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Designed to balance performance and portability, Apple’s MacBook Air has widely been described as one of the world’s best notebooks since its first-generation launch back in 2008.
But, Sony could prove a real contender to Californian tech giant Apple, with its new line of ultrabooks – the Sony Vaio Pro, which comes in either 11 or 13-inch models.
And Sony certainly isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to its goal. As product manager for Vaio Travis Furst, said: “We’re going to war with the MacBook Air.”
Vaio Pro Prices
In a market that prides itself on being compact and carriageable, Sony’s Vaio Pro is lighter than the Air and has a higher resolution screen, better specifications and a price which directly compares with Apple’s MacBook, coming in at $1,149 for the 11-inch version and $1,249 for the larger model.
Vaio Pro Features
Sony’s 13-inch Vaio Pro weighs in at just 2.34 pounds, making it more than half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air, impressive stuff indeed. And, at 0.68 inches thick, it’s exactly the same as Apple’s gizmo.
The Vaio Pro 11-inch model is the same width but even lighter, at 1.92 pounds, an incredible feat of engineering.
Both models run on Windows 8 and have 1920 x 1080 screen resolutions, giving them accurate, contrast-rich colours.
Each size comes in a choice of two classic colours, a chrome silver or glossy black. Our favourite is the darker version, which provides a sleek contrast to the reflective Vaio logo.
Some tech experts have criticised the Vaio Pro for feeling fragile, but Sony says its new models are made with “uni-directional carbon fibre,” which is lighter and stronger than aluminium, a material which Sony claims is “thin but not flimsy”.
Sony’s new gadgets are due to arrive in stores on June 9. So far, however, the Vaio has met with mixed reviews.
Cnet says: “It looks like the wait for some interesting ultrabooks might be over thanks to the launch of Intel’s fourth-gen Core i-series processors.”
But The Verge says while the 13-inch Vaio would be a good choice for those looking for a Windows 8 ultrabook who don’t want “any crazy hinges or convertible features,” the 11-inch model falters because of build-quality problems and a touchscreen that is too high-res for its screen size.
So, it looks as if Sony could have some way to go to convince consumers to take a leap into the unknown, rather than opting for Apple’s tried-and-tested MacBook.
And, the Vaio Pro is certainly not without further competition. Toshiba’s new Kirabook is targeting exactly the same market and also has its sights firmly set on Apple, with its PR people saying it compares with Apple – or, as they explained – “our apples to Apple’s apples.”
Toshiba’s Kirabook starts at $1,599 though and $1,799 for its more sophisticated touchscreen model, meaning you can get a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display for around the same money. That puts it well above Sony’s new Vaio, so the Japanese multinational may win over consumers with its price point alone.
It remains to be seen whether Apple will continue to enjoy its stranglehold on the ultrabook market.


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Nvidia’s Tegra 3 Tries to Save Battery in All Sorts of Different Ways
Well, the Tegra 3 is just full of surprises.
Nvidia has already disclosed that its quad-core chip also packs a low-power fifth core that can be used in place of the other four to save power. On Monday, Nvidia shared a few more secrets about its latest smartphone and tablet processor.
Among its other power-conserving superpowers is the ability to reduce the amount of backlighting needed. It does this by looking frame by frame at what is being displayed and, when possible, opening up pixels and turning down the backlight where possible.
“That adds a significant amount of battery life to these mobile devices,” Nvidia mobile unit head Mike Rayfield said in an interview, noting that backlights are one of the bigger drains on battery life. In addition to the backlight trick and the low-power core, Rayfield said the Tegra 3 also eliminates the need for a separate controller to process input on a touchscreen.
The Tegra 3 is already shipping in Asus’s Transformer Prime (a device first shown at AsiaD). At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nvidia is showing the Tegra 3 in action on a bunch of other devices.
Nvidia isn’t the only chipmaker trying to make a case for its processors this week. Both Intel CEO Paul Otellini and Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs are slated to deliver keynote speeches on Tuesday.
All three companies are trying to make the case for why their processors should be the brains of device makers’ next mobile gadgets. And they aren’t the only ones: Texas Instruments, MediaTek and Broadcom are also angling for different segments of the market.

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Locally based Excel Trust Inc. has purchased La Costa Towne Center, a retail plaza in Carlsbad, for approximately $23.5 million.
A Feb. 29 company statement said the center, at 7710 El Camino Real, has approximately 121,000 square feet. Vons is the anchor tenant, with a lease in effect, although the grocer is no longer occupying the space.
Company officials said the property “presents an opportunity to re-tenant and redevelop portions of the center to create additional value.”
The Carlsbad purchase follows the firm’s Feb. 17 acquisition of EastChase Market Center, a 181,000-square-foot retail plaza in Montgomery, Ala., for approximately $24.7 million.
The retail-focused investment trust has headquarters in Rancho Bernardo and trades under the symbol EXL on the New York Stock Exchange. The company said it acquired approximately $255 million in properties and sold $40 million in properties during 2011.
-- Lou Hirsh


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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Nintendo Switch is giving pastel pink vibes in celebration of Princess Preach. The gaming giant is releasing limited-edition, pastel pink Joy-Con controllers, to coincide with the release of the Princess Peach: Showtime video game out Friday (March 22).
The Joy-Con controllers will be released the same day as Princess Peach: Showtime, Nintendo announced on Twitter last week. According to the announcement, the pastel pink Joy-Con controllers will be available at select retailers and the My Nintendo Store.
You can buy the pink Joy-Con controllers at Nintendo.com and major retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon — while supplies last. The set includes a left and right Joy-Con controllers with wrists straps.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers are available in a range of colors, including pink pastel/pastel yellow, neon pink/neon green, purple/neon green, neon purple/orange and neon red/green.
Princess Peach takes the spotlight in her upcoming solo video game, which was announced last year following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The animated film starring Anya-Taylor Joy as Princess Peach, Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi and Jack Black as Bowser, raked in a whopping $1.36 billion at the box office and was the top-grossing film last year before getting dethrone by the Barbie movie.
The video game showcases different sides of Princess Peach as she transforms from Mushroom Kingdom royalty into Swordfighter Peach, Patissiere Peach, Cowgirl Peach and Detective Peach.
For more gaming recommendations, see our list of the best gaming chairs that you can buy on Amazon and best gifts for gamers. And if you’re interested in more deals, this gaming desk is on sale for $69.99 at Walmart.


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MasterCard Pops on Spending Growth
In sharp contrast to the drop seen in shares of Visa (NYSE:V) , shares of MasterCard (NYSE:MA) were sent higher on Thursday morning following the company’s third quarter results before the market open. In recent week the credit space has come onto the radar, as of today the entire sector has reported somewhat mixed results. Many analysts and traders alike have used the company’s results as a barometer on both the strength of the financial sector and consumer discretionary space. The company announced its net income rose to $879 million, or $7.27 per share, from $772 million, or $6.17 per share, last year. On the top line MasterCard watched its revenue rise 16 percent to $2.22 billion for the three months ended Sept. 30, not too bad at all.
The company successfully generated strong growth through its overseas business segment. Excluding the U.S., the amount people spend using MasterCard-branded cards rose almost 19 percent on a local-currency basis. These results greatly outperformed the company’s domestic market segment, in the U.S., spending rose close to 10 percent. These results beat analysts’ expectations for profit of $6.94 per share and on revenue of $2.14 billion. MasterCard was able to beat analyst projections by nearly 5 percent on the bottom line alongside a modest beat on the top line.
Going forward, analysts will be watching to see if spending and card volume in the company’s domestic market segment improve to international growth levels. Strong growth out of this segment signals economic strength for the country and stronger profits for the company. At the time of this writing, shares of the company were to the upside by by more than 1 percent, or $8, to $725 per share. Year to date shareholders have watched their shares rise by an incredible 50 percent.
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Once again, IMEX Group has been forced to cancel, citing its global footprint, with exhibitors coming from 150 countries.
The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Global Conference is a hybrid event this year and is being held Feb. 2-3.
Initial findings of the Incentive Travel Industry Index showed a hint of optimism, but a long road back to what will be a very different incentive industry.
The closure of Pacific World, a DMC leader around the globe including in 15 countries in Asia, is another blow to the beleaguered meetings industry.
Meetings and incentives industry icon Connie Goldstein, who recently passed away, is remembered fondly.
Prevue has turned to the experts in the meetings and incentives industry for their predictions of how the pandemic will reshape the landscape.
Small businesses all over the world are watching helplessly as hard and expensively won contracts de-materialize before their eyes. Know one thing: This too shall pass.
Annamaria Ruffini, past president of SITE, is fighting for women speakers and calling for a boycott of meetings where the faculty is exclusively male.
It is important to celebrate women not only on International Women’s Day but all year long and here we profile five industry insiders.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year and this year's theme is, "I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women's Rights." ...
Top 10 incentive trends for 2020 include regional diversity and authentic immersive experiences, according to SITE and Brightspot Incentives.
A crowd-sourced initiative of SITE and non-SITE members, The Bangkok Manifesto is a roadmap for incentive travel in 2019 and beyond.
It's time to start planning your schedule for 2019, so we have compiled a list of the major meeting industry events.
New research by Prevue Meetings & Incentives and the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) found that working mothers in the meetings industry are finding a fairly supportive environment.
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It is forecast that increasing global demand will help spur Vietnam’s tea exports in the remaining months of this year.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam earned US$164 million from exporting 103,000 tons of tea during the nine-month period, up 12% in volume and 11.2% in value against the same period last year.
The three biggest importers of Vietnamese tea were Pakistan, Taiwan (China) and Russia, accounting for 51.5% of Vietnam’s total tea export value in the first eight months of this year. Pakistan is the biggest importer of Vietnamese tea products, which just made up 2.2% of its total imports. Furthermore, exports to the country dropped in both volume and value last year and in eight months of this year.
The decline was attributable to limited types of products (mainly black tea, green tea and tea materials), the low quality of the products and generally unattractive designs and poor branding, resulting in a lack of competitiveness in the Pakistani market.
Despite being the seventh biggest tea exporters in the world, Vietnamese tea products are primarily exported to easy markets, that is to say markets with lower product quality demands. Not many products are produced in Vietnam which meet the stringent export standards set by demanding markets like the US and the EU. That’s why the country’s tea exports just make up a small proportion of the global purchasing power.
Prospects for remaining months
According to market research, the global tea market was valued at US$24.3 billion last year and is forecast to hit US$37.5 billion by 2025 with an annual average growth rate of 5% in the eight years 2017-2025. This sharp boost in value is largely thanks to a wider awareness of the health benefits associated with drinking tea, as well as lifestyle changes worldwide.
However, excessively hot weather reduces the tea output of big producers and exporters like Kenya and India, leading to the shortage of global supply. Sri Lanka, the world’s leading tea exporter was seriously affected by recent devastating floods, which halt exports from the island nation. This will leave a sizeable gap in the market; one that Vietnamese tea is expected to fill. The shortage of global supply will also push up the export price of Vietnamese tea, bringing an added short term bonus to Vietnamese tea producers.
Despite this advantage, the Vietnamese tea industry still has to contend with a number of difficulties. There are no products of sufficient quality penetrate the demanding markets combined with the other challenges such as high production costs, poor processing technology, low quality standards, and the weak branding of Vietnamese producers and it is clear to see that the industry has plenty of room to improve.
Planting and processing procedures have not been followed closely, resulting in low quality products. The situation is not helped by the fiercely competitive nature of producers who, despite enjoying tax incentives, are withstanding pressures from technical barriers, particularly in terms of food hygiene and safety.
In order for the tea industry to develop into a competitive global force and be able to export to demanding markets, changes have to be made from the ground up. Suggested changes are wide ranging, from encouraging planters to join higher quality, sustainable supply chains to businesses improving their product designs and branding. If Vietnamese tea is ever to penetrate the highly lucrative markets of the US and the EU, significant improvements will need to be made.


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Shoppers who activate Samsung Pay at one of nearly 50 US malls will have the chance to win two round-trip tickets to Los Angeles for an exclusive performance and private New Year’s Eve party featuring American popstar Usher. “Samsung Pay launched a nationwide shopping experience at nearly 50 malls where customers can try out and activate the mobile payment system for a chance to win tickets to the special performance and more,” the company says. The promotion runs until December 21.
- 600m mobile devices to include biometrics by 2021
- ANZ could offer mortgages through Apple Pay
- Mastercard and Verifone unveil Instalments payments app
- Austrian bank deploys NFC-ready ATMs
- Apple Pay launches in Spain


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L.A. Wine Collector Accused of Trying to Sell More Than $1 Million in Counterfeit Wine
LOS ANGELES - Rudy Kurniawan, 35, of Los Angeles, a prominent wine collector, could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of a multi-million dollar wine-counterfeiting scheme.
He was arrested at his Arcadia, Calif., home Thursday for attempting to sell more than $1 million worth of counterfeit wine, culminating a year-long FBI investigation. The U.S. Attorney's office in New York charged the Indonesian national with three counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud.
"Mr. Kurniawan's days of wine and wealth are over if the allegations in this case are proved," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a news release announcing Kurniawan's arrest. "He was the counterfeit, pawning off prodigious quantities of fraudulent wine himself to unsuspecting auction houses and collectors. But his alleged scheme did not end there - he also secured millions in fraudulent loans to fund a high-end lifestyle."
According to the criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Kurniawan sold millions of dollars worth of wine in recent years, including approximately $35 million in 2006. The complaint also said that Kurniawan once told a major publication he could spot the "tell-all signs" of counterfeit bottles of wine.
"The bad-faith sale of any commodity you know to be a counterfeit, fake or forgery is a felony," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk in the news release announcing Kurniawan's arrest. "Whether you are peddling a Picasso or a Petrus, a Botticelli or a Burgundy, unless it is what you say it is, the sale is a fraud."
In 2008, Kurniawan allegedly consigned for auction at least 84 bottles of counterfeit wine, worth around $600,000, that were supposed to be from Domaine Ponsot in Burgundy, France, according to authorities. By request of Domain Ponsot's administrator, the wines were withdrawn from the auction and Kurniawan was questioned.
According to authorities, Kurniawan said he acquired the bottles from someone in Asia and provided the administrator with two telephone numbers. However, the telephone numbers never led to anyone who sold wine and were instead associated with a shopping mall and an Indonesian airline.
Kurniawan's wine-dealing came under such scrutiny that major auction houses hesitated to accept his wines for auction. So recently in London, Kurniawan tried to use a "straw" seller to sell 78 bottles of Burgundy wine, estimated to worth around $736,500. However, authorities say the fraud charges go beyond counterfeit wine. [
Kurniawan "engaged in multiple fraudulent schemes to obtain millions of dollars in loans at the same time he was spending millions on wine, clothing, jewelry and travel," according to the news release.
U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the Los Angeles and New York field offices, and the FBI Art Crime Team, also adding that the investigation is ongoing.


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Tourism: Hotels, Theme Parks, Cruise Lines and Sustainability
November 20, 2021
Between the shores and at the heart of Florida’s tourism industry are theme parks, hotels and cruise lines which welcome millions of families and employ hundreds of thousands of locals. Companies that operate in these areas have to begin to be mindful of preserving the natural attractions that tourism has thrived on for generations. As these attractions are threatened by unregulated human activities, organizations in the tourism and hospitality industries that prioritize sustainable practices are standing out more than ever. Tourists and locals are becoming increasingly eco-conscious within the hospitality industry, and studies from as early as 2017 show that about 20% of consumers would happily pay for the difference, and by 2019, over 70% reported to at least consider these factors when booking vacations. Net-zero buildings are also becoming more realistic with biomimicry and sustainable architecture, and these are the adaptations that will be searched for by the end of the decade. Theme Parks While the region is working to recover from the effects of the pandemic in the tourism and hospitality industries, there were still over 85 million visitors in 2020. Many corporations took advantage of these circumstances to renovate with new sustainability goals in mind. The Walt Disney Company has allowed public access to their “2030 Environment Goals” plan for the following: - Reducing direct operational emissions and carbon electricity to zero - Strategize how to use water and source seafood ethically - Eliminate landfill diversion - Implementing sustainable manufacturing and recycling practices for textiles and packaging - Optimizing future designs through water and waste efficiencies In the company’s words, “business has an integral role to play in the transition to a low-carbon future aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the latest science from the IPCC.” Already obtaining LEED certifications across several of their new projects - ranging from resorts to remote data centers - Disney continues to be a role model for environmentally-friendly innovation in the tourism industry. Cruise Lines South Florida is home to an extensive array of marine life and home to a vibrant culture, which requires a balance between conservationism and socioeconomic development. PortMiami in Miami-Dade County has also taken the tourist hiatus as an opportunity to pursue changes to benefit both. Before the global COVID-19 pandemic, passengers and crews accounted for approximately half of that generated along the United State’s coasts, and associated offshore spending surpassed $1 billion. PortMiami's Green Ports program represents the mission to maintain its “clean port” designation, and it has earned its Silver Leed Certification for newer structures, as well as interior and exterior rehabilitation projects. With the development of Terminal F and manufacturing new Carnival ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the doorway is opening for continued sustainable practices. Carnival cruise line has also partnered with Shell to take this concept one step further in developing Bio-LNG, or a biofuel that breaks down organic waste, reduces particulate matter emissions, and is almost CO2 neutral. In March 2021, the county’s Short to Power Pilot Program was created to reduce emissions created by ships that were docked; however, they needed to keep their engines on to provide power to those on board. It plans to involve six prominent cruise companies, including Carnival Corporation, Disney Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean. In a press release, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to allocate $2 million towards the project, which will go a long way toward funding shore power. If successful, PortMiami will be the first seaport in the region to provide this service. Plans to upgrade stormwater systems, conducting more thorough and frequent inspections of equipment and infrastructure, and participating in coral reef research and restoration programs will mitigate the effects of this industry within and around the port as tourism begins to pick up again. Hotels When vacations are planned around cruises or theme parks, the need for accommodations is implied. As of May 2021, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation counted over 450,000 hotels in Florida. In South Florida, there are a lot of old buildings that are being repurposed in an eco-friendly way to follow the growth trend and meet tourists’ needs. An example is Miami’s 1 Hotel, which became LEED-certified by recycling construction waste, utilizing natural elements and reclaimed material for its ceilings and rooms, and creating a low-flow plumbing system that reuses water from its cooling tower to water the vegetation on the premises. Their interior design and resource management are entirely eco-friendly and curated with the intention of strengthening the connection between guests and nature. Hotels do not have to venture so far from tradition to set green goals, however. Several hotels are making adjustments to their operations by switching to LED lighting, incorporating UV windows, and recycling plastic key cards. Many are also investing in quick-dry linens and towel reuse programs. The Florida Green Lodging program is associated with almost 400 hotels like these statewide that adhere to more progressive conservational guidelines. These include waste reduction, water conservation, and increasing energy efficiency. As a result, these properties are given preference when government agencies are booking hotels for wide-scale events and are shown to have higher occupancy rates overall. All Universal Orlando resort hotels are members of this program, as well as the Orlando Green Business Certification Program. Rooms have programmable, energy-saving thermostats, along with efficient lighting and plumbing. Each guest has access to “green bags” for wide-range recycling, and all paper products already present in the hotel have already been recycled. Through advanced partnerships like Clean the World and Second Harvest Food Bank, no food or hygiene products go to waste. Notes is a collection of articles, analysis, in-depth research and thinking from our firm, published with the purpose of transmitting information, of all kinds, to protect our clients.


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Facebook today announced a host of new camera features for its Messenger app.
Facebook is launching new features for the Messenger update beginning Monday, such as selfie mode and Boomerang support. In addition, Messenger users will have the ability to include AR (augmented reality) stickers in their pictures and videos.
As per Facebook when you will snap a photo or video of yourself, “you’ll remain in focus with a little extra glow while the background blurs.”
Boomerang, a feature which is now found in the Facebook-owned Instagram is a looping effect. Some new holiday themed stickers, filters are additionally being added to Messenger as a major aspect of this update, as are augmented reality stickers.
The update is very vital for Apple fans who own older iPhone models that do include the Portrait introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus launch. Regardless of whether your iPhone doesn’t have double cameras, Messenger will will be able to produce a selfie solely through software means.
Simply ensure that you choose the new Selfie mode from the five distinctive camera modes that Messenger presently offers to users: normal, text, video, boomerang, and selfie.
In spite of the fact that Facebook has offered augmented reality impacts for some time now (either as selfie masks or world effects), AR stickers are an attempt to match these impacts with similar stickers that can right now be sent through standard content talks. By pressing the camera icon next to a sticker, you can now add that sticker as an augmented reality object.
As per Facebook, releasing these features these days depends on the face to take advantage of holidays in light of the fact that as indicated by Facebook, Messenger gets used more than at any other time of the year.
More precisely, According to Facebook, this time of the year is the app’s biggest days in terms of overall messages sent.


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Marvel’s Spider-Man, developed by Insomniac Games for PS4, became the fastest-selling superhero game in the history of the United States. American game fans seem to like Marvel’s Spider-Man, which has a great success among PlayStation 4 exclusive games.
Marvel’s Spider-Man made history in the American game industry
In fact, we can say that superhero games aren’t that big in the game industry. Games based on the superheroes, or the games adapted from the movies, have been generally disappointing games, with exceptions of course. Batman games developed by Rocksteady is one of the successful series. Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight are the best-selling superhero games in America. But Marvel’s Spider-Man, developed by Insomniac Games, is the fastest-selling superhero game in the United States, leaving behind the Batman series. NPD gaming industry analyst Mat Piscatella published a report on Twitter and announced that Marvel’s Spider-Man has made history in the US gaming industry.


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PROGRESO — Although on cruise ships, passengers are told that red tide is in progress in order to sell tours to archaeological sites, this actually is a good cruise ship day, said handicrafts vendor, José Alberto Noh Pat, a resident of Caucel City, Merida.
In an interview Wednesday Oct. 7, the vendor reported that he speaks English and in discussions with cruise tourists, they said that representatives of the tour agencies, in order to sell tours, tell passengers there is red tide in Progreso and the beaches and the sea are dirty.
‘That’s why most travel to archaeological sites,” said Noh Pat, who has for 10 years sold necklaces and other crafts along the maledon on cruise ship days.
On Thursday Oct. 1, masseuses Marina Moon, Shirley Manrique and Karina Dzul reported that an instructor for a course they took September 30 at the House of Culture told them that there is negative publicity about Progreso on the cruise ships with passengers told there is much insecurity in order to sell package tours to archaeological zones and Merida.
Noh Pat said that on Tuesday he did not sell anything to the Carnival Elation tourists, who arrived from Cozumel, but yesterday he had good sales with passengers from Carnival Triumph, which arrived from Galveston, Texas.
“Vendors, artisans, restaurateurs and masseurs would do better with the arrival of the cruises,” he said, “if the travel agents on the ships did not do poor promotion of the port, to sell their tours to archaeological sites.”
Eddie Barbosa, of Halacho, in turn, said yesterday he sold 12 hats, each USD $10 ($166 pesos each, and $1,992 pesos for 12) and, instead, on Tuesday only managed to move two ($332 pesos).
When the Carnival Triumph comes straight from Galveston vendors always have good sales, Eddie Barbosa added.
The waiter Roberto Torres said on Tuesday with the arrival of Carnival Elation he only waited on one table with passengers who consumed USD$20 ($332 pesos), and yesterday, with the Triumph, he attended five tables where tourists consumed USD$40 in beer and snacks ($664 pesos per table and $3,320 for the five palapas).
The Carnival Triumph arrived at 8 am and at 5 pm sailed to Cozumel. It will return Monday from Galveston directly, so the providers are in for a good start to the cruise week.
Yesterday, the sea was a bit dirty with kelp strewn by the tides.
Source: Diario de Yucatan
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PARIS/ HONG KONG, Dec 5- Renault has won approval from Beijing authorities to begin Chinese production in a $1.3 billion joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group, the carmakers said on Thursday. The 50-50 partnership "will allow Renault to deploy its ambitious strategy in the world's largest automotive market", the French company said in a statement.» Read More
It’s hard to think of another car that has been as highly anticipated or that bares more importance for an automaker than the new Model S is for Tesla.
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Michael Vetter, President, Stuttgart Sports Cars says the EU-South Korea free trade agreement helped eliminate trade barriers between Europe and South Korea.
These underrated cars may not be household nameplates, but they have as much to offer as those that have achieved legendary status.
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VIENNA, August 23, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Riddle&Code GmbH is pleased to announce that John Calian has been appointed as the company’s new CEO.
This press release contains multimedia elements. See the full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220823005119/en/
John Calian (Photo: Business Wire)
“I am very grateful to have been chosen as the new CEO of Riddle&Code. We are an organization driven by one goal: integrating industrial machines into Web3. It is a privilege to lead a team dedicated to machine-powered token economies that enable sustainable, green and resilient energy systems,” said Calian. “This is our company’s mission. I will do my best to serve the team and our customers by allowing our leaders and our collaborators to also do their best”.
This decision comes at a crucial time, as Riddle&Code transforms into a product-oriented services company, specializing in Web3 infrastructure and the establishment of the unique blockchain RDDL Network, provider of the cornerstones of a decentralized economy, secure and reliable. Riddle&Code strives to be a key contributor to this network and aims to provide the best products, services and solutions that will make this vision thrive.
Together with partner companies such as Wien Energie, Daimler Mobility, Evonik, Litebit and Telekom Innovation Laboratories (T-Labs), Riddle&Code has built an extensive portfolio of blockchain-powered software and hardware products in key industrial sectors, including renewable energy producers, manufacturers of electric vehicles and suppliers of large-scale energy storage systems.
“We are at a natural watershed moment for the company, and John brings the leadership and expertise needed for Riddle&Code to enter this new phase. Our new goal is to share our established knowledge and bring as many industries as possible into the Web3 to shape the future of interconnecting token economies with RDDL Network. This goes far beyond the wildest ambitions of current token projects and energy technology companies,” says Tom Fürstner, Founder and CTO of Riddle&Code.
The decentralized infrastructure landscape is changing rapidly, and there is an increase in demand for blockchain-based software systems due to the current shift to Web3. This new era requires industries to implement new operating and business models, combining old strengths with a new mindset.
Riddle&Code now has the ambition to be the key player to integrate industries into Web3 and will take care of providing specific products and services. Outgoing co-founder and CEO Alexander Koppel will continue to advise the future CEO and continue to support the company’s mission. This announcement is the logical continuation of the constant evolution and progress of Riddle&Code and its subsidiaries.
Riddle&Code is a product-oriented service company specializing in integrating industries into Web3. Society is the primary enabler of a world of interconnected token economies as it enables the creation of sustainable, green and resilient machine industries. Riddle&Code offers various solutions to create industry-specific hardware wallets and a suite of applications to build decentralized blockchains, primarily contributing to the RDDL Network blockchain protocol.
More information : www.riddleandcode.com
About RDDL Network
RDDL Network is a decentralized blockchain protocol, powered by industrial machines, that uses a unique Proof of Productivity (PoP) consensus mechanism that proves the identity, data accuracy, and usage of all types of machines. It addresses infrastructure and standards as a whole and was designed to shape the future of the interconnected token economies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The text of the press release resulting from a translation should in no way be considered official. The only authentic version of the press release is that of the press release in its original language. The translation will always have to be compared with the source text, which will set a precedent.
View the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220823005119/en/


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|Bid||0.00 x 0|
|Ask||585.30 x 0|
|Day's range||583.35 - 594.25|
|52-week range||550.10 - 787.50|
|Beta (3Y monthly)||1.32|
|PE ratio (TTM)||7.78|
|Forward dividend & yield||11.00 (1.87%)|
|1y target est||808.71|
Today we'll evaluate Tata Chemicals Limited (NSE:TATACHEM) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will Read More...
Tata Chemicals’ consumer products business grew 33 percent to Rs 438 crore during June-ended quarter.
Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) Tata Chemicals on Monday reported a 14 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit from operations to Rs 270 crore in the quarter ended June 30, 2018 as compared to Rs 236.52 crore in the year-ago period. Its income from operations on consolidated basis was at Rs. 2,769 crore, up by 10 per cent from Rs 2,527 crore in the corresponding period last year. The company reported that its income from operations for basic chemistry products at Rs 63 crore was up 3 per cent, consumer products segment at Rs 108 crore, up 33 per cent, and specialty products at Rs 116 crore, up 25 per cent.
Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate, is evaluating a proposal to integrate its food and beverage businesses into a single company, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Mumbai-headquartered group is considering separating the salt and branded lentils businesses of Tata Chemicals Ltd. and folding them into Tata Global Beverages Ltd., according to the people who asked not to be named because the information is private. It’s also weighing merging Tata Coffee Ltd., which owns coffee plantations and tea gardens, with the beverages company, and entering dairy, they said.
In a regulatory filing, the company said it has sold the Phosphatic fertiliser business and the trading business comprising bulk and non-bulk fertilisers by way of slump sale on a going concern basis to IRC Agrochemicals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indorama Holdings BV.
If you want to avoid the risk of losing your investment you should be looking for companies that are more likely to maintain and grow their value regardless of marketRead More...
Tata chemicals reported a mixed set of Q4 numbers across geographies. The domestic business now seems to be better places for growth. Allocation of funds from the sale of fertilizer businesses will remain a important point to watch for and could drive future growth
Tata Chemicals today reported a 23.37 percent growth in consolidated net profit for the March quarter at Rs 355.90 crore, mainly driven by healthy margins in chemicals, soda ash and salt business and gains from sale of its urea business to Yara Fertilisers India.
Tata Chemicals entered into a business transfer agreement with Allied Silica to acquire their business of precipitated silica for Rs 123 crore on a slump sale basis.
The brokerage firm initiated coverage on Tata Chemicals with a buy call and a target of Rs 940. It implies an upside potential of 36 percent.


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The 2016 MotoGP season was positively the perfect one for group Repsol Honda (HRC) as rider Marc Marquez was delegated best on the planet for the fifth time, while HRC likewise brought home the constructor’s title.
Presently, praising its exceptional achievement, the Japanese maker’s Indian arm – Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has presented the CBR250R Limited version – ‘The Repsol Honda Racing Replica’.
Appointments for the new restricted release has initiated crosswise over dealerships, whereas prices are yet to be declared. The Honda CBR250R Repsol Racing Replica release is devoted to the group’s two riders and is accessible in two distinct variants – Marc Marquez 93 and Dani Pedrosa 26.
The quarter-liter offering gets the paint plot propelled by the amazing RC213V dashing bicycle and accompanies MotoGP representation, while likewise wearing the quantities of the two riders, willingly meaning their legacy.
In any case, this isn’t the first run through Honda has declared the Repsol Racing Replica version for the CBR250R. The constrained version show had already been marked down in 2013, while the standard Repsol release is a piece of the 250R’s shading choices.
Remarking on the presentation of the constrained release CBR250R, HMSI Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleria said, “In the wake of seeing the commendable execution and accomplishment of Repsol Honda Team at the 2016 MotoGP season, we needed to offer clients and hustling lovers, an exceptional experience of owning their own one of a kind Repsol Racing Replica bike.
We have embraced Team Repsol Honda paint and realistic plan specifically propelled by the unbelievable RC213V including the quantities of our star riders, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa.” As for mechanicals, the Honda CBR250R Repsol Racing Replica restricted release gets no progressions and keeps on drawing power from the 250cc fluid cooled, single-chamber DOHC motor blocked to belt out 26bhp and 22.9Nm of torque at 7000rpm.
The engine comes combined to a 6-speed gearbox. Group Repsol Honda’s accomplishment in the 2016 MotoGP season accompanies 12 platform completions and 5 shaft positions from Marc Marquez. The 23-year-old was delegated with the title in the wake of taking the win at Motegi this year, while Dani Pedrosa won the title having at the San Marino GP this year. Both Marquez and Pedrosa will race for Honda in the 2017 season.


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American Honda Finance Corp. has launched its first captive-finance auto securitization of the year in a $1.03 billion notes issuance through Honda Auto Receivables 2016-1 Owner Trust.
The notes are backed by Honda’s typically strong collateral in prime loans with high-quality credit borrowers (average FICO of 761) and lengthy seasoning (13.61 months), and supported by a hard credit enhancement of 2.75% (including a 0.25% reserve funded at closing).
But the new securitization continues a recent trend in Honda ABS issuance that includes more long-term loans in excess of 60 months as AHFC increases its concentration of high-end customers buying higher-ticket vehicles.
Fitch Ratings on Thursday issued expected ‘AAA’ ratings on three tranches of notes to be issued by the trust, as well as a short-term ‘F1’ rating on a Class A-1 one-year money-market slice of $265.7 million. The capital stack also includes a Class A-2 $312 million notes tranche due June 2018, a Class A-3 $332 million notes tranche due December 2019 and a $90.3 million, Class A-4 tranche due April 2022.
A $25.65 million issuance of unrated certificates will be used to back the reserve funding.
The securitization is backed by a collection of 57,830 loans of primarily new Honda and Acura vehicles (93.69% of the pool). The balance of the loans is $17,735, in line with recent Honda ABS structures and well below that of peers’ recent loan securitizations such as Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 2016-A ($24,982) and Nissan Auto Receivables Trust 2016-A ($20,785) – both of whom market their loans to investors after much shorter periods of seasoning of 7.1 and 10.2 months, respectively.
AFHC’s 2016-1 continues Honda’s trend of also backing securitizations with a higher percentage of shorter-term loans than peers. For Honda, 80.11% of loans are originated under 60 months compared to only 42.95% for Ford and 40.85% for Nissan in those manufacturers’ first 2016 securitizations of captive finance loans.
But Honda has ebbed toward including more loans in excess of five years in the collateral pool than in its preceding securitizations. Since 2012, in a span that includes 15 prior ABS issues from AFHC, the percentage of 60-plus month loans has grown from 12.47% of the pie to 19.89%.
Fitch points out that the growing slice of loans beyond five years are primarily underwritten to AFHC’s “Tier A” and “Tier B” customers who are purchasing higher-priced vehicles. “Indeed, the concentration of Tier A and Tier B borrowers is up notably from recent transactions too,” the report stated.
In AFHC’s new securitization, the ABS’ cash-flow distribution is a sequential-pay structure, and the yield supplement account included provides an excess spread of 2.35%, consistent with the last two securitizations of 2015.
Honda’s hard CE of 2.75% is below that of Ford (5.5%) and Nissan (4.25%), and unchanged from the 15 previous ABS transactions since 2012.
JPMorgan is the lead underwriter.


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Capturing the complexity of human hands is a daunting task,media outlet New Atlas reported. Now, engineers at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new wearable system that uses thermal sensors to accurately predict hand positions, potentially for VR, robotics and sign language translation.
The device, called FingerTrak, is basically a bracelet decorated with four small thermal cameras, each about the size of a pea. The camera takes an image of the contour of the wearer’s wrist from their respective positions. This is enough for a specially designed algorithm to accurately reconstruct the entire hand, including the position of each finger.
“It’s a big discovery for our team — by looking at the contours of your wrist, the technology can reconstruct your fingers in 3D.” Zhang Cheng, the study’s author, said. “This is the first system to rebuild your full hand position based on the contour of your wrist.”
The FingerTrak system uses machine learning to predict the position of 20 finger joints based on the outline of the wrist. The gestures of these hands can then be reproduced in the hands of virtual models and even robots. In the test, the device can accurately reproduce the flipping of books, writing with a pen, drinking water, using mobile phones and other actions.
At present, there are some devices using a variety of technology to try to track hand movements, some use depth sensor camera or infrared sensor to observe the finger, some use motion-sensing gloves, and some use electromagnetic sensors on the fingertips. But almost all of them are a little too bulky to be used in practice. FingerTrak’s design is lighter, and while it’s still not the most comfortable-looking technology product, it does look on the right track.
The team says the FingerTrak system can be used in a range of ways with a few more refinements. It allows virtual reality players to track their hand movements in the game, allows remote-controlled robots to mimic the movements of human operators, helps translate sign language into words or speech, or it can help monitor health problems affecting motor skills.
“How we move our hands and fingers usually tells us about our health, ” said Study author Li Yin. “Devices like this could be used to better understand how older people use their hands in their daily lives to help detect early signs of diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study was published in the Computational Machinery Association’s Collection of Papers on Interaction, Mobility, Wearable, and Pan-Technology.


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Chinese activist questions arrest in Ivanka Trump shoe factory investigation
Beijing, China - Labour activist Hua Haifeng had avoided legal trouble in his 14 years investigating companies in China, but that changed after he looked into a factory that made shoes for Ivanka Trump’s brand.
Hua and two colleagues had worked undercover in factories that manufactured shoes for the brand of US President Donald Trump’s daughter and other foreign firms when they were detained in May.
The 36 year old activist and the two other men, who work for New York-based non-profit China Labor Watch (CLW), were accused of using ‘ spying and other monitoring equipment’.
The government has intensified a crackdown on human rights activists and lawyers in recent years.
But Hua told AFP he believes the factory’s link to the Ivanka Trump brand may have been a ‘factor that attracted police interest’, though he cannot confirm it.
“As for Ms Ivanka and her family, I want to say that business activities should abide by business regulations, and not use a family’s political resources for personal commercial gain,” said Hua.
Hua, who was released on bail in June along with his colleagues, said he was interrogated on 16 occasions for up to three hours at a time. He was kept in a shared cell where he slept beside a urine bucket. For the first week he was not given access to a lawyer, but the father of two said his condi- tions gradually improved as his wife paid the authorities to give him better food.
Li Qiang, CLW’s founding director, said the case marks the first time activists have faced police trouble in the non-profit’s 17 year history.
“But this is the first time we’ve investigated Ivanka Trump [suppliers], so it may very well be related to the brand,” Li said.
The activists had been probing two plants owned by major footwear producer Huajian Group - one in the city of Dongguan in southern Guangdong province, the other in southern Jiangxi province’s Ganzhou.
A CLW statement alleged that factory employees worked 15-hour days with minimal breaks and no overtime pay, among other labour abuses.
Collectively, the investigators worked undercover at the factories for several weeks between March and May.


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Thai Rice Stockpile Offers Some Relief
Aug 07, 2012 03:57 AM EDT | By Sharon Robinson
At a time when the world is reeling under rising food prices and a dwindling lack of supply to food demands, rice may be the grain to which everybody will turn to.
Major rice producing countries are set to reap a record harvest in rice. Thailand especially is hoarding a vast amount of rice, in an effort to combat the approaching food crisis.
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As of July, Thailand bought 11 million tonnes of rice. According to predictions by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), paddy fields will yield 1.1 million tonnes more milled grains. Benchmark 5 percent Thai white rice will drop 14 percent to $480 a ton by December 31, according to the median of 10 estimates from traders and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
The exports of rice, which is the staple food for half the world, may go up by 2.6 percent, the USDA further added. Thailand's rice hoard may be cut to make space for the next harvest. In other words, the rice shipments, along with Thailand's rice hoard, may offer some respite against low grain reserves.
"Rice is the only bright spot which is keeping us away from a global food crisis," Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist at the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization inRome, told the Bloomberg. "The corn situation is very worrisome, while with wheat, the overall supply situation is still adequate."
Rough rice futures is currently going for $15.92 per pound at the Chicago Board of Trade, after a rise of 7 percent.
Thailand has been able to expand its rice reserve, thanks to a rice pledging programme re-introduced by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Although this programme is being blamed for the decline in Thai rice exports, and for Indian rice exports eclipsing Thailand, it has been able to boost the income of rural rice farmers.
Unfortunately this has made the price of Thai rice rather unattractive in the export market.
The country will continue buying rice and will only be selling some of its stockpile at the end of the year. But, to be able to sell it, the price would have to drop.
Starbucks Wireless Chargers – Starbucks announced that from Tuesday, there would be 200 stores in the San Francisco Bay Area which count with wireless charging spots.
The latest food fad? Bone broth! If you are searching for nutritious yet cheap soup that you can have in any part of the day, bone broth is the answer. Go to the nearest grocery and pack yourself some animal bones, green vegetables and herbs.
Arsenic rice is the next scary thing that we have known. The news came out in 2012 and it becomes one of the most bothering things to deal with.
Grape growers might be using drones in order to explore any potential that technology might bring in order to do agricultural chores such as crop spraying, irrigation and monitoring.
Cocoa Shortage In 2020? Biggest Chocolate Company Warns That Things Could Get Tough For Chocolatiers
Chocolate is one of the most universally loved things in the entire world, between its own flavor and all the delicious things its sweet taste can be involved in - but, according to experts, there could be a cocoa shortage in 2020 that could almost disappear chocolate off shelves and raise its prices.
The Lee Memorial Health System has announced that they believe food is very important in the recovery of patients in their hospital so they are really working on making their cafeteria be different and defy the generalization of people that hospital food is not really appetizing.


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Spinato's taking a slice out of grab-and-go concept
Homegrown pizza chain Spinato’s is looking beyond pizza when it opens its newest location on 7th Street in Phoenix next month.
In addition to a new pizzeria at 5509 N. 7th St. the family-owned chain will incorporate a new concept dubbed Andiamo Market, which will offer quick, grab-and-go items such as salads, soups, pastries, coffee and tea.
Andiamo will be located inside the Spinato’s Pizzeria set to open Nov. 25. Spinato’s is relocating its existing restaurant at 12th Street and Glendale Avenue to 7th Street to meet high demand.
While the family pizzeria was in need of additional space for its existing centrally located restaurant, the roughly 10,500-square-foot facility proved a perfect space to debut the Andiamo Market concept that has been in the pipeline for a few years.
The new Spinato’s on 7th Street will triple production capacity from its 12th Street restaurant, said Anthony Spinato, vice president of operations. It will have six ovens, three of which will be devoted to the restaurant with the other half focused on the pickup and delivery business.
The cost of the new restaurant is about $2.5 million, Spinato said, adding the expansion will nearly double the company’s employee rolls to between 360 and 370.
Andiamo came about as a way to introduce a number of existing family recipes without having to completely overhaul the restaurants’ existing menu, said Spinato.
“We have an established menu with an established demographic,” he said. “To introduce a lot of these new things into the menu would be a major overhaul.”
In addition, Andiamo’s grab-and-go setup fits in with a trend that Spinato read about three years ago.
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Israeli-based solar manufacturer SolarEdge announced last week that it was teaming up with Google to integrate Google Assistant into its own electric-vehicle charging solar inverter, only days after it announced the acquisition of Italian e-mobility company S.M.R.E Spa.
Announced during the mammoth Consumer Electronic Show (CES) held at the Las Vegas Convention Center last week, integrating Google Assistant into SolarEdge’s EV-charging solar inverter – the first of its kind – means that consumers can now tell their Google Assistant to start and stop charging of their electric vehicle.
The news came as Google announced a whole range of new devices that their Assistant now works with, and also includes eMotorWerks’ home EV charging station, the JuiceBox Level 2 (in addition to irrigation services, new devices and appliances, and McAfee’s Secure Home Platform).
“Smart homes have mainly been about convenience and interconnectivity, but the next step of the smart home is integrating smart energy management, such as EV charging,” said Lior Handelsman, SolarEdge’s Founder and VP of Marketing and Product Strategy.
“By merging the simplicity of smart homes with the value of smart energy through this collaboration with Google, SolarEdge is leading the way in making the power of smart solar energy more accessible to more people”
SolarEdge is the first company to introduce an electric-vehicle charging inverter which enables consumers to directly charge their electric vehicles with electricity generated by their rooftop solar panels.
The EV charging inverter also allows customers to charge their vehicles up to 2.5 times faster than a standard EV charger through a simultaneous combination of grid and PV electricity.
The news came two days after SolarEdge announced that it was entering the e-mobility market with its acquisition of S.M.R.E Spa (SMRE), an Italian company boasting three business units – e-mobility, automated production machine, and telematics software.
SMRE was formed in 1999 and has over 15 years of experience developing end-to-end e-mobility solutions – such as high-performance powertrains with e-mobtor, motor drive, gearbox, battery, BMS, chargers, Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) and software for electric vehicles – for electric and hybrid vehicles such as motorcycles, commercial vehicles, and trucks.
SolarEdge will purchase acquire 51 per cent of the company by acquiring outstanding shares currently held by the founder and two additional stockholders for a investment totalling around $77 million – with half to be paid in cash and the other half to be paid in shares of SolarEdge common stock – with the transaction to be closed in the coming weeks.
This will be followed by a mandatory tender offer in which SolarEdge will offer to purchase the remaining outstanding SMRE shares in an all cash transation.
The acquisition by SolarEdge makes sense considering that, with governments and automotive manufacturers around the world committing themselves to the electrification of transportation, the electric vehicle industry is expected increase from around 1 million electric vehicles in 2018 to around 20 million being produced and bought each year in 2030.
“The acquisition of SMRE is another step in executing our strategy of sustainable growth by addressing an additional fast growing and technologically synergetic market while diversifying into new fields outside the solar arena,” explained Guy Sella, CEO, Chairman and Founder of SolarEdge.
“SMRE’s innovative technology and experienced, successful team provides SolarEdge with fast-track access to the high-growth e-mobility market. We believe that combining SMRE’s vast experience and full powertrain technology with SolarEdge’s innovative power and battery technology, proven operational excellence and global reach, positions us to become a market leader in this important market.”
“SMRE built a strong team that has developed products addressing the current and future needs of the e-mobility market,” added Samuele Mazzini, CEO, Chairman and Founder of SMRE.
“SMRE’s expertise together with SolarEdge’s successful business track record, R&D capabilities and innovative power electronics will favorably position us in the global transition to e-mobility.”


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McLaren Vale Sea and Vines set to impress in 2006
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The McLaren Vale region is again set to host Australia’s premier food and wine festival this June long weekend, bringing together the state’s best culinary, musical and wine making expertise.
With more than 30,000 local, national and international visitors last year, the McLaren Vale Sea and Vines Festival has established itself as Australia’s largest regional food and wine festival.
Now in its 14th year, the event is ready to showcase the best South Australia has to offer on 11–12 June with a record number of participating wineries.
In the traditional Sea and Vines style, guests will experience the ultimate in gastronomic delights as South Australia’s premier chefs and restaurants join forces with local wineries at 26 stunning venues throughout the region.
McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association executive officer Sandie Holmes said guests will indulge in the best wines and local seafood, with entertainment provided by some of Adelaide’s best blues, pop and jazz musicians.


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When LG showed off the first curved 3D OLED screen at CES earlier this year, it was sure exciting—but seemed unrealistic as a commercial venture. Now, though, LG has announced that it's planning to sell the curvy TV.
Zounds! So this is what my ex-girlfriend meant when she said sex with me was akin to "carnal relations with an empty husk." Too much web porn! It's killing our libidos, lads, one frantically one-handed mouse click at a time.
We've heard that just about anything could give you ED, so what to do when things down below just aren't working? You could pop lil' blue pills or you could go with something more reliable: Shockwaves to the crotch.
A five-year study shows that exposure to bisphenol A, a commonly used plastics additive, increases the risk of erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems. This study surveyed factory workers who face high levels of exposure, but further research is coming.
More details on Courier, courtesy of Mary Jo Foley: Most interestingly, her sources say it runs Windows 7 underneath, the same way the Surface runs on top of Vista, and that Microsoft will actually make the tablet hardware.
Microsoft cut the Entertainment & Devices division's budget because the group's R&D costs had skyrocketed in the preceding months—to twice as much as the Windows group, said TechFlash. Will this hurt the group's great products?
The RoboCop remake could bring Detroit's cyborg police brutality right to the tip of your nose in 3-D, according to hints from MGM chairperson Mary Parent. Why is this the most excellent awesomeness? Because the remake is going to be ridiculous and 3-D will only heighten the whole experience when RoboCop throws bad…
Zunerama community member, ed, claims to have already purchased a new Zune flash player, days before the expected official release. Apparently, the player was acquired from an Office Depot in St. Louis. (Again, if any of you could somehow manage to get one to us before the launch, we'll cough up for them). Ed has not…


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Vince Cable deal with EU seems to be hugely encouraging for various entrepreneurs to invest on inventions and new developments. Previously, Patent titles in Europe used to be granted by the European Patent Office (EPO), administering a single procedure to grant patents (nationally) which were subjected to national rules. Also it didn’t have single jurisdiction for disputes. Now there will be new benefits based on new reforms.
Registration cost of patents in the EU has fallen down from 36,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds. The new agreement has been signed which will introduce a new unitary patent valid in 25 countries consisting of bringing down the registration costs almost by 90 per cent. Government hopes for the following benefits:
- Encouraging entrepreneurs to keep on coming with new ideas and developments which can help the economy to grow on a whole.
- It’s simpler for businesses to make enforcement of intellectual property rights.
- Previously, having a patent in two or more key countries is as valuable as having a European patent in terms of a commercial barrier to entry for your competitors but now one can patent their innovation directly with EU.
- Moreover, as per the new reforms a separate patent court i.e. UPC (Unified Patent Court) will be established for 25 participating states, to sort out any of the litigations of laws linked with patenting. Any form of patent breach will directly be handled by the same court which will never require any legal proceedings in foreign countries.


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Moshi — THE Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) recently conducted a workshop to enlighten its staff and stakeholders from Manyara and Tanga regions on how best to safeguard the general public and national interests from counterfeits and substandard goods.
Addressing the executives in Moshi over the weekend, the TFDA Northern Zone Manager, Mr Damas Matiko, said fake foodstuffs, hazardous cosmetics and medicines are crosscutting issues that should be dealt with from many fronts.
However, he said that the situation in his zone is good and what they always do is to exchange information with other zones from time to time so as to withdraw any unsafe products from the market.
"Our staffs and stakeholders in councils from these regions (Tanga and Manyara) are called upon to be very serious on enforcing the regulations and laws so as to ensure safe, quality and effective food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices for all," said the manager.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the guest of honour, Deputy Regional Administrative Secretary (Local Government - Kilimanjaro), Ms Grace Makiluli, urged the officials to make sure traders adhere to the set laws and regulations.
"Much as they want to make profits from their business, traders in this respect have to operate within the set parameters so that everybody is safe and country's economy keeps growing," said the secretary.
She noted how happy she was to learn that all other regions in the northern zone had undergone the same training and hoped the best would ensue in so far as regulatory of food, drugs, herbal drugs, cosmetics and medical devices in the country are concerned.
Participants included senior medical staff from every council and district in the two regions, including pharmacists, district executive directors and the executives who are responsible for inspecting drugs and other goods.
Among other things, participants were expected to study TFDA authority, delegate theories, success stories as well as challenges emanating from the same. They were as well to learn further on how to identify and control fake or substandard goods, how to manage revenue from foods, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices business in their respective councils.
TFDA has been working hard nationally to combat illegal foods and drugs business and time and again has been destroying fake, substandard and hazardous goods. The organisation has to continually monitor safety of food, drugs, herbal drugs, cosmetics and medical devices available on the Tanzania market.
However, some unscrupulous businesspeople have been taking advantage of existing loopholes such as formal borders and informal entry points to bring into Tanzania goods that are not of the quality standards required by TFDA. The dangers of consuming unsafe foods and drugs include getting skin infections, brain damage, liver, kidney, and even cancer.
It is the duty of TFDA zones to primarily monitor day to day operations, working closely with other government institutions, including the immigration directorate, the police force, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and the Tanzania Bureau of standards (TBS) to ensure only allowed commodities enter Tanzania, and are distributed and consumed as per laws of the land.


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NEW YORK: U.S. stock future opened higher on Sunday after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that the United States and China agreed to drop their tariff threats to work on a wider trade agreement.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Thursday the United States was taking a second look at penalties imposed on Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp, not waiving the enforcement action altogether.
NEW YORK: A surge in U.S. government bond yields to their highest level in almost seven years sent Wall Street shares sliding on Tuesday after strong retail sales data stoked inflation concerns and investors fretted about looming trade talks between the United States and China.
BEIJING: China won’t succumb to “threats” from the U.S., a senior government official said, hours before talks are set to begin Thursday with a delegation of the Trump administration’s top trade policy officials.
HONG KONG: Manufacturing activity remained relatively solid in major Asian economies such as China and Japan in April, but exports showed signs of weakness across the region, a worrying development given heightened Sino-U.S. trade tensions.
President Donald Trump and two top aides talked about trade issues with Apple Inc chief Tim Cook on April 24 as the White House prepares to try to avert a trade war with China, a manufacturing hub for the iPhone maker.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Tuesday the United States had imposed a set of sanctions on Russia and was considering other measures for the future, adding that there was no confusion in the White House approach toward Moscow.
NEW YORK: U.S. stock indexes rallied on Tuesday on broad-based gains while Netflix and UnitedHealth earnings impressed investors and boosted optimism about the U.S. corporate reporting season.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has poured cold water on President Donald Trump’s recent indication that the United States may rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), which Washington abandoned more than a year ago.


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Electric vehicles are the future, experts say, and now is the time to take advantage of financial incentives to install chargers at commercial properties.
When it comes to electric vehicles, commercial real estate owners and operators face one fundamental question: Do they wait for a tidal wave of EVs on the road to add charging stations to new and existing buildings, or get ahead of that tsunami? The answer increasingly is if they dawdle, they run the risk of finding themselves behind the times.
A recent study released by The Brattle Group, a Boston-based economic consulting firm, predicts that the number of EVs on American roads will increase from 1.5 million in 2020 to between 10 million and 35 million by 2030. The surge in adoption is fueled by a growing number of state policies mandating EVs; a marked decline in EV and battery costs; and anticipated growth in new EV models available from manufacturers.
“Property owners should be aware significant efforts are being undertaken by utilities and utility regulatory commissions to ensure infrastructure is in place,” said Mike Hagerty, senior associate with The Brattle Group.
In many states, utilities are able to cover costs of building out most of the “make-ready” infrastructure—up to but not including the chargers themselves—to provide charging of commercial properties. “They are able to charge back the cost to all rate payers, rather than that one location, reducing the cost of adding chargers for specific properties while supporting state-level EV and decarbonization goals,” Hagerty added.
EV charging infrastructure is being discussed as part of a stimulus package in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hagerty said. Twelve states comprising 30 percent of the U.S. population have already instituted Zero Emission Vehicle mandates. Three more states have recently proposed to adopt the program.
Ten states have put building codes in place that essentially require buildings to be EV-ready, said Elise Benoit, vice president of marketing, e-Mobility for Enel X North America, one of the world’s largest electric utilities and renewable energy producers and manufacturer of the JuiceBox EV charger.
Earlier this year, the International Code Council published new codes encouraging the addition of EV stations to new-construction buildings. Other recommendations strongly advise retrofitting existing buildings. In California, CALGreen legislation mandates 250,000 EV charging stations be publicly available by 2025 and calls for six percent of parking spaces be EV-capable in new non-residential buildings, Benoit said.
In New York City, there has been talk of a reexamination and strengthening of Local Law 130, which requires commercial buildings to be 20 percent EV-ready with adequate electrical capacity, conduits and breakers to accommodate future additions of chargers, said Amina Hassen, urban planner with WYZ Studio, a New York City urban design practice .
Different by Industry
About 80 percent of EV charging takes place at the home, 15 percent in the workplace and the remainder happens on the go, Enel X North America estimates.
Those charging on the road depend on public charging stations, which are highly differentiated by industry, according to Alison Alvarez, CEO of BlastPoint, a Pittsburgh-based predictive analytics company. Because most charging takes hours rather than minutes, commercial properties such as hotels, high-end retailers, restaurants and theaters are installing chargers as inducements to high-value patrons to stay awhile and fork out cash. “Where we see it most is in hotels because most charging happens overnight,” Alvarez said. “Hotels, B&Bs, resorts, spas, we see a lot of growth in the luxury travel category.”
Predictably, adoption is anything but uniform. California commercial real estate owners are far more likely to adopt EV charging than those in West Virginia, for example. “It makes sense to think about your own situation, and your own target customer,” Alvarez noted. “It’s what their values are and what you want to reflect back to them. There’s a reason almost every Whole Foods has a charging station.”
Decision-makers should consider several factors when exploring EV charging. Choose a networked charging solution with smart features and automated software updates, advises Daryll Harrison, senior director, global communications and social media with Campbell, Calif.-based EV-charging infrastructure company ChargePoint. That step will future-proof the investment, while providing insights into users’ charging behaviors.
Harrison offered additional tips:
- Prepare for more EV owners by ensuring additional parking spaces are EV-ready, with conduit and electrical wiring connected to a power source.
- Develop a charging policy highly scalable to accommodate future EV drivers.
- Select a vendor with hardware certified for safety, designed for indoor and outdoor use and featuring 24-7 driver support.
- Choose a pricing model that makes sense for your business.
- Take advantage of all available grants, rebates and tax credits.
Many of the incentives are being offered by utilities, Enel X’s Benoit said. Rebates and make-ready incentives cover installation, equipment costs and ensuring that equipment can be connected to the grid. Property owners should strongly consider leveraging incentives while funding is available to support development of charging infrastructure. “In 15 years, when everyone is driving an EV, some of those incentives may not be available,” she said. “Start looking at it right now. There’s no reason to wait . . . In some cases, the cost of the capital investment could be covered up to 100 percent by incentives available in your area.”
Taking the Lead
Owners and operators should strongly consider taking the initiative on EV charging now, rather than being forced to scramble when tenants demand the amenity, said Tim Curran, CEO of Building Engines, a building operations platform for CRE. He urges owners to equip parking garages, lots and spaces with EV charging at a minimal charge to tenants.
“There may not be too many EVs to accommodate today,” he said. “But the revolution is coming . . . Taking a proactive approach toward EV charging, building owners and operators can allow for a better tenant experience, maximize rent rolls and gain a cleaner environment—a win for everyone.“
Original article contributed by: Commercial Property Executive


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Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) has traveled far south of our borders for its latest acquisition. In conjunction with an affiliate, Mexican bottler Coca-Cola FEMSA (NYSE:KOF), the beverage giant reached an agreement with global consumer goods giant Unilever (NYSE:UL) to buy the latter's AdeS -- a maker of soy-based drinks headquartered in Argentina. The price of the purchase is roughly $575 million.
Besides its native Argentina, AdeS distributes its drinks to Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia.
The acquisition has been approved by the boards of directors of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola FEMSA, and Unilever. It is subject to review by the relevant regulatory bodies.
Does it matter?
The deal makes sense for all parties involved. Unilever is itching to exit the comestibles business in favor of higher-margin consumer goods categories, while Coca-Cola needs to (sorry) juice its growth, and Coca-Cola FEMSA is the logical partner for the deal. Although a niche product, AdeS has a good presence in its region, posting sales of around $284 million in 2015.
For Unilever, the divestment is the latest in a series of brand sell-offs. The company has recently unloaded such well-known brands as Slim-Fast diet drinks and Ragu pasta sauce. The company's shares rose slightly after the deal was announced.
The stock price of Coca-Coca was largely unaffected, likely because an asset the size of AdeS is a drop in the bucket of a company with 20 brands that bring in more than $1 billion in annual sales apiece.
That said, AdeS should complement its brand lineup nicely in a region that has great potential for growth. And for Unilever, the deal is another step toward its goal of divesting away from food and beverage products.


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Digicel Fiji has opened its 17th store in the heart of Suva in Tappoo City today.
Digicel Fiji invested $250,000 to this brand new store where people can easily access different services such as phone repairs, enquiry services and business outlet services.
Seven staff will run operations in the new store and these are staff from their Cumming Street outlet.
Digicel Fiji CEO, Farid Mohammed says this new store is a testament to their continued commitment to ensuring easy access to their services.
He says customers are their number one priority and they are always looking at how to improve the services they offer.
Mohammed says the fantastic looking store has an Entertainment Hub that enables customers to explore Sky Pacific offerings, sports, movies, music and more.
He adds the new store also has a special business solutions room to cater for corporate customers.
To celebrate the opening of their new store, Digicel is offering specials for today - $60 TCL smartphone for the first 100 customers with a free $10 monthly data plan, the first 30 customers can reconnect to Sky Pacific for $30 only, Sky Pacific decoder upgrade - sliver box customer can pay 2-month subscription to get a FREE black box, inactive Sky Pacific customers can log a free service visit request and buy an Unwired modem for $149 and get 1000GB free for 60days.
Samsung A02 mobile phone for $199 inclusive of a $10 monthly data plan and Samsung A12 for $319 with a cooler bag and $10 monthly data plan and new sign-ups for Sky Pacific for $159 inclusive of 2 months subscription and installation.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations


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Fntastic’s ambitious open-world survival title, The Day Before, has become emblematic of a video game scam that has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Released on December 7th, the game’s descent from anticipation to infamy has been rapid, culminating in the surprising announcement on December 11th that Fntastic would be closing its doors.
The Day Before, positioned as an open-world survival game akin to The Division, promised a dystopian world fraught with chaos and danger at every turn. However, its release on December 7th was met with near-universal criticism, with reviewers decrying the game for its poor quality, rampant bugs, and allegations of flipped assets. Just four days after its release, Fntastic dropped a bombshell, announcing the closure of their studio. In an official statement on Twitter, the studio admitted to the financial failure of “The Day Before” and revealed that the income generated would be used to settle outstanding debts. This raised questions about where the considerable revenue from over 18,000 game sales went, especially considering the game’s meager 20% approval rating on the Steam platform.
While unverified rumours hinted at over 200,000 initial sales, with 90,000 refunds issued, suspicions lingered about the possibility of a classic rug-pull style scam. The studio’s closure could potentially affect its obligation to honor Steam refunds. The situation was further complicated by rumors circulating before the game’s release that Fntastic was failing to pay its employees.
Despite Fntastic’s assurances that they were building a legitimate game, evidence suggests that The Day Before was, in fact, a scam. In the aftermath, the studio’s claim that the closure was due to financial failure rather than intentional deception adds another layer of complexity to an already convoluted narrative. Players who initially defended the game as not being a scam found themselves disillusioned as the truth unfolded. The game’s servers, still operational for the time being, continue to host a surprising number of players despite the broken promises and deceptive marketing. The final product, a far cry from what was promised, featured a city assembled with purchased assets, malfunctioning player-versus-player battles, and numerous technical issues.
Fntastic’s abrupt closure and the unraveling of The Day Before serve as a cautionary tale for gamers and industry observers alike. The deception, broken promises, and the financial fallout paint a grim picture of the challenges faced by smaller development teams. As the gaming industry navigates through troubled waters, vigilance and skepticism may become necessary tools to protect against future instances of deception and disappointment.


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Google I/O: Thomas Ingenlath keynote
“We want to make Polestar the guiding star of the new era in the automotive industry.” So began Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath’s keynote at Google I/O 2019. Speaking during a developer session entitled “What’s New with Android for Cars”, the Polestar CEO introduced a room of developers, programmers, and journalists to the brand, the Polestar 2, and its Android Automotive operating system.
The presence of Polestar at I/O may have been a question mark for some. So Thomas Ingenlath took the opportunity to break down the OS of the Polestar 2 for what it is: a unique opportunity for developers, and something unprecedented in the automotive world.
“For a long time, we’ve promised navigation that would be intuitive, that would be up to date, and we failed,” he explains. “The same with voice recognition. We had to do something radically different, so we teamed up with Google. And it was an amazing partnership.”
Taking the audience through an interactive presentation demonstrating the functionality of the Android-powered Google-equipped OS, Thomas Ingenlath showed what Polestar and Google have achieved. And if the applause (and huge amount of visitors to the Polestar stand) was any indication, the crowd was just as excited as he was.
All aboard: the Polestar Referral programme
Enthusiasm is contagious. Upon discovering a new hobby, restaurant, or band that you cannot get enough of, the urge to spread the word to friends and family is never far behind. After all, sharing is caring. The path towards greater electric mobility is indeed a journey of shared excitement. And we know that getting behind the wheel of an EV can have the same impact. Which is why we’re launching the Polestar referral programme.
The End of the Beginning
As of today, June 24th, Polestar is listed on the Nasdaq in New York under the ticker PSNY. This allows us to welcome shareholders, as well as customers, to join our journey towards more sustainable electric performance. This is a confirmation that Polestar has come of age. An end of the beginning. And a beginning of something more.


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Equinix to Showcase Performance Hub Solutions at GITEX Technology Week
The company will be present from 12 to 16 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre
Data centre company Equinix, has announced it will be participating at GITEX Technology Week and will showcase and brief GITEX visitors of the Equinix Performance Hub.
The Equinix Performance Hub is a new offering for enterprises struggling to deal with application and network performance demands. The solution combines elements of data centres, networking infrastructure and connectivity, and cloud computing access to improve application performance and deliver a globally consistent quality of experience to end users.
"The Middle East represents a high growth market for Equinix. Gitex is a fantastic opportunity for us to address the key issues facing our industry and outline our vision for the year ahead. Through Gitex, we are keen to identify new business opportunities, further develop our brand awareness, and educate enterprises on how our facility is equipped to cater to their evolving needs," said Jeroen Schlosser, managing director of Equinix MENA.
"We are increasingly hearing from enterprises that they are struggling to deal with the strain on application and network performance and how to provide a consistent quality of experience to their distributed workforce.
"The Equinix Performance Hub combines the strength of the networks and the cloud to address these issues. By redefining their data centre strategy to include Performance Hubs located closer to end users, enterprises can strategically leverage their data center to maximise network performance," added Schlosser.


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Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2017 and 150,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2018, including 92,000 employees in France.
The Group has a total customer base of 261 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2018, including 201 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers.
The Group is present in 28 countries.
Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.
In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan “Essentials2020” which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks.
What are the fundamental issues facing the world’s mobile operators? In the first of an exclusive new video series supported by Mahindra Comviva, MEF talked to Bruno Mettling, CEO of Orange Middle East & Africa, about digital transformation…
Are mobile operators the new ‘over the top’ players? It’s an interesting question. Everyone knows that the original ‘OTTs’ – Facebook, Google, Amazon and others – have rushed to compete with operators in messaging, content and more.
But when Orange recently declared its intention to bring societal renewal to Africa by investing in health, education and even electricity generation, isn’t this going ‘over the top’ too?
The last few weeks have seen some interesting moves around ad-blockers and Safe Harbour and raises some important questions. Both point to the need for consumer data and the fragility of that relationship in terms of developing consumer trust for a sustainable business future.
How should the industry respond?
Perhaps consumer trust in mobile is actually a disruptive element that is paving the way for a new wave of apps and services that make it a virtue or selling point?
MEF is holding its European Consumer Trust Summit. On October 20, at Level39 in London’s Canary Wharf, to discuss these and other issues with delegates from brands, regulators and consumer advocates.


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- Bitcoin fell more than 8% on Friday as speculators withdrew.
- The decline is likely due to profit taking and algorithmic trading, according to an expert.
- Bitcoin has gone from $ 5,000 to more than $ 8,000 this month, but is still trading well below the peak of $ 19,000 in December 2017.
- Watch the live bitcoin trade.
Bitcoin fell more than 8 percent to less than $ 7,200 on Friday as investors cashed in after the sharp rise in cryptocurrency this year. Prices for other cryptographic currencies, such as the Ethereum and Litecoin, fell by the same amount, while those in Bitcoins fell by around 12%.
The latest fall in cryptocurrency probably reflected profit-taking and algorithmic trading exacerbating the decline, said Jehan Chu, co-founder of Kenetic Capital, in an interview with CNBC. According to the data of CoinMarketCap, the total market capitalization of the cryptocurrency sector has decreased by about 9%, to about 225 billion dollars.
The price of bitcoin had climbed to nearly $ 8,200 earlier this week, which has more than doubled its value since the beginning of the year. There are several theories about the causes of the spike, including the trade war between the United States and China, growing institutional interest, an exodus of risky "spares", legal action against the owners of the Bitfinex stock exchange, and the hacking of the Binance stock exchange.
Given the sharp rise in Bitcoin, "it is not surprising that we have seen a slight adjustment," said Marcus Swanepoel, CEO of Luno, a cryptocurrency company. "The data will almost certainly show that a number of people who bought when the last major price hike will now leave at a price that covers their initial investment."
Bitcoins are still trading more than 40% above their $ 5,000 level in early May. However, it remains well below the peak of $ 19,000 reached in December 2017.


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At Cathay Pacific we are pleased to announce the launch of the eighth Cathay Pacific China Business Awards. The Cathay Pacific China Business Awards scheme recognises and rewards UK and Ireland business dynamism and success in Hong Kong and China.
If you think your company has the qualifications to impress our illustrious panel of judges and advisory members we look forward to receiving your entry.
Continued Commitment Award
This award recognises ongoing sustainable and ethical investment in China and/or Hong Kong, rewarding companies in the UK which have demonstrated a continued commitment in the China region.
Rising Star Award
This award recognises dynamic and Innovative businesses, which have opened operations in China within the last five years and demonstrate entrepreneurial flair.
The Social Responsibility Award
This award recognises initiatives from any company or Not For Profit organisations that have benefited China in a socially responsible manner.
Cathay Pacific China Business Awards winners 2011
Intertek, Fired Up Corporation and Queen Mary University of London, have been revealed as the winners of the 2011 Cathay Pacific China Business Awards, which took place at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Friday, 13 January 2012. The achievements of the winning organisations were recognised by HSBC’s Group Chairman, Douglas Flint and Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Europe, Angus Barclay, at the awards ceremony, which was attended by leading business figures from the UK, Hong Kong and China.


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- The U.S. digital wallet market is worth almost $4 trillion, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, but financial consumers -- with some exceptions -- aren't exactly sure how to take part. In Javelin's report, Mobile Wallet Game Changers, analysts say the industry is facing "slow adoption" and some "confusion" among consumers on how to get the most bang from their buck on digital wallets -- or even how to get started. In fact, according to the Yankee Group, about 70% of U.S. consumers are intrigued by the idea of mobile wallets, yet only 14% have actually completed a financial transaction using mobile technology. "While consumers and merchants remain intrigued by mobile wallets, no single solution has emerged victorious," says Jason Armitage, a financial analyst at Yankee Group. "As a result, the market is characterized by a multitude of mobile wallet vendors vying for dominance, with a dizzying number of available offerings." Many Americans also fear that their personal information may be compromised by using digital wallets, according to the Yankee Group and research firm Carlisle & Gallagher. It's proving to be the largest roadblock to consumer acceptance. says that Americans under the age of 35 are most likely to be early adopters of mobile wallet technologies. Considered an "important demographic" by retailers and financial services firms, younger financial consumers are "twice as likely" to download a mobile financial app than Americans over the age of 50. The under 35-crowd views mobile payments as time-savers, giving them real-time banking and financial options that avoid fees and trips to the bank. According to the research firm Carlisle & Gallagher, the affluent like the advanced payment options that come with mobile wallets, along with the ability to send money with the tap of their phone, and to create and share wish lists with friends and family. The young and affluent are bullish on newer features linked to mobile wallets. For example, digital wallets make it much easier to organize consumer loyalty programs, as users no longer have to carry cards in their wallets that retailers punch or scan to record a purchase. New technologies also allow mobile wallet users to skip long checkout lines. Consumers just tap their mobile wallet app linked to a retailer's payment system to buy a product in a store and don't have to deal with crowded lines -- a nice perk with the holiday shopping season coming up.