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Southern fried chain Chick-fil-A arrived in New York with a bang last fall, and now the company plans to insert new locations all over the city. Both Midtown outposts are packed every day during lunch, but you won't find Mayor de Blasio there. At a press conference yesterday, de Blasio told reporters: "What the ownership of Chick-fil-A has said is wrong....I’m certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn’t urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right."
The mayor is referring to Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy, who has been very vocal about his opposition to same-sex marriage, and the fact that in the past, a charitable endeavor affiliated with the restaurant donated millions to groups that aimed to thwart LGBT rights initiatives. When Chick-fil-A landed in New York last year, the company made it very clear that it did "not have an opinion as an organization" about same-sex marriage, even though the chain's head honcho has many opinions on the subject. LGBT rights activists and born-again Christians showed up on opening day to duke it out in front of the restaurant.
The chain recently announced plans to open an outpost in the Queens Center Mall, which prompted Councilman Danny Dromm to call for a boycott. The politician released a statement this week that notes: "This group imparts a strong anti-LGBT message by forcing their employees and volunteers to adhere to a policy that prohibits same-sex love. It is outrageous that Chick-fil-A is quietly spreading its message of hate by funding these types of organizations."
Eater Video: Behind NYC's Newest Spicy Chicken Wings


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It happened again, they do not want to see a Muslim country hosting an Olympic games, this time Tokyo get them. Now how are they are going to tell us Olympic games unites everyone. Its all BS!
Tokyo wins bid to host 2020 Summer Olympics | Metro
The ability to Re-Sell your personal goods is going to be put to the test.
How would you react should you no longer be able to re-sell your old vehicle to some car dealership for a bit of money toward a brand new one car? What if you could no longer purchase a second hand vehicle that is mush...
April 16th, 2009 in Breaking News, Troop Movement
Joint war games launched in Philippines
Picture World Bulletin
U.S. soldiers told to behave as joint war games launched in Philippines - People’s Daily Online.
A United States military official said he has reminded his men participating in...

domain: news


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Nintendo, fresh from its success with Super Mario Bros movie, doing another play on the silver screen. On Wednesday, the video game company introduced Shigeru Miyamoto, the game’s famous designer Mario To announce a new film inspired by one of his other creations: Legend of Zelda.
The company is working with Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce the film, which will be co-produced by Miyamoto and Avi Arad, founder of Marvel Studios and producer of Sony’s “Spider-Man” films. “We have now officially begun development with Nintendo itself heavily involved in production,” Miyamoto wrote. Statement on X.
Nintendo released the first game in the Zelda series in 1986. The series now consists of 19 games and three remakes. The two most recent Zelda titles—2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild And 2023 The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom Tears– Among the top ten most popular Nintendo consoles, with 31.2 million and 19.5 million copies sold respectively.
The video game company is trying to leverage its portfolio of intellectual property to create new revenue streams.
Nintendo worked with Illumination, the creator of the game Despicable me String, to create Super Mario Bros movie. The film was a huge success, generating $1.3 billion in ticket sales. Mario’s box office take makes it the second biggest film of the year so far, behind only… Barbie.
Nintendo has also partnered with NBCUniversal to create Mario-themed areas at Universal’s theme parks in Osaka, Japan, and Los Angeles.
The company said in a statement announcing the new release: “Nintendo is working to create new opportunities to enable people from all over the world to access the world of entertainment that Nintendo built, through various means apart from their designated game consoles.” Zelda film.
Nintendo shares rose about 6% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
Nintendo on Tuesday reported net sales of 796.2 billion yen ($5.28 billion) in the first half of its fiscal year, which ends in March 2024. This is the highest semi-annual revenue reported since the company launched its Switch console in 2017. The company also updated its earnings forecast for the fiscal year, forecasting net earnings of 420 billion yen ($2.79 billion), up from a previous estimate of 340 billion yen ($2.26 billion).
But Nintendo has stuck to a less optimistic forecast for sales of its now seven-year-old console. The company is sticking to its goal of selling 15 million Switch consoles this fiscal year, which represents a 16.5% decline from the previous year.


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CookieLovers.com hires Korrelation Communications
Toronto-based cookie company CookieLovers.com has appointed Korrelation Communications, also based in Toronto, its agency of record in Canada. "We were looking for a strategic partner who could effectively communicate our brand essence and desire to make the city a sweeter place," said company owner Michael Todd. "Our company has expanded to offer our products nationally, and we are opening a retail location in Toronto. We needed a seasoned PR partner to help us launch our store and drive national awareness in a fun and creative way." The assignment includes a launch event, as well as media relations, marketing, sponsorship activities, event management and social media activities. CookieLovers.com specializes in cookiegrams, cookie bouquets, seasonal cookies and custom cookie orders.


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Entrepreneurs are a crucial part of our economic fabric. They create jobs, challenge convention and find new ways to solve old problems. But U.S. entrepreneurship is on the decline. The number of companies less than a year old as a share of all businesses has fallen nearly 44 percent between 1978 and 2012, and in 2008, we hit a disturbing milestone: The percentage of new businesses created that year was smaller than the percentage of businesses that closed down. That’s a serious problem for our economy, which depends on new businesses to hire and pump new blood into our markets.
What prompted this turn for the worse? Many factors may have contributed, but one development is having a definite impact: It’s become harder for entrepreneurs to access loans or other sources of funding for their businesses. The recession choked off many traditional sources of financing, with a particular impact on bank loans. In fact, many banks, still cautious from the downturn, have reduced or eliminated loans valued below $250,000. Other banks simply won’t lend to businesses with annual revenues of less than $2 million. This change has hit small businesses particularly hard, as 68 percent of small businesses seek loans of $250,000 or less, and 50 percent seek loans of $100,000 or less.
As a result, small business loans account for a mere portion of what they were pre-recession. Small business share of total bank loans sunk from almost 50 percent in 1995 to 30 percent in 2012. Unsurprisingly, access to capital has become such a challenging issue for small businesses that 91 percent of small business owners rank it as a top concern.
If entrepreneurs can’t secure that first loan or line of credit, they can’t get their projects off the ground–no matter how good their ideas or how hard they’re willing to work. And, inability to access capital can cripple a business as it grows. A shortage of funding often means small businesses can’t invest in new technologies, hire more workers or even weather a rough patch.
Entrepreneurs–a group of people known for their resiliency and willingness to push boundaries–have responded creatively to the access to capital problem. Many have turned to new financing options, such as online lending or crowdfunding. But while these new options can be great resources, many are unregulated, leaving small business owners vulnerable to unscrupulous lenders and loans with outrageously high interest rates. These types of abusive loans can easily sink a small business and damage local communities.
Small Business Majority is leading the charge to solve the access to capital problem and help ensure entrepreneurs have the resources they need to secure fair and transparent funding. This summer, we launched two related access to capital initiatives for small business owners: our Access to Capital Resource Portal and the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights.
The Access to Capital Resource Portal is a comprehensive online information center for small business owners who need reliable information on access to capital. The website provides helpful overviews of alternatives to traditional bank loans–like Community Development Financial Institutions, community banks, credit unions, online lending and crowdfunding–and a list of reputable agencies, organizations and information that can help small business owners make informed decisions on loans. The Portal also highlights resources specifically for women, low-income, veteran, minority, LGBT, disabled and other underrepresented business owners.
As part of a coalition of nonprofit and industry lenders, credit marketplaces, brokers, think tanks and small business advocates, we helped launch the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights, which focuses on putting the rights of borrowers at the center of small business financing. The Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights is a list of basic rights that should be provided to small business borrowers, such as the rights to transparent pricing and terms, non-abusive products, non-discrimination and fair collection practices. Several members of the small business financing industry have backed the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights and signed onto these principles. Entrepreneurs can view the list of signatories here.
It’s no secret that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They created nearly 2 million of the roughly 3 million private-sector jobs generated in 2014, and entrepreneurs are leaders in driving innovation and embracing new technologies. But small businesses can’t thrive–or even exist in many cases–without access to capital, and that can be devastating to our economy.
It’s urgent that we ensure small businesses have access to capital. Small Business Majority is working hard to tackle the access to capital problem, and we’ve partnered with lenders, small business owners and business organizations to do so. But we need more people on board. It’s especially important that lawmakers take action on this issue–lawmakers can take simple steps, like finalizing the rules for crowdfunding, to make a big difference. If legislators really care about helping small businesses thrive, then it’s time for them to even the playing field for small business loans.


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Nissan North America Gets New Vice President
Things are changing in the Nissan North America offices with the announcement of new promotions. One of the company’s vice presidents is moving on to support the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, and a tenured employee is stepping in to fill the space left behind.
Take On The Competition: See how the Nissan Maxima stacks up against the Ford Fusion
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance chose Michael Bunce, formerly the vice president of Product Planning for Nissan North America, to fill the new role of Nissan division vice president and Alliance global director of Mobility Services. Bunce first joined Nissan in 2001 and has moved up the ranks through engineering, program management, and product planning. As an added perk, Bunce lived and worked in Japan for a few years, so his familiarity with the language will aid in his communications to the Japanese portions of the company.
This month, Nissan appointed Jared Haslam to fill the now-vacated role of vice president, Product Planning. The promotion takes effect on Nov. 1 and will be the latest step in Haslam’s Nissan career since he joined the company in 2007. Before taking the vice president role, he was the director of Advanced Planning for Nissan North America.
Ready For Sports: Check out these recipes to spice up your game day spread
“Jared’s extensive experience both in the U.S. and within Nissan’s global organization makes him an ideal fit to lead our product planning team,” said Dan Mohnke, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing and Operations, Nissan Division U.S. “His leadership will play a critical role as Nissan invests to launch new or redesigned models representing 70 percent of our annual sales volume by 2020.”
We look forward to seeing what products and changes will come out of Bunce and Haslam’s new roles.


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Final Fantasy XIV: The game has suffered from server crashes, but the situation is gradually returning to normal. The release of Edwalker, the ambitious expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, has brought serious server congestion issues. Square Enix has been forced to make drastic decisions, such as removing the free trial or temporarily withdrawing the title from digital sales. However, its creators have just announced on the official Twitter account that players will be able to try the title again for free from February 22.
“Have you heard it?” They publish on the aforementioned social network. “The free trial of the acclaimed MMORPG returns on February 22, 2022. Help us spread the word.”
Update 7.0 will improve graphics
Although Final Fantasy XIV can be enjoyed on PlayStation 5, Sony’s next-generation console, the next update will take a step forward and improve the video game’s graphics. This has been announced by Square Enix in an official statement, where they have detailed the improvements at the visual level.
The title will experience an improvement in both its lighting system and character animation. Stage backgrounds and shadows will also be strengthened. On the other hand, the textures and the foliage auto-generation system will receive an update.
All these changes occur with an eye to the future. Being a type of video game conceived for the long term, it is important to fine-tune the technology, since the product will continue to evolve over the next few years.
Final Fantasy XIV is available on PS4, PS5 and PC. At the moment there is no news about a possible version for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, although its director Naoki Yoshida has not completely closed the doors to that possibility. Meanwhile, the studio is working on Final Fantasy XVI, although they have not yet shared a release date.


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Deconstructed Terno sleeves, tailored women’s suits, and large black bows served as design elements.
Chris Nick Delos Reyes creates pieces for women confidently embracing their sensuality in every collection. In his Fall 2021 set, Delos Reyes nodded to Studio 54 glamor, merging it with the resurgence of Y2K fashion. The floor-length skirts revealing hip bones and full-feather bustier tube tops exemplified this.
While for Spring 2022, launched last February, he used his love for disco once again—after a trip to New York fueled the “obsession.”
Surprisingly, among the form-fitting vest pieces and micro mini skirts was a Filipiniana gown. Using his signature design element of clean lines, MEGA’s 2021 Fashion Awards Designer To Watch created his modern rendition of the traditional garb.
For modern women
“Truly, it’s a beautiful piece of history, and I would like to change the perspective that wearing a Filipiniana is synonymous [with] a themed costume party or a formal event,” he said of the Spring 2022’s collection.
The designer wanted women wearing his rendition of the Filipiniana to feel “sensual in it and not restricted.”
With inspiration from old Hollywood, Delos Reyes continues his designs of more dressed-up (yet still seductive) pieces in his Bridal 2022 line. In a press release, Delos Reyes says he was fueled by the films and personalities he loved growing up.
As seen in his previous collections, the designer always aims to merge the past with modern times, and the Bridal 2022 collection is no exception. “In my vision, the Chris Nick bride is a woman who is effortlessly chic and a woman that is confidently sensual,” he explains.
Delos Reyes says that using clean lines and tubular cuts was his approach to show off the female body. At the same time, he again injects his Filipino heritage with deconstructed Terno sleeves with masculine tailoring. For Delos Reyes, his newest fifteen-look collection is the epitome of the modern bride.
All images courtesy of Chris Nick.


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When the pandemic hit, it forced massive lockdowns and minimal in-person contact, causing serious challenges for businesses. One year later, we are slowly recuperating and building back our economy. Although COVID-19 remains a challenge, operationally, businesses have found ways to adapt.
This especially holds true for the B2B marketplace. They have responded to the disruption by finding alternate ways to serve customers using eCommerce, new communication channels, and, in some cases, unconventional methods. Most made reactive moves to stay competitive at the pandemic’s onset, but now businesses are taking a more strategic approach to combat current and future challenges.
As we pass the one-year mark, let’s examine the impact COVID has had on the B2B industry and learn how businesses have evolved to maintain a stronghold in the marketplace.
COVID leads to spike in eCommerce
Self-quarantines and government mandates kept most people from leaving their homes but didn’t stop them from making purchases. As a result, eCommerce became the number-one source for buying and selling; so much so that Adobe maintains the pandemic accelerated overall eCommerce growth by four to six years. Just three months after COVID-19 hit the US, total online spending jumped 77% year-over-year. At that same time, the software company saw the buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) shopping option become popular as well, growing 195%.
Distribution Strategy Group tracked more than 3,000 companies in Q4 of 2020 to determine how the wholesale distribution industry evolved their digital branch in response to this change in buying habits. Their findings revealed not only a rise in eCommerce implementations, but also digital maturity and growth.
From 2019 to 2020, overall eCommerce adoption rates among the distributors surveyed increased over 26%. Small to midmarket distributors (those with revenue under $50 million) led the way with an 87.3% rise in site implementations from the previous year. Businesses that put continued efforts toward their digital branch by adding more products, functionality, and customer convenience are maturing digitally and seeing greater returns.
Distribution Strategy Group considers businesses “digitally mature” (and profitable) when their eCommerce sales account for more than 10% of their overall sales. In 2020, 50% of respondents said their eCommerce revenues reached this milestone, up 8% from the year before – and the data shows this rate is on course to increase each year. By segment, janitorial/sanitation suppliers came out as the digital maturity leaders. Of these survey respondents, 65% said their eCommerce site accounts for more than 10% of their total sales. While the pandemic may have fueled eCommerce adoption by distributors, their efforts to improve the customer experience are continuing their upward trajectory.
A common sentiment across the B2B industry is that online buying is not going to decline. On average, respondents in the Distribution Strategy Group survey predict that 45% of their orders will be placed online post-COVID, which translates to a 31% increase from pre-pandemic numbers. McKinsey & Company’s 2020 B2B Decision Maker Pulse survey produced similar findings. Over 90% of B2B decision-makers expect the remote/digital sales model to endure, and 75% believe this model is as effective or more so than before the COVID-19 disruption.
New opportunities to serve buyers
As the demand for digital self-service tools rises, distributors are finding ways to meet that demand and still engage with buyers. Innovative technologies, tools, and services are helping them achieve success.
- Communication tools: B2B buyers want instant answers to their questions, and communication technologies like chatbots and mobile messaging serve that need. In McKinsey’s survey, live chat ranked as the preferred channel for buyers to research suppliers and their products. Unilog integrates chatbot apps like Olark, LiveChat, and HubSpot into many of our customers’ eCommerce sites, as well as alternate messaging tools like Instaply, which allow buyers to text message businesses directly from their mobile device.
- Mobile apps: Somewhat new to the distribution industry, mobile apps are fast becoming another self-service necessity for buyers. In fact, McKinsey noted a 250% increase in the use of mobile app ordering among their survey respondents. Distribution executives are building advanced mobile apps into their eCommerce strategy to serve their digitally savvy customers. Distribution Strategy Group reported in its 2020 research report series, The Coming Storm of Converging Technologies, that 57% of B2B executives see item recognition as an essential offering within the next few years, while 14% claim they need it now to remain competitive. This feature, which uses a smartphone’s camera, enables buyers to take a picture of a product and search for the item using the distributor’s mobile app. Unilog offers a mobile app for our eCommerce customers that includes features like image recognition, voice search, and a barcode scanner to help buyers find the products they need.
Endless aisles of enriched products: When buyers aren’t able or willing to visit a distributor’s brick-and-mortar locations, it’s up to the distributor to bring their products to the buyers. An online product catalog integrated into an eCommerce platform goes beyond an in-store shopping experience; it provides a virtual endless aisle of items for them to add to their cart. When those items are optimized with robust product content like product descriptions, specifications, images, videos, and supporting documents, it creates a positive ripple effect. Rich content attracts search engines, which then rank the site higher in search results, and higher search result rankings drive more buyers to the site where detailed attributes and features ensure they find the right product for their application.
Ultimately, better content translates to higher revenues and greater profits. The specialists at Unilog not only enrich product content for customer catalogs, they also build and maintain vast industry catalogs across a wide range of sectors.
Value-added services: BOPIS and curbside pickup may have started in the retail sector, but they are gaining popularity within the B2B marketplace. Expanded pickup and delivery options provide buyers more flexibility and convenience – especially during a pandemic – and go a long way in building customer loyalty.
Other value-added services like punchout catalogs, automated inventory replenishment, and online training are benefits that enhance customer efficiency and separate others from the pack.
A digital branch delivers results
Unilog has closely monitored the B2B marketplace to assess the efficacy of eCommerce, especially for small to midmarket distributors, manufacturers, and hardlines retailers. As COVID-19 spread across the country, it became the true test to determine just how much of an advantage a digital channel provides businesses.
When Unilog surveyed B2B companies with an eCommerce site, 80% said their online channel is performing the same or better than it was prior to the COVID outbreak. Average order value (AOV) has also increased as a result of more online buying. Likewise, Unilog customers report anywhere from 40% to 90% higher AOV from their eCommerce sales than traditional offline sales. We attribute this to being able to serve more people in a convenient, contact-less fashion. Digitally enabled businesses give buyers access to their full product catalog, enable multiple transaction options, and offer expanded pickup and delivery options. They’ve proven to be more equipped to weather this storm than their non-digital counterparts.
Unilog customers have been sharing compelling metrics throughout the past year as they not only survive but, in most cases, thrive during the pandemic. Wholesale distributor Stanion Electric says they have fared better than many of their competitors who lack a good online presence. For the first two months during the outbreak, online registrations grew by 40% and they saw a small spike in sales. They have also reported a 39% increase in their number of online orders year-over-year.
GT Midwest has seen an uptick in every area of their website – from site traffic to revenue. In September 2020, they surpassed their 2019 web sales due to the pandemic. Online engagement has also increased for the manufacturer and distributor. Since their salespeople have limited in-person contact with customers, they say their online chat feature has become a popular tool for servicing customers.
McGuckin Hardware, a hardlines retailer in Boulder, Colorado, launched their new site at the beginning of the COVID outbreak. What may have seemed like poor timing was actually a boon for the hardware store. As soon as they launched their site, their web traffic more than doubled year-over-year and their web sales jumped 1,320%. Today their web sales are still well over 1,000% from the year prior. McGuckin attributes these impressive numbers to their enhanced online experience, which includes helpful customer features, an expanded product offering, and convenient pickup and delivery options.
COVID-19 has forever changed the B2B marketplace landscape. But businesses don’t have to struggle to survive this current market disruption or others that will undoubtedly arise. A well-built digital commerce site has proven to be a beacon for distributors to help navigate the disruption. If you’d like to fortify your business with a digital branch, Unilog can help. Our cloud-based eCommerce platform and product data enrichment services help businesses of all sizes and industries better serve their customers and grow their business. The proof is in our customers’ success, so contact a Unilog member today.


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OPINION: Iconic camera brand Leica and smartphone superpower Xiaomi announced a partnership last year, and they used MWC 2023 to show off some of the first global devices to come from it.
My first thought, whenever I see a partnership like this get announced, is one of suspicion.
I’ve seen and covered too many gimmicky brand tie-ups in my time to assume they’re not being done for the right reasons, but after spending some time with both the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro I think this could be one with the best results.
Camera brands teaming up with phone makers is nothing new, yet it has rarely yielded truly standout results. Zeiss has partnered with both Nokia and Sony among others on numerous occasions with little benefit, while the Hasselblad deal with OnePlus and Oppo has yet to go beyond some gimmicky modes. Before Oppo, Hasselblad helped Motorola build a disappointing Moto Mod attachment.
The most obvious case of these partnerships leading to successful products actually includes Leica. For a number of years, the German brand helped Huawei produce some of the very best camera phones of the time – really making Huawei known for being an industry leader in the space.
Huawei’s time with Leica ended in 2022 and Xiaomi swooped in – it’s already looking like that’s a good decision.
Now, it’s virtually impossible to actually gauge how much of an effect Leica has on the cameras on the Xiaomi 13 series. It doesn’t, for example, engineer the lenses itself in its Frankfurt HQ – instead preferring the term ‘co-engineered’.
It also has no input on the sensors used in the phones, yet having seen the results from past Huawei phones and images shot with the Xiaomi 13 Pro it seems like it’s more than a coincidence that Leica-branded phones are becoming some of the best camera phones around.
Leica’s input, aside from helping co-engineer the lens system, focuses a lot on colour science. Both the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro have a duo of shooting options: Leica Authentic and Vibrant. Authentic reduces colour saturation and aims for true-life images, while Vibrant adds in a little more of the punch you’d find on the iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
These two modes are great, customising the image far more than a basic filter without making everything look like an Instagram post from 2014. When paired with the 1-inch sensor on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the images from this phone are unlike anything from the mainstream competition. As so much data can be gathered from that sensor, there’s less reliance on post-processing and as a result, I find the images look like they’re not so obviously taken from a phone. As much as I love the camera on, say, the Pixel 7 Pro, there’s a very distinct style that makes it clear the photos are from a phone.
Images from Xiaomi 13 Pro, whether they’re from the zoomed lens for portraits or the main camera, look more neutral, more realistic and less processed. Details are a little softer and not as oversharpened, while colours aren’t quite as vivid. A lot of this comes down to personal preferences, but I tend to prefer this kind of shot which then leaves me free to tweak it later.
I’m also a huge fan of how the partnership doesn’t take over the phone. Instead of a brash logo on the back of the phone, there’s modest Leica wording on the camera badge. The camera app too doesn’t get bogged down in gimmicky editions; instead it offers two modes, four filters and a neat Leica shutter sound that you turn off if you wish.
It’s still in the early stages of this partnership, but from what I have seen so far – and remembering how good the Leica Huawei phones were – I am very optimistic this will be far from the marketing gimmick it could have been.


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Two bandits killed in special operation in Nizhny Novgorod - sourceSociety & Culture October 23, 15:15
S Arabian minister invites Russian counterpart to GCC oil ministers meetingBusiness & Economy October 23, 13:42
A family of eight killed in airstrike near Mosul - TVWorld October 23, 13:08
Kiev military launch more than 200 shells, destroy house in DonbassWorld October 23, 11:10
Rescuers evacuate 15 people from house hit by gas explosionSociety & Culture October 23, 11:07
Russian health minister says producing vaccines in Nicaragua is "very profitable"Society & Culture October 23, 7:36
Russia, EU should set up strategic planning committee — former foreign ministerRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 23, 6:07
DPR to raise issue of Ukrainian forces’ shellings in DPR’s south — envoyWorld October 23, 5:06
Georgia’s Orthodox patriarch to visit Moscow to mark Russian patriarch’s 70th birthdaySociety & Culture October 23, 4:21
MINSK, September 26 (Itar-Tass) — Belarus’ consumer prices increased by 69.7 percent beginning from January 1, 2011, according to a statement issued by the national statistics agency on Monday.
For 20 days of September alone the prices grew by 10.5 percent as against the average prices in August.
The prices hit its highest level – on vodka (31 percent), pork and eggs (25 percent) and beef semi-products (24 percent). Moreover, fish, milk, bread, tea, tobacco products, medicines, clothes and footwear faced price hikes.
The Belarussians will have to pay more not only for essentials, but also for the housing and public utility services, transport, medicine and education.
Financial analysts forecast that by the end of the year the inflation rate may exceed 100 percent. In such a situation citizens will have to spend more money on food.
All local supermarkets and stores registered higher consumption of potatoes, cereals and dairy products following a sharp rise in prices for meat and meat products.


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We recently updated that the upcoming Moto G72 secured multiple certifications before its official announcement and the device is believed to be announced next month. Now the important specifications of the upcoming Motorola smartphone surfaced online. So without making any further delay let’s dive into the article to check out the newly reported details.
According to the newly surfaced details, the upcoming Moto G72 4G will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G37 mobile processor along with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and up to 4 GB of extended RAM.
It is also said that the upcoming Moto G72 will feature a 16-megapixel selfie camera and the report also says that the back panel of the device will feature a 48-megapixel main snapper. It will be assisted by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel depth-sensing unit.
The upcoming Motorola smartphone will house a 5,000mAh battery along with 33W rapid charging. The upcoming smartphone is believed to be official on September 8 alongside the upcoming Moto Edge series.
So let’s wait for the official announcement of the device and we recommend you to stay tuned with us for more information from the technological world at your fingertips.
Read interesting news, reviews as well as tips & tricks on TechnoBugg website, and stay updated with the latest happenings of the tech world on the go with Technobugg App. Also follow on Google News and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates


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Payments and payment processes have been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The trends in spending and the payment methods used during these challenging economic times are both surprising in some respects yet familiar in others.
In similarities, the shifts we’ve seen in overall card spending are not too different from how things played out during the 2008 recession and housing crisis. Spending was down, and any cash spending switched over to debit cards for items like groceries and outstanding debts.
In differences, areas aside from essentials have experienced a large increase in spending, such as home improvement. So many people were stuck at home due to the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, prompting more redesigns and home-improvement projects. Other spending areas that have seen big increases are gaming and streaming services. Even restaurants and dining are beginning to make a comeback.
One other new trend is an increase in debit card payments for rental cars, which has seen incredible double-digit growth since June. Ride sharing and public transportation are less desirable during a pandemic, so those who don’t own cars are looking for new alternatives to get around town when they must.
continue reading »


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Here are some things going on today in your world of tech:
Shares of wireless networking equipment vendor Aruba Networks (ARUN) are up 93 cents, or 4.6%, at $21.17, after at least three analysts raised their rating on the stock this morning following better-than-expected fiscal Q4 results and outlook yesterday afternoon.
Shares of AT&T (T) are up 16 cents, or half a percent, at $34.67, after the company yesterday said it moved its head of mobile services, Ralph de la Vega to a new role overseeing both mobile and enterprise, according to a report by Re/Code’s Ina Fried.
Wells Fargo’s Jennifer Fritzsche, who has an Outperform rating on AT&T shares, writes today that “The announcement is not a major surprise, as the company had already been working on integrating wireless and wireline operations.”
Fritzsche believes it is a sensible move, as “business-related customers represent more than 50% of AT&T’s mobile revenues and that enterprise revenues are shifting toward wireless from wireline.”
Elsewhere in telecom, Canaccord Genuity’s Greg Miller reiterates a Hold rating on shares of Sprint (S), while cutting his price target to $5.75 from $7.50, to reflect pricing plan changes the company announced a week ago that caused him to cut his estimates. Writes Miller, “Lower prices will naturally decrease ARPU, in our view, while higher customer acquisition costs, including up to $350 reimbursement for early termination fees, will pressure margins.”
Sprint shares are down 2 cents, or half a percent, at $5.75.
Apple (AAPL) shares are up $1.03, or 1%, at $101.92, after Re/Code personal technology guru Walt Mossberg came on CNBC this morning to defend the tablet computer market, and the iPad in particular, in the face of recent skepticism about whether the product category can last.
Shares of Finisar (FNSR) are down 79 cents, or 3.8%,a t$19.89, as MKM Partners’s Michael Genovese offered some caution about the near-term trends in the company’s telecom market, and RBC’s Mark Sue urged the company to spend money on buybacks.
Facebook (FB) shares are down $1, or 1.3%, at $74.96, after Janney Capital Markets’s Tony Wible cut his rating on the shares to Neutral from Buy, arguing that with less and less stock movement on upside surprises, it’s getting harder for the company to impress investors, and the multiple on the shares may contract.
Shares of chip maker Analog Devices (ADI) are down $1.66, or 3.2%, at $50.55, after the company yesterday afternoon beat fiscal Q3 revenue expectations and forecast this quarter’s revenue higher as well.
Drexel Hamilton’s Rick Whittington reiterates a Buy rating today, writing that “A solid FQ3 puts an undervalued Analog Devices on a firm growth path for the year ahead, led by communications, autos and industrials.”
In other earnings news, shares of TiVo (TIVO) are up 18 cents, or 1.3%, at $14.08, after the company yesterday afternoon beat fiscal Q2 expectations, but offered a somewhat disappointing view to Q3’s sales in services and technology.
The company also said it would repurchase upwards of $350 million of its shares, and today that was appealing even to bears: Barton Crockett of FBR & Co. reiterated a Market Perform on the shares, but raised his price target to $12 from $11, writing that “This will amplify the value of TiVo’s business if it develops in a manner consistent with our expectations of cash flow profits, excluding patent payments, by FY17.”
Shares of ST Microelectronics (STM) are down by 9 cents, or 1.1%, at $8.31, after Credit Suisse’s Achal Sultania this morning initiated coverage of the name with an Underperform rating, and a €4.80 price target on the European shares, writing that margins may be at risk given “ ~55% of STM’s sales are consumer-related (smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and security cards), where product cycles are fast, customer stickiness is relatively low and competition is higher (remaining ~45% of sales is automotive and industrial).”
Sultania also started Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) stock at Outperform, with a €10.10 price target, writing that the company continues to gain share in auto and industrial power markets. Infineon shares rose 6 Euro cents to close at €8.91 in European trading.
Chip maker Analog Devices (ADI) this afternoon reported fiscal Q3 revenue that topped analysts’ estimates, and earnings per share in line with consensus, and forecast results this quarter above consensus.
Revenue in the three months ended in July rose to $728 million, yielding EPS of 63 cents.
Analysts had been modeling $717 million and 63 cents per share.
CEO Vincent Roche called it “another good quarter,” with sales into the industrial and the communications equipment markets being highlights.
For the current quarter, the company sees revenue in a range of $790 million to $820 million, and Eps in a range of 66 cents to 70 cents. That compares to the average estimate for revenue of $763 million and EPS of 67 cents.
Analog Devices stock is down 21 cents, or 0.4%, at $52, in late trading.
Shares of sensor maker InvenSense (INVN) are up 3 cents at $25.20 after the company yesterday evening announced its chief financial officer, Alan Krock, will leave “to pursue other opportunities,” and that Mark Dentinger, formerly CFO with chip equipment maker KLA-Tencor (KLAC), will take over.
In a note to clients today, Needham & Co.‘s Vernon Essi reiterated a Buy rating on InvenSense stock, and a $28 price target, writing that the appointment of Dentinger “indicates a grander plan” for the company:
This comes as a surprise to us given Mr. Krock’s commitment to the
investment community and his knowledge of where the INVN business model was heading with regards to context awareness and system-based solutions that lever algorithm development. However, we also must acknowledge that his replacement is a well seasoned technology CFO with larger revenue and software experience, suggesting that financial and strategic scale could be on the horizon in the planning process. Thus we see it as progress for INVN and a long-term positive despite the near-term adjustment for investors given Mr. Krock’s strong commitment to his role and the investment community.
Evercore Partners‘s Mark McKechnie reiterates an Overweight rating, and a $32 price target, writing that he, too, sees this as a broadening of the company’s ambitions:
Press release language and our discussions with the company position the switch as a planned change-out as the board wanted a new CFO with more operational skills to take the company into its next phase of growth. We see increased operational challenges ahead for INVN from: 1) a broadening product line as INVN moves from motion sensing to OIS and microphones, 2) accelerating volumes to new customer Apple and existing customers Samsung ad the Chinese OEMs, and 3) expansion into the wearables opportunity.
Pacific Crest‘s John Vinh today reflects on the implications of the Internet of Things for his chip company universe, including ARM Holdings (ARMH), InvenSense (INVN), Silicon Laboratories (SLAB), and Skyworks Solutions (SWKS), all of which he rates Outperform, and Garmin (GRMN), which he rates Underperform.
Based on a panel discussion hosted at a Pac Crest investor meeting, there seem to be very slim prospects in the wearable tech corner of IoT, observes Vinh, as much of it may be a “race to the bottom” in prices:
Hardware providers on our IoT panel suggested that the wearables market faces challenges and significant pricing pressures, which indicate the wearables opportunity appears to be a race to the bottom. Xiaomi was said to be breaking even on its $13 wearable device, which currently sells at $100, on average, at U.S. retail. Panelists indicated that there is a significant attrition problem; over half of users stop using their wearables after two months, which we view as ominous for Garmin (GRMN). While there is optimism that design could overcome this problem, it is unclear when this will be. While the consensus view among panelists, including ARM, was that monetization of services is a much greater opportunity, the business models around this remain undefined.
Expanding on the matter of Garmin, Vinh writes, “we remain negative on GRMN on potential PND impact from a larger-screened iPhone launch, sustainability of wearables growth into next year and persistently poor traction in the action camera market.”
Vinh thinks his companies should focus on other parts of the IoT, such as infrastructure:
While the outlook for consumer wearables appears dismal, we believe there are better opportunities to monetize IoT in broader end markets such as smart metering, home automation and industrial. In conjunction with an expanding TAM, pricing in these markets is much more stable. Companies that we believe are well positioned to benefit from broader-based growth in IoT include ARMH, SLAB and SWKS.
Here are some things going on today in your world of tech:
Shares of automated vehicle chip maker Mobileye N.V. (MBLY) are up $2.06, or almost 6%, at $40.25, after underwriters of its August 1 IPO initiated coverage this morning, the vast majority of them assigning the stock a Buy-equivalent rating.
Shares of Amazon.com (AMZN) are up $8.59, or 2.6%, at $342.61, after the company late yesterday confirmed speculation it purchased video game content broadcasting network Twitch Interactive for $970 million in cash. Bullish analysts said the service could help both Amazon’s advertising and e-commerce ambitions.
Best Buy (BBY) shares are down $1.61, or 5%, at $30.38, after the company missed revenue expectations for its fiscal Q2 ended in July but beat on the bottom line on further cost cutting. Citigroup‘s Kate McShane reiterated a Buy rating, advising clients to look past the weak international same-store sales decline.
Analysts continue to file dispatches from vmworld, the annual convention held by VMware (VMW) for developers and customers and partners in San Francisco, which kicked off yesterday with several new partnership announcements.
In conjunction with the event, the company held an analyst day for the Street.
Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald, who has a Hold rating on the stock, notes VMware “has taken the advice of investors and shelved this tradition” of providing financial guidance at the show, “with no long-term financial objectives provided at this year’s meeting.” The company did say it expects to increase revenue this year “by a mid-teens percentage rate” but White thinks it may be just 12%.
Shares of wireless chip maker Avago Technologies (AVGO) are down 13 cents at $75.64 as the Street prepares for tomorrow afternoon’s earnings report. Like some analysts yesterday, MKM Partners‘s Ian Ing today writes that “earnings don’t matter this quarter,” and that more important for investors is to focus on what the company says about getting to $5 to $6 per share in earnings over a longer time period.
That includes not just the recent purchase of chip makers PLX and LSI, but also “other semi roll-ups,” he writes.
Shares of Mandalay Digital Group (MNDL), which bills itself as a provider of technology for use by telecom operators who want to monetize mobile usage on their networks, are down 2 cents, or 0.4%, at $5.33, following a report by the Web site Streetsweeper that claims the company is in a “desparate attempt to merely survive.” The site claims the stock’s doubling in the past two weeks is pure hype, and speculates the company will do a dilutive follow-on stock offering in short order.
Pacific Crest‘s chip analyst John Vinh this morning offers up a brief think-piece on the Internet of Things, writing that component vendors such as InvenSense (INVN) and Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) should not bank on the wearables market, which is turning out to be a “race to the bottom,” as evinced by things such as Chinese phone maker Xioami‘s $13 fitness band.
On tap for earnings this afternoon, after the closing bell, are chip maker Analog Devices (ADI), wireless networking equipment vendor Aruba Networks (ARUN), storage equipment startup Nimble Storage (NMBL), and television time-shifting technology pioneer TiVo (TIVO).
Shares of Mobileye N.V. (MBLY), the Israeli company that makes chips for automobiles that analyze road conditions, are up $1.82, or 4.8%, at $40, after underwriters of its August 1st initial public offering started coverage this morning, with seven of the nine offering the equivalent of a Buy rating, the other two starting at Hold.
Mobileye, based in Jerusalem, makes a so-called “EyeQ” semiconductor that is tuned to analyze road conditions, as part of the ”Advanced Driver Assistance Systems” increasingly being built into many automobiles.
Goldman Sachs, one of the lead underwriters, initiated at Neutral. The firm has declined to provide a copy of its initiation report.
But the other major name on the name plate, Morgan Stanley, started the stock at Overweight, with analyst Ravi Shankar writing that the stock is “the only pure play on two of the fastest growing and most powerful trends in the auto industry today — autonomous cars and software.”
Shankar is ecstatic about Mobileye’s role in the self-driving car:
MBLY’s proprietary vision algorithm allows the car to see and interpret its surrounding environment, making it a key enabler for cars that will soon drive themselves. MBLY’s importance in facilitating a trend that will fundamentally transform the auto industry cannot be overstated [...] We see 50% of new cars sold globally having some form of ADAS/autonomous system by 2022, rising to 70% by 2028 vs. 2% today. In the next 5 years, value creation at MBLY will be driven by Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) penetration resulting from “virtual” mandates like Euro NCAP and IIHS safety standards.
He likes the company’s “moats” around its business, with “an estimated 80% share of the vision market today because of their early lead and superior approach.”
Shankar models the company making $131 million in revenue this year and 18 cents EPS. For next year, he sees $211 million and 39 cents EPS.
Citigroup‘s Itay Michaeli starts the stock at Buy with a $48 price target, writing that “Mobileye is at the center of arguably the most powerful automotive megatrend in history—active safety (ADAS) and autonomous mobility.”
“This isn’t just another regulatory driven penetration story, but also arguably the auto industry’s “IPhone” moment.”
He likes the increasing complexity of the company’s parts:
The story of Mobileye is one of technological disruption vs. traditional forward-facing ADAS sensors like radars, LIDAR and stereo cameras. Mobileye’s self-designed EyeQ system-on-chip with innovative machine-vision software made it possible for lower-cost/weight monocular cameras to perform ADAS functions better and cheaper than competing sensors. As a result, Mobileye’s share >80%. Recent wins in the next-gen tri-focal sensor (autonomous drive) suggests a similar head start. We expect mono & tri-focal to be dominant sensors.
R.W. Baird’s David Leiker, however, starts the stock with a Neutral rating, writing that “We believe the growth opportunity and profitability are very attractive; however, we are concerned with valuation and what seem to be overly aggressive expectations.”
Leiker thinks most of the prospects for the company are already priced into the stock:
Mobileye’s $38 stock price represents a market capitalization in excess of $8 billion. For a company expected to generate $130 million in revenue and $40-45 million in net income during 2014, Mobileye carries a market valuation that is well above automotive peers, reflecting not only the attractive financial profile but also the growth opportunity from rising penetration that we estimate could drive 60% EPS growth over the next 5-10 years. Because of Mobileye’s unique growth and return profile, we have looked at several scenarios to value the company. Ultimately, we believe the best point of reference for valuation is Gentex Corporation (GNTX), which in the early 1990s also received a high valuation based on unique business model and growth opportunity. Likewise, current-day SaaS models (with high growth and returns) receive a similar valuation to what Gentex received in the early stages of its adoption story. On this basis, we are using a 45x P/E multiple on our 2018 EPS estimates, with market capitalization discounted by 20% to arrive at a 12-month price target of $42; a 10% discount rate would push the target price above $50.
Leiker has the company making $130.73 million in revenue this year and 18 cents EPS, and then $218 million in revenue and 39 cents EPS.
Among this week’s more prominent earnings reports, Avago Technologies (AVGO) is set to report Thursday and Street analysts were offering up thoughts today on what to expect.
Doug Freedman of RBC Capital Markets reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Avago, and an $87 price target, writing that “We do not believe that AVGO earnings reports are as actionable as prior reports or a catalyst for the next few quarters,” and that investors should “add to a position on weakness.”
For fiscal Q3 ended in July, Freedman models $1.35 billion in revenue and $1.05 per share in earnings, compared to consensus of $1.34 billion and $1.04 per share.
The main focus for Freedman is Avago’s acquisitions in recent months of two chip makers, PLX Technology, and LSI. The LSI deal, in particular, is “highly accreative” to earnings, and could help the company increase annual profit to $6 to $7 per share, he thinks. However, “it is too early for AVGO to realistically estimate better numbers.”
Obstacles in the quarter for Avago include some weakness in sales of mobile devices by Samsung Electronics (005930KS) that use Avago chips, and also continued delays in the roll-out of LTE wireless broadband service in China, he believes.
Deutsche Bank‘s Ross Seymore reiterates a Buy rating on Avago shares, and an $80 price target, writing that it should be a “solid” report, as “We expect strength in Wireless (DBe +5% q/q) as new program ramps offset Samsung-related weakness, with Wired (ex-Axxia) +54% q/q (27% of total sales) as F3Q includes a full quarter of LSI ASICs.”
Seymore excludes from his estimates revenue of $50 million from the sale of LSI’s flash controller business, and $40 million from another division, “Axxia,” which was sold to Intel (INTC). That brings his estimate for the quarter to $1.26 billion in revenue, which he writes is in line with Street expectations. He’s modeling $1.06 per share in adjusted EPS, which is up from his prior estimate of $1.04, after cutting out some operating expenses for the divested businesses.
While Seymore, like Freedman, believes that wireless chips may be adversely affected by Samsung, he sees “strength in Wireless (DBe +5% q/q) as new program ramps offset Samsung-related weakness, with Wired (ex-Axxia) +54% q/q (27% of total sales) as F3Q includes a full quarter of LSI ASICs.”
In addition, “enterprise Storage is now AVGO’s largest end-market at 33% of sales due to the acquisition of LSI (ex Flash), with Industrial/other expected +9% q/q.”
Avago stock today closed down 44 cents, or 0.6%, at $75.77.
Here are some things going on today in your world of tech:
Shares of MobileIron (MOBL), which makes software to manage mobile devices inside corporate networks, are up 67 cents, or 7.2%, at $10.04, and earlier surged 10%, after Deutsche Bank’s Karl Keirstead today reiterated a Buy rating and a $14 price target on the stock, saying it could benefit as companies phase out the use of BlackBerry (BBRY) devices and software in favor of Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone.
Speaking of Apple, the stock is up 39 cents, or 0.4%, at $101.70, and earlier hit a new all-time high of $102.17, which equates to $715.19 before June’s seven-for-1 stock split.
There’s been various discussion this morning of the expected upcoming iPhone 6 debut.
Dan Niles of hedge fund AlphaOne Capital was on CNBC this morning with host Carl Quintanilla, talking about why he’s positive on the stock at the moment. Said Niles, who maintains Apple as his largest position, there “is a pretty consistent trading pattern of the stock outperforming the market by 10% to 20% in the two-month period leading up to product launches” and then tends to underperform.
But he thinks things “could be different this time,” with Apple continuing to rise because of a massive upgrade wave for the new iPhone.
In other Apple news, RBC Capital Markets’s Amit Daryanani notes Apple’s 10-Q quarterly filing shows a record $15.4 billion in off-balance-sheet items, suggesting ”AAPL is potentially not just gearing up for iPhone 6 ramp but could be securing capacity for a new product (iWatch?).”
And Cowen & Co.’s Timothy Arcuri thinks DRAM memory chip prices are set to lift on a squeeze in availability of all components because of so much capacity being shifted to the iPhone. That could benefit Samsung Electronics (005930KS) and Micron Technology (MU).
Micron stock is up 2 cent at $33.31.
And speaking of chips, Credit Suisse’s John Pitzer and colleagues observe the semiconductor supply chain has seen an-above-seasonal inventory build, in part affected by Apple’s impending product debut, but that it may not spell disaster for chip makers’ stocks.
Shares of Fairchild Semiconductor (FCS) are lower by 10 cents, or 0.6%, at $16.92, after the company this morning announced it will eliminate some chip-making facilities in West Jordan, Utah, and Penang, Malaysia, part of an ongoing program to lower costs and improve manufacturing, it said.
In response, chip analyst Craig Berger of the boutique firm Hedgeye wrote in a note to clients that the move, which is expected to save $50 million a year or more, should boost gross profit margin by 3 points and add 37 cents a share to annual earnings. He figures the stock has a fair value of $17.
RBC’s telecom anayst Jonathan Atkin today reiterates a Sector Perform rating on shares of Sprint (S), and cuts his price target to $7 from $8, writing that the company is facing lower average revenue per user after cutting prices to spur growth in postpaid wireless subscribers. Atkin’s main concern right now, however, is what kinds of cost cutting the company will do under newly appointed CEO Marcelo Claure.
Atkin meanwhile reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Verizon Communications (VZ), and a $54 price target, calling it his favorite pick in the group, citing “subscriber growth, margin, and network leadership, as well as improving capital intensity.”
Verizon shares are up 39 cents, or 0.8%, at $49.03.
Shares of GrubHub (GRUB) are down $2.48, or almost 6%, at $40.28, after the company said it would sell 10 million shares, equivalent to almost 13% of the shares outstanding, in a follow-on public offering, diluting holders.
Credit Suisse chip analysts, led by John Pitzer, this morning advise that chip stocks could have a soft landing this fall despite inventory levels running above normal for this time of the year, given the debut of Apple’s (AAPL) next iPhone is supporting a build-up in components.
Among companies showing heightened levels of inventory in Q2 were Intersil (ISIL), Cypress Semiconductor (CY), Kopin (KOPN), Silicon Image (SIMG), Cirrus Logic (CRUS), SK Hynix (000660KS), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM).
Pitzer & Co. note that inventory of semiconductors in industry is running above normal levels: “Total Semiconductor Inventory (TSI) dollars were up 4.4% q/q, above the normal seasonal pattern of up 3.5% q/q in C2Q. On a days’ basis, TSI was flat q/q at 73 days, modestly above the normal seasonal pattern of down 1 day q/q in C2Q – the historic C2Q median is 73 days.”
That is based on reports of Q2 results from 74 of 79 semi companies tracked by the firm.
Despite that build in inventories, the over-building, if you will, is not as extreme in other semi cycles, the analysts observe:
Upturn-to-date, Semis have OVER-SHIPPED end-demand in 5 out of the last 6 quarters – albeit accumulative over-shipping continues to track well below normal cyclical trends (1,300 bps vs. 1,890 bps during normal cycles) – making us less worried of a severe NT correction, in particular as some of that over-shipment is also the one-time shift of Apple business to TSMC for 20nm.
Pitzer & Co. conclude the “ramp-down” of semi shipments may be manageable, while stock values may be okay to support stock prices of chip companies:
As highlighted by our Taiwan analyst Randy Abrams, we expect a soft landing for Upstream, with non-Apple already slowing post strong C1H builds across consumer, PC and LTE infrastructure and Apple builds providing support into iPhone, iPad and iWatch launches. We expect a more mild slowdown than prior years. The debate surrounding Semis continues to hinge on sustainability and valuation. We are concerned of a deceleration of growth in C2H – specifically difficult compares, difficult seasonality and difficult structural issues in Consumer Tech – but we are more constructive on valuation as we continue to see a SCARCITY VALUE in Semis – including, high barriers to entry, enabling technology and more consistent returns. We suspect if fundamentals continue to fall within the “goldilocks zone” (somewhat supported by C2Q inventory trends) multiples and stocks will have an upward bias.
Cowen & Co.’s semiconductor analyst Timothy Arcuri today writes that pricing is set to rise for DRAM memory chips because the entire supply chain in Asia is being rocked by the rush to produce Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 6.
That is leading to capacity constraints, which in turn may raise prices for DRAM for Samsung Electronics (005930KS) and Micron Technology (MU), two principal suppliers to the iPhone, even though the device itself won’t see a rise in DRAM content:
Our supply chain work in Asia suggests PC DRAM pricing is tracking to a ~3-5% M/M increase in Sept, owing to some pre-iPhone 6 launch supply constraints. While it is too early to see actual supply impact from Samsung ramping DRAM in S3 – likely starting CQ2:15 (we have long said 30k wsm is max it will ultimately produce) – Samsung is back in the supply chain on iPhone 6 for DRAM (in addition to MU via Elpida) after being excluded for iPhone 5/5S. So, we believe Samsung’s production has vectored to a large degree from PC DRAM to mobile DRAM; we feel this is unexpected by the market because Samsung mobile DRAM capacity was already tight based to some degree on captive smartphone demand. While this will help near-term pricing, we don’t see significant DRAM content increase in iPhone 6 unlike NAND where the SKU’s are likely to mix up from 64GB on high-end to now include a 128GB high-end model for both 4.7″ and 5.5″.
Arcuri thinks SanDisk (SNDK) may be a prime beneficiary of the NAND increase mentioned.
In the same report, Arcuri writes that a Chinese government investigation into Qualcomm (QCOM) “might come to a head in the near-term,” citing his examination of the matter and media reports. It may be Qualcomm takes a lower royalty rate, muses Arcuri, but “We feel that, even in a worst case where the NDRC would achieve lower royalty rates in China, QCOM would be better off to cede major swaths of royalties in China rather than jeopardize existing cash flows.”
Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Bierpro, launched at Newcastle’s Aspers Casino on 7 November, was unveiled alongside a new product line to bar owners, managers and pub firms before it is rolled out across the UK. The new brand is a subsidiary of Phoenix ABC, a Sunderland based designer and manufacturer of automatic beerline cleaning systems.
Bierpro lead director and director of Phoenix ABC Margaret Mitchinson said: “We already supply pub and leisure chains, including Aspers Casinos, around the UK with products from our parent company.
“We have identified that some of our technology, such software we have developed, could be used in other industries, so decided to launch our pub equipment under a new brand to help differentiate our products.”
Mitchinson added that the new brand had allowed the company to redevelop their equipment and introduce a line of separate products, including the BierSaver, which help bars increase profits by allowing them to reduce wasted beer before line cleans. These are attached to keg couples prior to a line clean so that landlords can serve the beer they usually have to throw away, and do not need to be used in conjunction with automated line-cleaning systems.
“Our BierSavers are little gadgets that cost just £35, so we are breaking ground in the industry by offering such a low entry level price,” explained Mitchinson.
“We have trialled BierSavers and one pub in Gateshead is already seeing profits increase by hundreds per month through using them. They have told us that after a few weeks of getting used to them in their regime, they now have no waste or so little that they don’t record it!”
As part of the launch, Bierpro also announced DrainSafe – a plumbed-in system of cleaning beerlines that allows landlords to clean lines without having to pull cleaning detergent into buckets – which works alongside their new UltimateLineCleaner to clean up to ten lines simultaneously in 45 minutes.


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Emotiv Epoc Headset to Play Game with your Mind
At E3 2010 Microsoft reveal Kinect for Xbox 360 which give gamers a controller free gameplay experience. But Emotiv has reveal a latest technology that interpret brain waves for controlling the video games and other onscreen action. The company shows off this new latest technology at TED Global (Technology Entertainment and Design) conference in Oxford.
Emotiv Epoc consist of a total of 14 sensors which has the capability of reading the electrical signals from brain cells, which in return communicate to the PC wirelessly.
The headset was already released in 2009 but it was used by Universities and researchers for other purpose like application building rather than using it for playing games. This Emotiv Epoc headset will be available in the market for a price of $300, and will also has the capability of connecting to any other desktop or laptop.


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The All Ceylon Bakery Owners Association says those selling bakery products in three-wheelers and bicycles have been prevented from operating in curfew-imposed areas. The post Allow mobile services...
Click on the headline to read the full story
T20 World Cup
Sri Lanka Explorer


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The literal English translation of this Chinese fashion star’s name is “Leaf Greener.” That’s what she goes with on Instagram and the Web, but in New York during Fashion Week, folks like designer Rosie Assoulin prefer the more informal “Leafie!”
The term of endearment is one of several colorful things to be learned from Bee Shapiro’s New York Times piece about Ye Zi. For many years, Zi was a senior fashion editor at Elle China. Now, she publishes a mobile-only publication in China via WeChat and has moved into the lucrative fields of fashion styling and consulting:
“Fashion in China is changing,” Ms. Greener said between social media photos. “Before, it was all about logos and labels. It’s very similar to Russia in that way. You know, the communist country thing. But now people are interested in local young designers, and that’s an amazing thing. There are more contemporary fashion labels available now for the middle class.”
Yi was born in Beijing but is currently based in Shanghai. And, as a further reminder of just how critical it is to multi-task professionally in the 21st century, the NYT item writer, Shapiro, is also the founder of a sustainable bodycare and fragrance line called Ellis Brooklyn.
[Photo via: Instagram]


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Based on new data from the Association for Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) and Learning House, a company that manages online programs for colleges and universities, online higher education programs are missing the boat on "mass market opportunities".
For example, many online higher ed students want credentials in computing, IT, health, and medicine, but online programs are pushing social sciences, criminal justice, and law. Also, most online students seek some sort of financial aid, but over half of the schools surveyed -- 57 percent -- do not offer scholarships.
ACHE and Learning House based their latest surveys on 116 individuals whose institutions are ACHE members.
Of those, 88 percent offer at least one completely online degree program. Eleven percent have hybrid programs, 42 percent offer master's programs, 31.5 percent offer bachelor's programs, and two percent offer associate's degrees.
Sixty-nine percent of ACHE members with at least one online program lack degrees in STEM fields. Similarly, ten percent of online undergraduate students want arts and humanities programs, but 50 percent of the schools with online offerings don't offer them.
In the survey, most respondents cited two barriers to their online efforts. A whopping 71 percent said that their students required more discipline for success in online coursework, while 58 percent reported that their faculty needed to input more time and effort into their online courses.
Other challenges? The cost of course development, online delivery, and questions about rigor and intellectual property.
The report made several suggestions as schools progress with online learning. They recommend that they keep in mind students want and need financial assistance and flexibility. It also recommended offering additional support services for online students. The report also suggests intensive faculty training beyond the initial course design.
Learn more about online learning.


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One school district in Illinois is adopting the iPad in a new one-on-one program that'll put the fourth-generation version of the tablet into the hands of 7,000 students. According to the Daily Herald, the program will cost Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 up to US$1.43 million for ...
Technology relations with China and their human rights situation is turning into a hot-button issue lately, especially given Google's recent troubles with that country. Now, my old senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, has decided to raise the level of scrutiny, calling for a list of 30 companies, ...
If you remember when the first, first-generation iPhone launched, Jose Trujillo sued Apple over the fact that the handset has a non-removable battery. That lawsuit has now been dismissed. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said in his opinion, "Apple disclosed on the outside of the iPhone package ...
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Evernote introduces reminders to Mac, iOS apps
- Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
- Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0
- Google announces new Hangout app to hit iOS today
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Update 14.3.4
- Pixelmator 2.2 available with over 100 new features and improvements
Featured Storiesmore stories
I'm never leaving home without my pogo connect again. Love this thing.


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Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that the company is set to double the number of its privacy engineers and is opening a privacy engineering hub in Munich. Pichai announced the official opening of the Google Safety Engineering Center, which houses Google’s efforts to increase the privacy of the company’s users.
Pichai also noted that it’s “no accident” that Google was opening their privacy hub in the heart of Europe, Germany, saying it was a country “that in many ways reflects how Europeans think about online safety, privacy, and security.”
It’s also no accident Google is doing this now. Privacy has become the number-one issue in tech in recent years thanks to a swatch of data scandals, some perpetrated by Google itself. Europe is also an obvious choice for Google to house its new privacy operations because it has some of the strictest user privacy regulations in the world.
Read the entire article and original article at Fast Company.


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Apple is looking to boost its market share in the ever more important growth market of India, reports CNET. The company has almost cut in half the price for the iPhone 5s, dropping it from 44,500 Rupees ($665) to 25,000 Rupees ($370).
The price cut appears to be a move by the Californian company to increase its penetration in India, the world’s third largest smartphone market after China and the USA, where the bulk of phones sold are sub-$300. As of quarter 3 of 2015, Apple is not even among the top 5 smartphone vendors in India, a market that IDC Research predicts will overtake the US by 2017.
Apple is taking this approach to drive purchases in India, where the greatest opportunity in the smartphone market is for mid-range devices. “To drive volume, Apple will need to keep focus on older iPhone generations,” IDC’s Kiranjeet Kaur said.
The Indian government also places a high import tax on products not made in the country. Apple competitor Samsung is much more competitive in the market, due to its local manufacturing facilities.
Apple iPhone assembly partner Foxconn is expected to build 10-12 factories in India by 2020, although it isn’t known at this time if any of those facilities will build iPhones. Tim Cook has discussed the possibility of Apple opening manufacturing facilities in India, but nothing firm has been announced.


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Staff cuts at Lenovo and HTC, a failed patch from Google, and Samsung's latest flagship smartphones all highlight how tricky selling Android smartphones has become.
Huawei Technologies - News, Features, and Slideshows
Many smart phone manufacturers preload remote support tools on their Android devices in an insecure way, providing a method for hackers to take control of the devices through rogue apps or even SMS messages.
Google's started a car company...Samsung puts $85 million into cancer-victim fund...Apple explores offering phone service...and more tech news.
Huawei Technologies' shift to selling high-end smartphones is paying off. The more expensive devices helped almost double the company's handset revenue in this year's first half.
Chinese networking giant Huawei has bought the software-defined networking (SDN) division of Irish telecom software maker Amartus.
A number of different technologies are being developed or improved to offer higher speeds for fixed and mobile broadband networks, as operators are preparing to compete with each other and carry video traffic in 3D and at higher resolutions, which is expected to happen in the coming year.
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The warnings about electric powered vehicles abound: Dealers never want to invest in automobiles no a person wants, the electrical bits are too pricey to buy and preserve, and obtaining a position to charge these motor vehicles is a nightmare though discovering a plug is a scavenger hunt.
But executives getting element at the Reuters Auto of the Future 2021 vehicle meeting shot down numerous of these beliefs that stay widely held by many customers of the public. Yes, there is even now a great deal of perform to do to usher in the electric highway of tomorrow, but several of the perceived pratfalls of EVs are more fantasy than reality, these automotive execs told moderator Ed Loh, MotorTrend Team‘s head of editorial.
Consider client demand from customers. In key areas, EV gross sales keep on to soar. In Europe, about 25 p.c of the current market will be electrified this year and many of the new automobiles hitting this market relaxation on dedicated platforms developed for battery electrical electricity at the outset. As these kinds of, these motor vehicles have no compromises, Fabrice Cambolive, senior vice president of Renault brand name product sales and operations, claimed.
There are approximately 3.2 million EVs in Europe, about 31 percent of the world’s whole stock of 10.2 million electric powered cars, according to International Electrical power Agency information. This compares with about 17 per cent for the United States. The huge sector is China, which accounts for 44 p.c of all the EVs in the world (or extra than 4.5 million).
China has witnessed a fivefold boost in EV product sales in the past two yrs, Brian Gu, Xpeng Motors vice chairman and president, said. Certainly, the federal government is pushing profits, but buyers are welcoming the transition. EVs are no for a longer time seen as niche offerings and consumers are not concerned about selection, supplied the many charging places in the state. The federal government has played a function in creating an infrastructure of only supercharging (no gradual charging), and China is perhaps the only nation to have a conventional technique that will work with each vehicle.
Governing administration Job in EV Charging Network
The U.S. wants a robust charging infrastructure in the future 3 to four decades, Henrik Fisker, main govt officer of Fisker, claimed. In concept, the governing administration can assist ensure a high-quality network, one particular that will cost any car. Maybe just about every gas station demands to offer cost plugs and every single car or truck be mandated to have data demonstrating all readily available shops.
It is also a matter of training and perception, Fisker said. Folks no longer believe of EVs as sluggish golfing carts. The future hurdle is convincing people that it truly is not complicated to demand EVs. For the 80 p.c who finally charge their EV at household, proudly owning an electric powered car will come with a amazing sense of freedom, as you will find just about no need to have to at any time prevent everywhere to hold their motor vehicle functioning.
ln phrases of public chargers, there are much more plugs than individuals are informed of. Folks believe only Tesla has chargers. Most persons with out a battery electric powered car or truck you should not discover exactly where chargers are so they think there aren’t quite a few, Darren Palmer, Ford standard supervisor of electric automobiles, claimed. The truth is there are innocuous community chargers all around.
I Are not able to Pay for an EV
The other notion is electric powered cars are extra pricey. Blame the reality that EVs were costly, and the few affordable possibilities were being neither entertaining to push nor seem at, Fisker stated. This is also shifting, as a number of economical EVs are just close to the corner, which include the F-150 Lightning pickup, which stickers for much less than $42,000. Fisker thinks the selling price of EVs will attain parity with gasoline- and diesel-run motor vehicles in a few a long time.
Some argue price ranges will spike when EV subsidies conclusion, but the encounter in China displays otherwise. Subsidy degrees have dropped considerably, they are just about a quarter of the degree of two years ago, but demand from customers did not fall, Gu explained. He argues substantial subsidies are likely to market very low-close automobiles, fewer subsidies force carmakers to build far better-intended motor vehicles to go on to catch the attention of buyers. Fisker favors capping subsidies at $50,000 or $60,000 bucks, arguing that subsidies are not required on $100,000 vehicles.
EV Repair service Expenditures
Lots of fear the restore and replacement charges of EVs, which they believe balloon in comparison to those people of fuel- or diesel-run autos. Not so, Cambolive reported. An electrical Renault likely will have a lengthier lifecycle than one with a combustion motor. With much less transferring parts, the mechanics are easier, and car longevity is tied to the lifecycle of the battery. He anticipates automobiles able of hitting 1 million kilometers (621,000 miles). Ford’s F-150 Lightning was intended so suitcase-sized portions of the battery can be taken out, earning it much easier and much less high priced to repair service.
EVs are also amongst the most interesting motor vehicles to push. Most people who’ve driven a BEV under no circumstances go back, Ford’s Palmer stated.
Fisker thinks the tipping point for EVs will be before 2030 in all important locations. Every state desires to get there immediately, he mentioned. No a single needs to continue on to devote money on combustion motor technology and shopper lifestyle will, in switch, stick to.


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A major collection of ceramics has been given to York Art Gallery on a long-term loan.
The Anthony Shaw collection is regarded by art experts as one of the most important private collections in Britain.
The collector said he had decided to loan the collection, which includes almost 800 pieces, to York for an initial period of 15 years.
Some works from the collection will go on show at the gallery next year.
The Anthony Shaw collection has been amassed over 40 years and features key works by ceramists Gordon Baldwin, Lucie Rie, Gillian Lowndes, Ewen Henderson and Sara Radstone.
Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museum Trust, said she was thrilled the collection was coming to York.
Ms Barnes said: "This is a truly outstanding collection of contemporary sculptural ceramics which features some of the most significant works from the last 40 years."
The gallery's collection of 20th Century studio pottery is one of the largest in Britain with more than 4,000 pieces.
"It will give us the most complete collection of British studio ceramics in the world, detailing the incredibly different styles, techniques and ideas that have been expressed by British ceramists over the last 100 years," Ms Barnes added.
The collection was transferred to a charitable trust in 2002 and has previously been displayed at Mr Shaw's home in west London.
Mr Shaw said: "We have tried to make it available to the public but in a limited space. Having it in a public space, a public museum, will be marvellous."
An exhibition of key pieces from the collection will take place after the refurbishment of the art gallery in 2014.


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April 5, 2016 / agility, continuous improvement, Cost Management, industry news, LIT, material costs, strategic planning
Last year was a rough one for the metal-cutting industry. While many metal service centers were glad to put a close on 2015, most are bracing themselves for more of the same challenges in the year ahead.
For metal service centers, most of 2015 was spent playing catch-up with high inventory levels from the year before. Continued low demand and prices didn’t do much to free-up working capital, so the cycle continued: Metal service centers actively worked to reduce inventory in an effort to maintain, or at least even out, prices.
While the automotive and construction categories did boost demand in 2015, as forecasted in our Metal Service Center Outlook for 2015, the energy sector dealt a blow with historically low oil and gas prices, essentially negating any uptick the metal industry experienced to date.
At the end of 2015, shipments of steel and aluminum were not only down month-over-month but year-over-year as well. According to data from the Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI), U.S. service center steel shipments declined in December by 11.4% from the prior-year, while shipments of aluminum decreased by 3.5%. As metal service centers focused on offloading high-priced materials, steel and aluminum inventories decreased by 16.2% and 3.3%, respectively, from the prior-year.
The decline seen in 2015, unfortunately, continued to impact metal service centers during the first two months of 2016—even with drastically reduced inventory levels—albeit slower than before. The latest figures from MSCI report U.S. service center steel shipments in February decreased 4.6% from February 2015, and shipments of aluminum products decreased by 0.4% compared to the same time last year. Inventories in February also decreased 20.6% and 7.7%, respectively, from the prior-year period.
Gloomy Forecast Ahead
With growth falling short of expectations to date, the manufacturing industry is expecting to see more of the same challenges throughout 2016. In fact, the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) recently lowered its manufacturing forecast for 2016 and 2017 due to high inventory levels and plummeting oil prices. In addition, slightly more than half of manufacturing respondents believe 2016 will be the same or worse than 2015, according to the December 2015 Semiannual Economic Forecast from the Institute for Supply Management.
Staying the Course
While 2016 clearly isn’t going to be one for the record books, there are still opportunities for growth. According to an executive roundtable report by Metal Center News, the following two industries are expected to help metal service centers ride out the storm:
- Automotive. Like last year, the automotive sector is expected to see continued growth. According to a report from the National Automobile Dealers Association, new light-vehicles are set to rise to 17.7 million units—the seventh straight year of increasing U.S. new-vehicle sales. General Motors started off 2016 with 0.5 percent more vehicles than in January 2015, and Ford’s CEO Mark Field has said he expects 2016 to be “another strong year,” American Metals Market reports. Continued low fuel prices and interest rates should also help drive sales.
- Residential and non-residential construction. Construction, as a whole, has been showing signs of life for years, and now all segments are expected to grow, including commercial, residential and non-residential sectors. According to Dodge Data & Analytics, total construction starts in 2016 will grow 6%. Low long-term interest rates by the Federal Reserve and moderate job growth will help the segments expand throughout the year.
Yes, the rest of 2016 is set to be a challenging year for metal service centers thanks to inventory levels and low oil prices. Despite the obstacles, however, there are a few bright spots. As described above, increasing demand from the automotive and construction industries provide some opportunities for growth. Some reports are even forecasting increased steel demand from the solar energy sector.
Service centers that take advantage of market opportunities while continuing their strategic planning and continuous improvement activities should be able stay the course in 2016, and, hopefully, position themselves for a strong performance in 2017.
What sectors is your metal service center focusing on in 2016? What strategies are you following to see out the rest of the year?


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Volkswagen’s Emission Scandal by: Jason Chow Sep 23, 2015
TOPICS: Competition, Government Regulation, Business Ethics, Social Responsibility
SUMMARY: By now you’ve heard the CEO of Volkswagen is being replaced after the company admitted it used software to circumvent emissions tests on its diesel vehicles. The cars have more emissions than allowed. The value of cars dropped and owners may find performance and fuel efficiency affected by fixes to the problem. Another important aspect of this story is how it affects the diesel category in the car industry. European rivals are trying to show their engines meet standards in Europe. Other carmakers may face probes into diesel emissions. Europe developed diesel cars that were increasingly popular with drivers because of lower fuel costs. Renault and Peugeot rely on diesel for about half of new car sales. Although they are not sold in the U.S., Fiat also sells diesel cars. The popularity of diesel cars was declining in Europe because of emissions. Newly proposed standards would cost companies more money. The scandal will affect rivals because regulators will look more closely at the technology and consumer may become more wary about diesel.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Sometimes a company faces a competitive threat from a rival that increasing its market share. Other times the threat is from a rival that calls into question the viability of the market segment or causes regulators to take a closer look because of problems. Automakers in Europe face increased scrutiny because Volkswagen used software to rig emissions tests. The problem is primarily in the U.S. market with emission standards Volkswagen met because the software apparently detected when a test was occurring and had the vehicle respond differently. The mistakes rivals make can affect your company because it can raise questions or lead to changes in regulations. This isn’t something a company can anticipate, but it can represent a challenge to overcome.
QUESTIONS: 1. How did Volkswagen rig the emission tests? 2. Evaluate the effect on competitors in Europe from these revelations about Volkswagen. 3. Discuss the consequences thus far for the company. 4. Why do you think a company would take the kinds of risks Volkswagen took when it rigged the diesel emissions software? 5. How would you feel right now if you had recently purchased a new VW with the diesel engine emission problems?


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If you’re thinking of starting up a small business in North Carolina, Asheville may not be the best choice according to a new Small Business Friendliness Survey from Thumbtack and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
The survey, conducted over 38 states and 82 metropolitan areas and including responses from over 12,000 small business owners, ranked Asheville dead last out of five North Carolina cities (Asheville, Durham, Raleigh, Charlotte and Winston-Salem). The cities were ranked on a scale from A+ to F using 11 metrics:
• Overall small business friendliness – (Asheville, C+) (North Carolina average, C+)
• Ease of starting a small business – (AVL, D+) (NC, B)
• Ease of hiring a new employee – (AVL, B) (NC, C+)
• Overall regulatory friendliness – (AVL, C) (NC, B+)
• Friendliness of health and safety regulations – (AVL, D) (NC, B+)
• Friendliness of employment, labor and hiring regulations – (AVL, B) (NC, A)
• Friendliness of tax code – (AVL, D+) (NC, B-)
• Friendliness of licensing regulations – (AVL, B-) (NC, B+)
• Friendliness of environmental regulations – (AVL, C) (NC, B)
• Friendliness of zoning regulations – (AVL, B-) (NC, B)
• Availability of helpful training or networking programs – (AVL, D+) (NC, B)
According to the results above, Asheville ranked behind the N.C. averages in most of the metrics used. Raleigh, Charlotte and Durham all rated fairly high nationally in overall small business friendliness (Charlotte – A, Durham – B+, Raleigh – A-), and Charlotte was ranked 14 out of the 82 cities nationwide, while Asheville landed at 44.
“After a two-month survey of thousands of small business owners nationwide, Asheville’s friendliness towards small business can be rated against 81 other cities in the country,” said Jon Lieber, Chief Economist of Thumbtack.com in an email. “Creating a business climate that is welcoming to small, dynamic businesses is more important than ever, and Asheville’s small business community has said the city could do better.”
Small businesses in Asheville gave particularly low marks for the usability of local government websites, rating them second worst in the nation, according to Thumbtack.
North Carolina as a whole ranked 21 out of 38 states in the survey.


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Video: Econoday’s Mark Rogers On The US Economy: Week of 05/06/2013
Econoday’s Mark Rogers provides a look at key economic announcements for the US this week.
Econoday reports, available on TradingScreen’s award-winning TradeSmart EMS, provide alerts on upcoming economic announcements, and jargon-free analysis of their potential market impact. Mark Rogers, Senior Economist for U.S. markets, has over 19 years of experience with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as an economist and forecaster for national and regional economies.
Click to learn about getting access to Econoday’s economic reports on TradingScreen.
- Jobless claims on Thursday – are we seeing an improvement?: “It’s better but still sluggish.” 0.40
- New on the Econoday Calendar: Jolts – employment sector survey: “The headline of Jolts is job openings and that will probably become more important for the Fed.” 1.40
- Weekly chain store reports and consumer credit. ” 3.40


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Pebble smartwatch launches in the UK at last
Can’t wait for an iWatch? Then why not pick up a Pebble? The smartwatch officially launches in the UK today.
Pebble was one of the first smartwatches to market in the US, the watch was an early hit for Kickstarter – and the watch marks itself out by using a Kindle-style e-ink display rather than a screen. The watch links up to your phone via bluetooth and will forward on notifications – as well as run apps designed for the watch. Somewhat uniquely, it works across both iOS and Android.
In tandem with the UK release Pebble has just released version 2.6 of the firmware – so when you fire it up for the first time you may be prompted to install a software update. The update is significant though: it adds the ability to run apps in the background, so for example you could use a Pebble app to track your run without having to have the app on screen.
When I tried out the Pebble a few months ago I instantly became a massive fan – in fact, I’m wearing one as I write this. What’s also cool is that even idiots can write apps for it.
So where to get one? O2 has announced it is the only UK network to list the wearable – though it will also be available at online retailer Firebox. In both cases, the standard Pebble model will be £99.99, and the Pebble Steel (which is functionally identical, but looks a bit classier) will be £179.99.
Comments are closed.
People in the UK have always been able to buy it. What do you mean by officially launches in the UK? Do you mean they keep inventory in the UK now so it’s local shipping (faster and no customs hassle)?
This is my understanding, yes. British retailers will have it in their warehouses.


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Earlier this year, New Orleans-based entrepreneurial support organization The Idea Village celebrated the latest cohort to graduate from its VILLAGEx accelerator program. The organization welcomed nine startups to the program designed for emerging, technology-enabled ventures.
Combined, the nine startups have raised $9.5 million in growth capital and created more than 80 jobs for the Louisiana ecosystem.
“The founders from these nine companies are true representations of the possibilities within our region, as we’ve seen them grow tremendously over such a short period of time and raise the kind of capital that is often overlooked in the Gulf South,” said Soumitra Sengupta, lead Entrepreneur-in-Residence for VILLAGEx 2021. “Our 2021 cohort achieved the kind of success that this program was founded in belief of.”
The VILLAGEx participants include:
- Bloks: Bloks provides easy custom development of mobile apps.
- BypassLines: Bypasslines is a venue specific ordering system that allows consumers to see onsite food and retail merchants all in one place to order, pay, pickup or have in-seat delivery.
- El Guapo Bitters: El Guapo Bitters offers clean labels, impeccably sourced cocktail bitters, syrups, and mixers.
- hampr: hampr is an on-demand laundry app with a subscription model that offers next-day wash/dry/fold services.
- HookM Solutions: HookM is a fishing charter management app for Captains, Guides, and Boat Owners that offers booking, scheduling, and payment services.
- Kinemagic: Kinemagic offers collaborative, evolutionary software for AR and VR experiences.
- Skilltype: A talent management software for library professionals
- Something Borrowed Blooms: Something Borrowed Blooms seeks to revolutionize the wedding flower industry by offering premium silk flowers to rent, saving customers up to 70% of traditional costs and offering a more sustainable product.
- Spot2Night: Spot2Night offers users the ability to find and book vacant RV camping spots that meet their needs and criteria.
The Idea Village also shared that the VILLAGEx program will continue for another three years after receiving $1.8 million in support.
To learn more, visit ideavillage.org.


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Those Hi-larious Terrorists
Maybe it's also too funny.
Though several movies and mini-series about 9/11 are in the pipeline, the New York Times reports that there are no takers for The Cell, an envelope-pushing comedy creators Mark F. Wilding and Mark Jordan Legan have been shopping around Hollywood.
Execs fear Americans - particularly in New York and Washington - still aren't ready for a sitcom that could be seen as trivializing the terrorist attacks of 2001. even one as apparently hilarious as this one.
That's OK, we'd prefer mind-numbingly stupid crap like Hope and Faith anyway.