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Uromedica fighting for FDA approval
Tim Cook’s battle to get his firm’s medical technology approved for sale in the United States is once again in regulatory authorities’ court.
Cook is president and CEO of Uromedica Inc., a Plymouth-based firm that developed a pair of devices that treat urinary incontinence. The company is doing brisk business in Europe, where it’s had approval to sell products since 2002.
The U.S. market, however, has been off limits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company’s bid to sell its ACT device, which treats women, in 2010 — two years after the company submitted its application for approval.
Uromedica’s plans to seek approval for ACT are still on hold. However, it recently submitted clinical-trial data to the FDA for its Pro-ACT device, which treats men who suffer from incontinence. Cook asked the FDA to look over the data before the company goes through the process of compiling a full application. Regulators agreed. If they like what they see, Uromedica will move forward with submitting an official application for approval.
“We’re doing this in a more streamlined manner to save us time and effort,” Cook said. “It shows flexibility on their side.”
If Pro-ACT is approved, the device will hit the U.S. market about a decade after the company launched clinical trials for the female version of the product that was later rejected by the FDA.
While Uromedica’s path to U.S. regulatory approval has been rocky, the company has steadily advanced into international markets. The French government recently agreed to fund 2,000 procedures per year for the male version of the device. Meanwhile, Uromedica plans to expand into China this year.
Katharine Grayson covers med tech, clean tech, technology, health care and venture capital.
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants California to require full disclosure of chemicals used in consumer products to wean industry and consumers off toxic compounds.
The governor endorsed the consumer disclosure concept and five related strategies this week on the recommendation of his environmental protection secretary, Linda Adams.
"These recommendations usher in a new era of how we look at household products, from our children's toys to the plastic we use to make shampoo bottles to the varnish on our wood furniture," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
The strategies, a mix of recommended regulations and voluntary actions, represent a new approach to regulating toxic chemicals.
Instead of focusing on toxic substances mainly as hazardous waste, regulators would examine the chemicals every step of the way, from when the product is designed, manufactured, used and recycled or disposed.
The recommendations "constitute a far-reaching, market-driven strategy with an ambitious aim — the launch of a new chemicals framework and a quantum shift in environmental protection," Adams wrote in the California Green Chemistry Initiative's final report, released Tuesday.
About 644 million pounds of chemicals are sold in California daily, according to the report.
"We need to know what's in these ingredients. We need to know what their toxicity is," said Maureen Gorsen, director of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.
The environmental and human health risks are unknown or uncertain for the vast majority of the estimated 83,000 chemicals used in consumer products, ranging from plastic food packaging to cosmetics.
One new law already authorizes the toxics department to identify and prioritize chemicals of concern in a public online "toxics clearinghouse." Another law enacted this year establishes a California Green Products Registry for manufacturers to voluntarily enter chemical ingredients of products and their environmental and health effects, as measured under state-approved standards.
Dan Jacobson, legislative director for Environment California, called the recommendations "the perfect first step" to promote use of safer chemicals.
"Those guys couldn't have been stronger in their statements," Jacobson said of Adams' and Schwarzenegger's endorsements.
State officials also want California colleges and universities to include green chemistry in their curriculums so future chemists and engineers design products that will be safer and easily reused and will not persist in the environment.

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Once the machine scans it, 10, January 25, Return to. Because the vast majority of frauds are not reported, these figures reflect just a small a tutorial on sending crypto. Before long, they casually offer contributors bitcoin investment scams excluded because of crypto investing and help with.
June 3, Data Spotlight: Reports losses that began on social inconsistencies among contributors in capturing. In another twist, scammers impersonating border patrol agents have reportedly scms reports per million population Data Spotlight.
bitcoin buying price in ukThis Bitcoin Scammer Just Won't Quit
Pump and dump schemes. The fraudster contacts you by phone and convinces you to invest. Protect yourself against cryptocurrency scams! 1 Research carefully before making a crypto. Phishing scams.


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The iPhone’s payment app has been around for 8 years, and adoption has been rising quickly.
The Apple Pay has been available in the mobile wallets category for 8 years as of 2022 and while it did have a slow start – as did many others in that category – but it has started picking up.
In the United States, adoption of all phone-based digital payment methods has been slow.
The report “Apple Pay at 8: Connected-Tech Consumers Lead the Way” issued by PYMNTS showed that even though more than three quarters of major retailers in the United States accept mobile payments including Apple Pay, and nearly half of American consumers carry iPhones, usage is strikingly low. In fact, only about 2.4 percent of iPhone owners use Apple Pay for in-store purchases in the US. The entire mobile wallets category is having a hard time taking off in that important market.
That said, Apple Pay is the option that is leading the way in terms of usage, compared to its leading rivals such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Those latter two still represent only a small percentage of the total. Despite the small usage Apple Pay has, it is by far the leader in that regard.
Mobile wallets simply aren’t taking off at the rate that was expected, even with the pandemic’s impact.
Many experts had expected that the pandemic and its contactless trends would cause people to turn to their devices in droves to make payments in stores. That said, while there was certainly substantial growth with mobile wallets, it was far from what this transaction category needs to be considered mainstream.
“Apple Pay continues to dominate the mobile wallet space at the physical point of sale. As of Q3 2022, Apple Pay captured nearly 44% of in-store mobile wallet transactions — a slight retreat from 46% in 2021, although the overall number of transactions is rising each year,” said the PYMNTS study. “Google Pay surged past its pre-pandemic high but still accounted for only 15% of mobile wallet checkouts. PayPal, which briefly surpassed Apple Pay in-store in 2020, plunged for a second year straight, dropping to 11%. Walmart Pay rebounded from its recent low, but usage remains well under 2019 levels, and Samsung Pay is less relevant than ever.”
The research has found that while there was some advantage for mobile wallets during the pandemic, usage has drawn back again to pre-pandemic levels in the United States.


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Paso Robles Local Business
Local business in Paso Robles, CA
17 hrs ago | via OC Metro
Janet Jackson, Steve Miller, Chicago and The Cars are among the first-time nominees being considered for induction next year in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Weekday dentist, weekend vintner: Newport Beach's Doug Hauck runs a winery in Paso Robles when he's not caring for teeth ANAHEIM Disney's top-level annual passholders will have to shell out more than $1,000 if they want to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure anytime of the year. Comment?
Yesterday | via The Wave
With a backdrop of the vineyard, red umbrellas stand outside the tasting room at HammerSky Vineyards in Paso Robles, owned by Doug and Kim Hauck of Newport Beach. Deer wander through the vineyard at HammerSky Vineyards in Paso Robles, owned by Doug and Kim Hauck of Newport Beach. Comment?
Monday Sep 28 | via GlobeNewswire
PASO ROBLES, Calif., Sept. 28, 2015 -- Heritage Oaks Bancorp, , the holding company of Heritage Oaks Bank, will host a conference call on Friday, October 30, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time to discuss its operating results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2015, which will be released after the close of business on Thursday, October 29, 2015. Comment?
Jul 24, 2015 | via LA Daily News
The Haggen store on McBean Parkway in Santa Clarita is one of 27 locations the company is closing. That's how long the employees of the soon-to-be Haggen stores had to decide. Comment?
Copyright © 2015 Topix LLC


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Good morning! Here is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.
1. Apple beat on the top and bottom lines of its Q1 results as sales of iPhone sales grew for the first time in a year. But the pick-up in the company’s business — which lifted Apple shares 2% in after-hours trading on Tuesday — may not prove as robust as some had hoped.
2. Uber wants half of all London rides to be shared. The bulk of passengers currently prefer travelling individually or with people they know.
3. SoftBank is considering an investment of more than $1 billion (£800 million) in coworking space provider WeWork. The deal could be among the first from SoftBank’s $100 billion (£80 billion) technology fund, which was announced last October and is being described as the largest fund of its kind in the world.
4. Samsung sent out invites for the unveiling of an unknown device. It doesn’t look likes it’s the Galaxy S8 smartphone.
5. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg came out against President Trump’s immigration ban. She wrote a post saying that the executive order defies “the heart and values that define the best of our nation.”
6. Dara Khosrowshahi, the Iranian American CEO of travel company Expedia, believes the US will be seen as a “smaller nation” as a result of Trump’s immigration ban. His comments were made in an internal company memo.
7. Facebook is building its own TV app to show longer videos. It will work with set-top boxes like the Apple TV.
8. The Apple TV is not selling well. It turns out at least one reason why Apple’s “others” revenue was down was the Apple TV.
9. Seedcamp sold part of its stake in TransferWise. The move came shortly after US investor Andreessen Horowitz reportedly upped its own investment.
10. Police picked up a nude jogger on Microsoft’s campus. “When questioned, he stated ‘he was trying to build up his immune system to fight the cold weather,'” writes Redmond Public Safety.
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Cleaning the bladder, tubing and bite valve ensures the liquids that users drink will be clean and fresh while also preventing mold and bacteria growth.
Customers can now buy the popular Standard 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel in bulk packages of 50 and purchase a thinner economy cooling towel at a reduced price.
Ergodyne announced today that it has added hi-vis color options to best-selling models in its ProFlex Trades Gloves Series.
Ergodyne introduced today another strong pair of safety specs to its Skullerz Eyewear Line: Erda
All told, six models were updated and one model was added to give more traditional thermal gloves workplace functionality.
Ergodyne announced that it has redesigned two products in its N-Ferno Line: The 6435 Thermal Base Layer Long Sleeve and the 6480 Thermal Base Layer Bottoms.
Ergodyne has announced today the release of its new ProFlex Gel Knee Pad Series.
The 6823 Realtree Windproof Hinged Balaclava is designed to heat the heads of workers, hunters, or anyone else trying to keep warm.
Ergodyne has announced today a new addition to its N-Ferno Line of warming gear.
Ergodyne has announced today new hi-vis additions to its N-Ferno Line of warming gear. Now, workers on the cold shift can enjoy comfort and conspicuity from head to toe.
Ergodyne has announced today strategic updates to the hydration packs in its Chill-Its Cooling Line.
Ergodyne has announced today a new, leading-edge technology and product addition to the Chill-Its Cooling Category: the Chill-Its 6685 Dry Evaporative Cooling Vest.


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The Google Pixel may have been an impressive smartphone but it has certainly had its fair share of problems since release late last year. Back in January we first started seeing users complain of poor speaker quality on their units. This eventually turned out to just be a software bug and was fixed but the same can't be said for the phone's new batch of microphone issues.
This week, Google Pixel owners took to Reddit and Google's support forums to start flagging up the fact that for many, the phone's microphone was no longer responding. As you can imagine, this is a particularly big issue for those needing to use their phones to actually make calls.
Following the barrage of complaints, Google employee, Brian Rakowski chimed in to explain that the issue was likely being caused by a crack in the solder connection on the audio codec, which will affect audio processing on all three microphones found inside of the Pixel and Pixel XL.
This essentially confirms that this is a hardware issue and can't be fixed with a software update. As a result, Google is now “taking additional steps” to ensure replacement phones don't have the same problem. Some users did get replacements before Google fully understood the issue and unfortunately for those people, the problems persisted. That seems to no longer be the case though.
Aside from that, those planning on buying a Pixel some time soon can expect to receive an updated model free of these problems as Google has taken “additional steps to reinforce the connection at time of manufacture on phones built since January”.
KitGuru Says: In total, this issue should only affect a small number of Pixel phone owners. Hopefully, this will be the last of the company's issues with this particular device. Do any of you own a Google Pixel? Have you had any problems with it at all?


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The Grand Prix de Monaco Historique just wrapped up this weekend in Monte Carlo, and Canadian firm RM Auctions was there to set new records with a slew of million-dollar classic automobiles.
In its first time at the iconic Monaco weekend, RM managed to rake in a whopping €33,235,917 ($45 million) in sales, matching the all-time record for single-day auction results... incidentally set three years ago at RM's own event at the Ferrari factory in Maranello. And once again it was classic Ferraris that helped RM achieve the record figures.
The highest amount was garnered for a rare 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB, which sold for a high bid of €2,800,000 ($3.8 million), exceeding its estimate and fetching the highest price ever paid for this model. The Superamerica wasn't the only automobile – not even the only Ferrari – to break seven figures, however. A 1957 250 GT Tour de France went for $3.2 million, a 1959 250 GT California Spyder for $2.8 million, and a pair of mid-60s-era 275 GTBs fetched over a million each. A 1960 Maserati Birdcage went for $3.3 million, a rare 1930 Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeo went for $1.2 million, and several Rolls-Royce classics brought in bid figures as well.


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Holiday shoppers came out to spend in November

In this Non. 26, 2010 file photo, a shopper leaves a Target store in Boston. Discount retailer Target Corp. said Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, more shoppers came to its stores in November and spent more than a year earlier, helping a key revenue figure rise 5.5 percent during the month, more than expected.

| December 3, 2010 8:00 PM
NEW YORK - Shoppers had retailers' registers ringing in November, getting the holiday season off to a roaring start.
Retailers on Thursday reported revenue figures that topped expectations and showed the second-biggest monthly percentage gain in four years, according to one measure. And the reports raise hopes spending might remain strong for the rest of the holiday season and help the economy recover.
But it's still early in the holiday game and 40 percent of sales typically come in the last 10 days before Christmas. Analysts expect stores will need to keep up the deep but well-planned discounts. The hangover from the Great Recession hasn't gone away. Shoppers are still hungry for deals and sticking to a budget.
The International Council of Shopping Centers' index showed a 5.8 percent gain in revenue at stores open at least a year for November, much better than the 3 to 4 percent increase expected.
The increase was the biggest since March, when spending tied to an early Easter resulted in a 9 percent gain. Otherwise, it was the biggest gain in September 2006, when it registered 6.2 percent increase.
Revenue at stores open at least a year is a key indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes sales at stores that open or close during the year.
"Discretionary spending looks to be making a comeback," said Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics, a research firm. Retailers' profits appear to be safe and inventory is at appropriate levels heading into December, he said. But he added that shoppers are still driven by bargains.
November's results are being compared with weak spending over the last two years. But Mike Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, said that plenty of holiday discounting, which started as early as late October, and a recovering economy are helping to boost spending.
The arrival of cold weather after two months of unseasonable warmth helped sales of cold-weather items such as coats, which had been piling up on stores' shelves.
The retail gains were broad-based, showing that many types of shoppers were in the mood to buy, if the product and price were right. Stores reporting gains that topped Wall Street expectations included Costco Wholesale Corp., Target Corp., Victoria's Secret and pricey teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.
Midpriced department stores including Macy's Inc. were the biggest winners because they plied shoppers with early-morning discounts on Thanksgiving weekend, but their results were compared with particularly weak sales a year ago.
Luxury shoppers delivered solid gains to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, though business fell short at Saks.
At malls and online over the crucial Thanksgiving weekend, many people were not only buying gifts for others but throwing in items for themselves, including high-priced push-up bras and shoes. That's a big change from the past two holiday seasons when shoppers focused on practical items like coffee pots and socks for others and bought little for themselves.
According to Perkins' calculations, total retail revenue at the 30 stores he tracks was 2.1 percent higher than November 2007 levels. Excluding Costco Wholesale Corp., which sells lots of necessities, it was 1.7 percent below 2007. Moreover, more than half of those retailers, particularly department stores, still aren't back to 2007 levels.
Thursday's stores results focus mostly on clothing sales, which overall are now 3 percent below November 2007 levels, according to MasterCard's SpendingPulse, which monitors mall specialty stores. Spending on jewelry, furniture and electronics, including big appliances, is still more than 10 percent below November 2007, according to SpendingPulse, which tracks all transactions including cash.
Retailers know that anything can happen between now and Christmas. Last year, many shoppers delayed buying until the last minute in hopes of better bargains. They were disappointed, because stores kept inventories low and never had to resort to clearance discounting.
The stakes are high, because the holidays shopping season accounts for as much as 40 percent of annual revenue and profits for retailers. The National Retail Federation is sticking to its 2.3 percent holiday growth forecast and said it's too early to upgrade it.
Still, stores have a reason to feel more encouraged that their efforts to bring in shoppers early worked. Many trotted out the Black Friday label on sales as early as late October.
Online sales for November rose 13 percent to $13.55 billion, according to research firm comScore, a research firm. That's outpacing comScore's holiday forecast for growth of 7-9 percent. Online sales account for 8-10 percent of all holiday spending, according to various estimates.
Encouraging economic signs may have consumers feeling better. Americans' income rose 0.5 percent in October, according to a government report last month. Incomes hadn't risen at all in September.
The improvements helped lift the Consumer Confidence Index to a five-month high in November, according to the Conference Board's monthly survey.
If the increased spending is sustained, that would provide more confidence among companies to ramp up production of goods, which would then mean more hiring. Still, even with the momentum, many analysts expect the unemployment rate to stay at more than 9 percent through 2011.
Shoppers' changing habits have kept retailers guessing, particularly their habit of postponing their purchases to the last minute. According to the ISCS-Goldman Sachs survey of shoppers, consumers had completed on average only 32.6 percent of their holiday buying as of Sunday. That's behind the 42.2 percent at the same time in 2009 and 48.3 percent in 2008.
But that could be a silver lining. The survey also shows that shoppers, taking advantage of deals, bought a lot of items for themselves earlier in November. That suggests they might keep spending to purchase gifts.
"That could be extra business" for retailers, Niemira said.


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Mon 30-11-2020 15:06 PM
DUBAI, 30th November, 2020 (WAM) -- The UAE is set to welcome the first Israeli technology delegation to the country at the landmark 40th edition of GITEX Technology Week, hosted at Dubai World Trade Centre. To be held from 6-10 December, GITEX this year is the world’s only live, in-person global technology event.
The Israel Export Institute, IEI, Strategic Country Partner for GITEX, in partnership with Bank Hapoalim, will lead the delegation of Israeli government officials, entrepreneurs and business executives. GITEX will host the UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit featuring a lineup of UAE government ministers and Israeli government and innovation leaders on 7 December, presenting attendees with vast opportunities in the areas of innovation exploration, capacity building, investments and co-creation.
With visitor health and safety being DWTC’s number one priority, GITEX Technology Week will be hosted in full compliance with Dubai Government regulations, as well as the guidelines of the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Municipality.
Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications, noted that the UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit will create new opportunities for using modern technologies effectively in the digital transformation matrix.
Al Olama said: "Organising this first-of-its kind summit at the 40th edition of GITEX Technology Week constitutes a major stepping stone in strengthening cooperation in the field of digital transformation and the future digital economy. It will contribute to expanding knowledge exchange between both countries and accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions and services based on future technologies."
He affirmed the UAE government's commitment to cooperate with government entities as well as leading and emerging companies around the world. He also emphasised the country’s keenness to support and empower citizens with advanced skills and experience.
The UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit, jointly presented by DWTC and IEI, features an agenda packed with leading government officials and innovation experts, who will share their perspectives on the potential for economic and technological collaboration between the two countries. The Summit will bring together specialists in AI, 5G, food security, fintech, future mobility, cybersecurity, healthcare and agri-tech.
Government ministers, industry leaders and tech visionaries from the UAE participating in the Summit include: Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Teleworking Applications; Mariam Almheiri, Minister of State for Food and Water Security; Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security, UAE Government; Dr. Tariq bin Hendi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Investment Office; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation; Dr. Manal Taryam, CEO of Primary Health Care Sector, Dubai Health Authority; Mohamed Alabbar, Founder, Emaar Properties & Founder, noon.com; Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation; Arif Amiri, CEO, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority; Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO, Public Transport Agency, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority; Ahmad Julfar, Board Member and Managing Director, du; Hatem Dowidar, Acting CEO, Etisalat Group and CEO, Etisalat International; and Sherif Beshara, Group CEO, Mohamed and Obaid Al Mulla Group of Companies, American Hospital.
Israeli speakers taking part in the Summit include: Adiv Baruch, Chairman Israel Export Institute; Yigal Unna, Director General, Israel National Cyber Directorate, INCD; Dr. Anat Lea Bonshtien, Chairperson and Director, Fuel Choices and Smart Mobility Initiative of Israel National Programme for Smart Mobility; Dov Kotler, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bank Hapoalim; Professor David Gershon, Head of Fintech Research Center of Hebrew University and former CEO of SuperDerivatives; Professor Zeev Rotstein, Director General, Hadassah Medical Organisation; Assaf Barnea, CEO, Sanara Ventures, Chairperson, Life Science Advisory Board at The Israel Export Institute; Michal Geva, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Triventures; Tal Granot Goldstein, CEO, HOT Group; Dr. Nimrod Kozlovski, Partner, Head of Tech and Regulation, HFN and Herzog Strategic, Adjunct Professor, Cyber Studies, Tel-Aviv University; Ran Guron, CEO, Pelephone; Orly Glick, Partner, Vintage, Investment Partners.
David Leffler, CEO, Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, said, "The participation of Israeli companies in the GITEX exhibition and in the Israeli delegation to Dubai is of great importance and we welcome this opportunity. I believe that the collaboration with this important technology show will lead to the advancement of the industry and the blossoming of new business connections. The Ministry of Economy, together with the Foreign Trade Administration, is constantly working to create joint business opportunities."
Adiv Baruch, Chairman, Israel Export Institute: "We are confident that the UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit will be a significant step in fostering technological collaboration between the two countries, and that it will lay the foundations for tangible positive impact in the coming years. The potential for partnerships between the UAE and Israel in digital technologies is significant, with both countries possessing considerable expertise in innovation. This first and biggest tech- business delegation from Israel to the UAE is of high importance to the State of Israel, and we at the Israel Export Institute, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will continue efforts to create business opportunities in new markets. Being one of the biggest, most important tech shows and the world’s only live global technology event in 2020, GITEX is an extremely important strategic step for the Israeli high-tech industry. We embrace this new partnership with DWTC and hope it will lead to a long-lasting collaboration."
Dov Kotler, CEO of Bank Hapoalim, said: "Bank Hapoalim has established very close relations with the key players in the high-tech sector and in particular with fintech companies in the past few years. We engage with hundreds of companies in order to define the best solutions and to create mutual interest for both the companies and our clients. We strive for the best and are working to expand our involvement in the high-tech arena as we see huge potential in cooperation between the UAE and Israel. The engagement between the two countries will lead to the opening of mutual doors in this area, and GITEX is a major factor in this process."
The first GITEX Future Stars Israel Innovation Discovery Day hosted at GITEX on 8 December will see technology leaders, leading investors and business leaders sharing insights on how to expand already thriving startup ecosystems.
With GITEX set to host over 200 active venture capital firms, VCs, and investors from over 30 countries, including EBAN (Belgium), MODUS Capital (USA), 500 Startups (Egypt) and MENA Tech Fund (UK), Israel, for the first time, will be bringing over 30 exhibiting companies including Digisense, a market leader in contact-free wearable monitoring technology with IoT capabilities; Trackimo, the personal safety and object tracking solution specialist; Right Hear, the audio wayfinding system that allows the blind, visually impaired, and orientationally challenged to have a better understanding of their surroundings in an independent manner; Enroute, developer of a personalised, location-based commerce and loyalty plug-in for ride-hailing companies; and Foresight, developer of AI and deep learning-powered observation and surveillance systems.
The Israel Innovation Discovery Day will feature a selection of investors and technology experts, including Omri Toppoi, Partner, North First Ventures, co-founder of multiple startup units; Roy Geva Glasberg, Founder and Managing Partner, AnD-Ventures, who built the Google global mentoring initiative for startups as global manager of the Launchpad Google Startup programme, scaling it to over 40 countries; and Hanan Brand, Managing Partner, Cornerstone Venture Partners and Chairman, Made in Jerusalem, the non-profit community-based organisation that promotes and connects Jerusalem's startup and tech ecosystem.
GITEX will welcome over 1,200 participating enterprises and startups from over 60 countries. The event will feature 280 hours of content and 350 expert speakers from 30 countries presenting live on stage, across industries and sectors including Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities & 5G, Government, Future Mobility, Fintech, Digital Marketing, Energy, Healthcare and Education.
GITEX Technology Week will serve as an umbrella event for the region’s leading technology shows, including GITEX Future Stars, the region’s largest tech startup event; the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference, GISEC, the region’s largest cybersecurity conference and exhibition; Future Blockchain Summit, the leading Blockchain festival, as well as the inaugural edition of Marketing Mania, the new platform dedicated to brand marketers.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, DWTCA, said: "GITEX’s 40th anniversary edition has received outstanding support from the global technology community to realise the only live technology event of the year. GITEX is an essential catalyst in developing a high-growth technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as a key driver of Dubai’s international business tourism. The 40th edition of GITEX is a significant milestone for the global technology industry, and a testament to Dubai’s enduring appeal as a global MICE hub. The first ever UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit is a landmark moment for collaborative technological efforts between our two countries, enabling us to unlock value-generating opportunities."
GITEX will attract the world’s leading technology giants, including Microsoft, Dell Technologies, du, Etisalat, Lenovo, Honeywell, Avaya, IBM, Red Hat, TECOM Group and Huawei, while GISEC will host the Dubai Electronic Security Center and cybersecurity industry leaders including SPIRE Solutions, and the Future Blockchain Summit will host innovators such as Shahada.
GITEX will also showcase the technological progress of a range of UAE Government entities who are leading the country’s digital economy transformation, including Smart Dubai, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, the Abu Dhabi Government, Dubai Police and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. In addition, the event will feature the presence of Ajman Government and Fujairah Government.


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From Wednesday 2 June, instead of picking up a traditional paper timetable, customers will use their smartphones to scan the appropriate QR code which will be displayed in store and at stations. This will take them to a TfGM web page where they can find accurate, up-to-date information about their chosen bus service.
This innovative pilot has been introduced in response to challenges seen throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, where frequent changes to bus services have made it difficult to provide up-to-date information through traditional printed timetables.
The paperless trial will give customers the confidence that they are using the most accurate service information, allowing them to plan their journeys in advance.
TfGM Customer Director, Stephen Rhodes, said: “While the pandemic and associated government guidance have presented challenges, it has also been an opportunity to reassess how we can best provide information to our customers, as well as a chance to innovate and make use of new technologies.
“The paperless timetable pilot will mean that, as we welcome more people back on to our public transport network, customers can access the most accurate information from our travel shops and bus stations, making their return as smooth and stress-free as possible.
“It will also be a more sustainable method of delivering customer information, substantially reducing paper waste.
“The pilot will be conducted in two locations and customer usage data and anecdotal feedback will be monitored closely throughout the trial in order to gauge success or changes needed before a roll-out to all travel shops is considered.”
Travelshop representatives will be on hand to explain the new system to any customers that need additional support and where a customer does not have a smartphone, paper timetables will be printed upon request.


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As Yahoo rolls out a $100m marketing campaign for its tweaked homepage, Cursin' Carol Bartz told reporters that the company was done with laying off staff. Phew! PaidContent reports that she also revealed that the 700 layoffs conducted under her watch cost the company $27m. Meanwhile, points out critic Eric Jackson, Bartz herself stands to make between $20m and $30m in her first year on the job.
The heat is still from many quarters for Twitter to start making money - but co-founder Biz Stone said on Tuesday that "any kind of approach to advertising is going to be a while". That's despite the company recently tweaking its terms of service in a way that "leaves the door open" for ad placements.
If you haven't seen the images of a dust storm that hit Sydney, then prepare yourself for some incredible stuff: this Flickr gallery compiling pictures from across Sydney, as well as this frankly insane video of the sky turning black as the dust moves in.


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OTTAWA, Ont. — Transport Minister David Collenette reminds Canadians of the importance of using seat belts.
"With Canadians taking to the road for vacations and other trips throughout the summer, it is important to remember that seat belts save lives," said Collenette. "I strongly encourage all motor vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts and exercise caution at all times."
Results of a Transport Canada 2001 survey show the national rate of seat belt use by drivers of passenger cars is 91.8 per cent, while the rate for all occupants of passenger cars is 90.2 per cent. In the broader category of light-duty vehicles – which includes passenger cars, passenger vans and light trucks – the national rate of seat belt use by drivers is 91.1 per cent.
Results of another survey recently conducted by Transport Canada show that the seat belt usage rate for drivers in rural Canada is currently at 85 per cent, while the rate for occupants is 84.5 per cent. The survey was undertaken because of evidence indicating that the majority of motor vehicle fatalities in rural areas involve people who do not wear seatbelts.
The results of both surveys are available on line at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp2436/rs200302/menu.htm
Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry. All posts by Truck News


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A county in West Virginia could legally allow the landfilling of electronics but is choosing not to, and an investment expert predicts continued low prices for metals commodities.
A country in Southeast Asia investigates pollution from an e-scrap recycling plant, and LG Electronics unveils a repair-friendly smartphone in the Middle East.
A company gets the backing of HP to begin collecting outdated computers in Malaysia, and a South African startup gets creative with parts from old devices.
India launches a project to train hundreds of thousands of people working in the unorganized e-scrap sector, and the king of Belgium helps highlight donations of refurbished computers to projects in Africa.
Bloomberg takes readers on a tour of the Chinese town of Guiyu as it looks to formalize electronics recycling, and flooding in parts of India has complicated e-scrap efforts.
Last week’s Electronics Recycling Asia Conference in Singapore touched on the circular economy, industry certifications and the diverse systems in place to recover e-scrap in Southeast Asia.
The world’s only remaining glass-to-glass recycling outlet for CRTs has idled its panel and funnel furnaces in Bharuch, India for “heavy maintenance” and stopped taking CRT glass from its U.S. partner, Cali Resources, E-Scrap News has learned.


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Archive for "e3 2014" Tag
Rockstar's spy-based action title continues to elude us.
What does Microsoft have up its sleeve this year?
The Wii U version of the game may finally be revealed at next month's expo.
Fifteen announcements not likely to happen at the E3 2014 that would've made it way more awesome.
Josh Sawyer hopes for more nuanced twists and turns in the sequel's story.
Ubisoft's media briefing will be held at 3 PM PST on June 9th.
The industry's biggest expo is less than three weeks away.
Play as Robin Hood and team up with Frankenstein and Joan of Arc in Crytek's latest.
Will we see more of it at E3 then?
It's a party.
All gamers to be treated equally, according to CD Projekt RED CEO Marcin Iwinski.
Coming to Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus.
Oh Major Nelson.
Spike TV host confirms new titles appearing at EA's media briefing.
Did you miss Alex Hutchinson? Sources indicate he's back.
Sledgehammer Games' Glen Schofield & Michael Condrey are "looking forward to sharing more from our game".
Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto also hints at appearances in other shows after E3.
Find out what we're looking forward to from Sony this year.
The studio has other things going on besides The Last of Us: Remastered and Uncharted on PS4.
Frank O'Connor also talks about "new ways to think about gaming" with Halo 5.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Novel Denim Holdings Limited nvld said it's agreed to a merger with a subsidiary under which all shareholders except K. C. Chao, Novel's CEO, will receive, $1.20 per share in cash. The price is a 71 percent premium over the company's closing share price before the proposed merger was announced in November. Novel shares closed Friday at 96 cents, off 4 cents.
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Red clover silage and multispecies sward measures open
Measures to promote the uptake of red clover silage and multispecies swards at farm level were today announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
First opened as a pilot in 2022, these measures are being reintroduced to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming, which will have a positive impact on climate emissions, biodiversity and water quality.
With a budget of €2.5 million, farmers can avail of a potential payment rate of €300/ha in 2023, which is a significant increase on the payment rates of last year’s meaures.
Commenting on the reopening, Minister McConalogue said: “As part of the Government’s commitment to facilitating Irish farmers further improve the sustainability of Irish agriculture, I am delighted to announce the re-opening of these two measures, which will expand the areas already established under last year’s pilot programmes. I introduced the scheme last year to help farmers reduce their chemical fertiliser and it has proven to be successful."
This year’s measures will entail a number of key changes compared to last year’s pilot, notably:
- Payments will be made directly to the approved farmer on a per hectare basis;
- The payment rate has been increased significantly up to a potential €300/ha where eligible swards are established;
- A reduced payment rate per hectare will apply as appropriate if eligible applications exceed the available combined budget for the two measures;
- To receive payment under either measure, an applicant must indicate the correct crop type on their 2023 BISS application.
Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, also welcomed the opening of the measures, adding: "I’ve seen first-hand on farms across the country how effective multispecies swards can be. This is further evidence of the Government’s support for farmers who wish to move to more environmentally sustainable methods of farming. These swards will have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and water quality, while also providing a strong economic benefit to farmers."
Welcoming the opening of the scheme, Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation, Martin Heydon said: “The significant investment in research to date has shown the economic potential that multispecies swards offer farmers and will help give farmers confidence to embrace these newer sward types. I encourage farmers to look at these measures and take advantage of the environmental and economic benefits they provide."
Terms and conditions for the multispecies sward measure and the red clover silage measure are available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's website. The application portal, which is available on Agfood.ie, will close on May 29th, 2023.
Also read: The multiple benefits of multispecies swards


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Tredje AP fonden cut its position in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 50.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,536 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 18,955 shares during the quarter. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $2,355,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in YUM. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in Yum! Brands by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 69,875 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $7,039,000 after buying an additional 2,414 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the fourth quarter worth approximately $64,000. Savior LLC acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. raised its position in Yum! Brands by 2,425.7% in the 4th quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 3,637 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $366,000 after purchasing an additional 3,493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Davis R M Inc. boosted its stake in Yum! Brands by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Davis R M Inc. now owns 4,806 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $484,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.59% of the company’s stock.
YUM stock traded down $0.76 during trading on Friday, reaching $87.25. 2,240,159 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,307,283. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $81.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $92.50. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.95 and a 52-week high of $119.72. The company has a market cap of $26.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.12, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.95.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 28th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.15%. Yum! Brands’s payout ratio is 52.96%.
A number of brokerages have recently commented on YUM. Cfra reduced their target price on shares of Yum! Brands from $110.00 to $94.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus raised Yum! Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $87.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Yum! Brands from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Yum! Brands in a report on Friday, April 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Yum! Brands from $109.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $99.52.
In other Yum! Brands news, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 5,424 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.39, for a total value of $457,731.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 80,335 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,779,470.65. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Lowings sold 4,260 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.91, for a total transaction of $357,456.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 52,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,406,449.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,421 shares of company stock worth $1,123,093. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Yum! Brands Company Profile
YUM! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. It operates in three segments: the KFC Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Taco Bell Division. The company operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, and Mexican-style food categories.
Recommended Story: Dividend Aristocrat Index
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In a recent test performed by customers, the new model from Callaway came out on top.
Callaway Epic Flash Named Longest Driver In American Golf Battle Of The Brands
In a recent Battle of the Brands Driver test performed by 934 American Golf customers, the Callaway Epic Flash was named victorious as the longest driver on the test which saw the new model from Callaway go up against the new TaylorMade M5 and M6, Cobra King’s F9 Speedback and finally the Wilson Staff D7 driver.
Format wise each customer was asked to hit three shots with their own driver and then three more with each of the new models above. The average distance gained would then be measured. After collating all of the data it was announced the Callaway Epic Flash came out on top. All of the new drivers saw increases compared to their own drivers on test but the Epic Flash saw the biggest average increase with 8.3 yards.
In terms of the biggest increase, the TaylorMade M5/M6 had the biggest increase of 67 yards for one customer!
Conrad Edkins, Director of Marketing at American Golf was delighted with the popularity of the challenge, as he explains, “This has to be one of the largest ever sample sizes for a head to head driver test. The results were fantastic too with virtually every tester making significant distance gains with the fantastic new technology available from these four brands. This is the kind of thing that most golfers only ever read about in the golf media, so I think they had a lot of fun coming in store to test out the latest equipment for themselves.”
Joel Tadman assesses the performance of the new…
After the success of the driver test, American Golf are going to extend the concept to irons. Until Sunday March 3rd, any customer can test out their 7 iron against the latest iron releases from Callaway, Cobra, TaylorMade, Wilson and Ping and be entered into a prize draw to win a custom fit set of their best performing model.
Don’t forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest gear news.


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Large companies regularly face the need to create subdivisions in neighboring countries. For some, this process was initiated by the business owners to adapt to the new economic reality arising from Western sanctions, for others, it became a de-facto grassroots initiative: when key employees left the country, it became vital to revise the organizational structure of the business to continue operations, because working “remotely” from abroad brings some serious legal risks for the company.
Additional goods included into import restrictions list. A list of goods (for example, some electrical goods) have fallen under import restrictions into Russia. Their export from the EU may also be restricted. We are closely reviewing the newly announced restrictions and correlation of the sanctions list and EU customs codes to find the best solution.
The State Duma of the Russian Federation is considering an amendment to the law on «Motorways and road operations».
The amendments include the introduction of booking the date and time of cross-border transit for cargo vehicles beginning on 1st September 2023.
Please be informed that on October 1, 2022 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree prohibiting freight transportation in Russia by companies from other countries, which imposed transportation restrictions against Russia. The list of such states includes EU countries, Great Britain, Norway and Ukraine. The ban will be in effect from October 10, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
A new Federal Law №407-FZ as of December 08, 2020, comes into force on January 01, 2021. This law was enacted to regulate remote labour in a more detailed and complete way, which will grant a higher level of flexibility and protection to both the employer and the employee.
On 9 July 2020, Mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin signed Decree № 77-УМ further lifting COVID-19 related restrictions in two more phases, primarily in the field of education, culture, leisure and entertainment industry as well as the provision of services to the population. In the event of a worsening epidemiological situation, the resumption of individual facilities may be postponed to a later date.


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Cotswolds Tourism leads the way in helping tourism businesses recover from Covid-19
Cotswolds Tourism is offering tourism businesses the chance to become bookable online as part of a major new initiative.
Working with VisitEngland, the national body for tourism and Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB), tourism businesses will have access to online booking via the destination website www.cotswolds.com at a fraction of commission rates charged by most online travel agents.
Being able to offer online bookings will be a key driver for recovery from the global pandemic as many businesses are only accessible to visitors who have booked in advance.
Sally Graff of Cotswolds Tourism said: “Online booking has never been more important to stay ahead of the game.
“The pandemic has forced many tourism businesses – particularly smaller ones – to look for ways to make their business bookable online and Cotswolds Tourism now has an affordable and reliable solution”.
Cotswolds Tourism has recently connected to TXGB to supplement its existing connections to booking platforms such as Free to Book, Supercontrol and a forthcoming connection to Eviivo.
Our work with TXGB means that businesses decimated during the pandemic have a simple way to get their own website bookable via www.cotswolds.com.
In turn, the facility benefits the consumer, making it easier for them to book with just one click when browsing holiday ideas online.
Unlike other distribution channels which can charge commissions of up to 25 per cent, TXGB has no connection fee. There is just a 2.5 per cent booking fee and a commission rate of just 2.5 per cent for each sale made via www.cotswolds.com which will be reinvested in Cotswolds Tourism to market the area locally and internationally.
Cllr Toby Morris, Cabinet Member for the Visitor Economy at West Oxfordshire District Council, which supports Cotswolds Tourism, said: “This is an excellent initiative which will help support our tourism businesses that are so essential to the Cotswolds economy. Hopefully it will encourage more travellers to visit as we emerge from the grip of the pandemic.”
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “We are delighted to be working with Cotswolds Tourism to drive its online bookings through TXGB. The functionality of the platform will make it easier for consumers to find lesser known areas of the Cotswolds, drive bookings across the region and help consumers plan their trips.”
Cotswolds Tourism is pioneering the system with many local businesses already signing up and others who have been helping to test the new software prior to launch.
Local tourism businesses from accommodation to experiences are encouraged to find out more information by emailing [email protected] and speaking to one of the tourism team or to sign up to TXGB direct go to www.TXGB.co.uk
West Oxfordshire District Council Communications Team
Notes to editors
About Cotswolds Tourism
Cotswolds Tourism is the official destination management organisation promoting and marketing tourism across the Cotswolds. A public-private sector organisation, Cotswolds Tourism is a partnership of tourism businesses, supported by local authorities. Hosted in Cotswold District Council, Cotswolds Tourism is supported with resources by West Oxfordshire District Council, Cotswold District Council and includes strategic partners of Cotswolds National Landscape, Cheltenham Borough Council & Marketing Cheltenham, Tewkesbury Borough Council and Stroud District Council. Cotswolds Tourism’s priority is to grow the area’s visitor economy by raising awareness of the destination and generating additional tourism spend, especially in the towns and villages. For key economic statistics and information see www.cotswolds.com/partnership
For more information about Tourism Exchange Great Britain see www.TXGB.co.uk & https://www.cotswolds.com/partnership/tourism-exchange-great-britain
- VisitBritain/VisitEngland is the national tourism agency – a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
- Working with a wide range of partners in both the UK and overseas, our mission is to grow the volume and value of inbound tourism across the nations and regions of Britain and to develop world-class English tourism product to support our growth aspirations. For further information and to access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics visit www.visitbritain.org or www.visitbritain.com and www.visitengland.com for consumer information.


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Tag: Zero Motorcycles
Zero Motorcycles recently created a special model of its electric bike specifically for the U.S. military. The machine, the 2013 Zero MMX, was made for U.S. Special Operations Forces and will be used in situations where the silence, long range, minimal heat signature, speed and agility could benefit the group. “The military needed a very specific [...]
Riders and bike manufacturers alike are beginning to embrace the idea of gas-free, electric motorcycles as one possible direction for the future of two-wheeled machines. Zero Motorcycles, a California-based company that exclusively produces electric motorcycles, has opened the door for other brands to enter the electric market. Now, it looks as though Yamaha and Husqvarna are [...]
There has been a boom in interest for electric bikes recently, which has helped propel Zero Motorcycles to new heights. In fact, demand for the environmentally friendly bikes and accessories is so great that Zero had to move into a new, 47,000-square-foot headquarters in Scotts Valley, California, to expand its operations. The space will allow engineering [...]
Zero Motorcycles, one of the leading manufacturers of electric bikes, recently released a smartphone app that allows users to personalize their riding experience. When a bike is parked, users can access lifetime information for the machine, allowing them to keep track of things like wear and tear on tires, battery life and even how much gas money [...]
Zero Motorcycles is known for its electric bikes, but its latest offerings are bringing a new level of safety to the streets. In 2013, the manufacturer will be providing a new lineup of Police and Security machines – both the S and DS will be available for the police. Developed specifically with security workers in mind, [...]
The recent "fiscal cliff" legislation included a special tax break for owners of electric motorcycles, but some manufacturers are adding another level of enticing financial options to attract new riders.
A Floridian man took his 2012 Zero S motorcycle for an extended trip, riding it more than 3,500 miles in six days as part of a durability demonstration.
California-based motorcycle company Zero produces nothing but electric bikes. The company makes street bikes and dirt bikes, as well as a one dual-sport option, which was revamped for 2012.
Italian manufacturer CRP is set to reveal a prototype of its upcoming Energica motorcycle, Motorcycle.com reports.


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Civil rights groups have asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for the legal justification of the U.S. government's surveillance of Verizon's customer records.
Skype's Web-based management tool Manager for businesses is now available in over 170 countries and for all subscriptions, allowing companies to centrally control their usage of the service.
Google is hoping to make it easier for developers to integrate SMS or voice communications in applications running on the company's App Engine platform.
Two people will share a US$50,000 prize from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for the best idea to block illegal robocalls from reaching the owners of mobile and wired phones.
ZTE smartphones based on Firefox OS along with Nokia's new Windows Phone-based devices will share the spotlight at this year's Mobile World Congress with next-generation network technologies that offer higher download speeds and help operators combat...
ST-Ericsson has cranked its forthcoming smartphone processor up to 3GHz. The quad-core NovaThor L8580 will include a PowerVR graphics processor and an LTE modem with support VoLTE (Voice over LTE) and next-generation LTE technology carrier aggregatio...
Ericsson is aiming to make mobile networks better at handling HD video by improving the performance of regular base stations and adding small cells in a coordinated way.
Internet access is as crucial to everyday life as having a phone connection and the loss of connectivity is deserving of financial compensation, the German Federal Court of Justice has ruled.
India has cut in half the minimum bid price for 2G spectrum to be used by operators of CDMA services, after there were no bidders in an auction for the spectrum last year.
Mobile phones can become office VoIP phones with the Invoxia 610, a device that Invoxia will be demonstrating at the International CES this week.
Syrians are turning to satellites to communicate as the country's Internet connections are shut down, but instances of jamming are making even that challenging. Google is also letting people who can find a working phone publish voice messages on Twit...
Lawmakers should downsize the U.S. Federal Communications Commission by taking away its power to review mergers in the telecom industry and most of its power to pass regulations before evidence of a problem, two telecom experts said Tuesday.
The auction of 2G spectrum in India that ended Wednesday will earn the government about one-quarter of what it had planned, reflecting industry concerns about the high cost of the spectrum and the saturation of the country's mobile market.
U.S. prisons, immigration detention centers and telecom carriers are charging "exorbitant" rates on collect calls made by inmates, and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission should step in to set rates, a coalition of 110 human rights groups, law...
Major Dutch banks ING and ABN Amro will introduce MasterCard PayPass contactless payment cards to their customers by mid-2013, making the Netherlands the largest PayPass debit card country in Europe, MasterCard announced on Wednesday.
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But a word of warning: commodities trading is risky and is not for the faint-hearted or thinly capitalised. Consult your stockbroker, your banker and anyone you share your bank account with before investing.
The soft commodities - cocoa, coffee and sugar - could provide some interest and cocoa is our best bet. Talks on a new international agreement to support prices through a withholding scheme enter the final stage next month.
Regardless of their success, cocoa consumption will be greater than production this year. Lawrence Eagles of GNI Research says output has hit a plateau while demand is rising by 2 1/2 to 3 per cent a year. 'In 1994/95 there will be an even bigger deficit, and what are now large stocks could be drawn down quickly.'
Cocoa averaged 50 cents a pound in 1992, and could rise 10 per cent in 1993.
Tea was the exciting dark horse of 1992. A 10 per cent drop in world tea production, buoyant demand especially from Russia, and the fall in the value of the pound after Black Wednesday, caused a price advance of around 26 per cent in 1992. The Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts that tea prices could rise another 22 per cent to 165p/kg this year.
Coffee prices are worth watching, but could disappoint after an unexpected jump at the end of 1992. Estimates for lower production in Brazil, the world's largest producer, boosted the price of arabica coffee by December to around 60 cents, 30 per cent above the year's low. Analysts say there is a 50-50 chance of an international coffee accord being agreed, which could help prices too.
Of the industrial metals, we like nickel for '93. It has fallen the furthest of the major base metals - 10-15 per cent in 1992 - amid large stocks and sluggish demand, and looks to have the most potential for recovery this year.
Graham Roberts, director of mining research for Carr Kitcat and Aitken, sees nickel rising to dollars 2.90 a lb from around dollars 2.67. But large inventories still overhang the market and uneven economic recovery in the industrial world might restrain the upturn.
Tin is a long shot, but it could perform well. One of the most unfashionable metals since the collapse of the tin market in 1985, tin supplies are now below production levels and are likely to stay in deficit because many mines have closed.
Stephen Briggs, of Metals and Minerals Research Services, says: 'It doesn't take much to move a market like this because it is very thin. Tin is one of the better bets for 1993.'
Tin prices rose nearly 10 per cent in 1992, to an average dollars 2.75 a lb, and could climb above dollars 3.50.
Among precious metals, platinum is our favourite. Used for industrial and jewellery purposes, and with increasing demand in the autocatalyst market as clean air laws tighten up around the world, platinum is best positioned to rise this year. After averaging dollars 360 an ounce in 1992, it could reach dollars 380 or dollars 390 and extend its premium to gold to dollars 40.
Rubber also gets our vote. It has been helped by sterling devaluation and a positive shift in supply and demand, including from tyre producers. The EIU forecasts average prices of 66p/kg this year, after 54p last.
Commodities unlikely to be in the ascent in 1993 include wheat, maize and oilseeds. Bill de Maria, senior economist with the International Wheat Council, says: 'Though we don't make price predictions, it's unlikely that prices should rise significantly in the year ahead. There is a lot of grain around and not a lot of money in developing countries to buy it.'
Last but not least, gold is unlikely to shine this year after a disappointing 1992.


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Biggest Disney Business Stories of 2022
At the start of 2022, the Walt Disney Company had a market cap of $285 billion. As the year ends, it’s closer to $150 billion. Obviously, we have many shocking business stories to discus, most of which aren’t the greatest.
Here are the most impactful Disney business stories of 2022.
Disney Buys a Boat
There’s bargain shopping, and then there’s the nonsense Disney just pulled off when it purchased a new mega-cruise ship.
Here’s what happened. A billionaire doubled down on the cruise industry at exactly the wrong time.
He committed billions of dollars toward cruise ship expansion in 2019-2020.
You can already guess how and why this idea blew up in his face. COVID-19 collapsed the cruise industry seemingly overnight.
When that happened, the billionaire’s company, Genting Cruise Lines, went bankrupt.
This financial decimation included strange side effects within the insular cruise industry. Genting had commissioned one of the largest cruise ships ever.
The company expected to spend more than $1 billion, possibly as much as $2 billion, on the Global Dream, which would become the flagship of its fleet.
Alas, the shipbuilders had only completed part of the mighty vessel when Genting liquidated its assets.
In a remarkable bit of fortune, that shipyard was Meyer Werft, the same place where Disney was building its ship, one we’ll discuss in the next section.
Disney had strengthened its relationship with Meyer Werft during the pandemic. The shipbuilders there tipped the company on a hot rumor.
Someone could purchase the Global Dream for a fraction of its price.
While the bidding process proved challenging, Disney ultimately proved itself the only serious suitor for this incomplete cruise ship.
Reports suggest that Disney acquired a $1.8 billion luxury vessel for around $40 million. It’s like Disney Cruise Line used a coupon for a 98 percent discount!
Of course, that story comes with a flip side. The reason why Disney built such a strong relationship with a German shipyard was the pandemic.
When Disney announced its next cruise ship, the Disney Wish, everyone expected its maiden voyage to occur in 2021. Wouldn’t that have been nice?
Instead, COVID-19 concerns delayed construction and proved devastating to the cruise industry as a whole.
For this reason, Disney repeatedly delayed the launch of its next great cruise ship, partially because it wasn’t ready yet.
Even now, half a year later, a promised show on the Disney Wish has yet to open.
Still, Disney needed a win here, a cruise ship that demonstrated how Disney Cruise Line had returned to glory after the pandemic.
Thankfully, that’s what happened. According to Disney executives, the Disney Wish has maintained 90 percent occupancy since its maiden voyage in July 2022.
Simultaneously, Disney has redefined family vacation entertainment and amenities.
We may have waited an extra year for the Disney Wish, but it proved well worth the delay. Patience was a virtue here.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
In the tourism industry, 90 percent occupancy is challenging to top. Still, Disney managed that feat with its other showstopping new addition.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser somehow overcame terrible early buzz and evolved into the must-do tourist event for Star Wars and Disney fans alike.
During its first eight months in operation, Galactic Starcruiser sold out virtually every three-day/two-night booking.
Folks, I’ve worked in the tourism industry for 30 years. I’d never heard of that until the Star Wars Hotel opened. It’s impossible!
Hilariously, many people proclaimed the new vacation experience a bust before it had even opened.
A poorly received marketing commercial cheekily imitated old Disney marketing campaigns from the 1980s and even starred that kid from The Goldbergs.
Few got the joke, though. Instead, they focused on Disney’s Star Wars-authentic designs, the ones George Lucas created during the 1970s.
Obviously, those look dated, as that’s the point. They’re charming throwbacks of how people viewed the future 50 years ago.
Star Wars fans weren’t distracted by the negative buzz and ventured into the unknown of fully immersive vacationing. And they loved it!
While we won’t know for a while whether Galactic Starcruiser possesses any staying power, its 2022 exceeded even the most optimistic projections.
The Goalposts Move on Disney Streaming
Heading into 2022, everyone knew the deal…or, at least, we thought we did.
Wall Street gave all the competing streaming services specific instructions.
The goal during the pandemic came down to one simple number: subscribers.
Disney did its part in capitalizing on its clever infrastructure. Way back when, Bob Iger and Kevin Mayer had created a three-headed streaming monster.
During calendar 2021 and 2022, Disney reaped the benefits. It overtook Netflix to claim the largest streaming subscriber base in the world.
Hulu+, ESPN+, and Disney+ expanded by 43.5 million subscribers during 2022.
That sounds terrific, right? NOPE! After Netflix missed its subscriber totals early in 2022, Wall Street changed its mind and moved the goalposts.
Suddenly, investors wanted streaming companies to show a profit, which wasn’t the deal.
Streaming services had committed tens of billions of dollars in future spending to entice more subscribers.
Now, Disney finds itself tethered to several mega-expensive contracts right when Wall Street is preaching fiscal restraint. It’s just terrible timing.
Not coincidentally, Disney stock has hit multi-year lows as 2023 approaches.
However, the company countered in December by adding a new ad-based tier of Disney+. It allows people to subscribe for less as long as they agree to watch commercials.
If that sounds like a familiar business model, it should. Disney just reinvented cable television for the streaming era. Many other companies are following Disney’s lead, too.
Strange World Bombs, Underscores Growing Disney Problem
In a past life, I worked as a box office analyst. So, I’ve covered my fair share of bombs over the years, including some infamous Disney projects.
You may not remember John Carter or Treasure Planet as box office failures since they’re pretty good films.
However, for a time, Disney answered many uncomfortable questions about each one’s theatrical performance.
When Strange World entered theaters, history repeated itself. Like Treasure Planet, this animated sci-fi flick failed to entice viewers.
The film will have earned about $35 million domestically and maybe $60 million worldwide by the time you read this. Its production budget was as much as $180 million.
So, yeah. This one’s an unmitigated disaster, something that happens at times with big-budget films.
Still, Strange World’s struggles have shined a spotlight on an emerging problem with Disney/Disney+.
Some believe that the emergence of Disney+ has undercut the need for fans to watch Disney animated films in theaters.
Disney’s decision to release titles like Turning Red, Luca, and Soul on Disney+ has blurred the lines about what audiences should expect.
Meanwhile, theater owners have assailed Disney for its pandemic-related business decisions, something I find almost childishly selfish and short-sighted.
Even acknowledging that, Disney does have a problem in need of a solution here.
Upcoming 2023 and 2024 releases need to re-establish that Disney is the alpha in the animated storytelling industry.
Of course, Encanto would have done that if not for COVID-19. It’s a masterpiece.
Disney Fights the Law, and the Law Wins…for Now
Let’s be honest. Florida politics has taken a turn for the insane during the pandemic.
Photo: WikipediaNo matter which side of the aisle you’re on – or whether you even care about politics – you’re aware that COVID-19 caused some battle lines to be drawn.
In the wake of these events, politics have turned into a kind of blood sport, something Disney discovered the hard way.
Florida’s government passed the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill, which angered many Disney employees. They pressed their employer, Disney, to take a stand.
At first, then-CEO Bob Chapek tried to work behind the scenes to alter the legislation. Eventually, internal pressure led him to strongly denounce the bill.
At this point, Florida’s government did something that’s probably unlawful. It voted to punish Disney by dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
As a reminder, that entity exists as a means of allowing Disney to self-govern rather than deal with local politicians.
Photo Credit: https://www.worldofwalt.com/disney-private-government-disneys-reedy-creek-improvement-district.htmlFlorida offered that concession in 1967 as a way to entice Disney to build a theme park in the state.
During the 50+ years that followed, Disney proved a reliable citizen/tenant that singlehandedly turned Central Florida into a tourist destination.
Without this district, Disney must negotiate with a local council before it can break ground on new projects.
Frankly, the move was ill-considered on the part of Florida legislators, something they’ve since recognized.
The state would find itself responsible for the payment of more than $1 billion in loans if it revoked Reedy Creek entirely.
However, the legislation still calls for this to happen in 2023. As such, this story is one we’re tracking as we enter the new year.
I don’t expect much of note to change, but if it did, that would be problematic for Disney.
Bob Chapek Loses the Game of Thrones
Finally, one business story towers above the rest, and you know what it is.
In truth, Disney’s biggest story in 2022 ties back to most of the others we’ve discussed here.
During the course of 2022, Bob Chapek proved himself unreliable as the leader at Disney.
His primary failing wasn’t that he was incompetent – I swear! – but that he was mistake-prone and inconsiderate.
When the Reedy Creek story broke, the main thing I heard from other business writers was a sense of disbelief.
Nobody could reconcile that Florida had turned on its most consistent source of revenue over the past half-century.
Similarly, the financial struggles of Disney+ and Disney’s theatrical releases hurt Chapek’s cause. After all, making money was supposed to be his special skill.
Despite the misgivings of Disney’s Board of Directors, Chapek somehow attained a three-year extension in June. He’ll spend most of that time picking up checks for doing nothing.
In late November, in one of the most stunning business stories I’ve ever covered, Disney replaced Chapek with his former boss, Bob Iger.
Remarkably, this change occurred on a Sunday evening, which demonstrates Disney didn’t want to spend another week with Chapek in charge.
The Board felt he needed to go right then, and they were thrilled to Iger agreed to return.
So, after three years of utter chaos, Disney once again has its most loyal captain steering the ship for at least the next two years.
Thank all the stars in the heavens.
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Kukla's Korner Hockey
by Paul on 10/25/13 at 08:34 PM ET
from Zackharia DeBeaussaert of The Farm Club,
Zamboni is the common vernacular for the behemoth driving around on the ice. It’s actually an ice resurfacer. Commonly, tissues get called Kleenex, but Kleenex is a brand, not the actual object. It’s the same for Zamboni.
The Zamboni company has an internationally registered trademark that has vaulted them from a product producing company, to their own word in the dictionary. Since 1950 the Zamboni company has had a stranglehold on the ice resurfacing market, because lets face it “I wanna drive the ice resurfacer” doesn’t exactly carry the tune.
There’s a new company that’s coming in to challenge Zamboni’s dominance on the ice resurfacing market. In Grand Blanc, Mich. the machine known as the Icecat looks to be the new standard of ice surface maintenance all across the globe.
“Our tagline is ‘built like a sports car, shaves like a razor’ because of it’s premium features and aerodynamic design” said Tyler Moncreiff, Sales and Brand manager for Icecat North America. The Icecat is the product of UKKO a manufacturing company based in Finland. Moncreiff says that the move to sell in North America was to gain prominence in the biggest ice resurfacer market in the world.
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text:
This article is more than 1 year old
PC shipments just rose, thanks to Windows 10
No, this story didn’t come through a wormhole in time. Q2 2018 was the best since 2012
Sales of personal computers rose in 2018’s second quarter, making it the best time to be in the PC business since 2012.
News of the sale rise came from analyst firms IDC and Gartner who’ve both hit F9 on their spreadsheets recording Q2 shipments and found a positive number. Gartner found 62.1 million PC shipments, up a 1.4 per cent compared to Q2 2017. IDC counted 62.3 million PCs exiting factories, which us 2.7 per cent. Both firms credited the business market and Windows 10 for the bounce – it appears that businesses are finally making the jump to Microsoft’s latest and buying new PCs to make it happen. IDC also opined that Q2 2017 sales were impacted by supply chain problems, so this year it’s just been possible to build more machines.
HP and Lenovo are duking it out for the top slot: IDC has HP ahead by about a million machines, Gartner has Lenovo in the lead by just 12,000 devices (after taking into account its completed acquisition of Fujitsu's PC business).
Dell, Apple and Acer fill out the top five on both lists.
Neither analyst firm was willing to declare the PC market has moved into a sustainable recovery phase. Gartner warned that the Windows 10 refresh cycle has two years to go and after that the market will become more challenging.
A fine quarter, then, but there’s little reason to pop the champagne because while this is the best news since 2012 back then PCs shipped at a rate of about 87 million a quarter.
Today shipments are about 25 million a quarter lower.
On the upside, humanity is still building nearly 250 million personal computers every year, which is quite some achievement! ®


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Electronics giant LG plans to stop making smartphones after struggling for years to compete in a market where it was once a leading player.
LG says the decision will allow it to pour resources into other “growth” businesses, such as smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and electric-vehicle parts.
The latter gadget now appears unlikely to ever hit stores, but LG said the inventory of some existing models may be available after its smartphone unit is wound down. The company will also provide software updates and service support for existing products for a certain amount of time that will vary by region, according to a news release.
“Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG’s mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products,” the company said.
The company was the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple at the height of its success in 2013. But its leading models suffered from hardware and software struggles in more recent years.
LG only shipped 23 million phones last year, compared to Samsung’s 256 million, according to industry research firm Counterpoint.
Source: New York Post