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An Edmonton-based Internet company that connects people who need help with volunteers was selected as one of the winners at an international startup competition in Los Angeles.
GozAround will share in $250,000 US of software development, design and digital marketing after being chosen earlier this month in the Thunderstruck Startup Competition. It was organized by Beverly Hills-based Thunderbolt Studios.
The startup was among more than 100 applicants.
“This could be a game-changing opportunity for our company,” GozAround founder Ben Block said. “We have some exciting new features in development and working with the Thunderbolt team will open new doors and accelerate our growth.”
GozAround allows volunteer groups and individuals to post and respond to requests for assistance while earning points that can be redeemed for gift cards or other rewards.
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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Mangroves to replenish fish in Naples Bay
The natural resources team in Naples is using a new strategy to improve fish populations in the city's bay. Instead of stocking fish, they're targeting mangroves along the shore.
"We're talking about sheepshead, snook, and red fish," Naples Natural Resources Manager Dr. Michael Bauer said.
Those fish rely on smaller fish, who get nutrients from mangroves.
"Mangroves are extremely important to Southwest Florida's estuaries," Bauer said. "They're the base of the food chain. Their leaves provide food for vegetarians that are then eaten by the bigger fish and the bigger fish eat them."
With development since the 1950s, much of that part of the chain has disappeared.
"We've lost about 70 percent of the mangroves that once lined Naples Bay," Bauer said.
According to Bauer, there are two ways to get them back.
"One is plant them and the other is just to let them naturally recruit in the area," Bauer said. "We're not doing anything but letting it naturally become what it once was."
Bauer sectioned off an area at Bayside Park. It's about 50 feet long and 10 feet wide with a sign asking people to stay back.
For years, mangroves haven't grown there. Bauer suspects fisherman along the shore would pull out the mangroves because they were in the way.
Now, with just a little rope and signs educating visitors about the project, the mangroves are making a comeback.
"All we ask them is to please leave the mangroves alone and give them a chance to grow," Bauer said.
Over the last 18 months, some patches have grown to two feet.
Bauer calls it a great success.
"In a few years, these guys will be contributing to the food chain in Naples Bay," he said.

domain: news


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KFH is also predicting a 5 to 10% increase in selling prices over the next six months.
"During the first quarter of 2009, we have witnessed the first positive signs of a stabilising and improving London property market," Watts said.
"Although sales agreed were still 20% less than the same period in 2008, they are the best results recorded for over 12 months.
"In London, selling prices bottomed out at the end of the last year, falling on average by 25 to 30% from their peak in mid 2007.
"Encouragingly, April has brought a significant increase in new buyer registrations – over 20% higher when compared with April 2008 – and this included the Easter holiday fortnight. April also saw an increase in first-time buyers, representing 45% of all new registrations.
"This has resulted in a 30% increase in the number of sales agreed over April 2008 and, due to the relatively short supply of new properties coming to the market, there is now upward pressure on selling prices.
"We are already starting to see an increase in both asking and selling prices and, based on supply and demand continuing at similar levels as seen during April, I believe we will see actual selling prices increase between 5 and 10% over the next six months.
"This will release many home owners from negative equity, increase the level of new properties coming to the market and ease the present imbalance between supply and demand.
"At the beginning of this year we predicted an increase of 10 to 15% in overall sales transactions during 2009. We now predict that this will be between 15 and 20%, although still almost half the number of transactions in 2007.
"These forecasts are converse to many institutions and market commentators’ predictions, and are supported by current activity levels across our network of London offices."
Have your say on this story using the comment section below


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Thanks to OCI’s rapid expansion, the end-to-end supply chain partnering solutions provider has appointed Steve Box as its Strategic Advisor. Former international CEO of Bibby Financial Services Ltd and former Global Head of Receivable Finance at HSBC, Steve Box has extensive experience in financing and alleviating working capital constraints, financing businesses across global markets and building strong relationships with key people of all levels.
Steve brings with him over thirty five years of experience in banking, strategic planning and execution, invoice financing and structure implementation, alongside key knowledge and established contacts globally.
Reporting directly to Oliver Chapman, CEO - who founded OCI 10 years ago - Steve will provide strategic advice for OCI as it develops supply chain partnerships with large corporates and governments around the world.
Oliver Chapman, said, “We are delighted to have Steve on board at OCI. Steve has great character and vast experience of dealing with organisations at the highest level. Steve will support OCI’s ambitious plans for growth as we partner with more governments and large corporates to support them with their procurement.”
Steve Box added, “I am absolutely delighted to be working with Oliver and the team at OCI. The firm are really committed to expanding the international procurement solutions enjoyed by so many large buyers and suppliers working with OCI today. The journey ahead looks very exciting”


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AB InBev subsidiary Grupo Modelo to build US$ 756 million brewery in Hidalgo
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Grupo Modelo, one of Mexico’s biggest brewing companies, is about to reveal a US$ 756 million investment plan in the central state of Hidalgo to build a new brewery, reported national news outlet Reforma, citing unnamed sources because an official announcement will be made coming Monday by company officials and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto.
The facility will be located at the Municipality of Apan. The project is expected to create 3,500 temporary jobs while under construction and 1,200 permanent jobs once it becomes operational.
Grupo Modelo became a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev back in 2013 under the condition that its local brands would be produced exclusively in Mexico. One example is Corona, which is one of the few beers produced only in its country of origin and supplied from there all over the world.
This strategy has put pressure to the Corona brand, which saw its global sales increase 14% in 2016, leading the company to work already at 95% of its total capacity in Mexico, which last May increased to 77 million hectoliters with the opening of a new US$ 450 million brewery in the municipality of Hunucma, Yucatan.
The new brewery, to be named Cervecería Modelo del Centro, will start operations in early 2019 with a production capacity of more than 12 million hectoliters, expandable to 24 million in the medium term, according to the report.


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Preparations for upcoming ski season in Alberta underway
Snow isn’t fairly within the southern Alberta forecast but however that hasn’t stopped ski outlets, resorts and households from preparing for the approaching season.
“As everybody’s seen within the earlier yr, issues are actually laborious to get proper now, so it’s actually essential to get on issues early,” stated Joe Molina, advertising and marketing and net operations supervisor at Alpenland in Lethbridge.
Final season noticed a rise in individuals trying to attempt snowboarding, snowboarding and cross-country snowboarding as a technique to get exterior throughout the pandemic. This led to gear shortages throughout the nation, one thing Alpenland is attempting to keep away from this yr.
Molina stated they began ordering winter gear and attire in the beginning of summer time and even earlier. They’ve already began reordering merchandise as persons are already beginning to store.
“The trade is admittedly beginning to really feel the shortages on product, and it was actually very important for us to order early,” stated Molina. “So even with the reorders, we’re hoping that we’re capable of refill sufficient for the approaching season, however it’s going to be laborious to get stuff whilst we get nearer to December.”
Like most industries, Molina stated the ski trade isn’t protected from manufacturing shortages and sourcing materials — particularly alloys, like aluminum used to make ski poles.
“We’ve doubled down on them to verify we’ve sufficient tools that we are able to promote.”
As quickly as Alpenland opened on Saturday morning, households have been inside getting ski boots match.
Brayden and Thomas Baird are younger brothers who say they’ve been snowboarding since they might stroll.
They like being daredevils, the joys and the adrenaline that comes with hitting the slopes.
Final yr, each observed extra individuals on the hill. They have been joyful to see individuals out attempting the game they love however it did include a draw back.
“It was good, however on the similar time, the raise traces have been loads longer,” stated Brayden.
Lengthy traces are to be anticipated with file turnout, one thing Castle Mountain Resort noticed.
“Final yr was exceptionally busy,” stated gross sales and advertising and marketing supervisor Cole Fawcett. “It really ended up being the busiest season in Fortress Mountain Resorts historical past.”
The resort took on a variety of capital tasks over the summer time, spending virtually $1.5 million.
Most was spent on snow-making enhancements and including 1.1 kilometres of snow-making infrastructure to the mountain.
Fawcett stated it will assist them have extra predictable circumstances, keep open longer and hopefully, open sooner than their tentative date of Dec. 3.
“Issues appear like they’re going to be busy, however our expectations are in verify.”
When you plan on visiting Fortress Mountain Resort, some issues will look just like final yr. There’ll once more be a restricted variety of day passes out there to restrict capability.
“That was new for us final yr, and it actually labored properly and type of stored issues to a uninteresting roar on any given day,” stated Fawcett. “I feel that’s essential, pandemic or not, for the visitor expertise.”
Nonetheless, it’s a transfer Fawcett by no means noticed coming.
Last-day rush to buy ski passes tanks Big White web page, local ski culture appears on the rise
“Three years in the past within the trade had you stated, ‘Hey, a pair years from now, you’re going to be limiting the variety of season passes you promote,’ most of us would have informed you to go fly a kite. That simply wasn’t one thing that we’d have foreseen as a problem.”
Fortress Mountain Resort shall be collaborating in Alberta’s Restriction Exemption Program. To make use of the indoor eating areas, prospects should present proof of full vaccination, a unfavorable COVID-19 fast antigen, fast PCR or lab-based PCR take a look at or proof of medical exemption. Masks will even be required indoors when not consuming or consuming.
“We’re shifting within the lineups and the bottom space away from a masks mandate to a masks suggestion,” stated Fawcett.
So when you’re trying to get out and hit the slopes this season, these within the trade say there’s no time like the current to start out preparing.
“Regardless of the nice and cozy climate, it’s good to get on these things early with the perfect choice that we’ve for the season,” stated Molina.
“It sucks to return in and get upset while you’re midway by means of the season and you discover on the market are not any cross-country skis once more. That’s a bummer.”
© 2021 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.


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UK consumers using Seamless’ Seqr mobile payment platform can now add their bank account to the app and make NFC mobile purchases at any contactless terminal. “Until now, UK customers have enjoyed the benefits of the Seqr prepaid account functionality — however, enabling customers to connect their bank account opens Seqr up to millions more customers who prefer direct payment over a prepaid option,” the company says. Seqr arrived in the UK in June 2014.
- Cambridge academics report on cryptocurrency market status
- Central Bank of Uruguay to run mobile currency pilot
- Mastercard applies for blockchain B2B payments patent
- Walmart tests smart lock delivery service
- Chinese consumers ready to go out without cash


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SEO National Welcomes Newest Search Engine Optimization Client: Dazlab
Industry: Mobile Apps
SEO National to expand online presence for Dazlab, an app developer for startups and entrepreneurs.
New South Wales, Australia (PRUnderground) March 1st, 2023
SEO National believes there’s a better way for companies to get found online than to dump endless money into digital ads. Instead, they increase their client’s organic traffic and conversions through search engine optimization. Their newest client is Dazlab — a boutique firm specializing in digital product development.
“We’re extremely excited to be working with Dazlab,” said Damon Burton, SEO National founder. “They are the sweet spot within their field — small enough to deliver a personal touch but big enough to deliver anything a client needs, when they need it. They’ve rolled out some of the most ingenious web and mobile apps we’ve seen, and we’re excited to help them grow their brand.”
Like Dazlab, SEO National prioritizes being highly accessible to their clients. Founded in 2007, the company carefully managed growth to ensure the same high-touch service for every client. SEO National’s client roster has included Inc. 5000 companies, Shark Tank-featured startups, and NBA team stores. Through strategic search engine optimization, they are extending Dazlab’s product development services to more entrepreneurs in search of an innovative digital solution to support their vision.
Unlike big tech firms, Dazlab does not delegate new clients to a program manager to act as a middleman. Instead, clients have access to the full range of Dazlab talent and leadership without layers of bureaucracy. Another benefit of Dazlab’s smaller size is that they can cater their app development services and pricing to each client’s needs. That way, they’re not pushed into one-size-fits-all packages with expensive features they don’t need.
Dazlab specializes in web apps, mobile apps, and business logic API. They can build a new product from start to finish or improve an existing digital product. Their digital solutions include everything from a customer and transaction management platform for real estate agents to a mobile app to help parents monitor their child’s medical issues. For more information, visit Dazlab.global.
Dazlab helps founders and entrepreneurs build reliable digital products that their customers will love. They specialize in web apps, mobile apps, and business logic API. They can build a new product from start to finish or improve an existing digital product.


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Traffic project wins Google innovation contest
Team Bey’olak has won the Start with Google Competition, which sought the most innovative online entrepreneurs.
Bey’olak was named winner after a final day of presentations before the judges.
The nationwide competition launched in September 2011 travelled the country to find the most innovative online entrepreneurs. The projects covered a range of products including websites, mobile applications, and online services. More than 4,000 applicants entered Start with Google competition and culminated this month.
The six person team “Bey’olak” is a community based traffic information service aiming to keep track of the status on all major roads in Cairo and Alexandria.
The success is based on the active cooperation of all the members in providing information regarding traffic conditions through crowd sourcing live.
“Bey’olak was an idea that came to us from being frustrated with the traffic in Egypt,” say the team members.
We created the mobile application so that users can contribute in live traffic reports to avoid further bottlenecks and delays. The application is popular because its user friendly language makes it compelling and fun for users,” said founder Gamal El Din Sadek.
Google’s VP of SEEMEA, Mohammad Gawdat said “this is a crucial moment for Egypt and competitions like this inspire us to take ownership in building the new Egypt to solve real problems using the Internet. There are 20 winners here today, not just one. Every idea that was developed tells a great story of the ingenuity and innovation that exists here - I am truly inspired.”


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Coffee drinkers at times get a bad rep as some people believe coffee is not good for you, did you know drinking coffee may help you live longer? Most coffee drinkers are using it for a quick energy pick up, not even realizing coffee may also be extending their life span.
New studies and research suggests that drinking your daily coffee, even in larger amounts, might help you live longer. Of course there is always an exception as some people should not be drinking coffee at all due to health problems or even being allergic. If you fall into this category please get advice from your doctor before consuming coffee.
Coffee drinkers were observed in a study, which showed slightly lower death rates than non-coffee drinkers over a period of time, whether their java of choice had caffeine in it or was decaf.
The findings do not prove 100% that coffee will protect us and allow us to live longer, but it does strongly show that drinking coffee in larger amounts is not harmful if you are in good health. Women who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had a 18% reduction in death rates from all causes, while the women who drank four to five cups of coffee per day had a whopping 26% reduction in death rate or risk. It seems the risk reduction is better for women than for men.
The evidence showing health benefits for coffee drinkers continues to grow with many studies revealing regular coffee consumption linked to decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and colon cancer.
There are some studies that suggest drinking caffeinated coffee is associated with an increased risk for heart attacks and stroke, but only in people who already have heart disease. The American Heart Association concludes the research linking coffee/caffeine to health risks is still a conflicting issue. The association also concludes that moderate intake for coffee consumption, such as one to two 8oz cups per day, does not seem to have any harmful effects.
In another study to help clarify the issue about coffee drinking, Lopez-Garcia along with colleagues from the University of Madrid and Harvard University analyzed the data from about 84,000 women who participated in Harvard’s Nurse’s Health Study and about 41,000 men who participated in the companion study involving male health professionals. None of these participants had any form of cancer or heart disease at the time of enrollment and all completed dietary and health questionnaires every two to four years which included questions about their coffee consumption and other dietary habits, such as smoking.
During the 18 years of follow up for the men and 24 years of follow up in for the women, approximately 4,500 deaths from heart disease and 7,500 deaths from cancer occurred. Also an additional 6,000 deaths were from other causes. After all the data was in including other risk factors such as body weight, diet, smoking and disease status, the researchers concluded that people who drank coffee were less likely to die and that the risk reduction was from a lower risk of death from heart disease. of course this deserves further studies.
To sum things up, if you are a moderate coffee drinkers and in good health you may get life extending benefits from your daily coffee consumption which is certainly good news!
More articles you should read:


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Blog: Anti-obesity gum
Catherine Sleep | 16 January 2007
Research is underway into an appetite-suppressing gum that could be used to help combat obesity. The drug is intended to give patients the feeling that they are full, and could be available in injection form by 2012, but the long-term goals is to produce a soluble gum and nasal spray.
Alternatively, there’s always the time honoured strategy of “eating less of the wrong thing, and exercising more…” ooh, wash my mouth out with soap and water.
Actually, whatever helps people sort out their weight problems and so save the National Health Service some cash is good news for everybody, so let’s hope the gum is available sooner rather than later. And kudos to the Wellcome Trust for helping to fund the research project.
We hear a lot in the food industry about two interconnected trends: and social media and “foodie” culture....
Nestle, set to welcome a new CEO on 1 January, has announced more changes to the make-up of its senior management team....
Blue Bell Creameries is trying to win back the trust of consumers after a fatal listeriosis outbreak last year was linked to its products - but in recent days the US ice cream maker has issued another...
The UK's competition regulator has given the all-clear to Hain Celestial's bid to buy UK food and beverage group Orchard House Foods, nine months after the US group announced the deal....
- General Mills on Q1, innovation, margins
- Interview: Mondelez's outlook for China
- Interview: Mondelez eyes sweet success in China
- What next for Bernard Matthews? - comment
- How food companies involve staff in sustainability
- ConAgra acquires Frontera Foods' "gourmet" brands
- Aryzta FY profits fall
- Nestle revamps foodservice arm
- Nestle close to finalising Garoto deal
- Nestle launches Nesquik Protein Plus for adults
- The Big 15: Strategies and Priorities of Top Packaged Food Players in Comparison
- Global Chocolate Confectionery Overview: Challenges, Opportunities and Risks
- Global Foodservice Market 2016-2020
- Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review
- Fast Food Restaurants in the US - Industry Market Research Report


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It's that time of year again.
The most recent build to the World of Warcraft patch 6.2 PTR brings four new factions with a bunch of new faction rewards including pets, toys, a mount speed boost, new apexis gear and yes, a new fel raven flying mount.
Posting yesterday’s Twitter adventure was a bit of a gamble — those who aren’t fans of social media tend to be extremely vocal about that fact — but most of you seemed to enjoy it. For that, I’m glad.
Forward to today’s Q&A!
As with all things Blizzard, we don't have a release date, but we do know that NECA is going to be rolling out a line of Heroes of the Storm action figures.
The monthly Darkmoon Faire is receiving a few new items and events as well. As reported by Wowhead, the Faire will gain a new race, five new toys, the Race MiniZep battle pet and even more vanity items as currently seen on the PTR.
In the midst of the Blackrock Foundry opening excitement last night, Blizzard pushed out build 19579 to the patch 6.1 PTR.


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Edtech startups speak local language for better reach
Many firms using AI, bots to solve queries online to cater to the audience in small towns
E-learning platforms slowly changing Indian education landscape
According to a report by KPMG, the Indian online education industry will grow...
Private equity firm Gaja Capital turns a page with $25 mn in edtech co Educational Initiatives
People aware of the development said the trans...
Byju's to launch app targeting younger kids
The move will help ed-tech unicorn’s international expansion plans.
Edtech company Unacademy may land $30 million
The company might use the money to go deeper and expand into areas like K-12 and competitive exams like JEE, according to the above quoted sources.
How education-technology startups are changing learning in India
“When you understand the concept, marks will come, but there is a long way to go in changing the habits of a lot more students,” said Byju Raveendran of Byju’s.
China's Tencent backs education technology startup Byju's
Byju’s also recently acquired edtech companies TutorVista and Edurite from UK-based publishing major Pearson.
Edtech sector growing fast; poor digital infra big challenge
A large number of entrepreneurs are venturing into this space and this space is expected to see an uptrend in the next 3-5 years thanks to the Digital India campaign, the cultural importance given to education and falling mobile data prices.
Former Snapdeal CPO invests in Buttercups Intimates and education technology firm Makkajai
With these investments, Chandrasekaran has expanded his startup portfolio to 19. “I am still scouting for deals in spaces like SaaS, artificial intelligence and fintech,” he said.
Feet-on-street is the new marketing lesson from Byju’s
Rival ed-tech companies such as Tiger Global-backed Vedantu and Blume Ventures-backed flipClass call prospective customers based on leads generated through digital platforms to sell their products.
Re-skilling: Education-technology platforms vying to cash in on opportunities in India
Online education was a somewhat nondescript industry in India until a few months ago when a report by consulting firm McKinsey & Co created a furore.
Companies no longer limit tech to engineers, want all staff to upskill: Vish Makhijani, CEO, Udacity
Udacity, the global edtech brand touched revenues of $70 million in 2017 up from $29 million the year before. In 2014, it launched its popular nonodegrees — short online courses on AI and machine learning.
Why Byju Raveendran's firm is leading in the educational technology space
Founded with an initial investment of Rs 2 lakh, Byju’s started out with classroom teaching and later emerged as an educational technology company.
Gaining traction with students & investors, edtech startups tell how at Leap EdTech
In the last couple of years, edtech startups have more than validated the need of their solutions in the market bringing the sector to the notice of big ticket investors.
Edtech startup to train digitally with eKaushal
Company has developed a skills ecosystem platform called eKaushal, which is currently being used by the AP government through multiple skills training institutes across the state.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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The owners of Eno wine bars want a new wine bar down the street to stop using the name Enolo.
Enolo Wine Bar opened in June at 450 N. Clark St., less than a mile from two Eno wine bars, one in the InterContinental Hotel on North Michigan Avenue and the other at Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park hotel on Columbus Drive.
Chicago-based Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. and SHR Retail, which operate the two Enos in Chicago, sued this week in federal court in Chicago. for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.
In the complaint, Strategic said it has used the name Eno in Chicago since 2006.
“Defendants' use of the Enolo mark in connection with a wine bar is likely to create confusion, mistake or deception as to the source or origin of defendants' wine bar services,” the suit states.
The suit requests the court award Strategic damages due to Enolo's alleged willful trademark infringement, in addition to injunctive relief for unfair competition, deceptive business plus costs incurred, attorney fees and other fees.
Neither company's lawyer returned calls for comment. Daliah Saper, principal attorney at Chicago-based Saper Law, who specializes in intellectual property and business law, said she thinks Eno has a strong case against Enolo.
“In cases like this, the court will have to consider through survey evidence or on its face if the average consumer will be confused if Enolo Wine Bar looks and sounds like Eno,” Ms. Saper said. “But that's not to say it's a slam dunk. They have to figure out if it's going to cause confusion.”
Enolo filed for the trademark in April via Chicago trademark lawyer Jennifer Mikulina, a partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Chicago. Ms. Mikulina didn't return calls for comment.
There are five other Enos across the country.
The reason “eno” appears to be so popular: The Urban Dictionary describes it as meaning awesome or cool. More likely: Eno is a phonetic spelling of oeno, the Greek word for wine.


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Although details on the upcoming Season 11 of Apex Legends are still hazy, news broke today that a certain familiar face will be making her way to the title in the near future. The next playable Legend will be none other than Ash from Titanfall 2, and fans of the title have been practically begging the developers to add her for years. While Apex Legends Legacy gave fans a Legend tied to Titanfall 2 in Valkyrie, this will be the first time a character from the Titanfall world is actually appearing in the free-to-play battle royale title. If that isn’t exciting enough, C.A.R. SMG will be arriving by her side.
Respawn Entertainment announced this exciting addition with a new Stories from the Outlands animation, revealing the reason why Ash is deciding to join the Apex Games:
In the video, we see Horizon shuffling through Ash’s tumultuous memories as she seeks answers regarding her son. Instead, she unlocks certain memories which Ash plans to use for her own benefit. The video also teases Ash’s weapon–an electric sword, similar to the one her Titan uses in Titanfall 2. It may not be clear what her motives are for joining the games, but the video makes it clear that she has plenty of issues needing to be dealt with. Along with this news, Season 11 has also been given a title: Escape. It will arrive on October 21, so only a few more days to wait!
Apex Legends is available to download on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and supports cross-platform play. It will be released on iOS and Android devices in 2022. Currently, the Halloween event is spooking things up, and a recent update has also added character-driven story events within battle royale content. It’s an odd strategy for the title, but definitely worth a try if you’re a dedicated lore-hound.


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IPOs create a smorgasbord of new opportunities for traders and investors.
And that’s a good thing.
After all, only a tiny percentage of investors have enough capital to take advantage of private equity… or get in on venture capital deals before a company goes public.
But once a company begins trading on an exchange, it is fair game for everybody.
Last year we saw the most IPOs in history.
According to FactSet, 494 IPOs raised a total of $174 billion. That was more than twice the number of IPOs in 2019 and a 150% increase in proceeds raised.
Fifty-four of last year’s IPOs more than doubled in value.
In fact, IPOs as a whole outperformed the S&P 500 sevenfold. The blue chip index rose 16%, while the average IPO returned 107%.
Much of this increase was due to the increased popularity of special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.
These so-called “blank check companies” are giving investors access to deals and investment opportunities they might otherwise never see.
The benefits of SPACs include…
- Easy access to capital. SPACs face far fewer regulatory hurdles than IPOs.
- Time savings. A SPAC merger takes only three or four months versus 24 to 36 months for a traditional IPO.
- Late-stage access. SPAC mergers allow investors to take advantage of private companies that are in late-stage development.
- Certainty. SPACs are able to negotiate the terms of their public offerings, giving shareholders and employees more confidence in the terms.
SPACs accounted for roughly half of all IPOs last year, quadruple the number in 2019.
And the trend has continued into 2021.
There have already been 231 IPOs this year – and 145 were SPACs.
SPACs and other IPOs can greatly boost your portfolio’s returns. But only if you know where to look.
Wall Street doesn’t cover most of these companies.
And where there isn’t much research coverage, inefficiencies develop. And that creates opportunity.
For example, it is widely known that the broad market has returned approximately 10% a year over the last 200 years.
But since 2010, according to a study by Schaeffer’s Research, the average one-year return for a post-IPO stock was 22.3%.
And many – like Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA), Peloton (Nasdaq: PTON) and Moderna (Nasdaq: MRNA) – have done far, far better.
However, I’ve recently uncovered a post-IPO stock that has as much upside potential as any of those three.
In fact, I believe it has the potential to become the hottest stock of the next decade.
Barron’s reports that it’s “generating stunning growth.”
Forbes says its “growth potential is staggering.”
Fortune magazine believes the firm will “become a tech giant.”
It’s easy to see why… It has a client roster that most companies only dream about.
Customers include 165 of the Fortune 500 companies… and 70% of the ultra-exclusive Fortune 10 companies. The best of the best.
And company insiders agree. They are not just buying. Insiders have loaded up on these shares.
Even Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett – who famously dislikes both IPOs and tech companies – made his first IPO investment since 1956 in this company.
The last time Buffett put his money in an IPO, most folks didn’t even own a color TV and Dwight Eisenhower was in office.
This is the first time he’s made an IPO investment in 65 years.
And he’s not the only one…
Sequoia Capital – the firm that backed Google, Apple, Oracle, PayPal and YouTube – invested $271 million in this new company.
(I’ll be releasing a special report about this recommendation tomorrow. You will be able to find it on The Oxford Club website.)
The important takeaway is that fantastic, disruptive companies are going public at an unprecedented pace.
Investors who understand what’s going on – and where to invest – stand to realize outsized profits in the months and years ahead.
Click here to watch Alex’s latest video update.


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In a recently issued policy document, the Reserve Bank of India moved to cull support for both persons or businesses that deal in cryptocurrencies – though Indian cryptocurrency enthusiasts are now fighting back in the form of an online petition.
The petition, which was launched on the same day as the Reserve Bank’s newest policy document, has now accumulated 18,000 signatures.
Directed to the Reserve Bank as well as the Prime Minister of India, the petition calls for a cryptocurrency-friendly framework and identifies the ‘hypocrisy’ of the Reserve Bank’s bid for its own digital currency.
The petition outlines a view that the Reserve Bank’s new policy “is clearly stifling innovation around blockchain” – elaborating that “if a government does not facilitate “adoption of new technology the country stands to left behind.”
An excerpt from the petition, written from the ‘digital asset exchanges of India’, elaborates that “the exchanges in India are very forthcoming wrt regulations and would love to comply with any sort of compliance measures that can open access of blockchain to 1.3 billion Indians in a clean transparent manner. We would love to facilitate dialogue with RBI, SEBI and Govt of India around this matter. Most exchanges follow stringent KYC norms.”
Previously, India’s Finance Ministry has limited the functionality of cryptocurrency exchange accounts after criticizing Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies for having a ‘lack of basic utility’.
The Reserve Bank itself wrote that “Internationally, while the regulatory response to these tokens are not uniform, it is universally felt that they can seriously undermine the AML (anti-money laundering) and FATF (Financial Action Task Force) framework, adversely impact market integrity and capital control. And if they grow beyond a critical size, they can endanger financial stability as well.”
The Reserve Bank’s abrupt change in policy has reportedly issued businesses with as little as three months to cease all cryptocurrency-related operations, though it remains to be seen whether an online outcry will be sufficient to sway the country’s legislators into proceeding down a blockchain-friendly path.


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If you are an artist, these 15 sites like Artist and Clients offer similar options for creativity, connection, and financial opportunity.
This article first looks at essential eBay apps that can help sellers achieve success by streamlining tasks and maximizing their selling potential.
TikTok, the dynamic short video-sharing platform, has witnessed exponential growth and popularity in recent years, becoming a sensation on the internet.
Do you often send emails to the same Gmail contacts? Simplify that process with a mailing list. Here’s how to make a mailing list in Gmail, step-by-step.
A free version of video conferencing app BlueJeans by Verizon has been released that allows users to meet in groups of up to 25 people for an unlimited amount of time.


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The domestic red meat market remains well supplied despite an increase in exports of Scottish beef and lamb.
Analysis by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) reveals exports of fresh and frozen Scottish beef were up 18% between January and August this year, while sheepmeat exports were up 20% in the same period.
QMS director of economic services, Stuart Ashworth, said increased export sales had been achieved by trading at a lower price – beef and lamb exports only grew in value by 3% and 8% respectively.
“The European market still dominates with 82% of beef and 96% of sheepmeat going to Europe,” said Mr Ashworth.
“However, the average price per tonne of beef sold to Europe was higher than the value sold outside Europe. For sheepmeat, the price per tonne was little different between Europe and the rest of the world.”
He said UK customs data reveals a decline in imports during the same period – beef imports were down 11%, while sheepmeat imports reduced by 18%.
“While the average price per tonne of sheepmeat imported grew 1%, the beef that was imported had an average price 3% lower than in 2018,” added Mr Ashworth.
He said Ireland accounted for the bulk of beef imports at 80%, however imports fell 6% in the past year.
In the sheep market, Mr Ashworth said the main global exporter, New Zealand, had sent 23% less sheepmeat to the UK than it did in 2018.
“Adjusting the volume of beef and sheepmeat produced in UK abattoirs for change in trade patterns suggests 3% less beef and 2% less sheepmeat has been available for use in the UK market so far this year,” said Mr Ashworth.
“While this may suggest that producer prices should have strengthened, the fact that export prices have reduced in an effort to balance the market by a need to increase exports, points towards a very price sensitive and essentially well supplied domestic market.”


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BALTIMORE — Klein's ShopRite has come to an agreement with city officials here on plans to build a 68,000-square-foot supermarket in the Howard Park neighborhood.
The $13.5 million project will be built at the site of a long-shuttered Super Pride grocery store, according to the Baltimore mayor's office. A deal between Klein's and the Baltimore Development Corp. arranged for the city-owned land to be transferred to Klein's for $2 million.
Klein's partnered with UpLift Solutions, the Westville, N.J., non-profit that facilitates supermarket development in underserved communities. UpLift was founded by Jeffery Brown of Brown's SuperStores, which, like Klein's, is a member of the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative.
The agreement requires various city approvals. If approved, work could begin on the site later this year with a goal of opening in early 2013.


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PORT NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- These fake Air Jordans weren't going to help anyone "be like Mike."
Authorities discovered over 380,000 pairs of counterfeit Air Jordan sneakers in Port Newark.
The thousands of sneakers were worth an estimated $73 million.
A real pair of Nike Air Jordans can be sold for hundreds of dollars.
Federal prosecutors said that the sneakers were imported from China and designed to resemble Nike Air Jordan sneakers.
Once in New York, trademark logos were then added to the shoes in locations in Brooklyn and Queens and then sold across the country.
Police said that five people have been charged for conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods.
They each face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- China has surpassed Japan to become the world's second largest economy, lagging only behind the United States, a Chinese government official said in remarks published on Friday.
Yi Gang, China's chief currency regulator, broke the news in an interview with China Reform magazine, which was posted on the website of his agency, State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Japan has yet to announce its gross domestic product for the second quarter, however. Many economists also are likely to base official rankings for world economies on annual data. But few doubt that China has already achieved the milestone of becoming the second-largest economy.
In 2009, China's nominal gross domestic product was worth $4.9 trillion, just 3% smaller than Japan's at $5.1 trillion. The United States still has, by far, the world's largest economy. Its GDP was $14.3 trillion in 2009.
China's economy grew at a pace of 11.1% in the first half of the year, Chinese officials said earlier this month, and for the full year, the International Monetary Fund expects the country to post a growth rate of 10.5%.
Meanwhile, the Japanese economy is only expected to rise at a rate of 2.4% for the current year.
"Japan is a mature economy. Like the United States, it is at a frontier of what's possible in terms of economic development and has to rely on innovation to grow," said Todd Lee, managing director of the Greater China division at research firm IHS Global Insight. "China has a lot of room for catch-up growth, which is what we've been seeing for the last 30 years."
Thanks to its significantly larger population and the decision to allow the yuan to trade freely against the dollar, China could eventually top the United States as the world's largest economy.
It will probably be at least a decade before that happens, though. Lee expects China to surpass the United States before 2025, but added that it could happen sooner rather than later if China continues to let the yuan appreciate.
|Overnight Avg Rate||Latest||Change||Last Week|
|30 yr fixed||3.44%||3.44%|
|15 yr fixed||2.70%||2.69%|
|30 yr refi||3.46%||3.45%|
|15 yr refi||2.74%||2.72%|
Today's featured rates:
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International Music Summit Releases Annual Report On Electronic Music Industry
28 May 2018
In a 28-page annual report on electronic music trends, the IMS (International Music Summit) has revealed some pretty interesting facts that point to an upsurge of contribution by the underground music scene, internationally; despite a slight recession in market shares for recorded music.
"Despite the small decline this year the contribution of the underground music scene appears to have actually grown. The social media explosion and rise of artists like Amelie Lens, underground festivals and the large investment into companies like Native Instruments all give us plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future.” - Pete Tong, IMS co-founder
Rising interest in other styles of music such as pop and hip-hop has led to a decrease in percentage of people consuming electronic music in Germany and the UK according to the report. Interestingly, overall revenue generated by recorded music in Europe rose by 4.3%, led by streaming platforms like Netflix & Amazon.
Similar trends in Asia and Australasia point to an increase in revenue by 5.4%. The report also sites China and South Korea as potential emerging markets for electronic music consumption and festivals in China potentially looking to double by 2018. It also found South Koreans to be the most enthusiastic consumers of dance music.
The report also charted the growth of online streaming platform, Boiler Room which expanded its audience from 10 million to 303 million in the last 5 years.
Widespread industry gains between 2014 and 2016 herald sales of merchandise by one-third of the original figure; with a 10 percent sales growth for Native Instruments in 2016, for instance. The report also predicts an annual increase by nine percent for music production software till 2021.
Overall, the report observed a 2 percent dip (from £7.3bn last year) for the entire industry, including DJs and live acts; clubs, festivals, and brands.


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Fasal, an agriculture analytics platform owned by Bengaluru-based Wolkus Technology Solutions, has raised $1.6 million in a seed funding round from new and existing investors. New investors in the round included impact venture capital firm Omnivore and Singapore-based early stage investor Wavemaker Partners.
Mount Parker Ventures, Hong Kong-based Animoca, and Japan’s Mistletoe, via its Gastrotope accelerator, participated in the round. Existing investors Zeroth, an AI/ML accelerator, and Artesian Ventures from Australia also participated in the round, said a statement.
Fasal is an AI (artificial intelligence) enabled IoT (internet of things) and SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform for horticulture. It captures real-time data on conditions from on-farm sensors to deliver crop-specific analysis to farmers via mobile phones in vernacular languages.
The funds will be used to build AI capabilities for every horticulture value chain the startup looks after. Some of the horticulture value chains where Fasal is currently working include grapes, pomegranate, mango, citrus, tea, coffee, and chilli.
It also plans to launch a lower-cost and instantly installable version of its field sensor array shortly. Fasal claims its field sensor array can be installed by farmers in less than 15 minutes and measures multiple dynamic variables, including micro-climate, soil, and crop conditions.
Fasal then employs ML (machine learning) to translate the field sensor data into prediction of farm-level and associated risks. The crop protection, irrigation, and crop nutrition optimizations help the horticulture farmers in cost reductions.
“Farmers using Fasal are seeing major increases in profitability and huge water savings, even in the driest parts of Maharashtra. Ultimately, we will become a full-stack platform for horticulture farmers, and we are excited to partner with Omnivore and Wavemaker to help make that happen,” Ananda Prakash Verma, co-founder and chief executive at Fasal, said.
Founded in 2018 by Verma and Shailendra Tiwari, Fasal is presently operating in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, but plans to expand pan-India and also enter select markets across Southeast Asia.
It will also scale up its B2B2F (business-to-business-to-farmer) sales force, partnering with aggregators, exporters, and processors in each horticulture value chain to access their networks of farmers.
“We plan to help Fasal accelerate the growth of their B2B2F business model by connecting them to leading agribusinesses across the region and onboarding the farmers they source from,” said Mark Kahn, managing partner at Omnivore.
Identifying irrigation management and diseases and pests as two core problems that plague horticulture farmers, Paul Santos, managing partner at Wavemaker said the two problems are prevalent in Southeast Asia just as much as they are in India, he added.
“We look forward to helping Fasal enter this (Southeast Asia) region,” he said.
India’s agri-tech sector received more than $248 million funding as of June 2019, scaling up almost 300% as compared to last year, according to software industry lobby Nasscom.
In the recent past, Omnivore was part of a $2 million funding round in another AI-powered agri-tech startup called Intello Labs. It also backed Gurugram-based online marketplace for farm products and services DeHaat in another seed round of $4 million.


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Trader Joe’s has dropped its storied Fearless Flyer Thanksgiving Guide for our holiday shopping needs, and though it mostly features old standbys, it includes a few newcomers as well. Two new items, a twist on TJ’s famous “Unexpected Cheddar” cheese spread and a sheep’s milk cheese offering, will surely don plenty of pre-dinner charcuterie plates on Thanksgiving Day.
The majority of the items listed in this year’s Thanksgiving-themed Fearless Flyer are old classics that are either always available or are reappearing for the holiday season. What’s a holiday without traditions, after all? Some tried-and-true items returning to Trader Joe’s this Thanksgiving include, among copious others:
- Nuts about Rosemary Mix
- Brined bone-in turkey breast with garlic herb butter
- Cranberry sauce, jarred and fresh
- Frozen mashed sweet potatoes
- Heat-and-eat stuffing
- Fresh pumpkin pie
- Heat-and-eat turkey gravy
We reviewed the brined bone-in turkey breast last year, and—spoiler alert—we loved it. The pumpkin pie was impressive, too, with a crust that’s more cakey than flaky.
The Fearless Flyer lists two cheese offerings that are new for this holiday season and available for a limited time.
Holiday Cheer Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread is available for $4.99. This is a holiday twist on Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread, which was introduced last year at a time when people were spreading spreadable substances all over their holiday tables, thanks to a butter board trend (ah, simpler times).
Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheese is not spreadable, but still sounds delightful. According to TJ’s, the cheese is “marinated in aromatic, PDO Cornicabra Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and aged between three and five months.” Trader Joe’s suggests setting out this cheese as an appetizer or putting it on a roll alongside some leftovers for a superb leftovers sandwich.
Though the Fearless Flyer focused solely on a Thanksgiving feast, a few other new Trader Joe’s items have also caught my eye as potentially worthy of a holiday shopping grocery run.
As we all know by now, chili crisp has long since taken the world by storm, and Trader Joe’s has certainly leaned into the trend. A recently debuted version, Crunchy Chili Cranberry Orange & Onion, seems ripe for drizzling over Thanksgiving plates.
Trader Joe’s has also debuted a veggie tray, one that it says improves upon the classic grocery store variety because it “isn’t a mix of veg you’ve seen in other commercially-available trays.” Rainbow carrots, celery, radishes, broocoli, and snap peas make this a fresh and easy addition to any pre-dinner holiday spread, perhaps alongside this newly released trio of organic olives sourced from Italy.
If dips are your jam when it comes to hors d’oeuvres (or dinner), Trader Joe’s debuted two dips in October that would be a delight at a holiday gathering: Garlic & Asiago Cheese Dip and Roasted Hatch Chile & Jalapeño Cheese Dip, which Redditors have pointed out are near the cheeses at the store, not in the frozen section (despite being packaged similarly to TJ’s frozen products).
Not featured in the flyer or the new products section of the Trader Joe’s website is this Thanksgiving-Stuffing-Flavored popcorn, which Reddit can’t stop raving about. The website describes the popcorn as a fresh take on TJ’s popular Thanksgiving chips and describe the seasoning as “celery seed, thyme, parsley, black pepper, and sage.” Several Reddit users claim the popcorn is distinctively not the same as the chip it’s inspired by, and many said they preferred it over the chip.
Trader Joe’s website currently lists the popcorn as unavailable. It’s unclear if that means it’s sold out already or whether more is on the way, but I will certainly keep my eyes peeled for a bag. It’s too bad I can’t just order it online.


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Colton Underwood Reveals He's Undertaking A Vegetarian Diet To Slim Down
According to a report from Us Magazine, Colton Underwood revealed on Thursday, the 21st of August, that he lost his "veginity" by adopting a vegetarian diet. Approximately one day before then, The Bachelor alum stopped by the Us Weekly studio where he shared some details on his new diet and weight-loss plan.
Underwood, who's now in a business partnership with Morningstar Farms, claims he's been "meatless for the past month." Thus far, Mr. Underwood has discovered that going meatless has improved his well-being and health all around.
"Right now," Colton began, "I'm still trying to lose some weight from filming." According to Colton, who's famously a virgin, he doesn't feel as bloated as he used to after his meals; "there's a ton of benefits," the reality star remarked.
As for how he learned about this new diet plan, Colton claims the lesson in nutrition came after filming three shows for ABC, in particular, The Bachelor. The star said he actually gained approximately ten pounds after being on the dating series.
Moreover, Bachelor In Paradise was "even worse." With that said, Underwood has stuck to his plan of intermittent fasting and is getting all the meat flavor he needs from all kinds of processed vegetarian and vegan foods, including sausage, cheeseburgers, and faux-chicken nuggets.
His girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, supports him in cutting out animal products in entirety. Underwood stated, "we've been having cookouts together." In the last decade or so, veganism and vegetarianism have only increased in popularity, with more and more brands and products popping up, including Beyond Meat and Morningstar Farms.
Colton isn't the only celebrity to go meatless either. Leonardo DiCaprio famously has been involved in the Beyond Meat company, which creates products that look, smell, and taste like meat without actually using animal products.
In a statement, The Revenant actor said that livestock was a major cause of carbon emissions. According to a report from QZ, DiCaprio added that changing one's diet, especially moving over to a plant-based diet, is one of the best decisions one can make in regards to thwarting impacting climate change.


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DMM creates suite of tools to make social media for marine businesses faster, easier and more effective
Dominion Marine Media (DMM), the division of Dominion Enterprises that operates YachtWorld, Boat Trader and boats.com, has create a new suite of social media solutions to help marine businesses manage their social media marketing efforts.
The DMM Social media tools were created to help address two common problems that marine businesses claim they have in managing their social media activity:
- don’t have not enough time to manage
- don’t know what to post
New social tools aim to solve social media management problems by saving time and making it easier to manage. Marine businesses have access to three tiered packages to help them meet their social media goals and budget.
The Do-it-yourself social media management package can save users up to 20 hours a week with an easy-to-use dashboard that allows businesses to post to multiple social sites in one click. It also helps them quickly locate engaging and relevant content to share, with access to real-time performance reports.
The Social Pro package lets businesses tap into a team of social media pros that specialize in the boating industry for help managing social media program. They’ll create strategic posts aimed at growing social following and engagement, and design ad campaigns to promote brands and generate leads.
The Social Elite package is ideal for boat dealers and brokers that want access to the Dominion Marine Media network of more than 4 million boaters. Through a multi-channel campaign, DMM creates targeted email campaigns with boat listings, custom sponsored content and promotions across the DMM social media platforms.
Hear from Lauren de Vlaming on why social media is important for your business and how DMM can help. Lauren is the Social Media Manager at Dominion Marine Media and leads an international team to coordinate social media properties for its four brands.
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- “Vacation on Demand” Campaign Launches for Boating Industry - June 20, 2017
- New Boating Podcast Highlights Marine Industry Experts and Recreational Boating - April 24, 2017


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Carrie Underwood posted the cover of her new fitness book!
Carrie is the latest country start to release a fitness book.
In her book, she writes: “I want to be healthy and fit 52 weeks of the year, but that doesn’t mean I have to be perfect every day.”
The inspirational memoir called Find Your Path, will be available on March 3.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is officially out! Will you be going to see the final chapter of the Skywalker saga??


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Reuters is reporting Square Enix president Yoichi Wada as saying the PS3 price cut was welcome news, but coming too late in the fiscal year to expect any impact on business.
“In terms of the impact (the PS3 cut) will have on this financial year’s earnings, I don’t think there will be a major difference,” Wada said. “But I expect there to be a big impact from next year.”
Wada instead expects the benefits to start being realized around March 2010 and on. Price cuts are always a welcome sign to any business that needs a jump-start (PS3), but it is a bit of a slow burn until it really starts impacting the bottom line.
After the price cut, what’s the next step? Communicating that cut to as many users as possible, and that s where marketing will take a crucial next step in fostering as many sales of new PS3s as possible. Who woulda thunk it?


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(Reuters) - Starboard Value LP launched a fight to take over Darden Restaurants Inc’s (DRI.N) board, saying the planned sale of Darden’s struggling Red Lobster chain was a “destructive transaction” that ignored the rights of shareholders.
Darden said last week it would sell the seafood chain to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion, defying Starboard and another activist investor Barington Capital.
Darden is under pressure from investors because of flagging sales at Red Lobster in the face of competition from cheaper chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N).
Darden reported a 1.1 percent fall in third-quarter revenue in March, with sales at established Red Lobster restaurants falling 8.8 percent.
The company rejected Starboard’s push for a new board, saying the investor was seeking control of Darden despite owning only 6.2 percent. But Barington, which represents shareholders owning more than 2 percent of Darden, backed Starboard.
“It’s time for a change in the Darden boardroom,” Barington Chief Executive James Mitarotonda said in an email. “Darden desperately needs directors that will represent the interests of the owners of the company and not just the CEO and themselves.”
Starboard, which said on Thursday that it had raised its stake in Darden from 5.5 percent, has been pushing Darden for a shareholder vote on the proposed sale.
Darden has said the deal is expected to close by August and is not subject to shareholder approval.
Starboard said it would nominate a full slate of 12 board candidates for election at Darden’s annual meeting, the date of which has not been announced.
Nominees include Brad Blum, who Starboard said had turned around Olive Garden when he headed the chain between 1994 and 2002.
“By attempting to replace all 12 members of the board with its own preferred nominees, Starboard is seeking effective control of the company - representation which is disproportionate to Starboard’s recently acquired ... stake,” Darden said in a statement.
Starboard said it believed “wholesale board change is required to reverse the years of poor performance, poor governance and shareholder value destruction.”
The investor also said it had identified ways to save costs and boost revenue.
A Darden spokesman said in an email that the board would consider the Starboard nominations “in due course.”
Darden, which also operates the fast-growing LongHorn Steakhouse and Capital Grille restaurants, has said it will file a preliminary proxy statement this month for the requested meeting and convene it “as promptly as practicable.”
In a letter to shareholders on Thursday, Starboard said that because of the tax-inefficient way the deal was structured, Darden would net only $100 million from the sale of Red Lobster after taking into account $1.5 billion it believed could have been realized from its alternative plan to sell the chain’s real estate.
Darden’s shares were up 2 percent at $49.68 in noon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Reporting by Arnab Sen, Aurindom Mukherjee and Maria Ajit Thomas in Bangalore; Editing by Ted Kerr and Kirti Pandey


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Amazon has arrived at an arrangement to obtain the film and TV organization MGM for $8.45 billion, the organizations reported today. It’s a huge obtaining for the web-based business monster, and it implies it will possess a library of substance that is accounted for to comprise around 4,000 movies and 17,000 hours of TV. The obtaining is probably going to assist Amazon in withdrawing in more huge spending Prime endorsers as its Prime Video administration rivals any semblance of Netflix and Disney Plus.
MGM is maybe generally eminent for being the Hollywood studio behind the James Bond and Rocky establishments, however, its library runs the range from exemplary movies like 12 Angry Men to current TV shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and Vikings. MGM’s library likewise incorporates unscripted TV shows like The Voice and Shark Tank. Amazon says the securing will “give clients more noteworthy access” to MGM’s works and “enable” the studio to proceed with its “extraordinary narrating.”
“The genuine monetary worth behind this arrangement is the mother lode of IP in the profound list that we plan to reconsider and foster along with MGM’s capable group,” Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, said in an explanation. “It’s exceptionally energizing and gives such countless freedoms to excellent narrating.”
Amazon’s media business has so far been a generally little piece of its general domain, in spite of the fact that it actually burns through billions on content every year. A significant bit of Prime supporters utilize the included free Prime Video in real-time. Of the 200 million or more individuals overall who are presently bought into Amazon Prime, more than 175 million transferred video a year ago. Adding thousands of additional movies and TV shows could be a help for the two figures.
Reports of Amazon’s conceivable securing of MGM initially arose in mid-May. Assortment revealed that the arrangement was being haggled by Hopkins. The Wall Street Journal provided details regarding May 24th that Amazon was approaching an arrangement to purchase MGM.
MGM is as of now claimed by an assortment of private value firms, including Anchorage Capital Group, Highland Capital Management, and Solus Alternative Asset Management. Reports that MGM was available to be purchased arisen last December.
The offer of MGM comes during a time of Hollywood combination, as organizations endeavor to augment their substance libraries to contend with Netflix and Disney. AT&T as of late turned out its media business WarnerMedia to blend it with TV organization Discovery, making it the world’s second-biggest media firm by income outside of Disney. The two organizations have their own web-based features (HBO Max and Discovery Plus), raising the chance of them being joined into a solitary, more significant assistance.


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2009 Will Be a Landmark Year for Asia Pacific as It Exceeds Two Billion Connections
On the eve of the 2009 Mobile Asia Congress, the GSMA, the body that represents the worldwide mobile communications industry, issued key findings that underscore the strength and success of the Asia Pacific mobile industry. The GSMA today released its Asia Pacific Mobile Observatory Report, which shows that since 2003, the Asia Pacific market has more than tripled in size, adding over a billion connections and growing at 26% CAGR1 to reach 1.7 billion connections in 2008. The study was carried out for the GSMA by global management consultants A.T. Kearney across the 47 countries in the region.
“The Observatory is the one of the most thorough, current views of the mobile market in the Asia Pacific region that has been undertaken, and shows that operators have seen phenomenal take-up of mobile communications in the region, employing 10 million people and driving the mobile ecosystem’s contribution to the economy to nearly $370 billion (2.82% of GDP),” said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board, GSMA. “Mobile Asia Congress this week, will offer important insights into the continued innovation and ingenuity that has propelled the Asian mobile market to this incredible growth, and it will also shed light on the key strategies and goals that mobile industry leaders globally are undertaking to drive this market forward.”
The Observatory findings show that, as the global mobile market has grown beyond 4 billion connections, in 2009 the Asia Pacific region will cross the 2 billion connections threshold for the first time. It is projected that the Asia Pacific market will exceed 3 billion connections in 2013. With the continued investment in mobile broadband it is likely that mobile will be the primary form of data communications and rich internet access for the majority of people in the region. This impressive growth achieved in Asia Pacific has been driven by several key factors including;
- Rapid economic development in the region
- Opening of markets to the forces of globalisation and foreign direct investment
- Ambitious rollout of network infrastructure, driving population coverage to nearly 80%
- The success of cost-effective pre-paid services (74% of Asia Pacific connections versus 68% in Europe and 16% in USA)
- Introduction of low-cost handsets and the reduction in mobile usage prices driving down the minimum cost of mobile ownership
- Innovative business models including infrastructure sharing and unique distribution channels making network expansion to rural areas economically viable
The Asian Mobile Observatory examines issues across a diverse footprint of countries and markets and shows that the industry outlook is positive as mobile makes a massive contribution on the economic, environmental and social agenda of the 47 countries in Asia Pacific. The research has shown that the mobile industry’s relentless focus on bridging the digital divide and driving innovation in the years to come, coupled with regulatory and governmental support to develop and implement sustainable policies, will aid this ambitious growth.
The Mobile Asia Congress is being held November 18-19 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will bring together leaders from Asian mobile operators and key players in the broader mobile ecosystem in an exclusive forum for sharing visions and strategies that will shape the mobile future. Over a two-day period, senior mobile industry executives from across Asia and the world will explore high-growth industry areas, emerging topics and a mainstay of strategic and technological issues, with an emphasis on developments in the Asian market.
The report is available at: www.gsma.com/mo
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries and territories, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.
For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the new online portal for the mobile communications industry, at http://www.mobileworldlive.com/ or the GSMA corporate website at http://www.gsmworld.com/ or contact:
Daniel Lowther: +44 7747 636 687
1 Compound Annual Growth Rate


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Water used in the production of food.
Writing for The Guardian, Fiona Harvey reported on the “hidden cost” associated with the millions of tonnes of uneaten food that is thrown away each year – the water used to produce the food:
New research shows that we throw away, on average, twice as much water per year in the form of uneaten food as we use for washing and drinking.
What is worse, increasing amounts of our food comes from countries where water is scarce, meaning the food we discard has a huge hidden impact on the depletion of valuable water resources across the world.
According to the first comprehensive study into the impact of the “embedded water” in the UK’s food waste on world water supplies, more than a 5% of the water used by the UK is thrown away in the form of uneaten food.


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Kanishka Sukumar, a 24-year-old consultant in midtown Manhattan, binds about a third of his resources in bitcoin. He represents a new era of “gold bugs” who doubt a fortitude of paper banking or find improved ways to strengthen savings, according to The Wall Street Journal.
One in 5 bitcoin users reason a cryptocurrency given they don’t wish a supervision or banks determining their money, according to a consult of 3,500 bitcoin users. That was a second biggest reason a consult respondents reason bitcoin. The categorical reason, according to a consult from information provider CoinDesk, was to possess bitcoin as an investment.
Since bitcoin’s cost sensitivity has eased, it has turn a some-more viable store of wealth.
Hedge Fund Manager Likes Bitcoin
Michael Novogartz, a sidestep account manager who owns bitcoin and left Fortress Investment Group LP final fall, calls bitcoin an “I don’t trust people” purchase. He owns usually one unit of gold, that was a gift, compared to a “significant” volume of bitcoin. He pronounced bitcoin will attract people who differently would


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MORLEY MARKETS may be struggling but that didn’t stop Bayswater council staff from wanting to slug a hopeful cafe owner $30,000 in lieu of three parking bays.
An incredulous Cr Michelle Sutherland said the 49sqm shop would need to sell thousands of “bowls of noodles” simply to recoup the fee.
Mayor Sylvan Albert agreed, saying the near-empty markets needs all the help it can get: “We should be doing everything we can to help turn this place around and revitalise it,” he says. “This is the reason council has dispensation on these sort of things.”
The shopkeeper is seeking to convert his premises to a small five-table restaurant. Cr Alan Radford wanted the owner to get slugged the full amount: “The rules are the rules,” he said.
Eventually the council voted to reduce the fee to $3000.
Cr Chris Cornish said that was still too much: “They’re already spending a large amount on the refit—this might be a deal breaker for them.”
by STEPHEN POLLOCK


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Questcor Pharmaceuticals of Anaheim, which sells a hugely profitable drug for about $30,000 a dose and is under the scrutiny of multiple federal agencies, said Monday it has agreed to be acquired by Dublin, Ireland-based Mallinckrodt PLC for $5.6 billion.
The deal, if approved, would create an international specialty pharmaceutical company with annual sales of about $3.6 billion – and rising.
Mallinckrodt, whose main operations are in Missouri despite its Irish headquarters, would benefit handsomely from Questcor’s drug, Acthar Gel, which is used to treat a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Acthar generated virtually all of Questcor’s $799 million in sales in 2013, when the company reported net income of $292.6 million – a whopping profit margin of 36.6 percent. Though the drug retails for about $30,000 a dose, one major California insurance company said its claims for the drug typically cost closer to $40,000.
Mallinckrodt, which sells high-end prescription pain medications, had three times Questcor’s revenue but only about one-tenth the profit margin. Questcor, measured by its total stock market value, is actually the larger of the two companies.
High-cost drugs used to treat a number of complex chronic diseases – cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and arthritis, to name a few – are a growing trend in the pharmaceutical industry, in part because they sell for tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases even more.
The deal marks one of the largest acquisitions of an Orange County company in recent memory. Just last month, Facebook bought Irvine-based virtual reality goggle maker Oculus for $2 billion. In a big insurance-industry merger in 2005, UnitedHealth Group paid $8 billion for Cypress-based PacifiCare Health Systems.
The merger of Mallinckrodt and Questcor will provide diversification and prove to be a “strong and sustainable platform for future revenue and earnings growth,” Mark Trudeau, the president and CEO of Mallinckrodt, said in a press release. Mallinckrodt is a spinoff of Ireland-based surgical instrument maker Covidien Plc.
The Mallinckrodt-Questcor deal is also expected to create a sizable tax break that should help widen the profit margins on Acthar even further.
Ireland is a well-known tax haven for global corporations: U.S. companies that have recently moved their headquarters to Dublin through mergers range from industrial equipment maker Eaton to banana seller Chiquita Brands.
Ireland has tussled in recent years with other European countries over its extremely low corporate tax rate, which is 12.5 percent. The corporate rate in the U.S., by contrast, is 39.1 percent, though many American firms pay far less than that on average – precisely because of their overseas operations.
The two companies, in a joint press release, noted the tax benefits that would “derive from Mallinckrodt’s Irish domicile.”
Questcor’s stock, which had rallied last week, soared on the news to close at $80.58, up 18.7 percent from Friday – though that was still short of the $86.10 per share value that the cash and stock deal puts on the company.
Despite the market’s happy reaction, the acquisition was already stirring controversy. Shortly after it was announced, two law firms said they would investigate whether Questcor was giving away the keys to the kingdom too quickly and cheaply.
Pomerantz LLP, a nationwide plaintiff class-action law firm, suggested that Questcor’s directors may be “breaching fiduciary duties by failing to adequately shop the company and maximize shareholder value.”


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Designer News is where the design community meets.
over 2 years ago from Meenal Relekar, Product Marketing Manager- Adobe XD
These are literally the only 2 things that are slowing down my workflow in XD right now.
Where the design community meets.
Designer News is a large, global community of people working or interested in design and technology.
© 2021 Designer News Ltd.


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In a recent article from Reuters, the SEC can target a company because of a data breach, but that does not constitute the standard for the breach of the duty of loyalty. On the contrary, companies can also be sued by its shareholders because of a data breach. The court ultimately ruled that despite this cyber security breach, it does not constitute bad faith. This case is not only an example of shareholder litigation but also a regulatory enforcement defense.
If you have been sued for fiduciary duty based on cybersecurity, contact the attorneys at Warren Law Group for a complimentary assessment: (866) WLGROUP, or email firstname.lastname@example.org


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THE AVERAGE rate of price growth of a used car might have slowed to an almost two-year low of 1.5 per cent but prices of pure electric vehicles (EVs) are bucking the trend, growing at a rate of 11 per cent.
The latest findings from the Auto Trader Retail Price Index highlight the extent consumer economic uncertainty is having on used car prices, with the average rate of growth gradually easing across the total market since January 2019.
However, at a more granular level, the decline has been felt most keenly by second-hand diesels, with growth now slowing to just 1.3 per cent. Average diesel sticker prices have fallen to £14,306 – the lowest since August 2017.
Petrol is faring better, albeit marginally. Growth has slowed from 2.4 per cent in March to just 1.6 per cent last month – the lowest rate since October 2016. The average sticker price of a petrol is £11,200, gaining on last month’s £11,186.
Prices for internal combustion engines (ICEs) might be stalling but their electric-powered counterparts are thriving. With an average sticker price of £21,560 in April, used alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) grew at a rate of 4.7 per cent, up from last month’s 3.7 per cent, marking the highest rate of growth since August 2018.
The top performer, though, is pure electric at an average price of £23,361 – the highest price to date and double-digit growth at 11 per cent.
The surging prices of low-emission vehicles can be attributed to supply and demand. On Auto Trader, the UK’s largest automotive digital marketplace, AFVs currently account for just one per cent of stock listed, while petrol and diesel account for 52 per cent and 47 per cent respectively.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s director of commercial products, said: ‘When it comes to low-emission vehicles, the industry is facing a Catch-22 situation. The growing appetite of AFVs offer the industry a great opportunity for growth, but for mass adoption the average price needs to be more accessible to more people.
‘However, with so few vehicles in the market, even second-hand cars are being pushed out of financial reach for most consumers.’
The number of people searching for diesels continues to decline, with just 41 per cent of all fuel-related searches on Auto Trader for the fuel type. Petrol is gaining the share lost by diesel, accounting for 52 per cent of all fuel-related searches. Searches for AFVs remains flat at seven per cent.


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NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – CombiMatrix reported today that its third-quarter revenues increased 20 percent year over year as it trimmed its net loss.
The Irvine, Calif.-based molecular diagnostics service provider reported total revenues of $1.2 million for the three-month period ended Sept. 30, compared to revenues of $1 million for the third quarter of 2010.
The firm said that it performed a total of 1,157 billable tests for 101 customers during the quarter, up from 967 tests for 77 customers during the third quarter of 2010.
"Our focus for the year is to build our commercial base and expand our menu, and we generated great commercial momentum entering the fourth quarter," CombiMatrix President and CEO Judd Jessup said in a statement. "Despite some summer seasonality in the developmental side of the business, we were pleased to see revenues and test volumes continue to ramp year-over-year and new customer additions continue through the third quarter."
He added, "The additions of gene mutation analysis and karyotyping are beginning to make an impact on the order flow and the type of customers that we can approach."
CombiMatrix posted a net loss of $2 million, or $.18 per share, for the quarter, down from $2.2 million, or $.28 per share.
The company's R&D expenses declined to $345,000 from $575,000, while its SG&A spending jumped 29 percent to $2.2 million from $1.7 million.
CombiMatrix finished the quarter with $7.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.


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There’s one big rule for column writers: Take a stand; don’t be squishy. This is a heads-up that I’m going to violate that rule. More about that in a minute.
The subject is the Walt Disney Co. You may have seen the Sept. 24 article in the Los Angeles Times – it was in the important Sunday centerpiece position – with a headline that says it all: “Is Disney paying its share in Anaheim?”
The article said that the city has given Disney a Matterhorn-like pile of good deals. For example, taxpayers shelled out more than $100 million to build Disney’s parking garage at the Disneyland complex. The city gets $1 a year and Disney keeps the parking revenue estimated to be at least $35 million a year. Add up all the similar deals and tax breaks, and the Times estimates Disney has gotten $1 billion worth of giveaways from the good people of Anaheim – a figure the company disputes.
This is where I can take a stand and say, “Aw, c’mon.” Of course Disney has gotten a lot from Anaheim, but surely it is worth it. After all, the city gets plenty of tax money from the other hotels and restaurants in town. And really. Has Disney acted any worse than a typical NFL team that expects local taxpayers to build it a new stadium regularly?
But something else came through in the article. That’s the apparent sense in Anaheim that, sure, Disney is a huge benefit for the city, but if you add it all up, Disney’s presence is a bit of a disappointment. The invisible balancing scale seems tilted in favor of Disney.
Now I can’t judge whether Anaheim’s gotten a good deal or not. I feel more comfortable considering Disney’s presence in the area 40 miles northeast of Disneyland: the San Fernando Valley, where Disney is headquartered. On the one hand, I think reasonable residents agree that Disney is a great company and we’re proud and happy that it is here. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel its civic presence is lacking.
Disney is a great citizen in Burbank, its headquarters town, and that’s terrific. And Disney is a longstanding member of such important business groups as the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. The company does devote executive talent and money to the area.


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It may well be a sweet story gone sour. Cadbury India and Nestle launched Chocki and Chocostick at the fag end of '01 and rejigged business models for the new launches. But the novelties failed on the volumes' yardstick. After capturing about 10% of the chocolate market, volumes of both brands have begun to decline.
The products were launched with the intention of making the infrequent customer a regular chocolate hogger. Target customers were children of upmarket urban families. As it happens this section always has several product options to choose from and couldn't 'stick' to Cadbury and Nestle's novelties. As a result the companies failed to enthuse the category. In fact, the brands began cannibalising the smaller pack brands of both Cadbury and Nestle.
Cadbury now plans to reposition the brand for the rural market. Compared to Cadbury, Nestle is better placed since it has a stronger rural distribution network. The liquid chocolate segment is expected to now stabilise around 4-5% of the total chocolate market.
The companies had hoped that at Rs 2, the brands would also take on the price competitive confectionery market. However, confectioneries are available at around
Rs 1 and both companies would have to drop prices to compete in the semi-urban and rural markets. Both Cadbury and Nestle are ramping up their distribution networks especially in the smaller markets.
Bharat Puri, MD, Cadbury India, said the company would have to take a relook at the product in terms of packaging, size and
price before placing the brand in the rural markets.
The companies had expected the low price point of Rs 2 to open up a lot of opportunities in distribution. At the time of the launch, Nestle India CMD Carlo Donati had said that the innovation would target the mass market in terms of pricing. While it was supposed to expand distribution because refrigeration is not required for the product, the pricing would bring many additional consumers into the chocolate fold.
Leading distributors said the companies would probably withdraw the brands gradually from the urban markets and reposition it with a new pricing model in the smaller markets.


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Is internet piracy actually helping the music industry?
While the music industry is intent on prosecuting anonymous file sharing it seems that punters still want to go to the cinema and still want to buy music even though you can download just about everything.
The lack of foresight shown by the music industry has to be called into question. While there is much flag waving protecting the copyright of 'artists' in the end it's all about cashmoney. From that point of view the music industry has missed and keeps missing the capitalist boat.
The Guardian article states, "If the industry had spent more time devising a payments solution for the digital age instead of suing customers, it could have cleaned up. The younger generation supposedly nurtured in a culture of non-payment is the same one that pays £3.50 a shot for ringtones. Why? Phones had an easy payment system."
What's been the music industry's enlightened response? To call for ISPs to collect a music surcharge from broadband users to compensate copyright holders. Time to wake up and smell the coffee chaps.


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Why Doesn't Windows CE Get Any Respect?; When It Comes to Personal Organizers, Microsoft's Minisystem Does Not Rule the Market
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: November 25, 1999
YOU wouldn't expect to find a better spokesman for the Philips Nino than Blake Patterson. If you visit the Philips Electronics Web site, you see a prominent link to a site built by Mr. Patterson, a 27-year-old Web designer from Alexandria, Va. Philips points to Mr. Patterson as a dedicated user of the Nino, the company's palm-size computer. Predictably, Mr. Patterson's site is a veritable shrine to the Nino.
The only problem is that Mr. Patterson has not used a Nino, or, for that matter, any device running Windows CE, the simplified version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, for more than six months. Last summer, he soured on CE altogether and after a brief but happy fling with a Palm organizer, became a fervent early convert to the new Visor from Handspring, a startup that has licensed the Palm operating system. Mr. Patterson, who was once paid by Philips to write about the Nino, has not touched his Nino fan page since late last year and it now hangs, petrified, in cyberspace (nino.philips.com/community).
Meanwhile, Mr. Patterson is busy building a new Web site that is devoted to miscellaneous handheld gadgets. ''I don't think I'll have much positive to say about CE, if I address it at all,'' he said.
As it turned out, Philips wasn't far behind Mr. Patterson. Late last summer, the company decided to drop the Nino from its product line, citing disappointing market growth. The company is still selling the Ninos in stock, said Marty Gordon, a Philips spokesman, which is why the Nino Web page is still up.
When Microsoft first announced Windows CE three years ago (CE does not stand for anything), hardware manufacturers like Philips were quick to start producing handheld devices to compete against the popular Palm organizer, which has its own operating system, called the Palm OS. Industry analysts' projections were so rosy they implied that Palm Computing should run for cover.
But a very different picture has emerged since then. According to NPD Intelect Market Tracking, a research firm in Port Washington, N.Y., personal digital assistants running CE account for just 15 percent of the P.D.A.'s sold; 75 percent run the Palm OS. ''It's not growing at all,'' said Nazia Khaliq, an account manager at NPD Intelect.
Microsoft may be the software giant, but when it comes to Windows CE, it has certainly not stifled competition or gained control of the market. In fact, in the portion of the CE market that consists of handheld organizers, the giant is stumbling.
Just last week, as William H. Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, was at the Comdex trade show, showing off a small new $200 CE-based Internet access device called the MSN Web Companion, another corner of the show was humming with the news that Sony and Palm Computing had signed a deal to work on a new generation of handheld devices using the Palm OS. Soon afterward, Everex confirmed rumors that it would discontinue its CE devices because of slow sales.
Palm's sales, in the meantime, continue to grow, and, with the exception of some serious shipping glitches, Handspring is off to a promising start with its relatively inexpensive Visor.
But as Microsoft is quick to point out, Windows CE is not just for organizers. It is making its way into a variety of products, like digital set-top boxes, game consoles, cell phones, Internet appliances, cars and even automated gasoline pumps. If such products are taken into account, said Rogers Weed, director of Windows CE marketing at Microsoft, sales of CE licenses to various manufacturers are up more than 50 percent for the year, compared with sales at this time last year.
But for pocket-size and larger handhelds, something has not clicked for Windows CE. What is the problem? The answers, from both analysts and consumers like Mr. Patterson, vary widely, but include explanations like these: The price is too high. Microsoft misjudged Palm's momentum. Compared with the relatively simple Palm OS, the CE interface is too difficult to use. The devices are too bulky. The quality is poor. The feature-laden devices promise too much and deliver too little.
Tom Rhinelander, an analyst at Forrester Research, boiled it down to this: CE is too rudimentary to act as a suitable substitute for a real computer and too complicated to run on a P.D.A.
''What Microsoft tried to do was take the entire PC experience and cram it down into a tiny little screen,'' Mr. Rhinelander said. ''Their theory was that people knew and understood Windows and there would be value in retaining the look and feel, and that was absolutely false.''
Chris Shipley, publisher of DemoLetter, an industry newsletter, agreed: ''I don't think you want a Windows computing experience in a palm-size device. You want to look up addresses. You don't want a Start button.''
Another, related criticism is that both the palm-size devices and the slightly larger handhelds, which usually come with a small keyboard, are too packed with capabilities -- that the novelty of downloading video clips and watching them on a tiny screen wears off quickly.


text: (ČIA) Securitas ČR posted a net turnover of CZK 1.52bn for 2020. In its annual report for 2020, the security agency further stated that it had made a lot of effort around selling and developing technology-based security solutions. It recorded an increased demand for products, such as no-service reception and entrance areas and security based on remote monitoring. The company sold its 100% share in Securitas Latvia. Investments totalled CZK 16m.


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The Asus ZenPad Z10 tablet made its début at Verizon October last year, at the time of the launch, the tablet was running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. However, after all this time, the company is definitely updating the Verizon variant of the tablet to 7.0 Nougat.
Verizon is now rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat for Asus ZenPad Z10. The Software Version: V5.4.4 and Android Security Patch Level: 2017-08-01 update is pushed OTA (over the air) in stages and can be captured either via Wi-Fi connection or by Verizon’s mobile network.
Aside from the usual new features and improvements included in Android 7.0 Nougat such as multi-window mode, improved settings navigation, enhanced dose mode, the update also adds the August security patch.
If you own the Asus ZenPad Z10 and purchased it from Verizon, then you should make sure your tablet’s battery is fully charged before starting the software updates.


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FTX US has announced the launch of its non-fungible token marketplace that will feature Solana-based NFTs with support for Ethereum NFTs in the near future. This is a step forward from FTX's prior offering of only allowing users to trade NFTs minted on its website.
FTX.US, an affiliate of FTX crypto exchange is, launching an NFT marketplace that will allow users to mint, hold, authenticate, and trade digital collectibles on the Solana blockchain, the company announced Monday.
The platform will be available to U.S. customers and support all Solana NFTs that conform to the Metaplex standard, a Solana-powered protocol that allows users to transfer existing NFTs and provide project creators with full control over the NFT's life cycle.
Per the announcement, the marketplace will initially host Solana (SOL) minted non-fungible token (NFT) assets and in the near future, FTX NFTs plans to implement Ethereum support as well.
Brett Harrison, the president of FTX US, said:
In addition, the new marketplace will support bank transfers, wire transfers, or credit cards to purchase NFTs. Not only that, but newly minted NFTs can also be listed in either US dollar, Solana, or ether.
Unlike OpenSea, the popular and biggest ethereum-based NFT marketplace, users who wish to trade in the FTX marketplace are required to open accounts that verify their identities. Those who transact anonymously will be immediately disqualified.


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Bentley Looks At Hybrids and Diesel, Saying Goodbye To The 6.75L V8Bentley Diesel Plug-In Hybrid V8
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
August 21, 2012
Since February of this year, Bentley has said they're looking into the plug-in hybrid powertrain for their upcoming SUV. But the SUV isn't the only vehicle that Bentley is considering for a hybrid.
Car and Driver learned from former Bentley CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer that future Bentley models, including the SUV, will be available with a plug-in hybrid option.
Also being worked on for future Bentley model are diesel engines. Dürheimer reveals that prototype vehicles with diesel engines are up and running. Dürheimer didn't reveal any details, but Car and Driver speculates that Bentley will use Audi’s next-generation V8 diesel engine producing more than 400 HP.
There is some bad news with Bentley's powertrains. The venerable 6.75L (or 6 3/4) twin-turbo V8 used in the Mulsanne will be retired.
“I believe the 6.75-liter V-8 can retire,” said Dürheimer.
The reason? Bentley is setting itself to be VW's center for 12-cylinder engines. Having your flagship model using a V8 is a no-no. However, the change won't be happening until the next generation Mulsanne is released, and no one knows when that will be happening.
Source: Car and Driver
William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at email@example.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.
Months after our first drive, do we still think the Tucson is one of the best?
Revisiting one of our favorite midsize sedans
Who in their right mind would drive a convertible in the middle of winter?!
News and Opinion
News and Opinion


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PureShare Announces New BI Platform
Platform lets users gather information from both inside and outside their organizations
Ottawa, Canada-based PureShare unveiled on Tuesday a new platform that combines its ActiveMetrics and ReportRouter products to let businesses gather data from both internal and external sources.
The new platform will "automate" the collection of data, PureShare says, and display it in a "Web-based dashboard" that can be customized to fit each user's needs, or sent to mobile devices for viewing.
It will also let users gather current, "real-world" data -- such as exchange rates or other "real-time financial data" -- and compare it to information gathered from within the organization.
"Imagine the potential increase in access to useful, real-time information if businesses are evaluating their metrics given all factors, both internal and external," said PureShare co-founder Christopher Dean in a press release. "PureShare has mastered visibility across the enterprise...providing our customers with even more relevant information that they can use to increase productivity and boost their bottom lines."
PureShare calls the new platform "data source-agnostic," meaning that unlike other BI tools -- which may return data in disparate formats, or require additional formatting by the user -- this platform would be able to gather data from a variety of sources and format it to provide a cohesive report.
The platform also does not use online analytics processing, according to the company. The result is a "lightweight and easily deployed" application, PureShare says.
For more information, go to http://www.pureshare.com.