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As we continue to navigate the socially-distanced world triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak, there are many aspects of our former lives that we hope will return. Conversely, there are many pandemic-defining behaviours that will remain once lockdown has been lifted. These include how we make payments. From a sharp increase in online sales, to the deployment of contactless payment remotely or at the point-of-sale, the rapid shift in consumer behaviour has been remarkable.
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in an almost-immediate adoption of contactless payments in the UK. This rapid uptake was caused by a number of factors, including:
(i) the presumed danger associated with touching 'infected' objects and the consequential demise of the use of banknotes;
(ii) the increase in the maximum contactless spending limit (in the UK it was raised from £30 to £45 in April 2020, and the FCA announced that it would be further raising the single contactless payment limit to £100 (with the threshold for multiple transactions raising from £130 to £300) pursuant to the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer's 2021 Budget announcement in March 2021: a post-Brexit change given that the UK is no longer bound by the EU-wide cap of EUR 50 equivalent) meaning that more than relatively small purchases were covered;
(iii) those essential businesses that were allowed to open during the pandemic insisting on payment by card rather than cash – this shift to entirely cashless premises being in line with the UK Government's unprecedent public safety advice to utilise contactless payment solutions, wherever possible;
(iv) emergency legislation approved by UK Parliament at various stages during the different lockdowns requiring non-essential purchases (from clothes to alcohol) to be pre-ordered and pre-paid (via 'click and collect' or delivery services), thus allowing non-essential businesses to trade whilst limiting encounters between workers and customers at the point-of-sale, and also between customers from different households in store; and
(v) 'shielding' advice from the UK Department of Health and Social Care to protect the more vulnerable members of UK society by granting them priority grocery delivery slots (with goods to be ordered and paid for by payment card online) by major UK supermarkets for those individuals.
At the point-of-sale, contactless payments are made possible by two similar technologies: radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and near field communication (NFC) technology. RFID technology enables a secure connection from the chip in the customer's payment card to the merchant's payment terminal to effect purchases up to the relevant payment limit. Contactless payment via smartphone apps (linked to an underlying payment card) however enables users to exceed the £45 contactless option, and is powered by NFC technology. NFC technology works by securely connecting the mobile wallet on the customer's smartphone to the merchant's payment terminal. Both NFC and RFID technologies work by assigning a unique digital signature to each new payment, which is much more secure than the traditional 'chip and pin' method, which has the disadvantage of potentially allowing a bad actor to clone a card and obtain the associated PIN.
Other payment technologies have also been piloted during the pandemic, including voice-authentication for transactions, which would enable all ATMs to become contactless, biometric payments using facial recognition or fingerprints and the use of cryptocurrencies for merchant payments and merchant processing.
Populations that were previously averse to using contactless payments over security concerns have quickly shifted their thinking as new payment systems have increased safety (the fear of catching the virus overriding their fears of new technology and concerns regarding theft and card fraud). Secure verification powered by NFC and RFID technologies coupled with the reduced health risk associated with touching a payment terminal that has been used by countless customers before has ultimately proven contactless payments to be much safer than other forms of settlement during the pandemic. Merchants have also welcomed the move to contactless payment, because of the lower costs associated with processing contactless card payments rather than dealing with cash, and increased safety for both their staff and customers by reducing direct and indirect physical contact.
With the recent innovations in technology - especially financial technology (FinTech) - smartphone users can use apps and mobile wallets not only for spending at the point-of-sale, but also to deposit, store, transfer, exchange, invest and earn currency (including fiat and crypto), and to access alternative payment services (including those involving cryptoassets or backed by gold) and benefits not normally offered by traditional banking services (such as "borderless" bank accounts and payment cards). The added benefit of rapid (and in some cases 'real time') transactions and funds flow from a digital system is also helpful to those who work in the gig economy or rely on ad-hoc or freelance work and need to ensure that payment for their services (including receipt of tips from customers) is as immediate as possible.
The continuing interest in developing mobile payments and app-based currency platforms is shared by traditional financial and challenger institutions alike: the possibility of growing market share and increasing their customer base (both in the developed and developing world) mixed with environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focussed considerations is compelling. For example, in Africa and China, the use of digital payments and mobile wallets is commonplace, and has disintermediated traditional financial institutions, especially where such institutions have been reluctant to operate. The rise of FinTech has significantly unlocked new opportunities and delivered financial freedom to huge swathes of the world population that have been excluded from the traditional banking system. Whilst many citizens in the developing world do not have access to a formal bank account, large proportions of this "unbanked" population will however have access to a smartphone. Thus, whilst many may be financially-excluded, they are not digitally-excluded, and may benefit from such improved FinTech and the growing provision of payment systems that fall outside of the traditional banking regime.
With the attention of consumers, companies, Governments and multinational organisations firmly on ESG risk and strategy, there is a real opportunity here to demonstrate leadership in corporate citizenship and social responsibility, in ensuring that contactless payment systems are fit for, and inclusive of, all members of society. A total shift to a cashless society must consider all members of society, in particular those that are still not able to procure access to new or traditional banking facilities, for cultural, legal or economic reasons (i.e. the financially excluded or "underbanked"), and those that cannot keep up with the pace of technological change - including an ageing demographic, those with disabilities, or residents in remote areas without reliable internet access (i.e. the digitally excluded).
The move towards widespread acceptance of contactless payment solutions was already in motion. However, it is undeniable that the coronavirus outbreak has acted as a catalyst for this rapid uptake in consumer adoption. In a climate of COVID-19 recovery, rebuilding consumer confidence, and spotlight on ESG considerations, one can only expect this trajectory to continue and to further develop as new technological FinTech innovations are released, and the world pushes forward with decisive adoption of contactless payment solutions. Whatever the "new norm" looks like, one thing is for certain: contactless payments are here to stay.


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OnePlus Buds Pro are arguably the best true wireless earbuds that OnePlus has released so far. And with new OnePlus Buds Pro 2 earphones expected to launch soon, there’s a deep discount available right now on the current-generation model.
With a retail price of $149.99, these sleek earphones are already less expensive than most noise cancelling earbuds from rival brands. Right now, however, you can pick up a pair of OnePlus Buds Pro on sale for just $79.99.
OnePlus is obviously best known for its Android-powered smartphones. The company began as a startup dedicated to selling flagship phones at rock-bottom prices.
Now, however, OnePlus offers a wide range of devices that span plenty of price points. They’re still often less expensive than comparable devices from top Android vendors like Samsung, but the gap is much narrower these days.
Those deals are both impressive, but not everyone needs a new smartphone. If you’re in the market for a big upgrade to your earphones, however, OnePlus has a deal that everyone should consider.
First, OnePlus Buds Pro are much less expensive than AirPods Pro. They retail for $149.99 while Apple’s flagship earphones cost $249. The OnePlus model also features better battery life, with the earbuds and case combining to offer up to 38 hours of playtime compared to 24 hours for AirPods Pro.
Original AirPods Pro are on sale for just $129 today at Walmart. That’s a spectacular deal. But if you want to spend even less on a comparable model, OnePlus Buds Pro for $79.99 is as good as it gets.

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This may sound counter-intuitive as we've just had a 'Nintendo Direct' less than a week ago but after a second lacklustre E3 showing for Wii U, Nintendo needs to set out a strategy to talk to their fans, the press and their investors before it is too late.
Case in point - Six years ago, Sony was on top of the world. Then at E3 2006 president of Sony Computer Entertainment America Kazuo Hirai stepped on stage and announced the PS3 would retail later that year for $599.99. In the few seconds it took him to articulate the price, the narrative was framed in terms of an overconfident hardware incumbent selling a high priced console.
Regardless of what Sony did or said afterwards, the narrative stuck. Sony’s public relations nightmare that year was a gift to Nintendo for the company had also unveiled its next-generation console, the Wii. $599.99 has transcended the issues of the time in to a shorthand to describe what has ailed Sony since. So enduring is the narrative that six years later, a search of the price $599 brings up Sony’s E3 2006 performance in the top search results (your results may vary).
While Nintendo did not have a $599 moment this E3, there is a risk that the negative reactions bubbling among the fans and general public at large could have the same effect on the company . The only saving grace for Nintendo this E3 was that neither of their competitors were ready to wow the public and all three put in sub-par showings.
However, only Nintendo is launching a major hardware this year and the onus is on the company to put on a good show and it is apparent viewing reactions and interactions online that the wind has been taken out of the sails of Wii U.
That said, when a Sony spokesperson engaged in a bit of chest thumping and spoke of their competitors “losing the plot”, referring in part to Nintendo’s disappointing E3 showing, it was surprising to see a significant number of gamers who do not normally associate just with Nintendo come to Nintendo’s defence, pointing out the irony of the statement and noting never to count the company out and that Nintendo’s core business being only about games gives them confidence in continued quality of their games.
Communication is Key
Despite all the negativity this week, there’s tremendous good will remaining for Nintendo. The narrative has not yet coalesced around Nintendo ‘losing the plot’ but the window to rectify this E3’s mistakes will not be open forever. The company needs re-energize fans with timely information leaks and or reveals on the Wii U on parts of the console that could be expected to play well with gamers.
There should be monthly and then weekly presentations leading up to launch day showing bits of the Wii U and familiarizing people with the various features of the platform as even developers of Wii U titles appear to be mostly in the dark about Wii U’s OS and features.
Key to their communication is to present a roadmap for gamers. Third party projects should be noted, major first party software should be confirmed and shown if possible. More importantly, each presentation should touch on key features that remain nebulous in most people’s mind. Features such as the Nintendo Network, the Wii U accounts system and how it will work with the 3DS and Wii, transferring of Wii digital downloads, on-line play and possible restrictions, the Miiverse in general, and finally the pricing and SKU. This will generate interest and keep the attention on Wii U and change the narrative from ‘What an awful E3 show’ to buzz around what Nintendo just announced.
|non-specific action figure|
Communication will also help clear up and clarify a growing cloud of confusion around parts of the Wii U infrastructure. The Miiverse and online systems remain vague, leading to plenty of conflicting reports about pain points like the existence of friend codes rather than a real accounts system, and journalists noting that Nintendo would censor Miiverse posts with a 30 minute wait-time, which if true, would render the ‘Non-specific action figure’ concept video where the gamer was able to get immediate real-time help an unrealistic scenario for most people.
There’s no need to overreact to the fan uproar. Fans will always be unhappy about certain things, and if there’s even a consideration to launch the system at a sweetheart price with subsidies to make the ‘value proposition’ more enticing in light of negative E3 reaction, those subsidy dollars would be better spent on third parties to ensure parity of Wii U with the 360/PS3 by the spring of 2013. The fans will likely still show up on Day 1 at $299.99.
Finally, it should be emphasized that what has caused the negative reaction and the continued malaise in the company's stock price isn't the lack of major Nintendo IPs specifically, or the lack of major announcements generally. But the lack of vision and direction with the Wii U. Nintendo needs to set the record straight on where they see the Wii U in 1 year, 2 year 3 year's time both in terms of features (online, Miiverse), first party games and finally third party offerings (It is no longer enough to simply build a console and hope they come. Third parties should be actively courted, fans need to hear more than just platitudes about Nintendo's software 'partners') Until then, fans and observers in the financial industry cannot be faulted for being sceptical.


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Winter sales tax slide continues
Post Independent Staff
GLENWOOD SPRINGS ” Sales tax revenues slid here in February, the fourth month in a row of revenue declines.
February’s revenues were down 4.9 percent compared with February 2003.
In actual dollars, the city received $34,136 less in February 2004 sales tax revenue than in the same month in 2003. Total February 2004 revenues were $665,065.
“It’s better than we expected,” city manager Mike Copp said. “But you hate to say that because it’s down.”
Through February, the city is down 6 percent for the year, so Copp figures it could be worse.
“We projected a 10 percent decrease in sales tax numbers. I don’t want to say it’s good, but it’s better than expected,” Copp said.
City department heads were asked in February to make a contingency plan for their departments in case sales tax revenues fall by 10 percent.
Total sales tax collections for the year to date are $1.3 million, compared with $1.4 million for the first two months of 2003.
Since Super Wal-Mart opened in Rifle last Oct. 29, Glenwood Springs has gone through its toughest four months in recent history for sales tax revenues.
In November and December 2003, revenues were down 11 percent compared with the year prior, and January 2004 was down more than 7 percent.
In March, City Council decided to use landfill reserve funds during the next two years to keep city services operating at present levels.
After that, city officials hope the opening of Lowe’s and Target stores at Glenwood Meadows will offset the losses.
“We’re going to stick with our game plan,” Copp said.
Contact Greg Masse: 945-8515, ext. 511
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Down 14-7 with less than 11 minutes left in regulation, Rifle head coach Todd Casebier decided it was time to deviate from his ground-and-pound offense for a bit of an aerial attack.


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Awesome Ferrari 2017 - Nice Nissan 2017: 2011 Nissan Juke Review: Specs, Price & Pictures What My Car W... Cars Check more at http://carsboard.pro/2017/2017/06/21/ferrari-2017-nice-nissan-2017-2011-nissan-juke-review-specs-price-pictures-what-my-car-w-cars/
Come September and Nissan is getting ready to launch their new 2013 Midnight Edition of Nissan Juke. Available as a Nissan accessory package on all 2013 Nissan Juke – S, SL and SC models Midnight Edition will have black wheels, Sapphire Black rea
Nissan has finally released an impressive road car on the European continent. With its new 2014 nissan juke, the company has finally paved the way to the mainland. The new car was unveiled at 2014 Chicago Auto Show, which took place a while back.


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- First Korea-Singapore Digital Economy Dialogue was held in Seoul, Korea.
- Singapore Deputy Secretary (Trade) Jane Lim and ROK’s Deputy Minister Jeong Dae-jin co-chaired the event.
- The Dialogue aims to boost digital economy collaboration between the two countries and provide business opportunities.
So, what’s up with this Korea-Singapore Digital Economy Dialogue?
Picture this, like when two superheroes join forces to save the world, Singapore and Korea have joined together for the first time in the digital economy arena. Wah lau eh, exciting hor?
An Exciting Alliance in Digital Economy
The Dialogue is co-chaired by Singapore’s Deputy Secretary (Trade) Jane Lim and ROK’s Deputy Minister for Trade Jeong Dae-jin.
Both countries sent public and private sector reps to discuss digital trade policies, business collaborations, and working together in the digital economy.
It’s like Captain America and Iron Man setting their differences aside for the greater good. Got it?
Showcasing Companies and Offering Opportunities
During the Dialogue, participants have the chance to learn about offerings from leading Singapore enterprises like Singtel, Filmplace, M-DAQ, and Trustana, as well as Korean enterprises such as NAVER Cloud, Hyundai Motors, EntreReality, and H20 Hospitality.
It’s like a giant marketplace where everyone can see what everyone else is selling and explore new business opportunities together!
A Promising Future for Digital Economy Collaboration
Thanks to this successful first Dialogue, Singapore and Korea are looking to hold such meetings more frequently.
Like when your two favourite bands announce a series of concerts together, it’s a treat for those involved in the digital economy.
Now, here’s some advice for you inspired by this epic Dialogue:
- Pay attention to the opportunities in the digital economy between Singapore and Korea.
- Learn from industry leaders and see how they collaborate across borders.
- Keep an eye on future developments in the digital economy space.
You see, sometimes life, like the digital economy, can be unpredictable.
Just when you thought everything was the same, BOOM! A fresh, exciting collaboration can bring in new ideas and possibilities. So, just go with the flow lah!
In the wise words of Filmplace Founder and CEO Lincoln Lin, “Among several markets, we see the most potential in Korea and are dedicated to expanding our footprint to better serve the market.”
Don’t you think it’s incredible how these two countries have come together to create new opportunities and boost each other’s digital economy sectors?
It’s like when your favourite cheesy fries and the best spicy wings in town are paired together – total bliss, bro!
Now, I’ve got a question for you, my friend: How do you think this collaboration between Singapore and Korea in the digital economy will affect businesses and individuals in the long run?
Source: SINGAPORE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND KOREA MINISTRY OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND ENERGY HOLD THE FIRST KOREA-SINGAPORE DIGITAL ECONOMY DIALOGUE.


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Artem Vaulin, 30, of Kharkiv, Ukraine, was arrested in Poland and is charged via criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, with conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit money laundering and criminal copyright infringement.
During the operation, HSI special agents and partner law enforcement officers targeted 14 retailers of counterfeit goods infringing on the trademarks of Gucci, Michael Kors, Prada, Channel, Ray Ban, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Oakley, Nike, Ray Ban and the National Basketball Association.
CHICAGO — Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized nearly 60 tons of illegally imported Chinese honey Wednesday that was destined for U.S. consumers.
“Within the law-enforcement community, it is important that we come together regularly to share experiences and learn from each other; whether it’s talking about the investigative techniques that are working well, or simply shedding new light on emerging threats,” said Deputy Director Ragsdale. “Training sessions such as this also give us an opportunity to share key information and further...
Tuesday’s enforcement actions were carried out by more than 50 special agents and investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the California Department of Public Health’s Food and Drug Branch; the California Franchise Tax Board; and the California Department of Justice eCrime Unit
Operation In Our Sites is the major effort ICE investigators, industry and international law enforcement conduct in order to eliminate copyright infringing websites selling counterfeit goods that may threaten the health and safety of consumers.
While sports merchandise is a popular choice, intellectual property thieves will counterfeit any product that can be sold or marketed. Among the most troubling trends is the burgeoning availability of counterfeit drugs, medical equipment, aircraft and automobile parts, computer hardware, military components, and electrical safety devices.
Patrick Badal, Kaium Shah, Kenny Ni, Abul Kashem, and Parvez Shazzed face charges of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, trafficking in counterfeit packaging and smuggling goods into the United States.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents stationed in the United States, Canada, France and Netherlands were recognized by L. Carlos Linares, vice president of Anti-Piracy Legal Affairs at RIAA, for their role in aggressively pursuing a North Carolina man who had personally pirated upwards of $7 million worth of songs, albums and other copyright protected content on the websites...
Hongwei “Nick” Du, 33, of Shenzhen, China, admitted Wednesday in U.S. District Court to conspiring with two El Centro residents to traffic counterfeit goods and money laundering. Du further admitted he coordinated the shipments of the Chinese-made counterfeit products in a manner designed to prevent customs officers from detecting them.
The three shipping container loads (195 barrels) of bulk honey smuggled into the United States were falsely declared as originating from Vietnam to evade anti-dumping duties applicable to Chinese-origin honey.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) top intellectual property rights enforcer told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that the illegal importation, distribution and sale of counterfeit products pose a significant and growing threat to health and safety.
The ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), a task-force agency combining the expertise of 23 investigative organizations, is the U.S. government’s response to ensuring national security by protecting the public, the economy and the national defense supply chain that are vulnerable to the proliferation of counterfeit goods.


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Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman Wednesday told elite solution providers attending the Best of Breed Conference, hosted this week by CRN US publisher The Channel Company, that she has steered the company firmly back to its channel roots as part of a turnaround strategy.
"Our default is the channel," Whitman told partners in question-and-answer session with partners moderated by The Channel Company CEO Robert Faletra. "This company was built with channel partners. Then my understanding is we pivoted a bit more toward direct selling motion. When I came in, I pivoted this company right back to channels because I think we are stronger together. Yes, there are customers that we will take direct, but our default position is let's do this together with the channel.
"I have met many of you in this audience, and what I know is that partners have always been at the heart of Hewlett-Packard," said Whitman in a satellite link address to BoB attendees. "And that is truer today than it ever has been before."
Since taking the helm at HP two years ago, Whitman said she has moved to focus squarely on the company's legendary "heritage" as a "great engineering company" backed up by a legacy of customer service and support. "We will do anything for customers and partners, sometimes at great expense, I must say," she said.
"So we have to double down on those core features of HP. Then we have got to build the capability around packaging, pricing, solutioning because of the new style of IT. As a selling company, we are not as good as we should be. But, our point of difference has got to be around great products and great customer support and service."
Solution providers attending the BoB conference said they have seen a huge cultural shift back toward a channel-centric model with Whitman at the helm, particularly in the Enterprise Group business.
Rich Baldwin CIO and chief strategy officer of Nth Generation Computing, a HP partner, said he is seeing more sales engagement with more rigor and discipline in the sales trenches under Whitman.
"The relationship with the channel is much tighter than it has ever been. They are putting money toward more marketing and customer engagement events," said Baldwin. "Meg is putting her money where her mouth is and following through on all her commitments to the channel."
That is paying off in higher sales and profits for Nth Generation, said Baldwin. He expects his HP business to be up 20 percent this year and as much as 30 percent next year.
"We are getting involved in some larger opportunities and getting support to win those opportunities whether it is bringing in product specialists or senior executives," he said. "We are both working on calling higher in the organisations. It takes executive support to make that happen."
Before Whitman took the helm, HP's Enterprise Group was really "stand offish" with regard to embracing partners, said Baldwin.
Whitman, for her part, said HP is in a hands down better position than competitors to work closely with partners to bring customers a new style of IT solutions.
"Competitors of all sizes are talking about their ability to help customers benefit from the cloud or security or big data or mobility," said Whitman.
"But my observation is the gap between the promise of the benefits to business and reality of actual adoption is enormous. So now more than ever, our joint customers need partners that can help them bridge the gap between promise and reality. And at HP, our solutions for the new style of IT can help take our joint customers from where they are today to where they must be. I believe we are best positioned with you to help customers realize the full benefits of that next generation of technology."
Kristin Bent contributed to this story.


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The total leasing during the first half of 2023 stood at 0.70 million square feet as compared to 0.42 million square feet in the same period a year ago, said the CBRE report
The retail leasing in Delhi-NCR (national capital region) has increased by 65% in January-June 2023, the real estate consulting firm CBRE South Asia said in a report on Thursday. The NCR has recorded a rise in retail leasing across investment-grade malls, high streets and standalone developments, said the report. The total leasing during the first half of 2023 stood at 0.70 million square feet as compared to 0.42 million square feet in the same period a year ago, said the CBRE report. “Apple launched its first two new stores in Mumbai & Delhi-NCR, and UK-based coffee and sandwich chain Pret A Manger also opened stores in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR. Canadian coffee brand Tim Hortons which debuted in India last year strengthened its presence in Delhi-NCR and Punjab and entered the Mumbai market this year. European luxury brand Balenciaga is set to open its first brick-and-mortar store in Delhi-NCR through its partnership with Reliance Brands," CBRE said in the report. “Retailers have expressed positive leasing sentiments, indicating their strong interest in establishing new setups, expanding operations, and upgrading existing stores," said Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE. Across India, retail leasing saw a 24% yearly growth in the first half of 2023, and a 15% rise compared to the July-December 2022 period, the report added. Gurugram: Average monthly rent for premium apartments up 28% in H1 A separate report by Savills India on Thursday said in Gurugram the average monthly rental for premium housing grew by 28% year-on-year during the January-June period of this year. In Gurugram, “GCER (Golf Course Extension Road & SPR (southern peripheral road) and Golf Course Road saw the highest rise in rentals with 33 per cent and 31 per cent YOY growth, respectively," the real estate consultant said. As per the report, the average quoted rentals are for 3BHK and 4BHK apartments on Golf Course Road and 3-BHK apartments in other micro markets. Golf Course Road commands a monthly average rental of 195,941, while the average rent at Golf Course Extension Road and Southern Peripheral Road is 101,000 a month, according to the Savills data for H1 2023. The average rent in New Gurugram is 47,100 and in Dwarka Expressway is 40,071 per month, the report added. Gurugram and Noida attract a constant influx of migratory working professionals who prefer renting over buying, said Shveta Jain, Savills India MD-residential services.


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Microsoft has been having a bit of fun with Cortana, the company's digital 'personal assistant' this week, adding a couple of features that it hopes will amuse and delight fans of Star Trek.
First Look: This is Tronsmart's $150 Ara X5 Windows 10 Mini PC
The Ashley Madison hack: a confusing battle between good and evil
...of Lumia flagships, Windows milestones, and Samsung's reminder to RTFM
One month on, what do you think of Windows 10 so far?
Samsung confirms devices it plans to upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Known issues with Windows 10 Insider build 10532
As a promo for the movie Star Trek Into Darkness, Microsoft will add the Klingon language into its Bing Translator website, allowing people to translate text from any of its 41 languages into Klingon.
Computer security company Sophos has released a version of their anti-virus software, fully translated into Klingon. Yes, Klingon, the imaginary language from Star Trek. Apparently, Sophos has decided the Klingon Empire is a completely...


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New enterprise Mobile Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS) provider ClearBlade today opened up public beta access to its platform, promising “immediately usable APIs.”
Connected cars are one of the primary use cases for the Internet of Things (IoT) that capture the imagination of the general public and developers alike. At the Machine-2-Machine (M2M) Evolution Conference that was held this week at part of a larger ITEXPO event, PubNub announced that it is making available a Connected Car Solution Kit that developers can employ to access a range back-end cloud services that will enable to them to more easily build and deliver connected car applications.
The way that US telecom carrier AT&T is approaching APIs for the enterprise offers key insights for app developers and business stakeholders looking for market entry opportunities into a global ecosystem. ProgrammableWeb spoke with AT&T Vice President of Ecosystem Development and Platform Solutions, Laura Merling about the broader API strategy. Meanwhile Chris Aron, Product Manager of AT&T Location Information Services, demonstrated how the AT&T approach translates into an industry-specific partnership with Sabre, the global travel tech company.
SmartBear Software, quality and performance management solution provider, has announced a new version of its flagship product, TestComplete. The new version of TestComplete includes support for automated mobile testing. The new release allows third party testing tools to integrate with TestComplete, which enables automated testing. The integration focus of TestComplete’s updates hinted at an API story lurking beneath SmartBear’s announcement. PW reached out to Niclas Reimertz, SmartBear Vice President of Product Strategy and Management, to inquire.
Facebook has released Conceal, a set of Java APIs for fast encryption and data authentication. Conceal was developed to encrypt large data files (e.g., SD cards) on Android. With the release, Facebook targets older Android devices with less memory and slower processors. Facebook currently deploys Conceal to help protect users’ private data and is now launching its functionality to the developer community.
Marking what has been a multi-year journey, Telerik today unveiled Telerik Platform, which combines a rich set of tools for developing applications for multiple platforms with cloud services that manage the application lifecycle process.
As part of an evolving mobile cloud services strategy Oracle envisions a world where developers will be able to shop for APIs in the equivalent of an online store. According to Suhas Uliyar, vice president of mobile strategy product management for Oracle, the initial focus of the Oracle Mobile Cloud Service platform is to allow internal IT organizations to set up their own backed-as-a-service (BaaS) capabilities to integrate mobile computing applications with a variety of backend systems running on Oracle software.
nMile, mobile and web application developer, has launched the beta trial for new cloud-based content management system (CMS): Podium.io. Podium.io seeks to give application owners more control over applications with simplified content management after an easy integration with Podium. ProgrammableWeb chatted with nMile founder, Josh Dechant, about the release.
When it comes to mobile computing most organizations are relying on applications that are running on a number of devices that remotely access data via an API. The folks at Usablenet are leveraging RESTful APIs to make the case for the exact opposite scenario.


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The World Agricultural Machinery Industry Alliance Agrievolution is about to host a new global statistics program. Source: AFDJ eNews
The Agrievolution Statistics Program (ASP) will provide global product specific market data to the companies who report in to the program.
It currently covers five products: Tractors, combines, forage harvesters and two types of hay balers.
A group of 17 companies who have conducted a global data exchange for roughly 40 years officially voted in the Agrievolution Alliance as the new Secretariat for the program.
Each of the 14 Alliance member associations around the world will offer this program to their relevant member companies, providing value to those companies who participate and at the same time enhancing the data by broadening its global coverage.
The program itself may be expanded in the future to include additional product categories.
Alliance association member companies who are unable to participate in the programs will also benefit.
The Alliance will receive aggregate data from the program in the form of indexes for each of the product categories going back five years.
The indexes will provide valuable trend line data which will be made available exclusively to the member companies of the Alliance associations.
The data will continue to be processed by Systematics International as it has since the program’s inception.
Systematics International is an independent data processing company based out of the UK, dedicated to providing the highest quality statistical reports to manufacturing industries worldwide.
The Agrievolution Alliance says that adding the Agrievolution Statistics Program to its current initiatives will better serve the collective member companies and the global industry as a whole.
Other initiatives include a biennial Summit, global market data reports based on data compiled from all Agrievolution Alliance countries, and advocating globally for the industry.


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Consumer prices unchanged in September; inflation lower this year
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation disappeared in September thanks to falling prices for gasoline, clothing and vegetables.
The seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index was unchanged, following five small increases from April through August, the Labor Department said today.
That brought the inflation rate for the first nine months of the year to just 1.4 percent - even better than the 11-year low of 1.7 percent recorded for all of 1997.
But the good news for consumers translated into a disappointing cost-of-living raise for the 44 million Americans getting Social Security checks. Their benefits will increase just 1.3 percent next year the smallest raise since 1987.
Based on the movement in a special price index for urban wage earners, the average monthly check for retirees will rise by $10 to $780.
However, today's price report shows that inflation remains substantial in some areas where the elderly incur disproportionate expenses. The cost of medical care, for instance, jumped 0.3 percent in September and was up at a 3.7 percent rate so far this year.
Prescription drug costs shot up 0.7 percent last month and have risen at a 5.4 percent rate from January through September.
But generally, there were few signs of price pressures in September that could cause the Federal Reserve to pause in its efforts to inoculate the U.S. economy against the world slump by cutting interest rates.
The Fed cut short-term rates by a quarter percentage point on Thursday, the second cut in just 16 days. New evidence of spillover from the global crisis came today with a Federal Reserve report showing production at the nation's factories, mines and utilities fell 0.3 percent in September.
It followed a temporary 1.6 percent rebound in August, following the end of the General Motors strikes, but it was the fifth decline this year. For the third quarter as a whole, production was unchanged - the weakest performance since Janury-March 1991, at the end of the last recession.
On Thursday, the Labor Department said prices charged by factories, farms and other producers jumped 0.3 percent in September, the worst in a year. But economists dismissed it as a fluke, caused largely by the failure of seasonal adjustments to capture a change in the timing of auto sales incentives. And today's report shows the rise didn't carry through to the consumer.
Energy prices in September fell 1.3 percent, pulled down by a 2 percent drop for gasoline and smaller declines for fuel oil, electricit natural gas.
In fact, gasoline prices have fallen at an 18.8 percent annual rate this year. Though analysts don't expect a big increase anytime soon because of falling world demand for energy, they don't expect prices to fall much more either.
Food prices were unchanged last month, but are up at a 2.1 percent rate year-to-date. In September, pork costs fell 1.4 percent, the largest drop in nine years. Fruit, vegetable and coffee prices also fell.
Excluding volatile food and energy costs, core prices rose 0.2 percent in September and are up at a 2.4 percent annual rate this year, compared with 2.2 percent for all of last year.
Last month, tobacco prices jumped 3.3 percent. They're up at a 16.8 percent annual rate as tobacco companies seek to recoup the cost of multimillion-dollar liability lawsuits.
Clothing costs, heavily influenced by the increasing availability of inexpensive imports from Asia, fell 0.7 percent, the largest decline in 19 months.
Computer prices fell 3.7 percent last month. Airline fares slipped 0.9 percent, but they're still 4 percent higher than a year ago.
169 1998 Cape Cod Times. All rights reserved.


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The value proposition of using Epic Games' Unreal Engine keeps getting better. Just under two months ago, Epic ditched the $19 per month subscription free, opting instead to give budding developers free and unfettered access to its complete C++ source code hosted in GitHub while continuing to collect a 5 percent royalty on gross revenue after the $3,000 per project. Now Epic is adding support for SteamVR in Unreal Engine 4, the company announced today.
Vive Developer Edition “will be free, at least initially”
At GDC 2015, Valve was able to impress many people with its SteamVR technology including our own Maximum PC Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang (see what he thought about the SteamVR demo). But what is surprising is that the company announced that a consumer version will be available in 2015. It is short notice for a device that has just been revealed, but that doesn’t seem to bother Valve. So far, a small selection of developers already have kits, but Valve and HTC will be letting developers apply for a free Vive developer kit soon, according to Ars Technica.
During GDC, Valve was making quite an impression with attendants who experienced the company’s SteamVR demonstration (you can read about the experience). But it wouldn’t have been impressive if it weren’t for some of the titles that are being developed. Maximum PC Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang was able to interview a couple of the developers at Cloudhead Games about its VR title The Gallery: Six Elements.
The tech colossus has reportedly assigned ‘tens of engineers’ to the project
Virtual reality was all the rage at the recently-concluded Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, with the SteamVR-powered HTC Vive headset stealing the show and some of Oculus Rift’s gradually-accumulated thunder. But brace yourselves for another head-turning entry into the nascent VR market. According to the Wall Street Journal, an effort to develop a VR-optimized version of Android is currently underway at Google. This, the paper says, is the search engine giant’s response to last year’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook.
I just walked out of Valve’s SteamVR demo and can say that it is the best VR experience I’ve ever had. And this is coming from a guy who has tried nearly all of the VR headsets out there, including Oculus VR’s newest Crescent Bay prototype. This is the closest thing to a modern-day holodeck we have at the moment.
The Game Developers Conference is in full swing and we are starting to get a glimpse of what's being shown there. One of the more interesting parts of GDC revolves around what Valve has up its sleeve. Last week, the company said that it would be presenting some new living room devices in addition to its Steam Machines and finalized Steam Controller. Now, the wait is over, as Valve has announced the Steam Link, Source 2, and two new technologies for its VR headset.
Valve just made good on its promise of unveiling a SteamVR hardware system at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Meet Vive, a virtual reality headset powered by Valve’s SteamVR platform and manufactured by Taiwanese company HTC.
Unlike most developers and publishers that tend to inundate consumers with trailers, screenshots, developer diaries, and press releases to keep their games in the public’s eye, Valve tends to stay quiet. So while we know that the company has been working on its Steam Machines and perfecting its Steam Controller, it appears that these devices weren’t the only things the company has been working on. In fact, Valve will be unveiling a selection of new living room devices and a SteamVR hardware system at GDC while demonstrating its Steam Machines and finalized Steam Controller.
Valve has updated the SteamVR feature it debuted earlier this year, adding support for the Oculus Rift DK2 head-mounted display (HMD) that began shipping late last month. With this update, the still-in-beta SteamVR, which is essentially a Steam interface for HMDs like the Oculus Rift, now supports positional tracking on Windows and OSX.


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Could Busselton or Dunsborough be home to Australia’s best fish and chips?
The community has a chance to see a South West store boast the prestigious title.
West Australians are being urged to show the rest of the country that west is best and home to the tastiest seafood in the National Fish and Chip Awards.
In week three of the competition, which is in its second year, Busselton’s Leeuwin Way Takeaway was listed as within the state’s top 30 stores.
It has now dropped out, and neighbouring South West shops, Blue Ocean Fish and Chips in Augusta and Seven Seas Fish and Chips in Dalyellup, have appeared in the national leaderboard.
As well as the people’s choice awards, more than 20 judges are criss-crossing the country to judge Australia’s fish and chip shops.
Judging criteria includes taste, choice, service, information and presentation.
Voting ends on September 15, 2018 and winners will be announced on October 15, 2018. To vote, visit fishandchipsawards.com.au.


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Jun 1, 2023
Amazon to pay $30m over Alexa and Ring privacy violations
Amazon is to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it violated children's privacy rights with its Alexa voice assistant. Amazon's doorbell camera unit Ring will also pay out after giving employees unrestricted access to customers' data. Ring will pay $5.8 million to authorities, according to a filing in federal court in the District of Columbia. The FTC said Ring - which Amazon bought in 2018 - allowed "Thousands of employees and contractors" to watch recordings of customers' private spaces. In its statement to the BBC, Amazon said: "While we disagree with the FTC's claims regarding both Alexa and Ring, and deny violating the law, these settlements put these matters behind us."
Make a complaint about Amazon by viewing their customer service contacts.


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Israel’s Haskelberg Nurseries has entered into a joint venture agreement with UK-based ag-tech company Yellow Brick AgTech (YB AgTech) to create bespoke data-collecting software for its avocado rootstocks brand, Canacado.
The project marks the first phase of a long-term partnership between YB AgTech and Haskelberg Nurseries through the creation of new 50/50 joint venture company Haskelberg Advanced Technologies.
The new software will follow and manage information from orchards around the world. The data collection will enable Haskelberg Nurseries and its subsidiary brand Canacado, to make accurate rootstock recommendations to growers based on where they are in the world, allowing them to buy the right plant to maximize the performance of their orchard.
Udi Haskelberg, CEO of Haskelberg Nurseries, commented: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with YB AgTech on the creation of Haskelberg Advanced Technologies. This is the beginning of an exciting strategic venture which will produce amazing results for Haskelberg Nurseries and Canacado.”
Read the complete article at www.fruitnet.com.


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Streann Media Supports Innovative Direct-to-Consumer Strategies with TikTok-like Features, Paving the Way for More Engaging User Experiences
Streann Media, a trailblazer in the over-the-top (OTT) streaming and broadcast technology sector, is thrilled to announce the addition of groundbreaking TikTok-like features to its technology suite. By supporting innovative direct-to-consumer strategies such as these, the company is facilitating the creation of highly engaging and interactive user experiences, a testament to its commitment to leading the OTT streaming revolution.
Streann’s new features are specifically designed for companies seeking to develop their own version of TikTok, particularly those with established audiences. Recognizing the ever-evolving demands of modern viewers, Streann has integrated features such as vertical scrolling and advanced filters to provide a dynamic and seamless user experience.
Moreover, the company is paving the way for users to have a more participatory role in content creation and consumption. It’s facilitating User Generated Content (UGC) on Connected TV, a pioneering step in making television a more interactive and personalized experience. By enabling users to share their unique content, Streann is fostering a sense of community among viewers, enhancing engagement, and encouraging creativity.
“The rise of applications like Threads has shown us the importance of direct-to-consumer strategies and the potential they have in revolutionizing viewer experience,” says Streann’s CEO. “With our new TikTok-like features, we are empowering companies to tap into this potential, and provide their audiences with the tools to interact, create, and engage in a whole new way.”
Streann believes that when companies have an established audience, they should consider creating their own platforms that cater specifically to their viewers’ needs and preferences. This not only allows for a more personalized experience but also enables companies to directly connect with their audiences.
This announcement comes in the wake of significant milestones achieved by Streann Media in the past year, including streaming the Pan American Games, introducing the ‘My Channel’ broadcast option for creators on Streann Studio, and acquiring a patent for its revolutionary Inside-Ad technology. The addition of the new TikTok-like features further showcases Streann’s dedication to innovation and to its vision of transforming the future of digital content creation and delivery.
About Streann Media
Funded in 2016, Streann Media is dedicated to transforming the future of digital content creation and delivery with its vision of TV 3.0. The company provides cutting-edge technology for broadcasters and content providers, offering solutions that dramatically enhance viewer engagement and introduce innovative monetization methods. Through its commitment to continuous innovation, Streann Media is propelling the OTT streaming revolution, advancing TV 3.0, and setting the stage for the future of the broadcasting industry.


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Apple stocks took a hit recently on news that the company would limit the supply of iPads, one of the company's best-selling items and a leader in the tablet industry.
The news comes at the same time as an imminent announcement from Amazon that the Kindle will soon have a web-enabled, Android-powered sibling, rumored to be a smaller-screened and cheaper-priced tablet than the iPad and many current Android offerings.
"It's back to reality," said Wanli Wang of RBS Asia, according to Bloomberg News. "Now it seems even for Apple, due to the market situation, we need to be conservative."
Although media relations at Apple has yet to confirm reports, the news, coming from JPMorgan Chase and Co., was developed based on information from Apple's vendors. This wouldn't be the first time the Apple inventory was limited for consumers – its popular devices and mobile accessories have sold out in many markets in the past, leading to overnight lines outside of stores in anticipation of a new release and enormous initial sales of stock.
Until the recent supply report, the company's stock has fared well this year despite the rocky stock market.


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Your favorite Apple, iPhone, iPad, iOS, Jailbreak, and Cydia site.
08-13-2014, 10:27 PM #1
Google in Talks with HP in an effort to Compete with Apple and IBM Enterprise Deal
According to a recent report from The Information, Apple reportedly had discussions with HP over a mobile search product dubbed “Enterprise Siri” before announcing an enterprise partnership with IBM. The report detailed “Enterprise Siri” as a product designed to allow employees to securely obtain company information on their personal device.
It was reported that HP was supposedly in talks with Google’s Android units for the past year over a potential enterprise version of Google Now for corporate data. HP was pegged for being in discussions with both Apple and Google simultaneously before Apple’s decision to go with IBM. Since Apple signed a deal with IBM to help it grow its enterprise market, a deal between Google and HP is becoming increasingly likely. The move would allow Google to gain some market share in the space, which might be good for market competition and growth of features for end-users as the two tech giants strive to bring customers the best.
Apple’s partnership with IBM has the potential to further improve Apple’s sales in the enterprise market despite its already dominant lead. IBM is to develop more than 100 industry-specific native apps that are built from scratch for iOS devices to help attract new customers in various industries. The company has also been said to offer iOS devices to its corporate customers with plans of providing cloud storage, analytics services and 24/7 assistance to enterprise customers under a new AppleCare plan. All of these offerings could really make Apple stand out and be more appealing.
As of right now, the first set of IBM created apps are said to be released this upcoming Fall with additional apps scheduled to be released next year.
Source: The Information via BusinessInsider
Last edited by Akshay Masand; 08-13-2014 at 10:35 PM.


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September 20, 2012 |
MUMBAI: The Visa-promoted Movida mobile payments platform will be going live next month with the second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank as its banking partner, a Visa top official has said. "Movida will go live next month...on HDFC Bank it should be live. Other banks are in the pipeline," Visa country manager for India and South Asia Uttam Nayak told PTI. The work of integration and testing is on right now, before the product goes live, he said. Movida, an equal joint venture between Visa and the LSE-listed mobile banking solutions company Monitise, had in February this year announced a tie-up with HDFC Bank for the platform.
June 8, 2006 |
Bangalore, June 8 (PTI) Wipro Technologies, the global IT services arm of Wipro Ltd., has acquired Finland-based wireless design services company Saraware Oy for Euro 25 million (Rs 145 crore) in cash. The consideration of Euro 25 million includes upfront cash payment and debt take over, Wipro said. In addition, there are earn-outs on achieving the targeted financial conditions over an 18-month period, it said. Saraware, Wipro said, is a 21-year-old company and is a leading provider of design and engineering services for telecom companies.
March 24, 2014 |
MUMBAI: Wonobo, a portal offering street view, today launched its mobile version that will enable a person to 'see' a specific surrounding while on the go. "The mobile platform is very important for any location-based service provider and after the launch of the website last November, we are now ready with the mobile platform," Sajid Malik , chairman and managing director of Genesys International told PTI here. The publicly-traded Genesys is the company behind the Mumbai based Wonobo.com , which was launched after a two-year mapping of the streets across 54 cities in the country by specialised vehicles mounted with cameras.
November 15, 2010 |
MUMBAI: Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (BSLMF), today said it has launched a mobile platform called 'Mobile Investment Manager' in association with MCHEK India Payment Systems (mChek). The service is available to existing investors of Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund with the benefit of managing their investments from the convenience of their mobile phone, a release issued here said. On this mobile platform, an investor can seek portfolio information, make additional purchases, register for SIPs and also make switches and redemptions.
March 20, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: E-commerce company, ibiboGroup, which is a joint venture between South African media conglomerate Naspers and Chinese internet-focused strategic investor Tencent , has acquired online bus tracking and analytics platform, YourBus.in, for an undisclosed sum. The latest acquisition by ibiboGroup comes less than twelve months after the company acquired India's leading online bus ticketing business, Bangalore-based redBus, for...
September 16, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Bangalore-based mobile value-added service provider Ver Se Innovation has acquired Dexetra Software Solutions in a cash-and-stock deal. The buyout, which is expected to close over the next few days, will be the second such deal for the company which had acquired Rediff-backed mobile news application Newshunt in 2012. The Dexetra team and its products will be merged into Ver Se Innovation and its suite of products, according to a person with direct knowledge of the development.
June 2, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: With a majority of smartphone users adopting Android as their mobile platform, over 4 lakh Android malware were detected during the January-March period this year, security solutions firm Quick Heal said today. "Total Android malware detected by Quick Heal was over 4 lakhs, Android adware consisted of almost 89 per cent detections," Quick Heal said in its 'quarterly threat report' for January-March, 2014. It said 80 per cent of the smartphone users adopt Android as their mobile platform.
March 4, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Online gaming company Ibibo aims to increase its market share in the country's social gaming space to 50 per cent in the next two years, from 30-35 per cent at present. "At present, we capture 30-35 per cent of the social gaming market. In the next 24 months, we are targeting to garner 50 per cent market share," Ibibo CEO Ashish Kashyap told PTI. To achieve the target, the company is working on improving its offering over mobile platform and also increase the number of developers it is working with.
August 12, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Early-stage venture capital is re-entering India's education sector as it looks to invest in companies that focus on rural learning and offer technology-driven solutions to address gaps in the system. Companies such as Bangalorebased rural education company Hippocampus, affordable preschool venture Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions and mobile-based education courses provider GradeStack , are among those that received seed-to-early-stage funding in the past six months. In 2014, there have been six transactions totalling $25 million (150 crore)
February 11, 2009 |
NEW DELHI: Mobile value added services (VAS) company ValueFirst Messaging has raised $6 million(Rs 30 crore) from the US-based venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA) to fund its expansion plans. ValueFirst, which currently offers SMS-based services, is planning to introduce internet and voice based services for the mobile platform in India. The quantum of stake picked by NEA in the Gurgaon-based company was not disclosed. "We have been in the business for five years and expanding rapidly.


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NEWARK, N.J. (CBS.MW) -- IDT Corp.'s bid for WorldCom's core assets consists of a $5.1 billion combination of cash and stock, company Chairman Howard Jonas said Friday.
Jonas outlined the terms of his company's offer to purchase WorldCom's MCI, MFS and Brooks Fiber units in a noon conference call Friday.
WorldCom would receive an $800 million payment in IDT class B common shares immediately and a payment in cash between $800 million and $900 million at the end of the first two quarters following the takeover.
IDT would pay the balance to WorldCom in year two and three of the deal with any "free cash flow" the acquired business generates, which Jonas estimated would be at least $1.7 billion a year for three years.
"If the books in anyway resemble the truth, this would be a good offer," Jonas said.
A company official said during the call that the deal is structured in this way so that IDT is "immunized from tricky books."
WorldCom announced on June 25 that it had misallocated $3.8 billion in expenses. The news sent the company's share price careening into penny status.
Shares gained 3 cents to trade at 25 cents.
IDT stands to expand its business significantly if it manages to capture even a portion of MCI's 20 million-customer base. Customers are already fleeing the beleaguered telecom firm to sign up with competitors.
"There is nobody who can make a more substantive offer," Jonas said.
"There are dramatic customer losses going on at the moment. There are large-scale defections of the most talented employees," he said.
Separately, Jonas said he was approached by WorldCom about six months ago to purchase the company's MCI business but was turned down after the $2 billion offer he made was deemed too low. WorldCom was asking for $6 billion, he said.
"I'm sure there will be denials, but the MCI business was being shopped to us by investment bankers and the company for six months," he said.
WorldCom is in clear danger of bankruptcy if it is unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with lenders to pay off its more than $30 billion in debt.
Jonas said WorldCom's bondholders are in favor of IDT's offer, however, WorldCom is not currently in default with any covenants of its agreements with these bondholders.
The company is, however, in default of certain covenants with its syndicate of banks.
IDT would not assume any portion of WorldCom's debt via its offer.
IDT's plan for WorldCom customers
IDT Corp. also offered a plan Friday to keep WorldCom's customers connected while it works through negotiations with its creditors.
The company proposed that customers of WorldCom's MFS and Brooks Fiber units use the networks of Winstar, an IDT subsidiary.
The plan, which WorldCom has spurned, also would allow the company's MCI long-distance customers access to IDT's long distance network for the same prices they are currently receiving through WorldCom.
"We believe that everything is in place to make a deal, and we don't want customer attrition to get in the way, while negotiations between IDT and WorldCom and creditors move forward," Jim Courter, chief executive of IDT, said in a statement.


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History, A&E and Lifetime networks launch on Apple TVA trio of new content options from A+E Networks debuted on the Apple TV on Monday, with viewers now capable of watching content from History, A&E and Lifetime through new dedicated channels.
All three channels launched on Monday through a silent update, and are now available on Apple's set-top box. Content includes popular shows like History's "Pawn Stars," and original movies from Lifetime.
The debut comes just days after A&E and History both brought live streaming of their channels to their respective iPad applications. Users are required to login with their cable provider to access the live streams, as well as on-demand content.
Apple has been steadily adding content options to the Apple TV in recent months as it faces increased competition from new devices like the Amazon Fire TV. New additions from this year alone include ACC Sports, iTunes Festival, WWE Network, and Red Bull TV.
Revamped Apple TV hardware is expected to launch later this year with motion controls that will allow users to interact with the device without the need for a remote control.
On Topic: Apple TV
- Apple reportedly asking providers handle cost and infrastructure for rumored streaming TV service
- Apple has not approached Comcast about Web television deal
- Apple TV adds CNNgo for live and on-demand news video
- Apple TV app lineup expands with TED, Tastemade, Young Hollywood
- Netflix flips switch on streaming services in Australia and New Zealand, lands on Apple TV


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The last time we saw the 1954 Pizza Man Corvette racer it was crossing Mecum’s red carpet in St. Charles, Illinois in October of 2012. Back then it was a no sale after a high bid of $120,000. Recently it showed up on eBay still for sale. The “World’s Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette” beat up on the competition from 1962 to 1971 with Earl Britt behind the wheel.
Auctions & Results
Enthusiasts were treated to three days of excitement last week when Mecum presented their second major collector car auction of 2014, April 10th through the 12th in Houston.
The heavily promoted prototype Ford GT40 was hammered down at $7M and TV viewers got to see it on live TV. It was the highest price ever hammered down for an American car being broadcast on “live” TV. And though that was impressive, it was actually more exciting to watch former Viet Nam veteran Don McNamara’s pristine, 2997-mile Corvette hammered down for $725K ($797.5 including commissions). Along with the McNamara Corvette, Mecum sold 61 of the 101 Corvettes consigned, a strong sell through for Corvettes.
In a few days two prophetic auctions will take place that collectors of Corvettes will want to keep their eyes on whether they plan to bid at these auctions or not. The two biggest sellers of collector Corvettes in the country, Mecum and Barrett-Jackson will be holding their second important collector auctions of 2014. The reason these auctions are important is because after some mixed and difficult to interpret first quarter Corvette auction results, we should get a better read on the Corvette collector market and where it is headed for this year. After a spectacular 2013 which saw new records set on “blue chip” Corvette prices, and while the Corvette segment of the collector market was strong for most rare and well optioned cars, at this point it is difficult determine whether last year’s strong market tends will continue for 2014.
Corvette Nation’s Michael Brown (Director of The Quest) visits Mecum’s Dallas 2013 Auction and takes us inside a very unique car collection owned by the late Mr. Buddy Herin. This Corpus Christi, Texas resident was the seller of the 1967 L88 Corvette which set a world record price at $3.2 Million for a Corvette sold at a public auction. Also included in the collection is a 1957 “Air Box” Corvette, a 1962 big brake fuelie Corvette and a 1963 Red/Red Corvette Z06.
Visit CorvetteVideos.TV for the best selection of hand-picked Corvette videos.
We’ve talked about the Forgiato Widebody C7 Corvette Stingrays before because frankly, we think they’re cool. And while some other auto sites and Corvette traditionalists continue to bash these cars, we hold them up as great examples of the what can be done with a base Corvette Stingray when you have time, money and a vision.
A ZR1 coupe, one of the rarest Corvettes ever produced, will cross the block in Houston at Mecum’s three day auction April 10th through 12th. The 1972 Corvette ZR1 is one of only twenty produced and one of less than ten actual numbers matching production cars known to exist.
The Elkhart Green with saddle interior award winner is fully documented and has two tank stickers and is part of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection. With only 16,300 miles the car has the matching numbers LT1 engine, M22 “Rock Crusher” 4-speed transmission, J56 and F41 heavy duty brakes and suspension. It will cross the block on Friday, April 11, at Houston’s Reliant Center.
Back in January, GM unveiled the highly anticipated C7 Z06 at the North American International Auto Show. According to the General Motors, the 2015 Corvette Z06 will be “the most track-capable Corvette ever, designed to deliver supercar levels of performance through unique powertrain, chassis and aerodynamic features.” Corvette enthusiasts from around the world have been waiting for the reintroduction of the legendary model and if you want to be the owner of the new Z06, VIN 001, then you need to be in Palm Beach, Florida for the Barrett-Jackson auction that runs April 11th through 13th.
It appears that Mecum is off and running for 2014 after a weather induced slow start in Kissimmee. Their Houston event is shaping up to be typical of the high quality consignments that usually characterizes their events with some outstanding Corvettes scheduled to cross the block from Thursday, April 10th through Saturday, April 12th.
As I was reviewing Mecum’s latest on-line catalog, two Corvettes jumped off the page to capture my attention.
Certainly no Corvette enthusiast could ignore the Bunkie Knudsen Corvette, after all it is not only the auction headliner, it is one of the most interesting Corvettes ever made, as well as the personal car for then Chevrolet General manager Bunkie Knudsen. The second Corvette, perhaps not as well known, is the stunning 1967 Corvette coupe once owned by former Marine and Viet Nam veteran, Don McNamara, and put into storage with less than 3K miles on it, has a bullet proof provenance and literally may be the finest 1967 “survivor” in existence.
If you are a Corvette enthusiast or collector then you obviously are familiar with Dana Mecum and his auction business. Over the years Mecum has grown his company exponentially and one of the key parts of that success is why most Corvette enthusiasts are familiar with the “King of Corvettes.” That key ingredient has been his relentless drive to offer the largest and best selection of Corvettes of any collector car auction in the world. For example, at his Kissimmee event in January 232 Corvettes of the almost 400 Corvettes offered found new homes.


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ANAHEIM, CA – 11-22-2018 (PRDistribution.com) — Best Wig Outlet, the online retailer of quality, brand name wigs, hair extensions, and hairpieces, has launched a new closeouts section of its website just in time to meet the demands of the holidays.
On Black Friday, customers will be able to explore an extensive range hair products that have been discounted as much as 85% off the retail price.“We’re extremely excited about the upcoming holiday season,” said Alicia Gonzales, Customer Service Manager of Best Wig Outlet. “Starting on Black Friday, our customers will have an opportunity to get a brand new look at a great price.”The wig closeouts section will include some open-box products along with other items that have been very popular over the years. Customers will be able to find offerings from most all of the company’s product lines, including wigs for men, women, and children as well as hair extensions, hairpieces, and even a range of popular costume wigs and accessories.The wigs that will be included in this section feature some of the most well-known and respected brands, including: Amore, Belle Tress, Envy, Euro Next, HIM, It’s a Wig, Jon Renau, New Look, Noriko, Raquel Welch, Revlon, TressAllure, Wig Pro, and many more.“At Best Wig Outlet, we feel like there is no better time for a new look than the holidays,” Gonzales went on to say. “This is a chance for anyone to discover a new ‘you’ and start building their self-confidence and feeling great.”The company also offers an extensive guide on choosing the right wigs and hair extensions as well as tips and guides for wearing and styling. This, the company says, should help customers get the right closeout wigs and extensions without feeling the pressure of the holiday rush.About Best Wig OutletBest Wig Outlet is a leading online retailer of high-quality, brand-name wigs, hair extensions, and hairpieces. Founded in 1999, the company now provides everything from the top-of-the-line African American wigs to affordable synthetic medical wigs. A variety of fun and exciting costume wigs, beards, and accessories are also available throughout the year.
For the original news story, please visit https://prdistribution.com/news/best-wig-outlet-launches-wig-closeout-section-in-time-for-black-friday.html.
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THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has pegged today as the day it will release its final decision on Archer Daniels Midland Company's (ADM) proposal to take over GrainCorp.
At a Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA) and Agribusiness Association of Australia (AAA)-hosted breakfast in Perth last week ACCC deputy chairman Michael Schaper told a group of WA growers, agribusiness and food company representatives, the ACCC's focus was on the impact the potential merger would have on competition and markets in Australia.
It was a rare insight into the ACCC's role in the Australian grains industry, where Dr Schaper covered off on a number of major developments in key areas of direct relevance to WA agriculture including reforms to the wheat export regime, port access and CBH's Grain Express.
He said the merger review of ADM's proposed takeover of GrainCorp looked at whether the potential deal would substantially lessen competition in the market and whether or not a number of other issues might arise if the merger didn't go through.
"In terms of company mergers Australia has a somewhat unusual regime in the form of informal reviews," Dr Schaper said.
"Sometimes they'll be prompted by the ACCC and other times by the companies or firms involved.
"Those companies have the opportunity to come to the ACCC on their own accord and make it known they're proposing a merger.
"The ACCC also frequently carries out public consultation in regards to major merger matters.
"Incidentally, it's not responsible for whether those final decisions impinge on the level of foreign investment in the country - that's a whole different issue."
During his address Dr Schaper also touched briefly on a number of Australian wheat industry issues including the Grain Express ruling and market access agreements.
"The Australian wheat industry generally had already been and still remains on the cusp of a number of profound changes," he said.
"This is a very different industry to what it was only a couple of decades ago."
His address was timely in light of the potential ADM and GrainCorp merger.
On Monday GrainCorp released its Target's Statement in which the GrainCorp directors unanimously recommend that shareholders accept the offer from ADM Australia Holdings II Pty Limited (ADM Australia), a wholly owned subsidiary of ADM, to acquire all of the GrainCorp shares not already held by it in the absence of a superior proposal.
The Target's Statement contained GrainCorp's formal response to the offer, including detailed reasons for the GrainCorp directors' recommendation, as well as other relevant information for shareholders to consider in deciding whether or not to accept the offer.
GrainCorp said should the offer become unconditional, GrainCorp shareholders who accept the offer and hold shares at the relevant times would receive cash payments of $13.20 a share, made up of:
p a payment from ADM Australia of $12.20 a share and
p permitted dividends totalling $1 a share.
The dividends were expected to be fully franked to provide additional value of up to $0.43 a share for those shareholders who could capture the full benefit from franking credits.
GrainCorp also said its shareholders might also be entitled to receive an earnings dividend - a dividend equal to 3.5 cents a share for each full month between September 30, 2013 and the earnings dividend end date (expected to be the date the regulatory conditions of the offer have been satisfied or waived).
In making their recommendation for shareholders to accept the offer, GrainCorp's directors considered the cash payments of $13.20 a share represented a significant premium to GrainCorp's trading prices before the announcement of ADM's initial takeover proposal.
On Monday a copy of the Target's Statement was lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and given to ASX Limited and ADM Australia.
Just last week Fairfax journalist Andrew Marshall reported that Australian growers shouldn't underestimate why Illinois-based multinational ADM wanted GrainCorp.
In recent years GrainCorp shareholders had become growingly frustrated by the company's east coast grain accumulation and port network which was built specifically for growers and paid for by grower levies.
p GrainCorp's Target's Statement will soon be made available to shareholders and will be available for review and downloading at graincorp.com.au


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Buckle up, Malaysia! We’ve got some electrifying news that’s about to supercharge the digital revolution for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the nation. The MSME Digital Grant, now known as the Geran Digital PMKS Madani (GDPM), is not just continuing its mission in 2024 – it’s soaring to new heights. We’re talking about an additional RM100 million grant allocation, and it’s set to empower a whopping 20,000 MSME entrepreneurs to embrace the digital era. Get ready for a transformational journey as we delve into this thrilling development.
1. Expanding Horizons:
The GDPM initiative has been a game-changer since its inception in 2021, providing a much-needed boost for businesses wanting to dive headfirst into the digital realm. But hold onto your hats because it’s taking off even higher in 2024! The Malaysian government, dedicated to fostering digital growth, has pledged an additional RM100 million for this groundbreaking grant.
2. 20,000 Entrepreneurs, 20,000 Success Stories:
Picture this – 20,000 MSME entrepreneurs across Malaysia, each with the opportunity to harness up to RM5,000 in grant support. That’s 20,000 digital success stories waiting to be written. It’s an opportunity for your business to transform, innovate, and elevate in ways you’ve only dreamed of.
3. The Power of GDPM:
But what exactly can you do with the GDPM? The answer is: the sky’s the limit. From digital marketing and sales strategies that turbocharge your reach to streamlined digital payment and e-POS systems for faster, more secure transactions, the GDPM offers a wide array of digital tools. Automate payroll, manage customer relationships, and simplify finance with HR Payroll System and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Get real-time insights with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and accounting tools. Ensure the utmost security and authenticity with legally recognized e-signatures. Connect your operations intelligently with IoT and Intelligent Systems, and protect your digital assets with robust cybersecurity measures.
4. The Government’s Digital Vision:
The Malaysian government is leaving no stone unturned in its commitment to uplifting the digital economy. With the support of key agencies like Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), SME Bank, and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the GDPM is set to be a beacon of hope for MSMEs across the country.
2024 is the year for Malaysian MSMEs to shine brightly in the digital universe. With the GDPM’s RM100 million grant allocation, 20,000 entrepreneurs will be well-equipped to step into the digital age. It’s not just a grant; it’s a launchpad for success. So, fasten your seatbelts, MSMEs, because this digital ride is going to be one for the books. Stay tuned for updates on how to seize this incredible opportunity and steer your business towards digital greatness!


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By Sujan Hajra
Without a lot of fanfare, the budget did a decent job of striking a balance between opposing goals, such as promoting investment-led growth while also consolidating the budgetary position of the government. We anticipate that businesses involved in infrastructure, construction, the provision of building materials, and hospitality will reap the greatest benefits.
The Union Budget is released at a time when the economy around the world is slowing down. India is a shining example of hope since, in comparison to counterparts, the country has the highest growth and one of the lowest inflation rates. The budget has struck a compromise between competing goals, such as encouraging growth while maintaining fiscal consolidation, reducing the burden on taxpayers while bringing in robust revenue growth, and giving preference to investment while not discouraging consumer spending. The primary focus of the budget was on maintaining India’s position at the top of the global economic order.
Infrastructure, construction, and building material firms stand to benefit from a strong rise in budgeted outlay for infrastructure for the second year in a row, as well as from a continued emphasis on affordable housing. Certain makers of durable goods, such as air conditioners, as well as manufacturers of wire and cable are set to benefit. Certain long-lasting goods and home appliances could benefit from restructured customs duties (e.g., LED bulb, TVs, chimneys). The emphasis placed on tourism is a significant boon for the hospitality industry.
Key positives for the automobile sector include substantial funds being allocated as part of the green hydrogen mission, viability gap funding for the energy storage industry, and scrappage programmes for older vehicles by governments. Important factors include increased funding under the PLI scheme as well as increased support for the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles. In order to encourage more production within the country, customs taxes have been reduced. We anticipate a beneficial impact on M&H CV manufacturers in the relatively short future.
Banks, housing businesses, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) would all benefit from large capital outlays, an emphasis on housing as part of the PMAY, income tax relief, and the continuation of guaranteed loans to MSME. However, measures relating to high-value real estate, the taxation of income from life insurance could be detrimental for life insurers.
The general measures including income tax relief would be beneficial for consumer-focused industries like fast-moving consumer goods, consumer electronics, and consumer retail. Various support extended by the budget to the rural economy would also benefit these segments. The increased tax on cigarettes is quite insignificant, and it is very probable that it will be readily passed on to customers, which will be beneficial for these businesses. It’s possible that jewellery makers’ profit margins will be affected by the emphesis on lab-grown diamonds.
We do not anticipate a significant direct impact from the budget on industries such as chemicals, information technology, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals. The housing market is a mixed bag, with some benefits, such as affordable housing, and others ranging from negative to neutral.
Our top recommendations based purely on the budget measures (in alphabetical order) are the following: Amber Enterprises, Ashok LL, Indian Hotels, ITD Cementation, ITC, KNR Constructions, NCC, PNC Infratech, Tata Motors, and Ultratech.
(Sujan Hajra – Chief Economist and Executive Director, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers. The views expressed in the article are of the author and do not reflect the official position or policy of FinancialExpress.com.)


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Costco plans $3.5B debt offering to cover dividend costs
Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) said Wednesday afternoon that it has priced the $3.5 billion debt offering being issued to pay for a special $7-per-share cash dividend for Costco shareholders announced earlier.
Costco said it will sell three sets of senior unsecured notes, including $1.2 billion in 0.650 percent senior notes due on Dec. 7, 2015; $1.1 billion in 1.125 percent senior notes due on Dec.15, 2017; and $1.2 billion in 1.700 percent senior notes due on Dec. 15, 2019. The offering is expected to close on Dec. 7.
The $7-per-share dividend on Costco common stock is payable on Dec. 18, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of day Dec. 10.
Jeanne Lang Jones covers retail and real estate for the Puget Sound Business Journal.
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Canadian bank BMO has signed a five-year jersey sponsorship deal with the Montreal Impact, slated to make their MLS debut in '12. The team has yet to release images of the jersey, but Impact President Joey Saputo said it will remain blue. The Canadian bank, which in '07 signed a jersey sponsorship deal with Toronto FC, becomes the first company to sponsor two MLS squads' jerseys simultaneously. BMO’s sponsorship includes the front of the Impact jersey as well as signage at Saputo Stadium, on team tickets and on the team’s bench. In addition, BMO is one of the founding partners of Canada’s other MLS team, the Vancouver Whitecaps. The bank currently sponsors the Canadian Soccer Association and the country’s men’s and women’s national teams, as well as 900 soccer teams at the youth level. BMO will introduce a Team Up campaign with the Impact program that funds youth players to attend Impact games (Fred Dreier, SportsBusiness Journal). In Montreal, Stephanie Myles reports the BMO partnership is the "biggest sponsorship deal" in the Impact's history, and "one of the biggest sports sponsorships in the history of the province." Saputo said, "That was one of my selling points. You're the Bank of Montreal, you have to be in Montreal. ... It was only natural for them to get involved with Montreal if they want to be known as Canada's soccer bank." While the Impact will not change colors, a "new logo is in the works" (Montreal GAZETTE, 6/15).
Samsung has asked LOCOG officials “to protect its Olympic sponsorship from ambush marketing" ahead of the '12 London Games, according to Roger Blitz of the FINANCIAL TIMES." Samsung, an IOC TOP sponsor, said that it expects LOCOG to "react rapidly to any unauthorised attempts by rivals to advertise during the Games." Samsung VP & Head of Worldwide Sports Marketing Gyehyun Kwon said that the electronics company “was spending more than $100m in marketing to underpin its Olympics sponsorship, with about two-thirds of that amount” invested in the U.K. Kwon said Olympics organizers “have to do something against ambush marketing they find, that is the issue.” Kwon: “If it is categorised as ambush marketing, as the local authorities they have to shut down the operations. They have the legal authority and the power. We have a high expectation of the London authorities and the organising committee.” Samsung on Monday launched its ’12 Olympics marketing campaign, “built around David Beckham as its global ambassador” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/14). Samsung's promotional campaign will be held under the theme "Everyone’s Olympic Games.” The company also is sponsoring the Olympic torch relay, and “will select 1,360 of the 8,000 runners who will bear the torch on a 70-day trip around” the U.K. after the torch arrives from Greece in May ’12 (KOREAHERALD.com, 6/14).
EXHIBIT A: The London DAILY MAIL reported LOCOG is "threatening legal action" against a company trying to hold an art exhibit "unless they remove the '2012' from their proposed trademark." The Great Exhibition 2012 "aims to stage a major event outside of London in August next year, at the same time as the Olympics." LOCOG is claiming that the company is "trying to cash in on the Games." LOCOG has sent a letter to the exhibit warning that if the organizers do not "drop '2012' from their application for a trademark then London 2012 'will seek to recover our costs' from ensuing legal action" (DAILYMAIL.co.uk, 6/14). The Great Exhibition Company founder Julie Benson said that she "has spent the last 12 years planning the art event." However, she admits that London winning the Games in '05 "led her to plan the timing and the name of the exhibition" (BBC.co.uk, 6/14).
In Scotland, Dominic Jeff reported the Royal Bank of Scotland this week was scheduled to announce a "new sponsorship deal with Andy Murray despite making big cutbacks since its taxpayer bail-out.” The bank is "a long-standing backer of the Scottish tennis ace and his brother Jamie, with the last deal, struck in 2009, reportedly worth” US$3.25M annually. RBS would not comment on details of the latest arrangement, but it is “believed that it will require greater community involvement from the family.” The deal reportedly will involve Murray’s mother and tennis coach, Judy Murray, “fronting a campaign aimed at encouraging parents to play sports with their children” (THE SCOTSMAN, 6/13).
FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL: CAMPAIGNLIVE.co.uk's Matt Williams noted Sony is “revisiting its iconic ‘balls’ TV ad in an online campaign to promote its 3D coverage of the Wimbledon finals.” The U.K. campaign, via Crayon, London, is “spearheaded by a video featuring thousands of tennis balls bouncing through the streets of suburban Wimbledon, in the same way that Fallon's ad for Sony Bravia showed thousands of colourful balls bouncing through the streets of San Francisco.” The video will be “supported by a national press campaign, as well as radio, eCRM and experiential activity, with 10,000 branded tennis balls being handed out in London.” Users will also “be able to take part in a competition that challenges them to collect virtual tennis balls that have been placed on various web pages.” Each ball collected represents an "entry into a competition, with prizes including tickets to the final, as well as a range of Sony 3D products” (CAMPAIGNLIVE.co.uk, 6/15).
CREATING A RACKET: In London, Belinda White wrote it “seems that the fashion world is having a tennis moment.” The British Fashion Council is “capitalising on the worldwide interest in Wimbledon” by enlisting a "host of British fashion design talent to design exclusive outfits for the leading lights of the female tennis world for this year's pre-Wimbledon party.” Designers including Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Giles Deacon, Burberry, Richard Nicoll, Matthew Williamson, Hussein Chalayan and David Koma “have all offered their services for this one-of-a-kind project aimed at raising both the off-court profile of the stars of women's tennis, and the international profile of British fashion design talent.” Many of the designers “will be accompanying the WTA stars to the annual pre-Wimbledon party” at Kensington Rooftop Gardens on Thursday “to show off their creations, before the dresses are auctioned off during Wimbledon with the proceeds being split between WTA charities and the British Fashion Council's Princess of Wales Charitable Trust” (London TELEGRAPH, 6/13).
In Dallas, Marianne Brown noted sporting goods stores across the Dallas-Ft. Worth region have "gotten new shipments” of official Mavericks championship T-shirts or will get them soon. Fourteen Academy Sports & Outdoors locations opened at 7:00am CT yesterday “to meet the demand,” and “many Dick’s Sporting Goods stores said they had a large number of the T-shirts available.” Brown noted “most Sports Authority locations said they were low on adult sizes but were expecting new shipments this week” (DALLASNEWS.com, 6/14).
LISTEN TO THIS: Newly retired NBAer Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to endorse battery and headphone company iGo and "will appear in the company's marketing and advertising campaigns." That includes "print and television advertising, packaging and in-store and online promotions." O'Neal's "first duty will be to help launch" the new iGo Green Rechargeable Alkaline battery brand and iGo headphones that will be available nationwide this summer. This is the "first time iGo has employed a celebrity of any sort for its product marketing" (MEDIAPOST.com, 6/14).
LICENSE TO ILL: NASCAR Team Properties last night was recognized as the "Best Sports Program of the Year" at the International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. The award follows a year in which NASCAR and its teams formed a new licensing trust, ending a system that required licensees to negotiate deals with each individual NASCAR team and replacing it with one in which licensees could secure rights across the sport from one entity. Since then, the group has signed deals with Lionel Electric Trains, Motorsports Authentics, Spin Master Toys and Walmart (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).
ON THE LINKS: Lexus yesterday announced the addition of golfer Jason Day to its sponsorship roster, with the deal beginning tomorrow at the start of the U.S. Open. Day will wear the Lexus logo on his apparel and make appearances at Lexus events as a brand ambassador. Lexus' golf endorsers include Nick Watney, Natalie Gulbis, Charles Howell III, Annika Sorenstam, Peter Jacobsen, Mark O'Meara, Raymond Floyd and Johnny Miller (Lexus). Meanwhile, Washington state-based employee benefits, annuities and life insurance provider Symetra Financial yesterday announced an agreement to sponsor golfer J.J. Henry through '12. The agreement with Henry marks Symetra’s first sponsorship with a PGA Tour player (Symetra).
OPEN HAPPINESS: The PGA Tour yesterday announced a new logo and name for the final tournament of the Playoffs for the FedExCup. The event will now be called the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola. The new branding is part of Coca-Cola and Southern Co.'s six-year sponsorship renewals through '16 (PGA Tour). In Atlanta, Jeremiah McWilliams noted the logo “features Coca-Cola’s contour bottle alongside a golf ball.” Tour Championship Exec Dir Todd Rhinehart: “We believe this new logo symbolizes the Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to increasing the reach and impact of the culmination of the FedExCup” (AJC.com, 6/14).


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The company's app lets users list their cars and sends a so-called "car enthusiast" to their homes to detail the vehicle, take professional photos and estimate its market value.
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Startup Graphic.ly has just closed a $3 million Series A for its comic book community and digital marketplace. The round was lead by DFJ Mercury, with 500 Startups, Dundee VC, Ludlow Ventures and several angel investors participating. The idea of a digital comic book store has captivated us since Graphic.ly's launch, probably because it unites a type of old-school nerd-dom with the new school of tech geekery.
Jinni, a movie and television show semantic search and recommendation engine, has closed a $5 million Series B led by Belgium telecommunications operator Belgacom and an unnamed connected-TV manufacture. Previous investor DFJ Tamir Fishman Ventures also participated in the round. Jinni's purpose is to help users find the movies and TV shows that match their moods and personal preferences.
Meebo has just announced its Series D, which includes $25 million of funding led by Khosla Ventures. Other investors included Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Sequoia Capital. Meebo's been on a roll over the past year, churning out features, launching mobile apps, revamping UIs and attracting major brand advertisers.
Retailigence, a startup in the location-based mobile and web shopping space, has just closed a $1.5 million seed round from prominent Silicon Valley VC firms. The startup's initial roster of investors includes Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), Dave McClure's 500 Startups, Quest Venture Partners and others. Retailigence is a Palo Alto-based startup; the company seeks to marry location-based shopping with actual store inventory for mobile- and web-based customers.


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Nicaragua to export to the European Union
The Embassy of Holland recently financed the COACHING program, which will benefit 14 small and medium Nicaraguan enterprises that process honey, coffee, cocoa, and fruits, among other agribusiness products.
The program was created by the Import Promotion Center for Developing Countries of the Netherlands (CBI, for its acronym in Spanish) the Center for Exports and Investments of Nicaragua (CEI, for its acronym in Spanish), and the Producers and Exporters Association of Nicaragua (APEN, for its acronym in Spanish), which provides the country’s SMEs assistance, training and financing in order to export to the European market.
On May 19th, 2010, the European Union and Central America closed negotiations on the Association Agreement they first signed in 2007. The Association Agreement is currently undergoing legal revision in Nicaragua and will proceed to the National Assembly for ratification.
The EU concessions granted to Nicaragua under the agreement include immediate free access for most agricultural products such as banana, sugar, meat, rice and cheese, as well as manufactured products such as textiles and apparel.
The commercial negotiation will allow the country to export up to 500 metric tons of meat to the EU free of taxes with a 5 percent simple annual growth and 11,000 tons of bananas with a 5 percent simple annual growth as well as other products.
As a result of Nicaragua’s engagement in constantly seeking opportunities to ensure its successful integration into international trade by increasing its market access to countries around the world through current preferential access and free trade agreements, the country has access to over 1.4 billion people.
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RONicaragua is the Nicaraguan Investment Promotion Agency, established in 2002. It is a non-profit, public-private institution whose mission is to generate economic growth and job creation in Nicaragua by attracting high-quality foreign direct investment. The agency provides complimentary support services to qualified investors seeking investment opportunities in our country.