latest debacle in the ongoing struggle between developing communication technologies and industries that have traditionally profited by the general lack of means of production (or reproduction, as it were), the courts appear to have ruled in favor of the old guard. More specifically, the courts found that P2P developers could be sued and shut down if they deliberately encourage copyright infringement. However, the question regarding how one might prove such deliberate intentions in court is another battle for another day.


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Google Play Deals, iOS 7.1 launch, Microsoft Cortana video & more – Pockentow Daily
Watch today’s Pocketnow Daily as we talk about the new Google Play deals due to its anniversary celebration. Then we talk about Microsoft’s Cortana, which just got featured on a leaked video. Samsung follows the news as we discover that the company is removing benchmark boosters from its phones. Apple follows as we expect iOS 7.1 to be launched very soon. We end today’s show talking about Nokia and its plans to provide us kinetic charging for our smartphones.
All this and more after the break.
– Google Play two-year anniversary deals incoming
– Cortana gets featured in video hands-on
– Samsung’s infamous benchmark booster removed in KitKat updates?
– Apple to launch iOS 7.1 soon, just in time to support its SXSW app?
– Nokia demos kinetic phone charging, still looks a long way from being useful


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The augmented reality (AR) media and entertainment landscape is expected to grow dramatically from US$732 million in 2020 to $18 billion in 2025.
While enterprise value drove growth early in the AR market story, both the number of users and the perceived value in the growing consumer space will build up a significant AR market, surmised a recent report by ABI Research on the Transformative Technologies for 2021.
Advertising, gaming, streaming video, location-based experiences, sports, music, social media and more can tap into immersive hardware and software opportunities. Acceleration from other technologies, including 5G, edge computing and AI, will enable more users to experience a greater variety of AR content.
“With unique consumption and delivery requirements, great prospects are available for telcos, content creators and owners to deliver new content to AR-enabled mobile devices and smart glasses over the next five years, especially as an influx of new hardware and users across all segments takes place,” said Eric Abbruzzese, Research Director, ABI Research.
Like other markets and technologies, he said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated some trends within the AR and VR space; the need for social distancing and the resulting shift to a remote workforce created new opportunities for remote collaboration at large.
While the immersive collaboration segment of the market is nascent, Abbruzzese said the pandemic has opened new doors and these types of technologies will continue to support a new normal and a larger remote workforce.
“The market is ultimately limited by the penetration rate of head-mounted displays (HMDs), but new hardware and trends are finally drawing more parallels to the early smartphone market, rather than other tech failures like 3D TV.
“The pandemic also brought a new perspective to VR, which was once viewed as a technology that isolated the user. Users are now discovering the impact VR can have on bringing people together, be it family, friends or co-workers, in ways that connect at a deeper level than traditional forms of communication,” said Abbruzzese.


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Local farmers' markets are helping low-income community members buy fresh fruits and vegetables during this pandemic.
Select farmers' markets in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties have been accepting CalFresh benefits, formerly known as "Food Stamps" 2015.
Now, those farmers' markets are also participating in the "Market Match Program" where CalFresh participants can earn more money for groceries whenever they shop at farmers' markets.
When a shopper visits a participating farmers’ market, they will receive tokens or vouchers in exchange for their CalFresh (EBT) benefits. Then, they can receive an equal amount of Market Match tokens free of charge to purchase more local fruits and vegetables.
For example, a shopper at the Templeton Farmers Market can spend $15 with their EBT card and receive $30 of tokens to spend on fresh produce. CalFresh benefits are matched dollar-for-dollar up to a maximum that varies depending on the market.
“Farmers’ markets provide an essential service to the community and our local food system. It is crucial that we all work together to make sure they remain a safe place to shop for food for all our community members. With additional staffing, signage, volunteers and handwashing stations, the markets are a great place for local people to get the food they need while using their CalFresh card," said Shannon Klisch, Community Education Supervisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension, San Luis Obispo County and EBT at Farmers Markets Workgroup Chair.
The manager of the North County farmers' markets said the Market Match Program is a valuable resource for community members in need during this pandemic.
"[The participants] are really thankful because it stretches their dollar. They get to come out here in the fresh air and the food is just probably picked that morning or the day before, so it's the freshest you can get, it's local," said Robyn Gable, manager of North County farmers' markets.
The following markets are open during the shelter-at-home order, accept CalFresh and participate in the Market Match program:
Market managers said they are working extra hard to keep their markets open while taking precautions to keep marketgoers and vendors safe during the pandemic.
In addition, more community members may qualify and apply for federal food assistance programs due to the rise in unemployment rates.


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The funding comes at a time when DoubleDutch has moved to singularly focus on developing its mobile event technology, while abandoning its other products including a fairly popular mobile CRM application known as Hive. When speaking with CEO Lawrence Coburn this morning about the funding, he characterized the decision to shutter Hive as one of the toughest he’s ever had to make – especially considering that previous rounds were raised based on Hive’s promise and potential. Ultimately, however, Coburn said it was the right thing to do.
Hive, which closed this January, had 1,000 or so free customers and a small number of paying users. Meanwhile, the events product had been growing at 40 to 50 percent per quarter, including deployment, users and revenue.
“On the CRM side, we were squarely in Salesforce’s radar,” explains Coburn. “The one thing I couldn’t get my head around was how did our mobile CRM give us a defensible position against Salesforce? Really, it was a beautiful UI [user interface] that sat on top of Salesforce,” he says. “It was a presentation layer over their tech.”
Read full story at: http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/25/social-events-platform-doubledutch-raises-10-million-series-c-led-by-bessemer/


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Aptean provides mission-critical enterprise software solutions worldwide to help manufacturers and distributors run and grow their businesses. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Aptean has offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
Orrick advised Aptean in its acquisition of TOTALogistix, which provides supply chain technology that lets organizations – including manufacturers, retailers and distributors – execute complex inbound and outbound shipping. Its proprietary solutions help companies solve logistics challenges with shipping requirements of all modes of transportation, from overnight letters to ocean containers.
The addition of TOTALogistix complements Aptean’s capabilities in supply chain products, enhancing Aptean’s ability to help organizations optimize logistics operations across their entire supply chain. TOTALogistix will benefit from Aptean’s scale, resources and technological expertise.
Cloud-based transportation management systems like those that TOTALogistix provides “deliver a competitive advantage for companies by helping to reduce costs, navigate supply chain complexity and improve customer satisfaction,” said Bob Kocis, President, Americas at Aptean. “We are pleased to add new cloud-based supply chain capabilities to our offerings and are excited to welcome TOTALogistix’s team of dedicated supply chain experts to Aptean.”
The Orrick team that advised Aptean includes Peter Lamb, Spencer Cohen, Julianne English, Asami Ono, Sarah Schaedler, Daniel Healow, David Devich, Keith Tidwell, Heather Cron, Shannon Yavorsky, Matthew Coleman, Oladoyin Olanrewaju, James Larkin, Karthik Kumar, Lynette Lim, Deborah Abernathy and the Orrick Analytics team, a group of lawyers, statisticians and other professionals that uses state-of-the-art technology and probability modeling in data and document-heavy engagements.


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SHANGHAI, July 23 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Wednesday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
- The risk of credit default may increase significantly as the number of bonds due to mature rises, along with the pressure of high yields and a slowdown in economic growth, the newspaper said in a commentary.
- Chinese consumers in Shanghai will be entitled to a no-questions-asked refund for products bought online, according to a new local law approved by the Shanghai People’s Congress. China’s e-commerce sector has been booming, creating the need for greater consumer protection online.
- In the wake of typhoon Rammasun, the strongest typhoon to hit southern China in four decades, 800,000 people have been resettled and 240,000 are in urgent need of basic necessities, local authorities told the paper.
For Hong Kong and South China newspapers see..... (Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom)


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2013 undoubtedly showed a vast increase in the recruitment of sales professionals across all industries. In particular, both the FMCG and manufacturing industries revealed a huge uptake in their recruitment of sales personnel and this is expected to continue throughout 2014. This increase has led to greater growth than the modest expectations expressed by employers at the end of 2012. SMEs and multinationals alike are regaining belief in the value and importance of a strong sales team. This belief has cultivated in a more positive year for sales professionals in terms of the domestic market but has also led to an increase in firms abroad considering recruiting Irish talent for the opportunities that exist.
The previous year has also demonstrated an exceptional increase in recruitment within the ICT sector. We have seen a strong demand for sales professionals of all levels with the ability to speak multiple languages as companies headquartered in Ireland seek to establish themselves and grow market share in markets further afield going into 2014.
As 2014 begins, we expect to see further reviews across organisational structures where gaps still exist in sales teams. Among expectations that the domestic economy will steadily improve in the coming year, there will be an increasing demand for hybrid sales managers that are willing and able to acquire new business and increase levels of existing business while leading, developing and coaching the sales team as necessary. This demand is one that continues from the second half of 2013.
We expect base salaries to remain relatively fixed throughout 2014 and we understand that an increase on target earnings potential will be where sales professionals can benefit. It is of vital importance that employers remain vigilant with salaries and stay competitive in order to retain key staff members. This will be true across all industries, especially FMCG and Manufacturing where we have seen the biggest increase in the recruitment of sales personnel.
In conclusion, the green shoots that were hoped for have become apparent in 2013 and the expectations are that as result, we will see a very positive 2014. We expect to see the majority of growth deriving from the FMCG, manufacturing, ICT and financial services sectors. Movement at senior level is expected to continue as employers become less and less risk averse and consider their growth strategy for the coming year.
Contact Simon Ganter for further information.
View our sales salary survey here.


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A rush of long weekend visitors has health authorities concerned
Ekka long weekend in Brisbane delivers tourism boom to nearby, open, ready and...
The new Ekka long weekend is expected to help take some of the heartache out of a...
Food & Entertainment
Ekka fans have turned out in droves to get a taste of the famous Royal Queensland...
Competition recognises best beef producers
Queenslanders to use the long weekend to support tourism industry
Ekka holiday: midweek day off could be shifted to long weekend
COVID-19 has claimed another big name event - the Ekka.
Authorities are actively exploring a plan to convert showgrounds
Organisers plan to go ahead with Ekka despite concerns over coronavirus
AGED care and child care united recently in Caloundra to celebrate the Brisbane...
There has been a groundswell of support for the owner
"It was like a spear.”
Residents looking for work or a career change stand to benefit
One of eight horses part of A Drovers Tale dies at Ekka
People and Places
Maclean's Show's props get a showing in Brisbane
The pumpkin competition is a family affair for the Frohloff family.
The giant pumpkin competition is one of the most iconic Ekka events
“This has never, ever been done before"
“It’s fun going in the ring, sometimes it is hard."


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Frances Orange is in talks with TV manufacturers Samsung, LG and Panasonic to integrate its services with TVs connected to the internet, according to a report in French financial daily Les Echos.
Raoul Roverato, executive director in charge of new growth activities, told the newspaper that Orange did not want to leave the field to be dominated by US companies, and wanted to make its services available on all types of screens, including TVs. He said that Orange was in talks with the three manufacturers to make some of its applications available via connected TVs.
Roverato said that internet users wanted to access email, information services and personal media via the TV and that it was important for Orange to get its foot in the door in order to establish a direct connection with the consumer and create a foundation for the monetisation of services. Roverato said that Orange wanted to work with content creators and channels to test different business models.
Orange recently announced the launch of 2424actu, a news aggregation service, in partnership with a number of French news providers.
ICYMI: Viaplay launches in Poland as NENT secures UPC distribution deal digitaltveurope.com/2021/08/03/via… https://t.co/LdebRjHXKP
03 August 2021 @ 18:29:00 UTC
Vizio launches refreshed WatchFree+ AVOD digitaltveurope.com/2021/08/03/viz… https://t.co/su8ECxtjRU
03 August 2021 @ 18:00:01 UTC


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Man steals $6k from Gympie teen's shopping basket
A 46-year-old Lower Wonga man who stole thousands of dollars from a teenage girl was fined $500 and ordered to pay restitution.
The 16-year-old girl had accidentally left $6000 in a green carry basket when shopping at Woolworths at Gympie Central Shopping Centre on June 13.
Christian Neil Cherry was shopping in the store when he saw the envelope in the basket and took $5150. The $850 left in the envelope was thrown out by staff.
Cherry told Gympie Magistrates Court he took the money to buy a new car.
"If you had given it to the cashier nothing would have gone missing," Magistrate Chris Callaghan said.
"It was out of character, you have no prior convictions."
Cherry had "prolonged the distress" for the girl and her family, Mr Callaghan said.
"It saddened me because this 16-year-old was going with her Dad to buy a car and loses the money. She may have been blamed by her parents for not taking better care of it and you prolonged the distress."
The $5150 had since been returned. Cherry was also ordered to pay $850 restitution with no conviction recorded.


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South Korean auto major Hyundai plans to invest more than Rs 3,200 crore in India in next four years with a focus on the electric vehicles segment, reports The Economic Times.
Hyundai which has a market share of 17 per cent in the domestic passenger vehicles segment completes 25 years of operations in India. The company feels that electric mobility must be the focus for growth in future.
The company plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore for an ‘affordable’ locally-made electric car. It is also finalizing localization plans for electrics and may explore a partnership with fellow group company Kia.
“We should offer solutions that are affordable and reasonable. We are working on various studies in this aspect as we feel that electrification will be the main pillar of our operations in the future,” said MD S S Kim.
Though the company has not revealed the body style of the planned electric vehicle, experts believe that it would be a mini SUV in line with the current trends in the market.
Earlier in January, South Korean media reported that Hyundai Motor is set to join forces with US-based technology behemoth Apple Inc to develop and produce autonomous electric cars in America.
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The fashion community continues to embrace Irina Shayk and one of the latest gigs for the Russian bombshell (aside from starring in the Spring 2017 Alberta Ferretti campaign) includes being the face of Replay. She has appeared on the cover of Vogue Russia, Vogue Germany and Vogue Japan this year and tops it off by fronting Replay’s new #TouchIt advertising campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, Irina and fellow beauties Joan Smalls and Stella Maxwell go topless, wearing nothing but the Italian brand’s denim.
Our forum members weren’t feeling it, however. “What was the point of paying a bucket of money to Mert & Marcus for a basic campaign with awful lighting? They got scammed,” laughed a disapproving Marc10 the moment the campaign dropped.


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Bloomberg has released its 2016 misery index, showing that South Africa has one of the most miserable economies in the world.
The Bloomberg misery index is based on two metrics – unemployment and consumer inflation – which are combined to produce an overall “misery score”.
The rates taken into account are not actual rates, but projected rates for the year based on Bloomberg survey data.
Other, similar indices also take into account factors such as interest rates and economic growth, however Bloomberg’s index focuses purely on these “down” indicators.
South Africa’s position on the index hasn’t changed from 2015, with the country ranked as the third most miserable in the world.
However, the index score has worsened from 2015, indicating that the situation has declined in terms of unemployment and inflation.
In 2015, South Africa’s misery score was 30.2 – in 2016 it’s climbed to 32.0.
Venezuela remains the world’s most miserable economy – far ahead of anyone else with a misery score of 159.7. Argentina is ranked second (down from being fifth in 2015) with a score of 39.9.
According to Bloomberg, there is no end in sight for Venezuela’s economic woes, with consumer price growth expected to balloon by 152%, while unemployment hits 7.7%. Argentina, too, is battling with high inflation.
In the mix of the index’s points of measurements, South Africa and Greece have the highest unemployment rates in the top 5 countries – while Ukraine is struggling with a balance of unemployment and high inflation.


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Georgia Gov. Kemp Signs Executive Order to Lift Many of State’s Pandemic Restrictions
ATLANTA — With three COVID-19 vaccines being administered, states all across the country are lessening their pandemic restrictions, including Georgia. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order last Friday to lift many of the state’s last remaining pandemic restrictions, effective immediately through the month of May.
The order occupancy limitations for restaurants that were in place to limit the exposure of contagions, and it also ends protocols for close-contact businesses such as gyms, movie theaters and barbershops.
The executive order strongly encourages patrons to continue to practice social distancing and wearing masks in public establishments, and for shops and restaurants to utilize contactless operations where appropriate.
The executive order, which is 28 pages long, also ends mask requirements for restaurant workers, lessens restrictions for live performance events and allows sports organizations such as the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta United to increase occupancy.
Georgia joins a group of other states with lessening restrictions, including Texas who ended most of its restrictions in March 2021. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, governors in Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Connecticut and West Virginia have also decreased their COVID-19 restrictions. Additionally, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Monday, May 3 that suspends all of the state’s pandemic restrictions. However, the order still allows private businesses to require face masks for its workers and customers and to enforce social distancing.


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Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Car Show Saturday at SUNY Canton
CANTON – A free Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Car Show open to the public will take place in Nevaldine Hall at SUNY Canton on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A variety of electric vehicles and hybrids will be on display and a demonstration by SUNY Canton Prof. Brandon J. Baldwin will be presented at noon.He will capture the exhaust of an internal combustion engine and then test the captured exhaust with an Air Quality sensor. Attendees will be asked to guess how long it will take for the exhaust of the gas-powered vehicle to fill a 10-gallon plastic bag.
Owners of EVs or hybrids are encouraged to bring their vehicles and share their experiences owning and operating them. Owners will answer questions on cost of purchase, maintenance, and charging, said Baldwin.
“There will be several EV and hybrid owners at the show who charge their electric vehicle with solar power that they generate. Ask them about their fuel costs,” he said.
The show is sponsored by the SUNY Canton Department of Automotive Technology.
Handouts will be available with links for more information on tax credits for new and used electric vehicles, which EV’s and hybrids are eligible, and about ecological impacts of mining for lithium and disposing of and recycling EV batteries.
“The EV and Hybrid Car Show is one small step in a long term transition to new automotive technologies. We know our students can play a major role in helping make this transition while enjoying interesting and rewarding careers in this new ‘green economy’,” said Baldwin.


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Don’t Bet Against Match.com IPO
Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH), which owns Match.com, Tinder, and OKCupid, generated a billion dollars in revenue in the last year. Finally, after leading the sector for some time, a Match Group initial public offering (IPO) has arrived and the online dating pioneer has gone public, despite skepticism from investors.
Last October, the company issued its request to list on the NASDAQ under the ticker MTCH. The Match Group IPO saw the sale of 33.3 million shares for $12.00 per share late Wednesday, which fell within the expected $12.00–$14.00 IPO price range, raising some $400 million. (Source: “Match shares jump in IPO debut,” USA Today, November 19, 2015.)
During its first day of public trading, MTCH stock jumped 8.67% compared to its IPO price of $12.00 set the day before, gaining 14.6% within a few hours of trading and ending the day up 23% at a per-share price of $14.74. (Source: Ibid.)
By comparison, the online payments provider Square, Inc. (NYSE:SQ), which also debuted Thursday on Wall Street, set an IPO price below expectations and just like Match, its IPO saw shares surge, ending its first day up 45%. Square set its IPO price at $9.00, below the planned $11.00–$13.00 range, and saw a high of 64% above its IPO price on its first day of trading. (Source: “Square, Match Gain in Market Debuts After Low-Priced IPOs,” Bloomberg Business, November 19, 2015.)
Part of the Match Group IPO sum will go directly to IAC (InterActiveCorp), a media and Internet company that was Match Group’s 100% owner prior to the company’s IPO. Following the IPO, IAC now owns about 86% of the company’s shares.
Match Group owns some of the best-known brands on the market when it comes to dating sites, with operations in 38 languages and 190 countries. The company holds Match.com, OkCupid, and Meetic, but it has been especially successful with Tinder. The popular mobile app utilizes a user’s geographic position to find suitable profiles meeting the user’s specified parameters, like age, to offer up a “smorgasbord” of matched profiles in the desired area and radius. The user can then just swipe right or left on a smartphone or tablet screen to approve or reject a proposed match.
Other companies in the industry include Zoosk, which specializes in online dating among other services, and Badoo, which is the largest site in the world of online dating. Zoosk was planning to list publicly but recently withdrew its request to list on Wall Street due to perceived unfavorable market conditions. (Source: “Zoosk Formally Withdraws IPO,” The Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2015.) Similarly, Badoo has been contemplating asking Wall Street for an IPO date for the past five years, but it has never made the move. (Source: “Badoo prepares for IPO, Russian founder remains incognito,” Arcticstartup, November 16, 2010.) Perhaps the companies are just shy, but the market is also wary of online dating.
However, Match has proven itself with a long history. Match.com is an Internet pioneer in the world of online dating. Launched in 1995, it has changed owners several times before being taken over in 1999 by Barry Diller’s IAC. Since then, it has become the undisputed world leader of online match services. Match Group acquired its popular rival Meetic in Europe and, eventually, the Tinder app.
Match has generated revenue of more than $1.0 billion and earnings of some $180 million over the last 12 months. In total, Match owns 45 matchmaking sites, which have drawn in 59 million active users worldwide, including 4.7 million premium members who pay for access to extended services. Tinder accounts for a significant portion of the company’s revenue. (Source: “UPDATE: Five things to know before IPO of Tinder parent Match Group,” Morningstar, November 18, 2015.)
Other publicly listed companies in the online matchmaking industry include China’s Momo Inc., the American Spark Networks, Inc., and the U.K.’s Cupid, which due to poor performance in key markets, have all seen their valuations drop significantly after their initial public offerings.
The Bottom Line on Match IPO
Part of Match’s IPO challenge will be to overcome the market’s suspicion of online dating, especially its wariness of the industry. Competition is tough and leaders are never safe from being rapidly overtaken. Such competition forces dating providers to spend huge sums on marketing and advertising to draw in users and maintain dominance. Nevertheless, Match has been cautious.
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