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Help is on the way for Pennsylvania’s struggling bars, hotels, and restaurants, as $145 million in state grants becomes available this month.
The aid is targeted at businesses with fewer than 300 employees that have lost at least 25% of their sales as a result of the pandemic. Priority will go to those that have not received relief from other state and federal programs, had to temporarily close as a result of Gov. Tom Wolf’s business shutdown orders, or lost more than half of their revenue in 2020.
But the details of how and when to apply vary from county to county.
These local groups must start taking applications by March 15, at the latest, although some plan to start sooner. Businesses in Lancaster County, for instance, will be able to apply on March 8.
As with previous business aid programs, a rush of applications is expected, with demand far exceeding the funding available. The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & Capital Region Economic Development Corp., which is administering the program in Dauphin and Perry counties, warns businesses that the program is expected to be “quickly oversubscribed” once applications open there and that the application window can be closed “at any time.”
Business owners in those counties should look carefully at the information already available online, which includes eligibility criteria, sample application forms, and details on the supporting documents required, said David Black, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber’s president and CEO. The organization will also hold a training session March 11 at 9 a.m., walking business owners through the application process step by step.
The grant program is rolling out as the U.S. Senate considers another stimulus package that includes $15 billion in grants for small businesses. The state funding will help small businesses survive until more federal relief becomes available, said John Longstreet, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association.
“We’re describing it as a down payment on what it will take to help save the restaurant and hotel industry,” he said.


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Digimon Survive has been delayed to 2021. Bandai Namco has shared a statement from the producer explaining the reason for this delay.
Digimon Survive was originally set to launch for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch in 2019. It was then delayed to 2020, however, it appears due to the on-going impact of COVID-19, the game can’t possibly meet its new release window and has been pushed further to 2021.
Here is the message shared by the producer of the game, Kazumasa Habu, which confirms the delay. There is no announcement of a possible next-generation release considering PS5 and Xbox Series X are launching this Holiday.
The Digimon Survive team would like to extend our thanks to fans from around the world for their support during development, especially in these difficult times. We had originally planned to launch Digimon Survive in 2020 but current world events have shifted our development timing and we have made the difficult decision to push Digimon Survive’s launch to 2021.
We thank you all for your continued patience as we work to create a fun and engaging tactical RPG game along with a memorable story for Digimon fans! We will share some exciting updates for Digimon Survive in Spring 2021, so please stay tuned for more information.
– Kazumasa Habu, Producer of Digimon Survive
The game will be now out in 2021 with the first major update planned for Spring 2021. The confirmed platforms so far are PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

domain: news


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TARGET ENTERS SUPERCENTER FRAY
Byline: Mark Tosh
NEW YORK — Target will open its first supercenter Sunday in Omaha, Neb., mounting a counterattack to strategies already advanced by Wal-Mart and Kmart.
Called Super Target, the 190,000-square-foot center — the largest Target to date — includes a full-line, 50,000-square-foot supermarket and a total of 64 checkouts. There also is a cafe, a sushi bar and a juice bar, the kind of amenities often seen in upscale groceries, but generally not in discounters.
As the supercenter competition intensifies, however, Target has a lot of ground to make up.
Wal-Mart operates about 150 supercenters and plans to open 100 more this year, including 85 that will be converted from the smaller discount format. Kmart has 72 Super Kmart Centers and plans to open 20 more this year.
Regional discounters Fred Meyer Inc., Portland, Ore., and Meijer Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., each operate about 85 supercenters.
“Target had to step up to the plate,” said Saul Yaari, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, an investment banking firm. “It’s not that they want to deal with food. They would have liked to stick to opening more regular stores. But they have to go into supercenters because of competitive situations.”
He added, “We think the fact that Target is a latecomer to supercenters does not necessarily mean that they have missed anything. Actually, they could have learned from the mistakes of the others and do a better job, the same way they did in larger discount store formats, such as Greatland, which they were the last to develop.”
Super Target’s general merchandise areas are modeled on Target’s Greatland format, which has wider aisles, better fixturing and more floor space than the company’s traditional discount units. Greatland stores average about 125,000 square feet.
The second Super Target, a 160,000-square-foot version, will be unveiled in October in Lawrence, Kan., according to a Target spokeswoman.
Target recently acquired a 180,000-square-foot Twin Valu supercenter near Cleveland from Supervalu, a wholesale food distributor that will supply groceries to the Super Target in Omaha. Target would not comment on its plans for the site, although it could become another Super Target.
In 1996, analysts expect Target to open supercenters in Elk River, Minn., Champagne, Ill., and two other undisclosed locations. “We think it’s a strategy worth testing,” the spokeswoman said. “We see that when people have less time, one-stop shopping becomes a convenience. It seems like a strategy that can work.”
She declined to provide a volume estimate for the Super Target in Omaha or to provide details on 1996 opening plans.
Supercenters, which are a refinement of the European hypermarket format, average about 160,000 square feet and achieve annual volume of $55 million to $65 million, according to a recent Management Horizons report. About 55 to 60 percent of the sales are generated from the general merchandise side and earnings before interest and taxes total about 5.5 percent of sales. Management Horizons, a division of Price Waterhouse, estimated the start-up costs of a new supercenter at $11.2 million and a break-even sales level of about $44 million. Hypermarkets, which both Wal-Mart and Kmart tested briefly, are usually larger and require greater investment and break-even sales.
As Target, the nation’s third-largest discounter, experiments with the supercenter format, it continues to rapidly roll out traditional discount units. A division of Dayton Hudson Corp. with an annual volume of about $12 billion, Target operates 611 stores and expects to open 70 more this year.
Target chose Omaha for its first supercenter since it already has a strong presence there with three discount stores, and because the supermarket competition makes it a “good place for a test,” the spokeswoman said.
“What we are really depending on is that shoppers know it will be a Target and know that we will offer the same quality when it comes to groceries,” the spokeswoman said. “We’re banking on our good name and reputation.”
Randy Rients, general manager of the Super Target in Omaha, said if the store is ready early enough, he hopes to have a soft opening for members of local nonprofit organizations today or Thursday. Rients said Target plans to survey customers in Omaha and Lawrence this year to determine what they like and dislike about each supercenter. “I’m from the Twin Cities,” he said, “and the analogy I use is it’s kind of like when the Mall of America opened in the Twin Cities. That’s what Super Target is to Omaha. There’s lots of excitement, lots of curiosity.”


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As is customary for September, it looks like Apple is gearing up to announce a range of major new products, including the Watch Series 6, iPhone 12 and a new iPad Air.
Although nothing has been formally announced just yet, a handful of prolific (and often accurate) technology leakers claim Apple has some news to share this week, likely on September 8.
- What we want to see from rumored Apple HomePod Mini smart speaker
- iPhone 12 leaks and rumors: What we know so far
- When does the iPhone 12 go on sale? Apple fans could be waiting until November
According to Jon Prosser, who is a high-profile Apple news leaker, the company will announce the new Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air on September 8. As with other Apple products launched in 2020, this will happen in the form of a press release instead of an in-person or streamed event.
Prosser believes the press release will land at 9:00am EST although, he says, "I should note that it's not locked in until the press has been briefed, day of."
Meanwhile, Twitter account @LeaksApplePro claims Apple will have some news to share a couple of hours later, at 11:00am EST on September 8. Apple traditionally announces new products on Tuesdays, adding credit to the September 8 claims.
To further confuse things, the often-accurate Mark Gurman tweeted, seemingly in response to Prosser, saying: "I wouldn't get too excited about rumors of new Apple products appearing this week. More likely I think: an announcement of the upcoming (of course virtual) September iPhone/Apple Watch event."
This is more in line with what we'd expect from Apple, with an announcement for an event that will feature the new iPhone family and new Apple Watch. But it has previously been reported that the Watch Series 6 represents such a small upgrade over last year's Series 5, that a press release will suffice, adding credence to Prosser's claim.
Apple tends to send invitations to launch events two weeks in advance. However, with social distancing measures in place the company has not hosted any in-person events this year. Instead, products have arrived via press release, and the company's WWDC event took place online with a pre-recorded video presentation.
It is highly unlikely that Apple will hold an in-person event for the new iPhone, so any invitation will purely be a notice of when the online launch will take place.
As well as new iPhones, iPads and the Watch Series 6, Apple is expected to announce its 'AirTags' device trackers, plus a new, smaller HomePod smart speaker before the end of 2020.


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To celebrate the announcement ofOpenSSO Express,here is an updated list of Sun products that build directly onGlassFish Server- let me know if I'm missing any.
•Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server,(GlassFish For Business,HADB)•SJS MQ(OpenMQ)•SJS Mobile Enterprise Platform(MEP at TA)•SailFin(Sailfin at TA,PR)•Web Synergy•ESB Suite(Open ESB),Sun MDM Suite(Mural)andJava CAPS•Federated Access Manager(OpenSSO)
MIke Milinkovich of the Eclipse Foundation has just published an
on the Jakarta EE project. As noted in a prior post
Oracle is very pleased that Eclipse
GlassFish 5.1 has been released and certified as Java EE 8
compatible. This is an important milestone...
In our last blog
on Jakarta EE we discussed that
moving Java EE technologies to Jakarta EE was a huge undertaking.
We have made enormous...


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This is The All-New Toyota Yaris Cross Adventure
Wait… what? The fourth-generation Yaris was launched last year, what is the Yaris Cross all about? This is confusing, the Yaris has always been about the small compact hatch. The short answer is, it’s all about changing consumer trends. Car buyers are trending away from pitiful compact hatches to compact SUVs. And in response, auto manufacturers are adding more SUV-style vehicles to their product line-up. And so begins the euthanization of the compact hatch. This is where the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid enters the fray. It is a Yaris but not as we know it. The Yaris Cross Adventure is a pre-sales marketing drive to get you interested in buying one. Admittedly, personally would never consider buying a Yaris hatch but I would consider buying the Yaris Cross.
Consumer buying experts and psychologists call this buying trend “automotive racism”. The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid was scheduled for release in Europe in late 2020 but was delayed due to the Pandemic. It is slated for retail release in mid-2021. The compact SUV is a collaboration between Toyota’s Japanese and European design studios. It is built on Toyota’s unified GA-B platform which is also utilized by Lexus. The Yaris Cross will be powered by a familiar 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder Hybrid engine and will also have 4-wheel drive capability.
Unfortunately, total system power equates to 114bhp and the drivetrain is tugged along by a CVT transmission. Combined, the low-powered engine and lethargic CVT will be an outlier for mediocre performance. But hey, the type of person that buys a vehicle driven by a CVT doesn’t much care about performance. The Yaris Cross is already available to buy in Japan, the European version will be built in France.
UK Pricing has yet to be revealed. But we can extrapolate future price trends by taking a look at the Yaris hybrid hatch, which costs an alarming £19k. Therefore the Yaris Cross Hybrid will cost an alarming amount of money.


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Highlights growing importance of food sector; Part of growing M&A trend
US food and drink company PepsiCo has highlighted the strategic importance of the Russian market for big global companies with its plans to acquire a controlling stake in juice and dairy firm Wimm-Bill-Dann that will transform its position in the fast-growing beverages sector. Following the purchase, the Russian juice market will effectively be divided between Pepsi and its arch-rival, Coca-Cola.
In early December Pepsi announced a bid worth $3.8 billion for a 66% stake in Wimm-Bill-Dann, with an option to acquire the rest at a later date. The offer price for the majority stake valued the total company at $5.7 billion and was a 32% premium to outstandings when news of the planned acquisition was announced. Wimm-Bill-Dann stock surged on the news of the takeover bid, with the companys Moscow-listed shares jumping 58% on the back of heavy trading volumes.
The transaction will establish PepsiCo as the largest food and beverage business in Russia and build on its presence in key markets in eastern Europe and central Asia. It also will raise PepsiCos annual global revenues from nutritious and functional foods from roughly $10 billion to $13 billion as part of its goal to build a $30 billion nutrition business by 2020.
"Adding Wimm-Bill-Dann to PepsiCos portfolio is financially attractive and gives us a strong, high-growth platform in the dairy category"
Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo
"Adding Wimm-Bill-Dann to PepsiCos portfolio is financially attractive and gives us a strong, high-growth platform in the dairy category," says Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman. "It also gives us clear leadership in the food and beverage industry in Russia, a fast-growing, strategically important market offering abundant opportunity."
The deal, which will require approval by the Russian government, will make Russia Pepsis biggest market outside the US, giving it control of 49 factories and 31,000 employees in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and central Asia. Wimm-Bill-Dann was the last big independent player on the juice market after Pepsis acquisition of Lebedyansky in 2008, and Coca-Colas acquisitions of Nidan Soki earlier this year and Aquavision in 2007.
Wimm-Bill-Dann had already been a focus for global food companies; French dairy group Danone previously bought an 18.4% share in the company when Wimm-Bill-Dann launched an initial public offering in 2002 as the first Russian food company to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Danone sold its stake in October for $470 million to comply with competition rules so it could buy Unimilk, another Russian dairy company.
Commenting on PepsiCos acquisition plans, Thies Ziemke, managing partner at ParusKreml Capital Management in Moscow, who runs the Sokol Russian Equity Opportunity Fund, says: "PepsiCos move is symbolic for the new boldness of international investors after the crisis. And it underlines the growing importance of the Russian food sector, both in terms of production and consumption." He adds that the premium offered by Pepsi indicates the "real value of Russian assets".


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Tesla supplier Pegatron to set up plant in the US
Electric vehicle maker Tesla supplier Pegatron is planning to set up a manufacturing plant in the US. It is believed Texas will be the chosen site. Pegatron Chairman Tung Tzu-Hsien says it is internally considered, but the final decision will be announced by their client.
Pegatron is an electronic manufacturing company, mainly producing consumer electronic devices, including notebooks, desktop computers. In recent years, Pegatron is leveraging its resources to expand the business to electric cars, IoT and contact lens.
In an interview, Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-Hsien says he foresees a bright future for electric cars and thinks sales growth is likely to double next year, regarding the global trends in renewable energy set for 2035 and the climate change as an accelerator for the industry.
Pegatron currently has manufacturing plants in Taiwan, Europe and China. Tesla is setting up a manufacturing plant in Texas to serve for the production of Cybertruck, Semi, Model 3 and Model Y. It will become the second manufacturing site of Tesla in the US creating an ‘ecological paradise’ as Elon Musk promises.


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The new 3-row SUV hits the New York Auto Show with up to 34 mpg combined and improved luxury.
Does Toyota’s all-new three-row crossover SUV have what it takes to keep up with the best in the segment?
Lincoln’s new entry-level crossover is quiet and loaded with tech.
Guess we know why Apple and Qualcomm reached a settlement agreement in their licensing dispute.
Commentary: It’s still big and it’s still not that cheap. What’s the advantage for you?
Stricter rules based in part on the #MeToo movement, the company tells the Journal.
The company best known for retooling the old Fisker Karma design is trying to expand its horizons, but is it going far enough with its plans to be taken seriously?


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*Sigh* Back to work. But at least it’s already Wednesday, right?
- A new look at sampling, creative commons and copyright: where do things stand today?
- A good look at the $6 billion EDM industry. Yes, six BILLION.
- Media, technology and the innovator hegemony. What?
- Here’s an analysis of celebrity fashion statements seen at Glastonbury this year.
- Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley gets back to making music.
- Someone hit the Bob Dylan motherlode. What’s this stuff worth?
- Weird Al is back. Eight videos will be premiered over eight days. Details here.
- Argentina’s music industry lobby website hacked and turned into Pirate Bay proxy.


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eToro have signed a deal with 7 Premier League clubs. What? Exactly; but these days football is all about investment opportunities and stopping any leakage of money given the crazy amounts they spread on players these days.
This exciting partnership will help bring awareness to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies via football fans. The deal includes access to interview backdrops, rights to players, tickets, stadium LEDs and other stadium advertising.
In addition to the advertising deal, the teams have also agreed to create wallets for future Bitcoin payments.
Iqbal V. Gandham, managing director at eToro, said:
“Blockchain can improve the experience for everyone who loves the ‘beautiful game.’
While the partnership payments were sent in Bitcoin, the new partners plan to use the underlying blockchain technology to assist in authentic merchandise detection and ticket scalping in the future.
The 7 teams involved are:
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Crystal Palace
- Newcastle United
- Cardiff City
- Leicester City
- Brighton & Hove Albion
This deal beyond the simple advertising is demonstrating another innovative way DLT can be utilised and if successful will definitely spread through many other similar applications. It’s not new but it is certainly grabbing headlines, expect to see it on SkySports News soon.
DLT/Blockchain conferences always hark on how the idea is more than just token/coin issues but about its utilisation as companies get used to the idea behind it and become more imaginitive in its use. If not it will continue to purely be just the way cryptocurrency is “done”. New businesses rather than ‘older’ firms are more likely to adopt the tech and until they can find a way to expand into older minds this will be a slow process. It has to be encumbent upon the entrepreneurials to push the barriers, knock down the walls and enter the stuffier halls of big business. They once they blew the dust off those old ledgers and dared to use excel. Now we must convince them excel has gone past it’s sell by date as a stand alone application, we can then demonstrate DLT/Blockchain has financial benefits as well as secure controls and comprehensive applications in any field that requires some element of a “trail.” Should the stuffier companies want to survive amongst this emerging tech then they have to see more rewards and new companies eating into their current markets only then will the world of old business truly start to become digital. Football is as good a place to start in terms of stuffy old boardrooms.


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It seems that the purple haze all in Jimi’s brain is moving to his stomach. Yes, that’s right—we’re getting Jimi Hendrix edibles.
Purple Haze Properties announced on Wednesday that the company has brokered licensing deals with manufacturers in California and Oregon to distribute Nutritional High’s line of Jimi’s Cannabis Collection Gummy Bears and Hard Candies, which will also be available in Colorado in the coming months. With a wide array of flavors, the candies will each be named after Hendrix’s song titles.
“I look forward to these great products being available in dispensaries in California, Oregon and Colorado,” said Leon Hendrix, brother of the late guitar legend. “I really think the fans will love these stoner treats.
Hendrix isn’t the first musician to get in on the green rush from beyond the grave. Back in September, it was announced that recreational strains of marijuana developed by Merle Haggard were set to enter the Colorado market this year.
For all HIGH TIMES marijuana edibles coverage, click here.


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In a recent interview with US Gamer, Monolith Soft founder Tetsuya Takahashi sat down to discuss some unanswered questions about last year’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2. During their talk, he was asked about the possibility of bringing the 2016’s Wii U epic Xenoblade Chronicles X to the Nintendo Switch. While he didn’t say much, it sounds like it definitely isn’t in their plans.
When asked about the potential of a port, Takahashi said “The future at present is unclear. Personally speaking, I’d love to play the game on the Switch, but it would be really difficult to make it.” He cited the fact that, since Xenoblade Chronicles X is such a massive game, it would cost a lot to recreate it for the Nintendo Switch.
While there were many great games for the Wii U, the console is widely seen as a failure, leading many of the console’s greatest hits to either fade into obscurity or try to find a new, larger audience on the Nintendo Switch. While it may be out of the picture right now, there’s always a chance we may see Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Switch in the future!
Were you expecting this game to make its way to the Switch? Hit the comments to let us know how you feel!
Source: US Gamer


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Kemira in double paper investment
Kemira has opened a new dry polymer polyacrylamide (DPAM) plant in Ulsan, South Korea, and has also begun the pre-engineering phase for a third alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) sizing agents line at Nanjing in China. Both investments are targeted at the growing paper and board packaging market in the Asia-Pacific region.
DPAM is mostly used in retention and drainage applications for rapid paper and board production. The new facility is a joint venture with Yongsan Chemicals and, Kemira said, its manufacturing capabilities “are supported by full backward integration to key raw materials, ensuring cost-effective production”.
ASA sizing agents are used to improve water resistance in paper and board, including packaging. Kemira is the largest producer of sizing agents in the region market and Nanjing is the world’s largest ASA production site. The planned expansion will take about two years to complete, the company added.


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There’s something stinky going on with milk at the moment. For those of you who may not be aware, there is of a milk crisis of sorts going on in Australia. Our poor dairy farmers are being paid a pittance per litre for their milk. Price-wise, consumers have had a minor win as a result, with the large supermarket duopoly of Woolworths and Coles having a price war and resulting in a price of $1 per litre. This is reported to be not even covering production costs for farmers.
I did some quick research before writing this post and it appears to be a much more complex matter than I first realised. According to a source on News.com.au, the global price of whole milk powder has collapsed by nearly 60 percent from its peak three years ago. The reasons stated for this are a trade embargo by Russia in 2014, and the EU removing quotas on milk in March last year to allow EU dairy businesses to compete, allegedly leading to oversupply.
Whatever the cause/s, dairy farmers are struggling. To do our little part, I have been purchasing a farmer’s milk brand which is more expensive in the hope that the extra I am paying goes back to the farmers. Further research on this shows that the extra money may not necessarily be paid forward as hoped.
And then to the supermarket war – ie Demi –v- Woolies. Virtually every time I go to purchase milk from Woolies, the home branded variety has nice long use-by dates on it – around 9 days or more. However, the use by dates on the farmer’s branded milk is almost always only a few days ahead.
Three times now I have chased down a supermarket attendant and asked whether there is more farmer’s branded milk in storage which has longer dates on it. Twice I was successful – showing that the freshest farmer’s branded milk is not displayed; the last time, I was told that ‘what’s on the shelf is all there is’. At other times the fridge shelves have little stickers everywhere saying that the farmer’s branded milk is ‘temporarily out of stock’.
Really? My theory is that the longer dated home brand milk is being pushed in favour of the farmer’s branded milk. I must be a conspiracy theorist – or just perhaps a cynic?


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Mobile World Congress 2024 daily recap: Edge computing and digital divas
Spain – 5G, AI and edge computing were hot topics at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), but what happens when all three technologies converge? Ankur Jain, vice-president of Google Cloud Telecommunications, emphasised the role of 5G-enabled network edge computing in addressing privacy and data sovereignty issues in AI applications. Following Jain's talk, a panel of representatives from Dell, ZTE, Amdocs and Equinix were equally optimistic about AI. The sustainable benefits of this interoperability were put forward – processing close to the data centre can save huge amounts of energy, as well as financial and safety benefits.
Taking a different tack on AI’s ever-expanding capabilities, in a talk entitled AI Arias and Digital Divas, Barnabas Takacs, head of research and development at FFP Productions, and Roberto Iacoviello, lead research engineer at RAI, introduced a project using AI to create a 3D digital twin of the late opera singer Maria Callas, fully equipped with the soprano’s unmistakable voice. ‘As time passes memory can fade so creating digital twins of cultural icons can bridge the past and the present,’ said Iacoviello, but while we will see a lot more from virtual actors, Takacs stressed that they wouldn’t be stealing work from real actors; instead they will create an entirely new market within the entertainment industry.
AI isn’t the only tool for digital innovation in entertainment, however. Imagine going to a theme park where no one visit is the same and each ride is customised to you. According to Andreu Tobella Brunet, digital director of PortAventura World theme park, phygital experiences combining augmented reality with traditional entertainment venues is the future of entertainment.
How can you introduce a virtual aspect to your physical experience or vice versa? Phygital is set to be the future of entertainment and successfully marrying the two creates endless possibilities for re-invention and customisation
L’Occitane celebrates Ramadan with a virtual pop-up store
Global – French beauty brand L’Occitane En Provence has unveiled a virtual store in celebration of Ramadan. Created in partnership with Emperia, the interactive experience emphasises togetherness, gifting and self-reflection.
The Ramadan Village was designed to evoke a traditional Middle Eastern house and the spirit of Ramadan celebrations. Co-created with artist Bayan Yasien, the experience is thought to evoke the warmth, security and familiarity of holiday traditions. Inside, L’Occitane products are showcased as trusty self-care tools in key moments of Ramadan, when fasting can pose skin challenges like dehydration. The brand also helps customers find their skincare routine via a questionnaire generating product recommendations that can be added to a shopping basket or shared.
‘Rather than focusing solely on the traditional function of e-commerce, the brand keeps […] enriching the online journey through education and individualisation, embodying its heritage of top personal customer support while leveraging new technologies,’ the co-founder and CEO of Emperia, Olga Dogadkina, explained in a statement.
This activation follows the inclusivity boost we started tracking in 2022 in our Halal Beauty Market report, driving beauty brands to consider religious and ethical restrictions in their strategies.
Beauty brands sticking to one-size-fits-all strategies are setting themselves up for failure. To compete with regional favourites, find local partners to develop educative and interactive branded experiences that celebrate and honour culture
Foresight Friday: Fiona Harkin, director of foresight
Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, director of foresight Fiona Harkin talks space snooping, poor little films and the new ultra-fem power dressing.
: There’s going to be a giant zoom lens in the sky, built and provided by Albedo Space in the US, which can tell if you’re sunbathing in your back garden naked, or not – and we should all be concerned about our privacy. Of course, any acceptance of an infringement of privacy is persuaded by claims of it helping the common good: security, saving lives during natural disasters etc. And it’s in this way that we incrementally give up more of our human rights – read more in The New York Times
: So, Poor Things, let’s discuss. Is it an allegorical view of our messed up patriarchal reality or is it the most misogynistic film ever made, infantilising women as sex objects and one which ‘takes the absolute biscuit’?
: I’m sharing The Sartorialist’s view of the frow at Max Mara last week, looking so very extra-together. Okay, it’s Max Mara and one would expect high-level feminine elegance, but the attendees across all age groups collectively channelled a not-so-quiet, 1980s revival fem-luxe, somewhat clashing with the masculine looks coming down the catwalk. It said: ‘I’ve got a job to do, I’m wearing 15 deniers, don’t get in my way, pass me the YSL Rive Gauche.’ Read our autumn/winter 2024 fashion week summaries here.
Quote of the week
‘I’m sure the technology is terrific. I still think and hope it fails,’ says one Silicon Valley investor. ‘Apple feels more and more like a tech fentanyl dealer that poses as a rehab provider.’
Why Tim Cook is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro by Nick Bilton, Vanity Fair
Stat: FootballCo explores shifting fan preferences in global football
Global – New research from FootballCo, a media company specialising in football insights, highlights significant growth in interest in the sport in the Middle East and the US, where a surge in young player-over-club fans is reshaping traditional football landscapes.
Across emerging and established markets, data reveals a shift in content consumption habits. Notably, 38% of Euro 2024 fans said that missing live matches wouldn’t affect their tournament enjoyment, a figure that rose to 47% among Gen Z England fans.
The findings underline a broader trend: young fans, particularly Generation Z, are diversifying their football experience, embracing video games, online highlights and social media content alongside traditional match-viewing. Qualitative interviews emphasise a desire for football content to offer entertainment and narrative depth, akin to popular series like Welcome to Wrexham and Drive to Survive. Beyond on-pitch action, stories and inspiration captivate modern audiences, driving engagement beyond mere match outcomes.
To engage young audiences effectively, businesses – within and outside of the sports sector – must grasp consumers’ media consumption habits across platforms. Diversifying content across formats is crucial for seamless connection across text, video, gaming, social media and more


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We’ve heard about a couple of recent developments that should liven up the street food scene in Philly.
First up, four food trucks recently received makeovers from ArtWorks!, an after-school arts program for Philadelphia youth run by the Mural Arts Program. A fifth mural is in progress. The trucks now sport brightly colored vinyl wrappings to help distinguish them from the brick and mortar cityscape.
“The trucks sort of blended into the background because they have been there so long,” said project coordinator Sherman Fleming. She added that the designs draw attention to the history of food trucks and raise awareness about their businesses. The program also encourages students to think about how art can be used as a tool for entrepreneurs and independent business owners, Squires said.
Each truck’s art is unique to the stories of its owners. Rami’s features a Lebanese flag. Tom McClusker, who owns a food truck on Drexel University’s campus, incorporated his interest in Day of the Dead, telling Shira to “go wild,” said Squires. “Trucks themselves are a good metaphor to celebrate immigration since they literally move around the city,” Walinsky wrote in an e-mail. The design process involved collaboration between the artist, students and food truck owners.
Owners so far are pleased with the results. McClusker noted that customers are more likely to stay and chat, and has noticed an uptick in business, said Fleming. Soo Le, owner of Koja, said customers have described the result as “beautiful,” “colorful” and “amazing.” “They like it,” Dakko agreed. He said customers stop by to ask about the designs and compliment them. [The Daily Pennsylvanian]
Next up, a new dessert truck called Sugar Philly Truck (SPT for short) is set to open on Monday (Jan 25th) around 36th and Walnut Streets that will sell gourmet desserts to students at affordable prices. SPT will frequent every major university in Philadelphia, including Drexel, Penn, Temple, and USP, and their home base will be on 38th Street, between Walnut and Locust Streets, according to the owners.
SPT is the creation of Drexel ’08 grad, John Suh and University of Pennsylvania ’03 grad, Franklin Shen, who plan to rely heavily on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as their Web site, sugarphillytruck.com, to let people know where they’re going to be at any given time. (Wonder where they got that idea?)
The truck itself is a converted mobile post office that was formerly stationed in front of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Suh said that the SPT creators bought it this year, fitted it with a kitchen, and redesigned the exterior.
Sugar Philly Truck’s menu includes chocolate bread pudding with an Earl Grey tea crème anglaise, peanut panna cotta accompanied by a concord grape sauce and dusted with chocolate crumbs and toasted peanuts, as well as many other deserts. [The Triangle]
Last up is what we at NYSF would call Honorary Street Food. Opening the week of Feb 1st is Maru Global a quick-serve restaurant that’s the first place in Philly to focus on takoyaki, the puffy, fried crepe balls that are traditional Japanese street food. It’s usually studded with octopus, but Tokyo-born chef Ryo Igarashi and his wife, Nicole, are offering multiple varieties, including Philly cheesesteak, pizza, spicy shrimp, barbecue, and sweet-and-sour miso. The original, based on scallion and red ginger, can be made to order with shrimp, chicken, sirloin, or octopus. They’re sold six for $3.25.
Maru Global is at 255 S. 10th St. (267-273-0567) and should not be confused with Maru, a Japanese/Korean restaurant that opened last month at 206 Market St. in Old City. Maru means “round” or “perfect” in Japanese. [Philly.com]


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SOMERSWORTH — City Councilor David Witham has apologized for comments he made last month that some considered critical of downtown business owners.
Speaking during Monday’s City Council meeting, Witham said his remarks during the July 21 meeting were not particularly thoughtful or becoming of a city councilor.
“To those businesses and residents I may have offended, I deeply apologize,” he said. “I care deeply about the community and I will continue to do whatever I can to make it better tomorrow than today.”
Witham on July 21 said that he’d been avoiding the downtown based of the amount of criticism he’s gotten from downtown business owners concerned about the pace and impacts of the $5 million downtown construction project. At the time he also said the family has been buying its pizza and ice cream in Rochester and Dover rather than face grief from Somersworth store owners.
This week, Witham said he’s continued to buy food from Somersworth House of Pizza, Villa Pizza and visit other local merchants.
Witham also said he’s had a productive meeting with Tom Kefalas, owner of Somersworth House of Pizza, who fired back at Witham after hearing his comments on July 22.
Witham said they understand each other well and both care a great deal about the city.


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“For six years, Rafat Shororo longed for the taste of a KFC sandwich he had eaten in Egypt. This week, he got his finger lickin’ fix at home in the Gaza Strip after a local delivery company managed to smuggle it from Egypt through underground tunnels.
‘It has been a dream, and this company has made my dream come true,’ says Mr. Shororo, an accountant, as he receives his order from the delivery guy.
The al-Yamama company advertises its unorthodox new fast-food smuggling service on Facebook. It gets tens of orders a week for KFC meals despite having to triple the price to 100 shekels ($30) to cover transportation and smuggling fees. The deliveries go from the fryers at the Al-Arish KFC joint 35 miles away to customers’ doorsteps in about three hours.”
— “KFC smugglers bring buckets of chicken through Gaza tunnels,” Ahmed Aldabba, Christian Science Monitor
“Delivering KFC by Tunnel, Not Too Fast but Satisfying,” Fares Akram, New York Times
Short link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-gFJ
Image (“Arabian Delights, after Ludwig Deutsch [detail]”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.


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As the private aviation charter market continues to enjoy a “new golden age”, Geneva based LunaJets warns at this EBACE of a hard landing as it sees more signs of market bubbles.
“This year-to-date, our growth is over 90%, considering a $110M revenue in 2021 for our private jet charter division” comments Guillaume Launay, LunaJets Sales Director
“our Web platform model and industry position puts us at the front line of any market changes; and I can tell you that the shift has been dramatic”.
LunaJets’ website and mobile app receives thousands of visitors every day.
Eymeric Segard, LunaJets CEO, warns “I am delighted with our performance so far.
“We continue to deliver on our strategy based on the best technology, and expand with new offices into new markets.
“Nonetheless, I maintain a cautiously optimistic and opportunistic approach as I don’t believe in the current euphoria and see more risks ahead for our industry.
“Either the current trend lasts, and the market faces a major supply issue, or it reverses dramatically and faces a new wave of bankruptcies.
“2021 was like a wild pendulum, from one side to the other in 3 months and I don’t see any indication of a soft landing.
“Having said that MI will not be surprised if we experience another >50% growth in our revenue this year if the current situation remains.”
Segard adds “Most of our competitors have either been acquired, gone into administration or are currently for sale.
“With our long-term track record and cash rich balance sheet we are ready to seize any opportunity as we expect more consolidation ahead when the market reverses”.
Segard lists his view of the risks for the industry:
- Post-Covid recovery mostly based on new clients and short flights, rather than existing and long haul.
- Business clients have not returned to pre-Covid level as video and remote working are still favoured
- Financial market volatility may send new clients back to commercial airlines
- The crypto wealth effect may disappear as fast as it stormed our industry
- War in Ukraine
- Supply chain disruption will delay plane delivery and maintenance
- Pilot and crew shortage
- Impact of inflation on charter rates
- Rising cost of debt and financing will impact the velocity of sales and acquisition market
- IPO’s, SPAC’s and M&A activity at nonsense prices will fade
- New Covid variants
- Sustainability regulations
LunaSolutions, the sales & acquisition division of the group, is also experiencing a strong year and hits a new record of transactions.
“We see aircraft that we sold within the last 18 months coming back on the market at a premium of 50%” comments Alain Leboursier, LunaJets MD.
“The market has shifted from struggling to find buyers to struggling to find enough good aircraft in a few months.
“The situation is very similar to the charter market, and maybe worse than the 2008 bubble peak” fears Leboursier.
“We will continue to diversify our revenue stream into other aviation services markets.
‘During Covid we opened a new Cargo division, LunaLogisitisk, and a Group Charter division, run by Rémi Aubin in Paris, who has already organised flights for more than 18,000 passengers this year”.


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What Do People Eat in Countries with the Longest Life Expectancies?
February 20, 2015
What Do People Eat in Countries with the Longest Life Expectancies?
At the global level, both male and female life expectancies have increased by six years since 1990, with gains recorded across all income groups.
It may be surprising to see Canada on this list: after all, gobbling up poutine is a national pastime. A survey entitled Overview of Canadians’ Eating Habits, conducted in 2004, asked more than 35,000 people to recall what they had eaten during the previous 24 hours. Results show that “Canadians were generally within acceptable ranges for the number of servings from the four major food groups and for the percentage of calories from fat, protein and carbohydrates”; however, despite these findings, the Canadian diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables.
Maybe it’s all that surströmming they’re eating, but there is a reason the new Nordic food movement has gained momentum around the world. Nordic food largely stems from the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. The new Nordic diet — Scandinavia’s answer to the Mediterranean diet — calls for eating more plants sourced from the wild, seafood — like fish, shellfish, and seaweed — whole grains, fruits, and vegetables . When it comes to red meat, the new Nordic diets calls for restraint, but recommends a moderate amount of high-quality, lean red meat. According to a Vogue article, “a typical week’s dinners in a [Nordic diet] might include three meat, two seafood, and two vegetarian meals, but, on any given day, you can eat as many as you like, within reason, of root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and berries, legumes, and orchard fruits, all of them local and in season, and whole grains such as rye, spelt, oats, and barley.”
Like its sister Scandinavian country of Sweden, Iceland also operates on the Nordic diet, which is said to have expansive health benefits: it may regulate cholesterol and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Last year, Iceland was said to have the world’s healthiest diet in a documentary produced by Channel 4 in the UK. In the film, leading nutritionists and dietitians ranked various countries’ diets based on weekly groceries, typical meals, and common snacks. In Iceland, visitors will find foods in their most pure and raw form, due to the country’s geography as well as governmental red tape that helps safeguard the environment. Icelandic people are lamb lovers, and Icelandic meat is said to be among the least fatty in the world. Come the warmer weather, lambs feed off the plants found in the country’s hillsides and mountains; in addition, lamb is slaughtered at six months instead of 11, making the meat leaner. Aside from lamb, Icelanders also consume a great amount of fish, including haddock, carpelin, herring, cod, lobsters, clams, shrimp, and Arctic char — similar to salmon and rich in Omega -3’s. Hákarl is also a much-loved dish in Iceland, although both Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern could barely stomach it. Icelandic people also eat a tremendous amount of fruit and root vegetables, like potatoes and beets.
We know what you’re thinking: with all that pizza and pasta, how is it that Italians maintain a healthy diet? The answer is simple: it’s all about balance, quality, and leisure eating. Italian food falls under the umbrella of Mediterranean cuisine, which places a focus on natural, seasonal ingredients. According to famed Italian chef Gino D’Acampo, Italians eat smaller portion sizes, incorporate olive oil into their cooking, and enjoy a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, bread, rice, beans, nuts, and, of course, pasta. However, Italians are careful to eat their pasta al dente, or firm. Why? D’Acampo says that pasta al dente has a lower glycemic index than soft pasta and it keeps you feeling fuller longer. Additionally, Italians absorb most of their protein from seafood and fish: they try to incorporate at least two portions of fish into their diets each week. Italians limit their intake of meat, full-fat dairy products, and eggs, and they also use salt sparingly.
Nestled between the mountains of France and Spain sits Andorra, a “micro-country” set high in the Pyrenees. A combination of fresh mountain air, a low-stress lifestyle, diet, and nutrition are the secret behind Andorrans’ longevity. Given its location, Andorran cuisine draws influences from both France and Spain. Andorrans get their nutrition from fish, fresh vegetables, and lean meats — most commonly locally-raised lamb — most of which comes from neighboring countries.
A chocolate a day keeps the doctor away must be the motto for the Swiss. Or maybe it’s a cut of cheese? Either way, the Swiss diet is clearly working. Swiss cuisine draws influences from France, Germany, and Italy, and the diet here relies on high-quality, fresh ingredients. We can thank the Swiss for Bircher muesli, a staple in the Swiss diet, as is yogurt, cheese, fish — particularly lake fish —, eggs, and whole wheat breads. Recently, the Swiss diet also made headlines for its inclusion of cat and dog meat.
This is a meat lover’s country if there ever was one: Australians love their red meat (and their meat pies). Oddly enough, despite Australian longevity, the Aussie diet isn’t necessarily a health-conscious one. According to a 2011 survey administered that detailed the weekly eating habits of Australians, beef is the main source of protein in the typical Aussie diet, followed by fish, then pork. Australians are also reported to include a fair amount of fresh vegetables and fruits into their weekly diets. Aussies love to eat natural yogurt, potato chips, and vegemite, among other foods; however, according to The Australian Dietary Guidelines, Australians are eating too many starchy vegetables, refined cereals, dairy foods with high fat content, red meat, and foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat, added sugar, added salt, and alcohol.
Food is a national pastime in this country, and it has long been one of the must-visit destinations for culinary travelers the world over. Singaporean cuisine is incredibly diverse, with Chinese, Indian, Malay, and a host of other influences. The Health Promotion Board of the Singaporean government recommends five to seven servings of brown rice and whole-meal bread daily; two servings of fruit daily; two servings of vegetables daily; and two to three servings of meat, fish, and chicken, among other sources of protein. Yet Singapore is also incredibly famous for its street food, with hawker stands playing a dominant role in the country’s culinary scene, and, given the cheap prices, many tend to eat out a lot. In Singapore, rice, noodles, and seafood — especially shrimp and crab — are daily staples that are as much a part of any meal as a healthy serving of vegetables. Common dishes include chicken rice, char kway teow, chili crab, and sambal stingray. You’ll also find that Singaporeans incorporate a lot of fruit into their diet, with sweet durian fruit the most coveted of all. Singaporeans also eat jackfruit (considered part of the solution to world hunger), lychees, mangosteen, and other fruits found across Southeast Asia.
San Marino: 83
One of the world’s smallest countries, San Marino is a landlocked nation in Italy. Given its location, the diet of those in San Marino is very similar to that of Italy and is overall reflective of the Mediterranean diet. You’ll find a balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and poultry. Two of the most common foods here are pasta and piada, an Italian flatbread. Just like in Italy, the people in San Marino also cook using olive oil.
Sushi isn’t the only thing that the Japanese eat. According to Harley Pasternak, celebrity trainer and nutritionist, the Japanese diet places a heavy emphasis on vegetables like bok choy, kale, and a tremendous variety of seaweeds. Japanese turn to fish and soy as their main sources of protein, and their complex carbs come from buckwheat noodles or soba noodles, which are fat free, cholesterol-free and rich in manganese, lean protein, carbohydrates and thiamine. In addition, the traditional Okinawan diet (eaten by the indigenous people on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where life expectancy is among the longest and healthiest on Earth), has long gained attention for its health benefits: it’s low in calories, but rich with nutrients. This diet incorporates lots of yellow and green vegetables, less rice and animal protein than most Japanese eat, and has as its staple a purple-fleshed sweet potatoes. It calls for very limited consumption of meat, refined grains, sugar, salt, and full-fat dairy products.


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ARLINGTON, Va. — US for-hire truck tonnage jumped 2.3%, reaching the highest level on record, according to the latest figures from the American Trucking Associations.
May’s gains came on the heels of a 0.2% decline in April.
May’s seasonally-adjusted tonnage is the highest reading since December 2011. Compared to May 2012, tonnage was up 6.7%, representing the largest y-o-y gain since December 2011.
Year-to-date, the tonnage index is up 4.5% compared to the same time period last year.
“After bouncing around in a fairly tight band during the previous three months, tonnage skyrocketed in May,” ATA chief economist Bob Costello said. He said some of the increase is attributable to factory output rising in May for the first time since February (+0.2%) and retail sales performing stronger than expected in May (+0.6%).
Costello added, “The 6.8% surge in new housing starts during May obviously pushed tonnage up as home construction generates a significant amount of truck tonnage.”
“While we heard good reports regarding freight levels during May, I have to admit I am a little surprised at the large gain in tonnage,” Costello said. He added that tonnage continues to outpace the number of loads hauled as heavy freight (ie., housing construction materials and sand and water for hydraulic fracturing) is outperforming box trailer (ie., dry van) freight.
Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry. All posts by Truck News


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Carmaker Honda is warning more than 2 million of its customers in the U.S. that an e-mail database containing some of their personal information has been stolen.
It's not yet 100 percent clear if this breach is connected to the recent breach of the e-mail marketing firm Silverpop Systems, but it sure looks that way. Honda was an enthusiastic Silverpop customer as recently as 2009, according to this press release. It's the same company whose data was breached in thefts of customer data from McDonald's and deviantArt. A similar incident was reported concerning the drugstore chain Walgreen's, but it hasn't been tied specifically to Silverpop.
The list contained the names, login names, e-mail addresses and--get this--vehicle identification numbers of more than 2 million Honda owners. Another list, this one containing only the e-mail addresses of nearly 3 million Acura owners, was also taken.
Honda has contacted all the customers via e-mail. The worry is that affected owners, especially those on the list with the VINs, may be targeted for some kind of phishing attack. Imagine getting an e-mail from someone pretending to be your local Honda dealer who correctly identifies the car you just bought and asks you to give up more personal information so that you can get "special offers."


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Jim Cramer found a pattern of how Warren Buffett impacts the market and your wallet. Here are the stocks on his radar. » Read More
Opposition to sugary drinks is bubbling up nationwide, paving the way for Honest Tea, a company leading the market in profits and progress.
"Fast Money" traders discussed their favorite food plays, including Chipotle, McDonald's and Whole Foods.
Whole Foods is facing a brand crisis with consumers, says media strategist Mark Macias. But is a lower-priced chain the answer?
“Mad Money” host Jim Cramer reveals the stocks that are taking a bite out of Wall Street — and they aren’t letting go soon.
Jim Cramer wonders if Whole Foods can really pull off a turnaround using a huge chunk of cash for a buyback when it should be getting back to basics.
Whole Foods' "Responsibly Grown" program recognizes even nonorganic food growers for better practices.
*HomeAway surges after Expedia's buyout offer. Facebook shares rose 5.3 percent to a record high of $109.44 after the company's quarterly results beat estimates. Investors are also awaiting Friday's crucial monthly nonfarm payrolls data to gauge if the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates in December, a likelihood Fed Chair Janet Yellen alluded to on...
*HomeAway surges after Expedia's buyout offer. *Qualcomm, Whole Foods down after weak results. "It's going to be a quiet day... as people are going to be squaring positions and getting set up," said Matthew Tuttle, chief executive of Tuttle Tactical Management in Stamford, Connecticut.
Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.
U.S. stock futures were higher this morning, after Wall Street gave up early gains Wednesday as Fed Chair Janet Yellen reiterated before a House panel the possibility a December rate hike.
Nov 5- U.S. stock index futures were higher on Thursday, a day after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated that an interest rate hike in December was a "live possibility". *Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday, retracing recent gains along with energy shares, while Yellen's comments added to investor caution. *Facebook's shares rose 4.3 percent to $108.35...
“Mad Money” host Jim Cramer’s warning you about how one stock can take down a whole group.
Jim Cramer speaks to the co-CEO of Whole Foods Market following third quarter earnings that prompted the stock to plummet after hours.
Nov 4- Big changes are coming to Whole Foods Market Inc as the natural and organic grocery pioneer revamps its pricing and modernizes its business to fend off widespread competition and bolster same-store sales, which unexpectedly fell in the latest quarter. In a call after the earnings release, Whole Foods executives laid out plans to shake the chain's...
Check out the companies making headlines after the bell on Wednesday: Facebook, Whole Foods, FireEye & more.
Shares of Whole Foods plunged Wednesday after the company reported a big miss for same-store sales, a key metric for the grocery chain.
Nov 4- Whole Foods Market Inc on Wednesday said same-store sales contracted in the fiscal fourth quarter, as it grapples with competition among its own stores and from mainstream retailers. Whole Foods, which is battling to lower prices while maintaining its position as a high-quality retailer, has become one of the biggest turnaround stories in the U.S. food...
Nov 4- Upscale grocer Whole Foods Market Inc said it would buy back an additional $1 billion in shares and increased its quarterly dividend.
There are only 80 agencies certified to verify that the nation’s 25,000 "organic" farms are actually growing food organically.
The market has seen some big moves on earnings this season, and traders say these names could be next.


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PizzaExpress wins 2015 Zomato User’s Choice Award
PizzaExpress, the world’s leading premium Italian casual dining brand, has won the prestigious 2015 Zomato User’s Choice Award under the ‘Best Pizza’ category in Delhi-NCR.
PizzaExpress plans to expand India base
PizzaExpress has entered the Delhi market with the launch of its first restaurant in Ambience Mall. I...
We want PizzaExpress to become the benchmark for pizzas in India: Sanjay Nandrajog
Sanjay Nandrajog, CEO, PizzaExpress India, talks about the...
UK pizza chain, PizzaExpress now in Mumbai
The brand has done away with beef offerings in their menu and introduced more vegetarian and spicy variety to appeal to the Indian palette.
Bharti Family Office and PizzaExpress ink JV; Rakesh Mittal's son Ramit to lead venture
The formation of equal JV, which is hungry for a slice of pizza market in India, also marks the growing role of new generation of Mittal family.


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Demand for stocking up ahead of the upcoming June 18th promotion is dwindling, and the TV panel market is gradually returning to normal levels. Panel manufacturers are carefully managing production rates to maintain a balanced supply and demand. As a result, TV panel prices are expected to continue their strong upward trend in May. Anticipated price increases include a $1 rise for 32-inch panels, $2 for 43-inch panels, $9 for 50-inch panels, $10 for 55-inch panels, $12 for 65-inch panels, and $11 for 75-inch panels.
As TV panel prices continue to rise, monitor panel prices are also showing signs of potential increases. Open Cell products, including VA and IPS panels, may see price adjustments ranging from $0.2 to $0.5 in May. The panel module market is well supplied, with different strategies among regional manufacturers. Only Taiwanese manufacturers have confirmed price hikes, while others remain cautious. The possibility of customers adjusting orders due to differing price strategies could result in shifting demand. Overall, mainstream panel module prices are expected to remain stable in May, with a chance of $0.3 to $1 increases for smaller sizes.
While overall notebook panel demand has been increasing month by month since 2Q23, most of it is driven by urgent orders. Due to the uncertain future demand outlook from brand customers, panel manufacturers are cautious about raising prices. Brand customers have replenished their panel inventory to a healthier level, but without proactive stocking, panel prices are unlikely to see a short-term improvement. In May, panel manufacturers can only maintain stable prices, and the possibility of price increases depends on clear signs of significant demand recovery from brand customers.


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TOKYO—Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, said Thursday that Nissan Motor Co. is considering using batteries made by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea in future electric vehicles, signaling a possible shift that could further roil the French-Japanese partnership’s delicate balance of power.
Battery supply is one of several issues that have shaken up the alliance of late, after the French government’s move this year to increase its influence at Renault SA.
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Clash of Clans: Revenge TV Commercial
“Be careful who you attack,” Supercell warns.
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Among a flurry of reports leading up to Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4 announcement earlier this month, a slide leaked suggesting two popular perks would soon be dissolved by the nation’s top carrier. Verizon has since confirmed that as of Sunday, January 16th, its early upgrade policy and its “New Every Two” program have each been discontinued moving forward. New Every Two gave customers up to $100 toward the purchase of a new handset every two years in an effort to promote contract renewals. Similarly, subscribers bound to two-year contracts had been allowed to upgrade their handsets after just one year of service in exchange for signing new two-year agreements. Both perks are now unavailable to new subscribers, and current customers will lose their benefits within 24 months. Those currently enrolled in the New Every Two program will be eligible to receive the related benefit when their contract renews, however they will not be re-enrolled in the program. A similar policy is in effect for subscribers currently eligible or soon to be eligible for early upgrades. More →
Some bad news is emerging for Verizon Wireless subscribers this evening, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Just ahead of the imminent wave of next-generation Android devices, 4G phones and the highly anticipated Verizon iPhone, the carrier is rumored to be ending two programs that countless customers have enjoyed in recent history. The first is the early upgrade policy, which allowed subscribers on two-year contracts to upgrade their devices after just one year of service. The second is Verizon’s New Every Two program, which gave customers up to $50 every two years to apply toward the purchase of a new phone. Both of these policies are set to come to an end on January 16th, according to what is alleged to be a leaked screen capture of Verizon Wireless’ training manual. New Every Two is simply kaput, says the slide, but the early upgrade policy will apparently stick around in a trimmed state — subscribers will be eligible for an early upgrade after 20 months of service on a two-year contract. More →
An internal Verizon Wireless document details changes to both its Test Drive program and New Every Two (NE2) program. Effective February 15th, 2009, Verizon will be discontinuing its Test Drive Program. The program allows new customers to try out Verizon’s service for 30 days risk free. If the customer chooses to port his/her number to another carrier and terminate service with Verizon, Verizon will waive the wireless access and usage charges for the minutes used. A nice deal for customers who want to try out Verizon and not incur a big bill. Customers who sign up for new service on or after February 15th and cancel or port their number will no longer get a free pass and will have to pay all wireless access and usage charges. Hit the jump for details on the soon to be lowered New Every Two discount and the full slide detailing all the changes.


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Award: 2017 Microsoft Azure ISV of the Year Award: East US, Central US, and West US
The annual awards recognize top Microsoft co-sell partners demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. “These awards are a testament to the incredible success Nasuni and Microsoft are seeing together, which resulted in more joint customer wins than any other Azure-based solution in Microsoft’s fiscal 2017. The Microsoft-Nasuni partnership brings together the power of Azure with the world’s first global file system that lives in – and scales with – the cloud, enabling customers to overcome their unstructured data growth challenges and accelerate business initiatives.”
IoT Now discusses Nasuni's latest product announcement on Microsoft Copilot.
As part of CRN’s 2024 Storage 100, here are 40 data recovery/observability/resilience technology vendors taking their offerings to new heights.


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INDIANAPOLIS – December 7, 2021 – Scale Computing, a market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that Data Center Dynamics has named the company’s work with Ahold Delhaize NV and Econocom Products & Solutions as a finalist in the 2021 DCD>Awards, in the Edge Data Center Project of the Year category.
According to DCD, the edge is now moving from the era of promise to the era of delivery. Driven by higher standards of connectivity and increasing sophistication of systems and hardware, the Edge Data Center Project of the Year award category seeks to feature how edge is evolving and diversifying while redefining the opportunities that technology can represent.
Ahold Delhaize, a world-leading food retailer with 6,700 stores worldwide, needed a complete infrastructure refresh to replace aging hardware. They wanted a simple, cost effective edge computing solution with easy deployment. At phase one, Delhaize implemented Scale Computing HC3 Edge platform on Lenovo ThinkSystem SR250 and Scale Computing HE150 servers in their 800 stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. By doing so, Delhaize reduced management time by 75% and improved recovery time by 99.9%. Scale Computing HC3 Edge provides a comprehensive system that automates the overall IT management, saving organizations time, money, and resources. Delhaize experienced no downtime in any store where HC3 Edge is implemented.
Alongside simplified management, Scale Computing’s HC3 also offers a comprehensive range of recovery and Data Protection features which have enabled Delhaize to improve disaster recovery. With snapshots, replication and regular back up testing, the HC3 Edge platform also offers business continuity.
Technology is everywhere, and it’s increasingly important that edge computing be able to support applications anytime, anywhere
“Technology is everywhere, and it’s increasingly important that edge computing be able to support applications anytime, anywhere,” said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder of Scale Computing. “Edge computing plays a critical role in the retail industry’s IT innovation and digital transformation strategies. Made for the IT infrastructure demands of retail stores, HC3 Edge is a powerful, all-in-one software platform designed for running applications at the edge, and we’re thrilled that our work with Delhaize was named a finalist in the DCD Awards.”
This announcement comes on the heels of other recent industry recognition, including:
Scale Computing’s HC3 Video Surveillance named a winner for the 2021 CRN Tech Innovator Awards in the Edge Computing category.
Scale Computing named on CRN’s 2021 Edge Computing 100 list.
Winner in both the Edge Computing category and the Converged/ HyperConverged Infrastructure category, of the 2021 CRN Annual Report Card (ARC) Awards. This is the third consecutive year Scale Computing has been recognized as a CRN ARC Award winner.
Scale Computing HC3 received two TrustRadius 2021 Top Rated Awards, in Hyperconverged Infrastructure and Server Virtualization.
Scale Computing received a 5-Star rating in CRN’s 2021 Partner Program Guide.
Scale Computing’s HE150 was named to SearchStorage’s 2020 Storage Products of the Year.
An independent panel of judges reviewed hundreds of entries submitted from 35 different countries across 6 continents. Winners will be announced on December 8 at the 15th annual awards ceremony in London and broadcast live worldwide.
CyberLink’s facial recognition engine FaceMe® to power LILIN’s connected devices, providing businesses with contactless access control management and visitor analytics
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – July 28 2020 – CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a pioneer in AI and facial recognition technologies, today announced it has formed a partnership with surveillance solution provider LILIN, leveraging new facial recognition technologies to create comprehensive smart security and retail solutions. CyberLink will license its FaceMe® facial recognition engine to LILIN, powering its NAV Facial Recognition Recorder, creating an all-in-one smart security, data analysis and warning solution.
With the combined technologies, LILIN’s connected video devices can provide businesses with a series of contactless solutions, such as granting verified personnel access to restricted areas within offices, factories or residential buildings through an opt-in photo identification system. The new offering can also provide retailers and hospitality operators with anonymized customer demographics to better understand their customer experience, such as identifying trending emotions patrons may feel when engaged in specific activities or visiting certain areas of a venue.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop across the globe, CyberLink’s and LILIN’s joint facial recognition system uniquely provides businesses seeking contactless solutions the underlying technology to reduce the need for people to touch highly shared surfaces by replacing key cards or PIN passwords with biometric data.
“If there was ever a field worthy of continued research and innovation, it’s security,” said Dr. Jau Huang, CEO of CyberLink. “Without a doubt, LILIN is a global leader and manufacturer of IoT devices, and CyberLink is a worldwide pioneer developing facial recognition applications for connected devices. Together, we are setting a new standard for what makes a place secure by bringing to market new technologies that make our customers safer, and our businesses smarter.”
“LILIN has many years of smart security experience, providing insight into the market’s needs for creating a comprehensive intelligent security solution. LILIN is pleased to partner with CyberLink and integrates FaceMe® into our facial recognition system to strengthen smart retail, smart healthcare, smart factory, and smart business applications. Through continued efforts, I believe that LILIN will provide the most advanced total security solution for global customers.” said Mr. C.C. Hsu, LILIN’s President.
CyberLink and LILIN will host a webinar titled “Facial Recognition x Smart Security
Empowering Smart AIoT Applications”” on August 13, 2020 from 14:00-15:00 (GMT+8/Taipei time), further describing the many use cases enabled through the new product offering. For detailed event information and a registration link, please visit: https://is.gd/SfXQ7l
FaceMe’s® edge-based architecture empowers powerful, efficient processing, and higher levels of security compared to Cloud-based solutions. It supports more than 10 operating systems, including Windows, Android, iOS, and various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu x86, Ubuntu ARM, RedHat, CentOS, Yocto, Debian and JetPack. FaceMe’s® high accuracy, flexibility and security makes it the leading facial recognition engine available on the market today, and it is one of the world’s most accurate engines as deemed by the global standard NIST Facial Recognition Vendor Test.
About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Limited is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 Limited offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.
Founded in 1996, CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) is the world leader in multimedia software and AI facial recognition technology. CyberLink addresses the demands of consumer, commercial and education markets through a wide range of solutions, covering digital content creation, multimedia playback, video conferencing, live casting, mobile applications and AI facial recognition. CyberLink has shipped several hundred million copies of its multimedia software and apps, including the award-winning PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and PowerDVD. With years of research in the fields of artificial intelligence and facial recognition, CyberLink has developed the FaceMe® Facial Recognition Engine. Powered by deep learning algorithms, FaceMe® delivers the reliable, high-precision, and real-time facial recognition that is critical to AIoT applications such as smart retail, smart security, and surveillance, smart city and smart home. For more information about CyberLink, please visit the official website at www.cyberlink.com


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Kogan sued for lifting prices before offering 'false' discounts
Online retailer Kogan Australia has been sued by the consumer watchdog for offering fake discounts to its customers.
- ACCC has sued Kogan for advertising fake discounts
- The retailer allegedly raised prices before offering its 'discount'
- Kogan denies the regulator's allegations
Kogan is accused of raising prices on more than 600 products, before running a misleading online promotion claiming to offer a "10 per cent discount".
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will argue in the Federal Court that Kogan increased prices by at least 10 per cent immediately before the promotion — which occurred between June 27-30, last year.
As part of its case, the ACCC will claim that Kogan created a false sense of urgency for the "discounts" through advertisements emailed to its customers.
The advertisements had statements including "48 hours left!" and "Ends midnight tonight!"
Shortly after the sale ended, Kogan allegedly reduced prices back to their "pre-promotion" levels.
"We allege that Kogan's advertisements were likely to have caused consumers to think they were getting products below their usual prices," said ACCC commissioner Sarah Court.
"In fact, Kogan had inflated product prices, which we say created a false impression of the effective discount.
"Businesses must not make claims to consumers about discounts or sales unless they are offering genuine savings."
At 12:50pm (AEST), Kogan's share price had dropped 3.4 per cent to $6.04.
ACCC ignored 'critical facts', says Kogan
In a statement, Kogan said it "did not gain any material financial benefit as a result of the promotion".
The retailer strongly denied the ACCC's accusations, saying it would defend the case because the regulator ignored "critical facts".
Kogan also said its marketing was "carefully considered" and "drafted specifically to avoid the type of confusion alleged by the ACCC.
"At checkout all customers were made aware of the full price they would pay for the product and the price reduction that would be achieved by using the discount code.
"There was no confusion caused."
This is not the first time the Kogan has been in trouble with the consumer regulator.
In early-2016, Kogan paid a $32,400 for a misleading Father's Day promotion, which claimed to offer a "20 per cent discount" for computer monitors.
Similarly, the retailer had increased prices on these monitors before offering the faux-discount, resulting in just a 9 per cent saving for customers.
Kogan was also forced to amend misleading claims, in April 2009, which it made in online and newspaper advertisements.
At the time, the ACCC said Kogan's promotions "used price comparisons such as Now $X (Save Y%) and save over $X."
However, the regulator said: "The products had not been offered by Kogan Technologies at the higher price.
"The savings were based on an estimated average price a consumer might pay for a product with similar specifications from another manufacturer."


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Ericsson has unveiled its second generation of F3307mobile broadband module, designed for tablet computers and other consumer electronic devices.
Ericsson said that the F3307 module requires minimal power consumption and enables manufacturers to equip tablets and other consumer electronic devices with integrated mobile broadband wireless connectivity.
The new broadband module, based on the company’s M34x HSPA 7.2 Mbps thin modem platform, reduces power consumption by up to 50% in comparison with previous generations.
In addition, the optimised module, with a download speed of up to 7.2Mbps and an upload speed of up to 5.76Mbps, enables tablet users to directly access internet through mobile broadband technology HSPA.
The F3307 module also features Quick Connect, which enables an embedded device to connect to internet seconds after resuming from sleep mode.
The company is also working with Intel, optimising F3307 mobile broadband module with their upcoming line of processors for tablets – ‘Oak Trail’.


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ROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE
Jeff Dunham and his puppets will no longer be in Roanoke later this month.
The Berglund Center announced on Friday that Dunham’s show is now Wednesday, July 8.
Already purchased tickets will be honored for the new date.
“America’s favorite ventriloquist” is headed to our area.
The Jeff Dunham: Seriously!? tour will be in Roanoke on March 22, 2020.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. using the password WALTER.
Tickets go on sale to the public Oct. 7 at 10 a.m.


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U.S. consumer prices remained unchanged in July but annual inflation registered its largest decline since 1950, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The latest data helped ease concerns of rising inflation due to government spending and the Federal Reserves monetary policy of injecting cash into the US economy.
"It [inflation] could be a very large long-run problem," Mickey Levy, Bank of America, chief economist, was quoted on NYTimes.com. "But in the near-term, it’s not a problem at all."
The Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation pressures at the consumer level, remained unchanged in July due largely to Continue reading US Consumer prices unchanged, biggest annual inflation drop since 1950
US consumer prices remained unchanged in July, temporarily easing concerns that government spending and the Fed monetary policy would ignite inflation.
The monthly released Labor Department Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed year-over-year inflation actually declined 2.1%, cut down by sharply lower energy costs as compared to last July when gasoline prices were over $4 a gallon.
"In the months ahead, we expect U.S. consumer prices to soften further, and headline consumer price inflation to remain in negative territory (at least through to some time in the fall), before beginning to creep above zero as the expected economic recovery gathers traction," Millan Mulraine, economics strategist with TD Securities, in a research note, was quoted on MarketWatch.
The Inflation Calculator is updated with the newest government information, as are the following inflation rate and data pages:
1913-2009 CPI Data
Historical Inflation Rates
Annual Averages for Rate of Inflation
For an in depth look at July consumer prices, read US Consumer prices unchanged, biggest annual inflation drop since 1950.


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Amazon.co.uk has revealed the games that benefited the most from last week’s Gaming expedition, with Project Cars leading the pack, followed by the latest game from the Tomb Raider series.
Red Bull technical head Adrian Newey raised concern for motorsport's budding young racers on Friday, accusing some parents of risking a bleak future for their children by neglecting their studies.
Minecraft for the Xbox One and PS4 might come later than expected. The slated release date for next-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One could be delayed due to technical issues, it was reported.
The Formula One season resumes after a three-week break for one of the most eagerly-anticipated races of the year, Spa-Francorchamps, where the P Zero White medium tires and P Zero Yellow soft tires have been nominated, to promote different strategies.
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Apple on Wednesday released a technical white paper that offers a breakdown of the security behind Face ID, its new facial recognition tech.
For now the iPhone X will be Apple's only device using Face ID, but the authentication tool has already raised concerns on multiple fronts. Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this month asking how the Face ID data is stored and if it could be accessed by a third-party app. There have also been concerns about how the biometric tech, which uses multiple scanners for facial recognition, will be used in the courts and by police.
Apple's white paper answers questions like how much of your face's image the company actually stores, how long it saves the image and what apps can use Face ID. But it doesn't directly address how robust Face ID's privacy is when it comes to law enforcement. Here's what Apple did answer in its document:
How much of my face's data would be stored through Face ID?
Not much, unless you count a mathematical equation and infrared dot plots as your image.
Face ID doesn't capture your entire image, Apple said in its paper. It takes infrared images, which are represented by 30,000 dots, and creates a map of what your face would look like. It also keeps the "mathematical representation" of your face, rather than an image itself.
The background of your unlocking selfie isn't stored either. The enrollment image -- the first picture you take so Face ID can recognize you -- is cropped to your face only. Every time you unlock your phone using Face ID, the images are "immediately discarded once the mathematical representation is calculated" and compared to the enrolled data.
Where is the data being stored? Could hackers extract my image online?
The data is stored on the device's Secure Enclave chip and is available only there. It's encrypted, and the data "never leaves the device," according to Apple. Even Apple doesn't receive the data, and it's not stored when your phone backs up, either.
"Face ID data doesn't leave your device, and is never backed up to iCloud or anywhere else," Apple writes.
It's the same way data is stored for Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint reader. Because the data is stored on your device and not on a server or in a cloud, someone would have to have physical access to the device to be able to steal it. And even that would be difficult, considering that the Face ID data is encrypted.
The only time your Face ID data would be sent anywhere is if you agreed to transfer it for AppleCare tech support, and that would only be diagnostics data. You're allowed to review and approve what data gets sent, including your face's image. And it's automatically deleted after 90 days.
Watch this: Apple explains Face ID on iPhone X
Will third-party apps be able to use Face ID?
Yes. Third-party apps will be able to use Face ID for authentication. Any apps you've used that tap Touch ID for that will automatically be able to support Face ID without any changes, Apple said.
But that doesn't mean the apps are getting your face's data. Face ID only tells the third-party apps whether the authentication went through -- it doesn't send your face's data along. The process is similar to making purchases with Face ID on the App Store and iTunes. You'll be able to do that with any app where developers allow for Face ID.
How did Apple account for diversity with Face ID?
Apple said it used more than a billion pictures to train Face ID to recognize people. Franken asked where the company got those billion images, a question Apple didn't answer. The company said it worked with a diverse group of people to account for different genders, ages, ethnicities and "other factors."
Does Face ID replace my password?
No. Face ID requires a password to be enabled. Apple said Face ID should actually make having a "longer, more complex passcode far more practical," since you won't need to enter it as often.
"Face ID doesn't replace your passcode, but provides easy access to iPhone X within thoughtful boundaries and time constraints," Apple writes. Also, there're a few circumstances where you'll need to enter your password to get in the phone:
When it's just been turned on
When it hasn't been unlocked for more than 48 hours
When it received a remote lock command
If you've made five unsuccessful attempts to unlock using Face ID
When Emergency SOS is activated (holding the volume and side buttons for two seconds)
The Smartest Stuff: Innovators are thinking up new ways to make you, and the things around you, smarter.
iHate: CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet.


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A new Chinese restaurant will be opening soon at the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center on the South Hill. The new restaurant will be a locally owned and operated establishment called Chef Lu's Asian Bistro.
The restaurant will specialize in Sichuan cooking and will also have a full liquor license and a sushi bar. Chef Lu's will take the place that was last used by the Costa Vida chain who closed and consolated that location in with their new Valley location at Sprague & Sullivan. The new restaurant will open next month.
Chef Lu's Asian Bistro will a venture from the same ownership as Chinese Gardens Restaurant in Cheney. That restaurant will unfortunately close shortly after the new restaurant opens. Currently there isn't a website or Facebook page online for Chef Lu's but watch here and our Facebook page in the coming weeks for more information on the menu, etc for Chef Lu's Asian Bistro.


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How Real-Time Streaming Turns Any Event In-Game (Part 1)
Real-time streaming is a difficult technical challenge. It’s one thing to deliver video of an event with a slight delay. But eliminating that lag, or at least making it imperceptible, is a whole other challenge. Delayed streaming is one of the reasons why live sports betting includes live betting suspensions. Sportsbooks have to recalculate odds as scores change and umpires make controversial calls.
But real-time streaming can do more than improve live sports betting options. In an interview with The game todayPhenix Chief Product Officer, Bill Wishon, explains how Phenix’s real-time streaming services enable companies to turn TV events into games for viewers.
Why real-time streaming is so difficult
“Honestly, there’s not much difference…when you make that jump from 30 to 40 [seconds], at 5 to 10,” Wishon said. “What’s really the challenge is getting from that five-second benchmark…to under half a second.”
The technology is available to make real-time streaming a reality. Phenix has built its real-time video streaming service with the same technology that many companies use to stream regular video. But instead of trying to improve on existing technology, Phenix created a real-time streaming product from scratch.
“We chose the same protocol, but we built the system to serve a different purpose,” Wishon said.
How real-time streaming translates to increased revenue
Horse racing is a popular application for real-time video streaming. Punters can bet on horse races until the horses leave the gate. However, a 30 second video delay on most video streams prevents bettors from placing bets between the time the jockey and horse trots out the gate and the start of the race.
“There are a lot of people who want to see horse activity, behavior and demeanor before they place a bet,” Wishon said.
With Phenix’s real-time streaming, some racetracks may allow these bets. During the Cheltenham Festival, real-time streaming increased by 61% and online management by 31% year-on-year. Allowing last-minute punters to place their bets has captured a substantial amount of revenue. Seemingly small differences in the latency of a stream make a big difference.
Real-time streaming outside of sports betting
Real-time streaming has also opened up new opportunities for all sorts of businesses outside of gaming. Wishon offered two cases that piqued his interest: Fan Controlled Football and the Oscars companion app.
Football controlled by fans
Fan Controlled Football is a new league where players choose the team’s attacking plays. It is therefore important to minimize the delays between the reactions and decisions of the viewers. Real-time streaming allows fans to see what’s happening in real time wherever they are and make timely decisions. But there’s more to real-time streaming than efficient timing.
“I think it’s an instantiation of an experience that allows the audience to interact with people on the other side of the camera, so to speak,” Wishon said. “I think there are other opportunities for that as well, whether it’s sports or game shows or gaming type experiences where you want audience participation. [or] public comments.
Having a sport where fans vote on games invests players in each game. This keeps viewers focused on the screen and the game. These benefits are not limited to sports. Price discounts can reap similar benefits.
Make Oscar commercials fun
Normally, during Oscars commercials, celebrities fetch drinks and viewers are given the opportunity for bathroom breaks. (Unless they taped the event ahead of time.) But the Oscars found a way to keep viewers’ attention even during commercials.
Phenix powered real-time streaming on the Oscars companion app. During commercials, the Oscars companion app offered live streams of behind-the-scenes footage from the Oscars. Viewers could also answer poll questions, like which actors would win specific prizes.
“People would go from the main screen that they were watching…to the second screen and watch the behind-the-scenes footage and stay engaged…during that commercial segment, because they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Wishon said.
For TV shows, engaged viewers translate into advertising dollars. Companies that advertise during commercial breaks get their products seen and convert some of the newly engaged customers. Higher conversation rates mean happier advertisers and potentially allow the network to charge higher prices for advertising at upcoming Oscars.
Indeed, real-time video streaming can engage viewers with a second-screen experience while keeping them present during commercials.
Everything can be gamified
Real-time video, audio and data can be used to make any live event more engaging. It can allow viewers to interact with the events they are watching in real time. It can also give viewers new content to watch between commercials. But the interactive parts, like polls, votes or bets, come from the way companies exploit real-time streaming.
But eliminating latency is only one element of interactivity. It’s one thing for a popular Twitch streamer to stream a game that’s 30 seconds behind. But having a real-time video feed with a poll overlaid on top gives viewers something to do and an interest in what happens next. For a Twitch streamer, this can be the difference between a viewer buying a subscription or leaving the stream.
The possibilities for adding the extra stimulation that smartphones and tablets do are endless. And many of these possibilities will rely on synchronous video streaming.


text: The VCT made its first allotment of shares last week after having raised £4m in subscriptions since it began its offer period on February 10. The fund’s offer period is set to run until June 28.Richard Jones, head of UK and European retail sales at First State, says that the group is confident in its ability to reach critical mass. “We are only a quarter of the way through our launch and our current run rate is £250,000 a day and growing,” he says. “The first few weeks are about sending out information. Most of the subscriptions we have received have been in the last two to three weeks or so. If we had been open since October or November and raised only a couple of million, it would have been a different picture, but that is not the case,” adds Jones (pictured). Jones says the First State VCT has also been supported by a large number of companies and received a good rating from those within the VCT market. “We have business coming in and promised for next year from a wide range of distribution companies. We have done the hard part of convincing the market that this is a trust they want to be involved in,” he says. While the group had set £3m as its target in order to build a diversified portfolio, Jones says the venture capital trust will raise as much as it can, up to a maximum of £20m. Several VCTs failed to reach their subscription targets and chose to withdraw from the market last week, including the MTM China VCT, UniVen – which had raised over £2m – and the Cavendish Aim VCT. The ProVen3 VCT also withdrew from the market a few weeks ago. However, F&C Asset Management’s Baronsmead VCT C-share issue closed last week after having reached its subscription target of £22m. According to the group, the VCT has had to turn away more than £4m in subscriptions following its closing.