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LG’s latest and greatest flagships, the LG G8 ThinQ and LG V50 ThinQ, are finally here, boasting improved specs, a new design, and more. The devices were unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2019 and while it may not be as highly anticipated as the Samsung Galaxy S10, the LG G8 ThinQ still offers a range of great new features and is well worth buying for those in the market for a new phone.
The LG V5 ThinQ is particularly interesting, given the fact that it’s LG’s first smartphone to support 5G.
If you are in the market for a new phone, there are a number of ways to get your hands on the devices. Whether you want to buy them through your carrier or unlocked, here’s how to buy the LG G8 ThinQ or LG V50 ThinQ.
The LG G8 ThinQ is finally available for purchase and there is a range of places you can get it from. To get the phone unlocked, you can buy it from outlets like Best Buy, B&H, LG and more. The device comes at $850 unlocked, though some outlets are offering the phone at a discount at launch.
Pricing and availability for the LG V50 ThinQ is a little more concrete — but not much. We still don’t know exactly when the phone will be available, nor how much it will be. Given the fact that that the phone has 5G compatibility, we do expect it to be a little more than the V40 ThinQ, which came at $900. The LG V50 ThinQ could be $1,000 or more, given current trends in smartphone pricing.
While not much information about pricing or availability of the LG V50 ThinQ is known just yet, we do know about the LG G8 ThinQ, which will be available from carriers starting on April 12. Here’s everything you need to know about carrier availability of LG’s latest flagships.
On AT&T, you’ll be able to get the LG G8 ThinQ for $27.67 per month for 30 months (a total of $830.01) on the AT&T Next plan. The phone will be available online and in-store starting on April 12.
AT&T pricing and availability for the LG V50 ThinQ has yet to be announced. We’ll update this article as we hear more.
If you’re on Sprint, you will be able to get the LG G8 ThinQ for $15 per month on an 18-month lease after a $20-per-month bill credit has been applied to your account. Alternatively, you could simply pay full price and get the phone for $840. The device will be available starting on April 12.
We know for sure that the Lg V50 ThinQ will be available on Sprint’s network, and Sprint says pricing and availability will be announced “soon.” For a time, the V50 ThinQ will actually be exclusive to Sprint, though other carriers will eventually get the phone as well.
On T-Mobile, you’ll be able to get the LG G8 ThinQ for $25.84 per month for 24 months — which is actually quite a bit less than other carriers considering it equates to a total of $646. If you want to pay in full you’ll get a discount too — you can get the phone for $620 up front. The phone will be available on April 12.
We’re not sure exactly if the LG V50 ThinQ will be available on T-Mobile, but we’ll update this article as we hear more.
The LG G8 ThinQ will be available from Verizon starting on April 12, and you can get the phone for $35 per month for 24 months, or a total of $840. Verizon is also offering a few pretty great deals for the LG G8 ThinQ. For example, you can get up to $450 off of the phone when you trade in an old smartphone and add a new line, or up to $200 off when existing customers trade in their old phone and buy an LG G8 ThinQ. Customers will also get a $200 prepaid Mastercard when they switch to Verizon and get a new LG G8 on a Verizon payment plan and activate the phone on an eligible Verizon unlimited plan. Last but not least, customers can get $350 off of an LG G8 when they buy the phone on a Verizon device payment plan and activate a new plan.
While Sprint will probably be the first to offer the LG V50 ThinQ, it will soon follow on Verizon, too. The device will be available on Verizon at some point in the summer.


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Ride-sharing service Lyft announced a new partnership with Taco Bell on Tuesday, to give riders the option of grabbing a late-night taco on the way to their destinations.
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Called “Taco Mode,” the new feature is an in-app option that will be available first in Orange County, California, from July 27 to July 30 and again on August 3 through August 6. For late night rides, between the hours of 9 P.M. and 2 A.M., riders can choose to be taken to the nearest Taco Bell drive-thru where they will be given a free Doritos Locos Taco along with their purchase.
Lyft says Taco Mode will expand into additional markets by the end of the year, with a nationwide launch expected in 2018.

domain: news


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Musk made a formal offer to buy the social network — he already owns 9% of its share capital — for $44,000 million.
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has threatened to withdraw its offer and cancel the purchase on Twitter because, according to them, the social network does not provide them with information about false accounts on the platform. This is reflected in a letter addressed to the company’s legal officer that has been disclosed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Thus, according to the document collected by AFP, Twitter would have committed “a clear material breach of its obligations” under the merger agreement and Mr Musk. reserves the right not to complete the transaction and your right to terminate the merger agreement.” According to the firm, about 5% of the registered accounts are bogus.
The letter reads, “Twitter’s latest offer is the equivalent of denying Mr. Musk’s requests for data, whether through written documents or verbal explanations, to provide additional details about its testing methods only. “
On May 13, the businessman decided to temporarily suspend the purchase of Twitter. The reason, he explained, was that he wanted to know in more detail what the proportion of false accounts and ‘bots’ exceeded the total number of active users of the social network, although at the time he “still claimed to have committed . Earning.”
When the president of Twitter, Parag Agarwalbriefed Musk about the company’s analysis of this data, Tesla’s manager responded with only an emoji of excrement and then criticized the analysis for what he deemed appropriate.
Musk made a formal offer to buy the social network — he already owns 9% of its share capital — for $44 billion. Shortly after, he himself began using the platform to suggest changes and criticize the lack of this information. In this area it came to be understood as a strategy to be able to go back to the purchase agreement without paying compensation.
according to the norms of


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Blackstone buys Melbourne’s Fort Knox Self Storage business for $400m
US private equity firm Blackstone has snapped up Fort Knox Self Storage, which owns a portfolio of properties across Melbourne’s suburbs, with the $400m deal shaking up the hot sector.
The purchase of the 11 strong network, from a Melbourne family that built up the operation over the last 25 years, added about 10,933 storage units to Blackstone’s local holdings.
The deal, brokered by JLL’s Tony Iuliano, has shone a light on the growth of the sector, which is a big winner from e-commerce as last mile services use the facilities.
Before the pandemic a three way tussle for National Storage broke out between rival private equity firm Warburg Pincus, US giant Public Storage and Hong Kong’s Gaw Capital, and the one-time target company has since built up its assets to $3.25bn.
Abacus Property Group also poured $370m into the self-storage sector during a busy first quarter, saying this part of its business was performing well in the face of lockdowns and it would keep expanding.
Blackstone head of real estate Australia, Chris Tynan, flagged his group’s ambitions in the sector saying it would work in partnership with Fort Knox and grow its self-storage footprint in Australia.
“Backed by Blackstone’s scale and expertise, we aim to help Fort Knox expand and scale operations to accommodate customers’ increasing demand for high-quality storage space nationally,” he said.
The deal adds to Blackstone’s self-storage investment in Australia, after it bought the KeepSafe portfolio in Perth.
Self-storage is a rapidly growing trend in Australia, underpinned by its rising population and the country’s e-commerce boom.
Strong e-commerce growth is also propelling Australia’s self-storage sector and revenue is predicted to jump to $US32bn by 2024, from nearly $US26bn in 2020, a year-on-year increase of about 16 per cent.


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HTC 10 was a great flagship smartphone, but it failed to deliver the expectation of the tech manage market.
However, talks surfaced that its successor, HTC 11, might put up a good fight against Apple, Sony, LG and Samsung smartphones.
As HTC 10 has been out for six months, it Taiwanese manufacturer accordingly planned to release its new upgrade version HTC 11 early next year.
The following are the leaked features of HTC 11:
It will have a 5.5 Quad HD display. It might host a dual edge display much like Samsung Galaxy Edge. Plus, it could be accompanied by boom speakers for a refined multimedia experience.
HTC 11 will have water and dust resistant metallic body, coupled with VR headset features.
Considered as one of the elites in dual camera set-up, this revamped HTC 11 could host dual camera integrated with DSLR level effects and optical zoom.
With the inception of HTC 11, Android version 7.0 named as Nougat will also be out of its box. Along with this 7.0 android features, HTC 11 could also have the newest version of the HTC Sense UI incorporating better features.
A hardware which is not less than 8GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage and also supportive of microSD is feasible in this new HTC 11.


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All-electric Chevy Camaro eCOPO dragster heads to auction
The car managed a 9.51-second quarter mile at 140 mph.
The battery-powered Chevrolet Camaro eCOPO concept is apparently heading into the private market at a Monterey Car Week auction.
Built to highlight General Motors' vision for the future of high-performance electric vehicles, the eCOPO jettisoned the Camaro's traditional gasoline engine in favor of dual BorgWarner electric motors and an 800-volt battery array capable of producing over 700 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque.
The dragster has run a 9.51-second quarter mile at 140 mph. "Wheel standing electric!" auction house Russo and Steele proclaims.
The eCOPO Camaro is estimated to bring bids of up to $525,000 at the August 16 auction, according to a pre-sale estimate reported by Fox News.


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The company had posted a net profit of Rs 413.70 crore (Rs 4.13 billion) in the corresponding period previous year, Mahindra & Mahindra said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The total income during the third quarter of this fiscal also surged by 36.11 per cent to Rs 6,121.09 crore (Rs 61.21 billion) from Rs 4,497.12 crore (Rs 44.97 billion) in the year-ago period, it added.
"The significant growth in the profit of the company, despite the relentless increase in material costs is due to a good volume performance by both vehicles and tractors, tight control on expenses and prudent financial management resulting in lower interest costs," M&M said.
During the quarter, the company sold 56,211 units of utility vehicles in the domestic market, enjoying 62.2
per cent share in the segment.
The domestic sales of 'Mahindra Swaraj' tractors grew to 55,649 units from 41,074 units in the same quarter last fiscal, the company said.
While vehicle exports jumped by 50.71 per cent to 5,020 units, tractors exports climbed by 10.09 per cent to 3,120 units, it added.
Commenting on the outlook, M&M said, "While the demand for the company's products remains robust, the recent hardening in the prices of commodities and oil causes a degree of concern".
"The measures adopted by the Reserve Bank of India to combat inflation will necessarily result in tighter liquidity and further possibility of interest costs moving upwards."
The company, however, said the overall outlook for the future remains positive. Reacting to the result, the shares of the company were trading 4.67 per cent up at Rs 658 a piece during late- afternoon trade on the BSE.
Image: Mahindra Logan


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Zomato plunges 15%, hits lowest level since July 2022 on heavy volumes
Shares of food aggregator platform Zomato plunged 15 per cent, hitting almost six-month low of Rs 44.35, on the BSE in Wednesday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes. The stock was trading at its lowest level since July 28, 2022. It had hit all-time low of Rs 40.55 on July 27, 2022.
At 10:53 AM, Zomato was quoting 7 per cent lower at Rs 48.65, as compared to 1.04 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. A combined 115 million equity shares had changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report.
In the past three months, the stock price of Zomato has tanked 31 per cent, as compared to 1.5 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.
According to media reports, Zomato has discontinued its 10-minute delivery offering, Zomato Instant, as the business has struggled to grow and faces challenges in turning profitable. The company has denied these claims, stating that the business is just being rebranded. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT
Meanwhile, Zomato has relaunched its loyalty programme and rebranded it to 'Zomato Gold'. The new programme replaces its erstwhile versions 'Pro' and 'Pro Plus' that were likely discontinued for both new subscriptions and renewals in early Q2FY23. The development is in line with the management's earlier commentary that it will soon reinstate a revamped version of the loyalty programme.
The latest version offers free food delivery services on all orders above Rs 199 from restaurants within a 10 km range of the user, additional discounts of up to 30 per cent at certain restaurants, guaranteed compensation of Rs 100 coupon in case of delays, and VIP access to restaurants during rush hours. It also offers benefits on dining out at certain restaurants. The introductory price stands at Rs 149 for 3 months membership (annual plans not available yet).
"The relaunch of the loyalty programme is important due to growing concerns on sequential growth in Zomato's food delivery business and the high likelihood of the company having lost some market share to Swiggy in recent quarters as the latter had continued to run its loyalty programme especially when 'Pro Plus' was absent," analysts at JM Financial Instiutional Securities said in an internet sector update.
While it is pertinent to note that loyalty programmes typically do run the risk of hurting margins, the brokerage firm believes Zomato has enough levers (room to increase restaurant take-rates and ad-income, and lower delivery charges) to support the programme without hurting its food delivery contribution margin of over 4.5 per cent that was reported in Q2FY23.
That said, analysts at HSBC Global Research believe slow industry and aggressive competition may impact growth in Q3FY23, even though profitability should continue to improve. "High competitive intensity may restrict further profitability gains in 2023; growth acceleration is more critical. Blinkit business will continue to contribute more to the Zomato valuation in 2023," analysts said.


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Carpetright plc (LON:CPR) shares crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $16.26 and traded as low as $9.10. Carpetright shares last traded at $9.22, with a volume of 399,830 shares traded.
Several research analysts have commented on the company. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 50 ($0.65) price target on shares of Carpetright in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 50 ($0.65) price target on shares of Carpetright in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Carpetright in a research report on Monday, September 16th.
The company has a market capitalization of $28.01 million and a P/E ratio of -1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 86.12, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.71. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 10.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 16.26.
About Carpetright (LON:CPR)
Carpetright plc engages in the retail sale of floor coverings, beds, curtains, and blinds. The company also sells its products through online. It operates 545 stores in the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland. Carpetright plc was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Purfleet, the United Kingdom.
See Also: What is meant by a buy rating?
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That article is a paid announcement by AAPL scared to death as the main issue he fails to point out is that PC sales were down as many folks delayed purchases for Windows 8 to be launched....
Tech websites were abuzz this morning with news that Microsoft may be spending $1.5 billion on the coming Windows 8 marketing launch.
TechCrunch: "Forbes reports the campaign costs between $1.5-$1.8 billion, making it the largest product launch in the history of the industry."
The Verge: "It's no secret that Microsoft is planning a big marketing campaign around Windows 8, but one estimate suggests that the company could be willing to spend between $1.5 and $1.8 billion. The huge sum, reported by Forbes, would be around triple the amount that the company allegedly spent on its Windows Phone 7 launch two years ago."
I must admit that this morning's announcement is nothing short of remarkable. As of today, I officially capitulate and am encouraging the purchase of Intel shares. This company is hitting on all cylinders and the management team is doing everything right. The outlook for the shares is positive, imo. I do, however, reserve the right to take shots at Wallis when he presents an easy target.


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Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will be holding their annual Royer’s Stems Hunger Food Drive at its three area locations (Reading, Shillington, and Wernersville) to benefit the Greater Berks Food Bank from June 20 to 27. Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at the stores during the week of the food drive. On June 20, they will also hold a special event as part of their Kids Club to benefit the food drive. Call your local Royer’s for more details!
The Berks County Parrot Head Club (BCPHC) has chosen the Greater Berks Food Bank to be the beneficiary of their incredibly successful annual Summer Parrot Daze concert!!! This year’s event will be held Saturday, July 11, at Willow Glen Park in Sinking Spring. Doors open at 2 p.m. Popular band Jimmy and the Parrots will be playing from 4-6 p.m. and again from 8-10 p.m. Great food, drinks, and auction prizes will be available all day. Tickets are available now at the Greater Berks Food Bank’s front desk during normal business hours. Tickets are available in advance for $20 ($15 for BCPHC members). Stop in and buy your tickets today and plan on joining us for a FUN day on July 11!


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The Inquirer spreads news that the price of Nokia's subsidized Lumia 900 has been cut in half in the US, following the news that the Windows Phone 7.5 device will not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8.
The top-end Windows Phone can now be picked up for just $49.99 on US network AT&T, despite previously fetching $99.99. This suggests that sales of the Lumia 900 have been slow in the US and are unlikely to pick up following the launch of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system.
Nokia told us, "This is a normal strategy that is put in place during the lifecycle of most phones, and allows a broader consumer base to buy this flagship device at a more accessible price."
It's unclear whether the Lumia 900 will receive a similar discount here in the UK, and Nokia was unable to commit either way at the time of writing.


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The number of in-store medical clinics in the United States has been growing at an astounding pace. In just over a year, more than 700 of these walk-in offices have opened in supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandisers.
At that rate, there’s bound to be a few bumps and bruises — although one or two have actually succumbed to poor planning and inadequate financials. That’s why it was interesting to hear that Wal-Mart is rolling out clinics that are co-branded with area hospitals and medical groups, starting in April with a location in Little Rock, Ark. that will be staffed by nurse practitioners from the nearby St. Vincent Health System. By 2010, Wal-Mart hopes to have 400 of these clinics up and running.
By including the local medical community in this business, Wal-Mart is taking positive steps to quiet ongoing criticism of in-store clinics. Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have discouraged people from visiting them, citing a lack of quality care and fragmentation of the healthcare system, among other concerns.
Perhaps more important to the consumer is that Wal-Mart is taking steps to upgrade what has so far been an inconsistent format. Don’t forget that, last month, CheckUps, a company that operated clinics in 23 Wal-Mart stores, became insolvent and closed down unexpectedly. That had to hurt.


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Summit Brewing ditches its twist-offs
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- Sam Black, Staff Writer
(Page 3 of 3)
Stutrud is taking a wait-and-see approach on how consumers will react.
The company printed 50,000 inserts to go into 12-packs and 24-packs of its beer to inform people of the switch.
Stutrud expects calls from consumers on both sides, including from people who aren’t aware of the change and try to twist off the lids.
That’s what happened at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which made a similar switch in 2007.
“When we first did it, we got a slew of angry letters or e-mails from people that just didn’t know and were still trying to twist off the caps and ended up with cuts on their hands,” said Bill Manley, communications director for the Chico, Calif.-based brewery.
But after the first couple of months, the complaints stopped and the feedback has been positive. Also, Manley said, seal on the pry-off lids kept the hops flavor longer.
“Our beer ended up tasting a lot better a lot longer,” he said.
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HIGH Street outlet Yeomans Outdoor Leisure is boxing clever this Christmas with a fund-raiser for some of the world’s poorest children.
The shop is taking part in Operation Christmas Child, with the main focus of the campaign to try to encourage as many people as possible to put a Christmas gift into a wrapped shoebox.
A minimum donation of £2.50 is also requested to allow for shipping and distribution to some of the toughest and poorest parts of the world.
Yeomans will be accepting shoeboxes up until November 18. Manager Scott Weddle said: “I have information leaflets in my store which detail what type of gifts can and can’t be received as well as box sizes and tags for either boy or girl gifts.
“I’m trying to raise as much awareness as possible about this campaign as obviously the more people who know about it, the more gifts can be brought in and sent off for a very good cause.”
Scott is pictured with sales staff Stewart Somerville and Gabriella Chandler.


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The holiday lights and banners have been hung with care for the first time in four years at Metcalf 103.
What’s more, the Overland Park shopping center’s rooftop is ready for the prancing of little hoofs, thanks to $500,000 worth of improvements. An additional $100,000 has been spent on the parking lot, lights and foundation repairs.
Yes, things are looking up since control of 190,000-square-foot center fell into the laps of its nearly 30 fractional owners in March. That’s when Metcalf 103 and 247 other properties throughout the country were released from bankruptcy proceedings involving DBSI Inc., an Idaho-based company that had been selling fractional ownership in income-producing properties since 1980.
Such deals, accomplished through tenant-in-common (TIC) transactions, sounded sweet to investors like Metcalf 103 fractional-owner Bill Marvel because DBSI promised to take care of all operations and maintenance and make monthly payments representing at least a 6.5 percent annual return.
Only it didn’t.
In October 2008, the checks stopped coming. A month later, DBSI filed for bankruptcy. And all 248 TIC properties were dragged into Chapter 11 with it because DBSI held a roughly 1 percent stake in each of the properties.
As the bankruptcy case proceeded, Marvel said, investors learned what they had suspected: As lease and vacancy rates declined during the recession, DBSI no longer was bringing in enough money to cover its debt and pay its more than 8,500 TIC investors. So it was deferring maintenance, raiding the TIC properties’ reserves, and buying new commercial properties and selling them at big, undisclosed markups to TIC investors.
The investors didn’t scrutinize the purchase prices, Marvel said, because their monthly payment amounts were “guaranteed” and DBSI had a flawless track record.
“We didn’t know they would end up getting into difficulties and turning it into a Ponzi scheme,” he said. “But as we started looking at their quarterly reports, which contained minimal information, we started questioning where the money was coming from to pay us. ... I started an Internet-based discussion group that ultimately included over 400 DBSI investors around the country, and we found out that about 75 percent of the DBSI buildings were not producing the income necessary to pay their owners.”
Only it was too late to prevent the financial losses and anguish.
At Metcalf 103, the fractional owners have had to pay for more than $600,000 worth of deferred maintenance, including a foundation-settling problem that had caused one tenant to withhold rent for an entire year. As a result of the expenses and the need to rebuild reserves, Marvel said, the Metcalf 103 owners will not receive a penny of the rent the center produces for at least two to three years.
And they’re among the more fortunate DBSI investors.
Metcalf 103’s occupancy rate remains more than 90 percent, and its commercial mortgage was one of the few that DBSI remained current on. Owners of several DBSI TIC properties lost them to foreclosure because of delinquent debt and taxes they couldn’t afford to pay — or didn’t learn of until it was too late.
Marvel, a 63-year-old Grand Junction, Colo., resident, said he and his wife invested $3.5 million in 15 DBSI properties. Two of those were lost to foreclosure — one, which the Marvels invested $300,000 in, was sold at a foreclosure sale a week before the TIC owners learned of the sale.
The Metcalf 103 TIC owners have been able to make arrangements to assume the property’s loan, retain the services of NAI Capital Realty of Overland Park as its property manager and take care of deferred maintenance. But all of the decisions necessary to get the center back on a sound footing required the nearly 30 TIC owners, who have never met one another, to reach agreement via Internet discussion groups and conference calls. The same will be true for future decisions relating to tenant negotiations and other issues.
Ultimately, one of those decisions will be whether and when to sell. But that will be complicated by a loan servicer’s requirement that the TIC owners form a limited liability corporation. Upon selling the center, the owners would be unable to roll the proceeds into another tax-deferred property via a Section 1031 exchange, and all deferred capital gains taxes would come due.
Craig Cooper, a senior vice president for NAI Capital, attended a meeting at Metcalf 103 a few months ago during which a representative of the loan servicer, Helios AMC LLC, worked out details of the assumption agreement with several TIC owners who flew in for the event. He was impressed with the owners.
“They are very engaged and have taken this center out of bankruptcy to a whole new chapter,” Cooper said. “Tenants, across the board, are very pleased.”
Don Foringer, owner of the d’Bronx Authentic Deli and Pizzeria in Metcalf 103, was attracted to the center by its demographics, which include average daily traffic volume of 52,600 vehicles on Metcalf Avenue and average household income of $85,844 within a three-mile radius.
“But after we got in there, we found that DBSI was really holding back on the maintenance,” Foringer said. “Now, we have a new mansard roof, resealed parking lot and improved grounds. And the holiday decorations have lifted everyone’s spirits. I would say it’s going to make a big difference for the tenants.”
Other Metcalf 103 tenants include a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Pier 1 Imports, Buffalo Wild Wings and Winstead’s Steakburgers.
Marvel, who paid $155,000 for about a 2 percent stake in the center, said Metcalf 103 was his best DBSI investment by far. But he won’t be sending a Christmas card to the bankrupt company, for which investor and state lawsuits charging fraud are pending.
“We’ve lost 90 percent of our $25,000-a-month income (from DBSI investments), and we’ll probably never get it back,” he said. “And we’ll lose at least two-thirds of our life savings in this deal. That’s how tragic this is for us, and it’s a lot worse for other people.”


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I-Therapeutix has changed its name to Ocular Therapeutix.
-I-Therapeutix has changed its name to Ocular Therapeutix.
The company is focused on developing and commercializing ophthalmic therapeutic products using its proprietary hydrogel technology. It also is developing sustained ocular drug-delivery vehicles using its proprietary hydrogel polymer technology.
“The company’s new name more clearly articulates our mission in the ophthalmic marketplace as we pursue FDA clearance for our first product . . . and develop ocular drug-delivery therapies,” said Amar Sawhney, president and chief executive officer. The first product is an ocular bandage (I-ZIP), he added.
In conjunction with the name change, the company has launched a new Web site,


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Identity Theft: A Solution! (well, sort of…)
During the past year, one American out of ten received a letter informing them that a company had lost some of their financial data. In other words “you could become a victim of Identity Theft.”
Good news! Congress is planning to fix this problem.
Now the bad news. According to Congress, Identity Theft isn’t the problem. There are about twenty states (including California) that require banks to inform customers when their financial data has been lost.
And that’s the “problem” Congress is planning to fix. If you asked most Americans whether they’re more worried about (A) Identity Theft or (B) our hardworking upstanding banks being smothered by socialist regulations, they’d probably choose (A).
But the Oligarchs who would choose (B) are the ones with the money and political clout, and they’ve instructed their Harem, er, I mean Congress, to bend over and do what they’re told.
Congress is considering the Data Accountability and Trust Act. Despite the friendly title, this law would wipe out state laws that require consumers to be informed (so they can take pre-emptive action) when their financial data has been compromised. That’s right, this law will do nothing to prevent Identity Theft. It just means banks are no longer required to warn you if your financial data has been stolen.
After all, it’s a royal pain in the butt to have to inform those whiny consumers when their lives might be turned upside down by your own mistakes. Not only that, but these state requirements have been giving consumers a glimpse into just how fragile and tenuous their financial information is. It’s more fun to cut corners and make mistakes when nobody’s looking.
Recent losses of personal financial data — and state laws requiring banks to inform consumers — have shown the public just how many “third party,” uh “subcontractor”-types are handling their credit card information and Social Security numbers. The financial industry is furious. Not about Identity Theft — about having their carelessness and incompetence brought into the limelight.
Now, because of these intrusive state laws, there are millions of pesky consumers who want the right to check their own financial records. And they want to know who knows what about them.
So, let’s see where Congress’ priorities lie: millions of American consumers fighting for their financial survival, or the whims of a few banking executives. Let‘s have a look…hmmm, this seems to be a bad time…What the F@#$%&*!!…the sounds of whips cracking…dim light, but there’re some kinky leather garments…several banking johns are in there, standing over hundreds of


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Centennial Auto Group began holding test-drive events three years ago to benefit local causes. These events are now held year-round at each of the group’s nine dealerships on Prince Edward Island, generating goodwill and sales, said Eric Rodgerson, Centennial’s director of marketing and technology.
“It really grew very quickly. It became just a thing that we do now. People know us for [the events].”
While community involvement is often motivated by a desire to give back to customers and foster relationships, it also is good for business, according to a 2014 global survey by Nielsen. The study found that 55 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services provided by companies that demonstrate a commitment to making a positive social impact.
During a recent test-drive event, Centennial Mazda raised $3,000 for Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. Mazda Canada provided T-shirts, giveaway items and other support.
Community events rev up around holidays with food drives and charitable donations. Centennial Auto Group recently sponsored a regional hockey game and offered 2,000 tickets to customers and others who wished to attend.
The group combines its own marketing on social media with the efforts of the organizations assisted by the fundraising, Rodgerson said.
“We can give back to the community, and we can also educate people who may not have come into our dealership otherwise on the brands that we carry,” he said.
SALES TODAY, 2 YEARS LATER
As for demonstrable return, each test-drive event results in one to two sales on the day that it’s held, Rodgerson said. However, there are also longer-term benefits.
“Some people aren’t in the purchasing cycle at that point,” Rodgerson said. “We could sell acarthisyeartoa person that had a test drive two years ago.”
Steve Ramsay, general sales manager for Centennial Honda in Summerside, said that while fostering relationships within the communitybenefits business, he sees it simply as the right thing to do.
“The automotive business in P.E.I., and probably anywhere, has changed. It’s farther away from the showroom floor than it has ever been. In our small market, especially, a lot of connections are made outside the dealership.
“It goes to our small market. These are our friends and neighbours, and we see them in the grocery store. This is just another part of it.”
PRIDE IN VOLUNTEERING
Another potential benefit to supporting charitable events is creating a more appealing work environment for a younger workforce.
According to a 2017 Deloitte survey on volunteering, 89 per cent of workers think that companies that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment than those that do not. From that same group, 70 per cent think that volunteering is more likely to boost employee morale than company-sponsored happy hours.
Moreover, this trend is strong among millennials. People in this age group “who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are more likely to be proud, loyal and satisfied employees, as compared to those who rarely or never volunteer,” the survey said.
“Our average age at our dealership is 31, and most of our people want to make an impact, and that’s actually a benefit,” said Trent Hargrave, general manager of Riverside Dodge in Prince Albert, Sask., one of Automotive News Canada’s Best Dealerships To Work For in 2019.
“That should be part of our role as an employer. It creates a culture of, ‘It’s about more than me.’ … All of a sudden, not only are you part of Riverside Dodge, but … a team that goes out and helps Habitat for Humanity or whatever.
“Happy hour is awesome, but … a person’s work has to have meaning.”


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The world is not fair and can never be fair!
Just as Tracy Boakye is trending for her poor outfit to the Adonko Next Level launch, her colleague actress Jackie Appiah is receiving tons of praises for dressing very well for the ocassion.
Actress Jackie Appiah’s high-class fashion and style to the launch has warmed the hearts of social media users.
A photo of Jackie taken at the event is trending alongside Tracey Boakye’s own.
Jackie is seen decently dressed in a gold ensemble – all accessories used for her dressing played a magical role to that perfect finish!
Meanwhile, Kumawood actress Tracey Boakye is trending for poor dressing.
The actress stormed the program in a flat slipper, exposing her dinosaur toes. Plus her messy hair and her seethough white brassiere..
Fans have since been trolling her.
Check out the photo below;


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Bobbi Brown Cosmetics takes advantage of using Facebook
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is launching a Facebook campaign to help its fans vote for the return of lip colours that are no longer in production. They have been doing the return ‘thing’ for years now, but never as a marketing event on Facebook.
On Wednesday, the campaign kicked off with a video message from founder and CCO Bobbi Brown. It is about inviting fans to vote for the 10 most frequently requested colours. But voting is limited to six countries – the U.S., UK, Korea, Japan, Germany and Australia – with support for multiple languages and mobile devices.
The ballots will close on February 29th, and afterwards, the lip colours with the most votes will become available, including blush and eye shadow in the future.
It’s been said that this campaign is one of the most promising “fcommerce” initiatives, which rewards brand loyalists and builds future purchases at the same time.
Tagcloudyoutube realtime google earth google maps business advertising social media analytics street view smx bing google website internet privacy search linkbuilding research marketing london ses search engines blogger facebook yandex blog ppc baidu mobile microsoft sem search engine interview news social browser iphone matt cutts viral ads


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Electric cars have been growing in prevalence over the past few years, as more manufacturers bring out eco-friendly models and we see an increasing number of charging stations pop up in convenient areas for drivers of such vehicles.
However, if there's one thing that's been missing from the world of electric cars, it's been the truly high-end models, designed to tempt even the most vehement petrol head into parting with some cash for an environmentally-friendly alternative.
This could be about to end, though, with Aston Martin revealing that it is working on an electric sports car that could bring this type of vehicle into the 21st century and encourage a wider spectrum of buyer.
The company is working on a four-door pure electric car with 1,000bhp, which could go into production by 2020, it has said, as it looks for a way to reduce the CO2 emissions of its range of high-end cars.
Speaking at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed, chief executive officer Andy Palmer said that a prototype based on the Aston Martin Rapide already exists as a way to allow engineers to work out where to place the battery to achieve the optimum weight distribution in the vehicle.
“I’m a great advocate of electric vehicles, not for fuel economy, but for performance,” he said.
“We are working on a car that would look like a four-wheel-drive, 1,000bhp Rapide. There is a prototype running around. It’s not a formal part of our six-year plan but it might have to become part of it if we have a regulatory issue.”
This new move is just one of a number of exciting new announcements from Aston Martin, which is also planning to bring out the new DB9 next year, before working on newer versions of the Vantage and Vanquish in subsequent years.
Posted by Danielle Barge


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At first glance, the Libratore Zipp doesn’t look like it’s going to be all that powerful -- but turn it on and prepare to be amazed. “It looks small, but it sounds big,” Libratone's Soren Pedersen said as he pulled out the company’s latest creation on Mashable’s San Francisco roof deck last week. Big doesn’t even begin to describe the sound this pint-sized speaker is able to produce.
2 Recent Stories
The Designer Tech Series is supported by the exquisitely crafted, new 2013 Lincoln MKS with Lincoln Drive Control. Now it gets interesting. Luxury technology isn’t always about the biggest and brightest product on the market. Sometimes, less is really more, and according to Danish company Libratone, minimalism is the epitome of high-end. “We design to stand out, but not like a sore thumb,” reads part of the company’s philosophy statement.


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Antalya is Turkey’s biggest international sea resort.
In 2013, it attracted 12 million tourists and ranked among the ten most visited cities in the world.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism sector accounted for 12 percent of Turkey’s GDP in 2014, injecting 96 billion dollars into the Turkish economy.
The sector employs more than 2 million people.
In Antalya, most people live off tourism. Here seasonal work is huge and the population more than doubles during summer months.
Turkish authorities hope hosting the G20 Summit will help promoting the sector - and Antalya - to the world.
Bulut Bagci, the president of the World Tourism Forum, said a summit such as the G20 is helps the economy “but it is even more important for the branding of the city: all TV channels, from Russia, London, US, the Arab world… all channels are there. If you try to invite them for another specific event… they say they’re busy… they can’t come
But with the G20, all the press… all the magazines… and all the people who would normally not go to Antalya are there."
Barack Obama was filmed playing golf between meetings. And the Saudi King (and his 1,000 strong men delegation) will stay a few extra days to enjoy the resort.
The G20 Summit is expected to inject $215 million to the Turkish economy and - with the whole world watching - advertise Antalya’s abundant beauty.
Author: Anelise Borges


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Amazon is looking to fill around 1,000 positions at two new distribution centers in Tennessee.
Available positions for the centers, located in Murfreesboro and Lebanon, include full-time warehouse personnel with benefits.
Pay is said to be from $11 to $13 per hour.
Applicants must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent, among other qualifications.
The new centers are scheduled to open in the fall.
Click here for more information or to apply online.
- March 22, 2012: Amazon breaks ground on Murfreesboro distribution center
- Dec. 14, 2011: Indications point to official Amazon announcement
- Oct. 7, 2011: Amazon to build new centers in Lebanon, Murfreesboro
- Oct. 6, 2011: Amazon to collect sales tax in Tenn., add 2,000 jobs
- Oct. 4, 2011: Attorney General says Amazon.com should collect sales tax
- Aug. 25, 2011: Amazon's tax deal impacts local business owners
- Jan. 30, 2011: Local booksellers battle online company
- May 8, 2011: Amazon proposes 3 distribution centers in Tenn.
- Dec. 20, 2010: Amazon.com to create 1,400 jobs in Tenn.


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Banks are being encouraged to use their capital for loans.
Rent-Proof Suburbs. What do you think they all have in common?
Microsoft is closing all of its retail stores.
Investors are apparently flooding back to the market. Based on one result.
Do you trust the banks? Moves are being made to address the Deposit Bail-In Risk.


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Entrepreneur Assad Khan insists bubble tea craze won't burst as he eyes US
A British seller of bubble tea, the brightly coloured drink with chewy tapioca ‘pearls’ inside, plans to open new outlets in shopping malls in the US next year.
Assad Khan, 35, opened the UK’s first shop in 2011 in Soho, central London, but rivals have since started selling the Taiwanese drink as the phenomenon spreads.
The former investment banker wants his firm Bubbleology, which has £2million annual turnover, to become the market’s biggest player.
The right chemistry: Assad Khan, and the hugely popular soft drink from Taiwan
He adds: ‘It is drunk all over the world, but there is no global leader. Where is the Starbucks?’
Khan has 70 staff at outlets in Top Shop, Harvey Nichols and Westfield Stratford, and shops in Notting Hill and South Kensington, all in London.
He also has 44 outlets in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Russia, Switzerland and Kuwait.
He says: ‘We are doing a big push in the US. There are just 3,000 outlets that stock it in the US, but 100,000 in Asia. Bubble tea is big.’
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The GST rates on automobiles is soon set to drop. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has indicated that the government is considering the reduction of GST on automobiles. The government may have arrived at this decision in order to boost sales in the automotive industry that is currently seeing a slump in sales.
The Indian automotive sector has witnessed a slowdown in terms of sales. Almost every automotive manufacturer is posting a drop in sales figures. This could be blamed on many reasons, including weak buyer sentiment, increasing costs of purchase and the government's push towards electric mobility.
It is an obvious fact that there is a slowdown in the Industry and the government too is aware of it. It was only a few days ago that the government announced its decision to purchase new cars.
For a long time, there was a ban on government departments spending money on the purchase of new cars to replace existing cars in the department. In order to help increase sales of the automotive industry, that ban was lifted recently.
Now, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has indicated that GST on automobiles could be reduced. The government in its push towards electric mobility had reduced the GST on electric vehicles from 12 percent to 5 percent earlier this year.
However, petrol, diesel, LPG/CNG-powered vehicles all come under the 28 percent GST slab and that pushes up prices considerably. The government believes that lower prices might draw more people to buy vehicles and hence is considering the reduction of GST on automobiles.
She was quoted as saying that the government has recommended the GSt council to cut tax rates on automobiles. It appears that the ball is in the court of the GST council.
The Finance Minister was quoted as saying, "The government has been in consultation with a lot of sectors and we are listening to their inputs. Several steps have already been taken including steps to enhance liquidity and lending in the market to boost the demand in the automotive sector."
Thoughts On Government's Consideration Of Reduction In GST Rates For Automobiles
It was on 01 July, 2017 that the Indian government introduced GST (Goods & Services Tax) in India. New tax slabs were set for various segments and the automotive industry came under the highest slab of 28 percent.
While we cannot really blame the high GST rates for the slowdown in the auto industry, we certainly can say that it may help boost sales by just a bit, thereby helping the entire industry to recover.


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Last week word started to surface about changes afoot at SGI. VizWorld (as far as I know) broke news from inside the company that the entire graphics division had been eliminated. This group was mostly focused on the VUE suite of efforts, but there was a little hardware in there too. By Monday I had talked to even more people, well enough placed to confirm the story. When I wrote my commentary on Monday I said that I had emailed the company and was waiting for official word.
I was told via email that official comment would come in the form of Barrenechea’s blog, and late last night a new post did appear. In 932 words Barrenechea manages to not mention VUE, whether the company has entirely left vis or what its future direction might be, and does not acknowledge any reorganization or elimination of employees, either to confirm or refute the rumor. This is a problem.
SGI, the brand that Barrenechea has adopted for his new company, made a promise to the HPC community in the form of a line of visualization technology that would serve as the hub of pixel delivery for a wide variety of customer solutions, local and remote, from a tremendous variety of sources. I sat in many briefings on these technologies, and the company was 100% committed to getting the technology out.
In his post Barrenechea mentions the question of trust
Our customers have depended, and can continue to depend on SGI to provide leading edge systems aimed at collaboration, remote visualization, and decision support.
According to the post Barrenechea’s company is now a believer in GPUs, and so that’s where their focus is going to be. He characterizes this change by SGI with the jaunty phrase “shift happens.”
The problem here is not that the company has changed direction. It is hard to argue that the old SGI didn’t need retooling, and in that process a “not doing list” will surely have to be executed. The problem is that the company is not communicating honestly with its customers or the community. Both current and former employees say that the entire division was eliminated and people fired. Major programs were considering how to incorporate the VUE technology into their technical direction and are now left wondering what to do, or whether the technology even exists. We know from public filings in the bankruptcy case that all of the vis IP (including VUE, presumably) was transferred into the holding company, but was does that actually mean?
SGI does have to change. They are probably supporting much too broad a mix of products right now for a company with their revenues. They are presumably investing big money in bringing UV to market. They don’t have clear messaging. They are losing people.
This is a lot of change, and there is more to come if the new company is to remain in business. But if SGI wants its customers to continue to “continue to depend on SGI” for solutions, it needs to be up front and open with its customers and what it’s doing, and why.


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In the week that Virgin Mobile aired the first ad to star its new brand spokesperson, the model Kate Moss, The Sun ran a front-page story under the headline: "The UK's Moss wanted," revealing that the Metropolitan Police still wants to talk to her in relation to pictures in the Daily Mirror showing her snorting cocaine.
Virgin Mobile's decision to sign up the model, who has failed to return to the UK since the story broke in September last year, has raised a number of eyebrows. Typically, brands part company with their spokespeople at any hint of controversy. Churchill dropped Vic Reeves from one of its ads after the comic crashed his car and was charged with drink-driving.
The concern is that Virgin Mobile aims its advertising at the impressionable young adult/teen market, and by using Moss, it is making light of the situation and possibly glamorising drug use, showing that users can still be successful icons.
However, James Kydd, the brand director at Virgin Mobile, doesn't believe the appointment raises any moral questions.
"A lot of people have tried drugs, and we've employed a number of people in the past who have had problems with addiction, so it's not massively out of character for our brand," Kydd says.
"We've done the right thing by using Kate. We wouldn't use someone like Pete Doherty, who hasn't confronted his issues. He wouldn't work as a brand icon."
Hamish Pringle, the director-general of the IPA, agrees, but with a caveat: "The media love a fall from grace and recovery. The Virgin Mobile brand is associating itself with a recovery. It's brave of it, because the story is not over yet - it could still go very wrong. At the moment, it's still at the stage of allegation. If this changes, and something illegal happens, that's generally when brands get scared and drop people."
But what of the worry that Moss' cachet with the younger audience could lead to some trying to emulate her behaviour? Dylan Williams, the strategy director at Mother, who works on the Frank account (the Home Office's drugs information service), believes that children know about drugs and need to be informed intelligently and that Virgin Mobile's use of Moss will achieve that.
"It is far better to acknowledge the problem and let youngsters know that help is available," he says.
The original Daily Mirror story led to Moss being dropped from a number of high-profile and extremely profitable modelling contracts, including H&M, Chanel, Burberry and Rimmel.
However, after the furore died down, both H&M and Burberry decided to renew their contracts - unexpected actions that show that the model is still regarded by many as a strong icon for a brand.
While it is hard to believe any brand wouldn't have had slight concerns about using such a controversial figure, the weight of support for the model appears to reveal the company made the right decision in using her.
David Golding, the planning director at Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, says: "You have to think to what extent has her image been tarnished by these stories. The bigger story was how many companies dropped her and then took her back. To me this is proof that she is a great brand icon."
- Got a view? E-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org email@example.com
DRUGS COUNSELLOR - Martin Barnes, chief executive, DrugScope
"Yes, she was using drugs, but she went through a month's intensive rehabilitation and people who face their demons and come out the other side should be given the chance to continue doing their work.
"As for Virgin Mobile aiming a lot of its advertising at a younger market, there is no evidence to show that people in the limelight taking drugs necessarily influences young people to start using drugs themselves. Context is important."
MARKETER - James Kydd, brand director, Virgin Mobile
"She is a great brand icon because she is a true A-list celebrity. She has got incredible brand appeal because she is admired around the world for her status and because of the way she faced her problem.
"We don't feel morally exposed at all by using her because the action she has taken is the correct action. As a brand, we have no issue at all using her because she is by far the best celebrity we have ever had and, from a PR point of view, it is clearly a very good thing because the interest in her is so great."
STRATEGY DIRECTOR - Dylan Williams, strategy director, Mother
"For Virgin, targeting a younger audience, I think that using Kate Moss is a great move because her recent troubles added to her brand equity - that's just the way our society is these days.
"What she has is an authenticity, as well as a rebellious side, that young people respect.
"Young people today are media-conscious and know that supermodels, film stars, musicians and even journalists take drugs, so the original story about Kate would not have been a massive shock. And the fact that she is moving herself away from that life works as a positive example."
EDITOR - Jane Ennis, editor, Now magazine
"The UK doesn't like good-as-gold, squeaky-clean celebrities, so Kate's recent problems will have given her an extra edge.
"I can't see her on the front of a cornflakes packet, but she suits Virgin Mobile.
"I believe that to start moralising about the drug allegations is ridiculous: you have to credit people with the intelligence to make up their own minds."


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Intel India Prepares Workforce For Digital Innovation
Intel is betting big on the Indian market, focusing on emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile-led innovation through tablets, as it drifts away from traditional PCs. The company is equipping its workforce to power new technologies such as IoT, mobility and big data, although it said there will not be new recruitment in these areas.
Shifting manpower to tech-led innovation
“Our headcount projection for this year in India is flat. We will not grow our manpower. Instead, we are shifting our manpower internally to areas of growth,” Intel India President Kumud Srinivasan told PTI.
Earlier this year, Intel announced it would trim 5,000 jobs globally in 2014, will not hire manpower in India, in an effort to boost its earnings, amid waning demand for its personal computer chips. The biggest gap lies due to lack of infrastructure and utilization of that infrastructure, she added.
Intel India currently has a total workforce of around 6,000 people, of which about 70% per cent are engaged in research and development work. According to Srinivasan: “All emerging markets are seeing growth for Intel and India is growing a lot. As per our marketing strategy, we are now going to Tier II and Tier III cities. It helps us understand the market and the needs in a better way.”
The workforce reduction will be achieved through attrition, buyouts and early retirement offers instead of directly laying off workers, the company said in a statement.
New tech innovation
The company is looking to bring a greater transformation in the market with the introduction of new and exciting technology solutions in 2014 and beyond. Srinivasan added that the company is looking to shift the resources to the new areas of growth such as tablet, which experienced rapid increase in last year. IoT is another area that we are increasing our focus. “The PC penetration in India is just 10% and the same for broadband is 5%, so there is a potential for IoT segment.”
The company believes that IoT can be used to develop new services, enhance productivity and real-time decision making, solve critical problems, and develop new consumer experiences.
“Year 2013 saw Intel launching a range of exciting and innovative products and delivering next generation processors that became the backbone for a new era of thinner, faster and more portable devices such as like 2-in-1s, tablets, phablets and Chromebooks ,” stated Sandeep Aurora, director, Market Development, Intel South Asia at a recent technology event.
The company also worked closely with the industry and government to help connect people in India through technology and provide cost-effective solutions to address key issues such as education and training, he said.
The company also plans to invest over $120 million to consolidate its existing R&D infrastructure in Bangalore.
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Keanu Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss sat down for an interview with The Verge’s Alex Heath to promote their upcoming “Matrix” sequel, “The Matrix: Resurrections”.
Among the many topics that Heath introduced for discussion were NFTs, noting that Warner Bros. was selling “Matrix” NFTs at $50 a pop, and asked Reeves what he thought about the “concept of digital scarcity, and things that can’t be copied but are easily reproduced.”
Reeves responded by laughing out loud.
“I wonder what our… do we get a cut of that?” he joked to Moss.
— David Zhou (@dz) December 10, 2021
In another part of the discussion (taking place in the video above just after after the 17-minute mark), Heath ventures into the area of digital porn, informing Reeves that in the video game “Cyberpunk” — which features an avatar of Reeves — players had been hacking the game in order to have virtual sex with his character.
“Yes!” says Reeves in triumph.
Asked what he thought about that, Reeves responded, “Oh my god, it’s always nice when it’s nice,” seemingly taking it as a compliment.
“Think how much money is in porn, right? So you could not even have to be there, and people could have digital sex with your digital avatar,” Keanu mused.
Moss, however, was not on board. “No thank you!” she said with a laugh. “Keanu’s fine with it.”


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The different groups working on standards to connect devices to each other as part of the Internet of Things will eventually need to work together or the industry will need to decide on a select few, according to an AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) senior executive.
In an interview with FierceWireless at an AT&T event in New York City Wednesday evening, Chris Penrose, senior vice president of AT&T's Emerging Devices division, said that there is a "fear" that the competing standards will make it more difficult for devices to talk to each other as more gadgets inside and outside the home get wireless connectivity built into them.
"Everyone is jockeying to see which standard will be it, and there's lot of different bets being placed," he said.
The Open Interconnect Consortium, which was launched last week by Intel, Samsung Electronics, Broadcom and other companies, is working to create a new standard for device-to-device connectivity. That group is competing with the AllSeen Alliance, which uses an open-source implementation of Qualcomm's (NASDAQ:QCOM) AllJoyn framework to connect devices to one another regardless of their underlying proprietary technology or communications protocols. Meanwhile, Samsung also recently teamed up with Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Nest Labs, ARM Holdings and others to create a new mesh wireless standard for the IoT market called Thread.
AT&T's Digital Life home-automation and -security business is an AllSeen member, and AT&T, Cisco Systems, General Electric, IBM and Intel are also members of another group, the Industrial Internet Consortium, which is working on standards for connected industrial machines.
Ultimately, Penrose said, the goal needs to be to ensure that consumers can have seamless experiences with their connected devices. There are questions that need to be answered in order to make that happen, he said. "What are the things you need?" he said. "What type of connectivity do you need in each device? Do you need wide-area or do not? And then what is going to be the most efficient, cost-effective, seamless way to be able to integrate these things together?"
He added: "There's lots of good standards, but ultimately one will begin to emerge. Right now we're still in the shake-out period."
Penrose said that the different standards groups will eventually need to come together or the industry will need to pick winners. "They're either going to have to work together or there will be a coalescing around a couple that then all device makers will end up putting a couple of different standards in," he said. Penrose noted that Digital Life supports multiple protocols, including Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth and LTE.
Penrose said AT&T has not decided whether to join the Intel- and Samsung-led Open Interconnect Consortium. "We're involved in a lot of different standards groups," he said. "We're going to watch and understand what are they trying to accomplish vs. what else is out there, and we'll make that decision."
Earlier this week, executives from Qualcomm and Intel said that the IoT ecosystem would benefit from having one standard and one platform. At the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, Intel President Renee James said that even though the OIC has the same goal as Qualcomm's AllSeen Alliance, the two groups are approaching IoT differently. "We come from different points of view, but we need to make it work," she said.
Although Rob Chandhok, president of Qualcomm Interactive Platforms and senior vice president of Qualcomm Technologies, was not on stage with James, he was prompted to respond to her remarks. "I hope at some point we can merge the two alliances," he said. "I don't think it's great for the industry to have multiple approaches."
Rumor Mill: Samsung eyeing home automation platform SmartThings in $200M deal
Intel, Qualcomm execs both say IoT will benefit from one standard
Intel, Samsung and others forge open-source Internet of Things connectivity group
Microsoft joins Qualcomm in AllSeen Alliance's Internet of Things push
BlackBerry banks on security heritage to drive 'Project Ion' Internet of Things platform


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No one has to tell anyone in the home building business that women make the vast majority of home purchase decisions. Women, according to recent surveys, account for at least 80% of purchase decisions in America. When it comes to buying homes, the figure may be as high as 90%, according to a survey by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
But everyone needs an occasional reminder of how to more effectively reach female customers. Patricia Flavin, senior vice president of marketing for Beaulieu Group, a Dalton, Ga.-based carpeting company, provided an enlightening refresher course at SURFACES 2010, drawing on published sources and nine months of recent focus groups with female consumers.
Here are 10 tips from her presentation on how to reach female consumers more effectively.
1. Offer lifestyle solutions. Many women today lead hectic lifestyles, balancing work and parenting. Female shoppers are looking for ways to improve their lives and the lives of others.
2. Simplify things. Buying a home may be the most complicated transaction anyone will ever make. It's important to find ways to simplify the experience. Do the same with your Website. Flavin cited studies showing that when female consumers go online, they are more interested in finding information quickly than in being entertained.
3. Let women know you care. "You need to say in some way, 'I thought about you before you got here,'" said Flavin. That may mean scenting a room with vanilla or lavender.
4. Encourage women to fall in love with home again. You must remember that the home can't be viewed simply as a place to sleep.
5. Create a spot for kids to play while mom shops. For a busy woman who must drag her children to visit stores or model centers, having a place to park them is a godsend. Consider creating a small area for children to play or watch a video while parents shop. "Having a Lego set or a few coloring books can make a real difference," said Flavin.
6. Make shopping a happy experience. Studies have shown that shopping releases mood-lifting endorphins and dopamine. Encountering too much clutter in a sales office or model, though, may be a big turnoff. Same with pushy salespeople.
7. Encourage women to come with a friend. "There are proven studies that show that women who shop together buy more," said Flavin. Friends may give women the reinforcement they need to make a purchase.
8. Give women the freedom to shop around. If men are hunters, women are gatherers, and they want the freedom to browse. Make sure that female customers have an opportunity to look around before salespeople try to close.
9. Listen to female customers. Today's more sophisticated shopper doesn't want to be the object of a marketing campaign; they expect salespeople to listen and respond to them. As speakers at this year's IBS pointed out, social media can be a particularly good way to foster closer interaction with female customers. Flavin showed this hilarious video from Microsoft illustrating the traditional wrong-headed, male approach reaching female consumers.
. 10. Don't treat women as a niche consumer. As Andrea Learned wrote for Inc. magazine seven years ago, women aren't a niche consumer; they are the consumer.
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Las Vegas, NV.


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Seems that FEZ has been quite successful for Polytron and Phil Fish, despite any controversies and boycotts that may have surrounded his game. The perspective-bending puzzle-platformer has sold roughly 100,000 copies since it hit Xbox Live Arcade, which is way more copies than I shift of anything I make, and I don’t even charge!
At $10 a pop, that means the game has made around $1 million since launch. The studio has celebrated with a little graphic, as protagonist Gomez stands atop a series of blocks displaying the milestone figure.
Good for Polytron, I say. FEZ is a superb little game that deserved the success, and I’m always happy to see a good little indie game do well, especially after how long it took this particular one to finally hit the market. Huzzah!
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text: Africa has the highest disease burden in the world and continues to depend on pharmaceutical imports to meet public health needs. As Asian manufacturers of generic medicines begin to operate under a more protectionist intellectual property regime, their ability to manufacture medicines at prices that are affordable to poorer countries is becoming more circumscribed. The Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health gives member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO) the right to adopt legislation permitting the use of patented material without authorization by the patent holder, a provision known as "compulsory licensing". For African countries to take full advantage of compulsory licensing they must develop substantial local manufacturing capacity. Because building manufacturing capacity in each African country is daunting and almost illusory, an African free trade area should be developed to serve as a platform not only for the free movement of goods made pursuant to compulsory licences, but also for an economic or financial collaboration towards the development of strong pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in the continent. Most countries in Africa are in the United Nations list of least developed countries, and this allows them, under WTO law, to refuse to grant patents for pharmaceuticals until 2021. Thus, there is a compelling need for African countries to collaborate to build strong pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in the continent now, while the current flexibilities in international intellectual property law offer considerable benefits.


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Listed pipe manufacturing concern, Proplastics’ sales volumes for the five months to May 31, 2019 declined 25 percent on the back of declining consumer spending, although the manufacturer’s borehole drilling supplies grew 195 percent as demand in the sector improved.
Proplastics’ chief executive officer Kuda Chigiya told The Herald Business on the sidelines of the company’s annual general meeting yesterday that the company’s order book has been affected by a decline in disposable incomes.
“Sales volumes are below prior year by 25 percent. All sectors were affected except borehole drilling which grew by 195 percent in volumes compared to prior year as demand in that sector surged.
“Our order book is low because the RTGS balances for both the Government (to sponsor capital projects) and for individuals has been heavily depleted.
“And before the introduction of Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 everyone was asking for the United States dollars, which were not available in the market so at the moment I think the reason why our demand and order book is so low because the disposable incomes are at their lowest in a very long time,” said Mr Chigiya.
The Proplastics boss also highlighted that during the period under review operations were affected as the manufacturing concern had to scale down on production.
“The decline in sales affected operations because we had to slow down on our production levels we had to reduce the number of contract labour in our business and we also had to adjust our cost structure in line with the revenues that we were generating t
o make sure that we remained profitable and sustainable.
“At the moment we are running at about 25 percent capacity utilisation and the same period last year we were running at about 65 percent,” he said.


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This week in a busy week of beer news, Pete and Matt discuss: The IBA merger with Melbourne’s Good Beer Week, GABS spreads its wings into Brisbane and Newstead shows how to manage a product recall.
Kirin-owned brewer Lion has announced it has signed an agreement with US brewery Brooklyn Brewery to take over the marketing, sales and distribution of Brooklyn Brewery beers in Australia.
This week on Good Brews Week we welcome Pete back from the US and get his take on what’s happening in the home of craft beer and the news of the week.
Session Ale is already Coopers Brewery’s second largest selling keg beer after Original Pale Ale, the company revealed as it launched the new product in bottles and cans.
Two of Australia’s largest brewers did not pay corporate tax in 2015-16, an Australian Tax Office report says.
Coopers BrewArt BeerDroid and BrewFlo systems aren’t perfect but Matt Kirkegaard discovers they can be the perfect gift…
Andrew Cooper, a sixth generation descendant of Coopers Brewery’s founder Thomas Cooper, has joined the company through its distribution firm, Premium Beverages…
Coopers Brewery has cancelled the release of the Bible Society commemorative release beer and endorsed marriage equality…
Bible Society Australia has teamed up with Coopers Brewery for the launch of a commemorative Coopers Premium Light beer.
Coopers Brewery has launched a limited edition beer to mark its new partnership with Tennis Australia.


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Latest News on Youtube app
Showing of 0 - 10 from 49 results
Youtube app - Total results - 49
Sep 06, 2017
YouTube will let iPhone users live stream their screen to the app, tools to ease chat moderation also addedThese YouTube updates in particular could be very useful and appealing for online video game streamers and also to rival other live streaming services.
Aug 20, 2017
YouTube brings a new 'Breaking News' feed across all platformsCurrently 'Breaking News' update is available on both Android and iOS. It is yet to be rolled out completely and seems to be rolling out in batches.
Jun 24, 2016
YouTube reveals mobile live-streaming is coming very soonWith this feature, users will be able to broadcast live video from their mobile devices by just hitting a button
Jul 24, 2015
YouTube app redesigned: features new user interface, video editing tools and moreTo enhance a user's mobile experience, YouTube has resigned its app and introduced video editing tools along with an updated user interface. The update is currently available for Android will soon arrive on iOS as well.
May 18, 2015
YouTube crowned 'coolest' social media channelA new GWI Social report has crowned YouTube the "coolest" social platform for teens. The GWI Social report is a is quarterly breakdown by GlobalWebIndex on the latest trends in social networking.
Apr 21, 2015
YouTube switches off mobile app support on older Apple TV, iOS devicesGoogle will now switch off support for YouTube in older iOS devices along with the second generation Apple TV.
Mar 01, 2015
YouTube for Android will now allow users to trim videos before uploadingYouTube app on Android has been updated with a new feature that lets you trim the video before uploading it to the web.
Feb 21, 2015
YouTube will soon launch app for children called YouTube KidsYouTube is releasing a new app for children next week, called YouTube Kids, which will run on smartphones and tablets and focus on kid-appropriate content.
Dec 11, 2014
YouTube app updated with material design and search filtersAfter Google has released Android Lollipop, the company is now focusing on revamping the apps for a more fresher look to suit Android’s new 'Material Design'.
Aug 14, 2014
YouTube teases offline mode in latest app updateArray


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The US economy has held up pretty well relative to the rest of the world.
In fact, one of the emerging themes in the global economy has been the strength of the US consumer amid a global slowdown.
Add to that a strong dollar — which has made America’s exported goods more expensive to overseas customers — and you begin to see why companies serving Americans are doing much better than companies serving foreign customers. This is illustrated elegantly in the divergence in the ISM manufacturing and services indices, the former being more exposed to overseas activity whereas the latter is more exposed to domestic activity.
BNP Paribas’ Bricklin Dwyer took a more nuanced approached in illustrating this story by separating payroll growth in domestic-facing industries from external-facing industries.
“If we isolate the externally-vulnerable sectors, we see clear signs that the stronger dollar has had a marked impact on hiring trends,” Dwyer wrote in a note to clients. “While our calculations are a bit rough and there is clear overlap, domestic-facing sectors have fared much better.”
Dwyer’s domestic-facing sectors included construction, retail, information technology, financial, professional, education, health care and government services. His external-facing sectors included mining, manufacturing, wholesale, transportation and leisure and hospitality.
“It has been the coincidental slowdown in both domestic- and external-facing sectors that has led to the recent soft patch in employment,” Dwyer added. “We see little reason for this to change significantly this month. In manufacturing, the ISM’s employment index has deteriorated in recent months; while the non-manufacturing ISM survey suggests a more elevated level of hiring.”
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Eighty years is someone put out and you Chapman is for the first time in the united secret people are getting straight. NB gonna make this Enceladus prolong. Them condemning it wants it that he wanted to make you move spit that. SubscriptionsGo to the Subscriptions Centre to manage your:My ProfileJon Cryer portrays Alan Harper, left, and Ashton Kutcher portrays Walden Schmidt in Kutcher’s debut on the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men on Monday. (Danny Feld/CBS/Associated Press)If there was any doubt whether Charlie Sheen’s leering doppelgnger Charlie Harper would return to the CBS network, the show’s creator Chuck Lorre made it definitive last night. The premiere of the warlock less Two and a Half Men began with a funeral, as Charlie’s stalker turned wife Rose explained how he slipped in front of a subway in Paris, his body exploding like a “balloon filled with meat.”Dispatching the main character of one of the most successful sitcoms in history in such a gruesome fashion must have been satisfying for Lorre, who Sheen once decribed as a troll, a little stupid man, a maggot and more.
SubscriptionsGo to the Subscriptions Centre to manage your:My ProfileA platter of seal meat appetizers are ready to be served at the Parliamentary restaurant in Ottawa. Canada has agreed on a new deal to sell seal meat to China. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)By CBC NewsFederal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said Wednesday that a new deal to export seal meat and other products to China will transform Canada’s sagging seal fishery.”As early as this spring, Canadian processors could begin shipping seal meat and oils into the world’s biggest market for fish and seafood products,” Shea said Wednesday in St.
There are various figures as well as sizes for Nike shoes in order to have all kinds of sports matches or events for players. The shoes for playing basketball and running are made of the true raw materials. There is one new products of Nike called the Nike Air Structure Men’s shoe which is use the traditional ways.
Is it a foregone conclusion that a band with a 40 something frontperson can’t win a Grammy? That some bloke with a normal job and a Noel Edmonds chin can’t possibly headline Glasto? Rock ‘n’ roll is filled with graduates of the University of Life. Maybe Adele can fling out a decent heartbreak album at 25, but when a singer is 55, the emotion behind that lived in voice can become even more affecting. Here’s a look at some of music’s most beautiful late bloomers (average age: 40).


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Bullseye, Target’s dog mascot, appears to have been relegated to the backstage area after Zira, a four-month-old Corgi-Aussie mix, stole the show. Zira’s human mother, Twitter user @virgoprincxss, recently posted pictures of her dog while shopping at Target. Zira was overjoyed, especially considering Target was one of her favorite stores.
Bullseye, Target’s dog mascot, appears to have been relegated to the backstage area when Zira, a four-month-old Corgi-Aussie mix, took over. With 545k likes and 144k retweets, this happy doggo has been spreading good vibes all over Twitter. Read out Zira’s story and let this happy shopper’s gorgeous grin inspire you to appreciate life’s little joys.
Despite Zira’s adorable photographs, we want our viewers to know something. Target is not a pet-friendly establishment and only welcomes service animals. Zira’s mother had no idea when she took the photos, and she apologized on her blog after learning about the store’s policy from a Twitter user. Zira’s human mother, Twitter user @virgoprincxss, recently posted adorable photos of her puppy while on vacation.
Meet Zira, the ecstatic dog that recently visited Target. With 545K likes and 144K retweets, this post displaying her genuine delighted faces went viral.
Just look at that happy face. She, like the majority of us, is a happy shopper.
She’s been spreading positive feelings around the internet, and everyone adores her.
She even prompted many pet owners to submit photos of their pets enjoying themselves while shopping.
Some people questioned why Zira was in Target as it is unlawful to bring non-service dogs inside stores.
Zira’s mother realized her mistake and apologized on Facebook, along with photos of Zira at PetSmart.
Zira turns out to be a very happy dog wherever and whenever she is, and she is the nicest shopping companion ever.
Zira clearly captured the internet’s hearts, and people couldn’t help but relate to her happiness.


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China, Friend or Foe? Web Deadly fentanyl bought online from China being shipped through the mail
: Scott Pelley : 60 Minutes/CBS News : April 28, 2019
You know that America has a serious problem with opioids, with thousands of deaths from overdoses. But did you know that the most dangerous drugs are being sent via the US postal service, and come from China? Or that the Chinese government knows the two men who send the drugs that kill Americans, and refuses to arrest them? Does China want Americans to die from overdoses?
SummaryFentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and is now available on the internet and can be delivered through the mail


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Design World has an online webinar scheduled for next Tuesday, December 4th, featuring Chong Pak of Olloclip explaining how they used 3D printing technology to design and manufacture their 3-in-one lens system for the iPhone camera. According to the webinar registration webpage:
"Olloclip has created the ultimate 3-in-one lens system for your iPhone that fits in your pocket and takes your picture taking ability to the next level. Product design in the most recent years has been impacted tremendously by 3D printing and Olloclip’s camera lenses are no different. Whether it’s wide angle, fish eye or a macro picture view, this development in camera phone technology has been made possible by Objet 3D Printing. Please join Chong Pak of Olloclip and Objet Geometries as they discuss product design within the iPhone era and how 3D printing can help engineers design, create and ultimately bring products to life faster.
Attend this webinar to learn about:
-Olloclip and their fast hitting iPhone accessory
-3D printing and the design process
-Objet’s multi-platform capabilities"
According to a report in Monday's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Canon, the world's leader in digital cameras with a 20% marketshare, is building two automated plants in Oita Prefecture that are expected to be fully online by 2015.
The first plant, in Utsunomiya City, will fully automate the camera assembly process using robotics eliminating the need for human workers as much as possible. The second plant, in Kunisaki is expected to implement similar advances in Canon interchangeable lens production.
Canon has placed a priority on increasing efficiency and decreasing the human assembly component since 1990. Recent market and environmental changes, including the impact of the March 2010 earthquake and tsunami, difficult foreign currency exchange rates, flooding in Thailand, and the expected challenges with manufacturing in China going forward, seem to have accelerated Canon's initiative to strengthen its manufacturing base in Japan.
Moving production back from overseas factories to domestic doesn't directly correlate to job creation or transfer. Canon has been silent on the exact job impact of their new facilities, however it appears that manufacturing employees associated with Canon camera and accessory production in Oita Prefecture have decreased by half over the past three years.
Via: Nihon Keizai Shinbun
Leveraging off of the popularity, and profitability, of the Gundam Cafe located in Akihbara, Bandai is scheduled to open the "Gundam Front Tokyo" theme park in the Odaiba shopping and entertainment district of Tokyo.
The facility, sure to quickly become a must-see mecca for Gundam fans, will feature the theme park, a Gundam Cafe, and the 18 meter tall Gundam automated statue that originally graced Tokyo Bay three years ago.
The theme park is scheduled to open to the public on April 19th.
Innovation First and UK Customs officials had nearly 7,000 robot clones seized and destroyed as they attempted to invade Southampton.
The mini robot toy insects were unauthorized copies of Innovation First's popular Hexbug product line. According to the report, the robots were manufactured in China and intended for sale online in the UK.
The exact implications aren't clear yet, but today the management of the popular ROBO-ONE humanoid robot movement officially announced a structural reorganization.
According to the new organization chart posted on the ROBO-ONE website, the movement's major events, including the twice annual ROBO-ONE competitions, technical conferences, Humanoid Helper Project, and others, will be organized under Tokyo International Television. This appears, from the chart, to include all the ROBO-ONE Entertainment activities.
Event management and the related technologies/hardware/software will be organized under Best Technologies. No specific mention was made of some events, like the ROBO-ONE Gran Prix series.
The management reorganization may be laying the groundwork for the next phase of ROBO-ONE. The next major competition, ROBO-ONE 20, will mark the 10 year anniversary and will be the perfect occasion to revitalize and re-energize the ground breaking movement. No date has been announced for ROBO-ONE 20, though if it follows the traditional ROBO-ONE pattern the competition will take place sometime in late March or early April.
Basic assumptions, whether explicitly defined or not, often determine the eventual success, or failure, of all research and design projects. It's all too easy for an engineer to make assumptions that don't bear out in the real world. It's also very common for corporate management to dedicate huge budgets to projects built on faulty logic.
After watching, and thinking about, some of the patient assistance robotic technology showcased yesterday by Toyota, I really have to wonder what their original design assumptions were. A good example is the Toyota Patient Transfer Assist Robot.


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Attention Vermilion merchants. The Vermilion Chamber of Commerce has started working on a way to help Vermilion, Ohio retail businesses during this small life detour of the COVID-19 bug. The Chamber is calling it “The Social Distancing Sale”.
Vermilion Ohio merchants can participate by:
1. Emailing the Chamber (email@example.com) information on if you will/can offer shipping, curbside delivery or delivery.
2. Taking photos of merchandise in your store and posting on Facebook, as many do not have websites with online shopping - but this will allow people to shop virtually thru Facebook.
3. Providing your hours if offering delivery or curbside delivery.
4. Providing your facebook link, website, address, phone number and email.
The Chamber needs your information by Thursday, March 19th.
This is for non restaurant merchants, as a restaurant list has already been released.


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WASHINGTON (MainStreet) -- That $2,946 average refund the IRS has been handing out this year isn't getting any bigger, so you may as well use it while you can.
Hey, we all know what supposedly "good" boys and girls are supposed to do with their tax refund: Pay down debt, save, or put it into an IRA or mutual fund and wait for the IRS to come after the interest when you finally take it out again. Well aren't you all good little worker ants? It's great that the same folks who were leasing luxury marque cars, mortgaging McMansions that looked like "luxury" double-wide trailers and ordering shots or bottle service of whatever costly alcohol brand was name dropped last in a music video are now born-again believers in austerity. Just because fair-weather spendthrifts been shell shocked into not throwing money on every shiny thing within reach doesn't mean they'll necessarily make purchases that will stretch those saved dollars to their potential.
According to the National Retail Federation's 2012 Tax Returns Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, of the 66% of Americans expecting a refund this year, 44% will sock their refunds away -- up from 42% last year. Meanwhile, 40% will pay down credit card and mortgage debt.That's perfectly OK, we guess, but it seems like the 12.3% of Americans who are going to spend their refund on a big-ticket item this year, down from more than 13% last year, will have a lot more fun.
"After a rocky few years, consumers are now more vigilant about how they spend their money and the importance of preparing for future financial stability," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "Increased consumer savings proves extremely beneficial to shoppers and businesses in the long run, allowing future opportunities to invest in a large household item or even take advantage of a well-deserved family vacation."
As noted earlier, however, that average refund isn't getting bigger. It's already down from the $3,022 that was doled out at this time last year after the Making Work Pay tax credit expired and credits for first-time homeowners tightened. That's a shame, since Americans are better prepared to spend than they've been in years. The national unemployment rate dropped from 8.9% in February 2011 to 8.3% last month. Meanwhile, the Consumer Confidence Index jumped 9.6 last month even as average gas prices flirted with the $4 mark.There are still ways to help boost the economy without being an absolutely spineless spender. Here are five ways to take that $2,946 shopping while still spending wisely:
Putting in an attic bedroom or throwing up some vinyl siding will cost way more than $3,000, but you can make an investment in your home that adds more resale value than any of those changes.
According to Remodeling Magazine's latest Cost. vs. Value Report, the home improvement that gives a homeowner the most back his or her entire investment in resale value is swapping out existing front, back and side doors with steel doors. It's a bit of a fortress mentality, but the average $1,238 spent swapping out an old door and jambs with a 20-gauge steel door with new casings and lock set consistently adds $903 (or 73% of its cost) in resale value.
Replacing a garage door for $1,500 yields a similar 72% return on the investment. Taking the project upscale with a $2,996 replacement including an insulated door, thermal seals between the panels and insulated glass kicks the return up to 78%, even if it costs another $50 out of pocket at the outset.