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Wrist devices are currently the hottest segment of the wearable tech market, and many companies are fighting for the precious space above your hands. This year alone, we’ve seen the launch of such major products as the Jawbone Up24, Fitbit Force, Nike FuelBand SE, Pebble and Samsung Galaxy Gear. Between the two main areas of wrist wearables—smart watches and fitness bands—some have gained impressive traction, while others have floundered.
The smartwatch category is just beginning to take off, with the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Pebble being the only two real competitors at the moment. Pebble has seen massive success thanks to the open platform that supports it, with hundreds of third-party applications rapidly emerging. Samsung’s watch has seen few sales and even fewer new apps, likely due to its high cost and low compatibility. While smartwatches are still trying to find their stride, there’s another group of wrist wearables that are off to the races.
Fitness wearables are seeing a boom in popularity—over 8.3 million in sales in 2012 alone—despite an increasingly crowded field of competitors. The top three companies in the fitness space are Fitbit, Jawbone and Nike, with all three releasing significantly overhauled devices in the last few weeks. Each of these companies’ updates seem to bring the fitness market closer to smartwatches.
For example, the marquee feature of the new Fitbit Force is an OLED screen that gives the popular fitness tracker notification support. Users can now receive SMS alerts via icons on the device. Fitbit’s CEO, James Park, has indicated that this is the direction he believes the market is inevitably going to head in, with the company likely to venture further into smartwatch waters.
Mobile health devices are also becoming a mainstay of the emerging wrist-wearable market. A number of pioneering companies are exploring new ways to interact with the human body using technology.
Thermoelectric devices like Wristify allow wearers to control their body temperature from their phone, and as a result, save on heating or cooling their homes and offices. The device is currently in the prototype stage, but the group of MIT students behind it hopes to bring their product to the public in the near future.
Other wrist devices, like the Basis B1 Band, further blur the lines between fitness trackers, health monitors and smartwatches. The Basis B1 tracks not only your steps and sleeping patterns, but also your heart rate, skin temperature and perspiration, making it the first device to deliver a full picture of the wearer’s health. Oh, and it also tells time.
For a smartwatch to take the market by storm, it will need features from both the fitness and mobile health categories. It should not replace the function of the smartphone entirely, but rather augment it. Some feel the Galaxy Gear has tried to include too many features that are better left to smartphones (like taking pictures and running full Android applications), likely one of the reasons behind the 30% return rate.
One of the largest issues the smartwatch faces right now is the form factor. The device needs to emulate the style and fashion of a traditional watch, while providing the functionality of a tiny computer. Pebble and Galaxy Gear both struggle to strike this balance. The watch has long been a status symbol, and if a smart device intends to take its place on our wrists, it needs to look as stunning as the features inside of it. The massive success of the fitness device market may be because many of those wearables are easy to wear and attractive. A good example of this is the Jawbone Up, which looks like a simple bracelet.
Mobile expert Jen Quinlan believes another factor holding current devices back is a loss of interest. According to Quinlan, “Many products got the form factors and price point right, but they haven’t figured out an ecosystem of apps yet that are meaningful to use to keep users engaged.”
Both Fitbit and Jawbone have built out limited ecosystems of applications, but they don’t appear to be actively encouraging developers to imagine new ways of using their technology. “It isn’t just about [their] physical product; the accompanying apps and digital/mobile experience is what will keep your users engaging with your product and transform them into enthusiastic ambassadors,” Quinlan points out.
The gamification of fitness has helped some device builders with this engagement problem. One solution that Fitbit has pursued is corporate wellness programs, where companies purchase thousands of devices for their employees and pit them against each other to get the most activity out of their day.
The question remains; if a stylish, simple and functional smartwatch were released, would the average buyer want to purchase it? Nobody has managed to pull it off yet, but Apple has long been rumored to be building an iWatch to compete in this market. If the rumors are true, it could signal the beginning of the smartwatch renaissance—considering just how much market share iOS devices already have.
If smartwatches want to maintain their niche, they’re going to have to act fast. As fitness devices begin converging with more advanced functionality, they will likely see even more mainstream success. No matter which technology corners the wrist-wearable industry, the general public is a lot more likely to start wearing smart accessories.


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Good news, platformer fans -- Playtonic Games has announced that development on Yooka-Laylee has officially been completed (or "gone gold" as the term goes).
Generally speaking, "going gold" indicates that a game has been determined by the publisher to be good enough to be shipped to stores, but Playtonic is still sticking by their previously announced release date of April 11.
Does this indicate that perhaps they'll still be working on QA testing in the meantime? We'll have to wait and see, but the early completion should give Yooka-Laylee all the time it needs to be in excellent shape for fans when it releases.
Additionally, Playtonic mentioned that Kickstarter backers will be able to finalize their platform choice for the game very soon.
Source: Playtonic Games
Are you excited for Yooka-Laylee's release?

domain: news


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Apple released iOS & iPadOS 14.4.2 last Friday alongside iOS 12.5.2 for older devices that don’t support iOS & iPadOS 14 in an effort to remedy a WebKit-based security vulnerability that the company had knowledge of being actively exploited in the wild to maliciously impact its user base.
Given the amount of time that has passed since the release of those updates, we’re unsurprised to learn that Apple has officially stopped signing iOS & iPadOS 14.4.1 this evening. It’s a move on the company’s part that bars the majority end users from voluntarily downgrading their handset’s firmware to the previous version.
Anyone who owns an Apple-made device shouldn’t be surprised to learn of this news, as the company routinely stops signing older firmware versions after a newer build has been released. This behavior helps ensure that most of Apple’s user base uses the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, which benefits not only the company, but in many cases the end user as well.
Software downgrades are a common endeavor in the jailbreak community as jailbreak apps typically support older versions of iOS & iPadOS that are vulnerable to specific kernel exploits. For the average user, however, software downgrades aren’t as common.
The lone exception to the aforementioned rule would be if a newly released software update introduced a serious bug much like the aggressive backgrounded app management issue that plagued iOS & iPadOS 13.2. Obviously in such a case, a software downgrade would remedy the issue by restoring previous functionality until Apple could push a hotfix by way of another software update. But instances like this are rare.
The change in signed firmware versions this evening doesn’t really impact anybody; not even jailbreakers. This is because iOS & iPadOS 14.3 are the latest jailbreakable versions on Apple’s newest devices. A small subset of older devices equipped with A7-A11 chips up to an including the iPhone X, can be jailbroken even on iOS & iPadOS 14.4.2 with checkra1n, as it utilizes an un-patchable hardware-based bootrom exploit to function.
With that in mind, today’s mention of unsigned firmware may fall on deaf ears, but it’s still worthy of note.
As for why Apple does this, it not only helps ensure that the highest number of users are taking advantage of the latest features and improvements, but it also allows the company to limit access to jailbreaking – an act that the company has frowned upon since its conception. Furthermore, forcing users to upgrade any time they want to restore their device boosts the company’s statistics every time they gloat about it at a Keynote.
Is it impossible to downgrade firmware after Apple stops signing it? That depends. If you saved .shsh2 blobs while a particular version of iOS or iPadOS was still being signed by Apple, then you may be able to use futurerestore to downgrade and this could make you eligible for jailbreaking. If you didn’t save your .shsh2 blobs or didn’t save them while that firmware was still being signed, then you’re unfortunately out of luck.
If you’re ever wanting to see whether a certain version of iOS or iPadOS is being signed, then you can visit the IPSW.me online utility to check on demand. You can also download any version of iOS or iPadOS that you might be looking for from our dedicated Downloads page.


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'Evasi0n' iOS 7 Jailbreak Controversy Surrounding Piracy and Chinese Partnership
After the Evasi0n untethered jailbreak was updated for newer iPhones, iPads, and iOS 7.x earlier today, Cydia administrator Jay Freeman noted on his Twitter that he was not informed about a new version of the jailbreak before its release. Beyond that, he also reported that the new jailbreak automatically installs a third party app store named Taig which distributes cracked apps in China.
Following Freeman's comments, two tweets by developer i0n1c claims that the Chinese company Taig paid the Evad3rs development team "a big pile of money" to release the jailbreak in order to bundle its app store onto devices.
Now, the Evad3rs development team behind the jailbreak has posted an open letter to the jailbreak community on its website, trying to address the various concerns surrounding the method and emphasizing the safety and security of its users.
The team admitted that it was indeed approached by a company with an offer to include Taig with the jailbreak in China, feeling that it was "well-suited to meet the needs of users for the Chinese market." The team also notes that users are not locked into Taig, with the program giving users given the ability to uninstall the Chinese app store and install Cydia.
Also addressed was the speculation concerning the possible disclosure of exploits and methods to Taig:
Taig has never asked us to disclose our exploits to them, let alone sell them. We were simply asked to bundle their third-party app store in China in a similar way we bundle and distribute Cydia around the world as an additional App Store, and in a similar way to how previous jailbreaks like blackra1n have bundled non-Cydia stores.
Furthermore, the developers also claim that they were unaware that Taig contained pirated apps upon access, and say they are removing instances of piracy and that Taig had contractually agreed not to serve pirated apps. They say they "will continue to monitor this issue and work to resolve it completely" and that Taig will be removed if it can't be resolved.
Currently, Evasi0n is available for OS X and Windows as an untethered jailbreak.
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro.
Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007.
The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro.
If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase?
This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the record currently held by the Xiaomi 13. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past.
Both iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, potentially resulting in an Apple...
While the iPhone 15 lineup is around six months away, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone 15 Pro models in particular, including a titanium frame and more.
Below, we have recapped 11 features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A17...
Apple continues to test iOS 16.4, which includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features coming with the software update, including new emoji, push notifications from websites, and more.
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Top Rated Comments
Furthermore, whoever does engage in piracy are pretty awful if you ask me. People spend a lot of time and effort to make apps/movies/music etc. If you can't be bothered to compensate developers or artists for their work, you should suck it up and live without their work.
As I was going through my list of installed tweaks from previous iOS jailbreaks, I noticed that almost all of them were brought as features in iOS 7. The only thing I installed after jailbreaking today was MyWi, which I will happily live without until this situation gets sorted out. I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in the way this was all handled.
You're taking an incident that has occurred ONE time over the many years jailbreaking has existed and generalizing it as one big reason to ditch the entire OS. That's like saying you bit into an apple and found it was rotten, therefore you should only eat pears from that point forward.
Great work guys!
I'm an Android fan just as much as you are but you're not really making a point here at all. This isn't some official thing that happened to iOS; it's a hack that you specifically have to go out of your way to install. There's nothing insecure about that.
BTW, I've owned Android phones. I'm not some Apple die-hard doing a knee-jerk defense here. You can go on and on all day long about how much more flexible Android is than iOS but at the end of the day, all that flexibility piled on top of an unstable, unpredictable OS that is more often than not difficult to deal with and near-impossible to update is meaningless.
And a lot of what Android fans brag about in terms of flexibility is really more about shoehorning Android into a desktop OS mold. I'd rather sacrifice some flexibility and instead have a world-class mobile OS that excels at what it does, while remaining secure and stable and effortless to update.
* there is no hard evidence that information is being sent anywhere
* taig has been removed from the jailbreak
* saurik has admitted that he too was aware of taig and he did know about the jailbreak just not the release date
* THESE PEOPLE DESERVE MONEY
* they are donating all contribution to a good cause
* they work their asses off and do they make money? no! but the guys who make tweaks (and arguably work nowhere near as hard as the evaders) get paid!
* do you donate to them? probably you don't. who puts food on their tables.


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Fashion retailer H&M apologized on Monday for featuring a black child modeling a hoodie with a “coolest monkey in the jungle” slogan, saying it “believe[s] in diversity and inclusion in all that we do and will be reviewing our internal routines.”
The image, which appeared on the British version of H&M online store, was accused of being racist by hundreds of social media users on Sunday after the offending ad was screen-captured by blogger Stephanie Yeboah.
The Swedish company removed the ad, which appeared on its U.K. site, in response to the backlash. “We sincerely apologize for this image” H&M told TIME. “It has been now removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in the United States.””We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do, and will be reviewing our internal routines.”
Others on social media pointed out that two other sweatshirts in the same line, with one that said “survival expert,” were modeled by white children.
Many wondered whether the image, which was seen as making an insensitive association between the model and a hateful slur that has been used against black people, could have been avoided with better cultural awareness and a diverse workplace.
H&M joins a number of major brands that have been accused of insensitive or racist advertising. In October, Kellogg’s came under fire for its Corn Pops cereal box design that showed a darker Corn Pop in a janitor’s uniform among dozens of yellow-hued Corn Pop characters.
Dove was also forced to apologize that month for a social media post, where a looping image showed a black woman removing her shirt to reveal a white woman, which the company said “missed the mark” representing black women.
- Employers Take Note: Young Workers Are Seeking Jobs with a Higher Purpose
- Signs Are Pointing to a Slowdown in the Housing Market—At Last
- Welcome to the Era of Unapologetic Bad Taste
- As the Virus Evolves, COVID-19 Reinfections Are Going to Keep Happening
- A New York Mosque Becomes a Refuge for Afghan Teens Who Fled Without Their Families
- High Gas Prices are Oil Companies' Fault says Ro Khanna, and Democrats Should Go After Them
- Two Million Cases: COVID-19 May Finally Force North Korea to Open Up


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The retail apocalypse is real.
So real, in fact, that 20 to 25% of all U.S. malls will close by 2022, according to new research from Credit Suisse.
That translates to 220 to 275 of the nation's 1,100 shopping malls, the research note said, according to Fortune.
Fueled by the rise of e-commerce, mass store closings and bankruptcies, brick and mortar retail stores have been closing around the U.S. at an increasing rate. And the fight against e-commerce giants like Amazon will only get worse.
Credit Suisse also predicted that e-commerce will grow from 17% in apparel sales to 37% by 2030.
The firm also said around 8,640 stores in the U.S. will close by the end of 2017 — easily surpassing the number of stores closed in a year over the past two decades.
A number of mall-based retailers like Sears, Macy's Kohl's and J.C. Penney have announced closures this year.


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Toyota Malaysia has revealed the first image of 2009 Toyota Hilux next generation and the complete specifications of the new model. Powered by a 2.5 liter common rail direct injection diesel engine, the 2009 Toyota Hilux may develops 102 PS at 3,600 rpm and 260 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm.
The 2009 Toyota Hilux engine will be coupled with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed Automatic with ECT transmission. The 2009 Toyota Hilux will come in four trim levels: Single Cab, Double Cab A/T, Double Cab M/T, and Double Cab STD M/T.
Proton announced its plans for entering the Indian market with their Proton cars. The Savvy, the Saga and the Persona Proton is the three models that planned to be marketed in India.
All of three Proton models are currently undergoing testing to see how they cope with Indian traffic conditions. However, With its hope to start selling cars in India as early as 2009, Proton announced that it has started negotiations with a local partner for manufacturing and marketing purposes.
Suzuki has announced that Japanese manufacturer has already produced more than 1 million units of Suzuki Swift worldwide for less than 1 year. This Suzuki compact supermini was built for the first time in Japan, and was later built in China, Hungary, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The top of the range Suzuki Swift Sport comes equipped with a sports-tuned chassis and powered by a 1.6-litre VVT engine.
According to the success of the Suzuki Swift production, Suzuki will applied the same strategy for the Suzuki Alto. The strategy will be applied to Suzuki Alto next year, while for the Suzuki Kizashi will be given the same strategy in 2010.


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Foldable screen phone has been a rumor for a long time but now Samsung seems to realize it soon. The company was working on foldable screen phone for more than two years and could launch it in this January. The company has showed of several prototypes so far among those all, the best guess goes to this –
And here is a video becoming popular nowadays:
Other prototypes that are floating around tech world are as follows
The company has recently launched Galaxy smartphone with curved edge screen. The new leak to be popping among techies is that we might finally see foldable Samsung smartphone in January 2016. Reports say the company is already in test phase of a foldable display smartphone. Samsung has codenamed this project has Project Valley and the company is testing it on two processors – Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 and Snapdragon 820. Some other features include 3GB of RAM, expandable storage and with an embedded battery.
Samsung, at its second analyst meeting in South Korea, talked about its plan for devices with folding display. Company is putting a lot of effort to imlement new form factor which include flexible phones, curved phones, phablets, wearable devices, etc. However, no timeframe has been revealed so far but clearly clued that company is working on something like this.


text: Local lawmakers are calling on the Connecticut Food Association to ban openly carried firearms in stores. The request from 5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty and Senators Blumenthal and Murphy follows advocacy by the group Moms Demand Action. That group is calling for Target, Panera, Starbucks, Whole Foods and elsewhere to ban open carry in their stores. Esty, Blumenthal and Murphy say this is for the safety of customers and employees. Current Connecticut law allows anyone with a permit to openly carry a handgun, but private businesses can prohibit open carry in their stores.


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IBM has rolled out "Mobility@Work," a package of new software tools that allows developers to run existing desktop applications on a mobile device, together with new mobile consulting services aimed at helping companies implement and manage a mobile work environment.
Built on open standards, IBM's software can be used with most mobile platforms, including BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian.
The new services and products represent a significant initiative for IBM. "It is making more and more applications available to the mobile market--including Lotus notes and [business intelligence] functionality from Cognos," says AMR Research director Chris Fletcher.
IBM has been active in the corporate mobile space, says John Dunderdale, IBM's vice president of sales for Lotus. The recent rollout was "a more focused set of initiatives designed to build out mobile infrastructure."
Source: CRM Buyer, http://crmbuyer.com
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The habits of shoppers are changing profoundly as more of them go online to buy things, according to an NPR/Marist poll released this week.
More than two-thirds of U.S. shoppers — or 1 in 7 Americans — have purchased at least one item online, meaning the days of people being afraid to share their credit card data with internet retailers are long gone.
Shoppers said skipping lines at retail stores, convenience and product selection are among their key reasons for making online purchases.
“We can either [shop online] at 9 o’clock at night and have [our order] there in two days, or we could … get everybody in the car, go out shopping and hopefully we find what we want,” Melanie Hinchey, a Milwaukee mother of two, told NPR.
The poll surveyed 1,057 U.S. adults ages 18 and older from April 25-May 2.
Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they liked that they could shop online day or night, while 90 percent said they like free shipping, even if it meant waiting a few extra days for delivery.
Most respondents (54 percent) used desktop or laptop computers to shop online, while 45 percent used smartphones and tablets.
Nevertheless, 56 percent of respondents said they still preferred shopping in retail stores, compared to 37 percent who favored online shopping.
In addition to reshaping consumer culture, the growth in online shopping has also driven major increases in shipping. USPS delivered 5.7 billion packages during fiscal 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016-Sept. 30, 2017), about twice the amount delivered five years earlier.


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have cable’s retail set-top strategy going nowhere fast
Last winter, the cable industry's top brass toured the floor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and were blown away by the level of innovation and new products they saw there. DBS receivers with functional personal video recorders and interactive program guides from multiple vendors had them walking away from the Show with a renewed urgency to reach out to consumer electronics manufacturers in an effort to get more innovative equipment faster.
Ah, if only it were that easy.
It wasn't all that long ago when cable industry captains charted a new path leading to a retail set-top presence, with a stated goal to move the massive capital expenditure off their books. Simultaneously, some of the nation's largest retailers plotted their own course toward nirvana, with fully-featured digital set-tops leading the way.
But a lack of communication, differing motivations and the inability to break old habits have everyone involved stuck in a situation where all roads lead ... nowhere.
Retailers who thirst for new sources of revenue salivate over the possibility of being able to sell set-top boxes to consumers. "Give us a portable set-top box loaded with functionality and high-end features at the right price, and the shelf space is yours for the asking," they say. Manufacturers are echoing that same business strategy and promise to deliver the high-end devices needed to activate the retail set-top box business model.
Trouble is, there is no retail set-top box business model.
Despite several years of discussions among retailers, set-top manufacturers and multiple system operators (MSOs), little progress has been made toward building a viable business model that would allow set-top boxes to be sold via retail distribution outlets.
In fact, some experts maintain that retail discussions have actually pushed the retail/manufacturing/MSO triumvirate farther apart. That's simply because no business model can satisfy all three players, at least until advanced features are included at affordable prices, numerous logistical and compensation questions are answered, and open access fully takes hold, which isn't expected to happen anytime soon.
"MSO's don't see a benefit working with retailers or any business reasons to do it (sell set-tops through retail). Retailers are interested but haven't convinced MSOs or consumers of the value of set-tops at retail. So, until boxes are equipped with IP and other features, not much will happen," says Adi Kashore, analyst for The Yankee Group.
Some progress has been made by players such as Charter Communications and Scientific-Atlanta (S-A), who will jointly develop and market the Explorer MC home media center with Moxi (Digeo's media center which fuses together various advanced services), and by Motorola's BMC 9000. But moving a feature-rich, high-end box to a retailer's shelf requires some groundbreaking strategic shifts for MSOs, not to mention some major mindset alterations to overcome years of distributing set-tops on their own.
"Data shows there's an interest in high-end boxes at retail in the $300 to $400 range, and we'll start to see an interest in those. But MSOs don't know about the retail sector. They're pushing digital, so retail is a low priority. It will grow in importance, however, when set-tops become more full-featured. Until then, however, there's little reason to buy boxes at retail," Kashore argues.
One reason is lack of portability. How does a customer take a set-top box to another cable system and get it to work? "That's one of the biggest obstacles, along with customer service. There are big logistical issues, and retailers won't enter into any compensation models that don't work. We're making adjustments to those models and are in communication with the largest retailers, but we're not there yet," says Chris Caffrey, vice president of sales and marketing for Comcast Corp.
Comcast has a presence in about 1,000 retail stores via its cable modem service. Yet Caffrey readily admits the modem retail model is far different than the set-top box version. "Modems are a relatively easy sale at stores, but set-tops must have increased functionality and feature sets. Clearly, we want to be at the point of sale when customers buy cable-ready TV sets, but retailers won't have us in there if it doesn't make business sense for them."
What does make business sense for retailers is compensation. "The ultimate business model for operators is to help make it easy to have cable service. We would expect compensation for our service and in helping to reduce truck rolls, and we need to be in discussions to remove costs from the system. If someone leases a box for $3 or $4 a month, we can't find an economic model that can compete with that, so it's not economically feasible for us," said Alan McCollough, chairman, president and CEO for Circuit City Stores Inc., during a recent discussion at the NCTA show.
Nor can he find the set-tops at retail. "We're seeding the market with high-definition-capable sets. We've tried to buy boxes at retail and can't find them to sell," he added.
They're out there, experts insist, albeit without the business model to move them to retail. "Technically, the issues are manageable, so it gets down to the business model. We must figure out the right model and price points for the operators, retailers and consumers and help operators get capital (for set-tops) off their books. To this point, the models haven't been very attractive," admits Dave Davies, director of strategic marketing for Scientific-Atlanta Inc.
Nor is the thought of managing a sea of set-top boxes purchased through retail outlets. Says Kashore: "Set-tops are really access points, so if one malfunctions, the cable company is the first phone call a consumer makes. That's a real nightmare for MSOs. Returning a set-top box that's been purchased at retail to an MSO is a very inelegant solution, so there's little incentive for MSOs to push that model."
Figure 2: Bundled devices and services will allow the greatest range of consumer interaction and revenue streams for retailers.
Steps for enhancing product mix:
• Use current product base as a starting point for device bundles.
• Expand revenue and consumer interaction through enhanced bundles based on functional device convergence.
• Extend bundles to include broadband, home networking
Yet some MSOs are exploring the feasibility of making set-tops available on local store shelves. "We've been able to partner with 500 retail outlets for modems and would like to drive to that number with set-tops. But we haven't worked well with the consumer electronics industry and legacy is an issue. There are only two set-top manufacturers, so OCAP (CableLabs' Open Cable Application Platform) is the glue," noted Chris Bowick, senior vice president of engineering and CTO for Cox Communications, during an NCTA show discussion.
Cox is trying to build a model with retailers to sell Scientific-Atlanta set-top boxes, says Beth Denning, director of sales and distribution for the MSO. "We're facilitating talks between S-A and retailers and hopefully can build a demand for set-tops at retail. There's lots of synergy among us to make it happen, but it needs to make business sense. It isn't something we're hanging our hats on, but it's very early."
OCAP could be the hat rack the industry needs to hang its set-top models on at retail. It's designed to be the technological solution that would foster a retail set-top model and would solve the portability question. The sticking point, some say, is that the business model doesn't jive with available technology.
"Manufacturers went to retailers and wanted to market an open access product, but that hasn't happened. Retailers are interested in selling digital TV sets, but plain vanilla set-tops won't sell. There's no viable business model, so services are the issue," explains Don Dulchinos, vice president of advanced platforms and services at CableLabs.
CableLabs recently hosted 16 companies representing the set-top box, software, applications and headend manufacturing industries in a round of interoperability tests, and in May released its OCAP 2.0 specification which extends set-top box portability.
Although it has the best of intentions, OCAP isn't perceived as being the ultimate solution to the set-top retail issue. Concerns over retail compensation, services, costs, marketing and a fundamental shift to a retail mentality linger. "Cable got smart when they went to the cable modem space, where the specifications were defined and a protocol existed. But there's no interoperability with set-top boxes, and going to retail isn't easy, or free," insists Kishore Manghnani, vice president of marketing for Imedia Semiconductor, a provider of software solutions for cable modems and set-top boxes.
The expanding digital market isn't helping either. Adds Manghnani: "By the time you introduce a new retail product, 35 million people will have digital boxes. So what's the motivation (for set-tops selling at retail)? And who's accountable for problems with the boxes? I don't see the motivation to go retail."
One motive may be unfolding in Canada, where both Shaw and Rogers cable systems offer set-tops through retail outlets. "The successful models are in Canada, where the cable operators subsidize 50 percent of the cost of a set-top box as a cost of doing business and apply a dollar amount to retailers. That's a difficult model in the U.S. with all the different systems, however. And, the typical set-top model has been a lease versus sell model at retail. So, even with OCAP, we don't see set-tops at retail until 2005," says Mark Gurvey, vice president of sales and marketing for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
Best Buy, whose officials wouldn't comment on the company's cable-retail strategy, or if one even exists, would only say it is "currently exploring possible business models with cable and manufacturers."
Those business models are elusive, at best. "How do you manage the marketing and distribution channels? They don't lend themselves to retail. Those are very complex issues for operators, and that's why it's difficult for them to see the business model. We haven't seen anyone put forth a compelling reason for boxes to go to retail," says David Novak, director of marketing for Pace Micro Technology plc, a manufacturer of set-top boxes.
Most experts agree it will take high-end boxes with plenty of advanced features such as personal video recorders, IP communication, HDTV capability and other components to entice consumers to pony up the money to buy them. And they must be interoperable. "It's all possible and OCAP will help, but I don't know if that makes sense to consumers. We have to cost-down the boxes to enable revenue for operators and figure out the right mix at retail. Retailers want it real bad, but they don't realize how difficult it is for operators to transition customers to pay for boxes instead of leasing them, and if it doesn't make money, operators can't afford to do it, especially in today's economy. Today, operators can't make money with boxes at retail," Novak argues.
And until the retail version of a set-top box is defined, priced, warranted and portable, there's little chance of a winning business model surfacing anytime soon. Says Davies: "There are a tremendous number of issues, and set-tops must be well-defined before they're rolled out. We have to collectively develop a business model."
When that happens, the upsides to a retail business model will surface, experts insist. "There's a strong opportunity for retailers to gain customers and clearly for us, too. There's absolutely some value to demonstrating HDTV and digital cable services in high-traffic retail stores. It's a great way to sell and expand the awareness of the product and drive revenue. We want to be out there in the mainstream shopping pattern," Caffrey says.
Getting there is the trick, and with few, if any, serious business models out there, most agree the time for a retail set-top box isn't now. "From the MSO perspective, it's an interesting new avenue to consumers and an opportunity for them to move consumers along to the applications side. But there's little reason to buy a box from a retailer today," concludes Kashore.


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PALO ALTO, Calif. – U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst Safa Rashtchy on Tuesday said Internet media company Yahoo! Inc could make significant cuts in its fourth quarter and year 2002 forecasts because of continued weakness in the advertising market.
In a research update titled "Where are the Ads,'' Rashtchy suggested that Yahoo's advertising business appeared to have gone from bad to worse. "It's hard to find an advertisement on Yahoo these days,'' he wrote.
Rashtchy said many of the ads that could be found on Yahoo's Internet pages were ads for other destinations on Yahoo.
"Yahoo's overall banner ad numbers ... seems to have declined,'' he said.
While the company's in-house ads have helped boost traffic to select Yahoo destinations like Yahoo News, he said "early indications point to decreases just about everywhere else.''
"We continue to believe that Yahoo will report about $170 million in (third quarter) revenue (below our current estimate but in-line with the consensus) but Q4 and 2002 estimates could be cut significantly,'' he wrote.
Yahoo reports third-quarter results on Oct. 10.


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Nexo card sees $50M in holiday spending boosted by its credit function
Nexo card's holiday surge and FinTech Breakthrough Award win highlight crypto's growing role in consumer payments.
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Nexo’s “Holiday Spending Report 2023/2024” report revealed an increase in the use of its Nexo Card during the holiday season, with spending exceeding $50 million, a 43% jump from the previous quarter. The card, which operates in Dual Mode as both credit and debit and lets users spend and borrow against Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins, has also contributed to the preservation of crypto assets by preventing the sale of 2,200 BTC and 41,000 ETH. This surge in usage coincides with a 4.5-fold increase in the card’s user base.
The Nexo Card is related to other products offered by the crypto services provider, including Instant Crypto Credit Lines and an Earn product which offers yield to users. In addition to the spending report, Nexo has been honored with the “Consumer Payments Innovation Award” at the 8th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards.
“The Nexo Card’s holiday performance, as well as its success at the FinTech Breakthrough Awards, not only illustrates a significant adoption of crypto transactions but also signals a shift towards digital currencies in everyday spending. With our Dual Mode Nexo Card, clients not only embraced the digital revolution but also demonstrated how indispensable such products are in the ecosystem. We are honored by the recognition from both FinTech Breakthrough and our clients,” said Elitsa Taskova, CPO of Nexo.
The report reveals that Nexo cardholders preferred to use the credit function during Black Friday and the Christmas period, while a balance between credit and debit was registered when the celebrations peaked on New Year’s Eve.
As for the reasons behind this pattern favoring the credit function, the report highlights benefits such as cashback and maintaining the crypto instead of selling for payments can be two of the main reasons.
This trend also aligns with the broader credit card usage pattern, consisting of consumers often reserving debit cards for daily expenses and credit cards for more substantial purchases or online transactions where additional protections are valued.
The Tether USD (USDT) was the most used crypto as collateral to enable credit functions with a 31,5% share. Bitcoin came close with 27%, while Ethereum stood at a fair distance with almost 10%.
“This move not only exemplifies strategic management by individual users but also highlights the Card’s pivotal role in shaping a more resilient and thoughtful crypto market environment. Among the other cryptocurrencies available on Nexo as collateral Solana’s SOL and Ripple’s XRP are notable mentions per cardholder’s choice, following the most popular collateral options,” revealed the report.
The report also points out that the Nexo Card was used in 164 countries, with Southern Europe accounting for over 33% of overall volumes in credit and almost 40% in debit.
Nexo advertises with Crypto Briefing. The editorial team independently selected this article for publication.


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CHARLOTTE – After a successful first year in 2017, the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference is back for a full-day program highlighting the freshest innovations in fintech from companies throughout the region.
The event, taking place November 14 at Barings in downtown Charlotte, is organized and hosted by Queen City Fintech, a Charlotte-based accelerator that supports financial technology startups through mentoring, capital and connections. The six startups in the program’s ninth cohort will be showcasing their products and services at this year’s conference.
Over a dozen founders from Queen City Fintech’s partner portfolios and Carolina Fintech Hub will also showcase their startups in pitch sessions held in between the program’s keynotes, panels and meetings with investors and entrepreneurs.
The opening keynote will be delivered by Doug Lebda, founder of Charlotte-based consumer lending company LendingTree.
Two “mix and mingle” sessions will be held in the morning and afternoon, offering attending founders one-on-one meetings with investors.


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Memory & Brain Health
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have recommend drinking two cups of hot cocoa a day to maintain brain health and prevent memory loss in older people. Their studies have shown that consuming dark chocolate can preserve blood flow in working areas of the brain preventing degenerative brain diseases. “This relationship, called neurovascular coupling, may play an important role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” said lead author, Farzaneh A. Sorond.
In a study presented at the 2013 American Dental Association, researchers found that a chocolate toothpaste containing theobromine (a natural cacao extract) actually repaired dentin – the leading cause of tooth hypersensitivity – performing better than fluoride-based toothpastes.
Ageing and Cell Damage
Similar to tea and red wine, dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which help rid your body of free radicals that can cause oxidative damage to cells, speeding up the ageing process and contributing to an increased risk of developing cancer.
The journal Phytotherapeutic Research recently published a report by British scientists who found that consuming dark chocolate helped regulate body weight in several ways; it decreased the gene expression of impaired fat synthesis, reduced the absorption of fats and carbohydrates, and increased feelings of fullness.
Enjoying dark chocolate occasionally could help lower the risk of developing heart disease by a third, researchers from the University of Cambridge in England reported. Chocolate contains catechins, an antioxidant also found in fruits and vegetables, this antioxidant has shown “substantial reduction in the risk of cardiometabolic disorders,” said authors of the study.
It is worth noting that while dark chocolate has many benefits for overall health, some brands of chocolate can be high in sugar and fat and should be enjoyed in moderation. For a healthier alternative, opt for an organic dark chocolate that has a higher percentage of cocoa and low to no sugar content.


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In late 2010, Volkswagen announced that it would spend the equivalent of $71 billion through 2015 to beef up its product lineup, determined to overtake Toyota in overall sales and profitability by 2018. Each of VW's many brands, in turn, would play its part contributing to a goal of 10 million sales per year. VW-owned Porsche was expected to sell 200,000 vehicles per year by 2018, but with the imminent arrival of the Macan small sport utility vehicle in 2014, the automaker is poised to meet that
For all the trouble Toyota has endured over the past year, the Japanese juggernaut is still the top dog in the automotive kingdom. Volkswagen wants to change that with an ambitious goal to overtake Toyota in overall sales and profitability by 2018. VW currently has a long way to go to reach Toyota, but Automotive News reports that the German automaker plans to bridge the gap by investing 51.6 billion euros ($71 billion in U.S. dollars) though 2015 to beef up it's product lineup.


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Vodafone has scrapped roaming charges for UK customers in 40 countries, meaning they can use their plans there without additional costs.
However, the new terms are being applied initially only to new or upgraded contracts. The EU is expected to abolish roaming charges for its 28 member states in June. Countries in Vodafone's roam-free destinations list include non-EU states such as Norway, Iceland and Turkey. Beyond these territories, mobile phone users will be charged £5 per day to use UK plans in 60 states including the United States, Russia, China and India.
Vodafone rival Three already offers free roaming in 42 countries on advanced plans.


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Masonite International Corporation, a leading global designer, manufacturer, marketer and distributor of interior and exterior doors, plans to establish operations in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The project is expected to create more than 220 new jobs in York County.
Located at 160 Steele Point Drive, the new Masonite facility will manufacture doors for the North American residential market. The new facility is expected to be operational in early 2022.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to better serve our customers by expanding our capacity with an additional facility in the Southeast. The new plant’s location is ideally suited from a logistics standpoint to service some of our strongest markets. Leveraging state-of-the-art equipment and our Mvantage operating system, our Fort Mill facility will be a safe and efficient addition to our manufacturing network,’ said Masonite President and CEO Howard Heckes.
Masonite International Corporation is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of interior and exterior doors for the new construction and repair, renovation and remodeling sectors of the residential and non-residential building construction markets. It currently serves approximately 8,500 customers in 60 countries.
“South Carolina’s manufacturing sector continues to thrive, attracting businesses like Masonite. I applaud this global company on their investment and look forward to watching them succeed within our borders,” Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said.


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Africa has witnessed the world’s fastest increase in e-connectivity in recent years. Yet, with only around a quarter of its population with internet access, Ocorian Directors John Félicité and Novan Maharahaje analyse why the continent’s digital divide could continue to expand whilst highlighting the role of private sector financing and corporate governance in helping to bridge the gap.
Despite Africa’s recurring growth narratives and noteworthy progress in various economic sectors, income inequality is still a major hurdle to social advancement on the continent. A report issued in September 2019 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that Africa’s inequality could worsen unless concrete action is taken to bridge the continent’s digital divide – the gap between people with internet access and those without.
The worldwide digital economy is currently estimated at 15.5% of global GDP. Dominated by the United States and China, Latin America and Africa trail considerably behind. At less than one percent, Africa’s estimated share of the global digital economy is negligible and could shrink further in the absence of accessible and affordable internet.
Africa still lags far behind for internet access
With the highest recorded growth globally in internet access – up from 2.1% in 2005 to 24.4% in 2018[i] – it is true that the continent has made great strides in terms of e-connectivity. However, with only 27%[ii] of the continent’s population with internet access, Africa still lags behind the rest of the world. The problem is exacerbated by accessibility figures of around 90% in North America and Europe.
Africa’s low rate of internet access is impacting its ranking on other related indices such as e-commerce readiness. In 2018, UNCTAD established that Africa was home to nine of the ten countries the least prepared for e-commerce adoption.
When internet is accessible in Africa, its affordability is often constrained by a lack of competition. According to the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), the trend for broadband to become more competitive is slowing down in many African countries. A4AI estimates that across sub-Saharan Africa, some 260 million people live in markets dominated by just one major mobile network operator. This is an area where both development finance institutions and private investors could play a critical role. They could back local bandwidth providers and SMEs in the telecoms sector whilst supporting local institutional investors such as banks and pension funds.
Lack of competition is having a huge impact on accessibility and affordability
Understandably, the lack of choice has a huge impact not only on accessibility but also on affordability. Across sub-Saharan Africa, people living in markets where there is a lack of competition could on average be paying an additional 5.83% of their monthly income for just 1 GB, reports A4AI in its 2019 Affordability Report (the Report).
The problem of a persistently high cost for internet is not confined to Africa. In low and middle-income countries, 1 GB of data equates to 4.7% of average income – more than double the UN threshold for internet affordability. However, according to the Report, this figure rises to 7.7% across Africa, making the internet out of reach for millions.
What impact could bridging Africa’s digital divide have?
Bridging the digital divide could transform Africa’s societies. The jobs and wealth created by digitised nations could trickle down to a large number of sectors, of which health, transport, energy and agriculture stand to gain the most.
We are already witnessing the positive impact of digitalisation in many areas, one of the most palpable being fintech. On a continental scale, Africa boasts the largest share of adults with mobile money accounts in the world. It is also true that over the last few years, Africa’s tech ecosystem has grown multi-fold, with new incubators, accelerators and start-ups sprouting almost on a daily basis. Yet, where countries such as Kenya have a seemingly thriving tech and mobile money ecosystem, there is no genuine scale across the continent.
It is clear that there is still a lot to be done to curb the digital divide in Africa. The economic impact of digital technology depends on factors such as governance, education, skills levels and basic infrastructure – the International Energy Agency claim that bringing reliable electricity to all Africans would require annual investment of around $120 billion through to 2040. However, by enhancing competition, mitigating risks and boosting private sector financing namely through private equity and blended capital, the pressing need to make internet more accessible and affordable across Africa stands a chance of being realised.
Supporting the growth of tech companies
At Ocorian, we have been privileged to assist in the setting up and growth of leading technology firms and start-ups in Africa across the mobile money, digital bank, micro finance and lending and internet backend infrastructure landscapes. This places us in a unique position to understand the critical success factors and market dynamics across some of Africa’s leading technology-led industries.
From inception through to maturity, we help tech companies measure and enhance their enterprise value and investor value, ensuring they have the required finance capital and governance capital for their optimal growth.
Find out more about Ocorian’s International Growth & Advisory Services here.


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Elon Musk’s new video shows a Tesla mystery car
Tesla has released a blistering promo video, featuring footage of the company’s next-gen Roadster, a glimpse of a mystery car and some panoramic shots of the sprawling Gigafactory.
The two-minute unlisted YouTube video was tweeted out by Elon Musk, referring to it as a “Tesla quarterly all-hands video”. Whether or not that means promos like this will be a regular event remains to be seen, but the clip is a company overview of sorts – encompassing cars, batteries and factories, complete with snazzy editing and a funky soundtrack.
The first interesting part of the video happens around the 16-second mark, when a covered-up vehicle can be spotted in what looks like the company’s Hawthorne design studio. This is where Tesla comes up with its new vehicles, suggesting the car is an as-yet-unannounced project. There’s not a great deal to go on, but the size of the vehicle points to something smaller than the SUV Tesla Y, reportedly in production.
Later in the video we get some impressive shots of Tesla’s vast lithium-ion battery factory, Gigafactory 1. Around the 55-second mark a herd of wild horses makes its way across a wintery landscape, with the factory in the background. It’s like a corporate western.
Just after the one-minute mark we get a look at the next-gen Roadster cockpit in action, with its signature wheel design and minimal dashboard. From there, the video rolls on until a final segment of excited people test riding what looks to be the current-generation Roadster, with varying degrees of terror and wonder.
Last week, Tesla posted its quarterly earnings, reporting overall losses of $784.6 million or $4.19 per share in the first part of the year, despite posting a record revenue of $3.4 billion. Oh well. If the car thing doesn’t work out, at least Musk will have his burgeoning plans for a “candy” empire.


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Posts on quality, life, culture, the media, news & tech with a twist & a slice of Limey. I moved my blog to http://renaissancehambara.jp in December 2006, go there for the latest content.
State of the industry
Some statistics released by Artemis for the UK technology PR sector:
Every quarter, we systematically research the top 1,000 tech companies as part of the Artemis survey and here are some interesting facts:
Between July and September 2004:
* £8 million (est.) worth of new business was won
* 89 companies changed their PR consultancy
* 119 companies (12%) changed either their head of marketing or their head of PR - or both!
* 12 companies merged with or were acquired by another company


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Plenty intl. shipping lines return to Iranian ports
TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) – A PMO official announced that 14 international shipping lines have resumed activities in Iranian ports while eight more liners are eager to return to Iran.
Deputy Managing Director for Port Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Jalil Eslami pointed to willingness of giant shipping lines to establish presence in Iranian ports saying “a total of 22 international liners were active in Iran before sanctions were imposed while 14 of them have resumed their activities in recent months and eight more have voiced readiness to do so.”
The official went on to add that international shipping companies halted their interaction with Iranian ports once sanctions were enforced though ground are prepared now for their return given that sanctions have ended.
“Currently, the 14 international shipping lines attach great importance to Shahid Rejaei and Bandar Abbas ports,” he continued.
Eslami underscored that presence of international liners in Iranian ports will provide exporters and importers with a wider variety of options as well as assisting them to trade goods with more reasonable prices in a competitive atmosphere.
“A further advantage is the alleviation of the need to transfer Iranian goods to ports of neighboring states which would lead to a reduction of extra costs.”
The PMO deputy managing director said the activity of foreign shipping lines gives credit the country for indicating that Iran is a safe place which offers proper trade conditions.
Jalil Eslami, however, called for creation of necessary business infrastructure as a way to attract more shipping lines as well as to boost their eagerness.
“Quite a number the international shipping lines present in Iranian ports are world’s high-ranking liners including Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC) and Evergreen Line.
SOURCE : MEHRNEWS