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Intel and Samsung Display have unveiled a new OLED display concept for PCs that expands from 13 to 17 inches by simply sliding the side of the frame.
The prototype was revealed at Intel's Innovation Forum keynote event last week, where CEO of Samsung Display, JS Choi joined Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and AI Ethics lead Ria Cheruvu onstage as they lamented how difficult it is to have to lug around large monitors.
Showing off his solution, Choi demonstrated the screen's capacity to grow from 13 to 17-inches, saying, “We’re announcing the world’s first 17-inch slidable display for PCs; this device will satisfy various needs for a larger screen and portability as well.”
Choi referred to the technology as 'Slidable Flex'. Still, despite evident excitement from both sides over the collaboration, there is no indication from either brand as to when we can expect to see products using the technology.
Flexible OLED screens have been growing in popularity for handheld devices, with foldable phones increasingly commonplace, while rollable TVs are also now a reality but with prices that put them out of reach for most.
Samsung has previously experimented with several different types of adjustable OLEDs, but indicating that the future for mid-size displays may well be slidable, Choi firmly declared that "Foldable is gone."
You can watch a replay of the event on Intel's site, with the new display sliding onstage at around the 50-minute mark, followed by a demonstration using it to show off the company's latest Unison software that connects Intel-powered phones and PCs.
Read our review of the Samsung Z Fold 4
Our pick of the best OLED TVs currently available


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled in recent years to appeal to the palate of guests at TIAA Bank Field.
In 2020, The Athletic’s Greg Aumun ranked the press box food for all 32 teams. The Jaguars came almost in dead last.
Additionally, this year, the Dunn and Drew Podcast visited the stadium and did a taste test of some of the more popular items. The duo noted that it's been a longtime complaint of many Jacksonville Jaguars season ticket holders that the food in the concessions is overpriced and "not very good."
But, that could be changing.
On Wednesday, the Jaguars' food service partner Delaware North announced a variety of new menu items that fans will be able to look forward to during the rest of the 2022-2023 season.
Items include meatball subs served on a hoagie roll and fish tacos featuring cornmeal-breaded catfish on warm flour tortillas, topped with cabbage and chipotle aioli.
Delaware North is also adding self-checkout scanners to help cut down on long concession lines.
“We worked closely with the Jaguars this off season to understand where our opportunities were to improve throughput and get fans back to the action as efficiently as possible,” says Marcus Snead, Delaware North’s general manager at TIAA Bank Field. “We’ve had a lot of success throughout Delaware North in deploying market-style concepts in sports venues, and adding self-checkout only further enhances the experience.”
Among new concepts are the Duuuval Coastal Kitchen, Duuuval Coastal Kitchen Express and Tostitos Taqueria, which will serve a variety of tacos, loaded beef or chicken nachos, churros and beverages near Sections 409 and 436.
Some of the featured food items include meatloaf sliders, grilled cheese cheeseburger, fat rooster tenders, a grilled chicken sandwich, a classic Greek gyro and tuna poke bowl.
Delaware North says the poke bowl, which is available at Lucky's on the upper level, will feature tuna, sushi rice, scallions, mango, cucumber, edamame and Wakami salad.
There are also three types of new signature fries available at Wings, Fries and Brews locations including buffalo chicken fries, garlic Parmesan chicken fries, and crab cake fries dusted in Old Bay.
But what about the beer? In years past, Jaguars fans have expressed frustration with the seemingly overpriced cost of beer at TIAA Bank Field.
"I sure don't wanna buy more than like 1 beer in there," commented one Reddit user in a Jacksonville thread about the worst stadium food in the NFL
According to a 2022 article by ESPN, The Washington Commanders have the highest price for beer in the NFL, with a bottle of suds going for $14.
The Jaguars have the fifth-highest price of beer in the NFL, according to the article, at $11.50.
First Coast News has reached out to Delaware North to inquire about beer prices at the stadium and if there are any plans to lower them.

domain: news


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JVC has announced its 85-inch DM85UXR 4K TV will be available in January 2015 for $7,999.
JVC has announced its new Diamond series of 4K televisions which will feature bundled Roku Streaming Sticks, HDMI 2.0 compatibility, and local dimming.
Twitter rolls out updates to both its iOS and Android apps, with new features for direct messages, timelines, and notifications.
Today we'll track three disturbing teenage trends online: narcissistic "Am I Pretty?" YouTube videos, the new Rebecca Black "talent," and the worst t-shirt Abercrombie has ever sold.
Today we'll track three disturbing teenage trends online: narcissistic "Am I Pretty?" YouTube videos, the new Rebecca Black "talent," and the worst T-shirt Abercrombie has ever sold.
Trains in the Netherlands are getting armed with lasers as part of a test to see if they can burn away dangerous material on the tracks, including autumn leaves.
Tired of being told you can't send a link via direct message on Twitter? Me too!
Synology announces version 5.0 beta of its DiskStation Manager operating system that powers all of its NAS devices at CES 2014. The new version adds a slew of new features and improvement to existing supported NAS servers.
The photo-sharing app adds direct messaging, the first Steam Machines start to roll out, and YouTube reveals the top viral videos of the year.
commentary The social photo service's just unveiled Instagram Direct hardly breaks new ground, and really, it was a bit of a disappointment.


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December 2023 was a significant month for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, with several noteworthy developments and news stories making headlines. The December 2023 EV news covered a range of topics, from updates on Tesla’s charging standard to discussions on the impact of rising repair costs for electric cars after a collision. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most significant events and milestones from the end of 2023 to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the EV industry.
US Auto Companies Delay EV Spending Plans Due to Cooling Buyer Interest
The Wall Street Journal reports that as customers in the US hesitate to switch from traditional gas-engine vehicles to electric vehicles, some auto companies are delaying plans on EV spending. This is due to the relatively high prices of EV models, which has caused a cooling buyer interest, resulting in EVs piling up on dealer lots. However, car executives remain confident that sales will accelerate as additional lower-priced models come out and the availability of public chargers improves. Sales of electric models rose faster than the car market as a whole in the first 11 months of the year, but at a slower pace than in previous years.
The Challenges and Opportunities for EV Adoption in Meeting the Paris Agreement’s Target
According to a recent Reuters article by Laura Sanicola, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that electric vehicle sales need to make up 70% of the automotive market by 2030 in order to meet the Paris Agreement’s target for limiting global warming. However, it is uncertain whether EV sales can reach that level. Moreover, some major EV makers such as General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis have delayed or cancelled production plans due to rising labor costs and slowing growth in the United States.
The rate of future EV adoption depends heavily on pricing and the availability of charging stations, and China currently holds an advantage in both. While the average EV price in China is around $33,964, the average price in the United States is over $53,000. Additionally, China has far more public charging stations than the United States. Nonetheless, EVs are expected to make up around 50% of new U.S. car registrations by 2030 as drivers are attracted to the improving technology, falling prices, and the prospect of avoiding high gas prices.
Volkswagen Group to Adopt Tesla’s Charging Standard for Future EVs in North America
Volkswagen Group has announced that it will adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for its future EVs, including Audi, Porsche, and Scout Motors brands, starting in 2025. The automaker was one of the last to embrace the NACS EV plug in the United States, with its own charging network, Electrify America, announcing plans to adopt NACS last year. The move follows other automakers like Ford, GM, Rivian, Honda, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Subaru that have already announced their plans to leverage Tesla’s charging standard. Stellantis, the parent company behind brands like Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Peugeot, is still evaluating the charging standard.
Expensive Repair Costs for Electric Vehicles Following a Collision
Electric vehicle owners are discovering a new downside to their eco-friendly cars: expensive repair costs following a collision. According to CCC Intelligent Solutions, repairing an EV after a crash costs an average of $6,587 compared to $4,215 for all vehicles. EVs have high costs due to their complexity, the requirement for replacement parts, and the scarcity of trained mechanics to repair them. Although EVs require less maintenance than gas-powered cars, the higher repair costs may surprise new EV owners. Rental car company Hertz Global Holdings reported that repairing their electric fleet, mainly consisting of Tesla vehicles, contributed to decreased profits during the third quarter.
Tax Credits for EVs with Chinese Parts Set to Disappear, Affecting Sales and Pricing
EV shoppers are in for a surprise as all tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) with Chinese parts are expected to vanish. This could affect sales and pricing of a range of Tesla models and some Ford Motor EVs. On Wednesday, Tesla’s website stated that the rear-wheel drive and long-range versions of its Model 3 would lose all of the $7,500 federal purchase tax credit on December 31, contrary to the company’s earlier guidance that suggested buyers of its EVs would still get at least half of the tax credit on those models.
The changes to the credit qualifications for EVs were made as part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. Various factors, such as the location of vehicle, battery, and battery parts manufacturing, determine the eligibility for tax credits. The federal government considers China a country of concern as it produces roughly 50% of EVs, 75% of batteries, and 50% to 75% of key battery materials. According to Al Root of Barron’s, the changes will cause a disruption in pricing.
Stellantis to Launch Fiat 500e in North America in Q1 2024
According to a Reuters report by Giulio Piovaccari, Stellantis has announced that it will begin selling the fully-electric Fiat 500e in North America in the first quarter of next year. This marks the first retail offering of the battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the region. The car has an estimated range of 149 miles and is manufactured in the Mirafiori complex in Turin, Italy. The suggested selling price of the Fiat 500e in North America is $32,500, with a further $1,595 in delivery costs.
The Future of EVs Looks Promising
In conclusion, December 2023 EV news highlights the continued growth and evolution of the electric vehicle industry. While there are still challenges to overcome, major automakers are taking steps to make charging more accessible and affordable for EV drivers. With these advancements and innovations in the industry, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the year ahead.


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Amazon's new ad measurement tool, Comcast Ventures pitches for DTC brands, and The 3% Movement targets tech companies
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Welcome to the Advertising and Media Insider newsletter, where we round up the most interesting stories we've covered this week, ICYMI. I'm Lauren Johnson, a senior advertising reporter, filling in for Lucia this week. If you got this email forwarded, sign up for your own here. Got a tip or feedback? Email me at LJohnson@businessinsider.com.
First, I looked at Amazon's new attribution tool that it quietly began rolling out to more sellers recently. The tool helps track whether people buy products on Amazon within two weeks of seeing a Facebook or Google ad.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
- Buzzy shaving brand Harry's is hiring for a secret new direct-to-consumer brand to disrupt another industry. Here's everything we know about it.
- Inside Amazon's growing ad business: Everything we know about how the e-commerce giant is making inroads with marketers
- Amazon is rolling out a tool that shows just how much Google and Facebook ads drive people to do their shopping on the e-commerce site


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Digitisation in agriculture makes good progress. One problem that has yet to be solved, however, is the range of different, company-specific solutions for exchanging data, such as data that is trans-ferred between the machinery and software products of various manufacturers.
This approach is carried by a consortium that is open for further members and currently consists of well-known manufacturers of agricultural technology, like KUHN. We come to the mutual realisation that Farming 4.0 only works if a non-discriminatory data exchange is possible.
For further information, please consult the press release from DKE company and visit also the official website : www.dke-data.com.
Without data hub_________8_________________With data hub


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It was another solid holiday season for Urban Outfitters. The lifestyle apparel and home decor cataloger/retailer says that total company sales for the two months ended Dec. 31 increased to $452 million.
The Philadelphia-based company, which includes the Anthropologie, Free People, Leifsdottir, Terrain and Urban Outfitters brands, recorded $389 million in revenue for the same period in 2008.
“We are pleased to announce a 16% increase in our Holiday sales,” said CEO said Glen T. Senk in a statement. “All of our brands posted positive comp store sales during the period with each improving their comp trend from the previous quarter of this fiscal year.”
Better still, direct-to-consumer sales rose 28% for the period, with all three brands posting double-digit growth. Total company comp store sales grew 5%; comp store sales were up 10% at Anthropologie, 8% at Free People and 1% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment sales increased 9%.
For the 11-month period ended Dec. 31, Urban Outfitters’ total sales increased 5%, to $1.8 billion, fueled largely by the direct business. Direct-to-consumer sales rose 18% for the period, comp store sales were down 3% and wholesale segment net sales decreased 4%.
During the 11 months ended Dec. 31, the Company has opened a total of 29 new stores including: 11 new Urban Outfitters stores, 14 new Anthropologie stores including our first Anthropologie store in Europe, and four new Free People stores. The company will release fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010 sales results on Feb. 4.


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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Transit Authority announced Wednesday a new fare payment card that is expected to provide greater convenience to its cash-paying riders. FAREPAY will allow customers to purchase a reusable, electronic fare card, load it with cash and use it to tap on and off of UTA trains and buses systemwide.
The FAREPAY card will debut sometime this fall, but testing of the new fare payment method is already underway. With FAREPAY, the cards never expire or lose their value and can be reloaded with additional funds.
FAREPAY cards will be available online at www.rideuta.com, at UTA customer service centers and participating retailers. There will be a one-time $3 activation fee to purchase a card, which can then be loaded with any amount between $5 and $500.
The cards can be reloaded online, at customer service centers or at any of the select retailers.
Card holders will be required to tap card readers on buses or train platforms when boarding and exiting. The cost of the ride will automatically be deducted from the value on the FAREPAY card.
Customers are cautioned not to forget to tap off when exiting the system or transferring between lines to avoid a charge for transfers or for the full length of a FrontRunner trip, said UTA spokesman Remi Barron.
"There is no need to tap on and off when transferring between TRAX lines," he explained. "FAREPAY cards, like other forms of payment, allow for a free two-hour transfer window between modes of transportation."
Customers can register their FAREPAY card online to protect against loss or theft, he added.
"Monthly passes are designed to provide a benefit for frequent riders," Barron said. "For occasional riders, it offers the convenience of a monthly pass without losing its value at the end of the month."
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- Hatch, Lee split on new attorney general 14


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The Zcash price surges 29% after the developer team announced a proof of stake shift and they believe that the privacy coin will be a huge part of the next iteration of the internet as we are reading more in our latest Zcash news today.
Zcash maintainer Electric Coin company released a new official wallet so now Zcash will be moving to a proof of stake consensus mechanism in the next three years. ECC is thinking o adding Zcash to the Cosmos stack as well. A day ago, the ECC even outlined its official roadmap for the next three years so, within hours, the price of Zcash rallied from $147 to $189 which is an increase of 28.6%. The privacy-focused organization said that it will release a new wallet in 2022 before moving Zcash from a proof of work consensus mechanism to an environmentally friendly proof of stake model in the next three years.
The Electric Coin company said that it wants Zcash to be the main player in the emergence of Web 3.0 where data will be interconnected in a fully decentralized way and will give each user their own sovereign slice of the web.
buy amoxicillin generic amoxicillin without prescription online
In a collective society and the vision of an upcoming decentralized web, people will have total control over their information as the ECC believes that privacy will be a huge part of the fabric of the next iteration. Zcash and Monero are clear examples of privacy coins. Using these cryptographic techniques they hide ID info like addresses, transaction amounts, and more.
The coin uses a cryptographic technique called zero-knowledge proofs that allows users to make transactions without specifying the details about the transactions in question aside from the fact that they are legitimate. Monero allows for private transactions but Zcash allows for public ones as well. Zcash launched in 2016 which is two years after Monero. It was based on Bitcoin’s codebase and just like BTC, its supply is capped at 21 million. Today, it has a market cap of around $2.3 billion which is less than Monero’s. A day after it is launched, Zcash hit an all-time high of $5941 but the price has dropped since then.
Right now, the Zcash price surges 29% on the ECC news that it will release a new wallet in 2022. The company will be able to interact with Zcash directly through this wallet, allowing the company to roll out new features that might require changes to the protocol.ECC announced that the code for the official wallet will be open-source and the wallet developers will be able to expect the release of the software development kit in the near future.
DC Forecasts is a leader in many crypto news categories, striving for the highest journalistic standards and abiding by a strict set of editorial policies. If you are interested to offer your expertise or contribute to our news website, feel free to contact us at [email protected]


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The internet is a big, big deal. In just over two decades, it has fundamentally changed nearly every industry on the planet. Companies that failed to see the opportunity until it was too late were spectacularly disrupted while new startups that had the vision to see the potential of the internet established themselves as leaders in a new economy.
The internet has become an everyday essential for billions of people across the world, but when it comes to commerce the majority of buying still takes place offline. According to the Chamber of Commerce, online commerce represents less than 7% of all purchasing that takes place in the United States.
Despite how ubiquitous the internet has become in the world, a huge portion of the economic power of that engine remains untapped. Until it integrates with the offline world, where the bulk of money and goods change hands, it is operating at less than its potential.
Consumer Habits and Local Spending
According to studies conducted by the Consumer Barometer, over 60% of buyers research products online before buying them offline and for most Americans, the majority of their income is spent locally.
This is where the opportunity of online to offline marketing lies. By catching potential customers when they are researching for a product online, marketers can position themselves for the best possibility for capturing new business when it goes to spend offline.
Bridging the Gap
Companies trying to bridge this gap of online to offline commerce are nothing new. Groupon, which was once one of the hottest startups in the world, was an online to offline commerce company: connecting online offers to consumers for offline purchasing. But Groupon’s model could not deliver enough value for participating businesses, causing them to lose money and break ties with Groupon.
In a blog posted by Jon Carder, CEO of Empyr, an Online to Offline Commerce network with over $40 million in funding, titled “The Formula to Create a Trillion Dollar Industry”, Carder explained, “Daily deal sites frequently used a 50% off offer. That motivated online consumers by the truckload but wasn't sustainable for the offline businesses. The offer has to walk a fine line of motivational for consumers and sustainable for businesses. Daily deals were like a "steroid" pumping up businesses fast but then leaving them with a small number of returning customers. What actually works is an "exercise program", like a 10-20% offer that won't drive in as many consumers but will ensure the business has a sustainable marketing source.”
The Opportunity of O2O
The blog post goes on to explain the formula needed to build the online to offline commerce industry into a trillion dollar industry. It outlines the following key steps, based on where companies like Groupon went wrong and how far technology has evolved to make this possible.
The Formula to Create a Trillion Dollar Industry:
- A compelling offer for consumers that is sustainable for businesses, such as 10-20% discount. The offers need to be compelling enough to bring new business in but not big enough that the businesses can’t afford to offer it.
- A frictionless way to track the offline purchases, such as using credit/debit card tracking via a technology known as Card-Linked Offers, which according to a Bank of America study, is becoming very popular among Chief Marketing Officers.
- A huge monetization opportunity to attract online companies who promote the offers. This is where networks like Empyr come into play: connecting companies, platforms and consumers altogether.
The data and trends point to a massive opportunity for those who can successfully bridge the online world with the offline. Data-driven marketers can position themselves to take full advantage of this and get their chance at a trillion dollar market waiting to be tapped into.


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With the dates for Auto Expo 2020 approaching fast, the list of participants is becoming clearer; and it's shaping up to be a bit of a mixed bag. Earlier, we brought you names of carmakers who will be part of India’s biggest motor show, and those who have chosen to skip it altogether.
The industry is going through a pronounced slowdown, and several manufacturers have opted out of the motor show as the cost of participation is high; and most are currently realigning their product plans and redirecting their resources for a smooth transition into the BS6 era.
It’s a similar story for two-wheeler companies. As a result, a number of them have decided to give the 2020 edition a miss. As of now, we can confirm that Suzuki Motorcycle India and Piaggio (with Aprilia and Vespa) are manufacturers who will be present at the Expo; but Hero MotoCorp became the first to announce its decision to not participate in the 2020 Auto Expo a few days ago.
It may come as a surprise to some, but TVS and Jawa Motorcycles will not be present at Auto Expo 2020 either. As always, Bajaj Auto and Royal Enfield won’t be a part of the show, and biggies such as Yamaha Motor India and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India are also likely to skip the 2020 Auto Expo.
Among big-bike manufacturers, Triumph Motorcycles will skip the Expo for the second consecutive time, along with Kawasaki, Ducati, Harley-Davidson and Motoroyale; the latter of which is the official retailer for five brands – MV Agusta, FB Mondial, SWM, Norton and Hyosung. With the BMW Group choosing to skip the Expo, BMW Motorrad will be absent, too, and even Ather Energy has chosen to give the motor show a miss.
With such a lengthy list of manufacturers who won’t be participating in Auto Expo 2020, it remains to be seen if any new names jump into the fray to occupy the sprawling stalls at the India Expo Mart, in Noida, which is where the 2020 Auto Expo will be held from February 7-12.
|Auto Expo 2020: Who's in and who's out (two-wheelers)
|Piaggio (Aprilia, Vespa)
|Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India
|Yamaha Motor India
|Motoroyale (MV Agusta, FB Mondial, SWM, Norton, Hyosung)


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Nvidia RTX 2060 release date: Here’s when the 12GB entry-level GPU will be available
Nvidia has listed a partly new graphics card on its website. The product is not entirely a new release as it is merely an expansion of the GeForce RTX 2060 Founders Edition that launched in early 2019.
The official website of Nvidia has been updated to include a newly listed card. It is also named RTX 2060 Founders Edition, but with the distinction that it has 12GB video RAM. Most of its technical specifications are the same as its 6GB sibling, including the use of GDDR6 technology. Despite the higher RAM capacity, the new GPU model is also advertised with 14 Gbps memory speed, 192-bit memory interface width, and 336 GB/s memory bandwidth.
There are slight improvements, though. The 12GB RTX 2060 Founders Edition card has 2,176 Nvidia CUDA cores, while the 6GB model only has 1,920. The newer product is also listed with a slightly faster base clock at 1470MHz compared to the 6GB variant’s 1365MHz. The 12GB GPU’s required system power is set at 550W, which is 50W higher than the other card.
The rest of the features and specs are identical for both the 6GB and 12GB RTX 2060 cards. Their maximum digital resolution is 7680x4320, they use Nvidia’s Turing architecture, and their maximum GPU temperature is 88 degrees Celsius.
Nvidia confirmed to The Verge that the 12GB RTX 2060 graphics card will be available starting Tuesday, Dec. 7. The company did not reveal yet how much the new product will cost, but Nvidia told the same publication that it is positioned as a “premium version” of the 6GB RTX 2060, so it should be reflected in its market price. Note that the 6GB RTX 2060 Founder Edition had an introductory price of $349.
Some tech fans might find it absurd that Nvidia is updating a graphics card line that is nearly three years old now. But the release of the 12GB RTX 2060 is one of the company’s ways to allow customers to find new cards with a few updates without having to battle with the crypto miners and heavy PC gamers for the more high-end GPUs.
Nvidia first confirmed this strategy last February following rumors that older-generation cards, such as GeForce RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti, are getting updated amid the ongoing chips shortage. In an email correspondence, an Nvidia representative told PCWorld that the said GPU generations are not getting revived because they never reached end-of-life. “More of an ebb and flow really. We’re just meeting market demand which remains extremely high as you noted,” the company said at the time.


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Streaming giant Netflix has confirmed it will limit viewing quality by a substantial amount in Europe, for an initial period of 30 days…
Netflix will reduce its streaming quality in Europe for 30 days in order to help lessen network congestion. Although, Netflix isn’t alone, by any means. With the spread of COVID-19, more and more localities are warning residents to practice social distancing, and even shut down bars, nightclubs, restaurants, malls, and more.
Netflix Reducing European Streaming Quality for 30 Days Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak
The coronavirus is posing a triple threat to internet networks across the globe. For instance, there’s a massive increase for news and video, more and more people are telecommuting, and students are using distance learning or virtual learning. All of which severely tax the system, which could result in serious slowdowns and perhaps outages.
Netflix will reduce the quality of its streaming in Europe by 25 percent, which is a very large amount. The streaming company is using the hashtag #SwitchToStandard to encourage customers to forgo HD viewing.
Right now, there’s no word whether or not Netflix will take the same measures in the United States. But, the streaming company could do so in the not-too-distant future, if the impact of the virus continues to cause more precautions to be taken by the public.
Teleworking & streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain.
To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary.
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) March 18, 2020


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1:17 industry was facing intense fuel economy standard pressure 2:35 GM spent $1m on market research
5:12 I cut the forecast in half ... turned out to be worse than that 6:30 no one would speak before Roger spoke
7:49 pre-Acura, Lexus, Infiniti
11:41 Vice Chairman of GM says, "Don't worry, they'll get used to it"
12:55 research tested the Eldo, Seville, C- body cars, Park Avenue, the 98. A whole system of luxury cars that needed to be downsized
14:21 The press will never know this- this is why it's deep secrets revealed. This would make the Edsel pale by comparison.
17:44 No longer the prestige of "I've got the longest car on the block"...what made Cadillac wouldn't matter today


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The laughter keeps on coming.
An Aberdeen bar has announced a disco themed brunch.
Before we tell you about this incredible afternoon tea from the team at Devenick Dairy - you need to watch this video.
A north-east high street has been nominated for a top national award.
An Italian restaurant in an Aberdeen shopping centre is set to close next year.
An Aberdeenshire based beer giant has surged past a crowdfunding target – by raising £23 million.


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Salesforce has joined Formula 1 as a global partner to power and grow engagement and strengthen fans’ connection to the sport.
As part of the multi-year deal, F1 will also work with Salesforce to gain actionable insights from its carbon footprint, helping to accelerate its mission to reach net zero emissions by 2030.
Through providing greater insight into the global F1 fanbase, Salesforce Customer 360 will help inform behaviours, communication, and actions with fans as they engage with the sport. The five-year partnership is also focused on bringing unique experiences to viewers; this will include new broadcast graphics, starting with Driver of the Day in Melbourne.
Salesforce will utilize F1’s marketing and B2B platforms through trackside signage, digital content, and hospitality at Grand Prix races. By leveraging the technology and expertise from Salesforce to create innovative digital experiences and accelerate sustainability efforts, F1 hopes to build and develop the most engaged fanbase in sports.
Colin Fleming, executive vice president of global brand marketing for Salesforce, said: “Salesforce is excited to join the fast-paced world of Formula 1, partnering with them to connect with their global fanbase in a whole new way. Working with F1 to transform their approach to fan engagement and sustainability will give existing fans even more to love, and open doors for new audiences as the sport continues its rapid growth. It’s an exciting time for F1, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
Brandon Snow, managing director of commercial at Formula 1, added: “We are delighted to welcome Salesforce to F1 as a Global Partner, further strengthening our roster of top-tier industry leaders. Using their industry-leading technology products, we will work together to create a new era of fan experience and engagement for our ever-growing fanbase. The fans are at the heart of everything we do and both we and Salesforce will be working together to continue to improve their experience.”


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Posted on October 11, 2010
Boring old news media: Still boring, still old
I was just rereading a post by Steve Yelvington — whom I used to call the smartest man in online journalism (and he may still be — it’s just that there are so many more people in it now, it’s hard to name just one).
Steve’s post (A tablet revolution: It’s like it’s the ’70s all over again) has several excellent points that made me remember not the 1970s but the mid- and late 1990s, when news media companies could have invented Craigslist — but of course, they didn’t. When they could have invented YouTube — and didn’t. When they could have made websites that were irresistibly fun and interesting so that people would come to depend on them — oh, yeah, somehow they didn’t do that.
Why didn’t companies with loads of talent and profit margins in excess of 20 percent seize the reins and gallop confidently into the new territories of the Web?
Steve notes that Apple’s iPad “is just an opening round” in the latest chapter of a story that began with a big, wide selection of tacky little plastic “home computers” in the 1970s. Tablet computers have been coming out (from various manufacturers) for several years already; it’s just that Apple’s phenomenal marketing budget and sexy operating system have made the iPad a household word (at least in North America).
So Steve points out that this is no time to sit on the sidelines and watch the revolution pass you by — it’s time to experiment, test, and try new things. And don’t think the iPad is the only platform — there’s lots more on the way! As sexy as the iPad is, it’s not a sure win (Steve asks us to remember the failure of Betamax video and the Amiga computer).
While reading Steve’s post, I was thinking about news organizations and the question I asked in paragraph 3 here. Some news organizations are experimenting with iPad apps — and mobile apps for several non-Apple platforms such as the Android. Bully for them.
What about trying new things? I have yet to see an app from any news organization — for a phone or the iPad — that spells innovation. Steve refers to “completely new information experiences that don’t even vaguely resemble old products,” but whatever these are, I have not seen them. A new way to read a magazine? It looks cool, but it’s still a magazine.
After a few minutes with the eye candy, you’re back to reading text. Plus a little “Like” and “Retweet” action, which is hardly new or innovative.
As a phenomenal platform for viewing great still photography, the iPad blows my mind. But sliding photos back and forth and dragging little thumbnails around to make my own “playlist”? Okay, thanks, but that’s a far cry from a “completely new information experience.”
Taking risks and being smart about it — that’s what’s missing in news organizations.


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So much forjoined up government and minimising burdens on business. Having just forcedlarge retailers to spend almost £16 million refitting stores to hide tobaccoproducts the Government is now confirming it’s considering legislation onpackaging. That’scrazy and completely against the Government’s own better regulation principles.If a decision is taken to go ahead with plain packaging, concealing productsfrom view in shops becomes irrelevant.
More top news
June and Barry Steenkamp tell Good Morning Britain they accept the judge's decision but still did not believe Pistorius' version of events.
Fifteen British WW1 soldiers will be reinterred at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery today, 100 years after their deaths.
Unresolved complaints about energy suppliers could be five times higher than official figures suggest, according to Labour.


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With the launch of its concierge service, HeyU aims to be the leading concierge assistant platform in the country, within a month. The service allows HeyU’s customers to appoint errand runners from the company to buy groceries or shop on their behalf.
The service is similar to Gojek’s service in Indonesia.
Also read: Grab Major Investment in Vietnam
The startup founded in 2017. It is formerly known as San Ship. It is an instant delivery platform designed for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh suburban areas. Moreover, it connects store owners (merchants) with available motorbike riders (shippers).
According to HeyU’s CEO, Pham The Anh, the startup operated as a bootstrapped company for the first year. Besides, it also did not raise any institutional funding from VCs.
He, later only relied on Facebook groups to extend the network of shippers and store owners. HeyU said its merchants are free to decide shipping fees, taking only 18% commission from shippers.
However, in 2018, the company raised US$500,000 from NextTech Group. The group has also backed ride-hailing firm FastGo and a slew of other tech startups such as lending platform Vaymuon and e-wallet Vimo.
Currently, HeyU is in the process of raising series A funding from domestic and regional venture capitalists, hoping to close this round as a US$3 million funding deal.
Vietnam’s on-demand consumer market basically already has similar service providers. They are Lozi and Now.vn. They are parts of Foody that got acquired by Sea for US$64 million in 2017.
Besides, Gojek has also started to operate in Vietnam as Go-Viet. Yet, the Indonesian-based unicorn has not been able to roll out concierge services in the country yet.


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Households with solar face rising energy bills
A million households that have installed solar panels face an increase in their energy bills under Ofgem plans to overhaul the way Britain’s electricity networks are funded.
Electric vehicle owners who charge their cars at peak times also face paying bigger levies towards the upkeep of power networks than those who charge overnight, the regulator has proposed.
Ofgem is concerned that the existing network funding model “may be unfair and is only going to get more unfair” as technology transforms the way that consumers use power.
It has begun consulting on a new system that it wants in place by 2020-21. At present, households pay an average of about £120 a year towards the upkeep of electricity networks. This is levied as part of the


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Cape Town, South Africa – Tickets sales for #COSMOFest2018 have officially opened.
This two-day fashion and beauty event is set to take place from the 27 – 28 July 2018
at Canal Walk in Cape Town.
#COSMOFashionFest, taking place on Friday 27 July 2018 from 7PM – 10PM, will
feature a live runway show, showcasing the latest fashion and accessory trends by
the Cosmopolitan fashion team, local designers and partner brands including
Foschini, GUESS and many more. The show will include exclusive live performances
by South African music acts and award-winning choreographers. Headline sponsor,
Bernini, will treat all guests to a welcome drink to kickstart this highly anticipated
event. Tickets for #COSMOFashionFest are R270 and are available for purchase via
“Always ready to sparkle, Bernini is looking forward to treating all you glow getters
at #COSMOFEST2018. Be sure to bring your bestie and don’t miss the Bernini
masterclass at #COSMOBeautyFest for tips to perfect a metallic manicure”, says
Tania Kotze, Bernini Brand Manager.
The following day, on Saturday 28 July 2018, #COSMOBeautyFest will captivate the
crowds from 8AM – 4PM. Guests can look forward to a full-day mega masterclass on
everything beauty from nails and hair, to fragrance, makeup and skin. The event
space will be filled with hands-on workshop stations manned by DIY beauty
specialists as well as live beauty activations. All attendees will walk away with a
goodie bag worth over R800, courtesy of COSMO’s partner brands. The event will be
hosted by the Cosmopolitan beauty team, expert makeup artists and influencers
including Cynthia Gwebu and Nadia Jaftha. Tickets for #COSMOBeautyFest are R450
and are available for purchase via Quicket.
The entire two-day #COSMOFest2018 experience is available at a reduced price of
R650 via Quicket. The combined ticket will allow guests access to both the fashion
and beauty event spaces.
“#COSMOFest is an exciting new two-day event, hosted by MTV Base Presenter
Nomalanga Shozi. Expect a fun, fabulous fashion show, with the latest winter trends
you’ll want to wear now. Entertainment is guaranteed with a lineup of acts like
award-winning choreographer Rudi Smit and his fierce dance crew. For the first time
ever we’ll be hosting a beauty master class on day two, filled with instagrammable
moments and a live panel discussion with influencers, artists and the Cosmopolitan
beauty team.” Holly Meadows, Cosmopolitan Editor
COSMO is calling this two-day event the biggest fashion and beauty event of the
year. A number of top-tier brands from both industries are set to provide an
unmatched experience of the most coveted style and beauty trends on local and
We hope to see you there. Look out for our #COSMOFEST competition, where you will be able to win a ticket or two to the event.


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The estimated $10 million effort will run on national cable TV with radio and print ads supporting. Co-op advertising money from book publishers also will be used to support the campaign.
The humorous TV commercials, filmed in b&w, are set in stores and present vignettes featuring store employees and customers. The campaign is themed "Come Inside."
It's the first work for Borders from Butler, Shine & Stern, Sausalito, Calif., which won the account in June. Perich & Partners, Ann Arbor, Mich., is the previous agency.
"We realize customers want more experience for their time," said Sarah Thornton, Borders' director of advertising. "It's as much about share of time as it is about share of book sales."
Butler Shine President Greg Stern said the spots are intended to spotlight the stores' atmosphere, which "encourages relaxing, reading and 'stack surfing.' "
Competitors have begun to poke fun at Borders' coffee shop and place-to-relax-away-from-home approach.
TOO MUCH COFFEE?
Crown Books, via agency DeVito/Verdi, New York, last month launched a TV spot that shows a man shaking while he examines a book. "Maybe the reason the other bookstores serve you so much coffee is because they don't want you to see the price," voice-over says.
In Borders' new ads, one spot promotes the store's ornithology collection. A young man ogling exotic mating habits of certain birds, makes a sideways comment to his wife, but realizes she has walked from his side. He discovers he's made the comment to an elderly woman who is now next to him.
In a spot for a U2 tape, a man described as a former rock star with a group called "You Too" complains about his career being ruined by the other group.
The holiday selling season is critical for Borders as well as its competitors:
The chains realize about a third of their annual sales in the fourth quarter. In the past, territory was a major factor in bookstore sales, but the growth of the big chains finds each expanding into the others' traditional markets. That makes for stiffer competition.
Borders Group is the second-largest book retailer in the U.S., after Barnes & Noble. Other competitors include Crown Books as well as growing online enterprises such as Amazon.com.
Borders is expected to launch an online selling site by the end of the year, while Barnes & Noble has signed a deal with Microsoft Corp. that backs its online selling site to 2.5 million consumers a month.
The deal, announced last month, makes Barnes & Noble the exclusive online bookseller on MSNBC, Microsoft Investor and Expedia. It also has deals with the New York Times Online and America Online, among others.


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The last new episode of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix October 27, 2017; it will be another nine months or so before the release of Season 3. But here, absence makes the heart grow fonder: According to at least one measurement, Stranger Things remains the most popular series among original digital TV content.
Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and the other major streaming services infamously refuse to share viewership data, but there are other ways to measure series popularity. Nielsen occasionally reveals streaming viewership data from its people meters, while Parrot Analytics offers a proprietary metric, “Demand Expressions,” which looks at a variety of factors in determining a digital series’ popularity.
According to the service, Stranger Things has led the pack among all streaming shows over the past 90 days, followed closely by Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black.
The “Demand Expressions” measurement combines streaming, peer-to-peer downloads, social media, comments, blogs and other sources. These measurements are weighed by importance, which means streams or downloads take precedence. Parrot marketing vice president Samuel Stadler said while the number itself is arbitrary, it’s a useful basis for comparing shows’ relative popularity.
“It’s now being used across the industry,” Stadler said. Netflix and other platforms continue to dismiss data like the “Demand Expressions,” but absent any firm information from those sources, it’s likely these substitutes will continue to be used.
Here is a look at the top 10 digital originals over the past 90 days in the United States (Aug. 10 to Nov. 7, 2018):
Stranger Things is a bit of an outlier: It’s a show that maintained a steady level of popularity, even as other shows premiere, explode in popularity, and disappear once audiences complete their binges.
“It’s a special show, and the passion seems to be heightened,” Stadler said. “It seems that particular show has staying power beyond anything. There hasn’t been a show that comes anywhere close to it.”
Stranger Things will enter 1985 when the show returns next year. Netflix execs and the stars’ reps clearly know it’s a smash phenomenon: They upped the salaries of stars David Harbour, Winona Ryder, and breakout Millie Bobby Brown to around $350,000 an episode. The show’s other young stars, who made $30,000 an episode for Seasons 1 and 2, will now make as much as $250,000 an episode.
Looking at the year-long trend, per Parrot, Stranger Things dominated the stream-o-sphere from January to May, when Orange is the New Black took the top spot. OITNB proceeded to spike in July and August, after the launch of its Season 6, before Stranger Things regained the top spot.
That sustained popularity also seems borne out by Nielsen numbers. The first episode of Season 6, for example, received an average audience of over 5.3 million U.S. viewers in its first three days of availability, according to Nielsen, which reported this summer that the show “continues to be one of the most watched streaming original series, especially among the key 18-49 demographic.”
Among new shows, Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a hit according to the Demand Expressions metric, having dominated the streaming world during the first week of November. Sabrina actually came on the strongest of any program measured by Parrot Analytics this year.
“People are still tapping into this Halloween content,” Stadler noted. “‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Sabrina’ have done pretty well considering their niche horror appeal. [‘Sabrina’] caught us off guard.”
Here is a look at the top 10 digital originals over the past 7 days in the United States (Nov. 1 to Nov. 7, 2018):


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UPDATE 1-American Express profit beats estimates as card spending rises
* Third-quarter earnings per share $1.25 vs est. $1.22
* Revenue up 6 percent to $8.30 bln
* Cardmember spending growth highest in five quarters
Oct 16 (Reuters) - American Express Co posted a better-than-expected 9 percent rise in quarterly profit as customers increased spending on its credit cards and fewer users defaulted on payments.
A relatively affluent customer base has helped to insulate American Express from tepid consumer spending that has led to an overall decline in credit card usage in the United States.
The company has the lowest delinquency rate among the large credit card issuers, which include JPMorgan Chase, Discover Financial, Capital One, Bank of America and Citigroup.
American Express said spending on its cards increased by 9 percent in the third quarter, after adjusting for foreign currency translations -- the highest rise in five quarters.
Its net-lending write-off rate for the quarter dropped to a low of 1.7 percent, compared with 1.9 percent in the year-earlier period, indicating that more custoemrs were keeping up with card payments.
American Express said its U.S.-billed business rose 8 percent in the third quarter to $158.2 billion.
Net profit rose to $1.37 billion, or $1.25 per share, for the quarter ended Sept. 30, from $1.25 billion, or $1.09 per share, a year earlier.
Total revenue, net of interest expense, rose 6 percent to $8.30 billion.
Analysts on average had expected earnings of $1.22 per share on revenue of $8.18 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Shares of American Express, a Dow Jones industrial average component, were marginally up in extended trading. They closed at $76.32 on Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.


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General Catalyst, 3one4 Capital and Scott Shleifer, the global managing director of New York-based investment firm Tiger Global also participated in the round, said a senior company executive.
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The Y Combinator-backed company, which started operations amidst Covid-19 pandemic, helps people prevent, manage and reverse Type 2 diabetes by using a personalised coach-driven approach.
In May, the company said it had raised $1 million in a pre-Series A round, led by 3one4 Capital.
Sandeep Singhal (managing director, Nexus Venture Partners), Ashish Gupta (ex-MD, Helion Ventures and n investor in Flipkart, MakeMyTrip and naukri.com), Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs India (SAE India) are investors in the company.
Silicon Valley-based Y Combinator invested in Breathe during its 2020 winter batch.
Gurugram-based Breathe said it has a clinically proven digital programme which uses a personalised coach-driven, community-first approach to help people with Type 2 Diabetes reduce blood sugar levels, lose weight and stop medication eventually.
Users access the programme through the Breathe app.
The programme has so far helped more than 10,000 people lose weight, reduce blood sugar and prevent health complications. “As we speak, there are 1,000 users in the waitlist,” Verma said.
Reversing chronic conditions like diabetes requires personalized lifestyle changes across diet, fitness, and mental wellness. The company said its flagship Online Diabetes Reversal Program has resulted in more than 95% patients showing HbA1c (three-month average blood sugar readings) reduction of more than 10% and more than 90% patients with completely stopped or reduced medications.
The company offers ‘No Outcome, No Pay’ where patients end up paying only if they see a significant reduction in the HbA1c levels, otherwise the fee is refunded.
In India, 150 million patients suffer from chronic lifestyle diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Polycystic Ovarian Disease, thyroid and hypertension.
Diabetes, if left untreated, can lead to potential complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and nerve damage. Adults with diabetes have a two- to three-fold increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
“We are really impressed at the customer stickiness around Breathe’s product and believe that the company has tremendous potential in scaling up this digital-led approach not just with diabetes but with any other conditions,” said Radhika Ananth, vice president, Accel, who focuses on early-stage investments in healthcare and consumer technologies companies at the firm.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Bottom Line
- Deep Dive
- Learn more about our print editionMore
- India Sees Normal Rainfall Despite El Niño Conditions
India received ‘normal’ rainfall during the four-month-long monsoon season despite El Niño conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.Byju’s Puts Up a Two-week Notice for FY22 Results
Byju's said on Saturday that it would in the second week of October present the audited fiscal-2022 results to its board, advisory council as well as investors Peak XV Partners and Prosus that have recently withdrawn their representatives from the edtech firm’s board.‘No Inflation Risk from Rising Oil Prices’
The latest spike in oil prices may have a marginal impact on India's FY24 wholesale and retail inflation, said economists. However, they said crude sustaining above the $90-level could be a downside risk for core inflation as companies begin passing on high input costs.
ETPrime stories of the day
12 mins read
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Apple seems set to work with multiple mobile network operators as it brings its iPhone to Europe, with O2 reportedly "poised" to clinch the rights to distribute the device in the UK.
Reports claim O2, (a division of Spain's Telefonica) seems set to secure the iPhone deal as exclusive Apple network partner for the UK.
The Times claims the mobile network will be the first European network to conclude an iPhone deal with Apple, while The Times warns the deal is set for "imminent" completion.
O2 this morning moved to dismiss the claims, saying: "No deal has been signed by O2 with Apple. We do not comment on rumour and speculation." Apple also maintains a policy of non-comment on rumour.
The Times also reports that it believes negotiations are continuing with mobile phone retailers including Carphone Warehouse over a deal to sell iPhones in that retailers stores after "a period of exclusivity" with O2.
Apple will take a share of iPhone revenies and O2's network will need to be re-configured to support the device.
Until now, rights to distribute iPhone in Europe were thought likely to go to one or more of Vodafone, Deutsche Telecom/T-Mobile or Orange.
Reports this week indicated that Deutsche Telecom/T-Mobile had secured the rights, at least for Germany.
Vodafone is understood to have battled hard for the rights to distribute iPhone in the territories it operates in, but senior management at that company later decided Apple's terms weren't attractive enough.
The device should be on sale later this year. The Financial Times warns the device will initially ship in the UK, Germany and France only, with iPhone launches in other European countries and Asia next year.


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Apple recently released updates for iOS devices, including iPads, iPhones and Apple Watches. This new version addresses recently discovered vulnerabilities. A few additional features, such as small QR code identification, and bug fixes are installed as well. See the full list on Apple's website.
Learn how to update your devices by visiting support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204.


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Netflix Explains not picking up ‘Agent Carter’!
Fans are still pretty ticked off that ABC did not renew Agent Carter for a third season. In fact there was an online petition to save the show. Rumors were going around for a while that perhaps Netflix would pick up the show, but unfortunately that never materialized either. Today we have some news from Netflix on just why they chose not to pick up Agent Carter. Check out the details below, and share your thoughts AFTER THE JUMP! Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos says it was because the…Read More


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BISMARCK, N.D. (Legal Newsline) - North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem announced a cease and desist order on Wednesday against Big Willies ATP LLC, its owners and their employees to ban them from selling synthetic drugs.
Under the terms of the order, Big Willies ATP LLC, William Nickel, Ryan Zueger and the company's employees may not sell incense, bath salts or other dangerous synthetic products.
Products sold in North Dakota head shops such as Serenity, RedXDawn, Magic Gold, Kratom and Lost in Trance are street drug alternatives that contain substances not listed on the label that have harmful side effects, Stenehjem said. State law requires packages to display a full list of ingredients and appropriate warnings.
"These products, although labeled not for human consumption, are marketed and sold as legal alternatives to street drugs," Stenehjem said. "These street drug alternatives are known to cause serious, and potentially lethal, health effects."
Violations of the North Dakota Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act can result in a fine of $1,000 per violation for each sale or advertisement of a prohibited product.
Head shops in North Dakota are located in Grand Forks, Fargo, Dickinson, Williston, Jamestown and Minot. While no recent sales of dangerous street drug alternatives were confirmed at the locations, Stenehjem said that he will take similar action against other businesses or persons who sell the products covered in the order against Big Willies.
"This office will continue to monitor activities in head shops across the state and will immediately take action to stop any business that sells any of these dangerous street drug alternatives," Stenehjem said. "I will use every resource available to me to protect the citizens of this state from this scourge."
Stenehjem also requested that the state's Board of Pharmacy adopt emergency rules to add the dangerous products and their variations to the schedule of controlled substances. Stenehjem will appear on Thursday before the board to propose the emergency rules.
"The epidemic resulting from the sale and use of these products is an emergency, and cannot wait until the upcoming legislative session," Stenehjem said. "Too many lives are at stake in the meantime."


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Mobile network operator Vivo and financial services group Bradesco are to introduce NFC payments in a number of cities in Brazil this year, ahead of a nationwide rollout in 2014. Vivo, part of the Telefonica group, has already made a deal with a TSM provider and is looking to secure partnerships with other banks, Exame reports.
- SimplyTapp launches open source tokenization project
- Bookatable tests iBeacon at 119 restaurants
- Chicago to get NFC mobile ticketing in 2016
- Discover CEO outlines plan to join Apple Pay
- Researchers show off ‘skin buttons’ for smartwatches


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“Oracle Chairman and CTO Larry Ellison gave the commencement speech at the University of Southern California [on Friday] and told an interesting anecdote about his best friend, Apple’s late founder Steve Jobs,” Arik Hesseldahl reports for Recode. “It was during a long hike in Castle Rock State Park near Los Gatos, Calif., in 1995… On this walk, Ellison and Jobs talked about ways they might together regain control of Apple.”
“At the time, Apple was in ‘severe distress,’ Ellison said, and had faltered badly after Jobs’s exit years earlier. People wondered if the company would survive,” Hesseldahl reports. “Ellison’s idea was to buy Apple and immediately make Jobs CEO. It made sense. Apple was worth only about $5 billion at the time, and, as Ellison said, ‘We both had really good credit, and I had already arranged to borrow all the money. All Steve had to do was say yes.'”
“Jobs proposed what Ellison called ‘a more circuitous route,'” Hesseldahl reports. “He would persuade Apple to acquire Next, and then join Apple’s board. ‘Over time the board would recognize that Steve was the right guy to lead the company.’ As we all know, that’s exactly what happened the following year.”
The Jobs portion of Ellison’s address starts at the 15:00 mark:
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We can still remember the excitement the day the deal for Apple to acquire NeXT was announced. In reality, of course, NeXT took over Apple from the inside out, thanks Jobs!
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me. — Steve Jobs


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How big is the iCrime wave?
National data aren’t available, but in New York, there were more than 26,000 incidents of electronics theft in the first 10 months of 2011 — 81% involving mobile phones — according to an internal police-department document. In Washington, D.C., cellphone-related robberies jumped 54% from 2007 to 2011, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. And the data may drastically undercount thefts. Since many don’t involve violence, many victims don’t bother reporting them.


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Blockchain has a “huge amount of potential” in travel and could cut out mistakes by providing a “frictionless” end to end experience, IBM’s head of travel told the Travolution Summit.
Ian Leonard told delegates: “Blockchain gives secure traction from one end to the other of a transaction. It needs authentication by several people and it hasn’t been hacked yet. It’s extremely difficult to hack it.”
In travel, he said it could be used to reduce the chance of duplication of payments and reduce the likelihood of instances where a hotel room may be double booked, for example.
“There’s a huge amount of potential for Blockchain,” he said. “Let’s find the base area that we need to fix or change and apply blockchain to that. It could certainly help create frictionless travel.”
Leonard said blockchain was one of the emerging technologies that he could see making an impact in travel and played down fears that automation could take jobs away from the industry.
“We are not intending that any of this replaces human beings, we want to give humans the combined intelligence of everything that’s been before.”
He used the example of call centres, adding: “If you take all the calls you have ever had and all the information that came with them, how powerful can that be?”
Steve Endacott, non-executive chairman of Teletext Holidays, gave a presentation on the use of technology in call centres created by travel technology provider Zen3 – a company he is also non-executive chairman of.
He explained how Zen3’s technology has helped him more closely monitor staff’s calls, by using computers to listen out for key words. This, he said, helped them understand why customers were not booking with them when previously they had been focussing on why customers had booked.
That allowed them to tailor the calls to suit a broader range of customers, he added.
He agreed that automation was helping, not hindering the human workforce, and said: “How many people work hard on a Friday afternoon these days? Are they out of a job? The traditional work model will change.”
But Richard Harris, co-founder and chief executive of Intent Media, said: “It’s easy to imagine the kind of jobs that will disappear.
“The big changes that AI [artificial intelligence] will drive are fundamental changes in the way we interact with technology.”
Rentalcars.com’s chief product officer Supriya Uchil, who joined the Manchester-based firm from Amazon, said companies are “slowly tiptoeing” into automation and said the more companies use it the more they can personalise the customer experience.
“Nothing can be better than an experience that’s applied to you,” she said.


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Due to the elimination of 76 movies and television series from its streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, the company will incur a $1.5 billion impairment charge in the current quarter.
A “strategic change in approach to content curation” was cited as the reason for the write-off, which can be used to offset gains for tax purposes.
In a filing with the SEC, Disney also stated that it anticipates additional produced content will be removed from its direct-to-consumer and other platforms, resulting in a further $400 million impairment charge.
In addition to financial payments, the removal of licensed content from its platforms could result in impairment and/or contract termination fees.
Disney CFO Christine McCarthy stated on the company’s earnings teleconference on May 10 that she anticipates a $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion impairment charge for the forthcoming content removal. “Consistent with this shift in strategy, we intend to produce fewer pieces of content in the future,” she added.
Disney Removes Content from Platforms.
Disney is not alone in removing content, as many media companies are under economic pressure to reduce expenses. In the past few months, Disney has concluded three cycles of layoffs, a total of 7,000 positions.
Disney ended the March quarter with 206 million total streaming subscriptions between Disney+ (including Disney+ Hotstar) and Hulu despite the elimination of content. ESPN+ has contributed an additional 25,3 million subscriptions.
“Willow,” “Y: The Last Man,” and “The Mysterious Benedict Society” are among the more well-known series that Disney+ has canceled. The complete list of removed programming is available on Disney+ and Hulu.
McCarthy had already indicated at the $1.5 billion impairment charge during the earnings call, so Wall Street should not be surprised by it. It is unknown how many additional programs and films will be removed from Disney’s platforms as the company continues to evaluate its content.


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Four Army National Guardsmen Indicted in Two Fraud Schemes
Greenbelt, Maryland – Three guardsmen from the District of Columbia Army National Guard were indicted on charges arising from a scheme to use Bitcoin to buy stolen credit and debit card numbers from foreign websites, re-encode cards issued in their names with those stolen numbers, and then fraudulently purchase items at Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) stores on military bases and elsewhere for use and resale (Shelton Stewart Indictment):
Derrick K. Shelton, II, age 28, of Washington, D.C.,
James C. Stewart, III, (J. Stewart) age 25, of District Heights, Maryland; and
Quentin T. Stewart, age 28, of Parkville, Maryland.
A fourth national guardsman, Vincent Anthony Grant, age 27, of Laurel, Maryland was also indicted in a separate case involving a similar fraud scheme (Grant Indictment). The indictments were returned on May 9, 2016 and unsealed last Friday, May 20, 2016 following the arrests of the defendants.
Shelton, J. Stewart and Grant were specialists, and Q. Stewart was a former sergeant, all in the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
The Shelton Stewart Indictment alleges that from July 2014 to May 2015, Shelton, J. Stewart and Q. Stewart, along with co-conspirator Jamal Moody and others, used Bitcoin to purchase stolen credit and debit card numbers of individuals and businesses from foreign internet websites. They selected and purchased stolen credit and debit card numbers of individuals and businesses holding federal credit union accounts, and those with billing addresses in or near Maryland. They bought magnetic strip card-encoding devices and software to re-encode credit, debit and other cards with the stolen credit and debit card numbers.
According to the Shelton Stewart Indictment, the defendants used the cards they fraudulently re-encoded to buy merchandise, including gift cards, electronic items, and luxury goods, from AAFES stores on U.S. military bases, and other locations in Maryland and elsewhere. They used the merchandise themselves or resold the merchandise.
The Grant Indictment alleges that from July 2014 to April 2015, Grant, along with co-conspirator Moody and others, engaged in a scheme similar to the one described above.
Shelton, J. Stewart and Q. Stewart face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. Grant faces a maximum sentence of seven and half in prison for conspiring to commit access device fraud. All four defendants also face a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The defendants had their initial appearances last week and were released under pretrial supervision, except for Quentin Stewart who is scheduled to have a detention hearing tomorrow, May 24, 2016, at noon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
In a separate proceeding, Jamal Alexander Moody, age 28, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, who was also a specialist in the District of Columbia Army National Guard, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Moody admitted that from July 2014 to April 2015, he purchased a magnetic-strip card-encoding device which he used to re-encode credit and debit cards issued in his name with more than 100 stolen credit and debit card numbers of other individuals that he purchased through Bitcoin transactions. Moody used the fraudulently re-encoded cards to purchase – often from AAFES stores – gift cards or electronic and luxury goods for resale. Moody is awaiting sentencing.
SOURCE: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Maryland


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|Bob Weiler, Amy Grogg|
Real Chemistry adds tech executive Bob Weiler and market access pro Amy Grogg to its board of directors. Weiler most recently served as executive vice president, global business units at Oracle, and has led such organizations as Phase Forward, Giga Information Group and Eastman Software (formerly Wang Software). Grogg most recently served as senior vice president, strategy and commercialization, at AmerisourceBergen, where she held operational responsibility for many companies within its network, including Xcenda, Lash Group and Innomar Strategies.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting names Brendan Daly vice president of communications. Daly most recently served as chief communications officer for the Recording Industry Association of America. From 2002 to 2011, he was chief spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, working with her through her first two terms as Speaker of the House. He has also been an executive vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations. At CPB, he is responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s communications and messaging strategy. "His skill set and experience will be valuable assets as we look to increase communication across the public media system and with the American people," said CPB chief operating officer Michael Levy.
IDG Communications, a tech media, data and marketing services company, appoints Brian Stoller as chief marketing officer. Stoller comes to the company from the CMO spot at Mobiquity Technologies. He has also served at executive director of performance marketing at IBM was a managing partner at Mindshare. At IDG, Stoller will lead the company’s global data-driven marketing efforts. “Brian’s passion and mastery for elevating marketing through data and technology melds perfectly with IDG’s goal of connecting tech buyers and sellers at the right time and the right place,” said IDG chief revenue officer Matt Yorke.


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Nokia launches two affordable smartphones
The Nokia 3.4 comes with triple rear cameras as well as sports a hole-punch display design, while the Nokia 2.4 comes with a waterdrop-style display notch and houses dual rear cameras.
Watch: LG confirms upcoming smartphone named as Wing
LG has confirmed its upcoming phone will be called Wing and will be revealed at its anno...
Affordable smartphone sales shoot up as demand grows due to e-learning needs
The $100-200 (₹7,350-14,700) smartphones in India have always be...
Vivo waives some dealer fees to aid offline retailers
DBD (dealer buy down) is a fee paid by a merchant to banks and non-bank companies for providing zero-interest EMI payments facility. Retailers pay DBD charges close to 1.5 percent to NBFCs on financing mobiles.
Smartphone prices may rise ahead of festive season as component rates hiked
For leading smartphone brands including China’s Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Realme and OnePlus who are pre-building inventory for the festive season, the component price hike could mean a cumulative cost escalation of close to Rs 15,000 crore, with their sales for second half of 2020 estimated at 50 million units, according to industry estimates.
5G smartphones to capture 50% of global market by 2023: IDC
"While many of the top vendors have reduced their 2020 production plans to align with the market decline, we've seen most of the cuts focused on their 4G portfolios," said Ryan Reith, programme vice president with IDC's 'Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers'.
Xiaomi seeing ‘very strong’ rebound post lockdown: Manu Jain
Even as the pandemic has disrupted and delayed the handset maker’s offline plans, Manu Jain, India managing director at market leader Xiaomi, said that the channel will contribute 50% of overall sales by the end of this year.
July smartphone imports continue to be high as brands prepare for festive season
Imports of smartphones in July stood at Rs 2,085.2 crore—a marginal 6% fall sequentially but still the second highest in three years. Import volumes for handsets touched a three-year high of Rs 2,225.2 crore in June, nearly six times that of May and several times the Rs 5.6 crore recorded in the immediate pre-Covid month of February, amid large-scale disruption in local manufacturing.
Realme launches C15, C12 budget smartphones in India
Realme C15 will be available in two variants - 3GB+32GB priced at Rs 9,999 and 4GB+64GB priced at Rs 10,999. The smartphone will be up for sale on August 27.
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi's India arm pledges 2,500 smartphones to support online education
"MI India distribution and retails came up with a fantastic idea.Together they will be contributing 2,500 smartphones to enable children most impacted by the pandemic to access quality education.
Indian smartphone market set to recover by 40% in 2nd half: Report
After going through disruptions in supply chain and curtailed domestic production, the Indian smartphone market is now showing encouraging signs of revival that sets it on a potential course for market recovery for over 40 per cent in the second half this year, according to a new report.
A snapshot of how much Indians spend on buying Chinese smartphones
The disclosure by Oppo Mobiles India, the flagship entity of China’s BBK Group in India, also said sales slowed down and profit took a hit due to the lockdown during the first two quarters of the current financial year.
Asus aims to capture 5% of commercial PC market in a year from launch
Asus’s business head for smartphones in India Dinesh Sharma, who has been appointed to lead the commercial PC operations as well, told ET, that the company is looking at hiring in big numbers to expand the newly formed vertical.
No more fireworks: Festivals fail to light up mobile phone sellers
According to smartphone trackers, sales this month have been close to 12 million as against 15.5 million last year. If this trend holds, then 2020 estimates would have to be lowered further from the already scaled down forecast of 130-134 million units.


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Dat Bike, a Vietnamese startup with ambitions to become the top electric motorbike company in Southeast Asia, has raised $2.6 million in pre-Series A funding led by Jungle Ventures. Made in Vietnam with mostly domestic parts, Dat Bike’s selling point is its ability to compete with gas motorbikes in terms of pricing and performance. Its new funding is the first time Jungle Ventures has invested in the mobility sector and included participation from Wavemaker Partners, Hustle Fund and iSeed Ventures.
Founder and chief executive officer Son Nguyen began learning how to build bikes from scrap parts while working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. In 2018, he moved back to Vietnam and launched Dat Bike. More than 80% of households in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam own two-wheeled vehicles, but the majority are fueled by gas. Nguyen told TechCrunch that many people want to switch to electric motorbikes, but a major obstacle is performance.
Nguyen said that Dat Bike offers three times the performance (5 kW versus 1.5 kW) and 2 times the range (100 km versus 50 km) of most electric motorbikes in the market, at the same price point. The company’s flagship motorbike, called Weaver, was created to compete against gas motorbikes. It seats two people, which Nguyen noted is an important selling point in Southeast Asian countries, and has a 5000W motor that accelerates from 0 to 50 km per hour in three seconds. The Weaver can be fully charged at a standard electric outlet in about three hours, and reach up to 100 km on one charge (the motorbike’s next iteration will go up to 200 km on one charge).
Dat Bike’s opened its first physical store in Ho Chi Minh City last December. Nguyen said the company “has shipped a few hundred motorbikes so far and still have a backlog of orders.” He added that it saw a 35% month-over-month growth in new orders after the Ho Chi Minh City store opened.
At 39.9 million dong, or about $1,700 USD, Weaver’s pricing is also comparable to the median price of gas motorbikes. Dat Bike partners with banks and financial institutions to offer consumers twelve-month payment plans with no interest.
“These guys are competing with each other to put the emerging middle class of Vietnam on the digital financial market for the first time ever and as a result, we get a very favorable rate,” he said.
While Vietnam’s government hasn’t implemented subsidies for electric motorbikes yet, the Ministry of Transportation has proposed new regulations mandating electric infrastructure at parking lots and bike stations, which Nguyen said will increase the adoption of electric vehicles. Other Vietnamese companies making electric two-wheeled vehicles include VinFast and PEGA.
One of Dat Bike’s advantages is that its bikes are developed in house, with locally-sourced parts. Nguyen said the benefits of manufacturing in Vietnam, instead of sourcing from China and other countries, include streamlined logistics and a more efficient supply chain, since most of Dat Bike’s suppliers are also domestic.
“There are also huge tax advantages for being local, as import tax for bikes is 45% and for bike parts ranging from 15% to 30%,” said Nguyen. “Trade within Southeast Asia is tariff-free though, which means that we have a competitive advantage to expand to the region, compare to foreign imported bikes.”
Dat Bike plans to expand by building its supply chain in Southeast Asia over the next two to three years, with the help of investors like Jungle Ventures.
In a statement, Jungle Ventures founding partner Amit Anand said, “The $25 billion two-wheeler industry in Southeast Asia in particular is ripe for reaping benefits of new developments in electric vehicles and automation. We believe that Dat Bike will lead this charge and create a new benchmark not just in the region but potentially globally for what the next generation of two-wheeler electric vehicles will look and perform like.”


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Airbnb has suffered a lot of flack recently for how some of its hosts are using the home-sharing platform. In allowing hosts to decide who may or may not book their homes, it is now clear that racial bias has flourished on Airbnb.
While Airbnb can't eradicate racism from the world, the company told The Washington Post that it has hired Laura Murphy, the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington D.C. Legislative Office, as a consultant to study how hosts and guests interact to make sure users are in the future treated more fairly. Airbnb said it also planned to send out a memo to its millions of users about its plans to tackle this issue.
This announcement comes after Airbnb was forced to remove a North Carolina host from the platform earlier this week after he unleashed a barrage of racist remarks at a black business school student who had booked a stay in his home.
"We were horrified when we read these messages," Airbnb told Fusion afterward. "Racial discrimination is unacceptable and it flies in the face of our mission to bring people together."
The North Carolina incident was only the most recent in a slew of allegations of racism on Airbnb that has moved users to rally around the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack.
A study out of Harvard last year offered more scientific proof of the trend, finding that users with black-sounding names were significantly less likely to be accepted when trying to book an Airbnb rental. While Airbnb isn't necessarily more racist than other corners of the internet, the study authors suggested that the user-to-user design of the site allows for bias in a way that a traditional hotel booking site does not.
Because trust is a large part of what makes sharing economy companies like Airbnb work, information like names and photographs are prominently displayed to help hosts and guests decide whether to book a listing. But that also creates opportunities for bias to influence the decision-making process.
In an earlier blog post, Airbnb has said that it hopes features like Instant Book can assuage the situation by allowing guests to book an Airbnb listing without prior host approval. It also said it planned to place more emphasis on reviews in the site design and less on profile data like names and photographs, which could perhaps influence how much users take information like race into account when deciding whether or not to accept a listing.
There is no surefire way to erase racism on Airbnb. But if Airbnb wants to make good on its mission of bringing people together, it has to try.


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Pre-Indian tender negativity has given way to newfound producer optimism in the urea market.
Business was finalised earlier this week in Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers’ (RCF) import tender, with the Middle East and Russia covering almost all business. The tender saw just 560,000t lined up against a target of 800,000t for shipment by 17 July.
The global response from importers was somewhat subdued, but fob values have firmed both east and west.
Middle East producers comfortable, production issues bite in SE Asia
In the east, Chinese export restraint, alongside persistent supply challenges in SE Asia and the aforementioned RCF tender sales have limited spot July availability.
Those requiring product, including buyers in Oceania, have faced offers in the $280s pt fob Middle East with at least one cargo booked. Business has been concluded this week at least $15pt above earlier Indian tender netbacks in the mid-$260s pt fob.
Indeed, having committed 230-240,000t into India, Middle Eastern producers were quick to advance price ideas in the face of inquiries and following news that Omani product was committed for July/early-August.
Spot availability has also been limited by the extent of contract commitments priced on formula to western markets, including Brazil, where returns are well below latest spot levels.
The absence of granular urea in SE Asia has played a major role. Malaysia’s Petronas has been facing production issues on two lines, while Brunei’s BFI is absent from the market for similar reasons.
Indonesia’s Pupuk Holdings is focused on domestic stock building. This has increased the reliance of regional buyers, as well as those in Latam and Oceania, on other suppliers.
Eastern buyers turn to China
For those requiring small volumes of prills, China is an option. Prills have been sold by traders into the Philippines at competitive levels around $280pt fob.
For granular, availability has been tighter, in part due to logistics and inspection times, with last done major volume business concluded for Australia. Offers have since slipped below $300pt fob, competitive when compared to producer price ideas in the Middle East for small lots into SE Asian markets. Export commitments for July have been slim thus far.
Clearly, any signs of growing export interest, particularly for granular, could cool the global market mood.
Owing to domestic market seasonality, Chinese exports are typically greatest during the second half of the year, building from July before slowing in the winter months.
Last year, China committed 2.1m. tonnes to the market in the second half compared to just 724,000t in the first half. This at a time when export controls were in affect and producers facing far higher feedstock costs.
Export controls have since eased while coal values have been far softer, as reflected in the overall decline in Chinese domestic urea values.
North African fob values rally, despite light import business in Latam and Europe
In the west, fresh import business has been lacking, despite European buyers being faced with firmer gas values and the return of import duties.
Nevertheless, North African producers have placed major volumes in the past two weeks with the majority of sales to traders and distributors covering earlier business. Latest sales of granular have taken place up to $340pt fob with prices edging close to mid-May values.
Notably, volumes of granular urea sold this week were around 50,000t. Most July sales were concluded mid-June in the $285-300pt fob range last week with over 130,000t of business taking place.
Little fresh cfr business has been noted, even if ex-warehouse and vessel offer levels have advanced. Buyers continue to report competitive offers from Russian suppliers. Crucially, European markets are in the offseason and can delay further purchases for some time.
Opinions in the market are divided on the outlook for August shipments. Firmer gas values and stronger grain prices relative to those earlier this month have fostered confidence amongst suppliers.
However, the looming threat of greater Chinese export interest, coupled with anticipated reduced Indian import in the coming months is fostering uncertainty.
By Chris Yearsley, Director, Profercy Nitrogen
For more information on Profercy’s Nitrogen Service, please click here.


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According to reports, the Delhi government is scheduled to provide rules and processes for receiving financial incentives for its Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, which was unveiled last month. The Times of India was the first to announce in March that the government intends to incentivize e-bikes very soon.
Delhi would be the first state in the country to offer a purchasing incentive for both passenger and freight e-bikes with a top speed of less than 25 kilometers per hour. Subsidies will range from Rs 5,500 to Rs 15,000 every cycle, depending on the category. The government would not only set the rules and regulations, but would also designate the brands for which subsidies would be available.
State transport minister Kailash Gahlot stated last month that the first 10,000 customers will receive a purchasing incentive of 25% of an e-price, cycle's up to Rs 5,500, and the first 1,000 individual e-cycle owners will receive an extra Rs 2,000.
The government will also offer a buying incentive of up to Rs 15,000 per vehicle to the first 5,000 e-cargo cycle purchasers in order to encourage the city's food delivery and e-commerce drivers.
In addition to the purchase incentives, all e-cycle and freight e-cycle customers would be eligible for a scrapping and deregistration incentive of up to Rs 3,000 per vehicle for dismantling and deregistering existing Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) two-wheelers registered in Delhi. The e-bike subsidies would be limited to one per person, who must be a Delhi resident with a valid Aadhar card.
Since the beginning of the Delhi EV policy in August 2020, over 50,000 EVs have been sold. The Delhi Government has granted more than Rs 60 crore in subsidies under the EV program to date.
The city also had the greatest EV sales contribution of 12.6% in March 2022, with an overall proportion of roughly 10% this year. The EV strategy targets for EVs to account for 25% of total vehicle registrations by 2024.
On the one hand, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) generates the largest daily income, but on the other, the company has trouble getting its electric buses (e-buses) charged at various electric depots (e-depots).More


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This week at Walt Disney World, the resort kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration in grand style, the newest show at Disney's Animal Kingdom hits some snags (literally!) and the next generation of MagicBand is announced!
Outside Walt Disney World, SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular kicks off and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay opens a new in-park Chick-fil-a.
1. Walt Disney World 50th anniversary kicks off
Walt Disney World kicked off its 50th anniversary this week, debuting new nighttime spectaculars Harmonious and Enchantment, officially opening Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, Disney KiteTails at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and the new Points of Light icon illumination at each theme park. You can check out the Magic Kingdom's rededication ceremony featuring former CEO Bob Iger and current CEO Bob Chapek above, which is followed by a filmed version of the Disney Enchantment show.
2. Disney KiteTails hits a snag
Disney KiteTails is the newest show at Disney's Animal Kingdom and though there was plenty of excitement for this show, it looks like there have been some technical issues with this show, with jetskis tipping over, and some of the oversized kites potentially damaged after hard landings, according to BlogMickey. Because of these issues, Disney KiteTails has been cancelled intermittently, and it is unknown what the future may hold for this production. You can check out a video preview above:
3. New MagicBand+ coming next year
Disney announced MagicBand+ this week, a new wearable wristband that will unlock new interactive experiences that react in real-time in the parks by lighting up, vibrating, and more. Here is Disney's official list of some of the interactive moments guests can experience with MagicBand+:
- Play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks.
- Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including the new “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom Park.


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Georgian wine tasting was held in Hong Kong
In order to diversify Georgian wine export markets, the "Georgian Wine Festival" was held in Hong Kong led by Debra Meiburg, Head of the National Wine Agency contractor marketing company Meiburg Wine Media.
15 Georgian wine producers represented their production at the festival, which was attended by wine importers, representatives of restaurants, hotel chains and the media, which is particularly important for raising awareness of Georgian wines. Despite the difficult political situation in Hong Kong, the event was attended by a large number of guests, and it lasted longer than planned.
The event was held within the framework of the "Georgian Wine Asia Tour of", which involves presenting Georgian wines in different cities of China.
In recent years, the People's Republic of China has taken place in the top five Georgian wine exporting countries. According to the data for the first 10 months of 2019, more than 6 million bottles of wine were exported from Georgia to China, up by 12% from the same period of the last year.


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Rental levels at large warehouses are set to rise this year after a fall in the supply of sites across the UK last year. Supply of logistics facilities of over 100,000ft² fell to “exceptionally low levels” during 2013, according to CBRE’s latest MarketView report. At the end of the year, it stood at just over 20 million ft² – almost 60% below the 2009 peak, and a 21% fall compared to the end of 2012. Take-up of such space, meanwhile, […]
Clipper has continued its chain of fashion retailer contract wins, having signed a deal with new high street retailer Pep & Co.
A Salvatori and Sons has gained better access to the A2, the port of Dover and to Salvatori Group’s sites in Rochester and Calais, after its parent company’s relocation to headquarters outside Canterbury.
Cambridgeshire transport and storage provider Knowles Transport managed to generate an 11.4% pre-tax profit margin in the year to the end of December 2013 despite a sharp drop in turnover, figures logged recently at Companies House have shown.


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Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award 2019 call for entries is now open. The Golden Pin Design Award is the most influential design award in the huaren (Chinese-speaking) world.
As the longest-running international design award that celebrates products or projects expressly created for Chinese-speaking communities, the annual Golden Pin Design Award offers entrants an unprecedented opportunity to prove their prowess in the world’s largest market.
The award is a golden opportunity for companies, design teams, and individuals from all around the globe to demonstrate design excellence in Taiwan, Asia, and beyond.
Judging is split into four categories — product design, communication design, spatial design, and integration design which is a new category for projects that integrate multiple design disciplines including professional curation, service design, and more.
Last year’s winners include the likes of Hong Kong-based designers XCEPT and Dimension Plus, who both won Best Design in the integration design category. The international judges at last year’s final selection were Edmond Bakos (Managing Director of CHAMPALIMAUD Design — USA), Ad van Berlo (Founder of VanBerlo — Netherlands), Kashiwa Sato (Creative Director of SAMURAI Inc. — Japan), and Chris Lee (Founder and Creative Director of Asylum — Singapore).
The first round of judging takes place in mid-July, the second and third rounds in August and September, and the award ceremony will be held in Taipei on 5 December 2019. The Design Mark winners will be announced after secondary selection in September, and the Best Design trophies are to be awarded at the ceremony.
Entries can be submitted online via the official website.
Golden Pin Design Award 2019 – Entry Fees
- Early bird (by 30 April 2019) – USD $55
- General – USD $70


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Team India Virat Kohli is reported to have decided not to extend his six-year association with Pepsi Co. a deal that fetched him crores.
Virat Kohli has maintained that he can”t endorse a brand he doesn”t consume personally And now it appears that the deal would not be extended.
Pepsi Co is keen to have him onboard, the increasing woes over sugary and carbonated drinks are preventing Virat Kohli from resigning the contract.
Virat Kohli endorses 18 brands, with the ones related to food and beverages being Pepsi, Herbalife nutritional supplements , Boost, MRF tyres, Tissot watches, Puma sports gear, Colgate oral care, Audi cars & Samsonite luggage.
In an interview with CNN-IBN, Virat Kohli said, “When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that.”
“If I myself won’t consume such things, I won’t urge others to consume it, just because I am getting money out of it,” Virat Kohli added.
With the decision, Team India Skipper Virat Kohli is unlikely to extend his six year association with Pepsi CO.
Pepsi Co had previously been endorsed by former India captain MS Dhoni For 11 years & they signed on MS Dhoni as a brand endorser in 2005.
“Virat Kohli is contracted with Pepsi until April 30. We are currently negotiating a contract extension with the Pepsi-Co team. Pepsi has been one of our longest & most fruitful associations until now and hopefully we will collaborate with them for years to come.” Cornerstone Sport CEO Bunty Sajdeh in March.