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Mr Donald Trump's inauguration as the next US president is less than three weeks away. Judging by his appointment of ardent China hawk Peter Navarro to head a newly formed White House National Trade Council, hard-nosed trade negotiations with US trade partners are in store during his term.
On trade, Mr Trump has promised to withdraw the US' pledge to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade pact that has not been ratified by US lawmakers. And he has called for the US to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
Does this spell the end of the TPP? In name and form perhaps. But the US is also unlikely to walk away from a trade pact that accounts for more than 40 per cent of the world's GDP, and leave the door open for the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trade deal pioneered by Asean and its free trade agreement (FTA) partners.
"Much of China's economic diplomacy is beneficial, but the hidden cost is that, at this stage, China is not committed to the open trading system that the US had sought to build, and will not likely promote open trade in services or reduction of non-tariff barriers such as subsidies," says Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, senior counsel and regional chief executive at Dentons Rodyk. In short, a regional trade pact that does not involve the US is not desirable.
So one can only hope that the US comes back to the table. But if it does, it will probably try to extract a bigger concession, given Mr Trump's election bluster over international trade. At the same time, the TPP signatories are not likely to bend over backwards for him, so protracted negotiation for a revised trade pact can be expected.
But Singapore need not fret as it can still rely on the numerous free trade agreements that it has with most TPP members and Asean to soften the blow from a potential delay in the implementation of a Trump-shaped TPP. Observers believe that the economic impact for Singapore would be limited given that it already has an open economy and extensive bilateral agreements in place - including an existing FTA with the US.
The only TPP members that Singapore does not have FTAs with are Mexico and Canada, but "our trade flows with these two countries are very marginal", says DBS economist Irvin Seah. "Other TPP members may want to pursue bilateral agreements that are easier to negotiate, and entail deeper commitments. That can keep the torch of global trade liberalisation alive," he adds.
Nonetheless, Singapore is pressing ahead with ratification of the TPP, as the pact's fostering of economic restructuring in other countries in the region would raise economic growth rates in Asia, and that would in turn benefit Singapore.
Moving ahead with the TPP could give Singapore companies the benefits of a deep and broad agreement that would give better access to economies like Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia, Chile, Peru and Brunei than any existing agreement, says Ms Deborah Elms, executive director of the Asian Trade Centre.
And as an added bonus, American companies that want to continue to compete in Asia will need to be located in Asia, increasing the amount of investment, jobs, technology and resources they will have to devote to Asia, she adds.
Observers concur that without the US, the TPP won't have the same economic heft. But a modified version of TPP may not be so bad as it will include the world's third-largest economy, Japan, and serve as a vehicle for further Asian integration. Despite Mr Trump's vow to pull the US out, Japan went ahead to ratify TPP last month because it might want to assume leadership in developing trade norms in Asia, especially as it sees China as a dominant player in the RCEP negotiations, says law professor Peter Yu of the Texas A&M University School of Law.
"Japan may want to hedge against the chance of the new US administration changing its mind or the possibility of having a watered-down version that will be acceptable to them. Finally, it may want to induce other countries to ratify the agreement, thus pressuring the new administration to ratify the TPP," he says.
And there are good reasons for Mr Trump to come back to the TPP table. The RCEP, which excludes the US, could put US exporters at a disadvantage, given the possible tariff reductions between China, Japan and South Korea, which are among the United States' top six trading partners, HSBC economist Joseph Incalcaterra says.
Increasingly, Asia's growing intra-regional integration is providing a buffer against a protectionist America, Oxford Economics economist Priyanka Kishore says.
"Traditionally, Asia's intra-regional trade was largely concentrated in intermediate goods, with US and Europe accounting for the bulk of final demand. But recent data from the IMF show that there has been a shift in the trend.
"China's share in Asia-ex China's final demand was the same as that of the US in 2011, and it is expected to rise further. Similarly, Asia-ex China accounted for almost 30 per cent of China's final demand. This is a welcome development, and not unexpected given the subdued growth in the West in recent years," Ms Kishore says.
All things considered, the withdrawal of the US, the largest economy in the TPP, will represent a loss of opportunity for Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and, to a smaller extent, Singapore, Mr Incalcaterra says.
Malaysia and Vietnam stand out among the TPP members without existing US FTAs. Through the TPP, Vietnam and Malaysia were projected to enjoy some of the largest gains in exports, of 30.1 per cent and 20.1 per cent respectively, from access to protected foreign markets. They were also forecast to enjoy the largest boost to real incomes, by 8.1 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively, by 2030.
More limited in scope than the TPP, the RCEP focuses mainly on tariff reduction and services liberalisation, compared to the TPP which goes into areas such as business conditions, raising environmental and labour standards, regulations and protection of intellectual property.
According to Mr Incalcaterra, this means that welfare gains from the RCEP will not be as large as those from the TPP. But the benefits of RCEP will be more equally shared across Asean, since all 10 members are signatories to the pact, together with India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and China.
Singapore is expected to benefit the least from the RCEP, as it already has FTAs with all RCEP members, either through Asean or direct bilateral channels, Mr Incalcaterra says.
In contrast, Vietnam is expected to benefit the most, from new trade agreements and gains coming from increased sourcing of production from Japan, Korea and China.
However, the fact that the RCEP doesn't focus on some of the lofty goals of the TPP doesn't mean it isn't an ambitious undertaking. For example, the RCEP links the world's two most populous countries, China and India, in a trade deal for the first time, while also pairing Asia's two largest economies, China and Japan.
"The RCEP includes China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and other emerging countries - countries that have been left outside the TPP. Although the RCEP standards may be lower than those in the TPP, we cannot ignore the benefits provided by these non-TPP markets," Mr Yu says.
The RCEP could also be key to the ambitions of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by helping improve the group's access to overseas markets. And as China leverages on the RCEP to push its "One Belt, One Road" initiative, China's fourth-largest export partner, Asean, should benefit, economists say.
Initiatives like the RCEP can provide a buffer against an increasingly protectionist America, especially in light of Mr Trump's intentions to lower US trade deficits with other countries, either through negotiations or through the imposition of tariffs and trade sanctions.
Last year, the US ran a deficit of US$69.5 billion with Asean - a shortfall of US$76.7 billion in goods that was partially offset by a US$7.3 billion surplus in services. That's the third-largest deficit run by the US, after China and Germany.
According to HSBC, total trade between Asean and the US is not insignificant, with the exchange of goods totalling US$212.3 billion in 2015 - making Asean the US' fourth-largest trading partner behind China, Canada and Mexico.
The good news is that Asean has hardly figured in Mr Trump's policy plans, so far. Instead, he and Mr Navarro have zeroed in on China from the outset. But it remains to be seen if the region's sizeable surplus with the US will eventually come under greater scrutiny by the Trump administration.
And if it does, whether they will take a passive position of decreased engagement with the region, or a more aggressive approach to reduce the US trade deficit with Asean.
Either way, as Asean growth moderates in an already weak external environment, a protectionist US is an additional challenge that Asia-Pacific countries can hopefully counter by keeping the torch of free trade alive in the region.


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The European Commission has announced it will once again fine Qualcomm for market abuse, with the investigation this time focusing on 3G baseband chipsets.
It seems time does not heal all wounds as this investigation focused on market abuse between 2009 and 2011, and a concept known as ‘predatory pricing’. In short, Qualcomm used its dominant market position to sell products to strategically important customers, below cost price, to effectively kill off any competition before it had a chance to gain momentum.
“Baseband chipsets are key components so mobile devices can connect to the Internet,” said Margrethe Vestager, the Commissioner in charge of competition policy. “Qualcomm sold these products at a price below cost to key customers with the intention of eliminating a competitor.
“Qualcomm’s strategic behaviour prevented competition and innovation in this market and limited the choice available to consumers in a sector with a huge demand and potential for innovative technologies. Since this is illegal under EU antitrust rules, we have today fined Qualcomm €242 million.”
.@Qualcomm sold baseband chipsets (for mobile devices to connect to the Internet) at a price below cost to key customers. Intention: To eliminate a competitor. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules, so today we have fined @Qualcomm €242 million. https://t.co/VNn9bGJi3u
— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) July 18, 2019
Although the European Commission affords the opportunity for companies to use market advantages to seek profits, but when it becomes anti-competitive the bureaucrats draw a line. This is what has happened in this instance.
At the time, Qualcomm controlled roughly 60% market share of the UMTS baseband chipset segment, three times as great as the nearest competitor, though this position was used to kill competition before it had a chance to emerge. Using its relationships with Huawei and ZTE, Qualcomm sold products at low enough prices no-one could compete.
This is the challenge with segments which have such high-barriers to entry, key customer accounts are critically important, such are the investments which need to be made in R&D. Qualcomm effectively created a loss leader of these products to stem the critical flow of funds into any competition which could develop from the smallest glimmer of hope. In this case, the firm in question was Icera, which was eventually acquired by Nvidia.
The fine in this case represents 1.27% of Qualcomm’s turnover in 2018 and will hopefully deter companies from engaging in anticompetitive activity in the future.
For Vestager, this is another parting shot as she wraps up her tenure in the competition policy office, a position she has held since 2014.
The Commissioner has built a reputation of taking on big tech who make a habit of practising in anti-competitive activities. Qualcomm has been a frequent combatant of Vestager, though she has got plenty of experience dealing with the likes of Google and Amazon also, the latter of which is the subject of the latest probe.
Assuming the tech giants will be happy to see the back of her would be very reasonable, though it remains to be seen who will replace the feisty and combative Vestager.

domain: news


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Updated by 10.24.2023
E-Complish Announces Interactive Voice Response System Capable of Payment Processing
Mobile Payment Processing Leader Offers IVR Payment System That Saves Time and Saves Money
Baltimore, Maryland, June 16, 2016 — In the nearly four decades since its launch, interactive voice response systems, or IVR, has come a long way. First based on a combination of prerecorded messages keyed to specific audio tones emitted by pressing the buttons on keypad phones using dual-tone multi frequency technology, today’s generation of IVR is far more sophisticated, relying increasingly on natural human voice commands.
Instead of clunky — and often unhelpful — computer responses that caused many customers to frantically push the zero button in an attempt to reach a human operator, a growing number of customers find their IVR and IVR payments experience seamless and efficient. The best systems make distinguishing between a human and a computer conversation difficult.
Recognizing this exciting trend, E-Complish, a leading payment solutions provider, is pleased to announce that the company’s IVR payment system is among the best in the interactive voice response industry and is capable of accepting phone payments and credit card processing. With E-Complish’s cutting-edge technology, numerous payment gateways like multiple credit cards types, checks, and electronic payments can all be accepted.
IVR Payment Potential
That means businesses both small and large can benefit from the technology. Instead of spreading their financial resources too thin on expensive customer services representatives, businesses can redirect that money toward development strategies and problem-solving initiatives.
In addition, the time saved by not having actual staff answer same or similar questions from customers (like operating hours) means they are free to assist other customers that have genuine interest in purchasing products or are those in the process of resolving an issue. Thanks to these and other advances, the demand for IVR and IVR payment systems is estimated to reach $2.8 billion by 2017, according to market research firm Global Industry Analysts Inc.
“IVRs are powerful tools that can make a significant difference in how businesses operate and how they interact with their customer base,” said Stephen Price, E-Complish’s CEO. “When used correctly, the latest-generation technology can revolutionize the way a business handles customer service calls, collects payments, and boosts the satisfaction of their employees by redirecting their efforts to more engaging and stimulating work. For customers, long gone are the days when the most common button pressed was 0 for operator assistance.”
E-Complish’s IVR payments system automates both inbound and outbound phone payments. Fully PCI compliant, and upheld to the highest security standards, the system is divided into two solutions: DirectPay, the inbound system, and EnterAct, the outbound system.
DirectPay allows companies to accept a wide variety of payment types over the phone using a series of pre-recorded messages and easily integrates with other E-Complish solutions. EnterAct sends automated telephone messages to your customers and allows businesses to set up automated telephone calls and take customer calls through required pathways over the phone, including making payments.
“Our team of IVR payment experts has spent years perfecting our voice response system so that businesses of all types could easily integrate our system into theirs,” Price added. “We’ve done our homework and are well aware of the top IVR concerns that businesses and their customers raise. From limiting and rank ordering by priority menu options, to ultimately getting customers to an actual representative should they require one, E-Complish is committed to furthering the interactive voice response revolution — a revolution in customer service and business operations that’s already been adopted by a majority of best in class businesses.”
Founded in 1998, E-Complish’s mission is to deliver a wide selection of secure and dependable services, making it easy for its customers to process and report on all types of transactions. For more information about E-Complish and its suite of online business solutions including its IVR payments system visit http://www.e-complish.com or call 888-847-7744.
888-847-7744 Ext 205


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The Current, delivered daily.
Welcome to On the Move. In this hiring-focused weekly feature, The Current is rounding up recent arrivals and departures at brands and retailers across the ecommerce landscape.
This week, Target, Walgreens and Torrid made moves across the leadership suite, Conagra and Unilever made key appointment and StockX named its first chief impact officer.
Here’s the roundup:
Boxed seals leadership team
Grocery ecommerce company Boxed said it rounded out its leadership team with three key hires as it makes the transition from private to public company. Here’s a look:
- Anna Meyer joined the company as chief revenue officer, bringing experience leading the sales organization at fintech company Sezzle.
- Jung Choi is general counsel and secretary, bringing 15 years of experience in roles at Stanley Black & Decker and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
- Veracelle Vega joined the company as chief people officer, joining from DTC mattress company Resident.
Carhartt names Cornstubble SVP of DTC
Chad Cornstubble (Photo via Carhartt)
Workwear brand Carhartt appointed Chad Cornstubble as SVP of direct-to-consumer to attract customers both on ecommerce and brand-owned retail stores. Cornstubble most recently served as VP of ecommerce, marketing technology, and digital operations at lifestyle accessories company Fossil Group.
Brady to lead grocery and snacks at Conagra
Conagra Brands appointed Lucy Brady to the role of president of grocery and snacks, effective June 15. In the role, Brady will oversee brands such as Slim Jim, Duncan Hines, and Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP.
Brady previously served as an executive at McDonald’s over the last six years as chief digital customer engagement officer and SVP of corporate strategy, business development and innovation. Prior to that, she spent 19 years at Boston Consulting Group.
HanesBrands names LeFebvre to oversee activewear
Vanessa LeFebvre. (Courtesy photo)
HanesBrands named Vanessa LeFebvre as president of global activewear. In the role, she will lead growth of the Champion brand with a focus on innovation, key markets and new channels.
In her last role, LeFebvre oversaw ecommerce as SVP of commercial for North America at Adidas. She previously served as president of Lord and Taylor, and held leadership and merchandising roles at Stitch Fix, Macy’s, Daffy’s and T.J. Maxx.
Matchesfashion poaches CFO from Farfetch
Luxury retailer Matchesfashion is bringing on Dave Murray as chief financial officer. Murray previously served as senior VP of finance at Farfetch, another luxury retail platform in the ecommerce space. He also spent four years at Amazon, and a decade at Sainsbury’s. Murray will succeed Sean Glithero when he starts in the fall.
Movado names Gerschel CMO
Stéphane Gerschel (Photo courtesy of Movado)
Watch and jewelry brand Movado Group named Stéphane Gerschel as chief marketing officer. No stranger to luxury, Gerschel brings prior experience as managing director of Pomellato for Kering Group, and he also worked for LVMH’s Bulgari and Veuve Clicquot.
Purple has a new COO
DTC mattress firm Purple appointed Eric Haynor to the role of chief operating officer. Haynor brings 30 years of supply chain management experience, most recently as SVP of global industrial supply chain at Ecolab. He will apply this to help the company take “a more wholistic approach to the end-to-end supply chain,” per a news release.
The move comes after former COO John Legg left the company in April. The appointment is effective June 6.
Starbucks names Lefevre as CTO
Deb Hall Lefevre (Photo via LinkedIn)
Starbucks is set for tech upgrades as it looks to improve the mobile app used by its workforce and start selling NFTs. With these moves, the coffee chain is also adding new tech leadership. Deb Hall Lefevre, a former McDonald’s CTO and VP of IT, took the CTO role on May 2, Reuters reported.
StockX names chief impact officer
Damien Hooper-Campbell (Courtesy photo)
Sneaker, apparel and collectible marketplace StockX appointed Damien Hooper-Campbell as its first-ever chief impact officer. In the role, Hooper-Campbell will oversee diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as environmental, social, and community engagement initiatives. Hooper-Campbell served in similar roles at tech companies including eBay, Zoom, Google, Uber and Goldman Sachs.
Target elevates tech, supply chain roles
Target announced key updates to its leadership team with a series of announcements that involve shifts for longtime team members. Here’s the roundup:
- Cara Sylvester was named EVP and chief guest experience officer. Having previously served as chief marketing and digital officer, Sylvester will now bring teams together from across the organization to focus on personalization and attracting more shoppers to stores and digital channels.
- Brett Craig was promoted to EVP and chief information officer, succeeding CIO Mike McNamara upon his retirement. Craig most recently served as SVP of digital.
- Matt Zabel was named EVP and general counsel.
- Arthur Valdez, Target’s EVP and chief supply chain and logistics officer, will join the company’s leadership team.
- Christina Hennington, Target’s EVP and chief growth officer, will assume responsibility for Target India.
Tradeswell appoints Pollett as chief revenue officer
David Pollett. (Courtesy photo)
Tradeswell, the ecommerce operating system that unifies retail, marketing, inventory, and finance data for DTC brands and CPG category leaders, appointed David Pollett to the role of chief revenue officer. Pollett brings experience as CRO of convergent TV platform Cross Screen Media, and has held leadership roles at Drawbridge, Neustar, Bank of America and LendingTree. Pollett will be responsible for accelerating company growth and transforming go-to-market operations.
Too Faced cofounders depart
Tara Simon. (Courtesy photo)
The Estée Lauder Companies announced that Too Faced Cosmetics cofounders Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson will depart the brand on June 30 as they embark on new entrepreneurial projects. In turn, Tara Simon will be promoted to global brand president. She joined the beauty brand in 2020 as SVP and general manager, after previously serving in leadership roles at Ulta Beauty. Blandino and Johnson started Too Faced in 1998 and led it to cult status. The brand was acquired by Estee Lauder in 2017.
Torrid announces C-suite shift
DTC plus-size apparel brand Torrid announced a series of leadership team changes and board of directors. Here’s a look:
- Lisa Harper was named CEO of the company. She had a previous stint in the role, and has also served as CEO of Belk and Hot Topic.
- Harper succeeds Liz Muñoz, who is taking a new role of chief creative officer with the company. In this role, she will focus on product, design, product development, fabrication, sourcing, technical fit, creative marketing and merchandising.
- Tanner MacDiarmid will serve as interim chief financial officer with the company.
- Michael Shaffer, former CFO of PVH Corp., will join the company’s board of directors.
Samir Singh promoted at Unilever
Samir Singh. (Photo via LinkedIn)
Consumer goods company Unilever promoted Samir Singh to chief marketing officer for personal care, the executive wrote on LinkedIn. In this role, he will serve as marketing lead for brands like Axe/Lynx, Closeup, Dove, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pepsodent, Rexona/Sure and more.
Vroom has a new CEO
Used car ecommerce platform Vroom promoted Tom Shortt from COO to CEO, succeeding Paul Hennessy. At the same time, current board chair Robert Mylod will become independent executive chair of the board. On a recent first quarter earnings call, the move was cast as part of a business realignment plan to reduce costs and create more operational efficiencies. Meanwhile, ecommerce sales were up 60% year-over-year for the company.
Walgreens appoints C-level leaders in marketing, merchandising, product
Left to right: Linh Peters, Luke Rauch and Bala Visalatha (Courtesy photos)
Walgreens made a series of appointments to C-level roles at it looks to bolster leadership in retail products and customer roles.
- Linh Peters was named chief marketing officer. She previously served as CMO at Calvin Klein, and brings experience honed at Starbucks, Target and Ulta Beauty.
- Luke Rauch was appointed to chief merchandising officer. He previously served as chief of staff to Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer, and worked with Deloitte Consulting.
- Bala Visalatha is joining the company as chief product officer. It’s a newly created role that will oversee customer product strategy and UX. With 15 years experience in the product space, he most recently served as vice president of eCommerce at Walmart US.
Trending in Careers
Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse offered thoughts on messaging amid inflationary shifts in consumer behavior.
After months of elevated inflation and interest rate hikes that have the potential to cool demand, consumers are showing more signs of shifting behavior.
It’s showing up in retail sales data, but there’s also evidence in the observations of the brands responsible for grocery store staples.
The latest example came this week from Campbell Soup Company. CEO Mark Clouse told analysts that the consumer continues to be “resilient” despite continued price increases on food, but found that “consumers are beginning to feel that pressure” as time goes on.
This shows up in the categories they are buying. Overall, Clouse said Campbell sees a shift toward shelf-stable items, and away from more expensive prepared foods.
There is also change in when they make purchases. People are buying more at the beginning of the month. That’s because they are stretching paychecks as long as possible.
These shifts change how the company is communicating with consumers.
Clouse said the changes in behavior are an opportunity to “focus on value within our messaging without necessarily having to chase pricing all the way down.”
“No question that it's important that we protect affordability and that we make that relevant in the categories that we're in," Clouse said. "But I also think there's a lot of ways to frame value in different ways, right?”
A meal cooked with condensed soup may be cheaper than picking up a frozen item or ordering out. Consumers just need a reminder. Even within Campbell’s own portfolio, the company can elevate brands that have more value now, even if they may not always get the limelight.
The open question is whether the shift in behavior will begin to show up in the results of the companies that have raised prices. Campbell’s overall net sales grew 5% for the quarter ended April 30, while gross profit margins held steady around 30%. But the category-level results were more uneven. U.S. soup sales declined 11%, though the company said that was owed to comparisons with the quarter when supply chains reopened a year ago and expressed confidence that the category is seeing a longer-term resurgence as more people cook at home following the pandemic. Snacks, which includes Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm, were up 12% And while net sales increased overall, the amount of products people are buying is declining. Volumes were down 7%.
These are trends happening across the grocery store. Campbell is continuing to compete. It is leading with iconic brands, and a host of different ways to consume them. It is following that up with innovation that makes the products stand out. Then, it is driving home messaging that shows consumers how to fit the products into their lives, and even their tightening spending plans.
Campbell Soup is more than 150 years old, and has seen plenty of difficult economic environments. It is also a different business today, and will continue to evolve. At the end of the day, continued execution is what’s required.
“If it's good food, people are going to buy it, especially if it's a great value,” Clouse said.


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Sapphire Glass Merchants has invested in Edgetech’s automated Super Spacer application technology. The Hinckley-based company has used Super Spacer to provide insulated glass units to trade and retail customers around the region for over 15 years but by 2021, the benefits of embracing automation had become hard to ignore, as the business’ director explained.
Stefan O’Meara, director, said: “We’ve seen huge success with Super Spacer and the outstanding IGUs it’s allowed us to offer. However, we began to realise we were reaching the limit of what we could achieve with the spacer application process we’d been using. We knew automation made sense – it would allow us to do more, more quickly and efficiently, and to an even higher standard.”
Tony Palmer, head of sales at Edgetech, added: “By far, automation is the best long-term strategy for boosting productivity and improving quality in IGU production. Switching to a high-speed automated Super Spacer line can yield major savings, and increase output by 18%. We’re delighted that a manufacturer as respected and committed to quality as Sapphire Glass Merchants has seen the many benefits of automating its spacer application process, and decided to invest.”


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Huobi will be moving into hardware applications for the first time during its sixth Huobi Prime launch. On September 11, Huobi Global will launch NODE, the native token of both Whole Network and its innovative Acute Angle Blockchain phone. As part of that launch, Huobi will enable Huobi Token (HT) users to buy their own Acute Angle phones using Huobi Token.
“We think Blockchain phones are a promising area for future Blockchain industry development,” said Livio Weng, CEO of Huobi Global. “As the industry develops and as innovations like 5G become increasingly integrated into our telecommunications systems, we believe more and more crypto communities will want to trade and transact from mobile devices. Given this, the need for devices optimized for Blockchain seems clear. This move is our first step to meet those users’ needs.”
In addition to incorporating NODE into Huobi Global via Huobi Prime, Huobi Group provided other support to the project, including early-stage investment of the project and the Acute Angle phone through Huobi Capital, our venture capital arm.
What Is Acute Angle?
Currently available in China, where it was developed, Whole Network plans to launch Acute Angle across Southeast Asia by the end of Q4, 2019. Plans are underway to expand to Europe and the United States after that.
The Android-based Acute Angle has a wide range of features built with cryptocurrency traders in mind, including a programmable notification feature that alerts the user when certain market conditions are met, such as the price of a given coin rising or dropping. Unlike many other methods, Acute Angle’s notifications work even when the phone is locked, allowing users to better keep up on market trends. The phone also incorporates an innovative mining/task reward feature that airdrops NODE to users simply for using and interacting with the crypto community with their Acute Angle phone.
In addition, the Acute Angle includes a built-in wallet app and an optional plug-in cold wallet; a wide range of pre-installed Blockchain-related apps, including Huobi apps and crypto news apps; and a dedicated Blockchain app store filled with a wide range of related apps and DApps.
Acute Angle will be the first in a range of Blockchain phones from Whole Network. Future models will include even more functions, including 5G capability.


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Most complained about the alternatives on offer being too expensive or difficult to procure in comparison to plastic bags and containers.
Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to levy fines for violation of the ban on plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items, hundreds of traders and retailers in the city remained uncertain of what alternatives to use for packaging.
While shops in some suburbs remained shut on Saturday as traders mulled alternatives to plastic, a three-day exhibition organised by the civic body on “alternatives to plastic” ended on Sunday with the civic administration receiving flak from scores of visitors. While hundreds showed up at the National Sports Club of India in Worli, most complained about the alternatives on offer being too expensive or difficult to procure in comparison to plastic bags and containers.
Amar Khamkar, proprietor and distributor of Khamkar Masale in Lalbaug, said: “The exhibition had stalls showing bags and packaging made of corn starch, etc. However, those cost four times more than plastic. Furthermore, they do not look reliable to me for packaging our spices. I am still clueless on alternatives to plastic.”
He added: “We have stopped giving plastic carry bags to customers. However, we need an alternative for packaging powdered spices. We are not against the ban, but we need an alternative, if we have to stop using plastic. I expected BMC to offer us an alternative, however, it has failed to do so. Now, we have no option but continue using polypropylene bags for packing our masalas. If the government offers us a better and reasonable alternative, we are ready to switch.”
Visitors at the exhibition included wholesalers, retailers, and businessmen, all slamming the BMC for implementing the plastic ban without providing effective alternatives. Many wholesalers and retailers rejected alternatives exhibited saying these were either too expensive or not suitable.
J S Khurana, owner of Gulati Sweets and Restaurant at Sher-e-Punjab in Andheri (East), said: “I was looking for an alternative to pack food for home delivery. How do we deliver soup and gravy in paper containers? I found no effective alternative at the exhibition. They want to impose a ban on plastic bags saying these choke our drains. I found a decomposable plastic bag at one of the stalls at the exhibition, which takes at least three months to decompose. Will that not choke our drains till then? No officials could reply.”
The exhibition included displays by private companies and self-help groups and sale of eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable products such as carry bags, handbags, bags made of corn starch, garbage bins and sanitary napkins.
On Sunday, the second day of the ban, BMC vigilance squads raided 867 commercial establishments and found 72 still using banned plastic items. During these raids, the civic body seized 591.67 kg of plastic and collected Rs 3.35 lakh as penalty. The BMC started levying fines from Sunday after creating awareness among retailers, wholesalers, hawkers/vendors and ordinary citizens. Under the awareness drive that continued till Sunday, 249 inspectors, divided into 23 teams, visited retailers, shopkeepers and hoteliers. On day one, the BMC collected fines from only four eateries in Parel, all four paying a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
Despite the ban, plastic bags could be seen in markets and shops across the city. “Initially, we are allowing rain cover plastic used by shopkeepers. But it is also a banned item. In the first few weeks, we are targeting plastic bags, other single-use plastic items and thermocol,” said Dr Sangeeta Hasnale, Assistant Municipal Commissioner (Markets). She added: “The alternatives are expensive but they will help us get rid of the evil that is not only flooding our city but is destroying nature.” Meanwhile, workers from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have been telling people not to pay the “hefty” fine. “We have no issues with the plastic bag ban… But levying such hefty fines is wrong. The civic body should educate people, spread awareness about hazards of plastic. Just levying fines will result in harassment of common people,” said MNS leader and former BMC corporator Sandeep Deshpande.
Source : indianexpress.com


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Six years ago, in an ordinary-looking dorm room in Princeton University, a computer was hard at work, doing something that was rather peculiar at that time – mining Bitcoin. Due to the low Bitcoin mining difficulty, Nader Al-Naji, a computer science student, was able to mine a total of 22 Bitcoins solely with CPU power during his time at Princeton.
Fast forward by over half a decade, and Nader is now the founder and CEO of Intangible Labs, where he and a team of brilliant software engineers are creating what they claim to be the antithesis of Bitcoin – Basis.
Basis – the Stablecoin
Formerly known as Basecoin, the cryptocurrency is designed to do what Bitcoin initially set out to do, but with a crucial difference – its value will remain at $1, without appreciating or depreciating over time.
Earlier this week, both Bain Capital and Andreessen Horowitz announced that they will be investing a combined $133 million in Basis to fund its development. Basis is also known as the ‘Stablecoin’ as its value will be “algorithmically pegged to a fixed value, adjusting its supply based on demand.”
In other words, Basecoin will act almost similar to the Federal Reserve, minting new coins when the demand is larger than the supply, so as to keep the value of the coin constant.
On the other hand, the price of Bitcoin, however, has been fluctuating quite a lot over the last couple of months. In 2017, Bitcoin experienced an exponential growth in value – increasing by over 2,000% in just under a year. However, after hitting its peak of $19,800 in Mid-December, Bitcoin’s value nosedived, hitting a low of $6,141 in early-February (data from CoinMarketCap).
“Our thesis is that the volatility of cryptocurrencies is actually largely blocking mainstream adoption,” Al-Naji explained in an interview with Fortune. “If you look at something like Bitcoin or one of these other cryptocurrencies, while they’re useful for speculation, you’d never want to, for example, do a loan or a salary in these cryptocurrencies.”
Basis – the Solution to Volatility
With Basis, we no longer have to worry about its value appreciating after using it to make a purchase, or its value depreciating after receiving it as a salary. This will create the incentive for Basis users to actually spend the cryptocurrency as opposed to hoarding it, which is what most investors tend to do nowadays.
“I get a little heart attack every time I have to spend my Bitcoin,” Al-Naji admitted, giving the classic example of the Hodler’s Dilemma – worrying about spending a certain amount of Bitcoins on a sandwich today that could’ve bought you a Ferrari few years down the road.
“I think the fact that the value is stable and not expected to appreciate really solves almost a perverse incentive with spending it that makes it much more useful as a medium of exchange.”
Instant loans by local bank transfer using your crypto as collateral without selling it. Earn 8% interest per year on your Stablecoins, USD, EUR & GBP.
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Fox Business Flash top headlines for July 31
Fox Business Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
Kellogg Co. is pivoting to plant-based proteins because of how much that has sold while people have been in coronavirus quarantine.
Continue Reading Below
KELLOGG RAISES ANNUAL PROFIT FORECAST AS CORONAVIRUS BOOSTS DEMAND FOR FRUIT LOOPS, WAFFLE MIXES
Stocks in this Article
In its second-quarter earnings call, CEO, President and Chairman of Kellogg Steve Cahillane said that Kellogg’s MorningStar Farms plant-based protein brand has the best growth opportunity after it accelerated to double-digit growth and gained shares as a result. The gained distribution and growth across product types have prompted the company to launch several new innovations, including Incogmeato, ready to cook sides of plant-based meat alternatives in its early phases of consumer awareness.
“We have the right to win in this segment,” Callihane said. “We have better food crafted with simple ingredients, a positive nutrition profile versus meat, a brand that is already known for high-quality foods and a well-established supply chain. So we expect continued strong growth from the frozen side of MorningStar Farms this year.”
Kellog declined to comment Friday.
Incogmeato will give MorningStar Farms a presence in the refrigerated meat section to further drive household penetration, according to the report.
OYSTER FARMERS FACING BIG PROBLEM AS COVID-19 CLAMPS DOWN ON DEMAND
As more people eat at home, Kellogg Co. is tapping into shifting consumer habits. More consumers are looking for new and exciting brands with an emphasis on health-conscious products and cleaner labels, and Kellogg is pushing to stay relevant as reflected by its portfolio investments and upcoming product launches.
Cahillane underscored the company’s heightened role in the global pandemic as people’s lives and day-to-day activities are drastically changed.
“People are staying home to stay safe, not eating out, less frequent grocery shopping and schools are closed, which means limited access to food for many of those children and families in need,” Callihane said. “The food we make — nutritious, safe, frozen and shelf-stable food — is critical to sustaining life and providing a sense of safety and security.”
CORONAVIRUS PROMPTS PACKAGED FOOD BRANDS TO PREPARE FOR SECOND WAVE
Upon the announcement that its health and wellness is seeing some of the highest growth, Kellogg will continue to invest in the plant-based portion of its portfolio. The company reported that consumer demand for plant-based protein is rising for dietary and environmental reasons, which has accelerated the frozen plant-based protein category to high-single-digit growth in recent quarters.
The company frozen food business also grew with an increase in sales of its iconic Eggo Waffles.
Kellogg reported quarterly earnings of $1.24 per share, ahead of analyst expectations which projected an estimate of 93 cents by 33%. The company also beat its quarterly sales predictions with a reported $3.47 billion, 5% up from an expected $3.30 billion.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Source: Read Full Article


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Why, it seems like just yesterday we were talking about the CX3 and now here we are, but a few weeks away from the release of Ricoh‘s CX4. The camera is set to hit Japanese retailers on September 3, offering a 10 megapixel backside-illuminated sensor perched behind a 10.7x (28 – 300mm) zoom lens, with a three-inch LCD ’round the back. Ricoh is also talking up an advanced new image stabilization system, five fps burst shooting, 720p video recording, plus all the smile- and scene-detection modes you’d expect out of a modern shooter. MSRP for all this is set at 45,000 Yen in Japan, which equates to about 525 of your American dollars.
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- FileKiller is a tiny, portable utility which can securely delete files
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Emerging technologies such as blockchain are reshaping the landscape of the traditional financial system in Europe.
Crypto investor-friendly platforms like StormGain have played a major role in making cryptocurrencies popular amongst masses.
Travala.com’s proprietary token joins the list of crypto assets accepted by cryptocurrency payment processor, CoinGate.
If brick-and-mortar stores adjust to these new times and all the technology that comes with it, they will see that they might.
7 Mar 2019.
Yes, you can buy bitcoin with a credit card, although it's not as simple as providing your credit card information to the website. You have to go.
Zumo has launched an app that stores, sends and allows consumers to spend and exchange cryptocurrencies online, the firm.
By integrating Simplex's credit card processing solution, global mainstream users can buy and deposit funds in crypto exchanges while benefiting from a familiar.
17 Feb 2020.
For example, if you purchase $2500 worth of bitcoin with a credit card, your transaction fee with iwanttobuybitcoin would be just $75, which is a.
For example, credit card debt is usually considered bad because of its high.
I’d buy this 7.5% yield for my Stocks and.
Bitcoin Price News 4 Nov 2019. The news: Last year, University of Texas professor John Griffin and Amin Shams, an instructor at Ohio State University, published controversial. Bitcoin Imposable Fiscalité des transactions sur la blockchain. Suis-je imposable sur les gains issus de cessions de cryptomonnaies ou de bitcoins ? Votre avocat vous conseille et. 4 Aug 2019. Tax


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'Walter White' stopped from entering store
Updated On: Nov 06 2013 03:54:28 AM EST
Halloween would not have been Halloween this year if someone didn't have the bright idea to show up dressed up as wildly popular "Breaking Bad" bad guy Walter White, alias "Heisenberg."
Gothamist reports co-workers and pals Carley H. and Vaughn Vance tried to go shopping at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. They didn't get past the produce section before Vance, who was dressed in underwear, was stopped by security.
The security guard even addressed him in character, saying, "Mr. White, I'm sorry, but I need to check with my manager before you can go in, sir."
Of course, the store manager told the pair they could not go any farther because of how Vance was dressed. Underwear-only is apparently against store policy.
Whole Foods may not have been bowled over by Vance's tighty-whities get-up, but shoppers were. Many wanted to get pictures of "Mr. White" before he and his friend were shown the door.
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Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has waded into the General Election campaign for the first time by launching a broadside at Labour and committing the government to a free trade agenda at the Lord Mayor's Banquet.
Addressing an audience of ambassadors at the Mansion House, Johnson said the UK will be "the foremost campaigner for global free trade".
On Brexit, the foreign secretary said “negotiations will be tough and some plaster may fall off the ceiling” but added that “[Prime Minister] Theresa May can pull it off”, claming that May will “usher in a new era of free trade deals”.
"Those free trade deals will be good for UK manufacturers and exporters. Then, in the virtuous circle of free trade, that extra growth and prosperity - that extra spending cash - will make the UK an even more successful export market for our friends and partners in Europe and around the world," he said.
In a barely veiled criticism of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Johnson also stressed the need for strong leadership as the UK tackles threats including Daesh.
"Now is not the time to step back, as some would want, but to step up," he said.


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iGaming Business – US racetrack and casino owner Churchill Downs has acquired casual games developer Big Fish Games in a deal worth $885 million (€710.3 million).
Under the agreement, Churchill Downs will pay a base fee of $485 million and a potential earn-out payment of $350 million next year if certain targets are met.
Paul Thelen, founder and chief executive officer of Big Fish Games, will also potential receive a bonus payment of $50 million based on 2016 bookings if he hits his targets.
The purchase price is to be paid in cash, expect for $15 million in Churchill Downs stock that will instead be paid to Thelen.
“We are extremely proud of the company we have built over the last twelve years,” Thelen said in a statement.
“Churchill Downs is a company with a commitment to interactive entertainment and a track record of growth and performance.
“We believe Big Fish is now positioned to become an even greater force in the casual, mid-core and social casino mobile and online games industry.


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The Age, Melbourne
United States the FTA winner one year on
4 January 2006
The government has blamed a stronger currency and increased competition from Asia for a disappointing first year in Australia’s new trade pact with the United States.
Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) revealed Australia sold less to America but bought more from the economic giant in the year after it signed its Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
While Australia’s merchandise exports to the US fell by 4.7 per cent in the 12 months to October, imports from the US rose 5.7 per cent, the data showed.
Critics say the government should consider using its escape clause and pull out before the situation gets worse.
"Our argument is that we should be looking seriously at the provision in the agreement (under which) the government can give six months notice to end the agreement," Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) policy officer Patricia Ranald said.
The FTA was fundamentally lopsided, Dr Ranald said.
"We will subject ourselves continually to pressure like the pressure that is being exerted now by the drugs companies," she said.
"It would be a disaster if we gave away our rights to affordable medicine."
The FTA came under renewed scrutiny on Tuesday after Acting Prime Minister and Trade Minister Mark Vaile announced he was considering scrapping a Labor amendment to the deal protecting cheap, generic drugs.
Doctors, trade analysts and the opposition say the move would put more pressure on the cash-strapped Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), leading to inevitable price hikes for medicines.
Mr Vaile said the PBS would not be jeopardised and the amendment would only be removed if the US drug industry, which has been lobbying the government for changes, could prove it hurt them.
"We went to the brink in the negotiations to defend the structure, the viability, and the sustainability, and affordability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to the point where the agreement nearly didn’t take place," he said.
He also called for patience as concern about recent trade figures surfaced.
The benefits of the FTA would not begin to flow to Australia’s economy for a number of years, he said.
"I would caution people about making judgments after 12 months only," he told reporters after touring bushfire-affected Junee in south-western NSW.
Mr Vaile said the strong Australian dollar had an impact on trade.
"During the last 12 months ... (we have) had a very high exchange rate on the Australian dollar, which has been attractive for imports and an impediment to exports," he said.
"At the same time, there have been buoyant and robust economies operating in north Asia that have been very attractive for our exporters to go into those markets, so you can’t just look at 12 months in isolation."
Mr Vaile said he was still working to get access for Australia’s sugar farmers to the highly protected US market when the deal comes up for review in March.
"There may be an opportunity in the future to include it and so we’ll continued to put that forward as an ambition of ours to get sugar included in the bilateral agreement."
The FTA came into force on January 1, 2005.
© 2006 AAP


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Bira 91 is one of India’s most popular craft beer brands since its inception in 2015. The beer is manufactured by B9 Beverages Private Limited and company has recently announced to raise $30 million in its latest funding round.
Bira 91’s latest $30M funding:
The funding round was led by company’s investors- Sofina, Belgium-based investment company and Sequoia Capital (India).
Apart from this, other existing investors such as Sixth Sense Ventures– Mumbai-based Venture Capital firm, Neoplux– a private equity firm from Korea and others also participated in the beer brand’s fundraiser.
According to sources, the company plans to use this latest infusion of funds to strengthen its position by expansion in the Indian market and consolidate leadership in the premium beer segment of the industry.
B9 Beverages Pvt Ltd. was founded back in 2015 by Ankur Jain, a computer science graduate with first venture being in the field of Healthcare Revenue Management in New York. Later, the business was sold to an undisclosed buyer and Jain moved back to India and started his own Craft Beer Venture- Bira 91.
Bira91 funding history:
According to a report, in the initial stages of the business, Ankur Jain casually raised $1.5 million from friends and family to invest in B9 Beverages.
The company’s first official funding round concluded in 2016 with funds worth $6 million. The Series A round was led by Sequoia Capital India and it is noteworthy that it was Sequoia’s first investment in the Alcohol industry.
The round also witnessed participation from Angel investors Mayank Singhal, Ashish Dhawan, Rohit Bansal and Kunal Bahl- founders of Snapdeal and founder of Zomato- Deepinder Goyal.
In 2018, Sofina– Belgium-based holding investor funded $50 million in B9 Beverages and Bira 91.
Then in the company’s Pre-Series C funding round, Sixth Sense Ventures infused $3.4 million in May 2019.
Bira 91- Current Trends:
Bira 91- CEO and founder Ankur Jain commented on the latest fundraiser saying, “We continue to grow our business in both existing and new markets. Our market shares in several markets are now higher than 5% of overall beer and more than 20% share of premium beer market,” according to livemint.com.
CEO Jain claims to have acquired over 5% of overall beer market share, as in 2019, two new breweries were commissioned in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which literally increased the company’s production capacity by 4x.
B9 Beverages also introduced “Boom” as its latest beer brand appeal to the masses which alone acquire 3 % of the market share with the company’s presence in over 400 cities across India.


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is bringing 5G mobile connectivity to cheaper iPhones, a transfer some on Wall Road say will proceed to gas file gross sales this 12 months as considerations linger over demand for the more-expensive variations.
The Cupertino, Calif., tech big is slated to disclose the third-generation iPhone SE on Tuesday throughout a digital occasion on the corporate’s web site. Apple can be anticipated to unveil an up to date iPad Air with a quicker processor in addition to 5G, and new computer systems with quicker chips, in keeping with an individual conversant in the plans.
The iPhone SE was an early pandemic darling for Apple. Gross sales of the gadget approached 25 million, or 12% of the corporate’s estimated world smartphone shipments, in 2020, in keeping with researcher IDC. Apple doesn’t escape outcomes by iPhone mannequin.
The low-end mannequin, which begins at $399 and comes with the smallest show measurement of 4.7 inches, fared much less properly up to now 12 months with the arrival of Apple’s flagship merchandise. These embody the iPhone 12 lineup, which launched ultrafast 5G to the corporate’s smartphone choices for the primary time and was given a lift with value breaks from carriers desperate to get prospects onto the brand new mobile networks.
Gross sales of the high-end gadgets helped propel iPhone gross sales to a file $192 billion in fiscal 2021 and contributed to the 12 months’s file revenue of just about $100 billion. On the identical time, shipments of the iPhone SE that lacked 5G fell an estimated 40% in 2021 in contrast with 2020, in keeping with IDC.
“Clearly, a few of the telephones that Apple has launched have been actually costly, for the principally mid- to high-end shopper, so now you get an inexpensive telephone with 5G,”
an analyst for
stated in an interview.
Mr. Chatterjee raised his earnings estimates for the fiscal 12 months due to expectations for the iPhone lineup, together with his religion within the potential of the SE mannequin to enchantment to price-conscious consumers on the lookout for 5G. He’s forecasting that the SE model might tally 30 million models offered within the first 12 months and assist increase total iPhone shipments to a file of 250 million.
“That’s what’s going to give traders confidence that Apple can proceed to develop iPhone revenues,” he stated.
The iPhone 12—and the iterative iPhone 13 variations launched final fall—helped gas renewed curiosity amongst Chinese language shoppers. The iPhone’s energy was aided by the collapse of Huawei Applied sciences Co.’s smartphone enterprise amid sanctions by the U.S. authorities. The sanctions stripped Huawei of the power to make use of
Android working system. Within the remaining three months of final 12 months, the iPhone retook the highest spot because the bestselling smartphone in China. Mr. Chatterjee stated the SE mannequin may benefit from the China dynamics and the nation’s curiosity in 5G telephones.
Different analysts appear to be warming to Apple’s potential this 12 months as properly. As just lately as late final 12 months, the typical estimate of analysts surveyed by FactSet predicted flat iPhone gross sales for the present fiscal 12 months, which ends in September, amid worries that the enchantment of the iPhone might need peaked in the course of the 12 months after the large improve with 5G know-how.
In current weeks, optimism in regards to the firm’s outlook has been rising, aided by stronger-than-expected outcomes for the ultimate three months of final 12 months. Analysts now anticipate iPhone income to rise 5% this fiscal 12 months—after hovering 39% in fiscal 2021.
When the primary SE mannequin made its debut in 2016, some analysts stated the gadget might assist Apple in markets exterior of the U.S. the place the iPhone—which may price greater than $1,500—is priced out of attain. As a substitute, the highest three markets for the cheaper gadget final 12 months have been the U.S., Japan and Western Europe, in keeping with IDC.
“‘A few of the telephones that Apple has launched have been actually costly, for the principally mid- to high-end shopper, so now you get an inexpensive telephone with 5G.’”
In China, the SE made up lower than 10% of shipments, in keeping with Chiew Le Xuan, an analyst at analysis agency Canalys. He stated the telephone struggled towards budget-oriented Android rivals and expressed skepticism that the brand new model would do properly in China.
“The iPhone SE third era might appear to be successful in China as a result of Apple’s growing market share and 5G penetration,” he stated in an electronic mail. “Nonetheless, in keeping with Canalys knowledge, Chinese language shoppers are inclined in direction of telephones with a bigger show.”
Within the U.S., the SE has been a gateway to the Apple model for house owners of less-expensive Android telephones. Final 12 months, 26% of SE consumers beforehand had an Android telephone, in keeping with Client Intelligence Analysis Companions’ surveys of shoppers. “IPhone SE has grow to be a form of entry-level iPhone, principally due to its value level,” stated
Client Intelligence Analysis co-founder.
Apple once more would possibly profit from carriers desperate to push its newest telephones on prospects, in keeping with
principal analyst for BayStreet Analysis, which tracks advertising and marketing efforts by the wireless-service suppliers.
The carriers are keen to maneuver prospects from 4G to the brand new quicker networks as a result of it’s cheaper for them to ship the identical quantity of knowledge. Mr. Maldonado forecasts that carriers will attain about 95% of 5G subscribers in mid-2024. 5G has been aimed toward enhancing connections for video games and movies.
“The carriers can be completely satisfied to push the SE3 over the earlier SE2 at roughly the identical $400 value level as a result of the SE3 will enable the provider to help the telephone much less expensively on 5G than 4G LTE,” he stated.
Write to Tim Higgins at firstname.lastname@example.org
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Firm, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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Apple CEO Tim Cook arrives at Shah Rukh Khan’s party, Big B also spotted
Apple CEO Tim Cook has arrived at Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat for a private dinner in his honour. Amitabh Bachchan was also spotted arriving at the venue.bollywood Updated: May 19, 2016 08:37 IST
Apple CEO Tim Cook has arrived at Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat for a private dinner. Amitabh Bachchan was also spotted arriving at the venue which is expected to host several Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra and Aamir Khan.
Mumbai: Apple CEO Tim Cook reaches Actor Shahrukh Khan’s residence for the private dinner party hosted by the actor. pic.twitter.com/kgL6ejntqV— ANI (@ANI_news) May 18, 2016
Amitabh Bachchan & other Bollywood actors also arrive for the dinner hosted by Shahrukh Khan for Apple CEO Tim Cook. pic.twitter.com/U2AcqKSXhZ— ANI (@ANI_news) May 18, 2016
Before Cook landed in India, his team had contacted Shah Rukh’s team, looking for a possibility of a meeting between the two. When the actor found out about this, he decided to host a private dinner for Cook instead of just a plain meeting. “Contrary to what has been reported, the dinner won’t be a formal sit-down affair. It will be more of an informal get-together,” said an insider.
On Wednesday, Cook began his first official visit to India by offering prayers at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple, where he also met Anant Ambani, the son of Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani.
He is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. He met Modi at a Silicon Valley event in the US last September, where they discussed manufacturing plans under Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Follow @htshowbiz for more
First Published: May 18, 2016 21:39 IST


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|[December 02, 2013]
Research and Markets: Global ATM Market 2012-2016: Both APAC and Africa are Considered as High Growth Regions
DUBLIN --(Business Wire)--
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b5j6gb/global_atm_market)
has announced the addition of the "Global
ATM Market 2012-2016" report to their offering.
The analysts forecast the Global ATM market to grow at a CAGR of 6.36
percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing
to this market growth is the growth in the APAC region and Africa in ATM
installations. The Global ATM market has also been witnessing the
increase in security measures for ATMs. However, the increase in online
mobile cash transfers and other modes of cash transactions could pose a
challenge to the growth of this market.
The key vendors dominating this market space are Diebold Inc., NCR
Corp., Triton Systems of Delaware LLC, Wincr Nixdorf AG.
Other vendors mentioned in the report are Nautilus Hyosung Inc., Tidel
ATM Manufacturer Company, and WRG ATM Manufacturer Company.
Commenting on the report, an analyst from the team said: Despite the
presence of challenges, the Global ATM market is witnessing some
impressive trends in the market. There has been an increasing focus on
developing security measures for ATMs across the globe. On account of
increasing criminal activities in ATMs, such as skimming, card
trapping/fishing, currency trapping/fishing, logical/data attacks, and
physical attacks, banks across the globe are introducing new security
techniques and awareness programs among ATM consumers.
According to the report, the growth in the number of ATM installations
in regions such as APAC and Africa is expected to boost the demand for
more installations of the ATMs over the globe. Both APAC and Africa are
considered as high growth regions in the Global ATM market.
Further, the report states that a key challenge experienced by financial
institutions is securing their ATMs from skimming, cyber-attacks, ghost
ATMs, dummy ATMs, ram raids, theft of PIN IDs, and automated PIN
changes, SMS attacks, and malware or malicious software. The growing
usage of ATMs by customers for cash-related transactions attracts
hackers who engage in theft by skimming data from ATM devices.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b5j6gb/global_atm_market
About Research and Markets
Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international
market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest
data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top
companies, new products and the latest trends.
[ Back To Technology News's Homepage ]


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Pyxis tankers Inc. (NASDAQ:PXS) has announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter that ended March 31, 2020.
Pyxis realized net revenue of $6.6 million in Q1
In the quarter, the company posted net revenues of $6.6 million with time charter equivalent revenues increasing by 3.8% or $0.2 million to $5 million from the same period a year ago. Pyxis reported a net loss of or around $1.2 million or $0.06 per share, an improvement from Q1 2019. There was a YoY increase of $0.7 million in adjusted EBITDA to $1.2 million in Q1 2020.
The Company’s CEO and Chairman Valentino Valentis stated that its operating results in Q1 demonstrated continued cost-effectiveness and better chartering conditions relative to Q1 2019. The CEO confirmed that in Q1, its medium-range product tankers were operating on short term chartered that were staggered so that to generate predictive cash flow. Pyxis’ average time charter equivalent rates per day for the medium-range tankers was around $15,400, and as of June 1, 2020, all the available days in Q2 were booked at a rate of $15,700.
Pyxis bolstered balance sheet with Pyxis Delta sale
Valentino confirmed that the company had finalized the sale of Pyxis Delta as previously in January 2020. Net proceeds from the sale were used to enhance liquidity and de-lever the company’s balance sheet, thus placing it in a better position for growth. Equally, the CEO confirmed that in Q1, the operating expenses of its fleet-wide vessel were below $5,700 per day, which was a massive improvement compared to Q1 2019.
Pyxis expects uncertainty due to COVID-19 to continue, and the product tanker sector will continue experiencing significant volatility for the rest of the year. However, the CEO stated that the extensive fiscal and monetary stimulus plans from government agencies and central banks will help accelerate the rate of recovery. The irregular inventory destocking is likely likely to create a near-term cargo arbitrage trading. Further, Valentino confirmed that despite the temporary demand collapse, there has been an improvement in vessel supply.
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Uber is arguing that its self-proclaimed self-driving cars really aren't all that self-driving to justify its decision to forego an autonomous vehicles license in California.
Uber launched a pilot program for its self-driving cars in San Francisco last week, allowing users to ride in a self-driving car that's monitored by a trained driver and engineer sitting up front.
Uber first launched the pilot program for its self-driving cars in Pittsburgh in September.
But unlike the Pittsburgh program, which went off without major hitches, Uber's San Francisco launch had been underway only a few hours before the DMV threatened legal action against the company.
"If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMV will initiate legal action, including, but not limited to, seeking injunctive relief," the DMV wrote in a Dec. 14 letter to Uber.
Anthony Levandowski, Uber's Vice President of Advanced Technologies, is arguing that Uber doesn't need to get the license because the cars do not meet the definition of autonomous vehicles.
"When we look at how the Tesla vehicles operate, we see us operating in the same exact manner," Levandowski said on a Friday conference call with reporters.
But there are a few things wrong with using Tesla Autopilot as a defense.
Tesla Autopilot is at this juncture primarily intended for highway use. Tesla's first generation Autopilot, which has gotten a few updates since its 2014 release, allows cars to automatically steer, change lanes, and merge onto highways. There are some other convenience features consumers can purchase for extra as well, like the ability for the car to park itself.
Tesla is upgrading its Autopilot system in new cars to add abilities like changing lanes without driver input, matching the car's speed to traffic conditions for active cruise control, and merging off highways.
But as a whole, Tesla Autopilot really acts as an advanced cruise control with some useful parking abilities. Its capabilities fit it squarely as a Level 2 self-driving system.
Uber's self-driving system, which I had the chance to experience behind the wheel, is intended for urban driving. Unlike Tesla's Autopilot system, it can respond to traffic light changes, make left turns, and generally navigate an environment with more pedestrians. That added complexity really qualifies Uber's cars under Level 3 autonomy.
Uber did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment on all this.
SAE International, a US-based association that develops standards for automobiles, has a six-tier system to define autonomous cars ranging from Level 0 to Level 5. The distinction between Level 2 and Level 3 is slight but important.
Level 2 is actually still considered a human-driver monitored system, where the system is responsible for steering, acceleration, and deceleration. The driver is technically responsible for monitoring anything that falls outside those three capabilities.
It's why Tesla is extra cautious to not use any self-driving branding when referencing Autopilot.
In August, Tesla removed a Chinese term for "self-driving" from its China website following a non-fatal crash while Autopilot was activated. A Tesla spokesperson said at the time the change was made to address "discrepancies across languages" and was not prompted by the crash.
The move shows how Tesla consistently brands Autopilot as a Level 2 system. As part of that, Tesla wants its drivers to keep their hands on the wheel when Autopilot is activated. If a driver refuses to do so, a warning signal will go off asking him to return his or her hands to the wheel.
If a driver were to ignore that warning signal, Autopilot would disengage for the remainder of the trip.
Meanwhile, Uber's cars act primarily as a Level 3 self-driving system, which is actually the first level where the car is qualified as an automated driving systems. That means the car is not only responsible for steering, acceleration, and deceleration, but for the monitoring of the driving environment as well.
The SAE International system notes that human supervision is still necessary at Level 3 — something Uber has complied with by sticking two people upfront. But because the car is technically responsible for more driving tasks and is, therefore, considered an automated driving system, it follows suit that Uber would need an autonomous vehicles license.
Additionally, there's no interface in the self-driving Ubers to make it clear human supervision is necessary. When I was behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber, I kept my hands on my lap for the majority of the time and never once heard a warning signal asking me to return them to the wheel.
Uber's self-driving Ford Fusions come with a toolbar indicating when a human needs to take over, but that's the extent of what you can see:
Tesla cars, on the other hand, come with a digital interface behind the wheel to show you exactly what the car is seeing so you have real-time information about whether the car is struggling in certain environments before it even asks you to take over:
All of this is to say that Tesla both brands itself and packages its cars to emphasize that the driver needs to stay in control when Autopilot is activated, emphasizing it's not a self-driving car.
Uber is lauding its cars as self-driving and then trying to back out of the responsibility inherent with that claim to avoid obtaining an autonomous vehicles permit in California, which costs a mere $150.
Smaller startups like Drive.ai and NextEV have gotten the California permit. Even Tesla has a California permit, which a spokesperson told Business Insider is for future testing, not Autopilot.
Uber should either get a license and own up to the fact that it's trying to advance Level 3 autonomy or stop branding its cars as self-driving. At the moment, unfortunately, it's trying to have things both ways.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Insider.


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DETROIT (WWJ) – Here’s a great chance to dress-up your family room or maybe get that man cave started as Comerica Park holds its 2014 Detroit Tigers Garage Sale Thursday and Friday.
There’s plenty up for grabs.
Comerica Park Operations Coordinator Heather Ennis spoke to WWJ’s Vickie Thomas about some of the items up for sale.
“We have 40 plus different items – as far as larger furniture goes – we have some great bar stools and bar top tables, that would be great for a college apartment, it would be great to furnish really inexpensive, but good stuff,”
Ennis says there are some good deals to be found at the garage sale, with items starting at $5.
She said she expects some items to move quickly, like a framed photo of Kid Rock sporting the old English ‘D’. “Everybody likes Kid Rock,” she said. “Whenever he comes to our games, he’s always repping our ‘D.’
The sale runs today from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. and from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday.
Fans may park for free in Lot 1 and enter the sale at Gate B by the Pepsi Porch.


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Last month VRFocus reported on the news that Super Stardust Ultra, an update of the popular arcade classic originally developed by indie team Housemarque, had launched as ‘Project Morpheus-ready’ on PlayStation 4. This suggested that the title might perhaps support Sony Computer Entertainment’s (SCE) virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) at some point in the future. As for Housemarque itself, the developer would ‘love to work with’ the device, but it looks as if it might not be actively doing so at this point in time.
The developer’s Mikael Haveri recently stated as much while sitting in on Kinda Funny Games‘ Game Developers Conference (GDC) livestream. When asked by host Colin Moriarty if the developer was working with Project Morpheus, Haveri passed off the talk as a ‘rumour’, noting that the team ‘would love to work with Morpheus’. The developer didn’t quite finish his answer due to time constraints, but it certainly appears that Housemarque has no immediate plans for VR development, even if it might consider it further down the line.
Housemarque has made a name for itself by releasing stylish arcade titles such as PlayStation 4 launch videgoame, Resogun. The studio is currently working on another PlayStation 4 shooter by the name of Alienation. Last month the developer also confirmed that it was working on a project with Eugene Jarvis, known for his work on seminal arcade classic, Defender. The developer might not have Project Morpheus development in its plans right now, then, but there’s still plenty to look forward to from the studio.
SCE is set to talk about Project Morpheus at GDC this week with a four-hour event dedicated to the device set to take place on 4th March. VRFocus is at GDC and will continue to follow Project Morpheus closely, reporting back with any further updates on the kit.


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A new Walmart Supercenter in Homewood opened today, bringing a broad assortment of fresh groceries and general merchandise at everyday low prices. Customers can enjoy convenient on-site services such as a full pharmacy, fuel station and a free store pickup service providing an easy way to shop millions of products on Walmart.com, with many items available for pickup the same day. The new store creates roughly 200 new jobs and employs 400 full- and part-time associates.
"We're excited to provide our friends and neighbors the convenience of a full line of groceries, fresh produce and meat, in addition to a host of new services at our new store," said Store Manager Dan Wehling, who began his Walmart career in 2004 as an assistant manager at a store in Bradley, IL. "As we relocate to Homewood, Walmart will continue to make a positive impact in the community."
"We welcome the Walmart Supercenter to the Homewood community," said Homewood Village President Rich Hofeld. "For our residents and neighbors, this store will offer another shopping option when it opens its doors. We are also pleased by the number of great jobs Walmart has brought to the region. Thanks to everyone involved for their hard work on making this store a reality."
Fresh, Affordable Produce, Meat and Groceries
The Homewood Supercenter is a full grocery store with fresh produce, meat, pantry staples and more at Walmart's everyday low prices. In addition to organics and nutritious food choices, customers can also find a full-service deli and in-store bakery offering custom cakes, fresh baked breads and tortillas.
Full-Service Pharmacy Offers Health and Wellness Services
The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, health monitors and more. Pharmacists can administer most commonly requested immunizations, including flu shots. Customers can easily transfer prescriptions and order refills on the go with the Walmart mobile app. In addition, a full-service vision center offers a wide variety of affordable, quality eyewear - including glasses and contacts - optical products for all ages, and on-site eye exams.
Millions of Items with Easy Digital and In-Store Shopping
The store is approximately 210,000 square feet and stocked with quality electronics, furniture, sporting goods, home improvement, apparel, toys and more from top brands at Walmart's everyday low prices. Like all Walmart stores, the Homewood store features Walmart Pickup, free store pickup service offering free shipping from Walmart.com on eligible items. Many items are available for pickup the same day.
On-site services at the new Homewood store include a Money Center, Seva Salon and a Subway restaurant.
The Walmart mobile app for iPhone and Android makes shopping easier than ever. Customers can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items in their store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com through the app.
Job Opportunities at Walmart
The store will employ up to 400 associates for full- and part-time positions within the store. Applicants interested in careers at Walmart can apply online at Walmartcareers.com.
Starting in 2015, Walmart began making a $2.7 billion investment over a two-year period in higher wages, more scheduling choices and further training for its associates. As part of increased wages across the company, the average full time hourly associate now makes $13.52 an hour in Illinois. More than 75 percent of store management teams started as hourly associates. In 2014, 10,000 associates were promoted, and 40 percent of those promotions went to associates within the first year of their employment. The new investment is designed to help make Walmart not only a better place to shop but a better place to work.
The grand-opening celebration includes presentations of grants from Walmart to local community groups. The new store will also continue a commitment by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to fight hunger in Homewood and across the U.S. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation recently exceeded a $2 billion goal to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country.
A Big Family Welcome
This Saturday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 30, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. local residents are invited to A Big Family Welcome celebration. This will give customers a chance to meet store management and associates and enjoy fun family activities and free food samples while supplies last.
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S&P 500 hits 5-year high, extends rally
MIAMI (AP) - With tax filing season heating up, an aggressive Internal Revenue Service crackdown is targeting the growing problem of criminals who use stolen identities to seek tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent tax refunds.
CUPERTINO (AP) - With its annual meeting looming and its stock on the decline, Apple is facing a rebellion from an influential investor who wants the company to stop stockpiling cash and give it to shareholders instead.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Yahoo is counting on rival Google to help accelerate its revenue growth.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Online reviews site Yelp Inc. reported a narrower fourth-quarter loss on Wednesday as visitors to its website and apps grew from a year ago, before it had gone public.
NEW YORK (AP) - CVS Caremark's fourth-quarter earnings climbed 6 percent, as revenue from its established drugstores grew and new customers helped its pharmacy services segment.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it has resumed borrowing now that Congress has approved a temporary measure that allows the government to take on billions of dollars in debt to fund its most basic operations.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - America's major freight railroads expect to hire 11,000 people and invest $13 billion in their rail networks and equipment this year.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Shoppers hit stores for the holidays in the final months of 2012 and it seems many of them were armed with credit and debit cards using the Visa network.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Slumping personal computer maker Dell is bowing out of the stock market in a $24.4 billion buyout that represents the largest deal of its kind since the Great Recession dried up the financing for such risky maneuvers.
REDWOOD CITY (AP) - Shutterfly Inc. on Tuesday reported a 50 percent jump in quarterly profit as more customers snapped up its photo prints, photo gifts and stationery during the holidays. The results blew past Wall Street estimates and the online photo service also forecast better-than-expected results for 2013.
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - The end is near for the shoe, wheelbarrow or iron in the classic Monopoly game as fans vote in the final hours on which token to eliminate and which piece to replace it.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Online games company Zynga said its loss narrowed in the latest quarter even though revenue was largely unchanged as the company cut expenses by laying off workers, closing offices and shutting down poorly performing games.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Eighteen people have been charged in what may be one of the nation's largest credit card fraud rings, a sprawling international scam that duped credit rating agencies and used thousands of fake identities to steal at least $200 million, federal authorities said Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Beyonce's splashy show, a freak power outage, and -oh, yeah- a captivating game of football combined to generate a record 24.1 million posts on Twitter during Sunday night's Super Bowl.
SUNNYVALE (AP) - Yahoo may be losing some appeal on Wall Street now that U.S. investors can buy directly into Alibaba.
• STARBUCKS TESTS LATTE WITH STOUT FLAVOR: NEW YORK (AP) - Starbucks is testing a latte that it says has the "savory toasty malt" flavor of a foamy mug of stout.
NEW YORK (AP) - Procter & Gamble is canceling an on-field breast cancer awareness promotion it had been planning with the National Football League, the latest sponsor to respond to the NFL's growing problems.
SUNNYVALE (AP) - Yahoo is making amends for years of blundering with one smart move: an early investment in Alibaba Group that has turned into a multibillion-dollar boon.
NEW YORK (AP) - Sure, you have a lot to do today - laundry, bills, dinner - but it's never too early to start planning for your digital afterlife, the fate of your numerous online accounts once you shed this mortal coil.
DALLAS (AP) - UPS plans to hire up to 95,000 workers to help deliver packages during the busy holiday season - an increase from last year, when the company was caught unprepared for a boom in online shopping.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's attorney general has settled a false advertising investigation at Wal-Mart, saying some store personnel were citing a nonexistent "sugar tax" on soda.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Apple had more than 4 million advance orders of its new, larger iPhones in the first 24 hours, exceeding its initial supply, the company said Monday.
NEW YORK (AP) - Do you leave a tip in your hotel room for the maid? Marriott is launching a program with Maria Shriver to put envelopes in hotel rooms to encourage tipping.
NEW YORK (AP) - Microsoft's decision to spend $2.5 billion for the creator of the hit game "Minecraft" could help the Xbox maker grab attention on mobile phones, a new priority for the company.
NEW YORK (AP) - Olive Garden is defending its practice of giving customers as many breadsticks as they want, saying the policy conveys "Italian generosity."
NEW YORK (AP) - Maybe there is such a thing as too many breadsticks.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Criminals from around the world buy and sell stolen credit card information with ease in today's digital age. But if they commit their crime entirely outside the United States, they may be beyond the reach of federal prosecutors.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A massive structure described by NASA as the world's largest spacecraft welding tool has been completed at the Michoud (MEE'-shoo) Assembly Center in New Orleans, which was chosen in 2011 to build components of a major new rocket system.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government says Bayer is making unsupported claims in advertisements for its dietary supplement designed to help with digestion, in violation of a federal court order.


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Last week, Bang With Friends proudly announced Android and iPhone versions of its controversial and super popular dating app, but now Apple has pulled the app from its app store.
It’s not exactly clear why Apple has banned the app.
We’d guess the reason is that BWF is a brutally honest way to go about dating.
The app helps you find a Facebook friend to hook up with. It sends the person a “nudge” that indicates your interest. If that person likes the idea, then the rest is up to you.
BWF’s new mobile app makes it easy to swipe up to hang out and swipe down to “bang.”
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Four billion people are buying new smartphones every two years, massively outpacing the PC industry (where we buy 1.6 billion PCs every five years).
Our desire for the most powerful, newest tech in our pocket is the beginning of a symbiotic merger of between human and machine.
This blog is about this metatrend.
Check out the explosive growth curves below. They demonstrate why tech will infiltrate you, your business, your family, and every aspect of your life.
How many of us don’t let our mobile phones get out of our sight? How often are they more than a meter or two from our grasp?
The data comes from a fantastic presentation by Benedict Evans from Andreesen-Horowitz called “Mobile is Eating the World.”
Graph Above: Growth of smartphones vs. PCs
Smartphones and tablets now take up half of the consumer electronics industry.
Graph Above: Growth of mobile as a percent of consumer electronics
Infinite Computing & Sensing
The power of smartphones comes from the unique mix of connectivity, computing and sensors it brings into our lives. Let’s take a look.
With a glimpse of what’s to come, Sprint has already demonstrated an over-the-air speed of 1 gigabit per second at their Silicon Valley lab.
- Connectivity: As I discuss in my next book BOLD (February 2015), consider that in 1991, early 2G networks clocked in at a hundred kilobits per second. A decade later, 3G networks hit one megabit per second, while today’s 4G networks support up to eight megabits per second. But in February 2014, Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse (now retired) announced plans for Sprint Spark, a super-high-speed network capability able to deliver 50 to 60 megabits per second to your mobile phone.
- Computing: Just three or four decades ago, if you wanted to access a thousand core processors, you’d need to be the chairman of MIT’s computer science department or the secretary of the U.S. Defense Department. Today the average chip in your cell phone can perform about a billion calculations per second. Yet today has nothing on tomorrow. As MIT Technology review points out, “Generations of chip-making technology are known by the size of the smallest structure they can write into a chip. The current best is 14 nanometers, and by 2020, in order to keep up with Moore’s Law, the industry will need to be down to five nanometers. This is the point where IBM hopes nanotubes can step in. The most recent report from the microchip industry group the ITRS says the so-called five-nanometer ‘node’ is due in 2019.” Beyond the processing power in your phone (a super computer by all standards), your smartphone has access to truly infinite computational power on the cloud over its multi-megabit linkage.
- Sensors: Smart Sensors are the real magic. The growing suite of sensors in our phones is extending our abilities, slowly making us superhuman. The smartphone is our future JARVIS, making us future Tony Starks. For example, in an iPhone, the basics include a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer (senses the orientation of the phone), magnetometer (measures the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field), and a gyroscope. Of course we also have an incredible 8-megapixel camera and microphone to look and listen. Beyond what’s packed into the phone, your device can connect to the Internet of Everything surrounding you, extending its “sensing capabilities” by orders of magnitude. What’s next? Sensors that measure your blood chemistries, the quality of the air your breathing, the nutrient content of the food you’re eating, the even the DNA of the food you’re eating (is it shark or swordfish?).
Every new sensor creates a new business
The Android app store has 1.3 million apps.
Apple’s app store has 1.2 million.
While a significant portion of these apps are useless, more and more truly powerful apps are being developed that take advantage of the sensing and computing capabilities of smartphones.
And these apps are sticky.
We spend a lot of time on them.
Heck, today there’s more time is spent on mobile apps than on the entire Web.
Chart Above: Time spent on Mobile Web vs. Apps vs. Desktop
Small teams can leverage this platform in big ways
I often talk about exponential organizations – small teams of people leveraging exponential technologies and resources to scale quickly and disrupt slow-moving incumbent businesses.
Mobile and infinite computing are one of the core drivers allowing this to happen.
Instagram was acquired for a $1 billion with a team of 13 employees.
There are 1.5 trillion SMS messages sent between smartphones globally every year.
WhatsApp, an app that was built by a team of 30 people and acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, processes 7.2 trillion messages a year.
In 2000, a business with 100 employees would need to raise $10 million to reach 1 million people.
Today, we see many examples of teams of around 10 people raising $1 million and reaching 10 million people.
Or, in the case of the silly app “YO,” one person raises $0 and reaches 1 million people in months.
How are you leveraging these platforms?
The opportunity these technologies present to solve the world’s grand challenges are incredible.
Don’t build dumb apps.
Build problem-solving apps.
At XPRIZE, we’ve launched a $15M Global Learning XPRIZE to incentivize teams to create a piece of software on a tablet that can teach any child anywhere in the world how to read, write, and do basic math.
Today teams are competing to win the $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE to build a mobile device that can diagnose you better than a board-certified doctor.
This is really just the beginning.
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