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Pinterest Is Trying to Curb Anti-Vaxxer MisinformationLatest
Pinterest—the social media site of choice for DIY crafters, home decor enthusiasts, and my Aunt Melanie—has banned search terms related to “vaccines” in order to curb anti-vaccination propaganda from spreading on the platform. According to the Guardian, anti-vaxxer rhetoric has been an ongoing issue on Pinterest: In 2016, 75 percent of posts related to vaccinations were anti-, resulting in language banning the “promotion of false cures for terminal or chronic illnesses and anti-vaccination advice” to be added to their community guidelines in 2017. Now, they’ve taken it a step further by completely removing certain search terms like “vaccine,” “vaccines,” “vaccination,” “vaccinations,” and “anti-vax.”
A social impact manager at Pinterest, Ifeoma Ozoma, told the Guardian:
“We’re a place where people come to find inspiration, and there is nothing inspiring about harmful content. Our view on this is we’re not the platform for that… We are doing our best to remove bad content, but we know that there is bad content that we haven’t gotten to yet. We don’t want to surface that with search terms like ‘cancer cure’ or ‘suicide’. We’re hoping that we can move from breaking the site to surfacing only good content. Until then, this is preferable.”
Pinterest’s decision to remove pins related to super dangerous anti-vaxxer misinformation differs drastically from other social media platforms that have yet to make any real effort towards combating the growing movement. Just last week, the Guardian found that Facebook allowed advertisers to promote anti-vaxx propaganda to users curious about “vaccine controversies,” bombarding them inaccurate information not based in science.
Is anyone else overwhelmed with déjà vu?


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SKIN REMOVED from patients during breast and stomach operations was sold for chemical weapons research without their knowledge, a health trust admitted yesterday.
Salisbury Health Care Trust sold the surplus skin to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Porton Down for an annual fee of pounds 17,000 a year.
The skin, taken from plastic surgery patients at Salisbury District Hospital, was used in "chemical absorption studies" as well as investigations of drug delivery and barrier cream formulation.
The trust said it stopped the sale of surplus skin two weeks ago after the damning report into the mass removal of organs from dead children without their parents' consent at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool.
Patients at Salisbury were required to sign a consent form agreeing to tissue being used for "medical research," but the form did not explain it would be sold to Porton Down
"The Trust now recognises that this did not inform patients of the specific use of the skin and that some individuals may not have wished for the skin to be used by the [agency] and offers its sincere apologies for this," it said.
"The Trust made a decision to stop providing skin to the [agency] two weeks ago in the light of issues raised in the Alder Hey report. …

domain: news


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The new media screen is about a single space, layered with the audience’s and brand’s content, said Dale Herigstad, Chief Creative Officer for Schematic at NewTeeVee Live 2010 on Wednesday. In contrast to the traditional TV and PC screen, which has various pages and screens for different media, the future of the next-generation screen looks a lot more like an iPhone app, says Herigstad.
Herigstad, who is the creative force at new media marketing company Schematic, focuses on three aspects in his daily work: layers, spaces, and channels. Sounds like jargon?
It is, partly, but Schematic has made interactive branding experiences for everyone from Google (s GOOG) to Comcast to Coca-Cola to NBC. And don’t forget, Herigstad says, at the end of the day the audience feels like it owns the screen and the branding experience. Don’t ever forget that. Check out his comments below:


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In the United States, Black Friday is declared to be a major retail holiday. The day falls just after the day of Thanksgiving. There are great editions and trends that appear throughout the Black Friday events. Such events are remarked as a galactic draw for holiday present shopping. Moreover, it is mostly seen that the high-ticket items such as beds and electronics are also captured holding major deals and discounts for the customers. The event includes the participation of every departmental store, online retailers, showrooms and discount shops.
Possible, this year the day of Black Friday will be declared on November 24th, along with the extension of sales both the week earlier and later. It is often noted that the pre-Black Friday sales appear all through the month of November, while Cyber Monday sales are likely to take place last into the leading week online.
Talking about the Cyber Monday mattress sale, there are great chances that you can expect to see a couple of consonant trends running throughout every year.
There is a presence of some brands in the market that are likely to offer percent or dollar discounts off the normal prices. This is such a great opportunity for the buyer to invest in new mattresses or beds. The trend in this year’s Cyber Monday is likely to come up with discounts, coupon codes and mail-in rebates for the buyers. Many other brands that are not willing to make any discount prices directly will be offering mail-in rebates or free-with-purchase offers and deals which include offering free boxsprings or pillows with the purchase of a mattress or bed.
In recent years, gift cards have gained great popularity. Several brands make a practice of offering store or credit gift cards along with the purchases. Many times, there is involvement of promotional doorbuster mattresses which are very common to see at the Cyber Monday offers. The retailers try to attract the customers by offering different deals and discounts which make the purchase of best brands easier for every type of customer.


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With Sega Rally Revo approaching its release and garnering quite a bit of anticipation, it turns out that Sega's also developing a PSP version of the game too. Sega has announced that a port of Sega Rally Revo will be developed by Bugbear Entertainment and it'll launch this Fall. The PSP version will join the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game, all of which are set for a September release.
“The original SEGA Rally is heralded as one of the all time great arcade games and this new installment on the PSP system is a great example of updating a classic perfectly for today’s machines,” said Guy Wilday, Studio Director, SEGA Racing Studio. “With the addition of multiplayer wireless and online multiplayer, there’s scope for players to show off their skills against their friends, whilst the excellent PSP system screen exudes all the visual qualities expected of SEGA Rally Revo.”


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NEW YORK — When Del Laboratories was bought by DLI Holding Corp. last year for $480 million, many in the industry thought they had seen the last of William McMenemy.
After all, he had been a major shareholder of the company — Del was publicly traded prior to the acquisition — and, he had put in nearly 40 years of service at the Uniondale, N.Y.-based firm, most recently as executive vice president of marketing.
More telling of a possible exit was his absence at major industry trade shows over the past year. Such no-shows generally get industry mouths moving and the acquisition just seemed to fuel the rumor machine.
Not a chance.
Last week McMenemy surfaced at the Regency Hotel in Manhattan, sans his trademark tan — a trait he explained diminished due to the past year’s organizing of the acquisition — and confirmed to WWD that his place at the company is firm. He’s also anxious to take on his new role as president and chief executive officer of the now privately held Del Labs, while injecting the position with his marketing expertise.
DLI Holding Corp. started out as a venture between affiliates of Kelso & Co., an investment firm, and Church & Dwight Co. Inc., the oral care company that markets a variety of products under the Arm & Hammer, Mentadent, Close-Up, Aim and Pepsodent brands. Church & Dwight is no longer involved. The acquisition was first announced in July and became official in January.
McMenemy said the deal allows Del to reposition itself in the marketplace, complete with resources to fund acquisitions, even into areas outside of mass beauty.
“Now there is greater access to financing. It’s not part of the plan right now, but there are definitely acquisitions in the company’s future,” likely in the salon side of the business, he added.
Recent proof of Del’s interest in dabbling outside the drugstore cosmetics wall is the May launch of the Elizabeth Arden nail polish line, a license Del acquired last year. The salon industry, where the line will be distributed, is new for Del, one that McMenemy believes is a “good idea” since the industry is ripe with acquisition candidates. Elizabeth Arden nail products will enter high-end salons, beginning with the Elizabeth Arden salons across the country, and will compete directly with industry leaders Essie and OPI.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Tokyo - Japan's trade deficit narrowed again last month, data showed Wednesday, as a sales tax hike weighed on imports - denting demand for foreign fruit, lobsters and crude oil - while shipments of goods to overseas markets picked up pace.
The upbeat figures come hours before the Bank of Japan is to wrap up a two-day meeting and were likely to cement expectations that policymakers would hold fire on any new easing measures to fire up the world's number-three economy.
The data also suggests the impact of a weak yen - which sent Japan's energy import bill soaring in the wake of the 2011.
Fukushima nuclear crisis - was starting to ease, and comes after Japan logged its strongest economic growth in more than two years during the first quarter.
But the April 1 consumption tax rise to 8.0 percent from 5.0 percent threatens to stall activity in the coming months, and has raised fears it would derail Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth blitz, dubbed Abenomics.
“While the narrowing in the trade shortfall in April may have been too strong to last, the deficit should remain low as domestic demand has weakened after the sales tax hike,” said London-based Capital Economics.
Highlighting the effect of Japan's April 1 sales tax rise was a nearly 36 percent drop in the import volume of shrimps, prawns and lobsters along with a fall in fruit shipments from overseas as restaurants and retailers saw demand slump.
The finance ministry data showed the trade deficit shrank 7.8 percent on-year in April, with Japan logging a shortfall of 808.9 billion yen ($8.0 billion) against the year-before deficit of 877.4 billion yen.
Exports climbed 5.1 percent to 6.07 trillion yen on robust shipments of automobiles and memory chips.
Imports rose 3.4 percent to 6.88 trillion yen, a much slower rate than high-paced rises seen over more than a year.
“Exports were solid and showed signs of future growth,” said Masahiko Hashimoto, economist at Daiwa Institute of Research.
“Imports fell on a range of goods.... The drop in crude oil imports was particularly big.”
Hashimoto added that Japan was likely to see a “shrinking trend” in its trade deficit.
Purchases of natural gas remained high as the resource-poor country scrambled to plug its energy gap after the 2011 Fukushima crisis forced the shutdown of nuclear reactors, which had supplied a third of the nation's power.
The yen's plunge since late 2012 contributed to boosting import bills.
But last month's crude oil imports fell 11.2 percent after spiking in the months before the sales tax hike took effect.
Japan's recent economic data has been volatile, with the tax rise skewing results, as questions linger about Abe's policy blitz.
The plan called for big government spending, central bank monetary easing and deregulation as the prescription for kickstarting Japan's long-lumbering economy.
While the moves ushered in a sharp drop in the yen - giving a lift to exporters' profitability - and a stock market rally last year, critics say Abe has yet to follow through on structural reforms to the economy, including shaking up labour markets, signing free-trade deals and bringing more women into the workforce. - Sapa-AFP


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Aiming to remake a multibillion-dollar industry, the automaker said it would have a semi for sale in two years that would be nearly self-driving.
Apple had said its HomePod speaker, a response to Amazon’s Echo, would debut this year. Now it won’t be released till early next year.
The agency voted to relax several rules, including allowing a company to own more than one of the top stations in a local market.
Funding and start-ups are concentrated on the coasts, especially in California. But there are signs of an entrepreneurial awakening in the heartland, where talent is rich but prices aren’t.
Huawei Technologies wants to banish from consumers’ minds the idea that Chinese brands can produce only cheap knockoffs.


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Facebook Inc’s<FB.O> mobile advertising success offers a ray of hope for Internet companies trying to make money within the confines of the smartphone’s small screen.
The social network’s 75 percent surge in mobile ad revenue in a span of just three months not only doused skepticism on Wall Street and Madison Avenue about Facebook’s business prospects, some say it could serve as a how-to guide for other Web companies navigating a world where the phone and tablet have fast become the screens of choice.
Facebook’s “Newsfeed” ads, which inject marketing messages straight into a user’s content stream and are tailored for mobile devices, were the stars behind the social network’s stunning numbers on Wednesday.
“You’re going to see a lot of companies transitioning and trying to emulate this model because it’s working so well. That’s why last night was a true watershed moment,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Research.
Internet company executives have long been concerned that mobile advertising is inherently less lucrative than traditional desktop PC advertising, due to thesmartphone’s limited screen size and possible consumer resistance to a flood of ads on their devices.
Companies from Google Inc<GOOG.O> and Yahoo Inc<YHOO.O> to upstarts such as Snapchat are searching for the right formula to monetize mobile services. While Google has developed a mobile ad business generating an estimated $10 billion a year in revenue, it remains much smaller and less lucrative than Google’s desktop search advertising. Analysts expect Google to generate $60 billion in annual revenue this year.
That wholesale exploration of “native ads” – or marketing messages intended to blend with a users’ personal content, rather than stand out as an ad – has met with varying success.
Twitter, which pioneered the concept of the in-stream ad even before Facebook, may also be well-positioned to benefit from mobile ads. “Sponsored” messages now pop up abruptly in the middle of streams of tweets, but analysts say the frequency is much lower on Facebook newsfeeds.
More than half of the privately held company’s revenue will come from mobile ads this year, reckons Clark Fredricksen, at industry research firm eMarketer.
Some are just getting into the game. This week, LinkedIn Corp<LNKD.N>, the network for business professionals, rolled out in-stream ads on mobile and PC versions of its service. Yahoo has experimented with similar types of ads, and acquired blogging hub Tumblr for $1.1 billion in May, in part to jumpstart efforts at developing new formats.
But it’s Facebook, which a year ago had zero mobile revenue, that has most aggressively promoted its mobile advertising business to Madison Avenue – with seeming success.
“Compared to other companies, nobody has come right out and said mobile is our sole focus now,” said Angela Steele, CEO of Ansible, part of advertising holding company IPG. “Facebook put all their eggs in one basket.”
One longstanding question has been how much tolerance consumers have for ads that disrupt their stream of content. Facebook said it has steadily increased the number of ads in the news stream without noticing a drop in user satisfaction.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that, on average, ads now account for 5 percent or one in 20 “stories” in the newsfeed. That ratio could now provide a baseline for calculating success, prompting other Web companies to raise the frequency of ads in their streams.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if other companies would look at that and follow suit,” said Ansible’s Steele.
Hussein Fazal, the CEO of AdParlor, which manages advertising campaigns on Facebook, guesses that the social network must have gradually opened the spigot, gauging user reaction and adjusting the stream all the while.
They seemed to have hit on the right formula, but it’s one that differs across platforms, he said.
“The reason Facebook can do it is, the rest of the content that’s there is so engaging that you don’t mind one out of every 20 ads,” he said. “If you have a newsfeed that’s not so engaging, and you keep seeing ads, then it doesn’t work.”
Plus, the more ads in the stream, the less users will click on them, which can dampen ad prices, he added.
Facebook’s seeming success on mobile devices contrasts with Google’s more gradual improvement in that area. The No. 1 Internet search engine has gradually managed to narrow declines in its overall ad rates from the mobile effect, but last quarter they reversed and went down again, disappointing investors.
Google has avoided news stream ads entirely in its Google+ social network. Instead, its mix of mobile search ads, video ads and innovative formats such as “click-to-call” have delivered what RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney estimates is a $10 billion annualized run rate for its mobile business, about four times as much as Facebook.
But mobile has driven down the average cost of Google ads, and some industry watchers consider the transition a long-term threat to the search giant. But other analysts say recent changes to the way it sells ads to marketers, blurring the distinction between the mobile and PC, could help bolster rates.
“The advantage Facebook had is that it’s monetization on desktop was pretty immature to begin with,” says Mahaney.
Google, by contrast, “had a very mature, sophisticated monetization, and then along comes mobile.”
(Reporting By Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Ken Wills)


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Mitchell Launches GM Shop Locator
May 23, 2019—Mitchell has announced the launch of the GM collision repair shop locator at genuinegmparts.com.
Last year, GM and Mitchell announced the launch of the enrollment portal for the GM Collision Repair Network, enabling collision repair facilities to apply to participate in the network.
To date, about 1,600 collision repair facilities have started the process of enrollment, says Jack Rozint, Mitchell's vice president of sales and service. About 200 collision repair shops will show up on the map.
According to Rozint, GM has more vehicles on the road than any other manufacturer and the program is open to all types of collision repair shops including independents, MSOs and dealership body shops as long as they meet the network's requirements.
The shop locator is at genuinegparts.com and shops that are looking to join the program can go to the same website. Shop operators can click on the Collision Repair tab on the website, then scroll to the right where there is a link to the Collision Repair Network. On that page, shops can find the enrollment requirements and the option to enroll.


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The cellular industry is expected to transition to 5G over the coming years, with these mobile speed upgrades occurring every decade or so. AT&T is getting an early start by labeling existing LTE Android phones in certain markets with a “5G E” indicator.
5G Evolution is effectively AT&T’s branding for LTE Advanced, which is a separate upgrade to the existing LTE standard. While offering a 2x performance improvement to the existing network, other carriers are just upgrading their services to take advantage of the new speeds.
AT&T confirmed to Fierce Wireless and noted the change on its 5G page today that supported Android devices in certain markets with higher speeds will see “5G E” instead of LTE. This change will begin in early 2019 on AT&T’s “most popular smartphones,” with wider availability in spring 2019.
In the meantime, over 400 markets will benefit from the new coverage by the end of this year. Supported 5G Evolution devices today include the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9, LG V30 and V35, and Motorola Z2 Force.
AT&T has received a lot of flack from other carriers — notably T-Mobile and Sprint — in the U.S., and even abroad. LTE Advanced features 4×4 MIMO to double the number of antennas that can send data back and forth, while 256 QAM makes data transmission more efficient.
During the transition to LTE, the American carrier refered to HSPA+ as 4G, with devices like the iPhone 4S updating their network indicators to note this change.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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James Bond: No Time To Die Won't Go Streaming, As $600 Million Deal Can't Find Buyer
MGM was reportedly looking for $600 million for a one-year license fee to bring the movie to a streaming service, but no deal was made.
The newest James Bond film, No Time To Die, has been finished and ready to go for months now, but MGM has delayed it numerous times due to COVID-19. A report from Bloomberg stated that MGM pitched the streaming rights to Netflix, Apple, and Amazon, but so far, no deal has been reached, and it sounds like that may never happen.
Separately, Variety reported that MGM offered a one-year license for No Time To Die for $600 million. Additionally, MGM is said to have considered releasing the movie on its own through a paid video-on-demand option, similar to how Disney handled Mulan.
However, Deadline reported that neither Netflix, Apple, nor Amazon came back to the table with even half of the reported $600 million one-year license fee. Additionally, the site reported that 007 series producer Barbara Broccoli "flatly nixed the deal."
The reason? Money, it seems. Deadline reports that No Time To Die could generate $1 billion or more if it's released in a "healthy" theatre market. While some cinemas have reopened around the world, many remain closed, and even in markets where they are open, people may not want to visit a theatre anytime soon.
All of this leads to a tricky situation for MGM regarding when to release No Time To Die. The site also reminds us that the 007 franchise typically skews older in terms of its target demographic, and people in that age group may be less inclined to visit a theatre during a health crisis.
The studio has delayed the movie multiple times already, and its new release date is April 2021. Go to Deadline to read the full report. According to Variety, MGM has already lost as much as $50 million due to the delays for No Time To Die.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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10 Years On: Spore
Crytek concentrating solely on 64-bit targets.
DICE has delayed the PC beta for Bad Company 2 until next year.
Nintendo has released figures claiming that it has 80 percent of girl gamers in the US.
Serious Sam is back, boomstick and all! Can Croteam's high-def remake of The First Encounter recapture the frantic excitement and purity of the original game, or is Serious Sam HD little more than a damp squib? This is serious business, so check our review to find out more!
Valve has responded to the boycott other digital distributors have announced on Steamworks games.
Capcom has struck back at religious groups in the UK who claim Resident Evil promotes violence.
Bioware has released the full system requirements and DRM plan for Mass Effect 2.
Eidos and Square Enix are currently working together on Deus Ex 3.
Alienware PCs are now shipping with Steam pre-installed and a free copy of Portal.
We take a free-running jump into the middle of Assassin's Creed 2 to see if the follow-up to Ubisoft's smash hit can be more than doing the same pickpocketing quests over and over. Is historical assassination fun this time around? We find out in our Assassin's Creed 2 review.
Students at Cambridge University have created a novel application which uses a standard off-the-shelf webcam to create 3D meshes of real-world objects.
The US Air Force has revealed that it's bought more than 2000 PlayStation 3s. For research.
US President Barack Obama wants to see games like LittleBigPlanet used in schools to drive interest in science and maths.
Modern Warfare and Army of Two have been singled out by critics as games which showcase unacceptable war crimes.
Intelligence organisation GCHQ is now advertising for operatives via Xbox Live.
Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 3 will not be out next year.
Stardock reckons that Valve has at least 70 percent of the digital distribution market cornered.
We take a look at some of the latest iPhone and iPod Touch games, including Call of Duty: Zombies, Ravensword, Rock Band, Eliminate Pro and loads more. There's something for everyone, from 3D RPGs to casual platformers, so read on to find out more.
Bioware has announced the first piece of DLC for Dragon Age: Origins, Return to Ostagar.
League of Legends, the new strategy game from the makers of the original DotA Allstars, has finally arrived and promises some awesome multiplayer RTS action. Is that a promise the game can really deliver on though? We find out in our review of League of Legends.
GSC Game World has released a DirectX 11 benchmark tool for Call of Pripyat.
Activision has hinted that the Call of Duty series may be getting a third developer outside of Treyarch and Infinity Ward.
Sony has finally launched a PS3 and PSPGo Video Delivery Service with more than 800 films available worldwide.
As probably the last Nvidia performance board we'll ever see: this AM3, DDR3 nForce 750 chipset G55 from MSI is one of the few SLI capable motherboards for AMD out there. How does it stack up against other budget AMD chipsets? We found out.
Valve has revealed how digital distribution is shaking up the industry in terms of online sales and pricing.


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$31M ASX Small Cap Telco Posts $16.7M Annual Recurring
PUBLISHED: 30-10-2020 09:44 a.m.
6 minute read
Part of our reasoning, was the impressive Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) base that the company has been building in the in-demand telecommunications industry.
Recurring revenue, facilitated by the acquisition of 2SG, has provided Vonex with forward earnings predictability. The 2SG acquisition cannot be underestimated, having provided Vonex with substantial sales momentum.
A full year contribution in fiscal 2021 will see the company generate robust growth in the next 12 months, after 2SG negotiated an agreement to supply business grade mobile broadband to ASX 300 company, Data#3 (ASX: DTL).
Following the acquisition, Vonex has enjoyed 122% mobile broadband sales growth, 247% mobile voice sales growth and 53% NBN and 4G back sales growth.
Vonex is currently one of three technology companies in our long-term portfolio.
Our other two tech stocks also continue to perform well.
MyFiziq (ASX: MYQ) is currently up 750%, having been as high as 1200% since we first took a position, while our first tech long term portfolio company WhiteHawk (ASX: WHK) has a current return of 244%.
We are hoping for long term, sustainable price appreciation with VN8 as well.
As we alluded to in our last article, Vonex has delivered strong growth, generating predominantly recurring and sticky revenue.
In fact, the revenue base and current market cap of circa $31M suggests substantial upside, particularly as it continues to develop, deliver and license advanced communications technologies.
ASX small cap telco peers such as Spirit Telecom Ltd (ASX: ST1) - $186.5M market cap, and Uniti Group (ASX: UWL) $656.8M, suggests there is tremendous growth potential here in VN8.
Whilst still in the telco space, VN8 is focused predominantly on the small to medium enterprise (SME) market, giving it a significant point of difference.
As such, the past 12 months have been a stand-out for Vonex and its successes this year are illustrated in its latest quarterly, with highlights including growth in wholesale customers and order value, with Mobile Broadband orders up 122%, Mobile Voice up 247% and NBN with 4G backup up 53% year-on-year in Q1 FY21. One further highlight is the Total Contract Value (TCV) of new customer sales of $5.3million in 2020 YTD, up 36% year-on-year.
September quarter continues VN8’s momentum from June
The June quarter delivered Vonex (ASX:VN8) the strongest operational and financial quarter the company has delivered since listing on the ASX. One of the key takeaways was the 84% increase in annualised recurring revenue during fiscal 2020. At that stage this number stood at $16.4 million.
It has been an impressive growth trajectory, demonstrating Vonex’s stability and resilience.
The highlights have continued in the September quarter.
- Unaudited sales revenue of $4.44 million for the quarter increased by 84% compared to the prior corresponding period (PcP) of $2.41 million
- Annualised Recurring Revenue (ARR) grew by 84% year on year to $16.7 million
- Cash receipts from customers totalled $4.22 million, an increase of 68% compared to PcP of $2.51 million
- Cash at end of quarter totalled $4.02 million
Further highlights include:
Vonex is split into two divisions: Vonex Wholesale and Vonex Telecom.
The wholesale division continues to scale, with the company securing new customers and delivering strong growth in revenue.
The aforementioned integration of 2SG Wholesale in 2H of FY20 into the company, saw Vonex expand its offering to small and medium enterprise (SME) customers by developing and delivering new products.
This was reflected in sales growth across the Wholesale product suite.
The numbers are excellent.
Mobile Broadband orders are up +122% year-on-year for the quarter, Mobile Voice +247% and NBN with 4G backup +53% over the same period.
The acquisition has enabled Vonex to capture cross-selling opportunities identified prior to the 2SG Wholesale integration.
Expansion will continue in FY21, following a commitment from Optus to open up its 5G network to Vonex via 2SG. Vonex is finalising launch preparations for internet services that utilise 5G speeds powered by Optus.
2SG’s dealings with ASX300 company, Data#3 Ltd (ASX: DTL) is also translating into customer wins.
As for retail operations, Vonex Telecom, this too continues to expand.
Vonex has achieved Total Contract Value of new customer sales YTD in 2020 of $5.3 million, an increase of 36% year-on-year.
SME user numbers continue to grow, driven by its partnership with Qantas Business Rewards (QBR) and Vonex's status as Qantas' preferred business-focused telco provider.
This is now a long-standing partnership which Finfeed first covered in September 2019:
QBR is marketing Vonex to its base of more than 250,000 SME members who use QBR's exclusive offers to save money, earn Qantas points and plan ahead for the growth of their business.
With signs Australia’s borders will reopen before Christmas, this could prove even more beneficial for Vonex.
Also, of significance is the more than 40,800 registered active users who now use ONdesk, Vonex's Private Branch Exchange cloud-based phone service.
Active PBX users are a key indicator of Vonex's business development progress as it looks to penetrate the multibillion-dollar Australian market for telco services to SMEs.
The final word
In an industry with a reputation for poor customer service, Vonex stands out.
The company has a high satisfaction rating among SME customers, and has only had zero complaints in Q1FY21, compared with an industry average which increased by 28%.
We believe there is significant upside in the Vonex story as it continues to win friends and influence SMEs.
We are not the only ones.
Analyst, PAC Partners has been on board the Vonex train all year, having set its price target at 28 cents a few months ago.
It is currently sitting at 16 cents.
On current trend, this next financial year could be a game changer for the company.
If numbers continue to rise, so could its share price.
We will continue to watch the Vonex story unfold as we believe our portfolio holding will be vindicated in the long-term.
The Vonex investment case:


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Problems over the Dome deal
Hopes of a new bidder for the Millennium Dome complex have emerged as negotiations with the Legacy Holdings consortium drag on. Whitehall sources are optimistic about the latest proposal which includes plans to build a second Dome, this time in the US. But it is still at an early stage.
Talks with Legacy have run into problems over the density of its plans for the site. The Government side argues that more development should mean a higher price. Legacy's Irish backer, Treasury Holdings, feels this is rewriting the rules in mid-negotiation.
There are several possible buyers. The 'two Domes' plan is the most colourful. Though it may seem far fetched, marketing costs could be shared. Politicians believe its backers include credible City figures.
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Australian Taxation Office to keep an eye on vehicle ownership...
Australian Taxation Office to keep an eye on vehicle ownership
MOST of us dread tax time — but according to one finance expert, a few simple hacks can help you maximise your refund this year.
Entrepreneur, accountant, financial adviser and best-selling author of Unf*ck Your Finances Melissa Browne said many Aussies are missing out on a fat tax refund because they simply don’t realise everything they are entitled to claim.
She told news.com.au there were four little-known deductions that could make a big difference, including handbags, makeup and cosmetics, stationery and mobile phone data.
She said it was all about “turning everyday expenses into tax deductions”.
“For any of us working outside, and for people who go outside regularly to meet clients or get to meetings, we can claim sunglasses but also potentially if there’s SPF in your makeup or moisturiser or lip balm, you might be able to claim that,” she explained.
“People also get excited to hear that handbags can potentially be claimed if they’re bought to fit a laptop or tablet — guys can claim briefcases, and handbags are a briefcase of sorts.
“I always have things like pencil cases in my handbag because I’m a nerd about that sort of thing, so if you have a kikki. K addiction and you’re using those things for work, you can claim them too.”
Another thing people often forget to claim is a percentage of their mobile phone data.
“Many people say they don’t use their own phone for work, but you’re probably using the calendar and apps like Gmail,” Ms Browne said.
“A phone isn’t a phone anymore, and often you can claim a percentage of the data and the cost of owning a phone, as well as other incidentals like covers, chargers and all that jazz we often don’t think about.”
In fact, Ms Browne said many workers may be able to claim deductions if they ever do any work from home.
“People aren’t just working from nine to five anymore, and the ATO has said if you’re working from home you can claim light and heat on an hourly basis — you just have to keep a log book for a month, so you still have time,” she said.
“Keep track of your hours, because people often spend so much longer than expected working from home.
“You can also claim a percentage of your internet as well as other things you automatically pay for each month like your phone.
“Another easy one is your car if you travel between workplaces … or go to see clients. Tolls are another insidious thing that people also often forget about.”
Ms Browne said it also paid to be smart about how you spend your money.
“Understand what you’ll be doing next year — if you’re pregnant and will be on maternity leave next year and you know your income will drop substantially, make sure you are prepaying expenses before June 30 to get the best deduction possible,” she said.
“And in the reverse, if you’ve just started work this year and next year you’ll have been working full-time, don’t be sucked in by ads telling you to spend your money now.
“Hold off for a full year until you’re in the next tax bracket — be smart about when you are spending your money to maximise your tax deductions.”
Ms Browne said if you were lucky enough to get a refund this year, don’t be tempted to blow the lot on frivolous things.
“If you do get a tax refund, spend half on something fun — but take the other half and invest it in something smart,” she said.
“It is unexpected money, so enjoy half but use the rest on something that will serve you long-term.”
It seems many of us are already planning on using our refunds wisely though, with a recent survey conducted by comparison site finder.com.au revealing 46 per cent of us will save our refunds this year, while 17 per cent will use it to pay bills.
A further 11 per cent will put it towards a holiday, while seven per cent will put it on their mortgage and five per cent will invest it.
Finder.com.au money expert Bessie Hassan said getting cash back means you may have overpaid in taxes during the year, so it can be bittersweet.
“Your tax return is money you’ve worked hard for throughout the financial year for so it can be tempting to want to spend it the minute you receive it,” she said.
“However, depositing your refund into a high-interest savings account like so many Australians are planning to do this year, can really help improve your overall financial health.”


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MIT reports that Computer Science School and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Weizmann Institute of Science have created a way for the public to watch 3D movies without having to wear those goofy glasses.
This is a big deal, given that current experiences without 3D glasses, as 3DS Nintendo handheld, you need to view the display from a single position.
The technology is called 3D Cinema, it works by placing a series of mirrors and lenses behind the screen to ensure that viewers are able to get a 3D view in theater.
MIT says the prototype required 50 sets of mirrors and lenses. 3D Cinema is not quite ready to hit the market.
Still, if you’ve ever had to wear 3D glasses on the specifications of your order, you can imagine the usefulness of this technology could be.


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Written on: January 4, 2018 by SprayTM
Could you or a loved one use a relaxing bubble bath? If your answer is an enthusiastic “yes,” then Mr. Bubble is ready to bubble to the rescue. The loveable bathtime friend of kids and parents everywhere is giving away bubble baths beginning on Dec. 30, 2017, and ending on National Bubble Bath Day on Jan. 8, 2018—10 winners will receive a year’s supply of the iconic bubble bath in the pink bottle.
To enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of Mr. Bubble, just visit bubblebathday.com to nominate yourself or a deserving friend. While you’re there, also learn how you can add the Mr. Bubble profile photo frame to your Facebook profile picture. Hashtagging your profile frame #everybubblecounts qualifies you to be one of 10 people randomly selected each day Dec. 30-Jan. 8 to win a bottle of bubble bath.
For every nomination made at bubblebathday.com and for every Facebook profile photo frame used with hashtag, Mr. Bubble will donate $1, up to $10,000, to Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest.
Bubble Bath Deliveries
Mr. Bubble loves putting smiles on kids’ faces. And the families at Ronald McDonald House are among the most deserving of a little bubbly fun, especially when away from their homes this holiday.
In addition to the potential $10,000 donation to RMHC-Upper Midwest, Mr. Bubble will deliver bubble-baths-in-a-box to additional RMHC chapters across the country on National Bubble Bath Day.
“National Bubble Bath Day is Mr. Bubble’s special day. To make the most of it, we are extending the fun from a day to more than a week so as many people as possible can help us celebrate. That celebration culminates with sharing the joy of bubbles with those who need it the most – the families staying at Ronald McDonald House locations in cities across the country ,” said Michelle Hanson, Director of Marketing at The Village Company, parent company for the Mr. Bubble brand.


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For decades now, the Ford Mustang has been a bright spot on the American road, leading the pack with grace, style and power. And now, in the upcoming issue of Consumer Reports, the Mustang finally gets credit for being one of the top 10 most satisfying cars you can drive. Of course, anyone who has had the good fortune to drive one of these incredible machines already knows the Mustang is an incredible driving experience. And now you can share the experience when you swing by the Kearny Pearson Ford dealership in San Diego and take one out for a test drive. Choose from the impressive array of new and used Ford Mustang cars and talk to the sales team about how easy it is to buy a Ford Mustang.
If you have not previously considered at Ford Mustang for yourself, you should know that the recent Consumer Reports survey includes anonymous responses from over 230,000 car owners and covers the last three model years. Drivers were asked to rate their cars in terms of overall satisfaction, not just on the standard topics like dependability or fuel economy. The Ford Mustang is an incredible car, and drivers are taking notice. Whether it is the purr of the engine, the satisfying resistance as you press down the accelerator, or the iconic lines and muscular frame the Mustang sports, drivers across the country have fallen in love with this special automobile.
Can you picture yourself behind the wheel yet? A car is a huge part of your life, and you should pick one that will make you happy. Give the all-new Ford Mustang a chance to put a smile on your face.


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Mr. James Lartey, the public relations officer for the Food and Drugs Authority has specified that advertising FDA regulatory product without the correct embossment on a letter by any Media house will be sanctioned.
The sanction includes not less than 10 years jail term, or fine of GHC 7,500, he stated.
Moreover, Mr. Lartey told that parliament has passed an LI which permits them to fine offenders an amount of GHC 25,000 or a combination of both penalties.
The operation has stared from a month in collaboration with police CID to correct wrong achievers; relaxed but then resumed, he described.
Furthermore, the officer stated that the law clearly states that “FDA regulated products are to be approved before advertisement”.
We have observed who only record an ad being aired without approval, and hand it over to the police CID to take it up and investigate it, Mr. Lartey added.
The Media Houses will be questioned and have to face prosecution who neglected the official letters by FDA and aired their ads without check, he said.
Mr. James Lartey told about the FDA’s fight against the media about airing unlicensed products, and caution media houses that it will charge them if they run advertisement on unlicensed products in a Media Interview.
Copyright © 2019 Ghanalive.TV. All Rights Reserved.


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Missouri has approved roughly 25,000 medical cannabis cards, according to a local KCTV report.
The state has 10 qualifying conditions in its medical cannabis program, and released its applications for patients, caregivers and businesses in June.
Missouri residents must complete the application and provide proof of a qualifying medical condition, as well as pay a fee, to participate in the program, KCTV reported. Within a few weeks, they receive a digital medical card from the state, although Missouri has not yet licensed dispensaries to serve the market; the licenses are expected to be issued by Jan. 24.
The state issued 10 medical cannabis testing lab licenses at the end of December, followed by 60 cultivation licenses. Earlier this month, Missouri issued licenses to 86 medical cannabis manufacturing facilities, which will be responsible for producing cannabis-infused products such as edibles, tinctures and concentrates.


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Major players in Guam’s business community continue to forcefully oppose the idea of a cannabis industry based in Tumon.
Although a recent economic impact study projected more than $64 million of revenue in the first year of cannabis legalization, many in the island’s business community have voiced opposition to the industry.
For the most part, they opposed starting cannabis businesses in Tumon.
Several organizations such as GVB, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, and the Guam Contractors Association submitted testimony to that effect.
The Baldyga Group — parent company of the Sandcastle, TaoTao Tasi, and other local attractions — also submitted testimony.
Baldyga Group CEO and Chairman Mark Baldyga told PNC News that the push to appeal to cannabis travelers comes from a misunderstanding of the markets that support Guam.
“There are really big cultural differences and sensitivities between Japanese and Koreans and Westerners. So comparing us to Amsterdam, we don’t have that tourism base. Our tourists are Japanese and Korean. In Japan, smoking cannabis..you know in America, 40 percent of Americans have tried cannabis. In Japan, only 1.2 percent. It’s just a different culture. In Korea, if you smoke pot overseas and you come home or use cannabis and come home, you’re arrested on return. Their laws say we don’t want Korean citizens using drugs anywhere,” Baldyga said.
Baldyga — as well as many other organizations — say they don’t oppose cannabis outright. But they think it’s a bad mix with Guam’s established tourism markets.
“I think we have to be very careful about what we do. I don’t know that it’s necessarily bad, it just can’t be pushed in the face of our family tourists who already exist. I’m just strongly opposed to open smoking on public beaches and sidewalks and so forth. I don’t mind and in fact support … I think it’s a good idea..to potentially create a district or a zone and actually move strip clubs and massage parlors and other things out of Tumon as well. That would really open things up so we could really go after two different markets,” Baldyga said.


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Transdev Blazefield Zap to gold at the UK Bus Awards!24 November 2016
Zap’s the way to do it! Transdev Blazefield's pioneering brand, Cityzap, scooped GOLD at the UK Bus Awards yesterday in the ‘Making Buses a Better Choice’ category.
Cityzap beat off stiff competition from the likes of Reading Buses, Stagecoach and Go North East to take the top prize at the awards. It’s a huge vote of confidence for the innovation and teamwork that went into creating this amazing new brand, which has grown demand in what, nationally, continues to be a challenging market.
Cityzap’s success in the awards comes just one week after Zappy driver Mariusz Losinski was crowned ‘Dream Driver’ at Transdev Blazefield's very own Amazing Awards in Bradford.
It was also incredibly pleasing to have Keighley’s Bryan Liddle as a finalist in the Top National Bus Driver category. Whilst Bryan didn’t take home the top prize, to be recognised in a shortlist of just six across the UK is a huge achievement. The 36 also was a finalist in the Sustainable Marketing category.
Pictured here collecting the award is Cityzap driver Gordon Mallon, alongside our CEO, Alex Hornby, Norman Baker, Chair of Bus Users UK and Theo Panayi of sponsor Heathrow Airport.
Speaking after the awards, Alex said: ‘Whilst these awards were recognising individual people and products, it’s also reflection of how we all do business at Blazefield, and on all your hard work. Cityzap now carries well over 6,000 customers every week, and our customers love it - their feedback so far has been outstanding. Well done to everybody involved in making Cityzap a success’.
Huge congratulations to the amazing York depot, the Cityzap team and all of the Transdev Blazefield finalists!
7 July 2017
The Burnley Bus Company launch is celebrated with a family fun day
The countdown is on to Burnley’s big free family day out of the summer, as East Lancashire’s leading bus operator throws open its doors for a very special fun and fundraising party.
8 June 2017
Transdev and Delphi Announce Commercial Partnership for Autonomous Transportation
First open road, driverless on-demand mobility service in EU to be tested in Paris-Saclay and in Rouen (Normandy).
26 May 2017
Vamooz app goes live!
With VAMOOZ, you go where you choose. That’s the promise behind Transdev Blazefield’s unique app-based crowdfunding travel scheme – and the first 100 people to book a trip will go for free.


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WITH the onset of winter, rapid and effective onsite sealing of windows in temperatures as low as - 10°C is provided by advanced sealing foil technology from foam tape manufacturer, ISO-CHEMIE.
Just months after launching Endurance® PLUS, the company has enjoyed a strong sales start. There has been a number of new customers coming on board for this new premium composite door.
“It’s always best to stick with the best” – those were the words of Mark Brudenell, MD of Almark Windows, as he was presented with a trophy to mark his company’s 15-year partnership with REHAU.
A recent Which? survey has confirmed what the Network VEKA team has maintained for 20 years; that homeowners prefer to work with independent, local companies, rather than major, national firms.
Endurance® Doors, part of Rocal Group, have enjoyed a hugely successful 2016 with record breaking sales touching 40% growth, for their range of solid and secure, timber-based composite doors.


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Sandra Lee is a star.
She's a personality on the Food Network, which launches her new show, "Sandra's Money Saving Meals," on Mother's Day.
She's the author of best-selling cookbooks, which promote her philosophy of using prepared foods from the grocery store to produce semi-homemade meals.
And her name is all over Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, a new magazine that launched in February.It's that latest venture that has Lee, 42, calling Birmingham her "home away from home." The magazine is published by Hoover-based Hoffman Media, which also publishes Southern Lady and Paula Deen's magazine.
"It was an easy, fluid fit," Lee says of teaming with Phyllis Hoffman and her sons, Brian and Eric. "She 'got' the brand, as did her sons. Semi-homemade has to be something you feel in your tummy and your heart and you know in your head."
Lee's cooking philosophy (70 percent store-bought products with 30 percent fresh, homemade touches) is that there are some things that are more time-efficient and cost-effective to buy in the grocery store to supplement what you create from scratch.
"For instance, when you're baking and need a graham-cracker crust, I'll show you the recipe to make it from scratch, but I'll also share with you the convenience item at the grocery store that will help you," she says. "I teach you how to shop. I show you how to price things out and how to use substitutions when something is expensive."
The idea for her new show, "Sandra's Money Saving Meals," was conceived almost two years ago, long before the economic crisis became as dire as it is today.
"Certainly now it's needed more than ever, but folks are always looking for ways to cut their grocery bills," Lee says. "It doesn't matter what's going on in the economy, people don't want to be wasteful."
Lee's back story is well known to her fans. Born to teenage parents who divorced when she was little, Lee became a surrogate mother to her four younger siblings. The siblings remain "very close," she says, and a couple of them are involved with the new magazine.
"We were raised humbly and learned how to stretch dollars and make things very special on a tight budget," Lee says. "All of those things we went through really helped us become who we are and accomplish the things we accomplished. It has been an incredible ride."


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More than 750 gadget fans queue outside Apple's flagship store in New York to get their hands on latest tablet as iPad fever spreads around the world
- Construction manager grabs the first new iPad in Sydney as midnight strikes
- Woman in third place of Fifth Avenue offered $1,000 for her spot
- Lines outside Apple stores worth $700 million because of free publicity
- Tech reviewers are unanimous: The screen is a revolution
- Critics still lambast Apple's closed eco-system and lack of ports and expandable memory
Around 750 gadget fans battled plummeting temperatures and hours of waiting in line outside Apple's flagship store in New York to get their hands on the new iPad, which went on sale at 8am today.
The lines outside the Fifth Avenue store were even longer than experts expected, with people huddling together in sleeping bags - and others making money off their places in the line.
Amanda Foote, who camped for nearly 48 hours, received an offer of $1,000 for her spot, behind only two other customers - but was hoping to collect even more for the coveted position.
A test of endurance: Around 750 people queued outside Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City before its doors opened at 8 a.m. on Friday. Many customers were seeing buying two of Apple's new iPad
A long wait: Gadget fans wait for their turn to get their hands on the new iPad in New York City
The queues through the night - across the United States and the nine other countries where the iPad was launched - came despite Apple accepting online orders a week ago.
Experts claimed the lines through city centres are worth $700 million to the company. Not only are customers forking out $499 for an iPad, but they are giving Apple millions in free publicity.
Analysts told SmartMoney that the coverage is worth more than the company’s worldwide marketing budget, which was nearly $700 million in 2010.
'The Apple lines have become a cultural phenomenon,' social psychologist Matt Wallaert said. 'You couldn’t advertise your way into the images of adoring fans that led to Beatlemania. Apple has achieved exactly that.'
Cashing in: Amanda Foote, left, waited with her friend in the line outside New York's main Apple store
But patient customers across the country said the product was well worth the wait.
'The screen resolution is amazing,' Robby Grossman told the Boston Globe. Tech reviewer Daniel Romero added: 'After an hour of use I can say it was worth spending $500 and waiting in line for.'
Others were battling the queues to make a profit. Dan Krolikowski, 34, was first in line at a Madison, Wisconsin mall after arriving 14 hours early.
'Last year I sold one on eBay and made over $500 in profit,' Krolikowski said from his reclining chair at the head of the line. 'I'm hoping to do that again this year.'
At the flagship Apple Store on New York's Fifth Avenue, the way many customers were paying for two iPads each suggested many of the tablets were destined to be resold abroad.
Waiting: Avid Apple fans were lined up around the block eight hours ahead of the iPad's 8am launch
Camping out: Those who had been in line for days were seen napping on Thursday night
Among the line, Amanda Foote told
MailOnline she was 'working out a deal' with a cash-rich, time-poor
Apple lover, but stressed that she was also holding out for 'another
higher offer' to enable her to travel to South America.
Foote has been tweeting ever since she arrived in the queue at 10.30 on
Wednesday morning, and late on Thursday night she wrote: 'My spot is
almost sold. It's for real! Gah, so emotional. I'm going to Peru,
She was not the only apparent iPad diehard who was in fact motivated by financial considerations.
Alex Buckley, a 19-year-old martial arts instructor, arrived at the store 12 hours before the release - but he was just holding a place for his friend.
Eager for a bite of the Apple: People sit in the queue for the new iPad 3 outside the company's flagship store on Regent Street in London
Blanket coverage of the iPad launch: Fenella Barnes and Harry Barrington-Mountford, from Upminster, sit in the queue
Ooh la la: People wait to buy a new iPad in front of an Apple store in Paris
'My buddy's paying me $120 to wait in line for him,' he told MailOnline.
'He's going to come over here at eight and pay for the iPads - he's buying two of them.'
line-up of fanatics at the store was comprised of many people who
turned out for the launch of the iPad 2 last year, according to Russian
Michael Sochin, 29.
When asked why he felt the need to get the iPad on the day of its release, rather than skipping the queues and waiting for a week, he said: 'I don't know... it's like a drug.'
Eager: People line up to enter a branch of M1 Limited in Singapore
Joy: Zhuo Hanling with his wife Seah Swee Kheng and their daughter look at one of their third generation iPads after being first in line to purchase the tablet computer in Singapore
Patient: Dai Shimazaki folds his sleeping bag after waking up on a street in front of an Apple store in Tokyo
Keen: Apple fans snooze in the queue in Toyko, wrapped in tin foil to stay warm
A queue has already formed outside the flagship Apple store on London's Regent Street as people wait to snap up the gadget when it goes on sale.
Zohaib Ali, 21, of Uxbridge, who is the first in line after queuing for five days, said: ‘The iPad is the best product of the year and there won't be any more until 2013 so I am happy to queue. I love Apple products.’
Mr Ali suffers from autism and his mother, Rahat Ali, believes that Apple products have helped him overcome his disability.
She said: ‘Apple products are very good for autism. They are very easy to use and he is relaxed when he is using them. Usually he doesn't want to go out in a crowd but he is very happy queuing here.’
The tablet computer, which has a higher resolution screen than previous models and a five megapixel camera with auto focus and auto exposure, ranges in price from £399 to £659.
Chuffed: Japan's first new iPad buyer Ryu Watanabe poses after purchasing the tablet in front of the Apple Store Ginza in Tokyo
First! Construction manager David Tarasenko gets the first-ever retail iPad in Sydney - but admits it was the hype that made him open his wallet
I can see clearly now: A close-up of the display, courtesy of The Verge, shows what a difference the pixels make to the iPad 2's already sharp screen
iFixit - a site which specialises in tearing open and analysing the innards of new Apple products - flew to the Telstra store in Melbourne and were the first customers in line to buy the new iPad
A new iPad logic board is removed in Melbourne, Australia MApple Inc's new iPad went on sale in Australia early on Friday, greeted by throngs of fans hungry to get hold of the U.S. consumer giant's latest, 4G-ready tablet computer
A new iPad 3 4G is opened using heavy-duty suction cups
The new iPad is opened using a heat gun and a plastic tool
The 'teardown' - a ritual part of any tech launch - revealed innards that iFixit described as 'gorgeous' - particularly the 'shimmering' screen
The new iPad display LCD is removed using guitar picks
Suction cups complete the destruction: iFixit.com staff flew to the Telstra store in Melbourne and were the first customers in line
Despite competition from cheaper rivals the iPad remains the most popular tablet computer. Apple has sold more than 55 million iPads since its launch in 2010, including 40 million last year.
Mr Ali's friend, Ali Tarighi, 18, of Acton, has been queuing with him since Saturday morning. He said of the new iPad: ‘I wanted to be one of the first to get my hands on it really.’
He added: ‘It can be hard at times, especially at nights. It gets really cold but it's going to feel great when I hold the iPad up in triumph.’
Those waiting were handed free food and drink by companies they had contacted through Twitter.
Harry Barrington-Mountford, 22, of Upminster queued to buy the iPad 2 with his girlfriend Fenella Barnes, 30, and is now waiting for the newest model.
He said: ‘We had such a great time queuing last time that we decided to do it again. People always stop to talk to us. I am exhausted though, I have only had about 45 minutes of sleep.’
Point of sale: A local telecoms company stole a march on Apple by opening at midnight
Miss Barnes is not intending to buy an iPad for herself but is queuing up to buy one for a friend. She said: ‘I have been tempted to get one but I haven't been tempted enough. If I had a spare £500 then maybe I would consider it!’
Noah Green, a 16-year-old student from Stanmore had been fourth in the queue but was paid £300 to move back in the line. He said: ‘It is worth it. I am still 18th in the queue so I will be one of the first to buy an iPad. I am going to sell it though and earn some money.’
Customers have also been queueing overnight in other countries including France and Singapore.
But the very first customer in the world to buy the new device was 34-year-old construction manager David Tarasenko, who grabbed one at the stroke of midnight at a Telstra store in Melbourne, Australia.
This is it: Fans in Australia can now walk out of shops as proud iPad owners
What you've been waiting for? After months of speculation, and a week of anticipation, the iPad hits the shelves
He said he could not wait for the device, ever since Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the device last week.
First buyer Tarashenko said: 'When Tim Cook announced it, it sounded like such a magical tool. I just got hyped into it, I guess.'
The new iPad is going on sale in ten countries on Friday, including the United States, Canada, Singapore, France and United Kingdom.
Eagle-eyed shoppers may see that, due to exchange rates and pricing, Australians are paying less than UK residents, who shell out £399 for the most basic model.
The clamour for the device is intense - among those in the queue outside Sydney's flagship Apple Store was Stephen Parkes, who was paid more than £600 to wait in line for four days by the founder of an odd jobs website.
Another man, student Ryan Han, also queued for hours. He said: 'I get a high waiting in the line and picking up one of the first products being retailed.
'I did that for iPad 1, 2 and will do it for 4 as well.'
As the countdown continues outside Australia, early reviews of the new iPad are arriving - and there is only one word on everyone's lips: Screen, screen, screen.
While the new 'pad is more of an evolution than a revolution in most areas, it is not hyperbole to refer to the display as a revolutionary jump, and it appears to be love at first sight for every single person who gets a glimpse.
Reviewers are gushing over the 3.1million pixel screen, comparing the experience to that first moment of putting on prescription glasses after years of poor eyesight.
While Apple are notoriously clever at pre-launch PR, and cherry-pick their review outlets, even the most unbiased of reviewers, such as the highly-regarded Walt Mossberg of AllThingsDigital, can't help but fall in love with the crystal-clear display.
Dwarfed by the screen: The new iPad lands tomorrow, following the unveiling of the device by Apple CEO Tim Cook last week
The over-riding theme is: If you take just one look at the screen, you will never view any kind of screen in the same light again. Even the iPad 2's stunning display begins to look like a 1990s television.
Criticisms center around Apple's usual closed-shop approach. As usual, there are no standard computer ports, such as HDMI connections or USB ports.
While nearly every other device has moved towards the micro-USB standard, Apple insists on a lack of ports and its own propriety connections.
So what does the tech-world make of it?
AllThingsDigital is a well-respected tech site, the off-shoot of tech conferences formed in 2003. They regularly get top guest speakers such as Bill Gates and the now-deceased Steve Jobs in for informal, personal chats.
Founder Walt Mossberg, a respected commentator over the last few decades, was all about the screen.
He said: 'Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription - you suddenly realise what you thought looked sharp before wasn’t nearly as sharp as it could be.
'It has the most spectacular display I have ever seen in a mobile device. The company squeezed four times the pixels into the same physical space as on the iPad 2 and claims the new iPad’s screen has a million more pixels than an HDTV.
'All I know is that text is much sharper, and photos look richer.
'My epiphany came when I placed my iPad 2 next to the new model, with the same text on the screen. Letters and words that had seemed sharp on the older model five minutes earlier suddenly looked fuzzier.'
Macworld said: 'You’re left with the same sort of typographic excellence you’d expect in a printed book.
'The effect is even more dramatic with photos and video. Pictures reveal small details that simply weren’t there before. A photo that looks just fine on an iPad 2 looks almost undefinably better on the new iPad.
'It’s the same image, but all of a sudden, there’s much more information there - small textures and tiny details that were previously omitted.
'The videos look great. Watching an HD movie or TV show on the new iPad is like having a home theater in your lap.
'Well, assuming you’ve got some good headphones, of course. The iPad’s mono speaker seems to be unchanged from the previous model.
'Users of the iPad 2 shouldn't fret: Their iPad investment is certainly good for another year. But they might not want to look too closely at the new iPad's screen. Once you get a load of that Retina display, it's hard to go back to anything else.'
Sharp: Pictures become more vivid, and the details and crispness shine through on the 3.1m pixel screen
SlashGear was impressed by the battery life: 'A four hour loop of HD video continuously playing - with email, Twitter and other updates being pulled in over the background - saw the new iPad’s battery drop from 70-percent to 51-percent. Extrapolating from that rate, the tablet could last more than 20 hours.'
A tribute to Steve Jobs: SlashGear said this was the epitome of the Apple founder's dream
They added: Steve Jobs would have approved of the new iPad. With its focus on the holistic experience rather than individual boasts around its constituent parts, it’s the epitome of the Post-PC world the Apple founder envisaged.
'No lag or delay; no frustrating cloud settings or arcane minimum software requirements. Simply pick up, swipe, and you’re immersed in a joined-up ecosystem.
'Apple doesn’t need another revolution, it has already started one, and the new iPad brings a fresh degree of refinement to a segment in which it is undoubtedly the king.'
TechCrunch followed Walt Mossberg with the eye analogy: 'Even if you have perfect vision, indulge me here for a second.
'You know when you go in for an eye exam and you’re asked to look at a combination of letters and numbers on a chart against a far wall? You read the first few lines, then realize you actually can’t go any further.
'Then you get prescribed glasses (or contacts) and you can all of a sudden read every letter and number. And even the ones you could read before are now so much clearer.
'It’s weird because I was never one of those people who thought the original iPad’s and the iPad 2′s screen was poor (but there were plenty of those people in the post-iPhone Retina world).
'I guess it’s just like a pre-glasses world - you never realize how blurry things are because that’s just how you’ve always seen everything. And then you put the glasses on and you wonder how you ever managed without them.
Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back.'
However on the downside, TechCrunch warned to choose your storage space wisely: 'The one downside of the new Retina-ready apps is that they’re going to take up more space.
The Verge said this was not hyperbole: 'The display is outrageous. It's stunning. It's incredible'
'And you should think about this storage requirement if you’re considering the 16 GB version of the new iPad.
'Another thing to consider: with the new iPad, you’ll obviously want HD versions of movies and TV shows and those tend to be twice the size of the standard definition versions. Apple adding movies as a part of iCloud (they previously added TV shows) mitigates some of this, but it’s still something to note.
'On the iPad I’m testing out, I have three pages of apps, a few hundred photos, one HD movie, and one music album. It’s really not that much stuff, but it takes up over 20 GB of storage. The apps alone are over 10 GB of that.'
They also expressed surprise about the lack of Siri, Apple's disital personal assistant: 'For some reason, Apple has chosen not to do that, at least not yet (the popular theory is that they’re still working on scaling issues with the product in beta).
'One key component of Siri did make the jump however: Dictation. Clicking the microphone button on the virtual keyboard allows you to talk rather than type wherever there is a text input box. It works well.
'I would not be shocked to see Siri come to this version of the iPad in a software update somewhere down the line.'
The Verge praised Apple's iconic style: 'Much like the classic Dieter Rams Braun products most modern Apple devices are aping, one feels that 50 years ago or 50 years from now, this product won't look too out of place. In the world of industrial design, that's a rarity.
However they criticised the placement of the headphone jack (on the upper left-hand corner): 'I feel like it would make a lot more sense on the bottom of the device.
'Secondly, it would be nice to be able to dock the iPad in landscape mode, but that would require a second 30-pin dock connection on the side of the tablet. I reported long ago that a version of the iPad which functioned like that was in play at some point at Apple, and I wish they'd kept it around.
'Minor gripes aside, the iPad remains best in breed when it comes to design and materials. Other tablets may have more ports or larger screens, but few can match the elegance, sleekness, or solidness of this device.'
The reviewers added: 'Yes, this display is outrageous. It's stunning. It's incredible. I'm not being hyperbolic or exaggerative when I say it is easily the most beautiful computer display I have ever looked at.
'There's something almost bizarre about how good this screen is. After the launch event, I described the screen as "surreal," and I still think that's a pretty good fit.'
'Surreal': The glassy, glossy, crystal-clear screen is described as a revolution in technology
On whether to purchase, they opined: 'For owners of the iPad 2, this isn't necessarily a slam dunk. While the updated features are a boon to the new iPad, it doesn't offer an experience that is significantly different from the previous version.
'If your screen never bothered you, and you never wanted a faster cellular connection or a better camera, there's not a great argument to upgrade (especially considering many of you just shelled out for a new tablet less than a year ago).
'However, if you're in the market for your first tablet, or upgrading from the original iPad or an Android device, do not hesitate. The new iPad is the most functional, usable, and beautiful tablet that any company has ever produced.'
The Mail Online's verdict?
If you are taking the plunge for the first time, or upgrading from iPad 1, this is a worthy if pricey purchase. If you already have an iPad 2, the benefits may not be worth the cost.
However the screen really is a thing of wonder, and must be experienced in person to see just how vivid the screen is - particularly with apps built to take advantage of it, such as the new version of sky-watching app Star Walk, which can show 300,000 stars on screen at once.
Even on the home screen, though, icons are stunningly crisp - and printed words in iBooks are so sharp it almost hurts to look at them.
With Full HD video, there's a cinematic feel like watching a big flatscreen TV set - except the screen is in your lap.
Photos really pop out of the screen - and even ones taken on the device's 5-megapixel camera are crisp enough to zoom right in.
Overall, the device doesn't feel a huge amount faster, though - the new processor clearly has its work cut out just keeping the screen going.
And despite Apple's boasts, the games still don't look a patch on titles on Xbox 360 or PC - but as developers get to grips with the new hardware, that will change.
If you do take the plunge, you may as well do it sooner rather than later, as iPads generally don’t drop much in retail price until the annual cycle starts again.
If you are interested in the competition, the best Android tablets have matured to a point where they offer an experience comparable to Apple, with the benefits of features such as standard ports, drag-and-drop file transfers, and more flexibility within the OS.
The innovative and smooth tablet/netbook hybrid ASUS Transformer Prime is probably the one to try out, as it is the best Android experience out there to date.
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According to new evidence, Sony appears to be actively searching for studio acquisition opportunities. Since mid-2021, the Japanese gaming giant has r
According to new evidence, Sony appears to be actively searching for studio acquisition opportunities. Since mid-2021, the Japanese gaming giant has reportedly been on an acquisitions binge, with Ballistic Moon being one of Sony’s most recent purchases.
Microsoft appears close to completing its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the largest transaction of its kind in the history of the gaming industry. Therefore, the PlayStation manufacturer cannot rest on its laurels. However, the current console generation has seen it build a significant sales lead over its rival to the point where Microsoft openly admits that Xbox has lost the console wars.
Read More: In 2022, the top 5 cloud gaming services
Sony appears to be in the market for additional studios, as evidenced by a recent job posting to bolster the company’s mergers and acquisitions team. The July 25 posting, discovered by Reddit user Zhukov-74, describes a managerial position in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s San Mateo, California headquarters. Sony is seeking an experienced economist or business administrator to assist the company in identifying “inorganic growth opportunities” through acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, or a combination thereof.
The newly surfaced job listing is insufficient evidence to conclude that Sony’s ongoing acquisition spree will continue indefinitely. Despite this, the advertisement is consistent with a recent report that Sony plans additional PlayStation acquisitions shortly. The Financial Times reported in May that the Japanese conglomerate is so determined to continue its aggressive acquisition strategy that it is considering spinning off its financial services division as a publicly traded company, citing sources familiar with the matter.
A partial spin-off on the stock market would enable Sony to raise additional funds for its acquisition war chest without incurring additional debt. As of March 31, the company’s total debt was approximately $30.5 billion, and its debt-to-equity ratio currently stands at 3.4, which, depending on the analyst, is considered average to unfavorable. The figure represents a 7% increase over the previous year when Sony’s D/E ratio stood at 3.6.
Given the size disparity between the two companies, Sony’s approach to acquisitions has always been vastly different from Microsoft’s. While Microsoft has frequently spent billions on high-profile acquisitions, such as its $7.5 billion purchase of Bethesda owner ZeniMax Media in 2021, Sony has recently demonstrated a propensity to acquire smaller studios regularly. Given its current debt-to-equity ratio, it would likely be risky to fund this strategy with additional loans, which may be why it is rumored to be considering a partial spin-off of its financial services division.


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June 16, 2020, 11:59 a.m.
Many noticed that with The Last of Us Part II that it was missing a review score at the end. This was intentional and done with good reason.
June 16, 2020, 3:20 p.m.
You're welcome and we're sorry.
March 30, 2020, 10:16 a.m.
Apparently Nintendo has big plans for the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, including major re-releases and remasters.
March 12, 2020, 8:54 a.m.
Super Mario LEGO is now a thing and god bless.
Dec. 3, 2019, 2:15 p.m.
The wasteland just got a 1-up with this awesome Fallout Super Mario mashup cosplay!
June 13, 2017, 8:37 p.m.
The newest Super Mario adventure is coming this year, and Nintendo revealed even more details about the game in a new trailer.


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Lil Uzi Vert still has all this chains.
This weekend, a video of the “All My Chains” rapper surfaced on the Internet showing his chain being snatched by a fan at a concert in Maryland.
Lil Uzi Vert then took a video, in which DJ Akademiks, of himself with the “LUV” chain around his neck.
The caption of the video states,” #liluzivert got his chain back after an overzealous fan accidentally ripped it in Maryland. This is him flexin with it afterwards.”
Chain snatching seems to be a trend because Shy Glizzy got his snatched at a show in Dallas in which he addressed on the “Cut It” remix.
Check out the videos below.
A video posted by DJ Akademiks (@iamakademiks) on


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The first signs that US inflation is starting to wane have emerged.
Prices throughout the economy have surged at an extraordinary pace for more than a year now as demand dramatically outstripped supply. Russia`s invasion of Ukraine provided the latest boost, driving commodity prices sharply higher and powering headline inflation to the fastest pace in 41 years. The economy is healing at a decent pace, but soaring prices are still making Americans pessimistic....
RSK: The operative word here is "could". It may be rising at a slower rate but it is still rising.
- - Volume: 10 - WEEK: 20 Date: 5/10/2022 7:58:48 AM -


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Final Fantasy 16 has a release date and fans have a while to go, with anticipation building and building leading up to June 22, 2023. But now, in perhaps the most anticipated news of all, it has been confirmed that moogles will appear in the new game!
The furry little fluffball appears in a short clip on the official Final Fantasy 16 Twitter page, alongside the announcement that today is the series' 35th anniversary. The tweet confirmed that the creature, which has appeared in nearly every single Final Fantasy, will also appear in the upcoming title.
Moogles are one of those recurring races in the series, like cactuars and chocobos, and like those can represent the popular Square Enix series as mascots. The moogle was initially created to appear in Final Fantasy 2, as a cold-region inhabitant, but in the completed game it transformed into the Beaver race. It would debut in 1990's Final Fantasy 3 where it was depicted as a bodyguard for master wizard Doga. They have since appeared in every mainline Final Fantasy, ranging from playable characters to cameos, with the exception of Final Fantasy 4.
The little creature is famous for its Kupo! cry in the games, while it has also appeared in non-Final Fantasy titles. It appears in Assassin's Creed Origins for example, as a doll in Layla Hassan's room during that game's present day sections; in Dragon Quest 10 where it hands out a quest to players; and also in Kingdom Hearts and Super Smash Bros. among others.
In other news, an ESRB rating for Final Fantasy 16 has confirmed that the title will feature torture, blood, and swearing, which hits home the more mature theme that this new entry will explore. Suitably the game has been rated "M for Mature". Players can expect gorier and more violent scenes in the game too, as well as some sexual content.
Source: Read Full Article


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Competition between supermarkets is driving down food prices! Food prices are not rising as rapidly as before. This is because supermarkets are competing a lot.
The price increase for objects in stores is now at its lowest since December 2021. In March, costs went up most effectively with the aid of 1.3%; that’s a lot less compared to February, while it changed to 2.5%. This is likewise lower than the common boom over the last three months, which turned into 2.2%.
The slow increase in meal prices is one reason why overall charges for things human beings purchase are going up more slowly now. Consumer expenses have dropped to 3.4% from an excess of 11% in October 2022. Energy prices have additionally been cut these days.
These new numbers make it more likely that interest rates might decrease in June. This is good news for the United Kingdom government due to the fact charges have been going up a lot lately.
Helen Dickinson, who runs the British Retail Consortium, stated shops are operating tough to keep fees low for clients. She stated that even though some Easter treats cost more because cocoa and sugar prices are excessive, famous goodies became inexpensive due to proper offers with the aid of stores.
Dairy expenses also went down, and outlets are looking to make essentials cheaper. In other gadgets like electronics, clothes, and footwear, prices fell due to the fact shops are presenting extra promotions to get humans to buy.
However, Dickinson warned that even though clients benefit from lower fees, shops are dealing with higher fees. For instance, the national dwelling salary has long gone up loads, which could make it tougher to keep expenses down.
Mike Watkins, who works with outlets, said the reason why prices are going up slower is because food charges were plenty higher a year ago. Also, supermarkets are competing plenty by reducing costs and supplying deals for occasions like Mother’s Day and Easter.
Here are a few key numbers:
- Prices for matters apart from food went up by the highest 0.2% in March, which is lower than the average during the last 3 months.
- Food fees went up by 3.7% in March, decreasing from the average during the last three months.
- Prices for fresh meals went up by 2.6% in March, also decreasing than the average during the last 3 months.
- Prices for non-perishable meals went up by 5.2% in March, which is a decrease from the average over the last three months.


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General Mills recently launched a new cereal, Peanut Butter Cheerios. Whether that sounds delicious or not the campaign around it certainly is. In order to promote the new flavor of Cheerios they created a campaign around dads instead of moms.
Why I’m Curious
Cheerios created a hashtag #howtodad that received over 600+ mentions in the first week and positive sentiment around the campaign from not only dads but moms as well. They not only highlight the benefits of being a dad but show dad in a positive aspect. Most brands are showing dad as a dummy or goof where the mom has to step in a show him how to do the simplest of tasks. It is no wonder that the campaign would receive positive feedback as it champions the dad and naturally neutralizes the parents roles as equal partners.


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This year’s trade fair appearance of CAPcargo at the world’s largest international trade fair for logistics, mobility, IT and supply chain management has exceeded expectations. Also 2015 growth for visitors and exhibitors can be listed. More than 55,000 visitors from 124 countries and 2,050 exhibitors from 62 countries presented the world of logistics at the fairgrounds in Munich.
The exhibition team of CAPcargo could show to the public many innovations. They granted insights into the in Microsoft Dynamics AX integrated transportation management system and the new Graphical Planning Board, which was officially launched at the transport logistic.
Image source: Messe München International


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According to the proposal, "... students may sell fresh fruits and vegetables, or one of 27 specific packaged items that have been approved for sales in city vending machines, between the start of school and 6 p.m. on weekdays." Once a month, parents will be allowed to hold a bake sale with homemade goodies. Earlier this year, the city developed 11 criteria a snack must meet before it is sold in their schools, including, a calorie count under 200, no artificial sweeteners and at least two grams of fiber in grain products.
We've already seen how other countries handle lunch in their schools. Would you support a home-baked snack ban like NYC's?


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ThursdayFiled under Asia News, Southeast Asia, Business & Politics
Thailand and Myanmar plan to have a joint trade committee meeting next month in an attempt to boost twoway trade and investment. The move is part of the countries’ strategy to drive overall border trade volume to reach 1.5 trillion baht next year. The first meeting will be chaired by Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya and his Myanmar counterpart.
It will cover cooperation between the twin cities of Mae Sot in Tak province and Myanmar’s Myawaddy, the setting up of the Thailand–Myanmar Business Council and the raising of awareness of businesses both in and outside the two areas. The discussion will also include suggestions to tackle problems and obstacles to border trade, with the conclusion to be submitted to the policy committee on special economic zone development chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha. However, Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the Commerce Ministry would first call a meeting with government agencies including the Board of Investment, Customs Department, National Economic and Social Development Board and the Highways Department as well as private companies from the two countries tomorrow and Saturday in Mae Sot to monitor border trade, address trade obstacles and prepare for establishing the special economic zone.
All entries filed under Business & Politics
- Posted 11.24.14
Indonesia’s petrol-price hike could put the brakes on the speed at which consumers in Southeast Asia’s biggest auto market buy cars and switch to four-wheels from two. President Joko Widodo last week cut subsidies and raised gasoline prices more than 30 percent to open the way for budget and other reforms. In the long-term, the […]
- Posted 01.28.13
Appointment of New Chief Executive, ACRA with effect from 1 February 2013 1. The Minister for Finance has appointed Mr Kenneth Yap Yew Choh as the new Chief Executive (CE) of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) with effect from 1 February 2013. He will also be appointed as a board member to the ACRA […]
- Posted 01.19.13
A Thai billionaire early Saturday raised his bid for Singapore’s Fraser and Neave (F&N), topping an offer by an Indonesian rival ahead of a planned auction of the conglomerate next week. In a press release issued at midnight, TCC Assets — controlled by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi — said it was increasing its offer for […]
- Posted 12.12.12
The oil and gas upstream industry has the same characteristics everywhere — it has connections to investment, technology and is very high risk — including in Indonesia. As a result the industry is highly sensitive to the “3Cs” — clarity, consistency and certainty. This was indicated by the new president of the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA), Lukman Mahfoedz, recently.


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Daimler is close to selling a 50% stake in its Smart unit to Chinese automaker Geely, wallstreetcn.com reported, citing international wires.
The deal may be confirmed before the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the report said, without disclosing the transaction price.
While the Smart brand has been in the red for years, the move by Geely may help relieve Daimler’s struggle, it said. The Smart brand has failed to generate profits since its founding 21 years ago, an unnamed analysts was quoted as saying.
Daimler only sells about 130,000 units of Smart cars per year, however the sales volume for BMV’s Mini brand cars are about 360,000 units a year.
Geely is currently the biggest shareholder in Daimler. The Chinese carmaker built up nearly a 10% stake in Daimler in a US$9 billion deal in February 2018. The two parties also announced a joint-business to offer high-end car-pooling services in China in October 2018.
Geely also owns Volvo Cars, British sports car brand Lotus and Malaysia’s Proton, and holds a stake in truck maker Volvo Group.
In addition, BMW, as Daimler’s major competitor in luxury car market in China, has inked a joint-venture with Great Wall Motors to produce electric vehicles.


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Massachusetts Suing Juul; Wall Street’s Voters; The Dow’s Next Milestone
The Dow is nearing 30,000, and Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel says we can get there in a “snap.” Presidential hopeful Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been pouring $1 million dollars a day into Facebook campaign ads, but will it be enough to overcome his “stop and frisk” history? Bob Steel, former Deputy Mayor of Economic Development during Bloomberg’s administration, shares his thoughts on Bloomberg’s campaign strategy. Vanity Fair’s Bill Cohan and former CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder discuss which candidates will get Wall Street’s votes. Massachusetts is suing Juul for marketing to kids, and Attorney General Maura Healey shares details of the lawsuit. Plus, China has changed the way it measures coronavirus cases and Jeff Bezos made a $165 million purchase.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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Gtechniq welcomed their first ever customer back through the threshold at the brands HQ in Towcester, today (Wednesday 3 June 2014).
Cliff Heather brought his first batch of Gtechniq products, which included P1 Nano Composite Polish, C1 Liquid Crystal and G3 Glass Coat, nine years ago when Gtechniq was based in Kings Langley.
Cliff, who was a detailer at P1 Supercar Club at the time, said: “Family led me away from detailing a few years back, and now I am rekindling my passion – with detailing and Gtechniq.
“I first heard of Gtechniq when Rob approached me at P1 in 2006 and he coated an Aston Martin bonnet in C1. I was dubious at first but after a few months of amazing performance, I was converted.
“Funnily enough it’s because of another car I coated those nine years ago that I am back. It was a weekly washed Bentley that was in perfect condition, until it had a small accident recently. The bodyshop decided to repolish the car and within six months, because it wasn’t coated with Gtechniq, it looked awful as a result of wash swirl marks.
On entry to Gtechniq HQ Cliff came laden with original Gtechniq bottles – a stark reminder of how fast the brand has developed and grown in almost a decade.
Rob Earle, managing director, said: “It is always great to see those who have helped us on the road to success. Cliff has supported the brand from day one and his involvement with the P1 Supercar Club, gave Gtechniq access to some influential people in the world of motoring. Great to see that he’s picking up where he left off.”


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Motorola recently announced that it has sold 100 million Moto G phones.
The Moto G series of phones is the company’s mid-tier line of devices. Over the years it’s been one of the brand’s most popular devices and helped prove that mid-tier phones can actually be useful devices.
MobileSyrup has reviewed five of the Moto G phones in the past, and generally, all of the reviews were resoundingly positive.
Here are the reviews:
In the U.S., Motorola is holding a Moto G sale, but this isn’t the case in Canada since the company doesn’t sell phones outright on its Canadian website.


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Netflix’s commitment to expanding its small gaming section appears to be far more long-term than anyone could have predicted. So far, Netflix’s game catalog has only included mobile titles, but there are whispers in the rumor mill that it is about to expand significantly — and there’s even a recruitment ad to prove it. Will Netflix achieve the unthinkable and expand its brand beyond binge-worthy shows and movies?
Netflix is certainly under pressure from its competitors, and its subscription numbers are not as impressive as they once were. According to TechCrunch, Netflix had its largest quarterly loss in its history in the second quarter of 2022. With competitors like HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and many more, it’s no surprise that people can now pick among many streaming services, which can have a noteworthy impact on Netflix’s subscription numbers.
To address these issues, Netflix appears to be attempting to do more than simply license and film an increasing number of movies and shows. The company updates its mobile game catalog regularly, adding new titles that are available as part of a regular Netflix subscription. It is also considering streaming live sporting events. It may now attempt to pique the interest of gamers by developing its own AAA title.
Netflix’s plans are unknown, but they aren’t exactly hidden either. The company advertised a job opening on its official website for a game director to work at its own Los Angeles-based game studio. Netflix has high expectations for the ideal candidate, but it also has exciting plans in the works. It will task the new hire with helping Netflix “forge the game direction and creative vision on a brand-new AAA PC game,” according to the job description. AAA games are typically high-end titles aimed at ardent gamers; examples include “Cyberpunk 2077” and “God of War Ragnarök.”
Netflix is looking for an art director, technical director, live service analyst, and lead engineer besides a game director. Once hired, the new Netflix employees will most likely report to Chacko Sonny, a former Activision Blizzard employee who now works for Netflix. They hacked Sonny because Netflix’s vice president of gaming, Mike Verdu, revealed during TechCrunch Disrupt that the company is vastly expanding its gaming section. Sonny previously worked as an executive producer on Blizzard Entertainment’s “Overwatch,” which was a huge success. Building a team around Sonny suggests that Netflix’s new release may aim for the big leagues.
Read Also; NETFLIX LAUNCHES NEW INTERACTIVE CALLED TRIVIAVERSE
In terms of the actual game, Netflix has been tight-lipped about the specifics. However, the job description mentions “experience with FPs and/or third-person shooter games,” which suggests that we might see something similar to “Overwatch,” but in the third person. Will Netflix be able to gain new subscribers because of the release of this new title? It remains to be seen, but it is an intriguing development.


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The 7Digital team has been doing a great job of helping other music app developers allow for in app song purchases but soon Amazon will step into the game. RIM slipped this tidbit in a little paragraph on the bottom of the blog post announcing the Amazon MP3 app release. I think this is big news for developers offering yet another way to monetize BlackBerry apps. This is what RIM has to say about the upcoming feature:
Coming soon: Amazon MP3 store ‘buy’ function for app developers
Look for this app to be integrated into other upcoming apps. For instance, ISV partners can now apply to be members of the affiliate program, and approved partners will have access to a developer toolkit available in February – allowing application developers to integrate a ‘buy’ function within their own apps that connects with the Amazon MP3 store.
I don’t doubt that developers like Pandora and Slacker will be jumping all over themselves to get this feature into their apps. While I think the BlackBerry Amazon MP3 app definitely has room for improvement it is still a pretty nice start. I just wish they would have hired the developers who created the Amazon store app… Now that is a sweet no compromises app.
So what do you think of this new API? Do you think it will start showing up in all of the many streaming music apps available for BlackBerrys?