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This post originally appeared at part of Chartboost's quartery Power Up Report which, this quarter, focused on the business of mobile gaming during the holidays.
Backflip Studios loves the holidays—and justifiably so. The Colorado-based mobile game company, best known for hit dragon breeding game DragonVale, has spent each of the past four winters watching fans mow through seasonal content as if it was holiday candy.
In winter 2014, for instance, Backflip Studios released a special event called “Season of Goodies” in the game, complete with holiday-inspired dragons, decorations and the ability to give extra gifts to friends. The result? A surge in user retention and daily sessions per player, as well as longer session length.
DragonVale’s game director Bryan Mashinter says that between the extra time, money and—for the lucky ones, at least—new mobile devices that crop up around Christmastime, the holiday season is a critical opportunity to drive business growth for mobile game developers.
Backflip’s senior marketing manager Jason Dalrymple agrees. He believes that, for mobile devs, changing your strategy during the holidays separates the most successful studios from the pack. “The best developers adjust their user acquisition strategy and game content strategy to take advantage of these holiday shifts,” Dalrymple says.
But what does it take to build and execute holiday-themed content that boosts revenue and user acquisition performance during one of the best times to grow a mobile games business?
Learn From the Ghosts of Christmas Past
DragonVale holiday content doesn’t magically appear under the tree. In fact, the studio plans content roughly six months in advance, further expanding those plans around three months before launch date. “It’s many phases of brainstorming, planning and implementing,” Dalrymple explains.
An important element in this planning process is determining what worked well and not so well in the past. Dalrymple remarked how users in 2014 had some ideas about how to change the game’s tiered prize system. This year, he says, “we’ve modified in-game events based on that feedback.”
DragonVale’s holiday content affects the game’s monetization and user engagement metrics across the board. According to Dalrymple, when Backflip runs holiday events in DragonVale, the game experiences 15 to 25 percent rise in DAU, 30 percent growth in session length, and increases across ARPDAU and daily sessions per player.
A boost from holiday content, however, is hard-won. “We do everything we can to inform all players of the update, including push notifications and in-game messaging,” he says. “We also try to tease the release to players and social communities a week or so before.”
The downside of holiday-themed content, of course, is over-saturation—particularly with new users. “You have to walk a fine line,” according to Dalrymple. “We’ve found that advertising the details of the event to potential new users can turn them off and decrease conversion rate because they have no context for that kind of messaging.”
Engagement Is Everything
Adding a blanket of snow to a game might help capture some extra organic and paid installs, but affecting player engagement during the holiday season requires deeper changes. DragonVale’s regular holiday events help boost its chances of a feature placement in the crowded mobile app stores, but the depth of that content is what keeps those new players engaged.
“Our in-game holiday events don’t necessarily lift our install conversion rate,” notes Dalrymple, “but we know that users brought in during the events are highly engaged.”
Engaging holiday content, in turn, allows the company to increase mobile game user acquistion bids and eventually bring in more players Dalrymple explains. In addition, because many large brand budgets are exhausted toward the end of the year and there’s increased inventory from newly activated devices, mobile game advertising costs are lower, which can compound install volume on certain marketing channels. Backflip, in other words, has created its own winter snowball effect.
Ignore the Grinches
Even in the midst of all the holiday festivities, Mashinter has learned a sobering lesson, one that he calls “super valuable”: “Every single decision I make will make someone mad,” he says. At one point, the game provided users with a “wish” they could use on anything in the game. Who could dislike that? The answer: a small group of users.
But Mashinter says the trick is to focus on the vast majority of users and their responses to holiday-themed content updates instead of the few grumpy outliers. “Ultimately, most folks appreciate that the game world changes,” he notes. “It makes it feel vibrant and alive.”
And if that’s not the true meaning of the holidays, we don’t know what is.


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The Rebellion Against China’s 996 Culture
Workers will no longer tolerate the punishing schedules of technology giants
That number means 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, and is shorthand for the punishing schedule Chinese workers are expected to maintain. A 72-hour workweek with little time for anything else: No family time. No time to meet friends. No hobbies. Not even time to cook proper meals. Once you account for sleeping and commuting, one might wonder how ambitious tech workers fit in the rest of their lives. Is this the price it takes to get ahead in the booming Chinese economy, or is this a symptom of a hustle culture that has gotten way out of hand?
Nobody can doubt that Jack Ma is successful. As a co-founder of Alibaba, one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies, Ma has an estimated net worth of around $40 billion and often makes lists of the world’s most powerful people. However, his recent comments on the company’s WeChat account about 996 working culture—increasingly prevalent in China—have sparked outrage.
“Many companies and many people don’t have the opportunity to work 996,” Ma said. “If you don’t work 996 when you are young, when can you ever work 996? In this world, everyone wants success, wants a nice life, wants to be respected. Let me ask everyone, if you don’t put out more time and energy than others, how can you achieve the success you want?”
Ma isn’t the only notable businessperson advocating for brutally long hours. An email reportedly from JD.com, another Chinese e-commerce company, noted that underperforming employees are those who don’t keep “fighting” to do more work “regardless of performance, position, tenure, personal well-being issues or family reasons.” Youzan, a Hong Kong–listed e-commerce giant, reportedly demanded that employees follow the 996 routine at its end of year gala event. Bai Ya, the company’s CEO, then defended these comments on the grounds that it would expose more people to the company’s culture and help people truly decide whether they want to work there.
A website recently went live at 996.ICU (the site has been down in recent days due to a technical issue), believed to have been created by protesting Chinese tech workers. The website is hosted on GitHub and was created by an anonymous user who joined the site on March 25. The name 996.ICU refers to the phrase “work by 996, sick in Intensive Care Unit,” which succinctly describes how the 72-hour-per-week working culture touted by Chinese tech giants is not a recipe for sustainable success, but for burnout and serious health problems.
The website highlights that Chinese labor laws prohibit more than eight hours of work per day and 44 hours per week in a standard contract, and that it’s illegal to not offer overtime compensation to workers who clock more hours than the legal maximum. The website also claims that although it’s a recent phenomenon that notable companies have made public statements about the existence of 996 culture, 996 has long been practiced in many Chinese companies.
There is further information stored in files of the GitHub repository. More than 500 users have added information to a list of companies that are practicing 996 working hours, along with when it was believed to have begun and links to evidence of these practices. The list currently contains 110 companies and features globally known names such as Huawei, Alibaba, Baidu, and Youzan. Evidence ranges from screenshots of “voluntary struggle” agreements from Huawei to posts from workers on Kanzhun, the Chinese equivalent to Glassdoor.
Controversy has been amplified by reports that the Chinese technology companies under scrutiny are using their web browsers to block the protest website. According to Abacus, the popular instant messaging program WeChat refuses to open links to the website. Browsers such as Tencent’s QQ, Qihoo’s 360, and the native browser of Xiaomi smartphones restrict user access to the site. QQ displays a pop-up message telling users that the protest page is a “malicious site.” The 360 browser blocks the site and displays a message that it “contains illegal information.”
This could suggest that Chinese tech companies are beginning to take the law into their own hands. These companies are not only publicly declaring that their culture involves working hours that Chinese law deems illegal; they’re also deciding to censor websites they consider harmful to their reputation.
How long has 996 been going on?
In the initial tech startup boom of the early 2000s, many companies embraced a culture of working around the clock to claim first-mover advantage on their competitors. This period gave birth to Chinese startups that are now some of the most valuable in the world, such as Tencent and Alibaba. Given these companies’ astounding growth, many others have since adapted a relentless work culture in the hopes that they can replicate that success.
The BBC profiled Li Zhepeng, a 25-year old who moved to Shanghai with the hopes of jump-starting his career. As a young man from mainland China living in one of the world’s top cities, he expected to experience the nightlife and culture that draws talented professionals to locations like London, New York, and Paris. The reality was starkly different: Li had to commute 90 minutes each way to the outer suburbs, where office space is cheaper, to work 12-hour days, including Sundays, posting descriptions of items for sale on an e-commerce website. He took home ¥3,500 a month, equivalent to $560.
Individual motivation to work 996 is varied. Some people are in desperate need of the money. Some know that getting ahead in their career means dedicating themselves to their job at the expense of their outside lives. And some have no choice but to comply with the culture of the company they work for, lest they lose their jobs.
On the surface, working 996 is about companies capitalizing on as many hours as possible to make progress. It utilizes sheer brute force to beat the competition and capture a market. However, knowledge work like computer programming is unlike mechanical work: It is not a series of repetitive tasks that anyone can do as long as they can stay awake and crank the handle.
Like many other creative pursuits, like mathematics, writing, or designing, a human’s output on a given task depends on many different factors, such as the quality of the working environment, a worker’s exposure to stress, and the ability to rest well and frequently. Sometimes programmers can butt their heads for hours against a problem they cannot solve, only for the solution to come to them the next morning after a good night’s sleep.
Working endlessly on a punishing schedule can make people less effective than if they worked fewer hours in a calmer manner. Tired employees can do sloppy work and introduce bugs that cause downtime and even more effort to fix. Some of the greatest minds in history — those who have produced defining works for humanity — have vouched for shorter workdays to be at their creative peak. While it’s true that Darwin, Poincaré, and Thomas Mann are geniuses with superior intellectual abilities, they confined their creative output to daily blocks of three to four hours and filled the rest of their day with other activities.
The greatest waste of 996 culture is that it’s symbolic overwork that is detrimental to employees’ mental and physical well-being. It does not guarantee that those employees are producing better work than their peers who work saner schedules. It deprives people of their free time and makes families and relationships suffer—for no extra pay and no extra output. It is akin to cultural imprisonment, where workers are either pretending to look busy until it is acceptable to leave the office or literally working themselves to death.
Overwork culture is not new, and it is not a primarily Chinese problem. Japan has long suffered from this issue. Cultural phenomena such as being unable to leave work until one’s boss leaves and regularly clocking more than 80 hours of overtime a month have been reported for decades. In fact, this extreme overwork has caused death in seemingly otherwise healthy individuals. It even has a name: karōshi, which translates to “overwork death.” The first case is attributed to a 29-year-old male in 1969, with the term becoming more widely known in 1978, when multiple individuals died from overwork-related strokes or heart attacks.
The Japanese bubble economy of the 1980s, which brought frantic economic activity, elevated karōshi to national attention with reports of several notable business executives suddenly dying without any previous signs of illness. Given the current Chinese technology boom, it’s no wonder that working 996 can result in a trip to the ICU.
Some young Chinese workers, however, are refusing to conform to the harmful cultural norm. Instead of suffering in silence, they are beginning to speak up or show their disagreement by finding work elsewhere. Li Zhepeng, the e-commerce worker mentioned earlier, decided to switch to a different job and be up-front about his working conditions. He spoke candidly with his manager to set a more manageable workload and to ensure that he could occasionally leave earlier. She agreed. His colleagues noted that he was their idol for having the bravery to speak up, according to the BBC.
A 955 future
The 996.ICU GitHub repository also links to another list of companies: those that are reported to work a saner nine-to-five, five-days-a-week schedule, known as 955. A majority of the companies listed are of Western origin, such as eBay, Oracle, Intel, and Apple. With the anti-996 movement creating cultural pressure for nonconforming companies to change their ways, and with younger workers casting their vote with their feet, we can only hope those who are employed in 996 workplaces will find the support to challenge the companies that are setting the agenda.
Although Western technology firms are by no means perfect, numerous pro-worker cultural movements have gained a significant voice in Western countries. Instead of sitting around until our bosses leave, we are beginning to celebrate bosses who leave loudly. At the time of writing, Working Nomads lists more than 10,000 highly skilled jobs that can be done remotely and flexibly from a desk anywhere in the world. Technology companies are beginning to realize that a fridge full of Diet Coke and chocolate is less important than being able to work flexible hours. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson’s book, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work, is a number one Amazon bestseller.
Work should support and enable lives, rather than claim them. Conditions in Chinese technology companies, as they have in other countries, will eventually change, because the current practices are simply unsustainable. In August 2018, two Chinese technology founders died under circumstances believed to be related to high-pressure working environments. But regardless of the bad press, has 996 culture spooked Silicon Valley?
Many see 996 culture as a threat to Western economies, but we shouldn’t cave in to these practices. Instead, we should focus on strategy and workforce efficiency. Companies should strive to create the conditions that allow their employees and products to succeed without being shackled to their desks. We should clear out meaningless meetings. We should allow for deep, focused work that moves the needle. We should give employees the flexibility they need to be their most productive.
We should work hard, but most importantly, we should go home. That’s how we win the marathon.

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India is still the fastest-growing major economy even as the Ukraine conflict impacts the global gross domestic product (GDP), according to a UN report. India is projected to grow by 6.4 per cent in 2022, slower than last year’s 8.8 per cent, due to higher inflationary pressures and uneven recovery of the labour market curbing private consumption and investment, the UN report shows.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report released on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine has upended the fragile economic recovery from the pandemic, triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis in Europe, increasing food and commodity prices and globally exacerbating inflationary pressures, PTI reported.
INDIA GDP GROWTH
“India, the largest economy in the region, is expected to grow by 6.4 per cent in 2022, well below the 8.8 per cent growth in 2021, as higher inflationary pressures and uneven recovery of the labour market will curb private consumption and investment,” the report said.
For the fiscal year 2023, India’s growth is forecast to be 6 per cent.
Lead Author & Chief, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Hamid Rashid told reporters at the UN Headquarters that almost all regions in the world are affected by high inflation except for East Asia and South Asia.
He said “India in that sense” is a “little bit” in a better position as it did not have to aggressively pursue monetary tightening compared to other countries in Latin America.
India’s projected growth for 2022 is 6.4 per cent, a downward adjustment of 0.3 per cent from January.
“We expect Indian recovery to remain strong in the near term, in the next year and two, but again we cannot completely discount the downside risk that would come from external channels. So that risk is still there,” he said.
WORRY FOR INDIA, PAKISTAN, SRI LANKA
The report added that higher prices and shortages of farming inputs including fertilisers are likely to persist in the region, negatively impacting the agricultural sector in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
“This will probably result in weaker harvests and exert further upward pressures on food prices in the near term,” the report said.
It said along with higher energy prices, elevated prices of food will likely increase food insecurity across the region. Consumer price inflation in the region is expected to accelerate to 9.5 per cent in 2022, from 8.9 per cent in 2021.
The global economy is now projected to grow by only 3.1 per cent in 2022, down from the 4.0 per cent growth forecast released in January 2022. Global inflation is projected to increase to 6.7 per cent in 2022, twice the average of 2.9 per cent during 20102020, with sharp rises in food and energy prices, it said.
The report said that the outlook in South Asia has deteriorated in recent months, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and higher commodity prices and potential negative spillover effects from monetary tightening in the United States.
The regional economic output is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent in 2022, which is 0.4 percentage points lower than the forecast released in January.
US, CHINA GROWTH
The United States economy is expected to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2022 and 1.8 per cent next year, while China is expected to grow by 4.5 per cent in 2022 and 5.2 per cent in 2023. The developing countries, as a group, are projected to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2022, down from 6.7 per cent in 2021, the report said.
“The war in Ukraine in all its dimensions is setting in motion a crisis that is also devastating global energy markets, disrupting financial systems and exacerbating extreme vulnerabilities for the developing world,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
“We need quick and decisive action to ensure a steady flow of food and energy in open markets, by lifting export restrictions, allocating surpluses and reserves to those who need them, and addressing food price increases to calm market volatility,” he said.
ALSO READ | Pakistani rupee hits historic low of 200 against US dollar | Here’s why


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According to Continental, the localisation efforts substantially benefited from the safety regulations introduced in April 2019 mandating ABS in all the passenger cars, and 2-wheelers upwards of 125cc increased the demand for wheel speed sensors.
The recent milestone reflects Continental’s ongoing commitment towards Vision Zero: zero fatalities, zero injuries, zero crashes, supporting OEMs with localised products of the global quality standard at an affordable cost. Continental has been manufacturing wheel speed sensors at its Manesar plant since 2010, the company said in a release.
In August 2019, the company had reached a similar production milestone, achieving one million speed sensors a month.
Sukhdeep Sandhu, head of the Passive Safety and Sensorics (PSS) business unit in India, said, “At Continental, we have a rich history associated with vehicle safety. Over the years, we have introduced several safety-critical products that have positioned us as pioneers of vehicle safety technologies. The road fatalities in India are record high. We have a critical role in bringing innovative integrated safety technologies to curtail on-road fatalities to a drastic extent.”
“With our standardised processes and systems, OEMs are greatly benefiting from our localisation initiative. We deliver quality products at an affordable cost with the support of our local development and manufacturing ecosystem. From design, prototyping, validation, and production, the business unit demonstrates product competence and contributes to the road safety value chain,” Sandhu said.
Ronan Le Roy, head of the global Segment Sensors and Subsystems within the BU PSS, said, “The Passive Safety and Sensorics business unit in India is a perfect example for ‘in the market, for the market,’ a systematic strategy that we follow. Supplying to the local market aside, we are also exporting our products to Japan, ASEAN, and European markets.”
Ashish Srivastava, plant manager, Manesar, Continental India, said the company aims to utilise 100% of energy from renewable sources by the end of 2020. “We tend to extend our sustainability goals to our suppliers and third-party logistics as well. Our goal to increase the women workforce on the shop floor is commending our diversity initiative,” he said.
The brokerage, however, revised down its GDP forecast for the current fiscal year to negative 6.4% from negative 6%. It expects GDP to fall by 8.5% in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, almost in line with the Indian central bank's forecast.


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Earlier this year, I recommended selling Whole Foods (NAS: WFM) and short-selling The Fresh Market (NYS: TFM) , arguing that Whole Foods is expensive by most valuation metrics, while Fresh Market is expensive and isn't as good of a business. But regular readers, bless them, know that I'm still bullish on the organic, healthy-food industry in general. They also know that I'm a big fan of interesting spinoff situations, which is why I'm so excited by the recent announcement from Dean Foods (NYS: DF) that it will spin off its WhiteWave-Alpro division, which produces healthy dairy and dairy-substitute brands such as Horizon Organic and Silk.
Finally, an organic-milk pure play!
Organic foods are the shining spot in an otherwise dull grocery industry. While a traditional stalwart like Safeway (NYS: SWY) has barely grown revenue in the past five years, the more organic-leaning Whole Foods has seen sales grow by 69%. Just last year, growth in organic-product sales was double that of their conventional counterparts, and at just 4.2% of food sales, there's still room to grow. That presents a huge opportunity for investors, but the difficulty is in finding a way to actually invest. As I noted in an article last year, most organic farms and product manufacturers either are privately owned, are run by co-ops, or have been swallowed up by some colossal conglomerate.
WhiteWave is a prime example. It's the largest supplier of organic milk in North America, and its Silk brand completely dominates the soy milk market, with 75% market share. And although soy milk's share of the alternative-milk market is declining, WhiteWave isn't sitting on its laurels. In 2009 it entered the almond milk market, which is rapidly gaining share from soy. Silk's PureAlmond line was ranked in the top 2% of all consumer packaged food and beverage launches between 2007 and 2011 in terms of sales, a remarkable feat considering the flood of new products hitting the shelves every year.
The spinoff situation
So far, there aren't many details on how the spinoff will play out. It is expected to happen sometime in the fourth quarter of this year and is currently valued at around $1.5 billion, but that may be subject to change, and no share price or number of shares has been set yet.
What we do know is that the spinoff will initially be structured as an IPO, with Dean Foods selling a 20% stake in WhiteWave for $300 million and then distributing the remaining 80% as a tax-free distribution to Dean Foods shareholders after a lockup phase. That means an interested investor has two avenues to ownership, depending on whether he or she wants to own both companies or just WhiteWave. A number of studies have shown that both spinoffs and their parents tend to outperform the S&P 500 in the few years following, so it would seem advantageous to buy Dean Foods now and hold the shares when they're distributed.
However -- and this is a big "however" -- Dean Foods' stock leapt an incredible 36% last week after announcing the spinoff. While that served only to erase a month's worth of steep declines that were probably related to skyrocketing corn prices, the stock is still up nearly 50% this year, putting the company at a high enterprise value-to-free cash flow ratio of 30.
On the other hand, the $1.5 billion IPO valuation is only 14 times WhiteWave's 2011 operating income, low for a company with rapid growth. Furthermore, both companies will probably see selling pressure after the spinoff is completed, as index funds will probably dump their new WhiteWave shares while other investors dump their Dean Foods shares, no longer needing them to get at WhiteWave. That could make both companies a real bargain. I'm not making a CAPScall just yet, but you should add Dean Foods to My Watchlist today to stay updated as more spinoff details come out.
The article This New Spinoff Will Ride the Wave to Profit originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributorJacob Rocheholds no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Check out his Motley Fool CAPSprofileor follow his articles usingTwitterorRSS. The Motley Fool owns shares of Dean Foods and Whole Foods Market. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Whole Foods Market and The Fresh Market. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Japan's Summer Sonic festival will stream new and archive footage
The event has been organised by the Last Night A DJ Saved My Life charity
Is this the future of reaching new fans?
It follows the government's announcement of a new enquiry into the economics of music streaming
Guest curators include Shanti Celeste, Optimo and Sarathy Korwar
The drum & bass DJ is putting on a series of themed livestreams including 'Jungle on Vinyl'
The Amazon-owned company hit back with a statement of their own
The campaign has been launched by The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers
SoundCloud DJ lets users store ‘unlimited’ offline tracks
The group have given rare approval for their music to be used in an advertising campaign


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The inauguration of President Trump marked a sharp inflection point in U.S. trade with the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership on the first day of the new administration. The President also called for renegotiation or withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA).
While details remain largely unknown, not since the Great Depression has U.S. trade policy signaled such an aggressive shift away from free trade.
Although the future of U.S./global trade is unclear, U.S. companies still have a positive outlook about doing business around the world. In fact, the Wells Fargo 2017 International Business Indicator survey report found their optimism for global business is at an all-time high.
The big three: China, Canada, and Mexico
The International Business Indicator confirmed that U.S. companies are focusing on global expansion to ensure long-term revenue growth. Key components of their international business strategies include emerging markets and foreign exchange. China remains the top hot spot for future growth, followed by Canada and Mexico.
China, Canada, and Mexico also have the largest existing trade relationships with the U.S. — equal to $1.9 trillion in imports and exports.
Trading with China: Risk and reward
China represents a great opportunity with particular risk. The Chinese government, as with many governments, controls the flow of capital and trade directly through mandates and policies.
Less recognized is China’s willingness to leverage trade for broader political goals and its capability to exert influence through control of the media and public opinion. In one example, Japanese name brands in China suffered a significant downturn through extensive negative media coverage related to a territorial dispute.
While the Chinese government has a general bias toward stability and trade growth, do not underestimate the need for risk mitigation.
Reasons for a positive outlook
Despite the uncertainty, there is justification for U.S. companies’ upbeat expectations about their international business this year:
- Diversification of the global economy. For decades, China has been the manufacturer to the world. However, with rising labor costs, production is shifting to other areas of Asia. Additionally, the Chinese economy is increasingly consumption-oriented. These shifts increase international trade activity and economic growth globally, creating new markets and new opportunities for U.S. companies.
- Change brings opportunity. Policy debates in the U.S. and globally are not about stopping global trade; they are about changing the rules. Change creates winners and losers. At this time, with few knowns except an overall bias toward aggressive growth, businesses are hopeful and believe they can be winners. Once the unknowns are resolved, expect more variability in the level of optimism across businesses.
The future of trade
For business leaders, international trade is core to the U.S. economy and to their bottom lines. Businesses are not looking to withdraw from the global economy — there’s no shift in fundamentals. However, some companies are leveraging current events to influence how international trade will look in the future. As a result, change is on the horizon.
Under such uncertainty, a key business support will be in-country trade finance expertise on both sides of a transaction to understand and negotiate the dynamics of change. Local resources actively connected through a global network can navigate the unknowns, mitigate risk, and open up opportunities.


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There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be shown off in about a week, but a few of its features are still up for debate in some circles. If you had wondered about the Galaxy S6 wireless charging capabilities, wonder no more as its official charging pad has just cleared the FCC.
A couple of days back, we talked about an upcoming announcement from Pebble. Well, that countdown clock is still ticking away, but a new leak may have spilled the beans on the company’s upcoming smartwatch.
A lot of people watch videos on their mobile devices, and it’s safe to say that YouTube isn’t going out of business anytime soon. We’ve seen a couple of smartphones with built-in Pico projectors, but The Beam projector is the first gadget we’ve seen that turns an ordinary light socket into a projector.
We’ve spent a lot of time covering smartphones from Samsung, Sony, and HTC, but Motorola has been remarkably quite so far this year. It turns out they’ve been working on a surprise of sorts, and it’s set to arrive on February 25th.
The weekends are generally a little slow in the smartphone world, but that’s not the case as we creep closer to MWC in Barcelona. That means it’s time for another Samsung Galaxy S6 rumor, and this time around it involves accessories. Some new Galaxy S6 cases have gone up for pre-order, and their shipping date may have just tipped us off to the Galaxy S6 release date.
Google Glass as we knew it may not exist anymore, but the company still has plans for the wearable sometime down the road. While we wait, other companies are rolling out high-the eyewear, and you can now pick up the Sony SmartEyeGlass Developers Edition if you want to experience Sony’s take on Glass.
Mobile-based Virtual Reality is slowing become a reality for thousands of folks around the globe – that own Android handsets. The VR experience on an iPhone isn’t nearly as slick, but a new patent from the company shows they may have had VR plans in the works for quite some time.
Whether you’re looking forward to it or cringing at the memory of devices like the Virtual Boy, Virtual Reality is making a comeback in a big way. We’ve discussed several types of VR setups, and a new one may be the most interesting as it’s going to bring a lot of new users into the fold. Mattel is going VR, and they’ve partnered with Google for the upcoming View-Master VR kit.
If you want a cool gadget, crowdfunding sites are a great place to turn and there is plenty of mobile tech in need of funding. With that in mind, we’re going to start something called Kickstarter Mobile, where we pick a cool mobile project each week. First up, is a mobile accessory called the Kalt Infrared Thermometer.
Virtual Reality has kind of become a big deal lately, and that’s partly due to mobile VR on devices like the Gear VR and similar setups like Google Cardboard. If you’re still not convinced VR is coming to take over our lives maybe VR for G3 will convince you.
2015 is shaping up to be the year of case leaks. We saw a number of them last year, but this year it’s become a trend and today the Samsung S Edge got in on the action. It’s time for a new Galaxy S6 accessory render, and we’re going see a little curve this time around.


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During the tail end of the March quarter, the Chinese media was conducting an all-out blitz against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) . The Mac maker was being criticized for its warranty practices, and state-owned media outlets were out looking for blood.
It continued for two weeks before CEO Tim Cook took a stand, issuing a formal apology to set the record straight, acknowledging some miscommunication and tweaking of warranty policies. Cook’s letter was immediately well received, with the Chinese media promptly flipping its stance and praising the company for its quick response.
Ahead of Apple’s earnings, I wondered if the damage had already been done, since the “Greater China” segment is Apple’s hottest growth geography and the anti-Apple campaign spanned nearly a sixth of the quarter. With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s figures now out, let’s take a look.
The meddling Middle Kingdom
Apple’s reported Greater China revenue climbed to $8.2 billion. However, this figure doesn’t include retail operations, and Apple has 11 stores in the region. Including retail revenue, total Greater China revenue was $8.8 billion. That’s a new record, but Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is seeing some growth deceleration as its now growing off a larger base.
The falling growth rates are what some investors may be worried about, though.
There are several ways to dig deeper.
First, investors can get a sense of consumer sentiment by looking at Apple’s retail operations in China. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)didn’t open any new stores in the region, but it did open four in China late last year. Retail revenue put up a solid 25% sequential gain to $587 million, and average revenue per store climbed from $42.7 million to $53.3 million.
Apple’s retail business in China didn’t seem to suffer. Keep in mind that the first quarter is the holiday quarter in the Middle Kingdom, which is why sequential growth is expected.


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Liz Tapner wins social enterprise crown
The awarded was handed out by Social Enterprise UK at a prize-giving ceremony at the Guildhall in the City of London.
The national awards are designed to highlight the work being done in the social enterprise community, recognising the outstanding achievements of businesses which trade for a social purpose.Liz heads up the Preston-based Selnet, Lancashire’s social enterprise network. The award recognises her achievements in leading a partnership of 50 charities and social enterprises in Lancashire to help people with multiple problems in their lives to get closer to the workplace.
"I’ve really come a long way. I would like to take the opportunity to thank my incredible team, Selnet board of directors and everyone who has supported me on my own journey. We’ve got big plans for the coming year so bring on 2019! “Liz was one of the first 15 social enterprise leaders to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Social Enterprise UK in 2017. This latest award sets Liz apart as the UK’s most influential woman in social enterprise.
Social Enterprise UK says there are approximately 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing £60bn to the economy each year and employing approximately two million people. They operate in nearly every sector from selling quality consumer goods to providing health and social care services.Peter Holbrook chief executive of Social Enterprise UK said: "In the troubling, uncertain times we’re living in, social enterprises are a beacon of hope. They are showing that another way of doing business is possible, one rooted in the values of community, equality and fairness.
"This year’s winners are testament to the strength and diversity of the social enterprise movement. It can no longer be seen as a fringe part of our economy but rather as a sector creating real impact both socially and economically.“Social enterprises are showing us what the future of business can look like." Liz, and the other winners, were presented with bespoke trophies made by the social enterprise, Designs in Mind, which employs people with mental health issues.


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Status: 05/06/2022 12:44
On the last trading day of the week, investors experience another turbulent trading day. After the Fed’s interest rate hike, they are now speculating on the future course of the ECB.
The DAX lost around 1% to 13,750 points around midday. It has even dropped below the 13,700 mark at times, but the DAX is currently moving away from its daily lows again. The main German index closed yesterday with a -0.5 percent at 13,902.52 points. Over the course of the day, it had gained nearly 2.5% at its peak and climbed above the 14,300 point mark.
Economy update 06.05.2022
Bettina Seidl, Human Resources, tagesschau24 09:00, 6.5.2022
The rally was just a flash in the pan
“Yesterday’s turnaround shows that investors continue to have no confidence in a stable bottom in the equity market,” commented Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. “The brief rally after the US interest rate decision turned out to be a flash in the pan,” agree ING Bank experts, who argue technically. As long as the DAX is below 14,000 points on the daily chart, further price decline can be expected in the near term.
Technical chart considerations aside, the fundamental situation is also known to remain tense, which may well explain investors’ palpable uncertainty: “The challenging market environment gives investors cause for concern for a variety of reasons, first and foremost. the geopolitical risk in Russia / Ukraine, the upcoming interest rate hikes in the US-Fed or the reversal of monetary policy towards monetary tightening and the economic situation in China “, says Stefan Breintner, DJE market strategist Kapital.
Will the ECB continue to choke the economy?
After the US Federal Reserve’s decision caused market turmoil, investors are now turning their gaze to the ECB. Recently, several central bankers had commented on the theme of interest rate hikes, already expected for the summer.
Robert Halver, market strategist at Baader Bank, is of the opinion that fears of interest rate hikes at the ECB are currently less pronounced: “Even if the ECB were to raise interest rates for the first time in July, this would not be the beginning of a coherent cycle of rate hikes “, underlines the expert. Due to the numerous construction sites and structural problems, the ECB must remain in “care mode”.
collapse of industrial production
In any case, interest rate hikes are unlikely to be good news for the current weakening of the German economy, as they are for the stock market. Incoming orders had already been interpreted yesterday as warning signs of the recession.
According to today’s data, industrial production has also suffered the sharpest collapse since the start of the Crown crisis: German companies cut their production almost four times more than expected after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Federal Statistical Office, they produced 3.9 percent less in March than the previous month.
What are the prospects for Wall Street?
At the weekend, all eyes are on the monthly US job market report, which will be released at 2.30pm. Analysts expect the robust development to continue with rising employment and falling unemployment. The monthly job market report is also usually followed closely, but in the current situation it could also cause stronger price movements.
The market expects a 400,000 job increase, roughly the same as in March, and a drop in the unemployment rate to 3.50 percent, according to Jeffrey Halley, a market analyst at Oanda. “A large deviation, up or down from the median forecast, should produce a very binary outcome given the schizophrenic nature of short-term financial markets right now,” Halley said.
Rheinmetall customers order ammunition in bulk
Arms group and automotive supplier Rheinmetall received orders for large quantities of ammunition in the first quarter. Across the group, sales of nearly € 1.27 billion were practically on par with the previous year. In the arms systems and ammunition sector, on the other hand, sales increased by 17 percent to 258 million euros. In addition, the division brought in orders worth nearly € 1.15 billion, more than ever. A “large volume ammunition order” from Hungary contributed to this.
Good business for the Heckler & Koch arms company
The Heckler & Koch armament company is also reporting a boom in business. In the first quarter of 2022, sales grew by 22.2% to 77.5 million euros compared to the same period last year. Net income more than doubled from 3.3 to 8.1 million euros. “As far as we can look back, it was the best quarter of the year in the company’s history,” said CFO Björn Krönert. He cited a generally high demand for weapons and more efficient work processes as reasons for the positive figures. H&K manufactures assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and pistols.
A surprisingly high quarterly loss and limited full-year targets break IAG’s largest price drop in nearly six months. Shares of mother British Airways are down a good twelve percent in London. The company is lagging behind the competition when it comes to recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic, complains analyst Joachim Kotze of the research firm Morningstar. IAG recorded an operating loss of 731 million euros. Seat capacity is expected to reach around 80% in 2022 instead of the 85% previously forecast for 2019.
Good start of the year for Gea
The activity of Gea plant engineering is flourishing. The group is satisfied with the high demand from numerous industrial sectors and starts the year with a record number of incoming orders. Sales grew by nearly 6% to 1.13 billion euros. Gross of restructuring costs, taxes, interest and depreciation, the operating result (Ebitda) was 138 million euros, up 14 percent compared to the previous year. The underlying profit increased even more clearly with a 27 percent increase to 72.2 million euros.
Increase in sales in RTL
The European television group RTL significantly increased sales at the beginning of the year, benefiting from TV advertising revenues and the streaming business. Sales increased 11.3% to 1.6 billion euros. Streaming sales increased by a whopping 23%. RTL pursues the creation of national cross-media champions nationwide across Europe, for example through sales or mergers.
Jump into Evonik’s profits
At the start of the year, the Evonik specialty chemicals group also earned more thanks to still good demand and higher selling prices. Net income increased 69% year-on-year to € 314 million in the first quarter. Evonik had already released key data about two weeks ago and confirmed the annual outlook despite the war in Ukraine and extensive crown blockades in China. In the first quarter, sales increased by a third to almost 4.5 billion euros. 22 percent of the growth was based on higher selling prices.
Autoverband VDA lowers forecasts for new car registrations
The German auto industry is lowering its forecasts for Germany due to the crown blockade in China and the war in Ukraine. The industry association VDA now expects 2.75 million new registrations this year, as its president Hildegard Müller told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
The flare-up of the pandemic in China is affecting the sector. “The supplied parts are now being delivered late because the ports are closed, so China worries us,” Müller said. As of February, the VDA still expected 2.8 million new car registrations in Germany this year. In 2021 it was 2.62 million.
Sporting goods manufacturer Adidas disappointed investors with a lower margin forecast. Adidas is struggling with the crown lockdown in China. Analyst Piral Dadhania of Canadian bank RBC assumes that the average market estimates for operating income (EBIT) in 2022 will decrease by about ten percent. The announcement of a long-term strategic partnership with Foot Locker, which a retailer called a positive this morning, took a back seat in light of Herzogenaurach’s new forecasts.


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Singapore users will finally get their hands on the Microsoft Surface, though only on the less powerful “RT” version, when the company starts shipping its much-touted tablet in more countries this month.
The first Windows tablets from Microsoft, the Surface RT and more powerful Surface Pro, had been positioned as alternatives to Apple’s iPad and rival Android tablets when they went on sale in the United States in October last year.
There’s no indication of local pricing for the Surface RT for Singapore yet, though the tablet costs upwards of US$499 in the US. Along with Singapore, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and Taiwan will have the tablet shipping locally as well.
The Surface RT comes with a low-power Arm-based processor and a stripped down version of Windows called Windows RT. Sold as an alternative to the iPad, it comes with its own version of Microsoft Office, but doesn’t run traditional Windows programs.
It’s also the cheaper counterpart to the US$899 Surface Pro, which comes with a full-fledged Intel processor and runs Windows 8 and regular Windows programs. The more expensive Surface Pro has been coveted by some geeks because it offers the convenience of a tablet, while providing the familiarity of a PC.
Unfortunately, there’s no news of when this PC-like tablet is reaching Singapore. The Surface Pro, according to Microsoft yesterday, will start shipping in Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Britain in the coming months.


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Taxman shuts down last of 281 walk-in help centres and replaces offices with telephone service
HM Revenue & Customs will close the last of its public walk-in inquiry centres next week.
The offices, open for face-to-face chats with taxpayers struggling with their bill, are being replaced by a telephone service where taxpayers in need of extra help will be directed to specialist advisers.
They will try to resolve tax and tax credit queries in one call.
No more walk-in centres: HMRC said they will try to resolve tax and tax credit queries in one call
For the hard of hearing unable to use the phone and those with complex problems, HMRC will arrange for advisers to visit your home.
HMRC used to have 281 centres across Britain, but says demand has fallen. Some 220,000 people needed face-to-face help last year. The tax telephone number is: 0300 200 3300.
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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The Chevrolet Bolt has drawn considerable media attention, but the supplier deals General Motors forged to build it may prove equally important.
GM relied on two South Korean suppliers -- LG Chem and LG Electronics -- to produce a large part of the Bolt, including the battery, electric motors, powertrain electronics and infotainment system.
To coax those and other suppliers to share their technology, GM let them retain control of their intellectual property, said GM purchasing chief Steve Kiefer, who spoke Wednesday at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars.
“We took a revolutionary approach to the supply base,” Kiefer said. “The technology is coming from nontraditional suppliers, and we had to change the way we did business with them.”
Kiefer said the new approaches could spread to future vehicle programs.
GM further upped the ante when it decided to produce an autonomous version of the Bolt. The automaker formed partnerships with a number of startups to develop software and hardware for the self-driving vehicle.
The autonomous Bolt is undergoing road tests in San Francisco; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and suburban Detroit. Kiefer said GM built an initial batch of 50 autonomous Bolts by hand, plus 130 more on the assembly line of GM’s plant in Orion Township, Mich.
After his presentation, Kiefer told Automotive News that the supply contracts he negotiated for the Bolt could be precedents for future car programs.
If so, the Bolt program offers more evidence that Kiefer is determined to improve GM’s relations with suppliers. On Wednesday, he confirmed that GM has negotiated long-term contracts with suppliers for GM’s next-generation pickups and full-size SUVs.
GM first tried that for its current full-size trucks, and Kiefer said it worked well.
The new contracts will last for two product cycles, or 10 or 12 years. That will allow suppliers to amortize their investment in tooling and product development, Kiefer said.


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Income Access, one of the world's leading providers of innovative technology and affiliate management platforms, announced today that they have launched their mobile app-tracking solution. The new app-tracking solution can track player acquisition from the applications of casino and bingo operators, as well as poker.
The launch has been anticipated for months, with plenty of beta testing being done and awaiting that Apple would allow iGaming applications back into their Apple App Store. Apple allowed iGaming affiliates apps in their store from November 25th this year, while previously only allowing apps to be available to markets where the operator held official licenses.
The application has been made as a response to the massive mobile growth the iGaming industry has experienced in the past years, allowing operators to track their mobile customers and acquisitions just like their would normally do through desktop pc's. Players’ complete mobile journeys can now be tracked – from their first click on a banner or PPC ad promoting an app to app downloads, installs, registrations, deposits and device information.
“In Q1 of 2014 we saw player acquisition via the mobile channel hit 40% and it’s continued to rise over the rest of the year, suggesting that cross-channel acquisition is the industry’s future,” said Nicky Senyard, founder and CEO of Income Access. “Responding to the mobile trend, we’ve transformed our platform into an integrated acquisition-tracking technology capable of streamlining each and every channel – with Income Access, the acquisition whole is now greater than the sum of its parts.”


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Fears are mounting that the record high prices that beef cattle are currently commanding is beginning to dampen consumer demand.
Despite the weekly cattle kill dropping to one of its lowest levels in years, processors have eased prices over the past fortnight, according to official figures from the Department of Agriculture.
The average base price for steers for the week ending March 24 dropped to 407c/kg compared to 409c/kg for the previous week.
This was despite the fact that intake at the plants was over 8,000 head back on the same week last year.
Bull finishers are also hurting following a decision by the factories to slash the premium being paid on U grade young bulls and reduce intakes by more than 30pc.
With more than double the number of bulls making U grade compared to steers, and higher carcass weights, the reduction in U grade premium is set to cost farmers €150,000 per month. Some finishers are ending up on waiting lists to get their bulls into factories.
The development highlights some of the weaknesses of the bull beef system that has been enthusiastically embraced by farmers over the last number of years. The bull kill has been on par with the steer kill at times over the last number of months.
But mature bulls have a narrower window for slaughter due to their size and the risk of bull taint on the meat.
Both Bord Bia and processors claim the volumes of bulls being supplied by farmers is creating marketing difficulties.
The premium being paid on U grade young bulls has been reduced by almost 60pc within the past month and now represents half of the average premium being paid for similar grade steers under the QPS at the factories.
The average premium for U grade young bulls (over R grade) has been reduced from over 10c/kg in February to under 5c/kg for the week ending March 24.
The equivalent premium for U grade steers over base for the same week was close to 10c/kg.
These prices are verified by the Department of Agriculture and include the quality assurance bonus of 6c/kg as applicable for steers under the QPS.
The same figures show that the weekly bull kill in January was 6,332. However, this figure dropped to 4,155 for the week ending March 24.
Dawn Meat's Paul Nolan said that he was not surprised by the developments.
"I've been saying for months that these prices are being driven by the scarcity of supply rather than the amount of demand," he said.
"Our non-core buyers say that they can buy cattle cheaper on the Continent.
"They are going elsewhere and we are focusing on just keeping supply going to our key customers.
"We're taking a hit but limiting the damage as much as possible."
However, prices reported from the beef trade this week suggest that the trade has held steady.
Steer base prices of 410c/kg are being achieved, while U grade bulls are making up to 420c/kg, according to the IFA's livestock chairman, Henry Burns.
Bord Bia also reported a firm trade as demand shows some signs of improvement in the run up to Easter.
The best trade reported was for roast beef joints as more consumers continue to switch to hindquarter cuts in response to excellent weather conditions being enjoyed across northern Europe at present.


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New York College of Health Professions has released a line of personal aromatherapy products that helps patients suffering from migraine headaches and other common ailments. The MyChi Dry Breezes line delivers aromatherapy scents developed by perfumers at International Flavors and Fragrances in a new, dry system which is as small as a lip balm and can be used for hundreds of applications. MyChi Dry Breezes aromatherapy is available in five fragrances to promote alertness, stress relief, appetite suppression, nausea control and migraine and headache control. The product, which is being marketed by the non-profit College as a public service, is being retailed for $5.00 and does have a money back guarantee. For more information, visit nycollege.edu.
IFF Formulates Aromatherapy Scents
August 15, 2008
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It’s only February, and already millennial Americans are deep in the grips of old-fashioned cabin fever. According to a new survey commissioned by priceline.com, a leader in online and mobile travel, and part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), last-minute getaways are the favored trip type for the new year, and young Americans aren’t afraid to open their wallets wide for that “special” vacation.
Almost half (49%) of all Americans who didn’t take a last-minute vacation in 2014 say they regret it. But it’s the millennials who are most eager to do something about it. Seventy-three percent of millennials say they are likely to take a last-minute vacation in 2015. In total, 58 percent of Americans surveyed say they agree that a last-minute 2015 getaway is in the cards.
- Forget about waiting until summer. Forty percent said they’ll most likely kick off their travel on the Valentine’s Day long weekend (Feb. 14-16), with Easter running close behind (32%) and St. Patrick’s Day (11%). With the year-end holidays barely in the rear-view mirror, only six percent said they planned to travel over the recent Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday.
- And here’s a warning to bosses. Sixty nine percent of millennials have no problem telling a “tall tale” (I’m sick, my kid’s sick, my car got stolen, someone close to me died, etc.) in order to play hooky and get away from the office for a few days. This is in sharp contrast with Americans in other age groups, where less than half (45%) would fib to take a vacation.
- Lovers in last-minute paradise. The survey also uncovered plenty of “triggers” to plan a spur-of-the-moment getaway this year. But, Americans would be most willing to plan a last-minute vacation for a romantic getaway (55%) – followed by a surprise celebration, such as a birthday (42%), a guys or girls getaway (25%), a wedding (19%) or to attend a sporting event (18%). Last-minute travelers will also spend more freely for these types of trips. For example, 56 percent said they will make reservations at an ultra-luxurious 5-star hotel for a romantic getaway, while 22 percent will splurge for someone’s birthday.
Priceline.com said it believes that mobile services like the priceline.com travel app are helping fuel this wanderlust by making it easy to reserve everything from a hotel, to a flight and rental car, in a few touches on a smartphone or tablet. “As comfort levels with mobile travel reservations continue to rise in 2015, travelers will increasingly be on the lookout for last-minute travel ideas, deals and technology – we call this seizing the Travel App-ortunity,” said John Caine, priceline.com’s Chief Product Officer. “Last-minute travel is when priceline.com’s relationships across the travel industry and our dedication to mobile app innovation really come into play. In fact, our exclusive mobile deals are so popular that we’ve partnered with hotels to add another 2,000 deals for our mobile customers.”
Priceline.com, part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), gives leisure travelers multiple ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to getting compelling published prices, travelers can take advantage of priceline.com’s famous Name Your Own Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available, or the recently added Express Deals®, where travelers can take advantage of hotel discounts without bidding.
About the Survey
The Priceline.com Last-Minute Travel Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, between January 8 and January 14, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18+. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
For press information: Flavie Lemarchand-Wood at email@example.com.


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The pound traded with modest gains on Tuesday, following the publication of the UK’s latest employment figures.
Sterling is wavering this morning, with GBP/EUR muted at €1.1998 and GBP/USD retreating to $1.3151. GBP/CAD and GBP/NZD are rangebound at C$1.6427 and NZ$1.8954, respectively, while GBP/AUD slips to AU$1.7497.
Coming up, will a quiet data calendar result in Ukraine developments dominating currency movements today?
What’s been happening?
The pound was left mostly rangebound on Friday after initially taking a hit in the wake of the UK’s latest retail sales data.
February’s data reported an unexpected 0.3% contraction in sales growth, down from a 1.9% expansion in January and stoking concerns that the UK’s cost-of-living crisis is already starting to impact consumer spending.
Meanwhile, the publication of Germany’s IFO business climate index, sent the euro reeling at the end of last week, as business morale deteriorated at a much faster-than-expected pace this month as a result of the outbreak of war in Eastern Europe, concerns over which also exerted pressure on the single currency.
Finally, the US dollar was buoyed by Federal Reserve rate hike speculation as USD investors started to price in expectations rates could rise by up to 200 basis points this year.
However, the ‘greenback’s gains were capped somewhat after the University of Michigan revised its March consumer sentiment index even lower.
What’s coming up?
Turning to start of this week’s session, in the absence of any notable data we are likely to see the Ukraine crisis act as a key catalyst of movement in the currency market.
Later in the week the focus for EUR investors will be on the Eurozone’s consumer price index. Will another jump in inflation be seen as placing more pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to start hiking interest rates this year and bolster the euro in the process?
Meanwhile, the pound may face an uphill battle this week as the UK’s cost-of-living crisis is likely to continue to weigh on Sterling sentiment.
Across the pond the spotlight will be on the latest US payroll release, with the US dollar potentially strengthening if the US economy continues to add jobs at a robust pace.
Joining the corporate trading desk in 2007, Phil now over sees all of Currencies Direct’s corporate dealing activity. Having gained experience working with hundreds of businesses to optimise international payments processes and execute comprehensive risk management strategies, Phil currently works with a portfolio of corporate clients whilst managing Currencies Direct’s overall market exposure
Phil has FCA approval and has completed the Certificate in International Treasury Management (CertiTM)


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Many in the open source world have touted how perfect open-source operating systems and software is for the internet of things. The customizable nature of open source makes it an ideal playing ground for developers creating applications and services for various devices. And, indeed, the open source world appears to be taking a more invested look at the internet of things, and the future of robotics. Canonical — a U.K.-based software company — recently revealed that it will offer the core version of its Ubuntu operating system for the internet of things.
Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system that originally launched for desktop only, and came out for mobile in 2013. Now the Snappy Ubuntu Core is available for smart devices and other devices for the internet of things. Developers for smart home items, and creators of drones and other robots will be able to use the operating system to run their devices. The Core will also associate with an app store for users.
TechCrunch quotes Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth:
From scientific breakthroughs by autonomous robotic explorers to everyday miracles like home safety and energy efficiency, our world is being transformed by smart machines that can see, hear, move, communicate and sense in unprecedented ways. Ubuntu Core is the secure platform for super-smart stuff, with an app store that brings the very latest software straight to your device and easy connections to every cloud.
Canonical has hit a few roadblocks in getting developers and users on board the Ubuntu train. As the company launched upgraded versions of its operating system, many were unimpressed with the numbers of developers working with Ubuntu; then, an Indiegogo crowd-funding project that aimed to raise $32 million for the production of the smartphone dubbed the Ubuntu Edge failed, raising just under $13 million. But this move into the internet of things and robotics is Canonical making good on the promise it made back in 2013 to launch Ubuntu into areas of tech beyond desktops and smartphones.
It’s possible that Canonical’s move into the internet of things will set a precedent for other open source operating systems. Samsung’s Tizen has been making international headlines, and the operating system’s makers have said that they look towards Tizen running on all manner of devices. With other open source systems advancing onto the market slowly but surely, it seems as though their race towards the internet of things is just beginning.


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The Xunta will sign an agreement with the Galician Association of Travel Agencies to invest more than 90,000 euros in the creation of 45 tourist packages in O Courel and Valdeorras.
The president of the Cluster, Cesáreo Pardal, took part in a meeting with the director of Galicia Tourism held in Folgoso do Courel.
The municipality of Folgoso do Courel in Lugo was the chosen venue for a meeting today between the director of the Galicia Tourism Agency and representatives of the municipalities and the tourism sector, to discuss measures to restore tourism activity and the socio-economic fabric in general after the forest fires that have affected the regions of O Courel and Valdeorras.
The president of the Galicia Tourism Cluster, Cesáreo Pardal, was one of the participants in this meeting, which was also attended by his counterparts from the Galician Association of Travel Agencies (Agavi), Juan Rivadulla, and the Galician Federation of Rural Tourism (Fegatur), Francisco Xabier Almuíña, as well as various representatives of tourist establishments and services in the areas affected by the fire, and the mayoress of Folgoso do Courel, Lola Castro.
One of the measures already finalised at the meeting is the agreement to be signed by Galicia Tourism and Agavi for the creation of new tourism products to highlight the attractions of these areas. The agreement foresees the development of six categories of tourist packages oriented towards natural areas, ornithological tourism, active tourism and adventure tourism, according to the Xunta de Galicia. In addition, there will be products focused on tangible and intangible heritage, astronomical and industrial tourism, enogastronomy and activities related to the tourist potential of the reservoirs and the Winter Way, among other areas. In total, an investment of more than 90,000 euros is planned for the creation of 45 different tourist packages.
The Xunta stresses that retail travel agencies will thus become important allies in bringing the tourist products and attractions of these areas of inland Galicia to the end customer.


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Honestly, we couldn’t make this stuff up.
As the President of UnitedHealth explains, “What this product is designed to do, for a very modest premium, is to essentially protect your insurability for the future.”
To be clear, the product is not health insurance. It’s more like a bribe. You’d be paying the insurance company now – 20 percent of the annual premium, at that – just for the right to purchase their policy later, if you lost your job or retired early, for example.
Sound like a great deal? Well, no. But it’s actually even worse than it sounds at first. If you’re sick and need to be sure you have coverage, you probably can’t buy this plan. And if you’re healthy enough to buy it, but get sick later, you may not be able to afford it when you need it.
This is coming at an interesting time, when both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are buzzing with talk of comprehensive health care reform that would include a broad expansion of health coverage. So the fact that UnitedHealth is offering this product inherently implies that they are betting against reform – and they’re asking consumers to do the same:
"Some advocates for changing the health insurance system say that rather than expecting individuals to spend hundreds of dollars a year for a guarantee they may not need, the government should do more to make sure everyone has access to coverage."In an economy where it’s hard enough to afford rising premiums, is it really fair to entice consumers with product that capitalizes on people’s fear of losing their health coverage some time in the future? Doesn’t seem like it. Especially when the prospects of reform look so good that even the health insurance lobby wants a seat at the table.
*Full disclosure: I posted this on another site this morning and wanted to share it here as well.


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Kenya will extend
customs exemptions granted to member states of COMESA member countries for one
July 6, 2021
Egyptian exports will maintain their access to the Kenyan
market tariff-free for a period of one year, as of July, Minister of Trade and
Industry Nevine Gamea has announced.
She said that the Egyptian commercial office in the Kenyan
capital Nairobi has received a formal letter from the Kenya Revenue Authority
(KRA) stating that it had obtained the approval of the East African Community
(EAC) to extend for a year customs exemptions granted to member states of the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
“The move will keep Egypt’s exports flowing
into Kenya, especially being one of the country’s key export markets in the COMESA
and EAC,” said Ahmed Maghawry, head of the Egyptian Commercial Service.
Maghawry added that total Egyptian exports to the Kenyan
market amounted to $448.5 million in 2020, up 5.3% from a year before, noting
that top shipments to Kenya include: sugar, detergents, cement, iron and steel,
machinery, equipment and electrical appliances.


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On Friday morning, LVMH announced the eight finalists for its third annual LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Narrowed down from a short list of 23, each finalist was selected by a panel of 41 top international fashion experts after a LVMH Prize cocktail event at Paris Fashion Week, during which semifinalists presented their designs to industry veterans like Karl Lagerfeld and Riccardo Tisci.
In a press release, Louis Vuitton's Executive Vice President Delphine Arnault stated: "With 3 designers based in Paris in the final 8, the list reflects the vitality of the French fashion scene and the attractiveness of Paris for designers from all over the world." This group includes Paris-based Christelle Kocher of Koché, a semifinalist for the second year in a row. Designer and stylist Brandon Maxwell, who (very humbly) told us that he felt like he had already won at the cocktail event, also made the cut, as well as fellow New York-based designer Matthew Williams of Alyx. And for the first time in its three-year history, a Japanese designer (Hiromichi Ochiai) was selected as one of the eight finalists.
The winner will be announced on June 16 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris and will be awarded with a prize of 300,000 euros, as well as a year of mentorship from LVMH. Read on for the full list of finalists.
Aalto, by Tuomas Merikoski (Finnish designer based in Paris). Womenswear presented in Paris.
Alyx, by Matthew Williams (American designer based in New York). Womenswear presented in New York.
Brandon Maxwell, by Brandon Maxwell (American designer based in New York). Womenswear presented in New York.
Facetasm, by Hiromichi Ochiai (Japanese designer based in Tokyo). Womenswear and menswear presented in Tokyo.
Koché, by Christelle Kocher (French designer based in Paris). Womenswear and menswear presented in Paris.
Vejas, by Vejas Kruszewski (Canadian designer based in Toronto). Womenswear and menswear presented in New York.
Y/Project, by Glenn Martens (Belgian designer based in Paris). Womenswear and menswear presented in Paris.


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Destination Business Bootcamp
Croghan Colonial Bank and the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce have partnered to provide six Chamber businesses an opportunity to attend Jon Schallert’s “Destination Business Bootcamp” in Longmont, Colorado in October. In 2010, Croghan created the Croghan Colonial Bank Small Business Reinvention Scholarship to provide select businesses an opportunity to attend Schallert’s program, a 2.5 day intensive workshop designed to train small business owners how to transform their business into a Destination Business. The program was conducted in Fremont in 2009 with Norwalk being added in 2010.
Six individual businesses will be chosen through an application process, due on July 16, 2012 with final selections to be made not later than August 15, 2012. The selected business owners will attend the Boot Camp on October 9 -11, 2012. Upon their return, there will be monthly conference calls and webinars to coach through the incremental changes. In May 2013, Jon will conduct a 45-minute on-site consultation with each business owner who attended the Boot Camp at their place of business.


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Industrialisation has been at the centre of discussions at the 39th Southern African Development Community Summit that started on August 5 and will end on Sunday.
Agrochemicals, mineral processing and pharmaceuticals were among the sectors that the SADC member states put in their strategy to boost intraregional trade.
The meetings discussed consumer and capital goods as well as services in the 2015-2063 road map to industrialise the 16-state bloc.
The road map, adopted in April 2015 in Zimbabwe's capital Harare, envisaged major economic and technological transformation at national and regional levels to accelerate economic growth through industrial development. Many member states continue to be among the poorest in the world despite abundant natural resources as the majority of them export these in raw or unprocessed form.
SADC seeks to transition from a commodity-dependent growth path to knowledge-intensive and industrialised economies.
Analysts say that if successfully implemented, the plan will increase employment opportunities and improve the living standards of the majority.
SADC member countries committed to investment-led trade and economic and industrial integration to make the region more attractive to local and foreign investors.
The Regional Development Fund, a financing mechanism, is being put in place to support implementation of the strategy.
Other key areas to be explored are the intellectual property rights of investment as well as research and development and technology transfer that would increase industrial growth.
However, key infrastructural constraints in energy, transport, ICT, water and meteorology still need to be addressed.
The member states are lagging behind in the implementation of infrastructure projects, according to a study launched on Wednesday.
The study by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre was launched in Dar es Salaam by SADC executive director Stergomena Lawrence Tax.
“Of the 134 projects assessed in the study, only five per cent were successfully completed, meaning that 95 per cent of the projects were behind schedule,” said the study.
Other issues to be discussed at the summit are the removal of non-trade barriers (NTBs).
Traders experience several challenges at border posts while importing and exporting products from one country to another within the region, slowing down business processes.
SADC has risen from a group of front line states led by Tanzania during the struggle for southern Africa’s independence into one of the biggest economic blocs in Africa.
The region has a duty free market of over 300 million consumers and a combined national GDP of $706.2 billion as per the latest SADC secretariat economic data reports.
Tanzania has increased its exports of goods from $481 million in 2008 when the SADC Free Trade Area started, to $1.042 billion in 2017.
-Additional reporting by Agencies


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MIAMI COUNTY – A large media conglomerate called Hrxcorp Enterprises, located in booming tech hub Union Township, recently submitted a bid to purchase the Miami County Bugle Caller (MCBC) for over 3 million dollars, but we said NO.
MCBC executives did not even bother to inform the lawyers before declining the offer, as such a small amount of money would never be enough to hand over the keys to “Miami County’s most trusted source in news.” In 2019 alone, the MCBC brought in over 2 million dollars in ad revenue from booming local businesses such as Schafty’s Brew House, Yacht Topic, and Hard Balls Casino using the site to promote their businesses.
“We know that the local businesses know pretty much nothing about display advertising. They have no handle on attribution, so we just charge high rates per impression on our website and take credit for a majority of the foot traffic in their storefronts. It’s basically printing money, and we’re only getting started,” said MCBC’s CMO, Martin Schrekil. “We’re not surprised these media groups want in on the action.”
Hrxcorp’s offer to purchase MCBC came in just weeks after the Miami Valley Media Conference, where MCBC presented their aggressive growth trajectory with plans to launch various mobile applications and several groundbreaking website features, pushing the frontier of local news.
The nerds at AIM Media, tdn-net.com, and miamivalleytoday.com were left completely speechless at the sight of presentable digital media, and were aggressively taking notes on how to improve their antiquated websites. Hrxcorp representatives present at the conference were immediately intrigued as they saw the competition scrambling.
“MCBC’s rivals were quivering in their seats like little babies. That’s when we knew it was time to buy in. I’ve never seen such a polished website, packed with stellar content and relevant advertisements. In the next 5 years, people might look at the MCBC like it’s USA Today,” said Loam Malheu, Hrxcorp’s Chief Growth Officer.
For more updates on booming local businesses such as the Miami County Bugle Caller, you know what to do. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on all relevant social channels.


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Appeared promising for XRP-investor news. It seems that Coinbase can add support for token Ripple on its platform.
In a recently published press release, the company said that it currently explores a range of assets, including the token Aeternity, Stellar, EOS much anticipated XRP.
And although this news may sound promising for investors XRP, the company also made it clear that this Supplement may not occur.
– Adding new assets requires substantial research from a technical point of view and from the point of view of compliance, and we cannot guarantee that all assets that are listed here will eventually be listed for trading, is stated in the company blog.
It is also unclear whether or not all the new assets mentioned in the ad, the support of local wallets, if you believe the representative Coinbase, some of them may be available only for purchase and sale.
In any case, the new currency will be added, depending on compliance with the laws, providing its customers with effective solutions.
Previously, Coinbase announced that it is considering five new assets, three of which now added to its platform. These include BAT, ZEC (access to which is not in the UK or new York) and ZRX, and the other two — 0x and Stellar – according to the statements of the company are still in the study.
The company also recently teamed up with Ripple to invest in based in the San Francisco startup Securitize, which aims to help companies to turn in the tokens of its securities and assets.
The same news, only to Telegram. Without advertisements and spam.
The message Coinbase is still considering adding XRP appeared first on Cryptocurrency Ripple (XRP): news, course, the forecast value.


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Twitter to Remove Verified Status for Accounts That Don’t Pay by April
According to numerous reports, Twitter will begin revoking “legacy” verified badges next month to generate new revenue streams.
The social media platform introduced its verification process to help users distinguish legitimate accounts from fake or impersonated ones.
The verified badge, a blue tick, is an honor reserved for accounts Twitter deems authentic, trustworthy, and noteworthy.
However, as the platform has grown, so has the desire to obtain that coveted blue tick. Unfortunately, some users are now gaming the system, using illegitimate methods to gain verification.
Before being taken over by Elon Musk last year, the platform’s blue checkmark verification system was only available to public figures such as celebrities, politicians, and companies.
On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: https://t.co/gzpCcwOpLp
Organizations can sign up for https://t.co/RlN5BbuGA3…
— Twitter Verified (@verified) March 23, 2023
Less than 450,000 verified accounts were in circulation, which helped users identify notable and genuine accounts. Twitter did not charge for this service.
Elon Musk has criticized the blue-check verification system as “corrupt” and implemented changes to make it accessible to those willing to pay.
His company launched Twitter Blue, a premium subscription service that offers the verified badge as one of its perks.
As of April 1, 2023, the social media platform will revoke the verified status of verified accounts before Musk’s takeover unless they subscribe to Twitter Blue or the business-focused Twitter Verified Organizations.
All the Buzz about Twitter’s Blue Checkmark
Twitter’s verified status has become a sought-after symbol of legitimacy, but it’s not just a vanity metric.
Verification status can give users access to exclusive features, such as a higher ranking in search results and the ability to filter notifications.
You may also like: Best productivity apps for work, school and everything else [Updated]
This status is also essential for influencers and public figures who rely on the platform for their livelihoods.
In the United States, the web subscription for Twitter Blue costs $8 per month, while in-app payments on iOS and Android devices cost $11 per month. Only Twitter Blue subscribers will be eligible for verified badges from now on.
The company has stated that companies and brands can obtain a gold checkmark by subscribing to Twitter Verified Organizations, which costs $1,000 monthly.
At the same time, government accounts can receive a gray checkmark under the new system.
The platform’s verification system has come under fire recently because some users abuse it. Some users have been buying verification services, which is against its terms of service.
This practice is unethical and undermines the credibility of Twitter’s verification process. It makes it harder for users to trust the verified badge, ultimately devaluing it.
Twitter’s verification process was essential for establishing trust and credibility on the platform.
But, with the current state of affairs, it’s time for Twitter to take action. The impact of removing legacy verified badges on the platform remains to be determined.
Yet, critics argue that making a verified badge available only through payment will result in a class system on Twitter.
Despite being a private company, Twitter can charge for any of its services. In addition, the social media platform is actively searching for new revenue sources.
According to reports, Musk has indicated that the company must derive around half its revenue from subscription services to endure a potential downturn.


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Looking to save big on children's clothing, toys and accessories? There are three big sales going on this week and weekend -- Little Lambs consignment, SuperKIDS consignment and Buy for Rise. Tuscmoms has all the details!
Tuscmoms hopes to see you and your family Saturday at Shelby Park.
Bring your lunch and don't forget the bathing suits for the kids. Meet new people and fellow members. Tuscmoms Family Fun Day will take place from
10:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Thanks to everyone who posted back-to-school photos this month. Don't
forget to check The Tuscaloosa News Sunday to see which ones get
published. Stay tuned for more photo events! And check out
tuscmoms.com to see all the photos submitted.
There are plenty of pregnant mamas on www.tuscmoms.com. Find out when they are due and wish them well!
Are you an annoying Facebooker? Moms are chuckling over an article that pokes fun at the ways we communicate via Facebook.
Do you know what to do for a blocked milk duct? What's the difference between a blocked duct and mastitis? One mom (ahem, me) is asking for advice. Join the discussion!
See you on the forums!
Shop the Sales this Week!