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As the personal computer market gets more constricted and margins get thinner, it should come as no surprise that information technology (IT) companies are looking more and more at consumer electronics (CE) as a way to branch out and pursue the continued growth that corporations seem to equate with success. Two pieces of news from Dell shows that the company is looking hard at CE as part of their turn around strategy now that Michael Dell has taken back the reigns of the company he founded.
An announcement last Friday underscored this focus, as Dell named a new Global Consumer Group, with its own president. Even more telling perhaps was the announcement earlier this month that Dell has started selling the popular line of Sony Bravia LCD HDTVs. Dell has sold computer peripherals and other products from third party manufacturers in the past, including Sony, but this is the first time that Dell has sold HDTVs of another brand. Dell has their own line of HDTVs, which it will continue to sell alongside the Sony products on its Web site. The Dell models range in size up to 37″, however, while the Sony models are 40″ and 46″.
This is not the first time that Dell has pulled back from its own brand products to get more punch from other CE brands. Dell gave up on its DJ Ditty MP3 players and now offers players from Archos, Creative Labs, iriver, Samsung, SanDisk, and Sony.
Whether Dell can make an impact in the CE market the way it did in the IT market remains to be shown. The company certainly knows how to promote products, and they have set the standard for online ordering of technology products. The big question is whether people will be willing to buy televisions online, or will they prefer to go to a local store to make their purchase and drive home with their new set the same day.


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- As a result of November, Walmart saw a approximately 8% decline year-in excess of-calendar year for everyday internet site visits, according to Similarweb.
- Meanwhile, in-retail store targeted traffic picked up by about 1%, in accordance to estimates from Placer.ai.
- An analyst says inflation and modifying feelings around COVID could be the cause for these adjustments.
Early in the pandemic, Walmart customers got made use of to buying items on the net from the comfort of dwelling – even though wearing their pajamas. But individuals days appear to be waning.
Even as the retail big has manufactured key initiatives to bolster its e-commerce business, it even now noticed an 8% drop in regular day-to-day visits to its web site this yr via November in comparison to previous yr, according to facts from Similarweb, a net analytics business.
A small in excess of 14 million persons have frequented walmart.com each day so significantly this calendar year, in accordance to Similarweb — down from the roughly 15.3 million and 15.6 million customer averages in 2021 and 2020, respectively. And of program, with COVID-19 changing purchasing trends, walmart.com noticed a 46% increase in site visitors in 2020 from the year prior.
But while on line buying has dipped this 12 months, a lot more individuals have been flocking back to Walmart merchants. According to estimates from Placer.ai, a site-facts enterprise, Walmart outlets observed a 1% maximize in the common variety of each day shoppers by means of December 4 compared to the same year prior. Walmart US foods revenue enhanced about 14% yr-over-calendar year in the most current quarter, for each a enterprise SEC submitting.
Walmart declined to remark for this story.
The adjustments in shopping actions are a reflection of shoppers both equally acquiring much less worry encompassing the coronavirus pandemic and wanting for small prices amid inflationary pressures, according to Brian Yarbrough, an analyst with Edward Jones.
Yarbrough instructed Insider that food stuff has been the speediest growing aspect of Walmart’s company for the previous couple quarters, as inflation-cautious clients have appeared to invest in the far more cost-effective grocery solutions that the retailer offers and commit much less on discretionary goods, like toys. But all those consumers are generally not shopping for food stuff on line, in accordance to Yarbrough.
“So I imagine you might be observing website traffic drop off due to the fact men and women usually are not investing as substantially on discretionary variety goods, which is what they have been purchasing on the net,” he mentioned. “And they are shelling out additional on food items and likely in the store.”
On the net food stuff income slowing across vendors
Walmart is the top rated US grocer. It accounted for one-quarter of all profits in 2021, in accordance to Euromonitor. That’s extra than a few occasions the whole for Kroger, its closest rival. And it is also 1 of the most well-liked on the net grocery procuring destinations along with Amazon, according to Coresight’s “U.S. On the internet Grocery Study 2022” report.
But like its rivals, walmart.com is viewing customers head on the internet to purchase groceries at a significantly slower clip than at the starting of the pandemic.
Across all US grocers, on the internet income fell 10% calendar year-over-calendar year to $7.7 billion in November, according to a survey from software corporation Mercatus and consultancy Brick Meets Click. Fewer homes positioned orders, whilst those that did requested a lot less commonly and purchased fewer, in accordance to the survey.
Nevertheless, mass shops these as Walmart fared superior than traditional grocers this kind of as Kroger, David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click on, mentioned in a statement on the survey. The price of shipping has driven some shoppers to swap to mass vendors, wherever costs are likely to be decreased, Bishop said.
Consumers are buying and selling down from greater-priced suppliers for groceries and other consumables, and that’s led to extra foot targeted traffic at Walmart and Dollar Common, Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe wrote in a Tuesday exploration take note.
Both equally chains “have noted observing bigger-earnings customers buying and selling into their stores,” Tarlowe wrote.
“Individuals are searching to optimize their value,” he added.
Walmart has pushed ecommerce progress in 2022
The slowdown in consumers browsing walmart.com absolutely is not from a deficiency of effort by the retailer.
For the a few Mondays previous Black Friday in November, Walmart offered early financial savings deals completely on the net. The retailer also launched a splashy Cyber Monday holiday break advertisement campaign with the forged of the Business office House film.
Walmart has been trying to entice third-get together sellers to its system with new tools and features.
And the retailer has been earning big pushes to get clients and staff to signal up for Walmart+, the retailer’s reaction to Amazon Key. The membership system that launched in 2020 incentivizes on line buying by offering free shipping and delivery.
However Walmart may possibly not be viewing the report 97% yr-above-yr ecommerce growth amount it had in the second quarter of 2020, Yarbrough stated he nevertheless expects on-line shopping will “outpace” in-keep procuring in the decades to arrive.
“I just will not think the long-expression trajectory of far more and more corporations going on the web has adjusted,” he said.
Acquired a suggestion about Walmart? Ben Tobin can be achieved by e mail at [email protected] or by using the encrypted app Signal or textual content at (703) 498-9171.
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JumpSeat announces its designation as a partner in the Adobe Exchange, enabling JumpSeat to better support its many Adobe customers with intuitive embedded technologies and processes that improve end-user satisfaction and enterprise adoption of Adobe solutions. This partnership further validates Jumpseat’s technical and business process alignment with the Adobe Experience Manager and Adobe Workfront applications.
“The partnership with Adobe will advantage our joint customers with better technology, business processes and user adoption. These benefits will increase the customer’s competitive advantage, which is exciting for us. This is the first of many steps in our strategic partnership with Adobe.” said Dean Edmundson, CEO.
You can send any requests about JumpSeat Product offerings to email@example.com.


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Need a cab? The cost of a taxi ride in Abu Dhabi is about to go up
New starting fares announced, along with new rates for every kilometre you travel
The price of a cab journey in Abu Dhabi is about to cost you a little bit more.
The capital’s taxi company TransAd has announced that the initial meter charge in one of its standard, silver Toyota Camry cabs will rise from Dhs3.50 to Dhs5 between 6am and 10pm, and from Dhs4 to Dhs5.50 from 10pm to 6am. That’s a 30 per cent increase for daytime rides and a 28 per cent rise at night.
The fee for every kilometre travelled is also going up. Between 6am and 10am, it rises from Dhs1.60 to Dhs1.82 for the first 50km of your journey (if the car is moving) and from 10pm to 6am it rises from Dhs1.69 to Dhs1.82. That’s a 13 per cent increase for every kilometre travelled during the day and an eight per cent increase at night.
If your cab is stationary in traffic, or you need the cabbie to wait while you hop out to a shop or to pick someone up, you’ll be charged Dhs0.50 for every minute, the same as before. The minimum fee for a taxi is now Dhs12.
It’s the first time that prices for a cab journey in the capital have gone up in five years – and the new tariffs may even be implemented from as soon as tomorrow, May 1, according to reports.
So what kind of impact will it have on your journeys? If you took a taxi from Abu Dhabi Mall to Yas Mall during the day (a 30km journey via the Yas Highway), it’d cost you around Dhs51.50 today. From tomorrow, if the changes happen that quickly, it’ll cost you in the region of Dhs59.60. Overall those journeys will cost you about 14 per cent more with the new fees.
A daytime journey from Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island to the InterContinental hotel in Al Bateen (a 14km journey) will cost you around Dhs26 today, but could set you back Dhs30.50 from tomorrow.
But the starting meter price of the black Mercedes-Benz Vito taxi vans at Abu Dhabi International Airport remains at Dhs25, although the minimum ‘flag fall’ cost of getting a silver taxi from the city to the airport rises from Dhs20 to Dhs25.
We’ll have more details on this story as soon as they’re released.


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CHEWY Stock Forecast: Latest Price of CHEWY
CHEWY Stock Forecast: Bull Case
- Better Financial First Quarter Results – There is pessimism in the global stock market and every other company is coming up with bad fiscal quarter results. Similar was the case with the Chewy Inc going into the announcement of first quarter results on 1st June 2022. But, Chewy surprised everyone with better than expected results. The revenue was up by 13.7% YoY and came at $2.43 billion against the estimate of $2.41 billion. The main positive indication was in the bottom line growth which was reported at $0.11 profit per share against the expectation of $0.04 loss. The main reason for the improved results is net sales per active customer which came at $445 – an increment of 15% from the last year.
- Better Customer Experiences– There are number of reasons of why Chewy could post these better expected results. Over the last year, the number of active customers have increased 4.2% to 20.6 million. Also, it has been observed that customer do spend in greater amount as they spend time with the Chewy. The first year spending of customer is about less than $250, which increases to about $700 in the fifth year. Company was able to better the experience of customers through improved supply chain and reduce cost simultaneously.
CHEWY Stock Forecast: Latest Video
CHEWY Stock Forecast: Latest Tweets
Tweets are not available for the Day
CHEWY Stock Forecast: Bear Case
- No return since debut on the stock market – Although, last fiscal quarter results are good, but the fact remains that Chwy stock has not given any return since its inception on NYSE on 14th June 2019. In last three years, stock is down by 17.06% (as of 15.06.2022) and that should be disheartening for investors. In last one year, stock is down by about 60%, from a high of $74 on 15th June 2021. Chewy is an online retailer of pet foods and other pet related products. This is kind of products which comes under supplementary spending and hence in the environment of higher inflation rates, the revenue dropped for the company and hence the stock price. It is still recovering from the recent falls and there seems to be more pain ahead for the company and the stock.
Chewy Inc is a company on the right path. They have tackled the supply chain issues in a better way in the last quarter, which helped them to price their products in a better way and hence increase the gross margin and revenue significantly. Chewy gross margin increased 210 basis point in the last quarter sequentially. Also, the pet product market is expanding, and is expected to be $93 billion by 2025 compared to $60 billion in 2015. Most importantly, Chewy is trading at only 1.1 times sales at the current share price which is relatively low as compared to other e commerce companies and S&P sales multiple of 2.6. It is recommended that watch Chewy quarter financial results for few quarters and if they report profit consistently, it is a buy for sure.
Questions and Answers
Q-1 Why is Chewy stock dropping?
Ans – Chwy stock is down by about 45 percent in last six months and is 62 percent down in last one year (as of 16.06.2022). There are ample reasons, but the primary reason being that the last fiscal year financial results were not at par with the expectations. For fiscal year 2021, the net revenue came at $8.89 billion, which was up by 24%, but its missed the lower end of management estimates slightly by $10 million. Various Wall Street Analysts cut their price targets, for example Jefferies analyst downgraded the target price to $60 from $90.
Also, another factor for downfall for the stock is that the company is hit hard by inflation, resulting into the drop of gross margin for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2021. The decline in the operating margin is also due to increased expenditure, as the company is investing back huge sum of money on its own business. Company’s capital expenditure increased to $183 million.
However, things are changing around in 2022 for the Chewy Inc. The revenue also bet the expectations and more importantly, gross margin has improved significantly in the last quarter. Indeed, the Chwy stock has fallen by about 45 percent in last six months, but the fall will be restricted if the company continues to deliver better than expected results.
Q-2 Chewy stock chart- Chwy Technical Analysis: –
Above chart shows the share price for Chewy Inc for last one year. The stock has fallen from a high of $87 on 1st April 2022 to $22 on 24th May 2022. Going forward, there are multiple resistances and the upside journey is not going to be easy. But, $22.45 is the next support in the current downtrend. Resistances are also marked in the chart. The first resistance is going to be at $52.17 and if stock is able to cross that level, $61 will act as next resistance. $ 80 is the next very strong resistance shown in the chart.
We have to understand that stock is fallen considerably in the past six months and any relief rally on the upside will be hindered by equivalent sell off. But on June 15th 2022, stock went up by 8.10% for a start. This is the after effect of the better than expected fiscal quarter results by Chewy Inc on 1st June 2022. In last one month, the stock is up by 10%. If the company can continue to deliver better than expected results, the stock can regain the lost ground.
Note: Crowdwisdom360 collates Predictions and data from all over the net and has no in-house view on the likely trends in the Stocks or Crypto Coins. Please consult a registered investment advisor to guide you on your financial decisions.


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Opponents of Airbnb rally in New York, which last month passed a statute to fine local residents who rent out apartments for illegal short-term abides. Image: Shannon Stapleton/ Reuters
Chesky, who is at 35 one “of the worlds” youngest billionaires, channelled the minds of the Steve Jobs Apple product propels in Thursdays announcement, wearing all pitch-black and promising transformative altered in a slick presentation. Hires, plus some of the 200 writers Airbnb piloted in for the happening, cheered and applauded.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashton Kutcher will spray Hollywood glitz when they address some of the 7,500 legions on Saturday.
Chesky statute the companys move as empowering travelers to connect with other people and authentic knows they would not otherwise have as tourists. The exhibition showcased multitudes including an astro-photographer in LA, a jazz pianist in Havana and a lifestyle blogger in Nairobi.
Experiences can last a few hours or several days, said here CEO. Half are priced below $200. Everything powered by parties. The magic is in the people.
Chesky conjured the companys root in 2007 where reference is and co-founder Joe Gebbia started hosting people on an airbed in their San Francisco apartment, a real-life Silicon Valley fairytale.
Its the next really big chapter for us, Chris Lehane, Airbnbs head of global program, said. It has real potential to fundamentally change how travel and tourism investments works.
Hosting could be a lifeline for people displaced by robotics and other economic coerces, said Lehane, a former political consultant to Bill Clinton and Al Gore.
Property emcees pay Airbnb a 3% commissioning. Experience emcees offer 20%. Those who signed up during a trial period earlier this year, and were represented at the LA event, lauded the collaboration.
Its a elevate to my business. I had such structures already, said Kike Correa, 26, who takes purchasers paddleboarding, snorkeling and scuba diving in the Florida Keys.
Nicole Biondi, 39, has designed a slaughter mystery tour in Cape Town, South africans, priced $212, which starts with a hike up Table Mountain. Her first Airbnb buyers applauded from Peru, Sweden, Ireland and Britain, she said.
Chuck McCarthy, an L-Abased performer who
supplements his income by marching beings, said he was open to becoming a host. If Airbnb reached out to me as The People Walker, Id definitely think about it.
The LA gathering includes forums and shops with deeds like house empathy through parish, changes of faith: tactical risk-taking, interior design gratuities, observing your inner glad host and has become a 5-star emcee. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, will give a talk designation creative living beyond anxiety: trip with interest.
Airbnbs ambition and its legions evangelical ardor will chagrin detractors who accuse the company of driving up hires and ruining neighborhoods by siphoning off rental groups for tourist multitudes, a criticism hear in
London, Amsterdam, Berlin and elsewhere.
In LA, activists say Venice, the citys bohemian coastal parish, is the worst affected: an Airbnb hotspot where rents have spiked 39% between 2011 and 2015.
Airbnb consumed by corporate belonging buyers who masquerade as property owners but are simply developing illegal hotels with no consider for Venice as a collection of vicinities, filled with neighbors and community, said Mary Anne Thomas, 64, a librarian who is being expelled from the bungalow she shares with her husband and dog.
Philip Henrikson and Mary Anne Thomas are being evicted from their house in Venice, an Airbnb hotspot. Image: Rory Carroll
Tourists were often thunderous and disruptive, said Thomas, standing in her yard. Parties in a neighboring home which towered over the bungalow gazed down as she communicated. Airbnb-ers, she said.
Airbnb repudiates deteriorating dwelling junctures in LA or elsewhere, saying it pays taxes which money low-income home and provides cash an average of $7,500 per year which facilitates middle class hosts pay their own hires and mortgages.
Its a platform that was created to keep parties in their homes, said Lehane, the head of world-wide program. Gentrification and homelessness had wider, deeper makes, he said. Were talking about socio-economic veers going back 10 years.


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Rustem Khamitov has held a work meeting with the General Director of the company “EURODON”
On May 5 The President of Bashkortostan has held a work meeting with the General Director of the company “EURODON” Vadin Veneev, the public affair service of the President RB reported. The aspects of the investment project on production of turkey meat in the Republic were under discussion at the gathering.
“Our Republic is one of the most progressive territories in Russian Federation from the point of view of poultry farming development and we are ready for cooperation” – Rustem Khamitov underscored.
In 2010 the company “EURODON” has produced more than 32 thousand tons of turkey meat in live weight. From the beginning of 2011 the incubator “Don” started working with its own incubation egg. More than 100 sorts of foods are produced under the company’s trade label, including about 30 sausages and meat products.
The President RB has approved the company’s cooperation offers.


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When General Motors announced last November that it would stop U.S. production of six passenger cars, one thing didn’t gel.
That was the Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan. Just why would GM drop a model it had spent a ton of money developing only three years after launch? Not to mention that Cadillac’s flagship has just been facelifted for the 2019 model year. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?
As it turns out, stopping CT6 production at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly doesn’t mean that the model is being dropped from the brand’s U.S. lineup.
The General actually plans to keep the CT6 sedan on sale in the United States, despite the potential closure of the plant that makes it. GM President Mark Reuss and Cadillac President Steve Carlisle said the CT6 should not have been on the list of six passenger cars in the first place.
“From the very beginning, we never said that CT6 was going away because we’re very keen on launching Blackwing and Super Cruise and all those sorts of things,” Carlisle told Autonews at the first day of the Detroit Auto Show. However, company officials at the time did not communicate those plans.
According to the executives, the company is currently evaluating options to keep the luxury brand’s flagship sedan in the U.S. lineup following the end of its production on June 1 at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly. To do that, GM would have to either move CT6 production to another U.S. plant or import it from China.
“We’re working hard to find other alternatives to that. We have some time”, Carlisle said. Cadillac’s President added that importing the CT6 from China “would be the least-preferred option” – which is understandable due to the trade war between the two countries and the tariffs that have, or are threatened to be, imposed. The executive said CT6 production will be part of GM’s upcoming negotiations with the UAW, as the current four-year contract between the automaker and the workers’ union ends in September.


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A celebration and relaunch party has been held at a community pub in York, to mark its ten years as a freehouse.
Local businessmen Paul Crossman and Jon Farrow saved The Slip Inn from potential closure when it was put up for sale in 2008, and they took over the actual running of the pub ten years ago this week.
In the past decade, they have added one new back room, extended another, built a new outside bar, redeveloped the upstairs flat, redesigned the main bar area, refitted the toilets, built a two-storey side extension including a new beer cellar and, most recently, turned the old cellar into a snug.
On Friday [FEB 21], locals and regulars gathered at the pub in Clementhorpe, near the River Ouse, to celebrate its ten years in independent hands and to see the final elements of the redesign. There was live music and a ‘greatest hits’ beer range, featuring some of the beers that have been most popular in the pub in the last ten years.
Mr Crossman said: “We had the full scheme in mind from day one, and it was great to be able to officially launch the expanded pub on the 10th anniversary of taking it over. It has been a chance for us to say thanks to everyone who has loved The Slip over the years and to celebrate its revival. We love the fact it has become something of an independent beer Mecca, yet has lost nothing of its welcoming community roots.”
Mr Farrow sadly died suddenly in 2017, and is much-loved and missed in the pub and community. His role as manager is now filled by his and Paul’s good friend Ian Warner.
The Slip had been through several changes in ownership in the 1990s and early 2000s, before its disposal in 2008. At the time, 52 pubs a week were closing, as large pub companies conducted mass sales during the financial crash, and there were concerns locally that The Slip was vulnerable to being converted.
Mr Crossman, who also runs The Swan 80 metres away in Bishopgate Street, said the success of The Slip since then has shown clearly what can be achieved when pubs are run independently. He now wants a national review of the industry so other pubs can also thrive more freely, saying “every pub should simply be given the same chance as The Slip”.
The ‘beer tie’ system currently allows big breweries or property companies that own pub buildings to choose which products can be sold and to act as intermediary wholesalers, restricting beer choice and forcing licensees to buy through them at much higher prices than in the free trade. It is a rigidly-enforced model which has been heavily criticised by four successive business select committees, and which eventually came under statutory regulation with the implementation of the Pubs Code in 2016.
Mr Crossman is on the steering group of the British Pub Confederation, which represents independent publicans, and says the business, enterprise and industrial strategy committee of MPs should now seek a competitions and markets inquiry.
He said: “Pubs are so fundamental to the cohesion of our society. They’re the last social meeting place for many communities, but the fortunes of a pub depend entirely on the freehold ownership of the building and the motivation of that owner. If it’s driven by a company and its financial priorities, such as servicing bond-holder debt, then they treat it very differently from an independent owner, who comes with a sense of stewardship and community.
“Because I already had The Swan, which I lease from a large pub company, it was clear to me what we were dealing with and also clear what The Slip could become. Our experience there now allows us to show how detrimental the beer tie is to so many other pubs. To free a tied pub and then make a success of it has been a big thing for us and others.
“Politicians need to acknowledge what is going on. Enforcement of the pub code by the Adjudicator has been terribly weak, so they need to take much more fundamental action. The key to making The Slip work was removing the beer tie, and that is the case in so many pubs all over the country. Removing that restriction allows a pub to be more, and to do more in its community.
“The Slip was very typical of a tied pub. It was passed from company to company, and the longstanding tenant with it of course, every time with different restrictions on what products could be sold. By 2008, the pub had been starved of investment for years, and was not realising its potential.
“What we need is a full competition and markets inquiry into the beer and pub sector, and that’s what MPs in the BEIS committee should now be pushing for.
“Parliament needs to stop paying lip service to pubs and actually do something to help them. We need a fundamental restructure of the rules that govern the industry, and we need the Government to stop supporting a closed market.”
Over the past ten years, the number of lines running from the cellar to the bar at The Slip has increased from ten to 26, with many now given over to beers from local and independent breweries, increasing the choice for customers.
Mr Crossman said: “Pubs like The Slip are gold dust for breweries because they can deal directly with us, but we are also proof of the difference that can be achieved when a pub is freed from the tie. We can contribute fully to the local culture and economy now, and like all thriving pubs we are doing good work socially, helping bring people together, tackling loneliness and isolation and providing and maintaining an essential additional space. I get great satisfaction from knowing that this pub is now out of reach of the big pub companies. I intend to look into placing a covenant on the building to say that it can’t ever be subject to a supply tie again, because it is now such a serious mission to protect these unique places for the community.”
Notes to editors:
- Email firstname.lastname@example.org with any queries or to arrange interviews


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We’re bracing for the inevitable “Apple blinked” stories regarding the company’s new “Multi-Pass” option for buying content from its iTunes Music Store. From the description in a Reuters article about the service, you’d be forgiven for lumping it in with the subscription-based models offered by Rhapsody and Napster.
You’d be forgiven, but you’d still be wrong.
Start with the lead: “Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes music and video store on Wednesday took its first step toward a monthly subscription model…” First step? the inclination is clearly that there are more steps yet to be taken, yet the article offers no evidence for this.
And this: “Apple has so far (emphasis ours) resisted calls from media companies and competitors to adopt a monthly subscription fee favored by the likes of Napster and Real Networks Inc.’s Rhapsody…” Again, the description in incremental terms, as if a subscription-based model is a mere inevitability.
But Apple’s Multi-Pass is nothing like the subscription-based model of Napster or Rhapsody. As far as we can determine, there aren’t even any recurring charges. Most importantly, the content is not “rented.” You won’t lose your ability to watch “The Daily Show” if you stop ponying up a monthly fee. It won’t be deleted from your iPod if Apple decides you’ve watched it enough.
Here’s how it works. Episodes of shows like Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” for instance, are sold individually for $1.99. But for $9.99, you can buy the next 16 shows and download each after it’s been broadcast.
No, Multi-Pass may be a subscription model, but only in the conventional “Hey, Mister, please support my school with a year’s worth of “National Geographics” sense. If you buy a year’s subscription to Macworld, for instance, you’ll pay a lot less per issue than if you pick them up each month at your local newsstand. But each issue is no less yours. Jason Snell isn’t coming to your house at the end of the year to collect your copies of the magazine.
For whatever insidious intent Reuters may want to ascribe to Apple’s Multi-Pass, the simple, boring truth is that it’s a retailing tactic that probably goes back to the first caveman who wanted to clear out last year’s wheels to make room for the new models. One that fast-talking, plaid-jacketed salesmen have been using ever since. “Hey buddy, they’re a dollar ninety-nine a piece, but I’ll give you the whole shebang for a mere 10 clams.”
Multi-Pass, dear readers, is nothing more complicated than a volume discount.
Keep that in mind when you read some of the pundits’ takes on it over the next few days.


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After hearing a bunch of rumors surrounding LG’s upcoming quad-core best, the LG Optimus 4X HD, LG has finally officially announced the device, putting all speculation to rest. We originally reported about the device as the LG X3 but now we know the recent name change will stick. Sporting some amazing specs, the X4 HD could potentially give LG a better name for themselves, veering away from their association to mediocre devices.
The 4X HD sports an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display and will launch running ICS without the much despised TouchWiz overlay. The device comes equipped with 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 2,150mAh battery, 8MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front camera. To get an idea how fast the Tegra 3 is going to be in this device, check out our previous post showing a leaked benchmark test when the device was being referred to as the X3. From the looks of this thing it’s going to be sweet and it’s refreshing to see LG make an attempt to change for the better. You can expect the device to be unveiled at this years Mobile World Congress next week.


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Twitch is the live streaming service and global community for content spanning gaming, entertainment, music, sports, and more.
84% believe showing support for streamers is an important part of the Twitch experience1
76% appreciate brands that help their favorite streamers achieve success1
"Twitch is now pulling in mainstream viewers with its vision for the future of live TV."
"Twitch is changing the TV viewing experience"
"...the future of Twitch will more or less be the future of streaming."


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Why brands are inviting customers directly into their product development
How can you be sure a customer is going to buy your product? By using their feedback to give them exactly what they're asking for.
When Glossier launched in 2014, it was thanks not only to its founder, Emily Weiss, but the 1,000 potential customers who had provided feedback throughout the brand’s pre-launch development process.
Since then, the concept of “co-creating” products with customers has taken off, and brands are asking for help on all fronts. Personal care brand Curie’s founder Sarah Moret recently explained on Twitter how she asked customers to help her price a new moisturizing oil. OFFFIELD, the CBD hydration brand for runners, is in the process of setting up its “Labs” program, where customers will be invited to give feedback on products in development, while social platforms like Geneva are helping brands including skincare startup Bubble, period products company August, and apparel brand Uncle Studios create forums where they can discuss the future of the brand and their products.
By mobilizing a community of potential customers before launch, brands can make sure they have a captive audience ready to hand over their money. It is not an easy process — it not only involves weighing up huge volumes of often conflicting feedback, but also requires the diplomacy skills to gently explain why some ideas that customers might have are completely impractical — but it can be worth it to make sure a launch goes off with a bang. As Nick Ling, the cofounder of brand incubator and acquirer Pattern Brands puts it: “I would prefer to invest a lot of time upfront with co-creators versus finding out those insights six months later, when it’s too late.”
We spoke with Ling and three other founders to find out more about what it really means when they say they are creating products with customers.
For nine months before launching its home organization line Open Spaces, brand incubator Pattern Brands ran a website called “Space and Time” that looked just like a new ecommerce brand — only, it didn’t really exist. “It was a version of Open Spaces that we used for getting tangible consumer feedback before we launched,” says Ling.
The site featured a “full shopping experience” where people could poke around and see what they wanted to buy (although, with no products available, customers were asked to join a waitlist).
Ling estimates up to 3,000 people interacted with the website — some from Pattern’s own network, and a significant number of whom were completely unsuspecting. A further 300 people were also involved more closely in the development process, participating in focus groups and customer interviews, as well as reviewing 3D models of the products.
Ling says tech advancements have empowered brands to bring customers into the creation process. “You can spin up a website in days rather than weeks now, and you can do lifelike 3D modeling of products versus going and getting it actually manufactured before you show it to people,” he explains. “You can see if people are interested in what you’re selling before you’ve even invested in that.”
As for the fake website, one of the biggest lessons learned was that consumers select their home organization products based on how they look, rather than what they actually want to use them for. As a result, Open Spaces now communicates functional advice about its products after purchase.
Pattern has since pivoted to focus on acquisitions, rather than launching its own brands. Its consumer community still plays a role in finding targets: Ling says the company has a mailing list of loyal customers to which it suggests brands.
“It all started with influencer marketing,” says Charlotte C Pienaar, the founder of sunscreen brand Everyday Humans, when reflecting on how customers — and content creators — get involved with making improvements to the brand’s products.
Pienaar noticed that influencers were, at times, coming up with ways to market the products that the brand had not considered. With Resting Beach Face, Everyday Humans’ sunscreen serum, “we saw a lot of creators say ‘it gives me beautiful, glowy, healthy skin,’” says Pienaar. “We’ve never even used that tagline before, but now it’s become something we use because creators have given us that feedback.”
Everyday Humans is now in the process of formalizing this input, requesting one-on-one feedback from creators and also conducting group surveys to collect data points on its products, and figure out what it needs to address.
A “weird” smell from the sunscreen was one piece of feedback that kept coming up, and which informed a recent round of product reformulation at Everyday Humans. “We literally just launched our reformulated Resting Beach Face, and one of the key things was that we wanted to make the fragrance more palatable,” Pienaar explains, in addition to making improvements on the packaging (using more recycled plastic), and adding more moisturizing ingredients, based on creator comments.
Now when Everyday Humans recruits affiliate marketers, it asks them to fill out a survey explaining what their current skincare routines look like. It has also set up a Geneva group with over 100 enthusiastic customers. “We get so much information on what people want, what people don’t want,” Pienaar says, adding that Everyday Humans is now developing further products incorporating this feedback.
The first product Leila Kashani launched, back in 2014, was a single-blade razor designed to take care of spots missed while shaving. Originally sold under the name Sphynx, it later became part of Alleyoop, a beauty line selling makeup and skincare products designed to be as multi-functional and transportable as possible.
This transition, Kashani says, was possible thanks to the input of a 200-strong Slack channel she set up to gather ideas for new products.
“When I started reading the reviews [for the razor] online, it was like ‘oh, this is great, but I wish…’,” she explains. “And so I decided at that point, my close circle of friends giving me feedback is not good enough. I had no idea how people were actually going to use [the product].”
Today, all of Alleyoop’s products are created in response to frustrations its co-creators have with their current skincare and beauty routines. Take Alleyoop’s four-in-one brush. Kashani had originally designed a single case that could hold a number of makeup brushes; but when her Slack group insisted that they needed a sponge, she redesigned the product so it could hold one. When customers requested that Alleyoop’s skincare line came with both a towel and a gentle physical exfoliator, Kashani responded by creating a two-sided mitten that could do both jobs at once — and when customers complained about having to use cotton balls with their toners (which they found wasteful), Alleyoop decided to create one in a stick form, rather than liquid.
In May 2021, baby and toddler product brand Lalo announced it was opening applications to its “product council” — a committee that would help the brand to shape its future products. Within 24 hours, over 1,000 applications had come in, says cofounder Michael Wieder.
As part of the application process, customers were asked to share what they liked about the brand, the things they would change, and future products they’d like to see. In exchange for joining the council, these customers get free products to test — that will hopefully be tailored to their needs.
The chosen applicants didn’t need to have previously purchased anything from the brand, but were people who had demonstrated genuine interest in the program, says Wieder. “It was clear that they’d spent more than three minutes on the application — they’d sat down and spent an hour,” he explains. “We wanted to make sure we got a mix of extremely loyal customers and potential customers.”
The 15 members of the “Lalo Fam” product council are now part of a Slack channel where the Lalo team will dip in each week to ask specific questions about what they'd like to see next from the brand. Once a month, the founders host a Zoom session which serves as a focus group, where they discuss the brand’s future plans.
Lalo has been quizzing the product council on everything from colors choices, to how specific features on already-existing products could be improved. Wieder also says that Lalo has “an entire line of products launching next year that will be heavily influenced by the guidance of the council.”
“My cofounder Greg and I are both dads, and it’s very easy to take your own experience and assume that’s the experience for all parents,” Wieder says. “What the council allows us to do is really have an open mind and understanding of the different types of family lives, children and experiences that we need to support with our products.”
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Samsung has announced their version of messaging service called as ChatON. The free service will be showcased at IFA and will go live in September in over 120 countries in 62 languages. Unique thing about ChatON is that it will not only support Samsung bada, Android OS and feature phones but devices on other mobile platforms as well like iOS and BlackBerry. Samsung will also launch a web client that will enable users to share from PC.
ChatON will allow users to have a 1:1 conversation, group chat, group messaging and even share images, videos, voice messages, contacts over the platform.
ChatON will be available in two functionality options. First will be the basic one for feature phones that will support sharing of text, images, calendar, contacts. Other function will be for smartphone users that will add few more features like Interaction Rank that shows how much a user is active on the service, comment on user profiles and Animation message which is nothing but a combination of scribbled text and audio.


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Does alleged picture from the HTC M7/One show off new ultrapixels technology?
A new picture has hit the web, claiming to have been captured by the upcoming HTC M7 (aka the HTC One). The image surfaced on flickr with exif data claiming that it was captured by HTC’s upcoming flagship device, but we’re not too sure that it’s indicative of HTC’s new ultrapixels technology. The image itself is only 512 x 288 pixels with a dpi of 72. Even if HTC’s new ultrapixels technology uses three 4.3 megapixel layers to output a single image, we’re sure it would be much larger than this image’s 0.1 megapixels.
Typically, exif data is a great source of information, but there’s really nothing here that matches up with what we already know, besides the HTC One name. Editing picture exif data is as simple as going into image properties in Windows Explorer and changing the exif information under the details tab. It’s impossible to know if the exif data of the alleged picture from the HTC One has been modified, but we’re certainly hoping that it has.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think the image is genuine or is someone trying to get a little bit of attention as we get closer to the unveiling of the HTC M7?


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Dying Light 2 Stay Human's First Halloween Event Turns Zombies Into Pumpkins
Fight off Dying Light 2's new "Pumpkintile" enemies for special treats in this week-long Halloween event.
While Dying Light 2's zombie-filled open world already feels ready for the spooky season, developer Techland has announced a week-long Halloween event to bring even more seasonal treats. The game's dangerous volatiles have been turned into jack-o-lantern-esque "Pumpkintiles," with all infected dropping a new currency called "Treats," which can be traded for Halloween-themed goodies.
The All Hallows Eve event is active now, running from October 25 to November 4, with Techland describing it as Dying Light 2's "biggest in-game event" since it released in February. The event calls back to the original game's classic Halloween events, with visual updates scattering decorations around the world--including the pumpkin-headed volatiles.
Once players have collected enough Treats from infected, they can visit a new seasonal in-game vendor called Baka the Unfortunate, who will exchange Treats for potions with unusual new effects.
Players will also be able to get their hands on seasonal cosmetics with the new Dying Laugh bundle, which will be available for free between November 3-10. The bundle includes a new clown costume, a matching weapon, and a seasonal paraglider skin.
Halloween masks are also available for players who complete the event's special daily and weekly bounties. Some of the Halloween items are locked behind global goals, which require all players to come together to collect a certain number of treats, unlocking rewards across the Dying Light 2 playerbase.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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Anta shares soar 17pc after results top forecasts
Shares in Anta Sports Products jumped more than 17 per cent yesterday on a narrower-than-expected decline in net profit for the first half - and brushing aside a caution from management that demand in the sportswear industry is unlikely to rebound in the short term.
The Fujian-based branded sportswear retailer reported net profit for the six months to June of 769.6 million yuan (HK$936 million), down 17 per cent from 927.3 million yuan last year.
Turnover dropped 11.6 per cent to 3.9 billion yuan as the nation's sportswear industry struggled to maintain sales against a backdrop of weak consumer sentiment and sluggish economic growth.
But the decline was lower than market expectations and Anta's stock surged 17.15 per cent after the announcement to close at a four-week high of HK$4.85, making it one of the top gainers in Hong Kong trading.
Anta was the first home-grown sportswear retailer to release first-half results, and the market responded to the news by chasing the shares of other sportswear retailers, including Li Ning, Peak Sport Products, 361 Degrees and Xtep, 5 to 10 per cent higher, outperforming a 1.69 per cent gain in the Hang Seng Index.
'I think the market is over-optimistic about the company. Both its sales and net profit growth will continue to decline over the next year,' said Alfred Ying, an equity analyst with Piper Jaffray Asia Securities.
Lai Shixian, chief operating officer of Anta, said the major challenges in the whole industry still remained and it was difficult to predict if the worst was yet to come. The company said in a separate filing yesterday that the order value at its trade fair for the first quarter of 2013 decreased by 20 to 30 per cent year on year.
Same-store sales growth declined by a mid-single-digit percentage from a year earlier. Anta said it had adopted flexible replenishment arrangements and communicated with distributors and franchisees to help them adjust orders and reduce inventory risks.
Lai said same-store sales growth would remain under pressure in the second half. The company intends to adopt a prudent pricing strategy, focusing on mid-end products priced between 200 and 300 yuan and opening more discount shops and outlets to clear inventory.
As of June this year, Anta had 7,807 shops and counters, 691 kids' apparel and shoe shops, and 689 sports lifestyle shops under its brand.
An interim dividend of 23 HK cents per share was declared for the period.
The sportswear industry has been cooling since last year. Several players, including Li Ning, Peak Sport and China Dongxiang, have issued profit warnings over the past two months.
Anta reported turnover of this much, in yuan, in the first half, down 11.6 per cent from the same period last year


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Schweppes, one of the world’s most famous adult sparkling drinks brands, is being re-launched in Great Britain with a bold new strategy, including new advertising, packaging and variants.
Schweppes, which is owned and marketed by
The campaign aims to seize the opportunity of a renaissance in adult soft drinking. Growing demand for sparkling drinks targeting adults and an increase in people drinking mixers without alcohol has boosted the adult soft drinks market by 9.1 percent in the UK over the past year – outpacing other growing soft drink categories including water, energy and squash.
With its leading position and unrivalled brand loyalty, Schweppes is in a unique position to recruit a new generation of 35+ year-old consumers, with a more modern and younger image for the 232 year-old brand.
Separating men from the boys, women from the girls
The unique heritage and modern character of the brand is being accentuated with a renovated packaging design, featuring a new ‘ownable’ teardrop-shaped bottle and embossed ‘fountain’ Schweppes logo. This will be used for 125ml, 200ml and 1 litre PET pack sizes.
The new campaign and range extension will also be supported by extensive in-store sampling, retailer events and PR.
Extending the range
The new campaign also includes a major new product innovation, extending the Schweppes range of mixers, cordials and lemonade into a new family of Schweppes Sparking Juices.
The new line-up, including Grapefruit & Blood Orange, Orange & Cranberry and Lemon & Eldeflower variants, is designed to meet the needs of sophisticated adult palates, while also extending the appeal of Schweppes with a message of ‘not only mixers’. The sparkling juices, which will be promoted with the tagline “Grown Up Tastes for Grown Up Palates”, will be the lowest-calorie of their kind in the ‘adult special’ sector (20kcal/100ml), driving incremental category growth among consumers who are looking for sophisticated tastes and greater choice. The new sparkling juices will be available in 750ml and 275ml glass bottles and 330ml cans.
Adult soft drinking on the rise
Jessica Taylor-Delaney, Senior Brand Activation Manager for Schweppes, says: “There is a great opportunity in the adult soft drinking market and with this campaign we are positioning Schweppes to seize it. Adults over 35 are tending to drink less alcohol and are increasingly drinking mixers without alcohol at all. The sector is growing by nearly 10 per cent a year, selling over 11 million unit cases in the UK last year. Demand is fuelled by a growing health culture, with 35+ consumers more conscious of calories and looking for inspiring drinks outside of the established youth-focused sparkling brands. With this wide-ranging investment, Schweppes is tapping into each of these trends, representing a smart and sophisticated choice for a new generation of discerning adult consumers.”
More Press Releases
- Schweppes invites you to unlock a hidden world of alchemy at London Cocktail Week
- Diet Coke unveils limited-edition can designs to celebrate new on-pack promotion
- Fuze Tea opens the UK’s first ever immersive ASMR sensory experience
Life just got peachy!
Coca-Colabrings Coca-ColaZero Sugar Peach to UK shores
- Meet the new Schweppes


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Apple may be phasing out iOS 4 updates for the two-year-old iPhone 3G, after it emerged that the third beta version of iOS 4.1 does not support the ageing smartie.
Developers were updated with iOS 4.1 Beta 3 this week and although there have been some complaints with the performance of iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G in general, it has been less prone to issues than when installed on the iPhone 3G S or 4.
It is specifically the Game Centre social gaming platform that is being dropped from Apple's legacy devices, although further omissions could follow, according to Engadget.
Apple is expected to update the iPhone 4 with the latest version of the iOS platform in the near future, although whether or not this will fix the long running antenna issues is unknown.
Developers were given access to iOS 4 Beta 2 less than a month ago and already Apple has released the third beta testing version, which suggests that it is pushing ahead with its planned update at a fair old lick.
iPad users will be hoping that iOS 4 will arrive on their tablets soon, although it is unlikely that Apple has been focusing on such an update given its current antenna woes.
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Unlike the industrial robotics sector, service robots have received a boost from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data presented by BuyShares, the entire market is expected to continue growing strongly and hit over $30bn in sales by 2022, a 30% increase in two years.
Americas Lead in the Use of Service Robots, Entire Market to Hit $12B Value in 2022
Recent years have witnessed a surge in the use of service robots, as they offer increased productivity and convenience in both professional and private settings. The entire market is divided into two main segments. Commercial robots are used to perform tasks in a business environment, like medical robots and automated guided vehicles used in warehouses.
Personal service robots include convenience robots, which perform tasks like cleaning and vacuuming, and entertainment robots, such as toys and photography drones.
In 2018, the entire market generated $13.7bn in sales volume, revealed the Statista survey. This figure surged by almost 70% in the next two years, reaching $23.1bn in 2020. The growing demand for service robots is expected to continue this year, with the sales value rising by another 17% YoY to $27bn. By the end of 2022, this figure is forecast to jump by another $3bn.
Statistics show the service robotics market is led by the Americas, with an estimated sales value of $10.8bn in 2021, up from $7.4bn before the pandemic. This figure is forecast to jump to over $12bn in 2022.
As the second-largest region, the Asia Pacific is expected to hit almost $7.4bn in sales volume in 2021, a 20% jump in a year. The European market follows with a $7.3bn value.
Medical Robots to Generate One-Third of Total Sales Value
Statistics show that most service robots are used in the medical industry, expected to generate almost $9bn or 33% of total sales value this year. In the next twelve months, this figure is set to jump to $10bn. Technical innovations and demographic developments drive the market growth of these robots.
Robotic technologies can be more precise and flexible than human surgeons, making robot-assisted surgery a popular option. Since they are immune to infectious diseases, medical robots have also been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also widely used in diagnostic, rehabilitation, and nursing care.
Statistics show the Americas dominate the medical robot’s market. However, due to aging populations, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the most significant growth in the future.
Convenience robots for domestic tasks ranked as the second-largest segment, with $6.7bn in sales value in 2021. This figure is set to reach almost $7.5bn next year. These robots are increasingly finding their way into households worldwide. Packed with different capabilities, they can make everyday life more comfortable. Statistics show the Asia-Pacific region is the leading market for convenience robots. However, the largest producer, iRobot, is headquartered in the United States.
As the fastest-growing segment of the commercial service robotics market, logistics is forecast to hit over $3.9bn in sales volume this year, up from $3.1bn in 2020. The pandemic fuelled eCommerce surge continues driving demand for logistics robots, as they help automate and optimize operations, enabling higher precision, lower costs, and faster delivery times.
The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to witness the biggest increase in sales volume. However, Europe is expected to maintain its position as the region with the most sales of logistics service robots.
Statistics show the entire logistics robots industry is set to continue growing and reach $4.5bn in sales by 2022.
Releaf Secures $4.2M in Seed Funding Plans To Drive Industrialisation of Food Processing in Africa
Nigerian agritech start-up, Releaf, has just announced a $2.7 million seed funding led by Samurai Incubate Africa, Future Africa and Consonance Investment Managers with participation from Stephen Pagliuca, Chairman of Bain Capital and Justin Kan (Twitch).
In addition to the seed round, Releaf also secured $1.5 million in grants from The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and USAID.
The seed funding will enable the development of industrial food processing technology in Nigeria’s smallholder-driven Oil Palm sector, while the grant will enable Releaf to provide working capital and other value-added services for smallholders and small-scale processors. Grant funding will support the training, recruitment and retention of more women and youth in Nigeria’s Oil Palm sector by creating both digital and technical jobs.
Nigeria’s oil palm industry is dominated by smallholder farmers, with 80 percent of the local market share. However, production rates are low because many still rely on inefficient processes for de-shelling, including the use of rocks and inappropriate hardware. These ineffective processes also lead to low-quality palm kernels, largely unfit as input for high-quality vegetable oil manufacturing. As a result, food factories are unable to purchase these raw materials and operate significantly under capacity. On average, food factories have 3X more installed capacity than utilisation, which impacts the cost of food and further investment into processing capacity.
Releaf acts as a bridge between smallholder farmers and food manufacturing companies with its proprietary patent-pending machinery, Kraken. Kraken can process any quality of palm nut into premium quality (95 percent purity) inputs for food factories. Releaf’s software connects the start-up to more than 2,000 smallholder farmers, ensuring consistent, large-scale supply. While palm kernel oil production is not foreign to Nigeria, Releaf’s technology and scale mean it can process 500 tonnes of palm nuts per week. The software offerings also allow the start-up to receive inbound supply requests from farmers via USSD, provide working capital financing, and collect proprietary data on supply availability.
Speaking about the new funding, Ikenna Nzewi, CEO and co-founder of Releaf, said, “our mandate is to industrialise Africa’s food processing industry. This round of funding enables us to develop and prove our technology with smallholder farmers in the oil palm sector. Given Nigerians spend ~60 percent of their income on food and Africa’s population is set to increase by 100,000 people per day over the next three decades, we’re presented with an incredible opportunity to feed more people, reduce consumer costs, and supply the fastest-growing food market in the world. Releaf is committed to harnessing technology to accelerate the economic wealth of rural, agrarian societies throughout the Continent. We firmly believe that a robust real economy is the foundation for long-lasting and shared prosperity for Africans and are excited to deepen partnerships with like-minded organisations, governments, and firms.”
Rena Yoneyama, Managing Partner at Samurai Incubate Africa who led the round, commented, “Releaf’s novel approach to operating within the value chain with proprietary technology set it aside from many agritech startups we have spoken about to. We believe the firm’s thesis on decentralizing food processing would strongly match Africa’s economic development landscape for the next few decades. Ikenna and Uzo are the perfect founders to disrupt this market in Nigeria and beyond. We are thrilled to back them as they innovate in providing both agro-processing and financial services to rural communities and farmers.”
Iyin Aboyeji, General Partner at Future Africa noted, “more than 50% of the goods in supermarkets globally contain glycerine – an extract made from palm oil – a cash crop that is passed down from generation to generation. The team at Releaf is building the agro-allied industry of the future from the ground up, starting with palm oil which they have developed a novel technology to aggregate, deshell and process into critical ingredients like vegetable oil and glycerine. Future Africa is delighted to back Releaf to build the future of modern agriculture.”
Dr. Nneka Enwonwu, Country Relationship Manager, from The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), said, “We are thrilled to partner with Releaf on their mission to improve efficiency and profitability for farmers and food factories in Africa. The founders’ vision and the team’s enthusiasm gave us confidence that Releaf will deliver real value for rural communities and create digital/technical jobs for women and youth. We are looking forward to their results and success over the coming years and continuing to support their work.”
54gene closes $25M Series B to Advance Global Drug Discovery Capabilities
African genomics startup 54gene has secured $25M in a Series B round, led by Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund. The round also included participation from Adjuvant Capital, KdT Ventures, Plexo Capital, Endeavor Capital, Ingressive Capital and others. This round brings the company’s total investment to date to more than $45M since being founded in 2019.
The new capital raised will be deployed to expand 54gene’s capabilities in sequencing, target identification and validation, and precision medicine clinical trials enabling drug discovery in Africa for both Africans and the global population. The new capital will also enable the company to begin its expansion across the African continent.
Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, CEO, 54gene, commented: “It’s truly incredible to witness the impact of African scientists in global research, and it is critical to global health that this continues. We want to scale our contribution to global drug discovery by extensively developing life science capabilities on the continent, and this additional capital will catalyse our endeavours.”
Dr Ene-Obong continued: “In this round, we have brought in partners that keep us true to our mission of equalising healthcare and who can help us replicate our success throughout Africa. We believe the world will benefit from an African global drug discovery company that leverages the deep insights found in genomics research in diverse populations and ensures true equity for the African population. It’s exciting to see our company shift into the next gear as it targets becoming one of the top global companies in genomics research.”
54gene will also be expanding its genomics and molecular diagnostics division across Africa, ensuring that African patients get access to accurate diagnostics and enabling the application of precision medicine in the clinical setting throughout the continent. To lead this new business unit, the company has brought in Michelle Ephraim as General Manager Diagnostics Pan-Africa. Michelle has held various sales leadership roles across Africa for Leica Biosystems, PerkinElmer, and Merck Millipore.
Yassine Oussaifi, Partner at Cathay AfricInvest, commented: “As a pioneer in genomics and precision medicine in Nigeria, 54gene has built a unique health technology platform leveraging African resources to unlock scientific discoveries for the benefit of African and global communities. At Cathay AfricInvest Innovation, we’re dedicated to backing innovative, inclusive solutions that connect African technology and research with global innovation ecosystems to help them scale. 54gene works across drug discovery, molecular diagnostics and clinical trials, boosting access and affordability of various healthcare solutions that will positively impact worldwide. We look forward to working with the 54gene team on their development on the continent and beyond.”
Nokia and African Telecommunications Union (ATU) to Speed up Digital Transformation and the Knowledge Economy in Africa
Collaboration to leverage the power of ICT including 5G for Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0), connecting the unconnected and transforming lives; Both organizations reiterate commitment to shape policy, develop talent, and promote inclusion and diversity in Africa.
Nokia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) to drive digital transformation and the knowledge economy for socio-economic development across the continent. The two parties will leverage the power of telecommunications, including 5G networks, to connect the unconnected and identify innovative use cases, as well as business models. In addition, the MoU will lay ground for both organizations to better help governments shape telecom policy, develop talent and promote inclusion and diversity. This includes women, as well as the underprivileged in both rural and urban areas.
The MoU was signed in Nairobi, Kenya, by John OMO, Secretary General at ATU and Rajiv Aggarwal, Nokia Representative and Head of Central, East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia.
Announcing the partnership, Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of Central, East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia, said: “We remain keen on supporting Africa’s digital transformation journey and by collaborating with the ATU, we strengthen this commitment. We will leverage our global technology expertise and insights on policy matters to positively impact the universal socio-economic development in the continent.”
Co-signing the MoU with Mr. Rajiv, John OMO, Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), said: “Our vision is to make Africa a full and active participant in the global information and knowledge society by enabling universal access to ICT systems and services across Africa. Collaboration with a global industry leader such as Nokia is therefore crucial in this regard and will help us accelerate towards a digital transformation and knowledge economy.”
The MoU framework is guided by six tenets designed to facilitate this acceleration. These are:
- Sharing of best practices on telecom technology trends and developments
- Identification of innovative industrial use cases toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution
- Recommendation on implementation of emerging technologies and business models
- Promotion of connecting the unconnected with broadband
- Development of emerging talent for digital innovation
- Promotion of inclusion and diversity
Nokia has a long history of collaboration with international organizations and bodies across the globe. Regionally in MEA, Nokia recently partnered with UN Women to promote inclusion and diversity in Middle East and Africa. Nokia is also working with UNICEF as part of a shared-value partnership in Kenya to connect schools with broadband and empower children in rural as well as disadvantaged urban areas. In November 2020, Nokia supported the Forge Academy in South-Africa with the launch of a fully inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) laboratory to help students to become entrepreneurs in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the global digital economy.
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By Euro Weekly News Media • 21 May 2014 • 11:25
Tech company Google has launched their 'storybooks' software.
Tech giant Google has come up with an efficient way to sort holiday photos and videos.
The company has launched its new software that automatically sorts media into ‘storybook’ albums. It can also edit videos and create a holiday film album.
The service is offered on Google’s Google+ social network and apps to help people compile and manage their post-holiday memories from cameras, phones and tablets.
The innovative service is able to automatically sort through holiday snaps and organise them into online albums.
The clever software can even work out where you were by GPS or by recognising popular landmarks featured.
It can work out from timestamps and locations what order pictures should be in and is able to add maps to show where users travelled on trips.
To access the new service users just need a Google account, and they can start uploading. The app will then group the photos and videos, making the usually messy organising process a simple task.
Talking about its new app, Google said:
“To get started with Stories and Movies, simply back up your photos and videos to Google+.
“And that’s it. Auto Awesome will get to work in the background, and you’ll get notified when a story or movie is ready.”
“A suitcase full of dirty clothes, a sad-looking house plant and 437 photos and videos on your phone, tablet and camera. This is the typically messy scene after a vacation.
“Although we can’t do your laundry (thanks but no thanks), or run your errands (well, maybe a few), we’d still like to help.
“Enter Google+ Stories, which can automatically weave your photos, videos and the places you visited into a beautiful travelogue.”
Google’s Anil Sabharwal said the entire process of creating the storybooks is automated and the firm has even already started creating the albums for users.
Sabharwal said: “If your photo library is already online, you may already have stories waiting for you.
“This way you can relive your favourite moments, share them with others, and remember why you travelled in the first place.”
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The landscape of technology is on the brink of a significant transformation as OpenAI introduces its GPT Store, a pioneering platform that promises to decentralize the creation of artificial intelligence applications. This move is set to change the way AI is accessed, utilized, and potentially monetized, reminiscent of the seismic shift witnessed with the introduction of the mobile app marketplace.
In a move mirroring the trailblazed by a renowned tech giant in 2008 with their app marketplace, OpenAI is set to inaugurate the GPT Store in the coming weeks. This platform will empower developers to construct and publish their unique versions of ChatGPT, fostering a community-driven ecosystem where innovation and creativity can flourish.
Customized AI at Your Fingertips
The notion of personalized artificial intelligence is at the heart of OpenAI’s vision. The GPT Store will not only serve as a hub for developers to showcase their custom bots but also as a space where consumers can access a diverse array of GPTs tailored to specific tasks. Whether it’s for organizing interior designs, crafting presentations, or any other unique requirements, the GPTs are designed to be collaborative, calling upon various services to perform complex tasks seamlessly.
Accessibility and Agency: A New Era for AI
OpenAI’s approach indicates a shift towards a more user-centric model, where anyone, regardless of coding expertise, can craft a GPT. The simplicity of the process is such that one can create a GPT by merely interacting with ChatGPT and describing the desired functionality. This democratization of AI development aims to grant more agency to users, making AI a more integral and accessible part of daily life.
An Emerging AI Marketplace
The GPT Store’s impending launch represents a potential watershed moment for AI distribution and monetization. It will feature creations by verified builders, offering a curated experience that rewards innovation and utility. The comparison to the successful mobile app marketplace model is unavoidable, suggesting a strategic move by OpenAI to capture the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of developers worldwide.
Strategic Partnerships and Industry Implications
OpenAI’s strategic partnerships, particularly with prominent industry players, indicate a robust support network for this venture. However, the endeavor also sets the stage for potential industry conflicts as it seeks to establish a standalone platform, possibly challenging established app stores and distribution channels.
Anticipating the Future
The GPT Store’s announcement heralds a potential paradigm shift in how AI is consumed and commercialized. As the platform evolves, the implications for the industry and individual developers alike remain a subject of keen interest, with the potential for new revenue models and partnerships.
As OpenAI embarks on this ambitious journey, the implications for the tech industry and AI development are profound. The GPT Store could redefine user interaction with AI, create new economic opportunities for developers, and challenge existing market dynamics. This unfolding narrative promises to reshape the tech landscape, warranting close observation and participation from all corners of the industry.


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TranslateMedia Offers Dedicated Multilingual Buzz Monitoring Services
TranslateMedia, the London-based translation agency and official translations partner to the PRCA has announced the launch of its new ‘Multilingual Buzz Monitoring’ service.
‘Multilingual Buzz Monitoring’ enables organizations to monitor and nurture their online social media relationships with international communities, whilst understanding and dealing with any negative commentary that comes in from these foreign language markets.
With social media spreading globally, it has become vital for global brands and their agencies to be able to track social media buzz in more than just English-speaking markets. Recent reports suggest that already 70 percent of Facebook and 60 percent of Twitter users are non English Speakers.
For example, the influence of Hispanic and other non-English speakers within the US is growing at an impressive rate. The US Hispanic market alone has grown from 38m in 2000 to 50m in 2010, and the segment’s spending power is now estimated at $1.2 trillion - making it the 9th largest economy in the world.
“We are delighted to offer a more focused multilingual buzz monitoring service,” said Patrick Eve, managing director. “The new service will function as a focal-point for the production of high-quality multilingual buzz monitoring reports for international organizations. It enables checking and analysis of client responses on key online platforms, including blogs, forums, and popular social media web sites. The reports will not only include an analysis of sentiment from the various markets but will also measure the levels of influence from the various social media commentators, so brands and agencies can more easily prioritise their responses.
The service is supported by a TranslateMedia’s network of over 5,000 regional linguists who, with their knowledge of the regional vernacular and common local search practices, can guarantee effective sentiment analysis - including the identification of sarcasm and double negatives, that are so often missed by automated sentiment tools.
“Not only do we have the linguistic capability to perform an excellent multilingual buzz monitoring service, but we have also spent time developing technology to aid the production of our reports,” said Matt Train, operations director, in a statement.
TranslateMedia recently announced the release of the latest version of its award-winning translation platform – TranslateMedia STREAM. The new solution boasts increased integration capabilities with other Web services platforms, advanced security features, and integrated translation memory technologies.
“With STREAM, our intuitive workflow system, we are able to manage heavy production loads, while being able to perform detailed sentiment analysis in over 90 languages,” Train added.
TranslateMedia is a global, award-winning translation agency. It works for some of the biggest brands, retailers and creative, marketing and media companies in the world. It translates into 90 languages, using more than 6000 professional linguists and translators, working 24/7 across multiple time zones.
TranslateMedia has been listed in the Deloitte Fast 500 for two years running, and was number 9 in the Deloitte Fast 50 (2010). It is growing at an average of 50 percent year on year, through organic growth and acquisition. Translation is completed by experienced, skilled and specialist linguists. The process of managing the translation is supported by TranslateMedia’s proprietary technology, STREAM (Secure Translation, Revision, Editing, Approval and Memory), which provides a highly secure, collaborative platform for version control and quality assurance / review processes.
For more information on Multilingual Buzz Monitoring please visit www.multilingualbuzzmonitor.com or email Patrick Eve (firstname.lastname@example.org)
London: +44 208 834 4708
New York: +1 212 796 5636


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Irish artisans complain big brands ‘usurping’ their shelf space
In May the authority published guidelines on use of the marketing terms to prepare companies for the European Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation, which will become mandatory in December 2016. While the guidelines weren’t set in stone, they were likely to be referenced in any future legal cases.
The concerns arose after discussions with artisan producers. “The concern of small artisanal companies was that their unique selling point was being usurped by larger companies in spurious ways,” Dr Wayne Anderson, FSAI director of food science and standards, told us.
The guidelines and workshops ahead of the deadline were an attempt to “nip misleading practices in the bud” before legal action was necessary.
“This was an area we saw starting to increase so we wanted to be proactive not reactive.”
'Artisan/artisanal': Limited quantity (max average 1,000 kg/litres per week) by skilled craftspeople at a single location using a traditional method (min 30 years in use) that is not fully mechanised. Characteristic ingredients must be local (within 100 km) where possible.
'Traditional': Made to a recipe with proved existence without significant change for at least 30 years - although automation and mechanisation is acceptable.
'Farmhouse': Made in a single location on a farm by a micro-enterprise (no more than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2m) using ingredients grown or produced locally. Exemption given to some bread, soup made with coarse cut or chunky vegetables, coarse paté and cheese produced on a farm.
'Natural': Formed by nature and not significantly "interfered with" by man (doesn't include chopping, juicing, blanching, pasteurising, drying, etc. but does include concentration, curing, chemical extraction, genetic modification, cloning etc.)
Asked if supermarkets using such terms for own brand products could be challenged – as done, for example, by Marks & Spencer – he said if the product was made according to the artisan, farmhouse and traditional definitions there would not be a problem even if that product was then sold under the larger retailer’s name.
This was about protecting the consumer from being misled, he said, not keeping to artisan companies happy.
The artisanal definition says products must be grown or produced within 100 km of the manufacturing/food service establishment. In its consultation period, one artisanal company complained the definitions were not strong enough and exemptions should not be allowed.
“Misuse in the past should not allow misuse in the future. Local sourcing 100 km is a good idea but the opt-out clause ‘where available in the required quantity’ provision will lead to abuse and excuse not to use local sourcing.”
Meanwhile a large retailer said the artisan definition was too restrictive, in particular the local requirement for certain foods like chocolate and cheese.
Testing a key EU concept
Instead of focusing on these industry vagaries, the authority would use the concept of “misleading the consumer” – cornerstone to the FIC regulation, and indeed all EU food law – to evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Anderson cited a recent German court case whereby a firm was ordered to change its packaging for ‘fruit tea with natural flavourings’, which featured pictures of vanilla orchids and raspberries despite neither actually being in the product.
At the time food lawyers said the case was a game changer for marketing since it meant honest ingredient lists were no longer enough to justify misrepresentative overall marketing.
Anderson said a product’s packaging in its entirety had to looked at to decide if it was misleading.
He conceded though that this was a much more straight forward case – and whether a consumer had been misled into thinking something was ‘traditional’, for example, may be much harder to quantify. Indeed he was not aware of an EU case whereby the use of ‘artisan’, ‘farmhouse’ or ‘traditional’ had come to court.
He said the authority would be avoiding court action where possible – “which would not be a good use of public money” – and would instead work with companies to find a compromise.
Often in these cases companies would argue their competitors were doing the same thing, in which case it was the role of the authority to step in and “level the playing field”.
Real, genuine, pure and premium
In the consultation period the authority was asked to include other terms like ‘fresh’, ‘pure’, ‘original’, ‘authentic’, ‘real’, ‘genuine’, ‘home-made’,’ hand-made’, ‘premium’, ‘finest’, ‘quality’, ‘healthy’, ‘seasonal/in-season’ and ‘best’. But Anderson said there were no plans to do so as yet.
The UK’s guidance had gone one step further with its guidance – which he called a somewhat “nebulous” strategy – by adding terms ‘pure’ and ‘homemade’.


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New Audio Options Added to Ys: Memories of Celceta, Ys: The Oath in Felghana PC Versions
XSEED Games announced that new audio options have been added to the PC versions of Ys: Memories of Celceta and Ys: The Oath in Felghana. Players of Ys: Memories of Celceta can now choose the original Japanese voice track in addition to the previous English voice overs. Meanwhile, owners of the PC version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana can now access the English voice track that was previously only available on the game’s PlayStation Portable version. To celebrate the new audio options, XSEED Games has placed discounts of 25% on Ys: Memories of Celceta and 70% on Ys: The Oath in Felghana’s PC versions until February 26, 2020.
Ys: Memories of Celceta is a complete remake of Ys IV and was released in North America for PlayStation Vita in 2013, with a PC version released in 2018. A PlayStation 4 version is set to be released in spring 2020 and will come with both English and Japanese voice options. Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a remake of Ys III and was released in North America for PlayStation Portable in 2010 and PC in 2012.


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- Flywire, which offers payments services, will work with the Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (BELTA) to help students make tuition payments.
- According to BELTA, many Brazilian students go abroad each year, creating a significant demand for these services in the country.
- A spokesperson for Flywire said that agents in particular were likely to benefit from the service, while students and schools would also find themselves enjoying a better experience.
Online money transfer company Flywire has confirmed that it will be working alongside a Brazilian travel association as part of a service aimed at students.
The firm said that it would be working with the Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association


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Apple and Samsung are losing market share to Chinese smartphone vendors.
Apple patents a system that competes with Microsoft’s Round Table Conferencing device.
The mass production of the iWatch pushed back to Q4 2014.
Apple has pushed out an upgrade to the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro lineup.
Apple drops cross-appeal in its first California patent case against Samsung.
Hilton customers will be able to unlock the door of their hotel room using the iPhone.
The European Commission OKs the Apple–Beats merger.
A new set of images compare 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 printed circuit boards.
Apple said to launch the 5.5-inch iPhone and iWatch in December.
Apple is said to acquire radio app Swell.
Judge Denise Cote expressed concern over Apple’s $450 million e-book settlement.
5.5-inch iPhone 6 said to enter mass production in September


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Report: Kia Sorento Diesel Hybrid to enter production by 2012
Following the debut of the Sorento Hybrid Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia has confirmed that it will be pursuing diesel-hybrid technology in future production vehicles. A source has confirmed to AutoCar that the Kia Sorento Concept is likely to enter production by 2012.
“Diesel hybrids are certainly the way we”d like to go with our alternatively powered vehicles in the future,” said the source. “The powertrain seen in the Sorento has a strong chance of making production, be it in that model or others such as the Cee”d. All manufacturers have to work to get their emissions down and we think this is one our best chances of getting there.”
The Kia Sorento Hybrid concept is powered by a 1.6L diesel engine fitted with twin-turbochargers that produces more than 161-hp. The diesel engine is mated to an electric-motor and a double-clutch transmission.
Kia said it is also looking to introduce electric vehicles within the next two years. Insiders say that Kia has developed an all-electric version of the Sportage SUV in Korea.
– By: Omar Rana


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PromoStandards Adds a New Advisory Board Member Amy Rabideau
PromoStandards, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, announced the addition of a new member to its advisory board—Amy Rabideau, vice president of product at Facilisgroup.
Rabideau brings to PromoStandards 24 years of experience in the promotional products industry.
"As soon as Amy Rabideau got involved in PromoStandards, it was evident that she would quickly become a valuable member of the community,” said Eric Alessi, chairman of PromoStandards. “Fast-forward to today, and we're excited to welcome Amy as a board member and the chair of the MMEC: the Membership, Marketing and Education Committee. She is a fantastic contribution to PromoStandards, and we look forward to her valuable involvement."
Prior to working at Facilisgroup, Rabideau was the senior project director at eXtendTech, where NetSuite experts create apps with tailored solutions for businesses within the promotional products industry. Before that, she was the director of purchasing at Summit Group LLC, which offers creative marketing services and branded merchandise solutions.
Rabideau holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Medaille University.
“The PromoStandards community is full of amazing, talented and innovative individuals supported by companies driving the change in how the promotional products industry transacts business," Rabideau said. "I’m excited to serve the PromoStandards community in this new capacity."
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Promo Marketing. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of Promo Marketing.


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The Savanna Comics Choice Comedy Awards in partnership with Savanna are back and these are some of your winners to the 11th installment of…
Saving no longer has to exist within the confines of traditional banking mechanisms. Buying Bitcoin is also increasingly simple, meaning you don’t need large amounts of money to use it as a savings and investment mechanism, writes Upnup’s head of product, Ricki Allardice.
With the end of the working year just around the corner, many South Africans are already wistfully dreaming about the holiday period that is on its way. Whether it’s lazy days at the beach, adventures in the Drakensberg, or carefree nights at the club, almost everyone looks forward to taking time off work and spending it with friends and family at this time of the year.
It’s also true, however, that those holidays are getting more and more difficult to afford for many of us. The petrol bill alone might put some inland South Africans off from making the long trip to the coast, opting for somewhere closer and more affordable. For others, the rising cost of living might mean camping instead of renting out a guesthouse or like most of us, opting for longer term holiday planning and savings.
For those of us looking to plan for family holidays a few years into the future, perhaps combining the approach of saving with innovation and technology could help you.
What if opting to stay local these holidays and continue saving for an out of country trip in the future meant that you did not have to compromise on your next holiday? And what if, over time, it could help you afford the trip of a lifetime?
Beyond one percent
Of course, most of us know that we should be saving for our holidays. And according to traditional financial wisdom, we shouldn’t have to put that much away every month either. Experts recommend putting away around one percent of your monthly salary for holiday gifts and travel.
Thing is, even if you’re organised enough to do that, you probably won’t get that far just by putting aside that amount of money every month. For example, let’s say you earn R30 000 a month – not a small salary for many. If you put aside just one percent of your salary every month, you’ll end up with R3 600 at the end of the year.
That’s barely enough for fuel for a long road trip, nevermind enough for a return plane ticket between Cape Town and Durban. Of course, that doesn’t take interest rates into account, but a typical savings account won’t get you much further than R3 700.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t save for holidays – future you will be incredibly grateful to past you if don’t have to fork out that airfare or fuel bill from your already-stretched December salary. However, if you want to ensure that you are giving yourself the best holiday possible, you should consider alternative savings vehicles.
Bitcoin your way to the beach
You could, for example, put at least some of your holiday savings into Bitcoin. While it’s important to acknowledge that cryptocurrency hasn’t had the best year, it was previously the best-performing asset of the decade. Between 2011 and 2021, it saw annualised returns in excess of 230%. It would be foolhardy to write off that kind of asset based on a few tough months. It’s also worth noting that it has stabilised over the past few months, something which can’t be said for many fiat currencies.
That being said, it is important to take into account that Bitcoin is currently a highly volatile asset. This means that it is best to view Bitcoin as a long-term investment.
Five years ago (November 2017) Bitcoin was trading at ~$6500 per coin. In November 2022, despite the very large pullback from the high of $60 000, it is trading at $19 300. That translates to a gain of ~200% over a 5 year period, despite the volatility of two bull markets in between.
Buying Bitcoin is also increasingly simple, meaning you don’t need large amounts of money to use it as a savings and investment mechanism. In fact, with an app like upnup you can buy Bitcoin simply by ‘rounding up’ your spending on necessities like groceries and fuel or by setting a specific amount each month.
It’s an approach that takes saving out of the realm of your bank and all the associations that come with it. It also means that you could potentially see much bigger returns on your savings efforts than you otherwise would with conventional mechanisms.
I’m not saying that you’ll be able to suddenly swap your holiday in Ballito for one in St Tropez – we’re not in the midst of the heady days of the early 2010s after all. But you may just be able to save towards enjoying more during your trip thanks to investing ahead of time.
Bigger holidays and better saving habits
And if you do eventually want to take that trip of a lifetime, you can always take a longer-term approach to saving. It’s an approach which encourages you to hold onto your savings for multiple years at a time and can help foster saving habits that will benefit you later in life.
It’s also worth remembering that accumulating weekly is the easiest way of taking advantage of price dips and gains. It gives you the ability to achieve an average purchase price rather than worrying about which day is the best day to buy all your Bitcoin.
Sensible Bitcoin saving needn’t be boring
Ultimately, holidays should be something we look forward to, rather than another anxiety point in our already stressful lives. Sensible saving habits can go a long way toward ensuring that’s the case. It is, however, also important to remember that saving no longer has to exist within the confines of traditional banking mechanisms.
Thanks to technological advances and innovation, there are exciting new saving and investment vehicles out there waiting for consumers to embrace.
- Ricki Allardice is the head of product at Upnup. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Ventureburn.


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December 24, 2013
Microsoft Bringing ‘Beloved’ Franchise To PC
Microsoft is still trying to keep their games division from falling into another pit of shame by announcing that they are bringing a beloved franchise to PC, that is, to Windows 8. What could the game be? Are we receiving the entire series of said game or are we salivating over a six-month period to be given the entire package?
As far as we know, and as far as IGN has reported, that beloved franchise could be Hello Kitty Island Adventures (just kidding), although I don’t remember seeing that game on the Xbox Live store.
This news comes after some brief silence from the company on how they’re going to maintain a stronghold in their PC division. The digital world is in full force for the video games industry, and I think Microsoft is missing the big picture here, again. By making whatever this game is Windows 8 exclusive, they’ve only sealed off millions of players who haven’t bothered with going to purchase Windows 8.
Is that such a bad thing?
They might have better development and quicker load times with Windows 8, but many PC gamers still aren’t convinced that making a switch in operating systems is such a great idea. That and this news comes in direct rivalry with Valve’s Steam OS, which isn’t even intending on having exclusive games and software. Much of the PC population belongs to Valve, and that population all collectively shouts openness and freedom to develop on whatever software that they choose without corporate bullshit.
I don’t think Microsoft’s above itself yet.
So what ‘beloved’ franchise can we be on the lookout for?
My money’s on the Halo franchise for obvious reasons, but my options also branch out to Gears of War and the Crackdown series. I don’t think the latter is likely to make a return to the Xbox platform or even PC after the sequels less than desired criticism back in 2010. Still, if Crackdown is on its way to PC then you can probably cross my name off of the ‘Stubborn Bastards’ list for Windows 8.
You hear me? I’ll buy the damn thing if Crackdown makes its way to PC, and with that being said, I seriously don’t think Crackdown is coming to PC.
But still, they said “franchise.”
The last choice on this list is Gears of War, a franchise I haven’t played in years. Having Gears of War ported to PC means that we’ll have a larger audience of strategy gamers that can urge on a possible strategy game set on the planet of Sera on PC. I would say that the most likely of candidate on this list is Gears of War, seeing as Epic Games are in love with the PC community and the Halo trilogy isn’t finished yet.
Who knows? More on this news as events unfold.
Image Credit: ollyy / Shutterstock