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PETALING JAYA: Analysts are cautious on the automotive sector following the appointment of DreamEdge as the Malaysian anchor company for the New National Car Project (NNCP) which was announced last Friday.
“Near term, uncertainties in relation to the impact to industry landscape and government incentives to support the project, will create an overhang, leading to potentially higher risk premium being priced into existing sector plays,” said MIDF Research in its report today.
The research house downgraded the sector to a “neutral” from “overweight” previously, given its recent downgrades of Tan Chong Motor Holdings and UMW Holdings, coupled with a weakening ringgit and a flattish total industry volume (TIV).
It noted that the NNCP is expected to require “a few hundred million” in investment with a private investor already secured for the project.
Following the appointment by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), Daihatsu Motor Company (DMC) has been named as the advanced technology assistance provider for the project.
“However, the technology collaboration with DMC will not involve DMC taking up any equity stake in DreamEdge,” it said.
“Rather, it may include technology exchange of the platform to be used as well as powertrain development,” it added.
For NNCP, DreamEdge will focus on upper body design, human machine interface, interiors, noise vibration and harshness, and ride and handling.
According to MIDF Research, the arrangement is similar to Perodua’s, whereby the company designs the upper body and interiors while the more capital expenditure-intensive platform and powertrains are sourced from DMC.
It said that the government will consider giving tax incentives to participants of the project if they qualify. The finer details of the collaboration are expected to be announced next month.
Meanwhile, CGS-CIMB opined that the NNCP could provide competition to the domestic auto industry if it could create attractive products with competitive prices.
“However, we think the NNCP remains on a preliminary stage as many details have yet to be finalised,” said the research house.
It maintained its “neutral” call on the sector, with the ringgit’s strengthening against the yen and US dollar, interest rate reduction and favourable new policies as key upside risks.
At the moment, DreamEdge has plans to release its first prototype for the NNCP in March next year and it expects to launch its first model in 2021.
According to its CEO Kharil Adri Adnan, the NNCP’s first model will likely be a C-segment sedan vehicle using hybrid technology.
CGS-CIMB said that the car company intends to engage local contract manufacturers to utilise the excess production capacity in the domestic automotive industry.
“This will help to speed up its product development and manufacturing process in order to meet the March 2021 dateline. Hence, it does not plan to build a new manufacturing plant for NNCP,” it said.


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Stimulus effect wearing off for retailers
Official figures out today are expected to show that retail sales partially recovered in July after June's fall.
Sales slumped more than 1 per cent in June, but most economists' expect today's figures to show a 0.5 per cent rise in July.
However, Access Economics says the outlook for the sector is fading, as the fiscal stimulus wears off with interest rates set to rise.
A director at Access, David Rumbens, predicts sales growth of just 1 per cent this financial year and even lower the following year.
"Well below the trend rate of around 4 per cent that we've seen in the last decade," he said.
"It's on the consumer side, the household side which has done so well in recent months, we're seeing in the very short term the spending level pull back as as the effects of the cash splash fade.
"And then we'll see as interest rates we expect start to rise from next year, that will constrain income growth there as well."
Mr Rumbens says it is too early to consider withdrawing the fiscal stimulus, as the overall economic picture is still fragile.
"It's probably too early to be thinking about winding that back - that said, as the Reserve Bank is of the view that economic growth becomes more solid and they have the ability to lift interest rates, then there is also an argument that fiscal policy should share some of that load and move back from the levels that it's at," he said.

domain: news


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Oct. 14, 2021—California-based quick lube chain Oil Changers on Tuesday announced its acquisition of Tahoe Quick Lube in South Lake Tahoe.
The company announced the acquisition of the two-bay quick lube shop in a news release. Oil Changers has more than 55 locations across California and Hawaii.
"Oil Changers expects their current customer base to enjoy use of the Lake Tahoe location, and is excited to serve the Tahoe community for years to come," the release read. "Oil Changers is an active member of the Automotive Oil Change Association and looks forward to continuing expansion across the country."
Image: Tahoe Quick Lube


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Outerloop Games first entry makes a strong start into the VR World. You can't miss this action-adventure game.
Bethesda is currently one of the biggest video games developer and publisher in the world. With a slate of highly regarded IP, including RPGs like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, First Person Shooters ...[Read More]
From the 8th to 18th June, Days of Play is returning From the EU PlayStation Blog: We’re very excited to announce that we’re bringing back Days of Play this year – a global promotion that celebrates t...[Read More]
It’s been a busy time lately for driving games. We’ve had the release of Forza Motorsport 7, riding the wave of Xbox One X excitement with it’s 4K at 60fps glory. Then there was Proj...[Read More]


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EU To Remain UK’s Top Trading Partner
The results of a British Chambers of Commerce survey, conducted in partnership with DHL, found that over the next three years, the top two markets which most businesses plan to start or continue exporting to be Western Europe (44 per cent), and Central and Eastern Europe (32 per cent). What’s more, Western Europe (36 per cent) is also the market which most firms plan to import from.
The results of the survey, based on the responses of over 1,300 businesses, underline the importance of the UK and EU ironing out the post-Brexit trade confusions, to prevent any international trade barriers going forward.
The importance of currency exchange post-Brexit
The report reveals that both British and European businesses will be keeping a close eye on the currency exchange market over the coming months.
In the wake of June 2016’s Brexit vote outcome, pound Sterling (GBP) values slumped against most major currencies.
The British pound (GBP) plummeted 9 per cent versus the US dollar (USD) the day after the surprise result, and 7 per cent against the pound to euro (EUR). This was the biggest fall in the British pound (GBP) for over 30 years. While in recent months the British pound (GBP) has shown signs of improvements, its value still remains well below what it was worth prior to the referendum, which was around EUR 1.30.
Unsurprisingly, this is a situation that businesses in the UK and on the Continent are monitoring closely. The British Chamber of Commerce survey found that 36 per cent of exporters’ strategies over the next three years will primarily be influenced by currency exchange. The only factor deemed more important was demand from overseas buyers (48 per cent).
Likewise, 41 per cent of businesses looking to import say they will primarily be influenced by exchange rates. Only worries over a lack of suppliers in the UK was of more concern to potential importers (43 per cent).
“The devaluation in Sterling over past months has been a double-edged sword, providing a welcome boost for some exporters, but a drag on many other firms, who report higher costs for their inputs and components,” explains Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce.
“While UK firms would like to be able to source inputs on the domestic market, our evidence suggests that swapping imports for domestic supplies isn’t presently an option for many. If businesses can’t find or afford to source their supplies domestically, easy and quick access to foreign markets is crucial.”
At a time of such global uncertainties in the exchange rate market, it is of little surprise that so many businesses are turning to currency exchange specialists, such as Halo Financial, for guidance and support..
Foreign exchange specialists like Halo offer businesses major advantages over other currency exchange options. Not only does it tend to be a cheaper option for the business, but foreign exchange specialists offer certain tools which can protect businesses against the risk of subsequent exchange rate movements. For example, they may provide ‘forward contracts’, which enable a business to secure a prevailing exchange rate for up to two years in advance.
The UK still a good place to do business
Perhaps surprisingly, given the negative forecasts that have surrounded the post-Brexit period, the UK is still seen as a good place to do business.
There is little doubt that a number of UK companies are holding off on investments to see how Brexit affects trade relations in the long-term. Yet many experts still view Britain’s business climate as attractive.
The UK topped Forbes’ Best Countries for Business during its 2018 survey. The report noted that while uncertainty prevails, the country’s economy hasn’t been hit as hard as some may believe.
In fact, the UK ranked in the top 25 countries (out of 153 measured) in 14 of the 15-metrics tracked by the Forbes survey. The only metric in which it didn’t make the top 25 was political uncertainty (where the UK ranked 28th).
The future for the UK-EU trading relationship
While the Forbes report was a welcome boost for those who predicted an economic meltdown in the immediate wake of the Brexit vote, the future may not stay rosy for long.
The main challenge post-Brexit will be the UK’s ability to attract new business talent from the EU. The beginning of 2021 has seen multiple EU businesses cancelling shipping to the UK and vice versa as a result of trading barriers. If businesses can’t employ the best talent, or have to cut through too much red tape to do so, then it may be that more attractive options remain elsewhere.
“Businesses need clarity on the practicalities of the future trading relationship between the UK and EU without delay,” says Dr Marshall. “High tariffs, cumbersome customs procedures, as well as conflicting regulatory requirements, can deter firms from trading overseas”.
It’s hoped that trading confidence between the UK and EU will grow over the coming months as businesses are able to make sense of any additional VAT and import duties, as well as extra information required by customs.
As it stands, the UK is only three weeks into post-Brexit transition period and many businesses will need time to adapt to the new economic and political climate.
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HBO and HBO Max reported nearly 77 million total subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2022, showing consistent and significant growth for the platforms at a time when their largest competitor, Netflix, has struggled to maintain growth.
According to the release by former HBO parent company AT&T, HBO has grown to 76.8 million subscribers, a 3 million subscriber increase from the previous quarter and a 12.8 million increase from last year’s first quarter.
Since its debut in 2020, HBO Max has featured a mix of original programming and licensed content from WarnerMedia. With HBO’s long history of producing original television hits such as The Sopranos, The Wire, and Sex and the City, the company’s latest streaming platform entered the market with a distinctive edge as a production studio-cum-streaming platform, while other streaming services, such as Hulu and Netflix, found themselves having to create the infrastructure for original content from scratch.
This news arrives on the heels of the latest Netflix quarterly earnings report, which attested to a net loss in subscribers—the first time Netflix has lost subscribers quarter-to-quarter in over ten years. A steep decline in Netflix’s stock price ensued, causing the company’s stock to decline by over 66 percent as of writing.
Amid the Netflix stock market calamity, observers and insiders have scrambled to find explanations for the company’s reversal of fortune. The company has placed the blame on its withdrawal from Russian markets in protest of that country’s recent invasion of Ukraine, which it claims cost the company 700,000 Russian subscribers. Password sharing has also been also been a challenge for the company.
Tesla CEO and would-be Twitter owner, Elon Musk, has also pinned the blame on a “woke mind virus” contaminating Netflix original content with socially progressive messages, allegedly making the platform’s shows “unwatchable.”
However, it is worth noting that any of these explanations could apply to HBO to some degree. On March 9, HBO parent company WarnerMedia pulled out of the Russian Federation, without a consequent decline in overall subscribers in the recent financial quarter.
Furthermore, there is no immediate reason to assume that password sharing is significantly less widespread on HBO Max than on Netflix.
And while one could plausibly argue that “woke” content is less ubiquitous on HBO Max than on Netflix, the former has its own share of progressive ideological messages featuring prominently in shows such as Peacemaker, in which John Cena’s titular character is incessantly mocked for alleged racist and misogynistic attitudes, and Generation, about an ensemble of sexually diverse teenagers preoccupied with intersectional concerns.
With 222 million subscribers, Netflix still remains preëminent among streaming platforms. However, with the recent quarterly support, the company’s edge in the so-called “streaming wars” has been diminished. Meanwhile, HBO isn’t the only company making inroads on Netflix’s share of the market: Disney Plus ended the 2021 fiscal year with nearly 130 million subscribers, with a 11.8 million gain in the quarter ending January 2022.
For HBO executives, the recent subscriber figures are a cause for celebration, demonstrating consistent growth for the young streaming platform, which has thus far avoided the troubles that have plagued Netflix.
If this pattern continues, consumers will likely find themselves with an increasingly multipolar streaming industry, with the hegemony of Netflix being undermined by the ascendance of HBO Max, Disney Plus, and other competitors.


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Dagger Records is now offering more efficient and lower priced delivery to music fans throughout the UK, Europe and beyond. Officially authorized Jimi Hendrix bootleg style albums available from Dagger Records can now be ordered from 3 different stores. Visit http://www.daggerrecords.com.
Check out Amazon Music’s 50th Anniversary Woodstock Playlist that rekindles some of the magic behind this historic music festival. Forty songs that helped change the face of music.
The Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation has been awarded a $75,000 grant through 4Culture’s Cultural Facilities Program to be used for the ongoing construction work at Jimi Hendrix Park.
This highly competitive grant process saw two expert peer panels reviewing more than $15 million in funding requests from fellow non-profit organizations throughout King County.


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Witnessing a strong rebound on account of the push for infrastructure projects, the commercial vehicles industry has even come to terms with GST implementation and BS-IV norms.
By Mitalee Kurdekar
We’ve seen some of our customers now covering an average of two lakh kilometers in a year.
Things are certainly looking up for the commercial vehicles (CV) industry in India. Despite experiencing constant ups and downs ever since it achieved peak levels in 2011-12, the industry has been following a healthy growth trajectory in recent times, buoyed by the Government’s push for infrastructure projects. In addition, the CV industry has witnessed signs of disruption, some of which were of a global nature like the advent of digitalisation, launches of efficient models to support customer preferences and the inclusion of value-added services. Besides this, there were India-specific disruptions like the advent of GST and demonetisation. However, the aftereffects of these changes have mitigated and are possibly turning into opportunities, today. Further, regulations like stricter emission control norms are definitely playing their part in streamlining products as well as the industry, preparing it for a future where introductions such as electric vehicles will be yet another game changer.
“The market is in very good shape. We are seeing are a strong rebound right now, from the uncertainty regarding the transitions to BS-IV and to the post-GST landscape, and of course other influences like demonetisation that temporarily caused some distortions,” says Erich Nesselhauf, MD & CEO, DICV.
The CV industry seems to be on a roll with an excellent growth trajectory. In fact, it is expected to touch its peak this year and, as a whole, is expected to witness a double digit growth in numbers, especially given the Government push on infrastructure.
“There are positive sentiments in the economy and we are witnessing good growth in FMCG and consumer durables sectors, and healthy rural activity, further fuelling this growth. Further, adjoining markets in the Indian subcontinent are also opening up a good opportunity for the CV OEMs,” suggests Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles.
GST has brought with it many benefits, most of all the new world of borderless pan-Indian transportation.
CV makers are certainly posting good numbers. For instance, in the last financial year, Mahindra Trucks & Buses grew by 41% riding the industry upswing and an established ‘Guaranteed Experience’ customer promise. “With recent Government investments in infrastructure projects like Bharatmala, economic corridors, inter-corridor, feeder routes, border roads, expressways and expansion of national highways as well as coastal roads, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, an unprecedented growth in the CV sector is expected in the coming years. Scrappage policy for old trucks and Government support to the cause of a clean environment would certainly trigger growth for the industry in the near term,” believes Vinod Sahay, CEO, Mahindra Trucks & Buses Division.
“With increased focus and spending on the infrastructure segment, the CV industry has picked up speed and is all set to transform in the next few years. New regulations such as BS-VI and GST will enable India to be at par with its European counterparts,” points out Aggarwal.
With big budgets being channelled towards massive improvements in infrastructure, not only is that sector being fuelled, but more equipment – specifically tipper trucks – are consequently needed. “A lot of growth has been happening for us in this segment,” states Nesselhauf.
New regulations such as BS-VI and GST will enable India to be at par with its European counterparts.
On the other hand, there have been the manifold benefits that came with GST, most of all the new world of borderless pan-Indian transportation. “Long-haulage trucks don’t lose one or two days at state borders anymore; they can run a lot more. We’ve seen some of our customers now covering an average of two lakh kilometers in a year – more than double what they did before. And the hub-and-spoke model is getting more and more traction. All of this requires modern, fuel-efficient trucks with higher uptime, which is exactly the core of BharatBenz,” Nesselhauf adds.
In fact, GST has given rise to a new transport model, boosting the CV industry’s growth due to the realignment of distribution networks. “In effect, features such as KMPL, higher payload, high-speed, comfortable cabin and breakdown-free trucks are getting valued more. GST has smoothened the process, rationalised rates, removed border posts and, as reported recently by CRISIL, trucks are already plying 25 kms more per day. We are expecting the same to increase or to cross 100 kms per day in the coming years. Hence, GST has significantly impacted and driven demand for CVs in the e-commerce segment, resulting in efficient trucking and, in fact, leading to higher demand for smart and modern trucks,” confesses Sahay.
Insiders feel that the industry is expected to remain bullish for the next couple of years, driven by factors like strong replacement demand due to restrictions on overloading of trucks, further accelerated by the announcement of the scrappage policy, and successful migration from BS-III to BS-IV norms. Aggarwal proclaims that customers are now fully used to BS-IV technology trucks, whether these are with SCR technology or EGR technology engines.
Government support to the cause of a clean environment would trigger growth for the industry.
Speaking of customers, there has been a major evolution in their outlook too. As Nesselhauf notes, “We see a change in customer mind-set, a clear shift from the famous cost-conscious buying pattern to customers making smart, value-oriented buying decisions. This is, of course, good for a manufacturer like us; we’ve been highlighting our Total Cost of Ownership advantage since we entered the market in 2012 with our BharatBenz brand. More and more customers today are doing the math regarding which brand and product gives them the best value over the product lifecycle.”
And that is not the only change. The arrival of electric vehicles is the next big thing. Electrification is clearly the future. The country is currently on the brink of a new era in transportation. In 2013, the Government introduced the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 as the first step to transition to complete electric mobility. With complete Government backing, OEMs have no choice but to plan the move to electric variants. And they are doing so too. OEMs are increasing their investments in order to develop new products and technology to push an all-electric fleet by 2030. Along with the supporting policy framework, electric vehicles are also bound to have a positive impact on the country’s entire ecosystem.
“Though it is in the evolutionary stage, the industry is responsive to electric needs and moving rapidly towards electrification. We, at VECV, are pushing and striving to achieve this every day. With our zero emission smart electric bus – Skyline Pro E – for the Indian electric bus market on our leading bus platform, Skyline Pro, we are making our contribution towards sustainable urban transport. The Skyline Pro E integrates KPIT Technologies’ indigenously developed electrification technology, REVOLO. The system is modular and designed for Indian conditions, and is the most advanced in safety, comfort and efficiency. The bus covers a range of 177 kms on a single charge with AC, and allows 36% regeneration leading to less than 0.8 electricity units/km,” claims Aggarwal.
DICV enjoys the advantage of being a part of Daimler Trucks’ worldwide organisation, with access to the entire know-how and technology pool of one of the world’s leading CV manufacturers with a global reach. Daimler Trucks has multiple electric vehicle projects across segments, brands and markets – the FUSO eCanter as the first series-production electric vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz eActros, or the Freightliner eCascadia.
“Thus, when the market is truly ready at some point, we will be in a position to move very rapidly in India as well. Right now, however, there are still too many open questions about how the existing infrastructure can be upgraded to support a large-scale transition to electric vehicles. Our point is that the best thing for people and the environment, which could immediately be implemented, is a large-scale replacement of the many old and polluting commercial vehicles on Indian roads with modern, clean and efficient trucks and buses,” states Nesselhauf.
Advanced telematics seems to be a popular value addition, with most industry players now offering it with their vehicles.
On the other hand, new-age technology is already making way for new-age CVs in India. The country, unfortunately, has one of the highest casualty rates in road traffic, making it especially dangerous for truck drivers in traditional cowl vehicles, which often lack even the most basic safety features. To tackle this, OEMs have stepped up their game.
“BharatBenz has set the benchmark in many safety-related aspects like crash-tested steel cabins, Anti-lock Braking Systems even before they became mandatory, better brake performance, and even small things like daytime running lights on our HDT range. Our latest innovation has been our Driver State Monitoring System, which can help to prevent typically serious accidents resulting from fatigue or inattentiveness,” says Nesselhauf.
Similarly, Tata Motors has deployed advanced driver assistance systems such as driver health monitoring, lane departure warning, collision mitigation system, telematics and improved vehicle designs to contribute substantially to improved road safety. “Our commercial vehicles are currently provided with the mandatory as well as other safety features such as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), Rear Underrun Protection Device (RUPD), Side Underrun Protection Device (SUPD), Front Underrun Protection Device (FUPD), driver & co-driver side mirrors, wide angle mirrors, close proximity mirrors, Speed Limiting Device/Function (SLD/SLF) etc.,” supplies a Tata Motors spokesperson. As a matter of fact, Tata Motors claims to be the first OEM in the country to deploy Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for the range of PRIMA and SIGNA trucks.
OEMs are increasing their investments in order to develop new products and technology to push an all-electric fleet by 2030.
Eicher, on their part, has introduced CNG variants of Pro 1049, 1059 and 3014, which are aimed to capture the pick-up customers in the green corridor of the Delhi-NCR region. The brand new CNG range is powered by fuel efficient state-of-the-art E483 4 Cyl 2 V CNG engine in 1000 series; and E494 4 Cyl engine with Volvo Group EMS 3.0 technology powering the Pro 3014 CNG Truck. The development is also in line with the Clean Fuel Corridor being created by the government across the Northern belt. In another development, Eicher’s new Pro 6041 is India’s first 41 tonnage rigid haulage truck and offers a payload advantage of 3.5 tonne over a 37 tonnage truck. The vehicle is powered by a VEDX8 engine, which is the biggest and the most fuel efficient engine available in the category.
Mahindra’s BLAZO range of HCVs was launched with the advanced CRDe engine offering multi- mode features – Turbo, Heavy and Light. “The driver can choose the mode as per the load and road conditions for superior mileage and unmatched performance. The FuelSmart engine is one-of-its-kind in its frugal fuel consumption. It maintains high fuel economy despite its high performance, as it features both a mechanical injection system with a Bosch rotary pump as well as a high-pressure 1800 bar common-rail fuel injection system. BLAZO was subjected to extensive field trials, which instilled the confidence of delivering more mileage than the competition,” emphasises Sahay.
On the subject of advanced telematics, which seems to be a popular value addition as far as customers are concerned, most industry players are on the same page. Tata FleetMan includes features like real-time fleet tracking, SMS and email alerts, geo-fencing and remote unit management, all designed to address the pressing need of fleet owners. Today, close to 60,000 vehicles have been deployed with this system across India and abroad.
“Another critical feature of the FleetMan is trip management, where one can assign a specific trip to any vehicle within the fleet with start and end locations, specify the load carried and the estimated time of arrival at the destination,” says the company spokesperson. Also, Tata Motors has launched this as a standard fitment in the entire range of PRIMA vehicles along with three years complimentary service.
Eicher Live is Eicher’s advanced telematics system, which enables proactive maintenance of the truck. “The Eicher Live service gives the owner and our aftermarket teams a thorough view of vehicle performance, utilisation and uptime. Further, the uptime services enable service teams to proactively schedule and plan for the repairs and maintenance activities on the vehicle. In this way, the truck spends more time generating revenues. In the event of a breakdown, the service team is well prepared with the right parts & tools, and the right technician, to address the repairs and minimise the downtime,” Aggarwal stresses.
Overall, the CV industry in India has shaped up rather well. With technology improvements and policy support, it is definitely looking at a good run in the near future.


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Chemicals stolen from farm supplies store
Detectives are investigating a burglary at a farm supplies store at Cobden, west of Warrnambool, on Wednesday night.
Police say the burglars forced their way into the Landmark store on Grayland Road and took about $7,500 worth of chemicals.
Detectives are asking people who saw suspicious vehicles around the store or who are offered farm chemicals at a reduced price to contact them.
Cobden police say similar burglaries have occurred at farm supplies businesses at Colac and Warrnambool in the past month.
It is not known if the crimes are linked.


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As expected, Sony has announced that the original Everquest has officially been transitioned to the free-to-play model.
"Through 18 successful expansions and countless other game updates, EverQuest has forged its place in history amongst the MMO and online game elite," celebrated Everquest director of development Dave Georgeson.
Comic book artist and 38 Studios art director Todd McFarlane as revealed in an interview that an MMO based on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will be coming later this year.
The MMO is currently under the code name "Project Copernicus".
GAME has started sending out letters informing pre-order customers of specific store closures, and forwarding them to GAME and GameStation stores which will be handling their order.
Codemasters has announced that F1 2012, the official game of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship, will be coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this Summer. One of the highlighted new features is the Young Driver Test mode, where players will be introduced to the world of Formula One through a range of tutorials explaining how to handle F1's cars.
Zen Studios has announced a new series of pinball tables for Pinball FX 2 and Marvel Pinball. The Avengers Chronicles will feature four new tables which will be released individually and later as a DLC pack. Unlike other pinball tables, each of these tables tell their part of a continuing story.
Markus Persson - who? - Minecraft's 'Notch' has said letting Steam dominate the PC digital market is "a bit dangerous" for all concerned. It needs healthy competition to prevent a monopoly.
He finds the "idea of one platform a bit scary" despite being a fan of Valve and Steam. He calls Origin's ability to do "things badly" an impressive feat given 8 years of Steam.
Deep Silver and X1 Software's tactical shooter Iron Front: Liberation 1944 has been given its official street date of May 25th for North America and Europe. It's exclusive to PC.
It's based off the engine used in ARMA II Operation Arrowhead. It's set in southern Poland during the Soviet offensive in the summer of 1944. We play as Germans or Russians.
Lead PvP designer Gabe Amatangelo for Star Wars: The Old Republic says the story arc decisions we make will be impacting our character's future. Updates will continue class stories.
We can expect these kinds of content updates "sooner than later." Sith and Smuggler story choices "will certainly carry over" into future developments, teases Amatangelo.
The North American exclusivity for Ubisoft's Rocksmith ends this September when it finally drops the other side of the Atlantic and into British gamers' laps. No plastic peripherals.
Rocksmith isn't about hitting coloured buttons but actually learning to play a real guitar. It's for those "serious about guitar learning and playing." It's for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
The UK's Watchdog program, designed to bring public awareness to consumer right abuses, aired a show targeting EA's FIFA 12 and its Ultimate Team online mode of play.
Specifically it was after disconnections gamers have been suffering, and accused that EA "refused to take responsibility," dismissing that "only a tiny minority" were affected.
Despite the original Homefront from Kaos Studios getting a so-so Metacritic reception, Crysis developer Crytek believes their "quality attached to it" can help the sequel amaze fans.
The world they built, its setting and where they want it to go - it's "really cool," declared the studio. Hints were given of the sequel taking place in London, but "it's the team's choice."
Capcom has announced on the company's official blog that there would be some free downloadable content coming in April for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, which will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on the 20th March.
Tom's Guide reports that an industry source has leaked to the site that Bethesda will be revealing a new MMO based on the Elder Scrolls IP. The MMO would allegedly take place 1,000 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, in what fans of the series know as the Second Era.
Baldur's Gate is back, as Atari has officially announced Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition, for release this Summer 2012.
There is no other information about the games save the titles, but the "enhanced edition" seems to indicate they'll be the same original Baldur's Gate titles - but with updated graphics, sound, widescreen format and HD resolution.
Apparently, BioWare and Electronic Arts had planned a first person shooter based on the Mass Effect license. The game was called Mass Effect Team Assault, and it was worked on by BioWare's Montreal studio in 2010. The multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 is what remains of that project.
Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn revealed his original intent for the ending of Mass Effect 3, which involved the concept of Dark Energy, which was hinted at in the previous two games, such as on Haelstrom during Tali's recruitment mission, when she commented that the planet's sun was an advanced age for no scientific reason.
Blizzard has officially announced today that Diablo III will be released for the PC on 15th May, 2012.
Presales have already started, which allows fans to reserve their digital copies from the official website
The revival of Medal of Honor is all about authenticity for the house of EA, as it 'separates it apart' from the competition, and they take it "very seriously." They'd be a "floating gun" otherwise.
It's all founded on "respecting the soldiers" and getting their point of view in the story and setting, but they're "not making a simulator." The team are after an "immersive, authentic feeling".
It's done! Brian Fargo's inXile Entertainment can begin work on Wasteland 2 once the Kickstarter project comes to a close as it's raised the needed $900k to begin work in just 2 days.
As of now it's hovering at $975,463 from 16,933 backers. It launched March 13th to get community backing for a direct sequel to 1988's Wasteland. It's a "dream" declares Fargo.
Before Resident Evil 4 took the shape it did, designer Yasuhisa Kawamura wrote and helped design a very different tale in a bid to "make biohazard 4 scarier" - it went through "several iterations".
In the end it collapsed as there were "many obstacles" and it was "deemed too expensive." What became Resident Evil 4 was the "best idea out of all of them," claimed Kawamura-san.


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Several new direct-to-consumer offerings are in the works from major media companies, including one from Discovery, but none seems able to as big a threat to Netflix as the OTT service that Disney is preparing to launch late next year.
During Monday’s earnings call, Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Robert Iger shared new information about the Disney-branded subscription streaming service—“we’re on track for a late-2019 launch,” he said—and what will make it an attractive alternative to Netflix, which has quite a head start with 130


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PSA unboXed, the venture capital arm of PSA International, has teamed up with Israeli innovation hub theDOCK to attract technology start-ups to Singapore’s marine industry.
Through a new partnership agreement, theDOCK will act as a technology talent scout for PSA unboXed, aiming to match digital innovations to the specific needs of Singapore’s port operations.
Technology specialists and start-ups will get a first chance to explore the challenges and possibilities at the maritime technology event Hackathon, which is due to be held in Israel in June 2019.
In a recent Port Technology technical paper, Jose Florido and Alejandro González of Telefónica Global Articulate a Smart Port Vision
Nir Gartzman, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at theDOCK, said: “We are excited by the prospects of engaging with creative solution providers to tackle transformation of this sector.
“Of specific interest will be areas of ports and their adjacent spaces associated with containerized cargo flow.”
According to a statement, a study by theDOCK has already demonstrated that many emerging technologies of ‘data science’, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, are relevant to port operations.
PSA unboXed has also participated in a number of ‘Demo Days’ hosted by theDOCK for scouting and screening technology start-ups for possible investment.
We are excited to announce joining forces with PSA unboXed, the venture capital arm of PSA International. Operating more than 50 coastal, rail and inland terminals around the globe, PSA serves as the ideal go-to partner for startups in our ecosystem! https://t.co/4vS8Fhblg3 pic.twitter.com/k5d2knc2Wr
— theDOCK (@theDOCK_hub) April 11, 2019
Vice President of PSA unboXed Elton Fong said: “PSA unboXed endeavours to be a thought leader and go-to partner for ideation, co-creation and validation of new technology for the port and maritime supply chains.
“We believe that this strategic partnership with theDOCK will help PSA benefit from Israel’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, and improve the dynamism of the industry.”
PSA unboxed is the latest in a list of maritime companies joining forces with theDOCK, which also includes Wartsila, Lloyd’s Register, Kirby Corporation, DSV, Maersk and Cargotec among its partners.
“We are very pleased with the prospects of this partnership with PSA. Together, we could push the envelope on technology innovation to benefit the sector,” said theDOCK co-founder and CEO, Hannan Carmeli.


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Spending money on experiential purchases makes people happier than buying material goods, reveals new study.
Thomas Gilovich of Cornell University said that this research offered important information for individual consumers who are trying to "decide on the right mix of material and experiential consumption for maximizing well-being."
He further added that research was also important to society because it suggested that overall well-being could be advanced by providing an infrastructure that affords experiences, such as parks, trails, beaches, as much as it does material consumption.
The researchers discovered that people thinking about impending experiential purchases, such as ski passes or concert tickets, have higher levels of happiness than those who anticipate spending money on things. They also found that the act of actually waiting in line to make a purchase may be more pleasant for those intending to spend money on an experience.
The researchers speculated that there might be several factors that could explain these findings, like people might think about future experiences in more abstract ways that could make them seem more significant and more gratifying.
It's also possible that waiting for an experience induces less competition than waiting for material goods. Finally, anticipating experiences might confer greater social benefits, making people feel more connected and happier overall.
The study is published in Psychological Science.


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'Ploughing our own furrow' - restaurant celebrates hitting 10-year mark
- Credit: Archant
Ask around at work, or while next out with friends, and you'll probably find someone who calls themselves a regular at the River Green.
The vegan and vegetarian restaurant at Trowse, which this year marks its 10th anniversary, has spent the last decade earning itself a place in many people's restaurant roster.
Owner and head chef Chris Avey said while some might only come once or twice a year, plenty of others - up to 40pc according to a survey of its customers last year - visit every month.
In June the team will mark the restaurant's decade milestone, with Mr Avey having been there for six - he started in 2015, became a director in 2016 and took full ownership in 2017.
It will come after a year which has arguably been the strangest of all 10, with the pandemic forcing the restaurant to quickly adapt and weather lengthy closures.
With the village shop having shut a month before the pandemic and many takeaways not going as far as Trowse, Mr Avey's role suddenly became that of a village shopkeeper.
"I started off by turning the restaurant into a village shop and started pop-up takeaways for the village," he said, "which were very popular."
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Their quick-thinking was met with gratitude, and orders, from those living locally.
"When we did open we adapted the menu every week," he said, "which has been really fun. To be honest I have been mostly cooking what I want and we've had wall-to-wall five-star reviews."
Though winter was more of a challenge - Mr Avey offered frozen meals for customers, a jacket potato and hot soup station at one point and at-home meal kits - he said he had enjoyed the sense of freedom.
Its latest change is the addition of local coffee brand Kofra, who moved into what had previously been its teaching kitchen next door.
"Over the years people, especially in the village, have said wouldn't it be nice if there was coffee and cakes, and while it would have been nice it would have been too much of a stretch for me," he said.
But when the teaching kitchen was closed, he said he decided to go for it.
"I responded to those requests to see if anyone was interested," he said. "A couple came back interested, and Kofra came back very interested as José [Guzman, its managing director] had been thinking about Trowse for a while."
In more good news, Mr Avey also picked up the silver medal in the International Salon Culinaire awards, often seen as among the world's biggest and most prestigious chef competitions.
Held virtually this year, Mr Avey entered a new plant-based category, with his celeriac okonomiyaki - a savoury Japanese pancake dish, the name of which comes from the word 'okonomi', meaning 'how you like' - with crispy kale dish seeing him fend off competition from around the world to place in the top three.
"A traditional okonomiyaki is usually a vegetable dish with meat added," he said, "but there is no vegan version of it so I built it up from the ground up.
"It's an ideal opportunity to put in local produce. In this particular competition you had to use a vegetable or mushroom stock from the sponsors and it lent itself well to being a substitute for soy and miso."
The next occasion on the calendar will be reopening, with the restaurant - which last year was named the best vegetarian restaurant in the country in the Vegetarian and Vegan Awards 2020 - set to do so from Saturday, May 22.
June will see it turn 10, something Mr Avey said may be marked with special menus and offers, including potentially barbecue options, as they did for their fifth anniversary.
Looking back, he said: "The restaurant was very popular, right from the start, but part of that was less choice. One of the main things that has changed is the amount of choice.
"When it first opened there were about five vegetarian restaurants and no fully vegan restaurants, and now there's probably the same number fully vegan.
"Everywhere has got vegan and vegetarian options now - the competition is much higher."
He said in recent years both high end dining and more affordable, street food styles had thrived, with casual dining options dining in the middle more likely to struggle.
River Green, he said, is "ploughing our own furrow".
"It took a while to establish myself there," he said. "We changed everything to being in-house, we have gone a lot more local with produce.
"Last year we changed to a weekly menu - I change it every week to respond to what's in season."
He said there were ongoing struggles for the industry, including rising costs such as the living wage.
"Ingredients have risen in price," he added, "and margins are squeezed. But we are still here, and I'm happy to remain at River Green until I retire."


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CATL signs MoU with Thailand-based Arun Plus for battery business
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL announced on May 13 that it recently signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Arun Plus, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thailand's state-owned oil supplier PTT, to conduct cooperation on battery business in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) markets.
Photo credit: CATL
The strategic partnership newly forged is to bolster the development of EV (electric vehicle)-related industrial chain, said CATL. Per the agreement, CATL will authorize Arun Plus to use its CTP (cell-to-pack) technology, so as to boost the application of this technology in Thailand and even worldwide.
Besides, under the agreement, Arun Plus and CATL will co-provide batteries for Horizon Plus and other EV brands. According to CATL’s introduction, Horizon Plus is the joint venture between Arun Plus and Foxconn, and plans to produce EVs in Thailand in 2024.
The CTP is a system that utilizes battery cells that are combined into packs without modules to reduce complexity, weight, space, and cost. CATL said its CTP technology can help improve the system energy density of the battery pack, simplify the battery manufacturing process, and save cost correspondingly.
CATL plans to formally launch the “Qilin” battery, its third-generation CTP (cell-to-pack) battery technology in the second quarter of 2022, Zeng Yuqun, CATL's chairman, said on May 5 at the latest annual earnings conference.
Thailand hopes its EV production volume can reach no fewer than 30% of all annual vehicle outputs by 2030 nationwide. The latest cooperation will assist the country with its transition towards low-carbon economy and building of a regional EV hub.
Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service:firstname.lastname@example.org Service:email@example.com


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The Organic Trade Board (OTB), in collaboration with Soil Association Certification and campaign partners Ecotone, Ethical Food Company, and RBOrganic, have launched a petition aimed at the new prime minister, requesting they take drastic action to save nature in their first 100 days of government.
Launched ahead of Organic September, the Change.org petition asks whoever comes to power to protect wildlife in any policies – and commit to representing the UK at the crucially important UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December.
Not only are insects a vital part of a balanced ecosystem, providing food for other animals and recycling nutrients, they also play an essential role in our global food system. One in three mouthfuls of food depends on pollinators and without pollinators we wouldn’t have potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate or cotton.
Renowned children’s author and illustrator, Kate Pankhurst, who is also a relation of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, was the first person to sign the petition. She has thrown her support behind the campaign, also creating an illustration to depict insects holding placards in protest against the harmful pesticides and fertilisers that are being sprayed on crops – which is ultimately leading to their decline.
Kate Pankhurst commented: “As a mum of two, and author and illustrator of children’s books, I’m passionate about preserving nature to ensure the next generation has a beautiful and thriving planet to enjoy in the future. I hope other people around the UK will join me in signing this petition to help give nature a voice.”
Cristina Dimetto, General Manager of the Organic Trade Board (OTB), said: “Organic farming works with nature, not against it, encouraging natural predators like ladybirds and pollinators like bees and butterflies rather than spraying harmful pesticides. As a result, on average, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms. There are up to seven times more wild bees in organic grain fields. So if nature did have a voice – it would choose organic.
“If pesticides were substituted for more sustainable farming practices (like organic), this could slow or reverse the decline in insects. The hope is that even tiny insect-sized steps can make a big difference when it comes to keeping nature’s crucial keyworkers thriving.”
Organic September looks to engage brands and businesses in the industry as well as UK consumers. The theme for this year is “Nature would choose organic”, which reflects that if wildlife such as bees, earthworms and ladybirds had a voice, they would want all farming to be organic to help keep the delicate ecosystem in balance.


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The chief negotiators of the 11 remaining Trans-Pacific Partnership countries will meet in Japan today to discuss the pact’s future.
In January, the US pulled out of the regional trade deal which was signed in 2016, withdrawing 60% of the combined GDP of the original TPP states and casting uncertainty over its future. Now, members of the “TPP 11” are trying to revive the deal under Japanese leadership.
The TPP still faces enormous hurdles. Vietnam and Malaysia signed it to widen access to the lucrative US market for their cheap textile goods, making them reluctant to sign a deal without the US. Additionally, the rules of the original agreement make it impossible to finalise without US ratification, meaning the implementation framework would have to be re-written.
When the US pulled out of the deal, many feared that China would dominate the economic rules of the region through its Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. However, the push to revive the TPP suggests that regional powers like Japan and Australia are working to rival Chinese economic influence even without US leadership.


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Films clashes on the web: It’s more business play than content conflict, say fraternity members | Web Series
Gone are the days of the much-hyped big Bollywood clashes on the big screen as theatres continue to wait for revival amid the Covid-19 crisis and OTT space emerging as the place for face-offs. And this time, it’s not the films or the makers that are fighting for attention, but streaming platforms.
Last week, Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s comeback vehicle Hungama 2 released digitally, clashing with Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda starrer 14 Phere. Next up, actors Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra will be making the most of the patriotic fervour with their films, Bhuj: The Pride of India and Shershaah, lined up for release in the Independence Day week on different platforms.
“It’s just like the clash of films in theatres. Right now, each OTT platform is trying to prove its supremacy and trying lure customers. The established customer can see the content whenever on the opening day, but the whole thing is about taking in new subscribers,” says trade expert Komal Nahta.
“That’s why if one platform has announced, the other platform loses no time in announcing a project so that new customers should feel inclined to take the subscriptions, that is also a reason they don’t want to miss out on special days and events,” he adds.
Last yea, three films — Shakuntala Devi, Raat Akeli Hai and Lootcase — dropped on different OTT platforms the same day.
With the theatrical cycle expected to resume soon, the streaming platforms are trying to make the most of the time left in hand, says producer and trade expert Girish Johar.
“Platforms think it’s a window where they can engage more customers. They don’t feel any threat from the competition’s film or content. The main motive is maximum traction and audience. When theatrical releases open up, it’ll mellow down. Right now, they’re trying to gauge as much traction as possible,” says Johar.
However, the clash doesn’t impact the film in any way, asserts trade expert Taran Adarsh. “People have a liberty to choose a time while watching a film. And the subscriber base comes as a package along with the content,” he says.
To this, 14 Phere director Devanshu Kumar adds, “If a big film, like Hungama 2, was slated to release on the big screen, it would’ve picked primary spots, good timings and more screens. And that’s not the case in the OTT space. Audience ko jo dekhna hai, jab dekhna hai, woh log dekh sakte hain. There’s no competition, or any pressure due to this clash.”
Hungama 2 producer Ratan Jain also agrees, and shares, “Kuch impact nahi hota clash ka. Audience plays a big role in choosing the content that they want to watch”.
When it comes to streaming war and clash, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, asserts content is the only king.
“The rise of OTT platforms has given the audience a chance to have it all, from the comfort of their homes. It’s now a level playing field where content is the king. We believe in a consumer focussed strategy where we cater to the consumer’s needs and appetite. Hence, a content works if it appeals to the viewers. The viewership is dependent on the quality of content and not on how many projects are releasing on the same day,” Kalra says.


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How to keep from becoming a security statistic
Summer travelers worry about terrorism and Zika and unrest, but maybe they should look a little closer for the real threat.
Maybe they should look in a mirror.
"Travelers leave their laptop open and unlocked while they go to the bar or bathroom," says security strategist Ben Johnson. "They read off credit card and passport numbers over the phone, in public."
A survey by Experian revealed nearly one in five travelers lost sensitive information on the road, and 30% said they experienced identity theft while traveling or know someone who has. It gets worse if you cross a border. International travelers are 1 1/2 times more likely to become victims of identity theft than domestic travelers, a LifeLock study found.
The consequences of their carelessness can be immediate and catastrophic. Travelers are quick to blame everyone but themselves for data loss or ID theft. The app had a security flaw! The Wi-Fi network wasn't secure! There were strangers overhearing my conversation in the hotel lobby! But this summer, the best way to stay safe lies within.
What to do? Easy. Just observe your fellow travelers and learn from their mistakes.
Johnson, a former NSA employee who co-founded the security consulting firm Carbon Black, has seen travelers carelessly log onto a wireless network that may not have been the hotel's official one (yes, they let him watch). He's even seen hotel guests leave electronics, such as laptops and USB keys, in their room, leaving their most sensitive information vulnerable to theft.
Patti Reddi witnessed some pretty outrageous things, too. Like posting a photo of your boarding pass on social media. Duh. "Your boarding pass contains sensitive information like your frequent-flier number, record locator and more," says Reddi, who writes a travel blog. Plus, there's no better way of tipping off a thief that you're not home than with a confirmed boarding pass that says, "I'm away."
The lack of attention can hurt you. Jaclyn Goldman met a man at a hotel bar who was sobbing uncontrollably. What happened? Goldman, a sales executive, says the man had given two women his last name and room number.
"They racked up a $1,000 bar bill," she remembers. "And then they disappeared."
Jesse Harrison recalls the time his business partner committed a similar error at a car rental counter. When asked for a phone number, he used a loud and clear voice to give it to the counter agent. Maybe a little too loud.
"Later that day, we got a call from someone claiming to be the car rental company, saying they are going to report us to the police because we stole something from the car rental company when we picked up the car," recalls Harrison, who works for a legal services company in Los Angeles. "How did they know our information? My guess is someone heard my partner's phone number and decided to prank us."
The solution to these security woes is surprisingly simple: Don't shout out your phone number or credit card number in public. Don't leave your electronics where they can be stolen. Don't tweet your itinerary.
In other words, don't be your own worst enemy when you travel this summer.
What not to do when you travel
• Don’t connect to an open Wi-Fi network. "Anybody can connect to them, and there could be traps set up to trick you, sneakily labeled hotel Wi-Fi, free Wi-Fi and airport Wi-Fi," says Paul Paget, the chief executive of Pwnie Express, a security consulting firm.
• Don't plug into any old power outlet. Daniel Smith, an information security researcher for Radware, says one of the biggest mistakes travelers make is placing their trust in random mobile power stations. Seriously. "By plugging your device into a power station you’re risking your devices data via Juice jacking," he says. Only use a power plug you trust.
• Don't forget to change your password. At the end of your trip, switch to a different password, experts recommend. Why? Many Wi-Fi networks and public internet connections can be leveraged to sniff passwords and user IDs of everything you did while traveling. Why give them access to your information when you return?


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UEFA has defended the £26 booking fee for Champions League final tickets, insisting it is perfectly in line with everything else in a sport which pays Wayne Rooney £250k a week and charges £75 to watch a Chelsea match.
Supporters groups have reacted angrily to the excessive booking fee on top of the £150 ticket, insisting they will complain about it right up until their team is no longer involved.
A UEFA spokesperson told us, “UEFA has nice big offices, and a pretty big travel bill, so we have to pay for that somehow. What better way than charging fans far more than the market rate?”
“We’re only fleecing those people who have apparently had the value of money completely erased from their brains over the last twenty years, football fans.”
“What we know is that they will complain, they will bitch and they will moan – but the moment their team gets to the final they’ll happily sell their house and make their children homeless in order to be at the game. Why shouldn’t we benefit from that?”
Champions League booking fee
The excessive charge has been defended by anyone who makes their living doing anything at all in football.
Football analyst Mike Williams told us, “£26 is only about ten times the price you would pay for a booking fee in any other industry, so in football terms this is actually really good value.”
“Anyone who has every bought fish and chips at Wembley will tell you that ten times real-world prices is actually a pretty good deal.”


text: Just awhile ago I posted an article about the new gameplay trailer for Fallout New Vegas and mentioned anything news related to the game I would post it, well here I am again. This time the official release date has been announced. The game will be hitting shelves on October 19th for the US and October 22nd for the Europeans. No time like the present to pre-order the game and get those pre-order extras. Stay tuned to Platform Nation for all your E3 goodness!


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Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook made US$125 million in the company’s 2019 fiscal year, less than the year before due in part to a lower bonus.
Cook got a US$3 million salary, a US$7.7 million bonus and US$884,466 in perks and other compensation in the latest period, the Cupertino, California-based technology giant said in a filing Friday. The executive also had US$113.5 million worth of Apple stock vest.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
That US$125 million in total compensation was down from the US$136 million Cook made a year earlier. In that 2018 fiscal year, he got a US$12 million bonus, his largest ever. The bonus shrank in the latest period because Apple didn’t beat its sales and operating income targets by as much as the year before.


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The 14-day voyage of IKEA's products being shipped from Sweden to Australia is being streamed live on YouTube, and its soundtrack is available for download as a soothing, bedtime podcast option.
- Natasha Gillezeau
Titled "Don't feel sorry for old mate ...", the campaign by a Victorian agency features an elderly man walking at iconic South Australian locations and crying.
Under this program, Lamborghini staff transport luggage between destinations worldwide. That's handy, when the boot is so small.
- Hannah Elliott
Obituary: Lord Bell, the image-maker whose charm and pithy slogans helped Mrs Thatcher and the Tories conquer Labour, has died.
When the ambassadors see others on social media discussing anything unflattering about the company, they step in to offer an on-the-ground perspective.
- Jonah Engel Bromwich
Hancock Prospecting, the Gina Rinehart-controlled mining company that is the headline sponsor of Swimming Australia, has extensive business interests in China.
- Aleks Vickovich
A highly unusual three-year probe by Treasury found Mercer PR's actions on behalf of the Nauru government "inconsistent with the human rights chapter".
- Myriam Robin
"Finally, a sports sponsorship opportunity involving someone incredibly human and relatable."
- Max Mason
- Nufarm Limited
Nufarm paid money to a campaign to stop a European ban on the chemical glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer.
- Mark Ludlow
It's mainly American and French individuals who are behind the first donations to restore the famed cathedral that was destroyed by fire.
- Thomas Adamson
Lina Di Falco has told Victoria's Supreme Court in a trial that she suffers constant ankle pain from the injury she sustained on the 2015 flight.
- Georgie Moore
The high profile Aussie unicorn was the victim of a prolific hacker who has been selling customer details of numerous companies on the dark web since February.
- Paul Smith
- Web culture
Facebook et al had a huge PR win last week when NZ PM Jacinda Ardern's Christchurch Call let them pretend they can be left alone to fix their own problems.
- Paul Smith
The locations used to be lauded for their Genius Bars and minimal aesthetic. Now they're full of stickers, posters - and long queues of frustrated customers.
- Mark Gurman and Matthew Townsend
The 737 Max's woes run deeper than software: it's now a political and consumer issue - and no one knows what's coming next.
- Brooke Sutherland
Etihad replaced cups, cutlery, dishes, headset bags, cart seals and toothbrushes with "with eco-friendly alternatives" on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane.
- David Ross
"It's really special, because it's our third year," said Air NZ chief executive Christopher Luxon. Qantas came 2nd.
- Derek Rose
Clothes company Patagonia has shifted the focus of its corporate sales program to "mission-driven companies that prioritise the planet", it said in a statement.
- Kim Bhasin
- Social media
The market for companies looking to associate their brand with high-profile social media "influencers" has proven lucrative enough for local start-up Tribe to raise $10.5 milion in external funding and aim for the US.
- Paul Smith
Emily O'Connor said that while she was preparing to fly to the Canary Islands, Thomas Cook staff said her outfit was "inappropriate" and "causing offence".
- Michael Brice-Saddler


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The United Kingdom has one of the most successful television markets worldwide, with ground-breaking formats and globally recognized series. It comes as no surprise that according to a Pact research report, scripted dramas pushed UK TV exports up 6% year on year, to a record £1.48 billion ($1.97 billion) in 2019/20.
As more UK programs start to air throughout the world, Betway has done the research and investigated the matter further. To find the most popular UK TV exports, we sifted through the data for all of the UK’s TV exports, from scripted dramas to game shows and reality television genres.
Top Media Exports
The top three UK TV exports in 2020 were Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, and Planet Earth account for 70% of UK TV export sales, bringing in almost £1 billion each year. Looking more closely at different media export categories, we see a few trends:
Dramas such as “Doctor Who,” “His Dark Materials,” and “Chernobyl” were the primary export drivers, accounting for 48 percent of total profits. Factual programming, which includes series such as “Seven Worlds,” “One Planet,” and “The Planets,” increased its share from 23% to 28% year on year.
Sales of finished television shows were the most significant source of revenue, accounting for 70% of the total. According to the research, sales topped £1 billion ($1.33 billion) for the very first time this year, reflecting a 7% increase over the previous year.
Unscripted Show Formats
Overall revenue from format sales grew by 39% to £119 million ($159 million), with Europe accounting for 51% of total revenue. Co-production sales grew by 6% to £133 million ($177.7 million), with North America accounting for 88% of the total.
This year, library sales of media older than four years contributed 22% of total income, up from 38% the previous year. With manufacturing impacted beyond March 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic, library sales might contribute more in the coming fiscal year, with comments from U.K. distributors indicating higher demand already.
Key Export Markets
The United States is by far the most significant market for UK exports, accounting for 32% of total revenue (£466 million) in the 2019/20 fiscal year, up £22 million from the previous year.
After the US, rounding off UK programming’ top five export markets are France with £102m/$137m, Australia with £98m/$131, Canada with £80m/$107m, and the Nordics with £77m/$103m.
China, South Africa, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand are other important export markets. China, in particular, is a market with development potential, and revenues to it grew by 25% to £40m ($54m) in 2020.
Following Brexit, the European Union intends to reduce the “disproportionate” quantity of British cinema and television aired across the continent, which would be a setback for the United Kingdom’s entertainment industry.
SVODs Driving Demand
A wide range of subscription video-on-demand services from throughout the world are acquiring UK shows and show formats. For example, the rights to The Feed were sold to Amazon Prime Video for the Brazilian, Canadian, Mexican, and US territories, to SBS on Demand for Australia, to StarzPlay for EU countries including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and even to Bilibili in China.
UK TV Exports in the Coming Years
Despite recent global events, next year’s prospects for the UK entertainment industry, for drama production at least, are positive. Budgets are expected to grow as demand for stand-out drama series intensifies. The global crisis struck key industry financers like ITV and C4 hard in March, but, overall, the situation has not devolved into the disaster that was anticipated at the time.
Money that could not be spent this year will be used to fund projects for the following year. Streaming services are set to continue spending substantially on UK-produced content. Netflix has committed to invest $500 million (£400 million) on new British content in 2021.


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As the world is still reeling from last week's decision on
steel, the United States is preparing to drop another bomb.
Unfortunately, this one is not aimed at the Taliban. The target:
our friends and allies. The weapon will come in the form of a farm
bill worth $175 billion. The farm bill greatly increases subsidies
to American farmers. Subsidies are a non-tariff barrier and distort
the market. The United States lost respect in the global market by
imposing 30 percent tariffs on imported steel and will lose more if
the President signs this bill.
The United States needs more trade not less. Measures such as
the tariff on steel and agricultural subsidies invite retaliation.
With 96 percent of the world's consumers living outside the United
States, retaliation can be extremely painful when other countries
start putting high tariffs and quotas on our goods.
America is the largest agricultural exporter in the world. Every
one out of three acres grown is exported. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, in 2000, Iowa exported nearly over $3
billion in agricultural products. Additionally, the USDA reports
that these exports helped support over 48 thousand jobs both on the
farm and off the farm in food processing, storage, and
transportation. Jobs supported by exports are estimated to pay
13-18 percent more than non-export jobs. As America emerges from a
recession, opportunities for American workers should not be gambled
If history is any guide, retaliation from other countries is a
sure thing, the European Union (EU) will not sit idly by while
America preaches one thing and does another. For instance the
recent case over U.S. tax treatment of Foreign Sales Corporations
(FSC) was most likely retaliatory. The Financial Times reported
that "The case was initiated mainly to hit back at U.S. harassment
over the EU's disregard for World Trade Organization rulings
against its beef ban and banana import regimes."
Though the bill is in conference and has not reached the
President's desk, the Europeans have already started to analyze and
criticize what its effects will be. If the President signs this
bill, a complaint to the World Trade Organization is likely as well
as an arms race of subsidies and tariffs between the EU and the
United States. President Bush should move forward with his free
trade agenda by vetoing this bill. Anything less will only hurt
American exports and America as a whole.
Sara J. Fitzgerald is a Trade Policy Analyst in the Center for International Trade and Economics.


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US package delivery company FedEx's claim that it“mishandled” packages sent by Huawei "does not match with facts," said China's State Post Bureau on Friday after more than month-long investigation. The probe looked into FedEx's handling of several packages sent by Huawei destined for its addresses in Asia, but ended up in the US.
(File Photo: VCG)
FedEx is also suspected of attempting to stall the delivery of over 100 parcels sent by Huawei from entering China, said the statement.
Investigators also found evidence that FedEx violated laws and regulations. Chinese authorities said the investigation work will continue in a comprehensive, objective and fair basis.


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Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Please contact Sales at: (212) 520-2765 or email email@example.com
Latest From Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
The European Medicines Agency has cleared the decks for the pan-EU approval of nearly a dozen new drugs. Tecvayli is headed for a conditional approval, while Nulibry is slated to get marketing authorization under exceptional circumstances.
The sponsors of six drugs that are nearing the end of the regulatory review cycle in the EU could this week be asked to explain why the European Medicines Agency should recommend approving their products.
The European Medicines Agency has begun reviewing a new batch of EU marketing authorization applications.
With 19 novel approvals and 14 complete response letters in the first half of 2022, the year is shaping up to be a turnabout from the big approval counts and rare CRLs of the recent approvals boom years.
- Medical Devices
- OTC, Consumer
In Vitro Diagnostics
- Chemistry, Immunoassay


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11 May 2016.
Andresen also reiterated his past statements regarding his plans to contribute to lots of projects (Bitcoin Classic, Bitcoin Core, Bitcoin Unlimited,
9 Aug 2017.
To that end, the Bitcoin Classic repository maintained only the set of changes necessary to.
increase, rebasing this on top of the latest changes of the Bitcoin Core repository.
It is 1% versus the 3% that a bankcard charges.
10 Nov 2017.
Bitcoin Classic is a fork from Bitcoin Core that looked to increase.
a quantum computer performs rather differently compared to traditional.
In 2009 Satoshi Nakamoto came to bring BitcoinCore, and now in 2019 we are back with BitcoinClassic as the next generation digital coin.
Bitcoin Classic is one of several forks of the Bitcoin reference implementation Bitcoin Core aiming to increase the transaction processing capacity of Bitcoin by .
Bitcoin Investir Buy both Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin Core (BTC) now using a credit or debit card. Get started with Bitcoin basics. Individuals, businesses, and developers: get the support you need with our simple guides. Learn the basics. Buy and sell Bitcoin with others. Join our Local Bitcoin Cash (BCH) marketplace to get the best margins
Will Ether ‘pass’ Bitcoin And What Would It Mean Aren’t we all searching for a safe haven? Whether we mean literal shelter — four walls and a roof over our heads — or. With investors desperately seeking reliable returns amid the coronavirus crisis, one top wealth advisor has said it’s the. In order to choose an investment strategy between Bitcoin and Ethereum it is.
15 Oct 2018.
We also discuss some common misconceptions and explain that if the Bitcoin Core repository becomes hijacked by nefarious actors or deleted,


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OK, I was thinking that same thing when I saw the picture, it looks just like an iPhone 5. But whether or not the HTC ONE ($199-$299) is an iPhone killer is yet to be seen. If not winning the race, The new HTC One smartphone is definitely closing the distance. The new smartphone features dual front facing speakers powered by a built-in amplifier for increased sound. With one click of the shutter the camera allows you to capture 20 photos and a 3-second video. The screen is 4.7″ with a 1080p resolution. The engine is powered by a 1.7GHz processor and 2GB or ram. Expectations are that the device will release somewhere in March.
If you long for a vacation without the chirping, beeping, and ringing of your smartphone but still want the safety of knowing you can be reached in an emergency then the new Light Phone ($100) is just the answer. Small, compact and lightweight the new bank card sized Light phone will only take the calls […]


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The ultimatum for TikTok has been set: Sell your extremely popular video-sharing platform beloved by so many Americans in 45 days or be closed down.
But you must sell it to us. “I don’t mind whether it’s Microsoft or someone else, a big company, a secure company, a very American company buys it,” US President Trump explained to press on Monday.
Oh, and a percentage of the deal should go to the US federal Treasury. “The United States should get a very large percentage of that price, because we’re making it possible,” Trump added.
That’s right. The proponent of ‘free markets only on our terms’ strikes again. One can only imagine what the reaction might be if a Trump-owned investment in China was forced to be sold with Chinese leadership directing a share of it to national coffers. It’s a move we’ve been accustomed to from countries like Venezuela rather than the US.
Even the most ardent Trump supporters who hate big government telling them how to behave (hello anti-maskers) must be scratching their heads at Washington telling them what video platforms and mobile phones they can or cannot use.
While it’s rare for this author to be in agreement with the editor of China’s state-run Global Times, it all lends credence to the view that the "hunting and looting of TikTok by the US government” forces ByteDance into a sale where a company can rarely get a premium price. Moreover, when paired with Western action against Huawei, the actions smack of an unlevel playing field where Chinese companies are simply not welcome to bring their technology to the open market to compete fairly in the West.
National security, of course, has been the primary concern and the basis for shutting out Chinese technology firms. Under a centralised government, all large Chinese companies have connections with Beijing. We do know reports of espionage and cyberattacks from China are credible, so the fear around Chinese technology being used to these ends is legitimate. But with scant evidence to actually connect Huawei and ByteDance to malicious activity, we’re stuck in an environment where fear wins and Chinese brands feel that they can never win in global markets, no matter how good their products are.
Two digital ecosystems forever?
The sad implication of the TikTok saga is that it snuffs out the faint hope that we might see a truly global digital ecosystem one day. Instead, we seem destined to stick with two digital social and ecommerce spheres, with China dominated by Alibaba, JD, Tencent, Baidu, ByteDance, Pinduoduo and super-service firms like Meituan, while Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix lead other players in the West (and the rest of the world).
The main barriers between the two systems have been language and distrust. While technology is already making great strides to overcome the former, the latter is much harder to get rid of.
For the marketing communications industry in the immediate future, the sale of TikTok in North America and ANZ to Microsoft may not be a bad thing. More immediately, it could generate greater confidence in TikTok in those markets and could lead to more inter-operability with other platforms. See what industry experts told us.
But in the bigger picture, the lack of trust which spawned this deal will also only reinforce the stubborn persistence of two very different marketing ecosystems in Asia. Chinese players will stay focused on building and experimenting in their unique environment with their own platforms and tools while marketing professionals elsewhere in Asia largely specialise on other global (largely Western-dictated) platforms.
Given how innovative and dynamic the Chinese digital marketing ecosystem is, the industry in Asia can’t afford to limit its interactions, learnings and inspiration from such a vibrant market. Let’s ensure we don’t.
Robert Sawatzky is head of content at Campaign Asia-Pacific.


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A new report from Apple supply chain guru Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is working on a pair of lightweight glasses and possibly contact lenses.
Other than Apple Car, Apple Glasses might be the most rumored product in recent Apple history. Now the company has a new patent to add to the pile.
According to a new report, Apple may be working closely with Sony to bring its rumored AR/VR gaming headset to life.
If you're on the fence about how useful AR glasses could be, say hello to Apple Glass. This concept might just convince you.
Jon Prosser has suggested that Apple is planning some sort of 'Steve Jobs Heritage Edition' of Apple Glass, a rumor that has stirred much debate on Twitter.
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As the carb and fat debate rages on—especially with the rise of paleo and ketogenic diets—it’s not hard to get confused on which strategy is actually best for you and your health. But, new research has just surfaced that suggests that carbs, not fats, cause serious damage to your heart and overall wellbeing.
According to research published in The Lancet, researchers followed the dietary intake of more than 130,000 people aged 35 to 70 across 18 countries. After 7.5 years they found that nearly 1,600 died from cardiovascular disease. When assessing the link between diet and death, the study discovered that diets with a high amount of carbohydrates (diets where 77 percent of a person’s daily calories came from carbs) resulted in a 28 percent higher risk of an early death, as opposed to diets where 46 percent of calories came from carbs. On the flip side, people whose diets were 35 percent fat had a 23 percent chance of a lower risk of death.
So what does this all mean? It might be time to reevaluate your entire nutritional menu.
“Dietary guidelines need to be reconsidered based on new evidence,” said lead investigator and study researcher Mahshid Dehghan, PhD, in a press conference. “We are saying: more relaxation of the current restriction on the fats and more emphasis on [lowering] carbohydrate when it is high.”
But that doesn’t mean you should go totally carb-free (because, bread … and because we need carbs)—adding carbs to your diet via vegetables (like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and bananas) is still a doctor-approved strategy. Neither should you go high fat.
In fact, the ideal balance, says study researcher Dr. Andrew Mente, is to maintain a diet with about 35 percent of calories coming from fats, and healthy fats at that. Think: avocados, salmon, nuts, olive oil, aka, the Mediterranean diet in a nutshell. As if we needed more proof that the Mediterranean way of eating is truly the way to go!


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SINGAPORE - Singapore is putting together the “Lego blocks” needed to sustain its reputation as a centre for financial technology (fintech) in the region, noted Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan on Wednesday (March 23).
Mr Tan, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, cited the signing of several Digital Economy Agreements (DEA) and the country’s participation in a multi-central bank project to make cross-border payments easier as examples of how fintech is evolving here.
"These are the building blocks to our digital economy," he said. "We are piecing these together to raise inter-operability and reduce friction for payment transactions and for digital platforms to work across borders."
His remarks came at the FinTech for Good 2022 event at the 80RR Fintech Hub SG in Robinson Road that raised $120,000 for the NTUC-U Care Fund.
The event involved a panel discussion where participants outlined Singapore's progress in cementing itself as a fintech hub in Asia. They also noted the challenges the industry faces, such as securing talent, improving infrastructure and rolling out appropriate regulation.
It was noted that Singapore's fintech industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with the number of companies rising from 60 in 2015 to approximately 1,400 now, according to the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA).
SFA data also showed that funding for local fintech firms in the first nine months of last year hit a record US$3.5 billion (S$4.75 billion) - three times more than the whole of 2020.
The nation's fintech success stories include the development and widespread take-up of PayNow among both consumers and businesses, said SFA president Shadab Taiyabi.
Another achievement is the establishment of SGFinDex, which lets individuals use their national digital identity to retrieve their personal financial information, a world first.
It is crucial to build a local pool of talent to foster innovation and drive growth if this pace of progress is to be maintained, the panel noted.
"Fintech firms are competing for talent with banks, digital banks as well as technology giants," Mr Taiyabi added.
Manpower Ministry data shows that job vacancies in the technology space grew from 6.6 per cent in Dec 2020 to 10.9 per cent in Dec 2021.
An SFA report in 2021 noted that the fintech workforce in Singapore is estimated to grow by an average of 37.7 per cent, translating to between 3,700 to 3,800 jobs in the next one to two years. There were more than 10,000 people employed in the sector in 2020, the SFA said.
Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, chief fintech officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said one of the reasons why Singapore has been successful as a fintech centre is its "relentless focus on infrastructure", which has given it a reputation for being willing to continuously upgrade to support more growth and innovation.
Singapore has also maintained a forward-looking regulatory framework, which is key to maintaining trust and credibility in the industry, he added.
Mr Mohanty noted that Singapore's strong regulations on the retail trading of cryptocurrencies, while rigid, is necessary. "This is the most public-facing side that went out of control when issuers and distributors started selling dreams on the crypto space," he said.
However, he noted that the MAS's regulatory stance on crypto exchanges and custodial service providers has been "very open and well regarded". As a result, many crypto companies "have been happy to set up shop here because they trust the regulator".
Mr Taiyabi added that other upcoming fintech developments in Singapore include establishing a buy now, pay later framework and to mitigate risks of consumer over-indebtedness.
Wider access to robo-advisers, or digital wealth management platforms that allow consumers to invest in institutional grade products, is also on the cards.


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GAFA have already opened banks … just not in America
G – Google
A – Apple
F – Facebook
A – Amazon
The rules of the road apply to banks yet. always look what’s coming back ahead otherwise you may be run over. Admittedly, it’s much easier to solely verify what’s there nowadays and not use it to anticipate what’s around the next corner.
However, that’s precisely the reason why so many nice corporations have fallen between the cracks of 2 S-Curves, from Kodak (who made-up photography but didn’t see the potential in it) to Nokia (who checked out the iPhone however selected to not settle for that the long run of mobile phones was not hardware however software).
For banks, this implies to just accept that the notion of the thus referred to as GAFA banks (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple) could be a terribly real one. In fact, it’s already reality these days.
Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple spoke plenty louder
There has been ample speculation among skilled when these tech giants may enter banking, also as an excellent deal interest within the matter from a broader audience for several years currently (see below). 2017, however, was the year wherever the actions of Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple spoke plenty louder than any words or professional analyses could.
Oddly enough, Google is that the last one in the lineup to create its proper move banking, on the far side its already existing play within the payments area with Google billfold and android Pay. way back in 2006, the Google Finance portal was launched, that but remained in beta till 2009 and didn’t extremely evolved abundant since then.
This has currently modified. Google quietly interrupted the complete service and launched a revamped “Google Finance” tab directly in Google Search. It provides people monetary info based on their interest also as further insights joined to individual stocks, local markets or world markets and alter individuals to relevant market movements.
Economic informative perform
In short, it provides the insights retail and affluent shoppers would otherwise get from their bank. this can be particularly vital as this sort of economic informative perform is an element of the fee-based components of the banking value chain. Contrary to transactional and custody functions, this can be wherever the future of banking lies, as purchasers value such services most i.e. their disposition to pay for such offerings is highest.
The second of the GAFAs, Amazon, is betting big on lending as its main beachhead for disrupting finance. middle of 2017 it disclosed that the little business loaning arm it launched quietly in 2011 had surpassed the $3 billion mark and was fast its pace considerably, having additional $1 billion of latest loans within the preceding twelve months alone. Amazon’s second line of attack is payments. Amazon Pay, that has recently been added to the Echo’s/Alexa’s talent set, is set to receive a serious boost by tapping into the market of voice payments. A market that is projected to be used ~78 billion users by 2022 within the United States alone (see exhibit 2).
[frontpage_news widget=”879″ name=”Certicom – A Group of Chartered Accountants – Articles”]


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4 December, 2020
Amazon PR has been appointed by Alcohol Change UK to provide media relations support for Dry January, for the second year running.
The annual behaviour change campaign sees millions of people go alcohol-free for a month, and evidence shows that 70% of them are still drinking more healthily six months later. Dry January 2021 will adapt to fit the COVID-19 pandemic, acknowledging the challenges everyone has faced this year.
We have been brought on board to ensure Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January, is central to the media conversation. National and regional media packages will include research findings, expert tips and case studies, reaching a wide audience and encouraging people to participate and download the app.
Maddy Lawson, Head of Communications at Alcohol Change UK says:
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Amazon PR again. Having their expert support for the campaign’s media relations activity will be essential in ensuring our messaging reaches as many people as possible who stand to benefit from Dry January.
“We want to make sure people see the benefits of taking on an alcohol-free month – both the short-term bonuses like better sleep, boosted energy and saving money, and the bigger long-term reward of healthier, happier drinking. Many of us have found ourselves slipping into habits we’d like to break in 2020. So this year more than ever, we want to encourage people to take part in Dry January 2021 with support and drink more healthily all year-round.”


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It looked like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 2.20%) could eat into Nvidia's (NVDA 1.33%) dominant graphics processing unit (GPU) market share thanks to the aggressive pricing and better availability of its graphics cards, but the latest report from Jon Peddie Research indicates otherwise.
Nvidia exerted its authority in the discrete GPU market once again in the third quarter of 2021, leaving AMD far behind in second place. Let's look at the state of the graphics card market in the previous quarter and see why Nvidia's tight grip over it is great news for the stock.
Nvidia remains the dominant force in graphics cards
Jon Peddie Research points out that Nvidia controlled 83% of the discrete graphics card market in the third quarter, with AMD holding the rest. That's an improvement for Nvidia over the prior-year period when it held an 80% market share.
Nvidia's GPU shipments increased 8% sequentially in the third quarter while AMD's shipments were down 11.4%. It is also worth noting that overall GPU shipments, including integrated graphics cards, fell 18.2% quarter over quarter. The research firm pointed out that GPU sales were constrained by supply chain challenges last quarter, but it is impressive to see that Nvidia bucked the trend and increased sales.
These smart steps are delivering the goods for the chipmaker
Nvidia has been taking steps to increase the supply of its graphics cards to meet the robust end-market demand. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress pointed out on Nvidia's November earnings conference call that "nearly all of our Ampere architecture gaming desktop GPU shipments were lite hash rate to help steer GeForce supply to gamers."
Nvidia had introduced lite hash rate GPUs in May this year to get graphics cards into the hands of gamers instead of cryptocurrency miners. It looks like the strategy is paying off as these lite hash rate graphics cards aren't suitable for mining cryptocurrency.
But this is just one side of the coin as Nvidia has taken steps to increase the supply of its cards as well. Responding to an analyst on the conference call, CEO Jensen Huang pointed out that the company has bolstered its supply chain:
"First of all, we have secured guaranteed supply, very large amounts of it, quite a spectacular amount of it from the world's leading foundry in substrate and packaging and testing certain companies, the integral part of our supply chain. And so we have done that and feel very good about our supply situation, particularly starting in the second half of this year and going forward."
As such, Nvidia could continue to dominate the graphics card market thanks to its efforts to enhance supply. More importantly, the company's GPU dominance is going to be a massive tailwind for its top and bottom lines in the long run. The Jon Peddie report estimates that the discrete GPU market could generate $44 billion in revenue by 2023 as compared to $29 billion last year. This huge increase doesn't seem surprising as GPU prices have shot up thanks to the short supply, and the supply chain constraints are likely to continue throughout 2022.
So Nvidia could benefit from a mix of higher graphics card volumes and improved pricing, which could substantially increase revenue from the gaming segment. Nvidia's gaming business produced 45% of its total revenue last quarter. The segment's revenue jumped 42% year over year to $3.22 billion as the company said it benefited from strong demand for its Ampere architecture products leading into the holiday season.
This trend is likely to continue as Nvidia is in a solid position to take advantage of the fast-growing graphics card market, which could help it remain a top growth stock in the long run even after this year's eye-popping gains of over 140%.