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Self-service retail technologies have gained momentum over the last week, as small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) aim to make a digital shift a consistent part of their business. Instagram, Facebook and Shopify’s social selling technologies have received a positive reception, and Criteo’s self-service Retail Media Platform will allow for the placement of advertising sponsored by retailers’ apps and sites. All this, Today in Data.
$275: Citi’s price target on Facebook’s stock.
62%: Increase in new store creations on Shopify between March 13 and April 24 relative to the previous six weeks.
$25B: Upper end of one estimate of the total worldwide market for retail media.
4%: Approximate share of Amazon’s revenue generated from retail media ads.


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In May 2022, I wrote an article on SA about the Taiwanese electric scooter company Gogoro (NASDAQ: GGR) in which I said it seemed undervalued, but competitors were starting to emerge and I had my doubts about the the planned expansion into China would go smoothly.
I’m getting optimistic as Gogoro’s market valuation has fallen by nearly half since my first post and H1 2022 financial results were strong. Operating revenue rose 27.9% to $185.2 million, while adjusted EBITDA jumped 61.1% to $22.8 million. Additionally, the company recently announced a $345 million syndicated loan that will help it strengthen its balance sheet. Let’s review.
Overview of recent developments
In case you haven’t read my previous article on Gogoro, here is a brief description of its activity. The company was founded in 2011 and most of its revenue today comes from the sale of electric scooters and batteries. It also has a network of over 2,200 battery swap stations that supports a total of 10 brands and hosts 340,000 daily battery swaps. This company operates on a subscription model.
Most of the stations are located in Taiwan, and in August 2022, Gogoro surpassed 500,000 monthly battery exchange subscribers on the island. This means that he has added around 50,000 new subscribers since the start of the year. The company now has a 92% market share in Taiwan and it seems to be almost unchallenged as this figure has exceeded 80% since 2017.
Turning our attention to Gogoro’s financial performance, H1 2022 results looked good, with revenue continuing to grow rapidly despite a weaker New Taiwan Dollar and a challenging market environment due to the COVID-19 lockdowns that resulted in a decline in foot traffic and scooter sales. . Sales of Gogoro vehicles increased 3.5% in the first half of the year, while high retention rates drove subscriber growth in the battery swap business. Thanks to economies of scale, the gross profit margin increased from 12.7% to 13.8%. Still, the income statement shows a net loss of $155.5 million due to a $178.8 million listing expense related to its SPAC deal in April.
At the time of its IPO, Gogoro expected to exceed $500 million in revenue in 2022 and its EBITDA for the year was expected to reach $69.7 million. However, lockdowns in Taiwan led the company to cut its full-year revenue forecast to $380 million to $410 million, with third-quarter sales accounting for about a quarter of that amount.
In my view, the revised guidelines seem overly conservative given that Taiwan has just announced that its COVID-19 measures have been significantly relaxed, as mandatory COVID-19 quarantines for arrivals will be lifted from October 13. Additionally, PCR testing for arrivals is also ending and the island is resuming visa-free entry for citizens of all countries that previously had this status. This should significantly boost tourist flows in the fourth quarter.
Turning our attention to China expansion, the company had a total of 202 battery swap stations in the cities of Hangzhou, Wuxi and Kunming as of June. COVID-related lockdowns there have led to slow battery swap station openings, and almost all of Gogoro’s revenue still comes from Taiwan. The company said on its second-quarter 2022 earnings call that it would likely delay further expansion of its network to other cities in the second half. He added that the uncertainties will likely extend into next year, so I think EBITDA could exceed CAPEX in 2023, a year earlier than initially expected.
On the balance sheet, things looked good at the end of June, with net debt down to just $84 million. Gogoro had $378.8 million in cash at the end of the second quarter and this amount could be higher at the end of September, because the company has just secured a five-year $345 million credit facility. years, with an option to extend for two years.
Overall, I think Gogoro posted good financial results in the first half of 2022 despite challenging macro conditions and I like the economies of scale here. Business expansion in China has been delayed but the company has a dominant position in Taiwan and a growing subscriber base. Moreover, the revised forecast for 2022 looks conservative. In my view, adjusted EBITDA should exceed $40 million this year. That would put the forward EV/EBITDA here at around 25x. This seems high at first glance, but you have to take into account that the company is growing rapidly and these figures only reflect the Taiwanese market. Of course, EBITDA targets have now been pushed back, but Gogoro is trading at less than 4x EV/EBITDA based on the original 2024 guidance. In my view, 2024 EBITDA numbers could be achieved by by 2026, unless there is a significant global recession.
When it comes to the risks of the bullish deal, I think there are three main ones. First, a new wave of COVID-19 could lead to more lockdowns across the world and thus put pressure on Gogoro’s operations in Taiwan and further delay its expansion plans in China and India. Second, rising tensions between China and Taiwan could create regulatory pressure on Gogoro in the future. Third, the company might overestimate its chances of replicating its success in Taiwan in other countries.
Takeaway for investors
Gogoro’s revenue and margins continue to grow despite a difficult market environment due to COVID-related restrictions and I expect the situation to improve in the coming months as Taiwan ends its quarantines for travelers in October.
The company has just refinanced its debt and it looks like EBITDA could exceed CAPEX sooner than expected due to delays in overseas expansion. Gogoro is much cheaper today than it was in May, and I think it would be undervalued even if it faces duds in China or India. I rate this stock as a speculative buy.

domain: news


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Seagate issued a press release in which they announce that it has developed 5mm thick HDDs for ultrabooks and tablets and that is has submitted its fourth-generation hybrid hard drives for evaluation by computer builders. The HDD maker also confirmed that it will eventually make hybrid HDDs for desktops and servers.
“We are now on our third-generation, solid-state hybrid notebook drives, and we are expanding this technology into desktop and enterprise products. We also have new 7mm and 5mm products at customers for qualification and evaluation, which position us very well for the new thin and light notebook systems,” said Steven Luczo, chief executive officer of Seagate, during the most recent conference call with financial analysts.
For about five years Seagate has been offering hybrid drives – which combine rotating media with NAND flash cache for increased performance amid high capacity – only for mobile PC segment. Apparently, in a bid to offer better performance for desktops and servers, the company also plans to implement caching technology into its desktop and enterprise lineups.
Seagate shows off Solid State Hybrid Drive - 09/14/2012 11:11 AM
Seagate announced it will show off its new solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs) at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco: Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) announced today that they will be working wi...
Seagate looking to buy SSD manufacturers - 08/01/2012 10:55 AM
Seagate announced disappointing financial results, the company failed to meet expectations with a net income of $1.06 billion on revenue of $4.48 billion. One of the interesting things said during the...


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Shares of LeanLife popped on the news, up 11.1% at C$0.05 by midday Tuesday.
The Vancouver-based company develops proprietary plant-based food products that can be used as food additives or nutraceuticals. It has a patented process to isolate Omega-3 fatty acids from flax seeds.
LeanLife’s proprietary Omega-3 product will be distributed to a consumer base of some of the continent’s largest producers of bread, pasta, cheese, yogurt and butter.
"With the samples now available for distribution in Europe and confirmation of the quality and specifications of our propriety Omega-3 product underway, our experienced sales and industry expert will soon be visiting some of Europe's largest food producers," said Stan Lis, LeanLife’s CEO.
Recently, a trial application using the Omega-3 product as a substitute for vegetable oil showed negligible difference in taste and quality, LeanLife said in a statement.
The testing resulted in the production of samples which will now be evaluated by SGS, a third-party accredited lab.
According to the extract manufacturer, the company is ready to begin large-scale production and fulfill multiple orders following the validation of samples by buyers.
The global Omega-3 market reached US$33 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach upwards of US$57 billion by 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research Inc.
The company also announced that it has granted stock options to officers, directors and consultants of LeanLife entitling them to purchase a combined total of 3.9 million shares at C$0.05 per share.
Contact Angela at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas


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Beleaguered smartphone maker RIM may have already stopped production of the BlackBerry PlayBook and cancelled future tablet projects, according to an analyst from Collins Stewart.
John Vihn wrote a note (via Reuters (opens in new tab)) saying, "we believe RIM has stopped production of its PlayBook and is actively considering exiting the tablet market".
He believes that the sudden laying off of dozens of factory workers by Taiwanese ODM Quanta Computer may be linked to RIM's decision to exit the tablet market altogether.
RIM is said to have shipped less than one million of its PlayBook tablets, a number that hasn't necessarily been sold to consumers; the price of the PlayBook has been going down steadily, which may indicate a slow but definite clear out. It is very likely that RIM doesn't want its shares to fall off cliff though.
If the rumour is indeed verified, it will be the second major manufacturer after HP to exit the ultra competitive tablet market which is dominated by Apple and its iPad.
The introduction of the Amazon tablet, the Kindle Fire, yesterday might be yet another reason why RIM decided to call it quits and pull out before suffering even more losses.


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Yolo County Blogs
“Citizen scientists have been instrumental in reporting the occurrence of bagrada in various counties and are helping map its current distribution,” said Surendra Dara, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. “This is a very serious pest. It is wiping out gardens, and is of great concern for small-scale and organic growers.”
Bagrada bugs are major pests of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, but they don't appear to be picky eaters. They have been known to feed on a wide variety of garden vegetables in California, including green beans, cantaloupe, corn, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and sunflower. Even landscape plants are not immune. Bagrada bugs have been found feeding on ornamental plants in the mustard family, like sweet alyssum, stock and candytuft.
Dara said scientists had hoped cold winter temperatures in northern counties of California would limit the bagrada's northward march, but that hasn't been the case so far.
“Bagrada bugs can survive the winter or cold nights by entering the top layer of the soil around crops,” he said. "They start appearing again in early spring and move from weeds to young vegetables."
For more information on bagrada bugs, see the Pest Note produced by the UC Integrated Pest Management Program. In addition, Dara regularly posts bagrada bug updates on his blog, Strawberries and Vegetables.
Distribution of bagrada bug in California, September 2014.
September 2014 is California Wine Month
Gov. Brown declared September 2014 as California Wine Month to encourage tourists from around the world to enjoy the state's signature wines. The designation comes shortly after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Napa caused losses in “Wine Country” amounting to $80 million. KQED | CA Press Office
New diet book gets it right
A new book from a UC Davis nutrition professor titled “Body Respect” provides the latest science on size, weight and diet in clear language support by data, plus some surprises. The book, written by Linda Bacon, promises readers content that “conventional health books leave out, get wrong or just plain fail to understand about weight.” CAES Currents
The promise of hydroponics
Arizona scientists are researching hydroponic strawberry production as a sustainable, but expensive way to provide tasty, flawless fruit to consumers the same day they are picked. A new video outlines the advantages of hydroponic strawberries: no soil fumigation, no pesticides, winter production and low water use. Strawberries & Caneberries Blog
Internet to revolutionize the food industry
Millennials who've grown up in the Internet age are set to make dramatic changes to the food industry. The newest trend in healthy, convenient food leaves meal planning, shopping, chopping and measuring to a high-end Internet vendor. The consumer follows step-by-step directions and serves a fresh-made meal at home. Already offering the service are Blue Apron and Saffron Fix. “The food industry is all going online,” said the founder of Saffron Fix. Forbes
New PBS series focuses on food
A 12-episode documentary that examines the U.S. food system, titled Food Forward, premieres on PBS stations around the country this week. They can also be viewed online. Each episode of Food Forward focuses on an ingredient or component of the food system. Twenty percent of each episode outlines a problem, and 80 percent shows solutions. The stories of real farmers and other food leaders are the “heart” of Food Forward. Civil Eats
Cost of food is down in world
World food prices hit a four-year low in August, led by declines in dairy and grain prices, reported the United Nations. Russia's ban on food imports reduced demand and depressed prices. Grain prices dropped because of higher-than-expected output. NASDAQ.com
Squid ink gives the BK black burger its black sauce
For a limited time, Burger King is offering its Japanese customers a Kuro Pearl burger, a whopper pattie with extra black pepper on a black bun, with black sauce and black cheese. How the fast food chain makes the food black wasn't explained, except for the sauce, which is a “delicious combination of onion, garlic and squid ink.” ABC News
A compilation of news from the World Wide Web relevant to the UC Global Food Initiative, which aims to put the world on a path to sustainably and nutritiously feed itself. By building on existing efforts and creating new collaborations among UC's 10 campuses, affiliated national laboratories and the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the initiative will develop and export solutions for food security, health and sustainability throughout California, the United States and the world.
One of the hazards of contributing to a shared blog, is that one forgets to post. So in this case, while I said in my last post that we would re-visit the lemoncello in mid-May, here it is September. Time flies.
The lemoncello is a huge success, we've been enjoying it on the hot summer afternoons that are plentiful in Davis. And here's how I got from pith to pleasure . . . .
The first steps in the lemoncello process were documented in this early Spring post. The recipe calls for 6 weeks of steeping the lemon zest in the alcohol in a cool, dark place; preferably, in a place where it won't be disturbed. I had placed mine in a place so cool, dark, and undisturbed it took me 45 minutes to find it.
But that resolved, I moved to the next step - filtering.
You can see that the zest from all of those lemons has settled to the bottom of the bottle. Lemoncello aficionados recommend a 2-step filtering process. The first step is to get most of the zest out using a fine sieve.
Look at all of this zest!
Quite a bit of solid material is left in the liquid after this process.
To remove these last solids, the liquid is filtered through a paper coffee filter. (Lemoncello purists, like coffee purists, would object to the use of a paper filter, saying it imparts a paper flavor.)
The next step is to add the cooled simple syrup. The basic simple syrup recipe calls for equal parts of sugar and water, but for lemoncello less sugar is used. For one 750ml bottle of base alcohol, you need 2-1/2 cups of water and 1-3/4 cups sugar. Add the sugar to the water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature before adding to the lemoncello base.
Decant the mixture, and put in a cool, dark place for another 45 days. The addition of the simple syrup increases the volume, so you can't fit your mixture into the original bottle.
This mixture was moved into two tall glass bottles and set aside until early July.
You can put the finished lemoncello in the freezer or in the refrigerator. Enjoy it alone or in a cocktail on a hot summer afternoon when you need a little something refreshing!
If you want to make your own lemoncello, an excellent resource is the blog LemoncelloQuest.
Sacramento River Delta Grown Agritourism Association map brochure invites, “Drive along winding rivers and sloughs in the heart of the California Delta; Visit quaint historic towns, shop at rustic farm stands or pick your own fresh fruit and vegetables; Taste Delta wines, picnic by the river, and enjoy the peaceful pace among generational family farms.”
Capay Valley Farm Trail Map lists more than 40 farms in the Cache Creek watershed, and explains, “Capay Valley is a remarkable stretch of fertile land and rolling hills, home to a host of small and mid-size farms, natural wonders, and outstanding events…”
The North Yuba Grown Farm Trail Map brochure encourages visitors to “Enjoy the Flavors of North Yuba … Some olive trees in the area are more than 100 years old, and are still producing excellent olive oils. The vines cultivated for wine are forced to dig deep for water and nutrients, resulting in smaller yields but expressing intense flavors.”
As Californians' interest in local food and farming increases, farmers in many parts of the state are finding ways to invite their urban and suburban neighbors out to the farms to taste, tour, play and learn. Three groups of growers, Capay Valley Grown in Yolo County, North Yuba Grown in Yuba and Butte, and Sacramento River Delta Grown in Sacramento County, have just published new farm trail maps that promote agritourism in their unique farming regions. The maps are part of a UC Small Farm Program project, funded by a CDFA Specialty Crop Block grant, called, “Building a Farm Trail: Developing effective agritourism associations to enhance rural tourism and promote specialty crops.”
The Sacramento River Delta group put on their Wine and Produce Passport Weekend in early August to debut their maps. North Yuba Grown is sponsoring the North Yuba Harvest Festival, to be held on September 27 and 28, and Capay Valley Grown is planning an Open Farm Day on October 5 this year. The groups of growers will have a chance to share their experiences with each other at a regional workshop in November, and with other California agritourism operators at a statewide agritourism summit to be held in April 2015.
The California Statewide Agritourism Summit, organized by the UC Small Farm Program as part of the same project, will bring together agritourism associations and others involved in California agritourism from throughout the state to learn from each other. The summit will include planning sessions for the continuation of statewide farm trail and agritourism association networking and skill-sharing. For more information, please click here or contact UC Small Farm Program Agritourism Coordinator Penny Leff, (530) 752-7779.
California walnut producer supports UC Global Food Initiative
Craig and Julie McNamara of Sierra Orchards in Winters, Calif., will donate $7,500 to the UC Global Food Initiative Student Fellowship Program. The donation supports student-generated research, related student projects or internships focused on food issues. Joy Sterling, CEO of Iron Horse Vineyards, and Chez Panisse owner Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard Project also have each committed $2,500 to the fellowship program. UCOP
2014 almond crop appears to have smaller, lighter kernels than expected
One month into the California almond harvest, anecdotal reports suggest the crop is lighter than expected, according to the CEO of the California Almond Board. USDA estimated in June a record crop of 2.1 million pounds. Quantity of nuts is plentiful, but size seems to be small. Where salty water or not enough water was applied, kernels seem to be lighter than normal. AgNetWest.com
Feds predict abundant processing tomatoes in 2014
Farmers are expected to harvest a record 14 million tons of processing tomatoes in 2014, reported the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The harvest started in June and continues through October. Last year the harvest was impacted by curly top virus. This year there was little pest or disease pressure, but the drought forced many farmers to fallow land or rely on groundwater to irrigate the crop. Capital Press
Low-carb or low fat?
A new study widely reported in the press this week said people who avoided carbohydrates and ate more fat – even saturated fat – lost more weight than low-fat dieters. But food expert Marion Nestle took issue. She said the “low fat” diet, with 30 percent or less calories from fat, “is not exactly what I would call low.” Folks following the low carb diet were simply eating less, Nestle said. Food Politics
Rich-poor diet gap in U.S. continues
The eating habits of American adults improved during the 2000s, but when scores for low-income adults were examined, their habits started out worse and didn't improve. "Declining diet quality over time may actually widen the gap between the poor and the rich," said study co-author Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health. Huffington Post
Many fast-food workers rely on public assistance
Fast-food workers went out on strike yesterday demanding better pay and benefits like health insurance, paid vacation and sick time. In 2013, a UC Berkeley Labor Center study concluded that half of fast-food workers rely on public assistance to make ends meet. Capital Public Radio
India is a significant ag exporter
India's agricultural product export growth was the highest in the world from 2003 to 2013, according to a USDA report. India's ag exports grew by 21.3 percent, ahead of Indonesia, Brazil and China. The U.S. is India's largest market, but it is also providing ag products to developing nations. China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan import products from India worth $1 billion or more. Live Mint
Action needed to reduce obesity-related disease in China
Tremendous gains have been made in the health of Chinese citizens over the past 65 years. Life expectancy has improved from 40 years in 1950 to 76 years in 2011. Now China's No. 1 health threat is non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and diabetes. Risk factors for these ailments include obesity. The Lancet
A compilation of news from the World Wide Web relevant to the UC Global Food Initiative, which aims to put the world on a path to sustainably and nutritiously feed itself. By building on existing efforts and creating new collaborations among UC's 10 campuses, affiliated national laboratories and the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the initiative will develop and export solutions for food security, health and sustainability throughout California, the United States and the world./h2>/h2>/h2>


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Microsoft's top brass confirmed that the software giant turned tablet maker plans to develop and build more devices.
Speaking to the BBC News' technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that the company, which will later today debut the Windows 8-powered Surface tablet, will build more devices under its name. (CNET will be live-blogging Microsoft's New York event later this morning.)Is it fair to say we're going to do more hardware? Obviously we are. We did our first piece of non-Xbox hardware when we launch the Surface. Where we see important opportunities to … Read more


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A group that promotes the digital currency Bitcoin has thrown down the gauntlet with regulators, telling California officials that selling the digital currency does not require a state money transmitter license.
In a July 1 letter to the California Department of Financial Institutions, lawyers for the Bitcoin Foundation also clarified that the nonprofit does not itself sell bitcoins to consumers or run an exchange. But even if it did, such activity would not be regulated in California, the foundation says, arguing that selling bitcoins does not meet the state law's definition of "money transmission."
The response to California's June 25 "cease and desist" letter thus makes a case for the state to lay off not only the foundation but also its member companies that exchange bitcoins for dollars and other currencies. It comes as federal and state regulators have been cracking down on such businesses, saying they must follow anti-money laundering and know-your-customer regulations, including registration and licensing requirements.
Last month the department accused the Bitcoin Foundation of defying the California Money Transmission Act but did not say how the nonprofit had done so. Many observers surmised that the regulator either sent the warning by mistake as part of a mass mailing to Bitcoin businesses, or that it was trying to pressure the foundation for information on actual transmitters.
Alana Golden, a spokeswoman for the department, said the June 25 letter was not a formal order. "Regulators send out the letters with the goal of safety and soundness and compliance with the laws we enforce," she said. "Recipients of the letter can contact the department to discuss if the law applies to them or not."
The Wall Street Journal reported that at least two other bitcoin-related organizations have received similar warnings from California and that other states have taken actions against such firms.
In its response to California, J. Dax Hansen, an attorney at Perkins Coie representing the foundation, notes that his client has no operations in the state (its offices are in Seattle) and that it primarily engages in advocacy and software development.
The state law defines money transmitters as firms that sell or issue "payment instruments" or "stored value" or "receive money for transmission." Hansen cited a 2001 ruling in which the department said it defines an "instrument" as "a written, signed document similar in nature to a check or a draft."
"This confirms that a product can only be an 'instrument' if it involves a writing," Hansen wrote, and since bitcoins are digital, they aren't instruments. Stored value is defined under California law as "a claim against the issuer that is stored on an electronic or digital medium," but Bitcoin has no issuer, Hansen noted.
He also cited a 2011 opinion in which the department said a firm that exchanges dollars for pesos or vice versa without holding customer funds for future transmission is not a money transmitter. "The same rationale that applied to the sale of a peso should prevail under the California statute with regard to the sale of a bitcoin," Hansen wrote.


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Posted on account RODENT950 tweet new review some of the specifications of the phone Huawei’s upcoming Honor 9X Pro, which comes with the settings that quad in the camera background.
Was the version of a former Huawei Honor 8X one of the Huawei phones available that have been successful and recorded the highest sales over the past year, where he managed the phone to achieve sales amounted to more than 10 million units since its launch officially during September 2018.
I know of
In new leaks revealed Huawei plans to launch the Pro version this year, as spotted leaks also to some of the specifications of Honor 9X Pro before the official announcement.
I have indicated the source of the leaks that the phone Honor 9X Pro applies settings quad for the rear, also offering the Huawei battery with the highest capacity with the charger featured with Fast shipping, which is a specification trying to make a Huawei product the nova 5.
Projections indicate that Huawei will phone in different markets over the title with the same design and configuration of the interior, where it made the Chinese giant previously phone Honor 8X ‘ Honor View 10 Lite in some markets or Honor 8X Max in other markets.
Recall that the projections indicate the plans of Huawei for the official announcement about the Honor 9X in the coming weeks, to apply to the markets version of the last of the Huawei phones available.


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N26 will bring Apple Pay to customers in France later this year
1 min read
We’ve been busy the past few weeks. First, we announced we would be bringing Apple Pay to Italy, and shortly after we announced we would bring it to Spain. Our customers in France started to raise some eyebrows. Our comments section was flooded with questions and requests, as it always is, which is why we’re excited to break the next piece of news.
Later this year, N26 will bring Apple Pay, which is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay that’s fast and convenient, to customers in France. N26 is proud to bring Apple Pay to France. Supporting Apple Pay is another example of the innovation for which N26 is so well known.
Love your bank
Related postsThese might also interest you
500.000 customers across Europe now trust N26 as their bank. That number means a lot to us and the best part is that we got here thanks to you. Find out here why.
If you’re looking for smart mobility solutions in one app, then Bolt has you covered. And as an N26 customer, you can now claim up to 10% cashback on your rides.
We’ve partnered with Ukraine-Hilfe Berlin e.V. to allow you to donate directly from the N26 app and support those affected by the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.


text: After two Years on the market, a Trump Park Avenue penthouse sold for $2 million less than its asking price. PH29 originally hit the market in 2006 for $13.13 million and was sold in early 2008 for $12.22 million. But the buyers put the place back on the market only three months later, upping the price to $15 million. In August 2009, it was down to $12 million. The sale just hit public record, at $10.2 million.


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Source: Central Bank of the Russian Federation in English
28 December 2020
Output contraction was slower across most basic industries in November, while an expansion was even registered in the manufacturing sector (on an annualised basis). At the same time, domestic demand remained weak. Rising infections and tightened anti-epidemic restrictions combined to exacerbate annualised decline in consumer spending.
For the fourth quarter overall, slowdown in economic activity is fairly moderate. This comes as a result of the targeted nature of restrictive measures in place alongside the adaptation in prior months of businesses and consumers to pandemic conditions. According to Bank of Russia estimates, the economy will be back on a sustainable growth footing as early as spring 2021 as disease rates normalise.
These findings are given in Economy, the newly released information and analytical commentary.
This issue is the last one for 2020 and the concluding issue of the series of regular information and analytical commentaries on economic developments. Beginning in 2021, each of the commentaries on economic developments will focus on a particular subject, covering the most current issues of national economic development.
Preview photo: Serjio74 / Shutterstock / Fotodom


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"Due to various technical difficulties the past few days, the Super Pumpkin Event has been extended until 9:00 PM PST Sunday, January 31st!"
TOP FREE GUIDES by MASTER FARMVILLE
Sunday, January 31, 2010
FarmVille has been experiencing many problems since the release of FarmVille Super Pumpkins. There are all sorts of reports including the planting and even harvesting problems. Farmers have claimed that sometimes even the Super Pumpkins are taking longer than usual to ripe.


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Tuned Global signs deal to relaunch African music streaming app WAW MUZIK
B2B music streaming technology specialist Tuned Global has partnered with African streaming service WAW MUZIK to support a major relaunch of the platform’s app.
With the redesign of the app initially relaunched in Ivory Coast, WAW MUZIK says it expects to expand to other French-speaking African territories.
Tuned Global has previously worked on custom apps for Warner Music Group (on a custom Ed Sheeran app), and Universal Music Group and Pizza Hut, and its technology also powers the UFC Ultimate Sounds app in the US, and Deedo, a Pan-African streaming service in Europe and Africa.
Tuned Global is also active in the fitness industry.
The new partnership will see WAW MUZIK integrate its own front-end application to Tuned Global’s streaming service APIs.
Tuned Global says it “also provides improved management of the entire supply chain to ensure new releases are available quickly with increased security”, offering a catalog of over 14 million label tracks and distributors such as Universal Music Group, Believe, Idol and Keyzit.
As part of its partnership with the mobile operator Orange, WAW MUZIK will continue to operate using a subscription model via the telecommunications network to allow both mobile money and airtime payments.
Tuned Global’s experience in emerging South East Asia and African markets includes partnerships with African DSPs Deedo and Jabaa.
The company recently partnered with Thailand’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate GMM Grammy to launch Plern, the country’s first localized streaming app.
âTuned Global’s APIs give us out-of-the-box access to advanced streaming features that allow us to provide the best possible service to our customers. “
Jean-Philippe Audoli, WAW MUZIK
Jean-Philippe Audoli, CEO of WAW MUZIK, said: âTuned Global’s APIs give us out-of-the-box access to advanced streaming features that allow us to provide the best possible service to our customers.
âWe were particularly impressed with their automated content delivery technology, which ensures that our users will be able to search and access the content they want.
âKnowing that our new back-end technology is fully scalable and reliable gives us all the more confidence in our plans to expand into new territories and further develop our business.
âThis allows us to strengthen the West African music industry with better remuneration for rights holders, and to promote cultural exchanges with other territories.
âIt is important that CSPs operating in emerging markets can continue to have access to the resources necessary to operate in the demands of a difficult socio-economic and technological environment.
Con Raso, listening to the world
Con Raso, Managing Director of Tuned Global, added: âIt is important that CSPs operating in emerging markets can continue to have access to the resources necessary to operate in the demands of a challenging socio-economic and technological environment.
“We are extremely pleased to have initiated a new partnership that will meet and provide these essential service requirements while supporting the local music industry.”Music trade around the world


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There are a number of smartphones which generate massive headlines before their eventual unveiling and launch. However, few generate more headlines than the latest flagships from Samsung. For half of the year this normally means the latest Galaxy handset, while once that has been announced attention normally quickly starts to turn to the next device that will join the Galaxy Note range. In terms of this year, this means the Galaxy Note 6.
Right on cue and since the Galaxy S7 made its introduction, rumors have been developing and coming through on what can be expected from the latest Galaxy Note handset and some have including the likes of 6GB RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 823, while others have suggested a ‘Lite’ version might also be in the works. One which will come sporting 4GB RAM and the Snapdragon 820. Then there are the ‘curved display’ rumors and also the suggestion that the Galaxy Note 6 will come with USB Type-C connection. One of the most recent rumors only came through in the last day or two and emphasized a new “Samsung Focus” feature, which will look to bring together all your notifications in a BlackBerry Hub style centralized interface. In terms of the very latest rumor that is now coming through, this one focuses not on what the device will bring, but when it will arrive.
The information comes from known tipster @evelaks and states that the release schedule for the next-generation Galaxy Note handset will be the week of August 15. With the 15th being a Monday, if the date is correct, then you would expect the various carriers announcing their availability for anytime between the 15th and the 20th of August. Of course, this is dependent on the release schedule being correct and this will also mean that the launch event will likely be in the first or second week of August, depending on how close it is to the rumored release date. For reference, the Galaxy Note 5 from last year was announced on August 13th. So it could be the case that if the launch event is around the same date this year, it could be a device which moves from ‘announced’ to ‘available’ extremely quickly.


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Government is aiming to transform the country into a software making hub where the over $100 billion domestic IT services industry will work on products 'Made-in-India'.
The company said late on Monday it now saw 2014 revenues from business process management products stagnating from a year earlier.
From the days when manufacturing dominated the economy to the growth of knowledge-based companies of the noughties, business jargon has reflected the times.
IT industry body Nasscom expects analytics to emerge as the second biggest BPM (business process management) segment by 2016.
Cash logistics firm SIS Prosegur has acquired the cash management business of Danish major ISS for about Rs 150 crore, according to two people aware of the development.
Without a framework for identifying opportunities, it is hard to be systematic about the process, which explains why it is done on an ad-hoc basis.
The other, HR-LO (for leadership and organisation), would focus on improving the people capabilities of the business and would report to the CEO.
"Today analytics has moved from the backroom to boardroom and is fuelling the demand for managers with analytical skills," Sen said.


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In one of the most negative times in recent memory, something positive happened, people started to work from home using technology as a facilitator. This has led a lot of businesses, who hadn’t already, looking to make a digital transformation. As one of the most useful and valuable digital tools, Voice over Internet Protocol is at the center of this shift. Let’s look at VoIP and how it presents the modern business value.
We’re just shy of halfway through 2020, and it is already apparent that this will go down as one of the most challenging years for businesses around the world for some time. With many businesses facing extensive and continued pauses in their operations, many will be looking for opportunities to get more out of their investments. Managed IT services are one such opportunity.
It has been pretty difficult for most small business owners to stay positive lately. They’ve had to deal with more in the past few months than many have in their entire entrepreneurial careers. Today, as businesses are gearing up to get back to work, we thought it would be helpful to explain some ways that you can stay positive.
Video conferencing has been one of the surprise winners of the COVID-19 era. As large percentages of people are asked to distance from others, one solution that has been extremely popular is to have meetings over the Internet. While seemingly the whole world is using video conferencing solutions, for the business, there are other considerations that have to be made. Today, we’ll hit on some strategies you can use to improve the security of your web conferences.
Over the past decade we’ve seen the rapid growth of cloud computing, but many decision makers and business owners were skeptical of the actual utility in cloud-based utility computing. With COVID-19-based stay-at-home orders lasting for over six-to-12 weeks in some places, these professional businessmen and businesswomen are seeing just how beneficial the cloud can be for their business. For the very first time cloud computing makes sense to them. Let’s take a look at why everyone is seemingly using computing resources in the cloud.
While we may talk about computer viruses a lot, we wanted to change tack briefly and talk about the other kind–the kind that makes you sick, rather than your technology. With COVID-19 still plaguing the news, we felt that there was no time like the present to do so.
With remote work becoming a popular option amongst businesses nowadays, concerns and considerations should be raised about how secure the networks being used are: namely, the Wi-Fi connections many have in their homes. Just as in the office, it is important that these networks are properly secured for the good of your business.
While one would certainly hope that you would only hire people that you would trust to work for you, the big question still remains of whether or not you should trust them. Our advice: you certainly should, for the good of your business. Here’s why.
With so many people working from home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, organizational IT security is stretched thin. It is important that you know how to maintain operational integrity while prioritizing security when your whole staff is working from home.
With recent and ongoing world events being what they are with COVID-19 in play, many companies have been forced to find the benefits of remote operations as much as they can. While proper technology is crucial to do this effectively, it is equally important that your team keep some other important considerations in mind… not so much what they’re working on, but how they’re doing so.


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HCMC is ranked as the most attractive investment destination, according to provincial competitive index (PCI) 2016 results in field of economic management quality for business development with 19 percent of respondents choosing to invest in HCMC, 13 percent choosing Da Nang and 9.6 percent saying Hanoi.
A survey of 1,550 businesses from 46 countries whose operations are located in 14 cities and provinces in Vietnam points to a slew of shortcomings in the business climate of Vietnam, says the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2016 report.
Sixty-five per cent of Vietnamese enterprises recorded profits in 2016; the highest rate for the last five years, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) announced on March 14 at the release of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) for 2016.
Da Nang has been still in the top of 2016 provincial competitiveness index ranking for the fourth consecutive year (PCI 2016) that was announced on March 14 morning. Meanwhile, Hanoi for the first time in many years has exceeded the threshold of 60 points, entered the group of good quality, has risen to 14/63 provinces and cities.
On March 14, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly launched the annual Provincial Competitiveness Index Report 2016 (PCI 2016)
Implementing the cooperation agreement of the Program “Strengthening the role of Elected Representatives in improving provincial business environment in the period 2016-2019”, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Training Center for Elected Representatives under Board of Deputy Affairs co-organized two (02) regional PCI training conferences for People's Council deputies in HauGiang on November 23, 2016 and Ha Giang on December 01, 2016.
That’s what was recommended by Mr. DauAnh Tuan – Head of Legal Department/VCCI cum PCI Project Director at the Conference - Training Conference and Training courseon improving business environment and strengthening competitiveness of Lai Chau organized by Lai Chau province in collaboration with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on October 17- 10, 2016.
Most of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been developed from business households and affirmed their role to the country’s economy, however they have mainly operated locally and been vulnerable to competitive integration, according to experts Dau Anh Tuan and Pham Ngoc Thach from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Southeast Region Economic Forum 2016 themed “International Integration – Grasping new opportunities for economic linkage and growth” took place in HCM City on September 16The program was organized under the leadership of the Central Economic Committee, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the People's Committees of provinces and cities, Business Forum Newspaper in cooperation with the Department of Planning and Investment, Center for Trade and Investment Promotion of the provinces and cities in the Southeast Region.
On September 9th, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Dak Lak People’s Committee co-organized a regional PCI workshop “GOOD PRACTICES IN IMPROVING PROVINCIAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT – Central and Highland Region to best support the provinces and cities in this Region in effectively improving their business environment.
Hai Duong has channelled their efforts to improve PCI toward the goal of improving its business & investment environment, enhancing provincial competitiveness through improving each of every sub-index of PCI and gradually raising their PCI ranking to the group of 30 leading provinces by 2017 and to the group of 20 leading provinces by 2020 and finding itself in the “High” Tier.


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Photo: Silas Stein/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images (AP)
The iPhone Analytics privacy setting promises Apple won’t collect any usage data if you turn it off. In early November, Gizmodo exclusively reported on research showing that Apple collects this analytics data regardless of whether the setting is enabled or not. We reached out to Apple, but the company didn’t respond.
We contacted Apple again when a California iPhone user filed a class action lawsuit over the issue, and again when additional testing confirmed the data contained personally identifiable information — contrary to another Apple policy. Apple didn’t respond.
On Friday, another iPhone user filed a second class action lawsuit against Apple over the analytics privacy issue, this time in Pennsylvania. At press time, Apple has not responded to a request for comment.
Apple’s practices constitute “systematic violations of state wiretapping, privacy and consumer fraud laws,” the new lawsuit says. “Quite simply, Apple unlawfully records and uses consumers’ personal information and activities on its consumer mobile devices and applications (‘apps’), even after consumers have expressly indicated through Apple’s mobile device settings that they do not want that their data and information will be shared.”
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Mysk’s tests showed that disabling the setting had no effect on analytics data sent from Apple apps. This data contains detailed, real-time information about everything you do in specific apps, not just things you type or tap, but even how long you spend on specific pages and what ads you see. A prime example is the App Store, where searches and downloads for specific apps can reveal everything from users’ sexual orientation to religion to sensitive issues like addiction and substance abuse.
Despite Apple’s claims that the information is non-identifiable, this data is associated with a permanent ID number Tied to iCloud accounts, linking the data to your name, email address, and phone number.
The company faces growing scrutiny over the collection of personal information. Last week, Apple was fined $8.5 million in France for collecting data for targeted advertising without asking users’ consent. It’s unusual for privacy regulators to thing Apple, and in fairness, its privacy practices often protect users better than many tech competitors. But that could change in the near future as Apple ramps up a burgeoning advertising business, a business that requires data collection.


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Zapak Entertainment Ltd, a part of Reliance ADAG, has announced the launch of its casual gaming portal – Zapak.com – with Salman Khan as its brand ambassador. The company feels that online gaming is the next stop for the Indian audience and plans to invest $100 million in the gaming industry over the next three years.
Announcing the launch, Rajesh Sawhney, President, Reliance Entertainment Ltd, said, “With a 54 per cent population below 25 years of age, India is only getting younger. Therefore, gaming is an important part of our entertainment strategy and we are investing $100 million in this venture over the next three years.”
Speaking on the revenue model of the initiative, Rohit Sharma, COO, Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd, said, “In the first phase we are looking at earning revenues through advertising, and in the later stage, we will look at options like pay for download and subscription based gaming.”
Elaborating on the marketing plans for this initiative, Sharma said, “We will be using the traditional media in the initial stages with TVCs and because we are in the online market, we will be using the Internet medium extensively.”
The company, along with the casual games portal, plans to develop Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) as well as Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter (MMOFPS). They will be developing these games in collaboration with international game developers.
The big game: Reliance Entertainment to invest $100 m in gaming business, first portals by Diwali
Reliance Entertainment launches beta version of its gaming portal, Zapak.com
Quasar Media wins Reliance Gaming’s online advertising account worth Rs 15 crore


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London tech CENSUS LAUNCHed
A census of London’s tech businesses has launched to map out the capital’s tech sector.
The Great London Tech Census will bring together data, individual interviews and an online questionnaire to create a detailed analysis of London’s tech cluster.
Commissioned by the Greater London Authority, the census will help the organisation gain insights into which sectors are growing fastest and creating the most jobs, which areas of London are doing the best and the worst, and which global cities pay most attention to London’s tech scene.
The census link can be found here.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson believes the census will create “the most detailed picture ever of this booming industry”.
"London is already established as one of the world’s leading centres to start and grow a tech business with more than 75,000 companies.
"This will allow us to target policies exactly where they are needed, helping to make London an even better place for science and technology."
Research company SQW will conduct in-depth interviews with key members of the tech community and data analysts Trampoline Systems will collect Companies House information on every London tech business to build a comprehensive data set for analysis.
Trampoline Systems, the company behind the original Tech City Map, are also asking every London-based tech business to fill out a short survey that will help tie all of its data together.
It asks five questions including details of address, sector and social media profiles.
Trampoline Systems co-founder Charles Armstrong explained that by linking the Companies House data with the social media information of every company, they can build a rich map of how everyone in London’s tech cluster interacts.
He added that by doing social media analysis, they can highlight which areas in the world are talking the most about London tech and therefore help organisations like Tech City UK focus their attention.
All the data will be used to produce a report that will provide a foundation for policy to support the continued growth of London’s tech industry.
The data will also be used to create the Great London Tech Map, an interactive map that will offer insights into London’s trends and the performance of every sector. Every business that fills out the survey will feature on the map.


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By Christian Zibreg on Sep 1, 2014
Cat humor is making the jump from the Internet to print in a cheeky new newspaper advertisement by Telefónica-owned British carrier O2. The ad amusingly teases the next iPhone, which will be announced next Tuesday.
A quick photo of the advertisement has been shared on Twitter Monday morning by Tom Warren, Senior Reporter for the technology website The Verge.
“Our O2 Gurus can help you master your smart devices,” reads the ad’s copy. “Unless it’s the new … as it’s not out until … / …. / …”.
Jump past the fold for the full scan of the advertisement. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 27, 2014
As previously rumored, Apple’s started offering the iPhone on AT&T’s Next program on its webstore in the United States, 9to5Mac reported this morning.
The much-needed change allows cash-strapped customers who prefer buying their devices full price to spread the cost of hardware with fixed monthly payments. This marks the first time the Cupertino firm has supported any carrier’s installment plan online.
After the nation’s #4 carrier, T-Mobile, last year killed contracts and unbundled the cost of hardware from the wireless service, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint followed suit by unveiling their own financing and early upgrade offers.
As we doubt this offer is exclusive to AT&T, we’re expecting the firm to start offering the popular smartphone on Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s installment plans sooner than later. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 26, 2014
T-Mobile, the nation’s fourth-largest wireless provider, on Tuesday announced it’s doubling LTE data when you add a tablet to your smartphone plan.
Moreover, the firm said it’s increased the number of lines supported by its family plan accounts to ten.
These changes arrive just as the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier yesterday unveiled a new $5 per month option quadrupling the amount of high-speed LTE data included in the Simple Starter plan from 512 megabytes to two gigabytes. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 26, 2014
With precisely two weeks until Apple’s rumored September 9 iPhone 6 announcement, the nation’s leading carrier, Verizon Wireless, Tuesday morning announced the official beginning of nationwide Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology roll-out. The carrier in May laid out plans to deploy VoLTE using the AMR-wideband standard.
VoLTE uses high-speed 4G LTE data network to carry voice instead of the legacy circuit-switched voice network. Verizon says users can expect to enjoy higher-fidelity voice calls ”in the coming weeks.“
Additionally, the Big Red carrier said the feature will be enabled on supported devices via a software update. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 25, 2014
Beginning September 3, T-Mobile customers in the United States will be able to boost their Simple Starter plan via an additional $5 per month option giving them a total of two gigabytes of high-speed 4G LTE data.
That’s in addition to unlimited talk and text included in the Simple Starter plan, the nation’s fourth largest wireless carrier said Monday morning.
In other words, in exchange for five bucks on top of your $40 per month Simple Starter charge (for a total of $45 per month), the wireless carrier will quadruple LTE data.
The new option goes into effect on Wednesday, September 3. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 22, 2014
China Telecom has made the claim in a Weibo post which was accompanied by a pair of images based on the familiar iPhone 6 renderings created by Tomas Moyano and Nicolàs Aichino and posted on Bēhance.
The post apparently advertises that an iPhone 6 flavor it plans on selling in the 1.33 billion people market will support all of China’s cellular network standards.
Have a look at the images included after the break and meet us in comments. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 21, 2014
With precisely nineteen days until the alleged September 9 iPhone 6 unveiling (notably, Apple hasn’t denied the rumor) and three days after refreshing its Family plans, the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier, Sprint, has introduced a potentially disruptive and new unlimited plan.
Specifically, the new plan is offering unlimited talk, text and data in exchange for sixty bucks per month. How cool is that?
Quickly, do the math in your head — that’s $20 less compared to Sprint’s closest competitor T-Mobile. By the way, T-Mobile promptly responded to Sprint’s announcement by promising to treat switchers to a year of free unlimited LTE data.
Jump past the fold for the full reveal… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 12, 2014
The nation’s fourth-largest wireless operator and the sole ‘Uncarrier’ in the country on Tuesday announced a brand new Pay As You Go prepaid plan which couldn’t be simpler: for a $3 per month minimum charge, it gives you minutes and text messages at $0.10 each.
And if you only occasionally use cellular data on the go, the company now gives you an option to subscribe to 500MB of 4G LTE data per day for a flat fee of $5. Should you need more data, there’s also a $10 week-long 1GB pass available so now Pay as You Go customers can finally access T-Mobile’s speedy LTE network, too… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Aug 5, 2014
Verizon Wireless may be the nation’s #1 carrier, but that doesn’t mean it’s America’s most beloved wireless provider. Notorious for the love-hate relationship with its customers, Verizon frequently draws ire of the press and consumers alike who crucify the company and criticize its questionable business practices.
In the wake of a series of customer-friendly moves by T-Mobile, collectively branded under the ‘Uncarrier’ tagline, one after another horror story concerning Verizon is getting unfold and making headlines.
The press likes to dis Verizon as a greedy corporation that shamelessly takes its customers for a ride under the presumption that everyone else is doing it, too. Verizon’s past and present business practices have been ticking me off for quite some time so here’s why I’d literally rather throw my money into a fire pit than give it to them… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jul 30, 2014
FreedomPop, a startup backed by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom which provides free or inexpensive Internet service on the Sprint network, today added the original iPad mini and other cellular-capable iPads to its stable of supported devices.
Apple’s LTE iPads, along with Samsung’s seven-inch Galaxy Tab 3, are now eligible for FreedomPop’s no-contract, free of charge voice, data and text plan.
It’s basically the same plan that the company originally offered to smartphone owners. Additional voice and data is available for a fee.
Regardless of whether you’re buying a little used iPad mini from FreedomPop or bringing your device over from another carrier, FreedomPop will treat you to gratis 500MB of LTE data, 200 voice minutes and 500 text messages.
But how does one take advantage of voice minutes and text messages on LTE iPads which only support data connections over cellular? Read on for the full reveal… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jul 28, 2014
“Leaving my office last week, I pulled alongside a bus covered with yet another ad for AT&T’s ‘Best-Ever Pricing’ for families,” writes T-Mobile USA’s outspoken CEO John Legere in a blog post Monday.
As is his wont, Legere couldn’t resist offering a scathing critique of AT&T’s family plan, calling it “funny” because “their deal is no deal at all” compared to the pricing of T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Family Plan.
Regardless, Legere went on to announce a new competitive offering which will be launching later this month to give a family of four a total of ten gigabytes of high-speed LTE data (2.5GB each) in exchange for a cool hundred bucks per month. By comparison, AT&T’s “Best-Ever Pricing” offers four lines for $160… Read More
By Timothy Reavis on Jul 25, 2014
Earlier this year, a DMCA exemption expired, which made unlocking your iPhone not only illegal, but also punishable by a $500,000 fine, five years in jail, or both.
Today, Congress passed a bill that makes unlocking your phone without permission from your carrier legal. The bill was first unanimously passed by the Senate a couple of weeks ago, and the policy was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives this afternoon. The last step is for President Obama to sign the bill, which will officially turn it into a law. Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jul 7, 2014
After taking a heat over the accusations by the United States Federal Trade Commission that it placed unauthorized charges on phone bills for years, T-Mobile is back in the news with some positive headlines.
As noted by the TMoNews blog, the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier will soon start treating its customers to a $100 rebate when buying an iPhone and iPad together, as part of its back-to-school promotion that launches on July 9… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jun 26, 2014
Either an exclusivity window with other carriers has passed or Apple needed some time to figure out how to sell and activate devices with Uncarrier service, but the wait is over – you can now waltz inside an Apple Store and safely buy and activate an iPhone on T-Mobile’s prepaid service.
To sweeten the deal, Apple and T-Mobile are treating customers who buy an iPhone with a prepaid T-Mobile plan to a cool $50 discount, for a limited time. Moreover, folks buying an iPhone with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan will receive a $50 iTunes gift card… Read More
By Christian Zibreg on Jun 20, 2014
The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier, T-Mobile, is close to getting acquired by Japan’s Softbank-owned Sprint in a deal valued at $40 billion, but that’s not stopping them from solving customer pain points.
At last week’s ‘Uncarrier 5.0.’ event in Washington, the Deutsche Telekom-owned company has announced a pair of new initiatives – ‘Music Freedom’ and ‘Unradio’.
More importantly, it’s launched a new program called ‘Test Drive’ which borrows would-be switchers an iPhone 5s for a seven-day period to test-drive its LTE network. And believe it or not, the carrier has already seen more than 12,000 sign-ups for Text Drive ahead of June 23, when the service actually opens.
Note to Legere: call Apple for more iPhones… Read More


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Hollandia Evaporated Milk yesterday announced that it was partnering Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, to unveil an online reality cooking show, tagged: “HEM Holiday Kitchen with Mercy Johnson-Okojie” to herald the holiday season. With Johnson-Okojie as the host, the show would also feature the versatile actress’s family and friends as they share exciting meal recipes with a twist for the holiday season.
The show is designed to nurture Hollandia Evap Milk’s bond with consumers by inspiring them during the festive period and in their everyday lifestyle. Running in four episodes and streamed weekly on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, the show will reward consumers through the #CookwithHEM challenge.
For the challenge, consumers are expected to record a video showing themselves preparing any meal of their choice using Hollandia Evap Milk. For their entries to be considered, consumers will have to upload their video on their personal page, follow Hollandia Evap Milk on Facebook and Instagram. They must tag Hollandia Evap Milk’s social media handles on the video, so it can be reposted on the brand’s Facebook and Instagram pages.


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Vystar® Corporation, the exclusive creator of Vytex® Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), a multi-patented, all-natural raw material that contains significantly reduced levels of non-rubber particles and proteins found in natural rubber latex, today announced that the European Patent Office issued a Decision to Grant Vystar’s patent application under European Patent Number 1 902 089 titled “Decreasing Allergenicity of Natural Latex Rubber Prior to Vulcanization” greatly expanding the territory covered by the Company’s intellectual property portfolio. The mention of the grant was published in the European Patent Bulletin 13/35 dated 28 August 2013.
The patent “Decreasing Allergenicity of Natural Latex Rubber Prior to Vulcanization,” is significant not only to the Company but also to European manufacturers who use latex in production of end products as well as consumers who utilize their end products. For manufacturers, the value in using Vytex NRL is multi-faceted. Because Vytex NRL results in a more translucent and cleaner latex following the removal of proteins and non-rubbers, value in utilizing Vytex NRL for manufacturers can been seen in decreased production costs which result from utilizing less chemicals, water and processing to remove proteins, less dyes and perfumes to cover up the yellow color and odor of non-Vytex natural rubber latex. Value to consumers of end products made with Vytex NRL are also significant as they are able to enjoy the benefit of virtually no exposure to the antigenic proteins that can cause allergic reaction and irritation stemming from natural rubber latex, as well as enjoying more appealing appearances with less opaqueness, yellowing and more vibrant color when dyes are used.
Vystar has previously received four (4) US patents and four (4) international patents covering various aspects of the Vytex process and its resulting composition through that process of using aluminum hydroxide with natural rubber liquid latex to remove proteins and unwanted non-rubber materials. On December 4, 2012, USPTO gave Vystar an additional patent on the composition of liquid natural rubber latex with an ultra low level of antigenic proteins (3.0 micrograms per gram).
William Doyle, President and CEO of Vystar® Corporation, commented, “The acceptance of the original composition claims by the European patent office not only protects our IP and substantially augments our patent collection in the selected countries in Europe, where there is a large and expanding manufacturing base, but also solidifies our technology as superior to others in treating liquid natural rubber latex specifically.”
He continued, “The global liquid natural rubber latex market is a multi-billion dollar market, and Vytex operates in a niche, premium sector of this market. With this new territory covered by our patents, we are able to show our superiority and true uniqueness, and look forward to showcasing our abilities amongst the competition in areas such as gloves, adhesives, condoms, balloons, garments, cosmetics and may other items across a broad range of industries. Vytex NRL is already used in a variety of products in the EU.”
About Vystar Corporation:
Based in Duluth, GA, Vystar® Corporation (OTC Pink: VYST) is the exclusive creator of Vytex Natural Rubber Latex (Vytex NRL), a multi-patented, all-natural, raw material that contains significantly reduced levels of the proteins found in natural rubber latex and can be used in over 40,000 products. Vytex NRL is a 100% renewable resource, environmentally safe, “green” and fully biodegradable. Vystar is working with manufacturers across a broad range of consumer and medical products to bring Vytex NRL to market in adhesives, balloons, surgical and exam gloves, other medical devices and natural rubber latex foam mattresses and pillows. Vystar’s SleepHealth and Kiron Sleep Lab LLC acquisitions provide an entry into the health and wellness market.
Source: Vystar® Corporation, press release, 2013-08-29.


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Autonomous box trucks powered by Gatik are now transporting customer orders from a Walmart fulfillment center to a Neighborhood Market store in Bentonville, Arkansas, without a safety driver.
Gatik’s deployment with Walmart in Arkansas represents the first time an autonomous trucking company has removed the safety driver from a “middle mile” commercial delivery route. In addition to inspiring other similar business models, what Walmart and Gatik are doing may help everyday consumers warm up to the idea of an autonomous vehicle.
Our editor, Carl Anthony, was invited on MarketScale TV to discuss how seeing these self-driving box trucks in action may help us understand the benefits of autonomous technology. Play the video below to see more.


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Nestlé India has announced the construction of its new plant in Gujarat for instant noodle brand Maggi with an initial investment of Rs 700 crore.
FSSAI banned the sale of Maggi noodles for almost six months over allegations that the packaged food product contained more than permissible levels of lead and MSG.
This forced Nestle to withdraw stocks of Maggi across India. However, the brand was relaunched later that year.
It will be its ninth factory in India for Maggi. Company’s instant noodles are currently manufactured at three plants.


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Want to bribe an official? Just download the new app
Pocketing huge amounts of public cash, writing illegal contracts and handing out bribes are encouraged — in a mobile phone app game inspired by a plethora of corruption cases in Spain.
Corrupt Mayor Clicker has been created by three developers who sought a way to highlight the scandals that have emerged since Spain’s building boom ended in 2008.
The aim of the free game, which is available on iPhone and Android, is to collect as much money as possible through illegal activities.
“Be a good politician, trick and steal all that’s possible until you amass an insane quantity of money in our Swiss bank,” the description of the game says.
José Antonio Tesouro, 25, one of the app’s creators, said that the game had been


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The week in brief
By control on July 19, 2013
Posted in Air Cargo World News
- Emirates (pictured above) will begin a daily A380 service to Barcelona Feb. 1, 2014. The service will be the first permanent A380 service to operate into Barcelona El Prat Airport.
- Kerry Logistics, a global logistics service provider, acquired a majority stake in Braservice, a leading Brazil-based logistics and customs brokerage company, with a domestic network of 17 offices throughout the country, including in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. Braservice has a special focus on fast-moving consumer goods, automotive, fashion and lifestyle.
- Customers moving outsize and heavyweight air cargo with Volga-Dnepr Airlines can now track their cargo using text messages. The airline is using the message service to customers' mobile phones to provide updates on the progress of charter flights.
- Singapore Changi Airport unveiled its latest themed garden (pictured left), which has a display of vibrant colors and interactive technology. Changi has pioneered the concept of airport gardens since opening in 1981. This themed garden is the fifth one at Changi.
- DHL Express Chile inaugurated a new headquarters and distribution center, the company's most modern in Latin America. The complex in the Enea Industrial Park was designed to allow DHL Express to handle growing volume demands in Chile. It features infrastructure improvements such as automated sorting capacity to allow for greater productivity. The building also incorporates DHL's GoGreen strategy, providing green spaces inside and outside, as well as using natural light where possible inside the facility.
- American Airlines Cargo unveiled its new website, aacargo.com. The website was designed using feedback from customers and enables future technological improvements that will benefit cargo customers. The new website offers more organized online tracking, a new personalized workspace and a new user management console.
- Agility, a global logistics provider, has appointed Thomas Blank (pictured right) as managing director of area Central Europe. He replaces Thomas Peikert, who left the company after 23 years. Blank is now responsible for identifying development opportunities in Germany, Benelux and Poland. In recent years, he has held various senior management positions for logistics companies such Panalpina and UTi. Blank most recently worked at Geodis Wilson as VP & managing director Asia Pacific. After eight years in Asia, Blank is now returning to Germany.
- CEVA Logistics, a supply chain management companies, will expand to a new location in Richmond, Virg., in late summer. The new facility is a multiuse site that will manage the logistics of several global brands.
- Air charter broker Air Partner signed a contract with British Airways to fuel the airline's new Airbus A380 superjumbo and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Air Partner will fill up the A380 for the duration of the aircraft's time at Manston Airport in Kent, England. After that, Air Partner will work with British Airways to fuel the B787.


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posted on 06 Jun 2019
Nuvaira deploys a ground-breaking therapy called targeted lung denervation. It’s based on the discovery that a faulty nerve that runs from the brain to the lungs may be partly to blame for asthma flare-ups.
For many years, the illness was thought to be due solely to the immune system overreacting to allergens – such as pollen – or viruses, like a cold. But scientists now know it can also be worsened by problems with the vagus nerve – a twisting bundle of pathways running from the chest to the brain.
Branches of the vagus nerve control the muscles in the airways that manage the breathing. In healthy lungs, the nerve sends signals to the muscles to ensure they contract and relax smoothly, allowing the airways to inhale and exhale properly.
But if the nerves are faulty, these muscles become overactive. As they tighten more and relax less, the airways become narrowed and breathing becomes harder. Destroying these branches of the vagus nerve blocks the faulty signals, stopping the muscles in the airways from tightening and allowing more air to pass into the lungs.
Denervation involves the patient being given a general anaesthetic and a device called a bronchoscope being inserted through the mouth and into the lungs.
[Nuvaira] has already proved successful in treating patients who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder – a severe breathing problem often, but not always, caused by smoking.
Now 30 asthma patients at hospitals in the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, including some treated on the NHS, will receive the therapy as part of a three-year clinical trial.
For more details, please see the article on DailyMail UK here
Geek+, a global AMR leader is pleased to announce it has extended its cooperation with Decathlon, one of the world's largest retailers of sporting goods, present in over 50 countries with more than 1,600 stores globally. Following the success of a two-year collaboration in its e-commerce and retail fulfillment centers in Shanghai, Decathlon accelerated its automation program, with AMR deployments at two new sites in China. The installations were successfully deployed remotely in under 3 months, following strict pandemic restrictions.
Geek+, a global AMR leader, announces its commitment to provide smart logistics solutions for enabling efficient and flexible operations to Winit, an integrated supply chain solutions provider for cross-border e-commerce serving industry leaders like eBay, for its fulfillment center located Cincinnati, Ohio.
Rick DeFiesta, Director of Business Development and Partnership at Geek+, said: "We are pleased that Winit has chosen our Goods-to-Person solution for optimizing their warehouse operations and we are confident that our P-series robots will exceed expectation to increase picking efficiency, simplify processes, and reduce management issues."
“Sir Keith is a world-renowned expert in the field of clinical immunology and has made significant contributions to the development of new medicines by applying a better understanding of physiology to the development of novel therapies,” said Kevin Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics.


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Extended trading forces small supermarket out of business
PUSHED out by extended trading hours at nearby Coles and Woolworths supermarkets, Food Store on Maroochydore's Aerodrome Rd is closing after 20 years.
Owner Rusty Dyson-Holland said it had been a tough decision to close the store, but after the state's industrial watchdog allowed the major supermarkets in south-east Queensland to trade from 7am-9pm on weekdays from December, sales "plummeted".
"We've gone broke," Ms Dyson-Holland said. "We were gearing up for a good Christmas.
"In mid-December sales plummeted.
"We thought it was just a big of a backlash from people spending leading up to Christmas but it never recovered. We had no Christmas trade at all."
Located at a cluster of shops including BWS and The Cheesecake Shop, Food Store was known as Foodworks until December last year, and prior to that Night Owl Convenience Store.
The Aerodrome Rd store had been hit hard when German supermarket giant ALDI opened across the road, but after installing a kitchen and providing hot chickens and other grab-and-go meal options, it had been making a good recovery, Ms Dyson-Holland said.
"When they (ALDI) started introducing Australian brands, we saw a big dip in sales," she said.
"With our new kitchen fresh food has been taking off - we were well on the way to recovery. It was certainly looking like a bright future."
But in December sales plummeted by between $4000-$5000 per week.
"Especially cigarette sales," Ms Dyson-Holland said. "Tradies and early morning people, they just pull up to Woolworths or Coles. They can get a park pretty much outside the door."
She said Christmas eve had, since she bought the store four years ago, been one of the biggest nights of the year, but last year "it was like we weren't open, there way nobody here".
"It was just terrible," she said. "From January onwards, it's just been nothing."
Now left with a $300,000 loan to repay, Ms Dyson-Holland decided to close her doors and avoid bankruptcy.
Five staff including herself and her daughter will be out of work, and it was still uncertain whether the bank would allow her and her husband to roll the loan into their home loan account.
"I think there's other shops that are going to follow me - they probably just haven't realised it yet," she said. "Or they're sitting at home sweating on it."
She said she felt, despite small businesses being lauded by politicians as the "backbone" of our economy, deregulation of the retail industry was forcing independent operators out.
"There's no support whatsoever for small business," Ms Dyson-Holland said.
"Coles are now making sandwiches for lunch - fresh-made in-store sandwiches. How much of the market do they want?
"How much are they allowed? It's really the government's doing."
She said her business was not the only independent store suffering, and predicted others would soon close.
"It's been so emotional," she said. "A few weeks ago I was just...I could barely put a smile on my face.
"But once I made the decision to close...I almost felt a relief.
"We just need the public to be aware, they need to start backing their shops or they're gonna [sic] lose them. Newsagents too."
All stock at Food Store on Aerodrome Rd in Maroochydore will be half price until it closes next Saturday, March 4.


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NEW DELHI: Tata Motors is committed to leading the transition towards electric mobility in the country and it looks to closely work with other group entities to create a viable environment for green vehicles, group chairman N Chandrasekaran said. Chandrasekaran in the Tata Motors' Annual Report for 2018-19 said that electric vehicles are necessary for India.
"Your company is committed to take the lead in this transition and work with other companies in the Tata ecosystem to help create a viable environment to drive adoption of electric vehicles," he said in his message to shareholders.
He, however, cautioned that this transition has to be well planned with the government and industry working together to ensure that ecosystem is developed, incentives are provided to stimulate demand and sustainability goals are achieved by implementing emission norms across the value chain.
In order to promote electric mobility, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced various measures in the Budget yesterday, including Rs 1.5 lakh additional income tax deduction on loan taken to purchase EVs.
Elaborating on the overall challenges before the auto major going ahead, Chandrasekaran said the next few years are going to be decisive for Tata Motors.
"We have to focus on strong operational excellence to deliver positive cashflows while making the right investments to be prepared for the future," he added.
The company needs to transform itself to be relevant in the world of future mobility, Chandrasekaran said.
"This will require us to form partnerships, develop mobility solutions and optimise our investment in the process," he added.
In the commercial vehicle segment, where Tata Motors remains industry leader, Chandrasekaran said the company needs to grow and secure sustainable cashflow from the business and ensure smooth transition to BS VI emission norms.
The growth in the commercial vehicle market is likely to pick-up driven by increased infrastructure spending, growth of new-age industries like e-commerce and further progress in the hub and spoke model of distribution, he added.
"In the passenger vehicle segment, your company needs to enhance its sales and service offering which is a key to growth in volumes and execute its plan to achieve profitability at PBT level," he added.
Chandrasekaran added that Indian auto market is expected to emerge as the world's third largest passenger vehicle market by 2021, driven by the underlying economic growth, increasing consumption demand and mass urbanisation.
"However, in the short to medium term, the sector faces some challenges due to the ongoing credit crunch, low consumer spending and the transition from BS IV to BS VI emission norms by April 1, 2020," he added.
Commenting on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Chandrasekaran said the company is taking steps to cut costs while taking a calibrated approach towards future investment in the product portfolio.
The company, which is facing slowdown in sales across regions, is actively looking at partnerships and prioritising its investments while ensuring that it is not compromising its future, he noted.
"These are critical interventions and JLR is committed to deliver cost and cash improvements," Chandrasekaran said.
Based on allegations, Mahindra said it had initiated an inquiry using a top consulting firm on the process of tooling purchases in its Automotive CDMM function. Following this, it indicated violations of the Code of Conduct by Rajneesh Vashishth-Vice President AD CDMM.
Videos of Epluto scooters on fire have gone viral on social media raising concerns over the safety aspect of EVs in general. If not nipped in the bud, it can potentially undermine India's nascent electric mobility revolution.


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Cecop, the Spanish-based international buying group with 6,700 members worldwide, is launching a new digital event to gather opticians and suppliers from seven countries in which it operates: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, the U.S., Colombia and Mexico. The Cecop Global Community Summit will take place online from March 10 to 16, offering an around-the-clock program of both global and local contents, with simultaneous translation options. The event will be placed under the general theme of TV series with the participation of Juan Fernandez, a Spanish actor featuring in La Casa de Papel, a successful Netflix series, and the production of a fiction created for the occasion, called Eye Connection.
The online show will kick off with a global day including presentations, conferences and a CEO forum where the post Covid-19 eyewear market will be discussed, among other topics. The following days will focus on local contents, with each country organizing its own marketplace and related events. Cecop expects at least 60 percent of its members to participate in the event but said that non-member opticians will also be able to access the platform at no cost. The company mentioned that it was offering sponsorship and exhibiting programs to industry suppliers interested in participating in the event, but the list of already signed-up companies has not been disclosed.
More details about the show’s program will be released in the next couple of weeks on its dedicated website: cecopglobalsummit.com.


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WELCOME TO The ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING REPORT
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Terminus | April 16, 2021
Terminus, the leading go-to-market network, has launched a new data set in response to Google's decision to phase out third-party cookies at the end of 2021. The fusion of Terminus Chat Experiences and Terminus Email Experiences gained from the acquisitions of Sigstr and Ramble is a significant step forward for go-to-market teams preparing for new ways to target without the use of third-party cookies.
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Selling Simplified | November 02, 2020
Selling Simplified (SSG), a data-driven B2B demand gen company welcomes Jerome Soh and Samar Kidwai to their global sales team. Each hire brings over a decade of excellence in technical sales. Their expertise will help further solidify Selling Simplified as a global leader in B2B demand generation. Samar Kidwai is appointed as Vice President of Sales, EMEA. Samar holds over 12 years of sales experience (including six years in the B2B sphere) at companies including IDG and MarketOne....
Invado Solutions | August 19, 2021
Invado Solutions, a boutique Pardot consulting firm and Salesforce marketing partner, has launched a full-service demand generation solution for its customers. The solution includes full demand gen strategy development, campaign creation, technical implementation and operational support. Carlos Hidalgo, a B2B demand generation strategy veteran, author and TedX speaker, has joined Invado Solutions as Head of Demand Generation Strategy. Carlos brings 25 years of B2B marketing experience to Invado ...
Frost & Sullivan, Yellow.ai | October 12, 2021
Based on its recent analysis of the Middle Eastern and South Asian conversational AI market, Frost & Sullivan bestows Yellow.ai with the 2021 Technology Innovation Leadership Award for delivering a highly differentiated conversational artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) automation platform.
The independently assessed award recognizes Yellow.ai's commitment to innovation, creativity, diversity, and growth potential towa...
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264 Interactions, 2 today
Coinbase has been the main news in the cryptocurrency industry over the last few days, with its public debut via a direct listing grabbing attention from all over the world. Coinbase is, in effect, the first major cryptocurrency firm to go public, demonstrating the industry’s explosive development. Although there is a lot of hope, some observers have also pointed out some inherent threats, one of which is CoinShares’ Meltem Demirors.
In a recent interview, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong expressed his thoughts on the topic, saying that cryptography and legislation are two of the main threats to cryptocurrencies and related institutions today.
This is an intriguing point of view, particularly given that Coinbase can face increased scrutiny as people attempt to understand the nascent market. As a result, sector enforcement is one of the market’s most significant risks, ranking “right up there with cybersecurity.”
In particular, given that Coinbase is an online marketplace that handles digital currency, the company expressly mentioned cyber attacks as a risk factor in its S-1 filing.
Next, the executive said that Coinbase is “very happy to engage” with US lawmakers on how we can more thoughtfully develop this business and this venture. Furthermore, when it comes to future enforcement, Armstrong said,
“We’re very excited and happy to play by the rules, and basically, we just ask that, hey, we want to be treated on those level playing field with traditional financial services at the very least and not have any kind of punishment for being in the crypto space.”
This is a very good argument, particularly given the numerous myths regarding cryptocurrencies.
For example, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has consistently said that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are being used for terrorism funding, Ponzi schemes, purchasing illicit products, and all in between. Understandably, the Treasury’s FinCEN department drafted stringent regulation, which has been indefinitely delayed.
Finally, the interviewer inquired of the CEO, “What do you think of the hype surrounding NFTs?”
The Co-founder, who is a supporter of NFT, responded,
“I think this is gonna be like the internet… or fashion. There’s sort of a new trend that happens periodically and NFTs is the most recent one.”


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Canary Wharf's Maplin staff are encouraging shoppers to make their homes smarter over the Bank Holiday.
Techical experts dubbed Maplineers will be demonstrating simple ways to remotely control lights, heating and other appliances from a tablet or smart phone.
The event, which runs from Saturday, May 23 to Monday, May 25, ties in with the retailer's Ask Maplin brand campaign.
Store manager, Darryl Nugent, said: “It’s really easy to control the lighting, heating and other appliances in your home with just a click of a button, which means you’re not wasting money on energy if you’re not at a home.
“We’ve loads of advanced but affordable products available in this massively growing area, and our Maplineers are on hand in-store throughout the bank holiday weekend to offer their expertise and show you how easy it is to do.”


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LG might kill the G-line up of smartphones but still deliver upper-mid range 5G phones on the market. Going by a new information leak, LG is slated to revive its Chocolate series from the yesteryears and launch a new phone on May 15 in South Korea. The smartphone will carry the Chocolate label but everything inside will be new age. It’ll have a lightweight body housing a 6.7-inch or 6.9-inch display (not yet confirmed) driven by Qualcomm’s 7-series 5G chipset i.e. the Snapdragon 765G processor.
Interestingly, it will also have support for dual-screen accessory setup. According to South Korean publication Naver, the thin form factor of this entry-level 5G phone will be its talking point. There’s going to be a 48-megapixel quad-camera setup on the rear but the front-facing camera configuration is still hazy.
The phone is expected to draw juice from a 4,000 mAh battery which is becoming a norm these days with new releases. Other than this, we do not have any information regarding the specification of this LG phone which could be priced anywhere between $650 and $800.
Since the phone is still in works, the final version on release could have a few noticeable changes from now. The new phone doesn’t have a name yet; since we already have a supposed release date, we are expecting more details about price, availability and the name to roll out soon. LG’s Chocolate smartphone will compete with major players like Xiaomi, OPPO and Realme currently catering well to the higher mid-range segment.


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The Czech car maker Škoda Auto, which belongs to Vokswagen AG, has launched a website allowing owners to check if their cars are affected by the current emissions scandal. Skoda said earlier that 1.2 million of its vehicles were equipped with the TDI engine that manipulated emissions data.
As of this week the owners of six Skoda models with a diesel engine made between 2009 and early 2015 can ascertain if their car is one of those due to be refitted with engine management software. They can do so by simply entering the vehicle’s VIN code at http://go.skoda.eu/servisakce, or else call Škoda’s toll-free information helpline (800 600 000). If the company confirms that their car is one of those containing the ”defeat device” software the owner will get follow up instructions on what happens next and who to contact about a suitable servicing date.
According to information released by Škoda the fraudulent software was fitted into some of the following models - Fabia II (between 2009 and 2014) Roomster (2009 to 2015) Rapid (2011 to 2015), Yetti (2009 to 20015) Octavia II (2009 to 20013) and Superb II (2009 and 2013). The owners of all these models (with diesel engines only) are advised to contact Škoda for more information on free servicing.
All vehicles affected by the scandal will be recalled and re-fitted with new software free-of-charge. Volkswagen is expected to present the relevant technical solution and measures taken in the course of October as well as advising owners about servicing dates. According to inside sources several possible solutions are being considered from software and hardware adjustments to a complete replacement of some vehicles.
Beijing ends agreement with Prague – but can spat harm Czech capital?
Czechia now ahead of Spain in GDP per capita, but still below EU average
Rare Terezín concentration camp artefacts found in attic of private home
Czechs observe day of mourning for pop idol Karel Gott
Thousands pay tribute to deceased national pop icon Karel Gott


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Right now there is a lot of frustration directed towards next generation and a lot of it is perfectly understandable. Currently we know, or are at least insistently told, it will happen this year, yet practically everything about the next generation of consoles is completely unknown, to the point where today’s leaks confirm the existence of another Xbox model, despite releasing in a couple months. Thankfully, a number of people have came out with some information on the upcoming Xbox console that might result in us finally learning a bit more about the upcoming generation.
Based off more recent Microsoft products, like controllers and Game Pass, Microsoft themselves have suggested there would be an S model of the upcoming Xbox Series X, giving the rumor some weight. To further this, Daniel Ahmad (ZhugeEX), confirmed the design but not the price and offered some insight into the models.
This should be fairly expected, especially given the price point, that could offer some interesting competition.
Finally, Windows Central also threw their hat in the ring confirming the previous reveals are accurate, meaning that is what the Xbox Series S will look like and it will cost $299.99, along with suggesting the Xbox Series X will cost $499.99, with both releasing on Nov. 10, 2020.
Right now nothing is confirmed, though a lot of other factors give these rumors weight. A lot of players strongly believe a next-generation consoles will cost in the range of $600 and that may or may not be too much, so a $500 price point will be much easier for people to swallow. We also previously saw a potential leaked Target listing suggesting some kind of Xbox hardware would cost $299, along with the aforementioned official Xbox documents that confirm the Xbox Series S is an actual thing.
Given all this information is coming out at once, we might see Microsoft finally confirm these things and that will ultimately lead to Sony doing the same thing. Some people are already speculating PS5 preorders might open up this or next week, so we’re clearly at the point where, even if some of the information here is wrong, we will get the actual information shortly.