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This week, CIO Tom Weary, CFA®, goes over the latest news on the rapidly improving economy, with consumer confidence, the labor market, and several sectors showing vast improvements. He also shares blockbuster earnings from the five mega-cap tech titans and many other companies.
Hi, I’m Tom Weary here at Reilly Financial Advisors with your Weekly Market Update. This week we had earnings reports from each of the five Mecap Tech Titans, as well as a slew of other companies during the biggest week of quarterly reporting. But first, let’s begin by getting the latest update on the economy, which is now back to just 1% below its pre-pandemic level.
In short, the U.S. economy is improving rapidly and the Fed is moving slowly. Capital investment by businesses as measured by Capital Goods Orders Nondefense ex Aircraft turned up in March after a disappointing drop the prior month, as we see in this first chart. And while that was below estimates, as we can see in this second chart the absolute level of spending is reaching record levels, which is a good sign for future growth and productivity. Turning to the consumer, we can see in this next chart that confidence has rebounded sharply recently, nearing pre-pandemic levels. As we know, consumer confidence is often driven by employment prospects, and we can see in this next chart that the Labor Differential, which measures the difference between the number of people saying jobs are easy to get and those saying jobs are hard to get, has also shot back up to near pre-pandemic levels. This makes sense given, as we see in this next chart, that job postings are now 22% above where they were before the pandemic hit. The labor market is looking much stronger suddenly. In fact, this next chart implies that we are in the midst of the economic surge right now as first quarter GDP growth came in at 6.4% and with economists projecting the second quarter’s GDP growth to hit an amazing 8.1%. It also projects that things will slow down after this surge and return to pretty mediocre growth by the end of next year. This is probably why the Fed is being so patient, sitting on their hands at this week’s meeting, because they believe that any signs of inflation are just transitory, just as the economic rebound will prove to be. This explains why interest rates are relatively stable, as we see in this next chart of the yield curve, with movement limited to the medium term which is sensitive to better economic growth while the long end which is more sensitive to inflation concerns is not moving. This is pretty amazing given how much liquidity has flooded the system, as we can see in this last chart showing the M2 money supply. All the stops were pulled to fight this pandemic, and it isn’t over yet.
On Tuesday, Microsoft reported results after the close that crushed expectations, with quarterly earnings of over $15 billion, or $1.95 per share versus $1.40 a year ago and estimates of $1.78. Revenue was nearly $42 billion, up from $33 billion last year. Sales for Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing product, grew 50% in the quarter. CEO Satya Nadella stated, “Over a year into the pandemic, digital adoption curves aren’t slowing down. They’re accelerating, and it’s just the beginning”. Apple smashed sales estimates on a surge in demand for its devices with revenue of $89.6 billion up an astonishing 54%. This led to profits of $1.40 per share, way above Wall Street estimates for 98 cents. The company boosted its dividend 7% and increased its share repurchase program by $90 billion. Apple had record revenue in each geographic segment and double-digit growth in each product category. Wow! NXP Semiconductors, a Defensive Portfolio holding, reported earnings of $1.25 which beat by 4 cents on sales of $2.5 billion which rose 27% from a year ago and beat by $10 million. Automotive revenue was up 3% on the quarter and 24% from last year to $1.2 billion despite the ongoing global chip shortage.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported blockbuster results with net income of nearly $18 billion, or $26.29 per share, compared to $6.8 billion, or $9.87 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue grew from $33.7 billion to $45.6 billion, beating estimates by over $3 billion. Search was the big breadwinner, again, with $31.9 billion in sales, compared with $24.5 billion in the same quarter a year ago. YouTube ad sales jumped 49% year-over-year to $6 billion. Google’s Cloud revenue improved 46% to $4 billion, though the division lags behind rivals Amazon.com and Microsoft. Facebook reported blockbuster results with revenue of over $26 billion rising 48% from a year ago and beating estimates by $2.5 billion while earnings of $3.30 per share blew past estimates by 96 cents. The company reported that they have nearly 3 billion Monthly Active Users. Think about that number. That’s approaching half the people on the planet. Comcast, the cable TV giant and NBCUniversal parent, beat estimates by 17 cents a share, with quarterly earnings of 76 cents per share. Revenue also topped estimates, driven in part by strong growth in broadband and wireless phone customers. And Peacock streaming subscribers reached 42 million from zero not too long ago.
Amazon reported another blowout quarter with earnings of $15.79 more than tripling from a year ago and versus expectations for only $9.69 as revenues soared to $108.5 billion, $4 billion higher than analysts’ estimates. Amazon Web Services, the real profit driver, also beat expectations for sales and earnings, sending shares to a new record high after hours on Thursday. Turning to toys, Hasbro reported earnings of $1.00 which more than doubled from last year and beat estimates by 36 cents even as revenues were flat from a year ago. Looking ahead, Hasbro is targeting full-year double digit revenue growth. Sony posted strong results with revenue rising 9% and operating income up 15% from a year ago. Although Ford reported strong results with Automotive Revenue rising 7% to $33.6 billion and earnings of 89 cents crushing Wall Street estimates by 68 cents, investors were disappointed by a lowered outlook. The global chip shortage is costing Ford $2.5 billion and forcing them to cut second quarter production by 50%. Ouch!
Otis Worldwide, the leading elevator manufacturer, beat on both the top and bottom lines with revenue of $3.4 billion rising 15% and beating by $250 million with earnings of 72 cents beating by a dime. Full year earnings growth is expected to be in the range of 10 to 13%, the dividend was increased 20% and the company added $200 million to the share repurchase program. Former corporate sibling Carrier Global, a leading HVAC manufacturer, saw revenue rise 21% to $4.7 billion beating by $329 million and earnings of 48 cents beat by 11 cents leading the company to raise their sales growth outlook for the year from 7% to 10%. Former parent company Raytheon Technologies, a leader in aerospace and defense, also reported strong results, with earnings of 90 cents beating by 7 cents on revenue of over $15 billion which rose 34%. One year after the transformational merger and three-way split, the company demonstrated its confidence by raising the dividend 7% and expanding its share repurchase program. And General Dynamics, another aerospace defense contractor and Defensive Portfolio holding, beat on the top and bottom lines with revenue of $9.4 billion rising over 7% from last year and beating by $490 million as earnings of $2.48 beat estimates by 18 cents. The company has good visibility with their backlog up 4.5% from a year ago to $89.6 billion.
In other earnings news, Mondelez, the maker of Oreo cookies and other snack foods, beat on both the top and bottom lines with sales rising 8% to $7.2 billion and earnings of 77 cents versus 51 cents a year ago and estimates of 69 cents. Chief Executive Dirk Van de Put said in a statement. “We saw continued improvement across emerging markets, healthy demand in developed markets and another quarter of strong share performance.” A pandemic-induced drop in medical office visits was among the key reasons for Merck’s earnings shortfall for the first quarter. Merck missed by 23 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.40 per share. Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis disappointed with both sales and earnings missing analysts’ estimates. Sales of $12.4 billion rose by only 1% and missed by $50 million while earnings of 91 cents were down 5% from a year ago. And insurer Chubb bounced back with earnings of $5.07 up from 55 cents a year ago. Core earnings of $2.52 beat estimates for $2.47 as premiums rose 8% to $8.7 billion. CEO Evan Greenberg pointed out that even with an active quarter for natural catastrophes the company had a profitable underwriting quarter, a rarity in the world of property and casualty insurance where most insurers rely on investment income to make a profit.
So, what does it all mean? The economy is suddenly booming thanks to historic monetary and fiscal stimulus as well as progress in vaccinating the populace. Many of your companies are reporting record results. With roughly half of S&P 500 companies having reported, 90% have beaten earnings estimates, 70% have topped revenue estimates and it looks like quarterly profits will hit an all-time record, rising 125% from depressed levels a year ago. You will recall that we highlighted cloud computing as an important investment theme, and as you can see by this last chart that the three leaders in the field, all Core Portfolio holdings, are each approaching market values of $2 trillion. That’s trillion with a T. These are interesting times, things change rapidly, and we will stay on top of the latest developments for you. So, please, sit back, relax, and join us again next week for the RFA Weekly Market Update.
Other Previous Videos
In this week’s update, CIO Tom Weary, CFA®, reviews the latest numbers on the pandemic as more Americans become eligible to get the vaccine. He also shares earnings from a number of companies, including RFA Defensive Portfolio holdings The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, and Intel.
This week, CIO Tom Weary, CFA®, dives into recent worries over inflation before reporting on Q1 2021 bank earnings (including Core Portfolio holding JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s record quarterly profit). He then reports on earnings from RFA portfolio holdings Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, PepsiCo, UnitedHealth Group Inc., and Procter & Gamble.
This week, CIO Tom Weary, CFA®, discusses surprising strength in the labor market as the economy continues to heal. He also notes how economic growth has been good for the financial markets before sharing earnings from RFA Core Portfolio holding Constellation Brands and RFA Defensive Portfolio holding Conagra Brands.


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During its CES 2019 keynote presentation, Samsung announced that Bixby 2.0 would soon support Google apps.
Initially, the South Korean company’s digital assistant will support Google Maps, Google Play, YouTube and Gmail. However, it’s not yet clear how it will work with these apps.
Further, Bixby supported Google apps in version 1.0, which launched alongside the Galaxy S8 and S8+. It’s not clear why Bixby 2.0 dropped support for Google’s apps in the first place.
The removal of the features could be related to competition between Google Assistant and Bixby. Considering Samsung recently announced Google Assistant and Alexa support for its TVs, it could signal that Samsung is more open to working with competing digital assistants.
Regardless of the reason behind the move, Bixby will now support more apps — an area where the platform has lagged behind the competition.
At this time, Samsung has not said when Google app support will come to Bixby 2.0. Considering the timing, we could see it launch alongside the Galaxy S10.

domain: news


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IBM is offering US$4 billion in new credit to customers through its partner channel, and has also developed a new mobile application to help them get financing quickly, the company announced Thursday.
If the increase in supercomputer speeds continue at their current pace, we will see the first exascale machine by 2020, estimated the maintainers of the Top500 compilation of the world's fastest systems.
IBM is planning to release on Dec. 14 a public beta of Notes and Domino 9.0 Social Edition that will no longer use the Lotus brand.
The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory's newly installed Titan system, a Cray XK7, has been anointed as the world's fastest supercomputer in the newly released 40th edition of the Top500 compilation of the world's fastest superco...
IBM has been slapped with a multimillion dollar lawsuit by chemical products manufacturer, Avantor Performance Materials, which alleges that IBM lied about the suitability of a SAP-based software package it sells in order to win Avantor's business.
Oracle on Thursday said it has agreed to acquire PPM (project portfolio management) software vendor Instantis, in a move that will build upon its past acquisition of Primavera. Terms of the deal, which is expected to be completed this year, were not ...
Tao Wan now works at IBM, but said he was once an angry young man, a veteran of the hacking scene that burgeoned in China in the late 1990s.
IBM on Tuesday announced the Storwize V3700 storage array, which starts at US$11,000 and is one of the lowest-priced storage products the company offers.
IBM, Epicor and other vendors could be eyeing a purchase of supply-chain software vendor JDA, analysts said Tuesday following a published report that the company was looking for suitors.
IBM has hit a milestone in its quest to come up with a successor to silicon computer chips.
At IBM's Information On Demand and Business Analytics Forum, being held this week in Las Vegas, the company announced a number of new add-ons and services designed to help organizations analyze their expanding data sets more quickly.
Some of the biggest names in tech reported quarterly earnings this week, and the resulting picture is not pretty. The main culprit for the weak earnings reported this week is a slump in the PC market, but uncertainty about the global economy is weigh...
Zynga's initial public offering Friday, a raft of acquisition announcements this week from IBM, Salesforce and others, and some upbeat reports on the chip and hardware sector are putting a positive spin on year-end news for the tech sector.
IBM has signed a deal to buy supply and contract management software vendor Emptoris in another bid to fill out its growing catalog of business-to-business and business-to-consumer commerce technologies, the company announced Thursday. Terms of the d...
IBM is helping a Chinese state-owned firm to monitor food safety in the country, by building a new system meant to prevent tainted products from being sold to consumers.
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Distributor Imago has expanded into the Far East with the opening of an office in Beijing, China, in a move it has claimed will benefit its UK VARs.
The video communications distributor has its headquarters in Berkshire, offices in Manchester and France, and a representative who targets reseller channels in Germany, Austria and eastern European markets.
Imago has appointed a Chinese national, Ying Zeng, to head up the venture. Peter Nice, formerly Imago’s head of marketing in the UK, will take on the role of head of new business development.
“The Chinese market is expanding at such a fast rate that we would be stupid to ignore it,” Nice said. “With so much new technology required in the developing Chinese economy, we have recognised the potential of opening a dedicated operation.”
Imago’s Chinese operation, called Ying Die, will initially service Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities, before expanding to meet the needs of the whole country.
Ian Vickerage, managing director of Imago, told CRN: “We’re interested in selling products into China and in sourcing products from there to bring into the UK for our partners. We’re currently evaluating two videoconferencing [VC] products.”
Andrew Smith, senior associate at audiovisual analyst Sandy Brown Associates, said: “China is a huge growth market for technology and is set to become the real power house of Asia. It’s an exceedingly productive venture for Imago. It will now be able to source and sell products into China.”
John Cooper, director of VC reseller JKC, said: “China is an obvious place for Imago to move to. We’re doing a bit of work in China now. I’ve recently seen a Chinese VC product and its price point is a lot lower than other VC vendors’ products.” C
>> Further reading:
Contingency plans follow Carillion's demise earlier this year
Oliver Tuszik says partners can boost subscription sales by taking a customer experience-led approach
Firm says enterprise business has performed 'weaker than originally expected'
Top executives from nine VARs, including Computacenter, Bell Integration, XMA, ANS and Epaton, weigh in on which server, storage and networking technologies will be red hot next year


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Pouring a glass of orange juice each morning is old school. Only 17 percent of Americans are considered OJ loyalists, according to the Florida Department of Citrus. But the strategists seem determined to plug holes in consumption, reverse negative thinking and win a generation. For that they’ll need an app.
“We describe this consumer as a four-screen consumer.” -- Doug Ackerman, head of Citrus Department
Millennials are the focus. The new Strategic Communication Agency at the University of Florida has enlisted students for a $500,000 PR campaign to study how their peers feel about OJ. The Agency's executive director is Andy Hopson, a veteran ad boss.
“No one is more qualified to market to Millennials than a team of Millennials,” said Hopson (at left), a former Burson-Marsteller and Ogilvy executive. "We aim to build an international reputation by positioning The Agency as a Millennial marketing thought leader.”
Work/study jobs were pitched online at UF in November and 57 reportedly signed on for the spring semester, which began Jan. 5. Destination: Boston, a national hub for Millennials with more than 100 colleges and universities.
OJ sales have tumbled 41 percent since 2000-01, according to the Citrus Department. Consumers are noticing steady price bumps, too, according to monthly research. More than two-thirds of consumers are seemingly unmoved by advertising that 100 percent OJ is healthy and nutritious and just plain tastes good.
The apparent strategy: build a bridge to older OJ believers. In September, Captain Citrus – a $1 million ad campaign – was invented to target the kids. And the 82 million Millennials are no-man's land in the beverage wars, Citrus Department executive director Doug Ackerman said in a radio interview.
“We describe this consumer as a four-screen consumer,” Ackerman said. “They have their cellphone screen. They have their iPad screen. They have their TV screen and they have their computer screen. You have to have specific applications, specific messaging, across those platforms to make sure they work synergistically.”
Before @realDonaldTrump called out @WHO for acting too slowly about #coronavirus, the UN health agency also botched the #Zika crisis. | https://t.co/m8zMJ6Ey8z by @TheDailyFray > @Gannett, @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/dfiGkH28Kc— John Howell (@TheDailyFray) April 9, 2020
Veni, vidi, selfi
» For billionaire preppers, a Miami company is building 272 horsepower "arks" capable of withstanding Category 4 hurricane winds that rise on stilts to thwart sea level rise. And they are completely solar. (Via Miami New Times)


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Former senior US officials attended a special conference to mark the 40th anniversary of former President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday praised the progress of US-China relations in the past 40 years.
Chinese shoppers may not be able to buy the next version of Apple's iPad tablet on the mainland.
Proview Technology Shenzhen has called on customs to prohibit exports and imports of the device.
Yuan Ning is leading the charge on a host of infrastructure projects.
China Construction America is becoming one of the most competitive construction companies in US.
Trade measures passed by the US Congress violated both US laws and World Trade Organization rules, said Chen Deming, minister of commerce.
China-US relationship has grown into one of the most important bilateral ties in the world today.
The basketball legend filed a lawsuit against a Chinese sportswear company for unauthorized use of his name
The US will continue to impose countervailing duties on various Chinese imports.
China hopes to see open and transparent operation of a newly-established US federal agency.
The US House passed a bill to ensure the government can impose controversial countervailing duties on imports from China.


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Auto industry is sitting today on high idle capacity: Ravi Kant7 min read . Updated: 28 Aug 2009, 11:08 PM IST
Auto industry is sitting today on high idle capacity: Ravi Kant
Auto industry is sitting today on high idle capacity: Ravi Kant
Tata Motors Ltd managing director Ravi Kant, who is also the outgoing president of industry lobby group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), said the auto industry is currently sitting on high idle capacity. He also said in an interview that most serious external factors for the sector are the economy and infrastructure spend, but there has been a greater understanding between the government and the industry. On his company’s small car TataNano, Kant said that the demand for the small car was huge but the production was limited. However, he added that Tata Motors would by mid-2010 produce Nano at its full capacity of 20,000 units a month and he was not worried about order cancellations. Edited excerpts:
You’ve probably been spearheading Siam at the time when the situation for the auto sector has perhaps been the worst that the country has seen in a long time. As you leave this chair, are you cautiously optimistic? Are you feeling more confident about the situation as it stands?
Yes, I think so. Last year was quite bad and especially Q3, (the third quarter) which is the October-December quarter, the industry went through some very wrenching times. But hopefully now things are working out somewhat better.
There are still some segments like commercial vehicles that are under stress. But two things have come out quite clearly. One is I think the government has come out very strongly and has worked with industry, has listened to the woes of the industry. It is not that we have just been asking for anything. We have been giving a lot of logic and there has been a very open and frank discussion and a lot of items in the stimulus packages one and two were announced, which were beneficial to the industry. So I think there has been a greater amount of understanding between industry and government during this period, which I think is a very positive development, if I may say so, out of this crisis.
The other is I think like in any crisis, the industry then begins to look at things it would normally not do. Internally, at cost and new products and things like that, and I think a lot of work has been done there as well, which will now show up as the market begins to expand.
In the long run, I think the auto industry has a very strong future as far as India is concerned, no question about that. The automotive mission plan, which was unveiled by the Prime Minister two years ago, has really all the strong points and I personally have no doubt about it that we will see a very bright future.
Would you envisage single-digit growth till the end of this year and perhaps double-digit growth only as far as 2010 is concerned? Would that be your prognosis given the situation on the ground?
Normally, I personally don’t hazard a guess and we don’t give that kind of futuristic thing especially the more recent things, because if I give a complete thing for the auto industry it will not be representative.
If you’d like to break it down into different segments—two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles—how would you like to break it down?
I would say the ones that are more consumer oriented, they are going to be doing well.
Which means passenger vehicles, cars and two-wheelers?
Two-wheelers and things like that, and which will begin to catch up. And the ones which depend a lot on infrastructure spending, a lot on GDP, IIP (index of industrial production) and export and import, I think that is going to take some time.
You yourself at Tata Motors have begun to see a tame turnaround as far as commercial vehicle (CV) sales are concerned. What is the situation on the ground as far as CV sales are concerned? Do you think it is sustainable? Is it likely to improve further from these levels?
I think the sales have been improving that way, if I say from a more negative—it was -70% and now it is -30%, -20%, especially in medium and heavy trucks segment. As far as the light commercial vehicle is concerned, I think it is beginning to show growth. But you have to understand one thing, in light commercial vehicles the whole growth is actually driven by Ace, manufactured by Tata Motors, and because of that the whole light commercial segment is showing an increase.
We do hope that it will continue because if you see how the urban and the rural areas are coming together and how the economic activity is going around the country. There is still some time to go before it comes back to real growth, I would say.
One of the challenges the sector grappled was with high input costs and that completely changed over last year. If you were to look at external factors, what do you think the auto sector has to grapple with in terms of the most serious external factors?
The most serious factor I would say is the economy itself because at the end of the day, if the economy is doing well then everything gets a boost and each segment reacts differently to it. The other is spending on infrastructure because as (road transport and highways minister) Kamal Nath has said, “You guys produce vehicles but it’s my job to make roads". I think he should have first said he does the roads and then we produce vehicles. But, in fact, it has to go hand in hand. So if the government is taking a leap forward saying that they will make 20km of roads per day, I am sure the auto industry would not be wanting to make investments. Out of nearly Rs80,000 crore investment that was envisaged, Rs50,000 crore has been already invested. So actually the auto industry is sitting today on high capacity, and therefore, as soon as the demand picks up, they will be able to supply it in no time at all. Thus the idle capacity is certainly causing major drag on the industry and profitability and that can only be salvaged if the demand picks up.
You are meeting perhaps all of the industry at Siam meet. What is the sense you are getting? Have the liquidity concerns eased, have their funding concerns eased, working capital concerns eased? What is the sense you are getting now that you been speaking with CEOs from everywhere in the sector?
I would say about a year ago we were in great difficulty, no question on that. It was as if the entire liquidity system had frozen and people were finding it very difficult to get funding, especially small and medium enterprises. Banks had withdrawn financing of vehicles to consumers and some very big ones had withdrawn so suddenly and that created a huge gap and that took quite some time for the gap to be filled in. But now fortunately it has been filled in with many more players and surprisingly players from public sector banks have come in a very aggressive manner led by SBI (State Bank of India) itself and I think they have done a remarkable job in filling the gap and taking over all the slag and actually moving the whole thing forward.
One of the other things which we saw last year in the industry was that a lot of global alliances got struck such as Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd with Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd and Nissan with Ashok Leyland Ltd. Do you see a lot more of that happening in India? Also, in terms of acquisitions, do you see Indian auto firms stepping back into the market and looking at acquisition?
Not immediately, but I think give it one more year, when people begin to feel quite confident, now at least for the next five-six years, it is going to be the upside in the growth cycle. Those things will come back because ultimately those are required for growth because you just can’t grow by organic, means, you need to have inorganic growth, partnership to grow because you suddenly cannot create technology, you need to acquire it. So all these things will begin to happen as the growth story begins to unfold again. People will find ways and means of doing it and it’s the same things like M&A, tech partnerships and other things and steps to make this happen.


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At the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and AgTech in Des Moines, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) will present an update on Wednesday on the plant-based bioplastic, MonoEthylene Glycol (MEG). ICPB invests in research centered on developing new uses for corn and building demand for Iowa corn farmers. MEG, which can be made from Iowa corn, has potential in the marketplace because it’s a renewable, recyclable product that can replace fossil fuel-based plastics in everything from soda bottles to car parts.
“Fortune 100 companies have made commitments to use recyclable and reusable packaging in their products, but consumers are looking for bioplastics,” said Iowa Corn Research and Business Development Chair Pete Brecht. “Iowa Corn is pushing to meet both of these demands with recyclable bioplastics through our continued research into plant-based MEG.”
In 2016, 62 billion pounds of MEG were sold. It is predicted that global demand for MEG will grow at a 4 percent rate each year. If this 4 percent is captured by corn-based MEG, this could raise the demand for corn to an additional 94 million bushels a year.
“Farmers have the ability to grow more corn than consumers can utilize as food or feed,” stated Brecht. “Products like MEG create more demand for corn farmers while reducing environmental impacts and fulfilling consumer needs.”
For more information on ICPB research, click here.
Brandi Snyder, Public Relations Manager, firstname.lastname@example.org, 515-225-9242


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IF your partial to a slice of toast and jam on a morning, chances are you won’t be carving a slice off this loaf, dubbed the world’s most expensive bread and made right on our doorstep.
The pricey pan is the brainchild of Juan Manuel Moreno, manager of a family run bakery in the Malaga village of Algatocin, nestled deep in the Grazalema National Park.
The unique recipe, containing all natural ingredients and blended with flakes of edible gold and silver, is sold to lavish clients around the globe for a staggering €1480 per loaf.
Moreno is the manager of the Panadería Pan Piña bakery a business that has been in his wife’s family since 1946 and has been producing quality bread ever since.
Boasting over 170 different types of bread, the bakery still caters for it’s regular customers with regular types of bread, including a buckwheat mix that sells almost 400 loaves per day.
According to an interview with Madrid’s Metropolitan Press, Moreno explained that he came up with the idea after hearing of the world’s most expensive coffee was being sold in coffee house in Marbella.
Keen to see how far he could push the limits of bread making, he set to work creating Panadería Pan Piña’s masterpiece.
Moreno’s first attempt began with experimenting with using edible gold and a type of wheat known as spelt, a grain of wheat popular in the bonze ages and making a comeback in recent years due to its health properties.
This first batch proved a success, selling 150 loaves at €117 each.
This led Moreno to continue to pursue his goal of creating the world’s most exclusive bread, creating another batch using quinoa and chia and this time, frosting the loaf with the gold.
This sold for €192 and set the path for his latest creation.
Using gold and this time, silver, the loaf uses these precious metals in two forms, flakes and dust, and in total uses approximately €1100 of ingredients depending on metal prices at the time.
“It takes roughly 18 hours to create this particular sourdough loaf,” said Moreno. “It is very much ‘Bread without the rush’.”
According to Moreno, he uses only the finest flours and wheats and and goes through numerous specific processes before it reaches the oven.
“The ingredients are mixed and kneaded and left for 30 minutes to ferment before being reworked, cut and left again to prove.” said Moreno.
It is then formed into the loaf shape and decorated with the unique malt pattern before being refrigerated for 12 hours to slow the fermentation process and allow the sugars to be absorbed.
It is then taken out of the chiller and baked for 40-45 minutes before adding the final decorations ready for sale.
Moreno explains that he has gained a lot of interest for his culinary creation, and has sold loaves to businessmen and elites from China, Saudi Arabia and China.
One particular client, a Saudi Prince, ordered 18 loaves for a wedding last year, and since it’s birth, Pina Pan has sold 96 loaves in total, with six so far in 2021.
“We did not do this for the money, we did this to try to put the bakery on the map and show what is possible.” said Moreno.
The team at Panadería Pan Piña’s hard work also led to the bakery being placed on Malaga’s Sabor a Malaga hotlist in 2007.


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This year's unusual high temperature in northeastern China, which is usually dry and cool in summer, has led to a sharp rise in demand for air-conditioners and a shortage of installers, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Northeast China provinces - Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang - saw temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius this summer and experienced "sauna-like weather", a high-temperature and high-humidity weather commonly seen in southern China.
Due to such extreme weather, many families and companies rushed to buy air-conditioners. According to sales data from Gome, a home appliance giant, sales of air-conditioners in northeastern China recently rose 1,726 percent year-on-year, while sales in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, increased 3,545.4 percent year-on-year.
Since July 28, Gome has moved more than 200 air-conditioner installers from cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xi'an to Shenyang, Anshan, Panjin, Haicheng in northeastern China. The company said 300 more are on the way.
Suning, another home appliance giant, also shifted air-conditioner installers from Beijing, Tianjin, Ningbo, Xuzhou, Qingdao by air to help with the installation. The company provides room and board to installers and a car to each team to speed up installation.


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Frichti, a Paris, France-based meal delivery startup, reportedly raised €1m in funding.
Venture capital firm Alven Capital made the investment.
The company is using the funds to expand operations by hiring chefs and delivery people.
Founded by Julia Bijaoui, Frichti is a home-made food production and delivery company offering a wide range of meals for lunch and dinner. The platform allows people to order via the web site. The company’s chefs then prepare the food in their own kitchens and the company deliver the meals.
To date, Frichti has delivered more that 10k meals.


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Oppo will soon follow the Find X2 and X2 Pro smartphones with the cheaper 5G equivalent, the Oppo Find X2 Lite.
This is according to a leaked set of news reports and specifications that have surfaced online.
It would come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 2.3 GHz processor, which uses a built-in Snapdragon X52 5G modem. It will also have 8GB of RAM - a decent amount for a mid-range mobile phone.
Oppo Find X2 vs Find X2 Pro: What's the Difference?


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CHONGQING, China Aug 27 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co will begin making its 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine in Chongqing, its manufacturing hub in southwest China, next year, with the second-largest U.S. car maker hoping to catch up with rivals in the world’s biggest auto market.
Ford made the announcement at an event in Chongqing on Monday, when its top brass, including Chief Executive Alan Mulally, attended the groundbreaking of a third assembly plant. The engine plant is currently under construction at a separate facility in the same complex.
“Asia Pacific is such a fantastic growth market, and China specifically - even though we’ve slowed down a little bit, it’s still in the 10 percent range, which is a terrific growth rate,” Mulally told reporters after the event.
Ford won approval from China this week to break up its three-way tie-up with Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp and China’s Chongqing Changan Automobile Co Ltd, Mulally said, adding there was no timetable for when it would clinch regulatory approval. Ford has a 35 percent share of that tie-up.
Ford has spent $4.9 billion building factories, adding dealers and launching new models in China since 2006. Success in China is key to meeting Mulally’s goal of selling 8 million vehicles worldwide by 2015, up from 5.3 million in 2010.
Ford recognizes it has been too slow to enter the Chinese market. Last year, Ford had 2.5 percent market share in China, while Volkswagen AG held nearly 18 percent and General Motors 10 percent, according to LMC Automotive.
Ford earmarked $600 million to build the third assembly plant in Chongqing, which is expected to open in late 2014. The automaker is also building another plant slated to open in 2015 in Hangzhou for $760 million.
The investments come as the Chinese auto market cools.
Last year, sales rose 2.5 percent, down from 32 percent growth in 2010. Unsold cars are clogging dealer lots, forcing many to offer discounts, though the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers is sticking to its forecast for overall auto sales growth of 5-8 percent this year.
Ford sees considerable growth prospects in central and western China, where customers tend to be more price-sensitive, favoring the older generation, or “classic”, Focus car, said Marin Burela, president of Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co.
Earlier this year, Ford launched its revamped Focus compact car in China, the first of 15 new models the company will debut by 2015. Ford will sell both the old and new models in China, Burela said.
Ford is looking to sell cars that cost less than its Fiesta subcompact, currently its cheapest model with a price tag of $12,300-$17,500. In a June investor presentation, Ford’s head of Asia and Africa Joe Hinrichs said about 70 percent of Chinese buyers purchase cars that cost less than $14,500.
“We can start to begin to play in some high-volume spaces and gather more volume and gain our market share,” Hinrichs said during an investor presentation. “Of course, we need the manufacturing capacity and the dealers to make that happen.”
Making those vehicles in China is key to Ford’s plans because Chinese import duties can increase vehicle prices considerably. Ford aims to double production capacity in China to 1.2 million vehicles by 2015, about 80 percent of which will be in Chongqing.
The Chongqing manufacturing complex currently employs 13,000 people who are, on average, 28 years old. After 2015, Ford expects to increase total staffing to 25,000, Burela said.


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The California Energy Commission (CEC) has committed $38 million to increase the availability of fast-charging options for electric vehicles (EVs) in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Funds will be distributed in the form of rebates to businesses, nonprofits, tribes and public entities in 28 counties across the state. These discounts can cover up to 50% of the total cost of installing DC fast chargers with a minimum power of 150 kW.
This initiative is part of California’s coordinated effort to promote electric vehicle adoption across all populations. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has also implemented income-based incentives to help low-income drivers access incentives for purchasing electric vehicles. These changes prioritize low-income applicants and aim to make electric vehicle ownership more affordable for all residents.
Currently, electric vehicles account for 15% of new vehicle sales in California, making it critical to invest in robust charging infrastructure. While there appears to be a lack of public EV charging stations in the state relative to the number of registered electric vehicles, a comprehensive analysis found that California is doing better than the simple ratio would suggest. The analysis took into account factors such as charging performance and the number of charging points per road length.
However, expanding the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is not the only challenge. A study last year highlighted problems with the reliability of fast chargers in California. Of the 181 DC fast charging sites analyzed, 22.7% were out of service or experiencing extended downtime.


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Sears Holdings Corp. said Bank of America Corp. refused to renew a $1 billion letter of credit under existing terms.
The termination of the agreement probably will have no effect on liquidity, the Hoffman Estates-based company said in a regulatory filing.
The retailer said it has $1.6 million outstanding in letters of credit under the existing agreement, which expires in July.
Sears and other retailers have suffered as consumers have cut spending on clothing and home goods. Talbots Inc. disclosed this week that Bank of America and HSBC Holdings PLC canceled $265 million in letters of credit.
"The real issue is if they can easily replace the letter of credit and it's my guess they probably can," said Scott Rothbort, president of Lakeview Asset Management LLC.


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It's not surprising that Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. picked Chicago for its first store outside California.
CHICAGOAN HELPS CHOCOLATIER BREAK OUT OFCALIFORNIA MARKET
The expansion is the inspiration of Chicagoan John J. "Jack" Anton, Ghirardelli's chairman and CEO, who bought the company three years ago with Thomas H. Lee Co., a Boston-based private investment firm, from Quaker Oats Co.
A Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain is slated to open in mid-May at 830 N. Michigan Ave.
It's a novel move for a company that's as closely associated with San Francisco as cable cars.
Ghirardelli's ventures outside San Francisco-where it has three stores-began last year, when it opened California outposts in Monterey and in Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza.
Chicago's ice cream parlor and retail shop will be Ghirardelli's largest to date, at 4,000 square feet. Mr. Anton says it will have "an old-fashioned feel," blending turn-of-the-century San Francisco ambiance with 1920s and '30s Chicago architectural accents.
Like the Ghirardelli Square flagship in San Francisco, it will feature an informative chocolate-making station using spiffed-up antique equipment that fills the place with enticing aromas.
"The idea is that people will come in for a soda or sundae," Mr. Anton explains, "but, since chocolate is a high-impulse item, they'll also buy some to take home or give as gifts."
Noting the high traffic and upscale shopping on North Michigan Avenue, he envisions a good mix of tourists and locals, including "60,000 potential regulars" living in the area.
Mr. Anton was encouraged to venture out of California by customer response.
"We found that experiencing the Ghirardelli Square ice cream parlor created a lasting impression, even on East Coast visitors, and with that came a very strong national brand awareness-the most credible advertising you can have," he maintains.
Restaurant consultant Isidore Kharasch, president of Hospitality Works Inc., thinks Ghirardelli's chances for success are excellent. "The themed concept should work well in the area, and the parlor's right between Borders Books and Bistro 110, two high-quality operations targeting the same demographics," he notes. "It's hard to imagine passers-by not succumbing to the temptations of chocolate."
Mr. Anton is no stranger to the food industry. He previously owned Chicago-based Carlin Foods, a $100-million food ingredient company, with several investors, among them his Ghirardelli partner. After selling Carlin in the late 1980s, he was looking for other opportunities when he discovered Ghirardelli.
"I was visiting a factory and found a container of beautifully molded, eagle-topped 10-pound chocolate bars," he recalls. "And I thought that anyone who puts that much effort into the appearance of an industrial product must really care about their business."
In addition to its retail shops and branded confection, gift and baking items, Ghirardelli creates industrial products for the confectionery, bakery, dairy and food-service industries. Attuned to the coffeehouse craze, Mr. Anton is introducing a limited-distribution line of chocolate-flavored dessert coffees to coincide with the opening of the Chicago soda fountain.
The company also is seeking other locations that mirror the three new store settings: Monterey's tourist destination, South Coast Plaza's chi-chi mall setting (it's been compared to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills) and Chicago's high-end city boulevard.
"We're looking in Portland or Seattle, Boston and New York," Mr. Anton says, "but we don't have a timetable. It's too early to tell how we're doing, and we want to wait until we can."


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As you might already know given the massive global coverage, Apple released a new Operating System (OS) for its mobile products yesterday. iOS7 has a new look with the theme’s design led by Jonathon Ive, the SVP for Design.
The former glossy, brash and textured themes have been replaced by a minimal sallow pastel look with ultra thin Sans Serif Font.
A number of the big social networks and apps have already developed their themes to maximise the new OS and here is a list of the best twenty apps.
Here is a picture of Soundwave’s App – which is going down a storm in the App store. Brendan O’Driscoll said the team at the digital start-up, which is now based in the ‘Silicon Docks’ area of Dublin City (Soundwave is just around the corner from the Google, Facebook and Linkedin) is “really excited” about being listed again on the worldwide App Store as they sought to refresh the Soundwave design theme with a more “simple and colourful look.”


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Rohit Talwar, Fast Future
"A lot of online travel players are also some of the most conservative companies out there, they came in as disruptors but are now very tied to their platforms."
Quote from Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future, in an article on PhocusWire this week about cryptocurrencies assisting the recovery of the travel industry.
Each Friday, PhocusWire dissects and debates an industry trend or new development covered by PhocusWire that week.
The ability - or inability - for established companies to innovate in major ways is the subject of a long-running debate in the travel sector.
After bursting onto the scene, with fancy technology, cutting edge user experiences and buzzy branding, they fail to move forward and, well, move with the times.
The label of being "conservative" with their strategies speaks to a challenge that many of them face, both in terms of attitude and whether the ideas that got them to where they are can be adapted.
Often, as Rohit Tawar suggests, the label is accurately applied, with new technologies and trends around the appliction of those techniques pushed aside as the effort to embrace something new appears to be too much to handle.
As a result, they may find themselves getting left behind or doing their customers a disservice.
This holds true for countless new processes or technologies (history is littered with brands that didn't take action on an emerging form of innovation) but some believe the subject of cryptocurrencies is a far trickier one to get a grip on.
The arguments for and against crypto-based decentralization are being thrown around as if the industry is on the verge of a revolution.
In some respects it is - but in many other respects it is not.
The sector, decimated as it has been since early 2020, is still unraveling its way through a complex set of procedures to get itself back in a stable place, which will capture some of the demand that is still piecemeal at best.
To overhaul so much now may seem to be a step too far for many companies, especially when the existing strategies do generally work and customers are hardly screaming out for innovation behind the scenes that doesn't have a notable impact on them.
PhocusWire's editorials examine a trend or development highlighted in an article during the week.


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As the tide turns toward marijuana legalization, Marvis Burns WG14 calls for the release of those who have been arrested for related offenses.
A new report from the Wharton Social Impact Initiative and consultancy Catalyst at Large illustrates key findings about the field.
Jerome Nollet WG85 offers a plan for distributing corporate shares to employees in an effort to reduce economic inequality and address current criticisms of capitalism.
Changes to Communications Decency Act are needed to protect cybercrime victims.
Experts from Wharton Customer Analytics weigh in on what's ahead for this rapidly-growing technology.
Finding silver linings of work life during the current crisis could reinvigorate teams when they return to the office, writes Nancy Davis Kho W88, author of The Thank-You Project.
Wharton authors share expertise on negotiation strategies, cultivating happiness, secrets to startup success, and more.
The coronavirus is spurring new applications and developments for the technology within the sector.
A contract is not necessarily a promise, says Maurice Lefkort W86
The Federal Reserve should encourage banks to manage their own risk and incentivize lending, says the senior director of the Harris Alternative Investments Program.
Robertson reflects on adapting to COVID-19, reactions and actions sparked by Black Lives Matter, how alumni can best help students, and her priorities for the upcoming fall semester.
Amy Howe WG99, head of Ticketmaster North America, on adapting to COVID-19 realities, new live entertainment technology, and advice that has shaped her career.
Wharton management professor Stephanie Creary offers advice for penning a substantive public statement and stresses the importance of walking the talk.
Videos and readings from professor Mauro Guillén’s popular COVID-19 class provide insights on managing global business in uncertain times.
Staff vacancies and the inability to grow add stress in already difficult times. But professor Matthew Bidwell sees opportunity in crisis.
Dean Geoffrey Garrett argues that we must consider the long-term implications of these trends as the tide turns toward them.
A closer look at the ways in which online data is mined and analyzed to help candidates connect with voters and win on Election Day
Why law enforcement authorities must leverage social media analysis to fight domestic terrorism where it begins.
Why incomplete commercial marketing research can lead companies to commit major faux pas.
What inspires an expert on virality and social influence? The professor and best‑selling author opens up.
An interview with the lead editor of Digg and Wharton Marketing Professor Jonah Berger about online sharing and virality.
A monumental shift in advertising spending is underway toward digital marketing, which means it’s a good time for being a social media influencer.
As the buying power of Hispanic millennials increases, brands must focus more on earning their business and loyalty, writes marketing guru Jeff Fromm.
Social media strategy isn’t just about targeting the right audience or canvassing the right platform with your content. It’s about relationships and using technology to strengthen them.
Why Wharton alum John McAdam changed his online bio today, and why he suggests you should rethink your “online you” too.
Facebook is winning social commerce, but as brands continue to leverage social media to boost sales, expect more players to give chase. Jeff Fromm explains why.
What gets millennials’ attention and wins their loyalty? Marketing expert Jeff Fromm lets brands in on what they ought to know.
Marketing analytics professor David Schweidel says shifts in practice for social media platforms are a liability. What should marketers do about them?
We’re bringing the best of the magazine’s and the School’s content to you every day on a growing, dynamic social medium.
Marketers do still have time to learn to speak in pictures and engage with their consumers successfully, according to Wharton alumnus Parry Bedi.
Kien Lam mixes a love of photography, a canny grasp of social media and an entrepreneurial nature to fuel his passion for travel and storytelling.


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New York, NY, July 24, 2008 -- Goode Partners LLC, the New York-based private equity firm, announced today that it will make a strategic growth investment in Rosa Mexicano Company, operator of the growing group of successful upscale Mexican restaurants and marketer of authentic Mexican food products. The investment will help fund the company’s geographic expansion and accelerate the growth of the popular Rosa Mexicano® brand.
Rosa Mexicano and Goode have been working on the company’s growth plan since late last year. They are currently preparing the company to open new restaurants in Riverside Square, Hackensack, New Jersey and National Harbor, Maryland. These restaurants will open later this summer. Further, they also have plans to open in Los Angeles at LA LIVE in late 2008 and in Chicago at 108 North State Street in late spring of 2009.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Doug Griebel, Dan Hickey and Howard Greenstone, the owners/operators of Rosa Mexicano. They have built a great company founded on serving fine authentic Mexican food, in a contemporary setting, with outstanding customer service,” said Joe Ferreira, one of Goode’s founding partners. “We look forward to working with them and the rest of the Rosa Mexicano team to build Rosa Mexicano into the nation’s leading upscale Mexican brand.”
Doug Griebel, Co-Founder, Owner and Chairman of Rosa Mexicano said, “Goode Partners provides us with both capital and extensive experience in the restaurant industry. This partnership will allow us to bring Rosa Mexicano’s fine food to guests across the country and provide outstanding career opportunities for our current and future associates.”
Headquartered in New York, Rosa Mexicano set a new standard for Mexican cuisine when it first opened its doors on the Upper East Side of New York in 1984. Playing a leading role in defining what was then a ‘new’ cuisine to American diners, Rosa Mexicano delivers authentic Mexican cooking in an accessible, stylishly festive atmosphere. Today the company operates seven Rosa Mexicano restaurants on the East Coast—three in New York, and one in each of Washington, Atlanta, Miami and Palm Beach, FL—and is preparing to open additional locations in Riverside Square, Hackensack, NJ, National Harbor, MD, Los Angeles and Chicago.
About Goode Partners


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GreenSpace brands acquires cold-pressed juice maker
Food in CanadaFood In Canada Business Operations Processing Products Beverages acquisition GreenSpace Brands Ltd.
GreenSpace Brands has added The Cold Press Corp. to its stable of premium natural food products
Toronto – GreenSpace Brands Inc. has acquired a cold pressed and high-pressure pasteurized juice maker.
In a statement, GreenSpace says it acquired The Cold Press Corp. late last week for between $5.385 million to $6.385 million.
The Cold Press Corp. owns the CEDAR brand and sells a variety of cold-pressed juice-based products and probiotic enriched juices through major grocery chains across Canada. The statement adds that “Over the trailing three months ended July 31, 2017, [the company] earned gross revenue of approximately $1.25 million, representing year-over-year growth of 200 per cent.”
Matthew von Teichman, the CEO of GreenSpace, says the acquisition “aligns with GreenSpace’s pursuit of the ‘gut health’ category.”
In addition, The Cold Press Corp. “is leading the emerging cold pressed juice category by stripping away the complexities of superfood nutrition and providing consumers with access to products that are simple, without sacrificing quality,” says von Teichman in the statement.
GreenSpace owns Life Choices Natural Foods (premium meat products made with grass-fed and pasture-raised meats), Rolling Meadow Dairy (grass-fed dairy product line), Holistic Choice (premium natural pet food line), Nudge (a line of family favourite foods), and Kiwi Pure (an imported grass-fed butter product line).
The company’s other acquisitions include Love Child (Brands) Inc. (a maker of 100 per cent organic food for infants and toddlers), Central Roast Inc. (a clean snacking brand) and Nothing But Nature Inc. (an organic juice and blended tea brand).
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Go retro for car loan approval
As lenders around the world tighten their purse strings, consumers need to look to the past for clues as to how to get credit.
Such is the claim of MSN Money’s Liz Pulliam Weston, who notes that while the current economic climate may be scary for consumers used to cheap credit cards and easy loan access, this kind of situation has been endured before.
Back in the 70s, lenders were a lot more averse to handing out credit cards and car loans – and consumers may get clues about what it will take to persuade providers to part with the cash to buy a new motor by looking back to this decade.
“Car loans were typically for two to three years, four years at the most and usually required a down payment of 20 per cent or more,” Pulliam Weston pointed out.
As such, those on the hunt for a car loan might want to try to put more cash aside before stepping on to the forecourt, in order to improve their chances of getting a deal.
Elsewhere, CNN has urged people to keep credit card debts in check as outstanding payments will look bigger if credit limits are lowered.


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Vars-based apollogreen has received the Health Canada licences it needs to starting using industrial-scale tissue culture to produce millions of starter plants for cannabis growers, the firm announced Thursday.
The company will start work on a 5,000-square-foot facility and begin securing financing for a 70,000-square-foot building.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
It’s “open for investment” with “ one of the largest cannabis genetic catalogues in the world” totalling more than 350 varieties, the firm says in a release announcing that it has received licences for cultivation, processing and medical sales.
“What makes us different is that we are combining horticultural expertise with unique technology that will enable us to help cannabis companies reduce risks, save time, rapidly scale and protect brand quality,” CEO Tyler LeBlanc said in the release.
The company says it will “fuel the entire Canadian cannabis industry” by providing starter plants in industrial quantities so that producers — almost 200 have already been licensed — can save space and increase production and profit margins.
Tissue culture is used to produce millions of healthy, identical plants so that 200 starter plants can be produced in the space of a single “mother plant” used in traditional methods, apollogreen said.
Chief strategic officer Seann Poli, formerly of LiveWell Canada which was the first cannabis company granted permission by the city to grow in Ottawa, called apollogreen’s technology is a “game changer” for the cannabis industry.
As the industry matures, the price of raw cannabis will drop, he said, adding that “apollogreen is providing an immediate solution to helping producers increase revenue in their existing facilities to compensate for the pending decline in raw cannabis prices.
ALSO IN THE NEWS
Egan: Ottawa police ‘strategic direction’ both a blueprint and cry for help
You’re gonna need a bigger trap: urban rat a formidable pest
Aurora Cannabis wins contract to supply medical cannabis to Italy, one of the most strictly regulated markets in the world


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Ever since the Government of India started pushing the Make in India program, a lot of smartphone makers have started investing in local manufacturing. Given the push, Make In India is offering an advantage to smartphone makers in terms of tax benefits. An increasing number of popular smartphone brands are now making or assembling their devices in the country. Here, we take a look at the top 5 smartphones made in India.
Read about all the top 5 Made in India smartphones here:
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In the wake of Ford Motor Company’s announcement this week that production of new Mercury cars will end in 2010, The Boston Globe has put together a salute to the six U.S. car brands that have been phased out in the past decade.
Those brands include Mercury, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, Isuzu, and Oldsmobile.
View the slideshow.
Ford has lowered the mast on the
Mariner and other Mercury vehicles.


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Clamshell Packaging Returns For McFarlane Toys
McFarlane Toys is excited to announce the highly anticipated return to the clamshell packaging for all of our sports figures!
The fans have spoken and we listened. McFarlane Toys is taking the necessary steps to ensure our highly collectible sports action figures reach our consumers in the best possible condition. The clamshell packaging will not only streamline the look of the lines, but also give collectors that extra durability they have been asking for, allowing the figures to remain a staple of their collection for years to come.
The return of the clamshell packaging will make its debut with MLB Cooperstown Series 7, scheduled for release this March.
MORE McFarlane NEWS & UPDATES


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What Michael Jordan joining DraftKings means for Nike and the NBA
Michael Jordan has joined the company as a special advisor to the board of DraftKings. He's also reportedly taking an equity interest in the company. CNBC's Jabari Young joins "Squawk Box" by phone to discuss.
Wed, Sep 2 20209:10 AM EDT


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The Coca-Cola Co. is having a moving experience in Athens this weekend.
The Athens sales and distribution center, part of the Atlanta division of Coca-Cola Enterprises, is relocating from its Prince Avenue sales and distribution center to a facility at 650 Athena Drive. The division employs 170 people.
John Rutledge, sales center manager for the Athens operation, said his group started moving Friday and will spend the weekend transferring boxes and other materials from Prince Avenue to the Athena Drive site. On Monday, the Athens Coke center will begin its first day of business at the Athena Drive address.
Rutledge said the sales and distribution center will be moving into a building that offers more than twice the space Coca-Cola had on Prince Avenue.
''I think we had about 35,000 square feet, and the new building will have 78,000 square feet,'' he said.
The larger center will provide a more modern facility, new equipment, a larger parking lot and increased capacity in loading docks, Rutledge said. He added that the traffic levels and accessibility to the street will be improved at the new location.
Coke's new home on Athena Drive is a renovated structure which had served as part of local operations of the DuPont Corp. Rutledge said landscaping and sign placement still had to be completed on the site.
The Athens-Clarke Building Inspection Department evaluated the building renovation cost at $1,643,328.
The beverage company's plans to move were revealed at City Hall last April in a formal ceremony in which Athens-Clarke Mayor Doc Eldridge announced that a $4 million bond issue and the promise of some local government assistance helped convince the Athens Coca-Cola Bottling Co. to stay in Clarke County. Rutledge said his company had been looking at sites outside Clarke County to relocate.
At the time of the announcement Eldridge and Rutledge said the $4 million from the bond issue would be used to modify the Athena Drive building. Eldridge emphasized that the 20-year bonds were issued through the Athens-Clarke Economic Development Authority and would not place any financial obligation on county taxpayers.
''Had it not been for this assistance ... it might not have been possible (for the company to stay in Clarke County),'' Rutledge said.
The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. has been part of the local economy since 1903.
Rutledge said Coca-Cola plans a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new site in April.
The Coca-Cola building at Prince Avenue and North Finley Street has been sold to a group of Athens investors, Rutledge said. The group will take ownership of the building April 1 and plans to convert it to residential lofts and retail space.
Assistant Metro Editor Jim Thompson contributed to this story.
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What's new in this version (1.0):
shortcut to browse to http://m.detik.com
Apps from the same developer
Get the latest updates on news and information from biggest online media in Indonesia, www.detik.com, ...
'Masak Apa' is Recipes based from detikfood.com including Tips and video
Related Android Apps
NewsMania:Search at once
NewsMania is Real Time google Search News Widget App.
Set Search Keyword. Then Searching New Update Web Sites& ...
News Canada is #1 iPhone news app in Canada and now it is available on Android. Browse and read all major news ...
The #1 news reader app for Canadian on Google Play now supports widget. No notification, icon and bookmar ...
Read and watch the latest local, state, and national news, weather, and sports from KPAX.com ...
Find more Android apps and games
Androlicious.com is a website that shows applications and games from Android Market. You can download and install apps and games directly from Android Market using an Android phone or by using WebConnect mobile application.


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Kenmark Eyewear recently announced the renewal of an exclusive licensing agreement for the development, production and worldwide distribution of eyewear for the Vera Wang brand.
Kenmark has reportedly partnered with Vera Wang since 2001, launching the brand within the optical industry with segments that include Vera Wang Core, Luxe, Alternative Fit and Vera Wang Collection. The new agreement extends the agreement to 2020.
Click here to read the full press release
Source: Kenmark Optical Group


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Aldi recalls outdoor furniture over safety issue after more than 1,500 Irish customers bought the product
ALDI has recalled outdoor furniture over a potential safety issue after more than a thousand Irish customers bought the product from stores.
In some cases, cushion covers can deteriorate over time and catch fire if exposed to flame.
There are approximately 1549 affected products in the Republic of Ireland, sold between February 13, 2022 and April 20, 2022.
The products concerned are:
- Bench Add on Rattan Effect in all colors – product code 718472, 718473, 718474
- Add on Stool Two Pack in all colors – product codes 718488, 718489, 718490
- Rattan effect corner cushion set – product code 718487
- 3-piece rope-effect coffee service – product code 812664
- Rattan corner sofa set (without cover) in all colors – product codes 718220, 718221, 718222
- Hanging Egg Chair – product code 812606
If you have purchased any of these the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has advised you to discard the current cushion cover and contact Aldi for your free replacement covers.
Customers who have purchased these products can contact Aldi’s customer service team on 1800 991 828 to arrange delivery of replacement cushion covers.
In a statement, a CCPC spokesperson said: “Aldi Stores (Ireland) Limited has identified a potential safety issue with the cushion covers of certain garden furniture sold in Aldi stores.
“In some cases, the flame retardant effectiveness of cushion covers may deteriorate over time and, if exposed to flame, the cushion cover may catch fire.
“There are approximately 1,549 products affected in the Republic of Ireland, sold between February 13, 2022 and April 20, 2022.”
Meanwhile, Tesco Ireland is recalling a batch of biscuits due to the “possible presence of small pieces of metal”.
Most read in The Irish Sun
Tesco Free From Digestive biscuits have been sold in stores across the country.
A spokesperson for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said: “Tesco is recalling the above batch of Tesco Free From Digestive Biscuits due to the possible presence of small pieces of metal.
“Point of sale recall notices will be displayed in Tesco stores.”
The affected product, in a 160 g package, has an expiry date of March 2023.


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There aren’t many social platforms with “one billion monthly users” in the world, so when the opportunity arises for social media marketers to create and target ads on such platforms, they practically drool. That’s exactly what’s happening as Facebook begins “very small” testing in Thailand and Australia to implement targeted ads inside Messenger itself.
Eddie Zhang, Facebook product manager, said in a statement about the new ads that, “Businesses have long been telling us that they are very excited about the potential of the Messenger platform to reach their customers and help them to drive sales, build brand awareness and increase customer satisfaction.” And it’s no wonder since Facebook says people send over 1 billion messages to brands every month through Messenger.
But it doesn't stop there, messaging apps as a whole are picking up tremendous steam:
- In 2016, there were 2.5 billion people using messenger apps
- By the end of 2017, that number is estimated to jump to 3.6 billion users
Facebook released the plans in early 2016 for these new ads, and now it appears to be coming to fruition. Due to reduced ad loads in users’ news feeds, Facebook has announced its advertising revenue growth would “come down meaningfully” next year.
How it Will Look for The User
In a blog post, Facebook reassured, “No one will see an ad in a conversation without clicking on an ad experience on the Messenger home screen or starting a conversation with a brand.” So fortunately, ads will not be randomly popping up in your Messenger app conversations. Phew! But, targeted ads will still appear in the Messenger app itself to be clicked on.
When a person clicks on an ad in the news feed, it will directly open a Messenger thread from a bot with the copy and structure configured by the social marketer. This is big news in terms of Facebook's advancement, since 85% of customer interactions are predicted to be with a bot by 2020. And, like all existing Facebook ads, businesses will be able to select their target audiences and delivery times.
Further Integration? It’s Already Here
Enhanced Browsing in Messenger
It doesn’t stop there, folks. Along with Messenger ads, Facebook is also rolling out enhanced mobile sites within Messenger. This will allow people to effortlessly interact with a business’s mobile-friendly site within the app.
Shopping and Payment
Why not add easier payments, too? Facebook is also creating a new way for businesses to sell their products or services within Messenger. The idea is to go from conversation-starter to purchase, all in one place. Allowing payments within the messages, plus bank-level encryption, will make shopping easier and just as safe.
Unlike before, when users start a new thread with your company’s bot in the Messenger app, they will be greeted with a welcome screen that provides more information about your business, such as your reply time, category, logo, and more.
While some of these features are still in testing, features like the welcome screen and enhanced payments are already available. And with so many monthly users (and a reduction in news feed ad volume), it may be time to invest more in Facebook Messenger.


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In a joint agreement with a company called RTS, Sony has bought the Evolution Championship Series, one of the oldest and longest-running esports tournaments in the world. Sony didn't disclose the terms of the deal but did note it will operate the organization with help from RTS, which is an offshoot of talent management agency Endeavor.
— EVO (@EVO) March 18, 2021
According to Sony, Evo co-founders Tom and Tony Cannon will stay on in advisory roles to help continue to guide the organization. "The new partnership is committed to bringing amazing tournaments and competitive gaming experiences back to you this year and beyond," the two said in a joint statement. In a separate message, Evo business developer Mark Julio said the tournament will continue to be open to all gaming platforms.
Last year, Evo was scheduled to go forward as an online-only event but was canceled after co-founder Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar was accused of assaulting a minor. Several video game publishers, including Capcom, started to distance themselves from the tournament. "We want to reaffirm that harassment or abuse of any kind has no place within Evo or any of our future events, and we’re taking every precaution to make sure members of our community will always be treated with the respect, dignity and decency you deserve," the Cannons said in their statement.
Sony said it will have more information to share on the acquisition over the next couple of weeks and months. In the meantime, Evo will return on August 6th with an online tournament spanning two weekends. The event will feature Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and Tekken 7, with entry open to anyone who wants to compete.


text: Sony announced at Gamescom that a new slimmed down PS3 will be available from next month. The new hardware is substantially thinner and lighter than the original model. It will be boasting a 120GB HDD as standard, an improvement on the current 80GB model. In conjunction with the release of the new slim model, which will be priced at $299,Â Sony will be reducing the price of the older 80GB model $299 and the 160GB model to $399. How this will translate to UK residents, we will have to wait and see. Here are some pics of the Slim PS3.


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"'The Game' during the pandemic? It definitely doubled," said Danny Hasbani. "I would say my revenue went up 100%."
While Hasbani, an 18-year-old Little Falls, New Jersey, native, has been playing 'The Game' since he was 14, he won big during the pandemic.
"Basically, it's like a service charge. You're charging for your service. These brands drop a limited amount of shoes and there's not enough for everyone, if that makes sense. So let's say there are a million pairs and 2 million people want them. So the million that didn't get it are going to pay whatever the price is to get it," said Hasbani.
"The more people that come into 'The Game,’ the lower the prices because they're undercutting each other to try to get the best price. Now it just wasn't a service charge because the shoes were gone — it was a service charge because people were scared to leave their houses and going actually get the shoes," said Hasbani.
Jazerai Allen-Lord is the founder of True To Size agency and has worked with major brands like Adidas and Reebok.
"I always compare it to like the iPhone, you know, and that's kind of like when the iPhone or Apple products were first dropping and you would see the lines--and also the PlayStation, I think it's very, very similar to what we saw in electronics previously," said Allen-Lord. "It's just weird to think about it in like footwear, but it's very, very difficult to get access to the product."
"And so what you see with sneakers — maybe it's only a hundred in the whole world — those sneakers are going for at least $1,500 when retail price was maybe $150, $220. So when you have margins like that, you're like, "'Why am I not selling sneakers? Like in today's economy?" said Allen-Lord.
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Hasbani estimates one of the most exclusive pair he ever got his hands on were the Off-White Jordan 1s, which he sold for $2,500 after purchasing for around $170.
When everything shut down last spring, the former high school football and wrestling captain went from having just a few hours in his day on top of school to work on his side hustle to having 10 hours a day to work on what became his business.
Although he couldn’t play sports they gave him skills to take his business to the next level.
"The determination. If my team always said that if we were going to do something, we're going to do it — it's the same thing with business. If you're going to go get that shoe — you're going to go get that and no one's really going to stop you," said Hasbani.
"Today's kids — especially Gen Z — they have an entrepreneurial mindset and they want to be in control of their career. They are their own brand and they're ready to develop that — reselling is just another arm of that," said Allen-Lord.
He adds there were a few factors that led to the recent boom in the industry.
"A lot of stimulus money and the retailers also needing to push product with brick and mortar closed. We saw a lot of sales and promotions. We also saw a lot of retros come back — just a lot of things you just typically wouldn't see in a sneaker calendar."
Brendon Dunne who covers the industry for Complex and Sole Collector adds the growth was also fueled by the online model.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, some sneaker resellers were worried that things would slow down a bit," Dunne said. "And some of the products did slow down for a while. Some of the supply chains were interrupted because of coronavirus, but really people were buying more sneakers than ever. The product was delayed in some ways, but the product did still arrive and people seem to have so much discretionary income at that period that it really kind of pushed sneaker reselling forward. Or there, there was so much more money being spent in the secondary market."
Resale sites have also exploded in popularity, with sites such as Stock X valued at almost $4 billion dollars.
As for Hasbani, 'The Game' has just begun for the rising sophomore at Montclair State.
"I'll keep selling shoes forever. I think it's always gonna be a side hustle. The next thing I'm looking at is real estate and investing. Right now, it's not a good time to get into real estate because everything's crazy, but when it calms down and everything gets back to normal — that's probably the next thing."


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The Corindex research website presented a report on the activity of the cryptocurrency market in January 2019.
The report covers market volumes during the reference period, price levels and cryptocurrencies that have developed most.
Let’s start by considering trading volumes throughout the month:
The first place is not a surprise, but more interesting is the fact that XRP, which in theory has the second position, is far behind in trading volumes.
Let’s consider instead the increase in the absolute value of the tokens. In this case, the classification is completely different, as can be expected.
Byteball Byte (Gbyte) has no market and Particl has a capitalisation of 15 million euros with a daily movement of 6 thousand euros but, among these, there are two currencies of a certain value: Llitecoin in second place, proving rather stable, and Gnosis in fifth.
Let’s consider the cryptocurrencies that have shown a greater percentage-based increase in value.
According to the January 2019 report on the analysis of the cryptocurrency market, Blocknet, a 9 million euro blockchain project that connects other blockchains, has had an excellent development percentage. We also find Tron in this ranking, with far greater capitalisation.
In this case, the collaboration announcements – especially those with BitTorrent – have certainly had a positive influence.
Let’s now consider the cryptocurrencies that have had a worse performance in January:
In this case, the biggest drop in value was experienced by bitcoin, followed by bitcoin cash, whose fork, as we know, was a move not appreciated by the crypto community.
However, there are also privacy coins such as Dash, Zcash and Monero in this ranking, although the more “classic” cryptocurrencies are those that have suffered most in absolute terms during the month.
Which tokens were the most affected negatively? Here are the results of the report:
Icon, despite the team’s efforts, was the most penalised cryptocurrency and the one most relevant in terms of capitalisation, which unfortunately fell from over 130 million euros to less than 90.
Among the ten most affected there is also NEM, whose foundation has recently reported problems, up to the point that rumours have started circulating regarding a bankruptcy.
In short, January 2019, a year after the great crash, shows that those who have invested carefully can get important results from their investment. Not everything is negative, but it is a matter of analysing the projects carefully.


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Neeva: Ex-Google implements IIT grades ready to introduce Neeva Ad-Free Search Engine
With a workforce of 45 in the US, Neeva will be released in “4-5 months,” first in the US domestic market and then English-speaking regions such as Western Europe, Australia, and India.
In that way, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Vivek Raghunathan, IIT alumni, and former Google executives, are ready to build Neova, an ad-free, private search product, which, by the middle of this year, hopes to deliver a customer-paying and first-line alternative in a time of increasing concerns with regard to the advertising business. Read Malayalam Read
“The ad model was excellent for searching everyone on the planet, but over time there is an increasing demand to display more advertisements and not what the consumer really wants. Our thesis is that we can build a much better search product with an emphasis on what a customer wants,” says Neeva CEO Ramaswamy, speaking in a video call from his home in California. The 54-year-old is familiar with this area as a senior vice president of Google’s advertising and commerce and also operates its travel, shopping, and search technology teams.
Raghunathan studied at IIT Mumbai and was former vice-chairman of YouTube monetization.
“It’s a wide range of experiences, in reality. Vivek was also the first tech chief of what is now known as the Google Assistant. Thus we worked on both sides of the search,” says Ramaswamy, IIT Chennai graduate. This is why they felt “trustworthy enough” to develop the technology reasonably cheaply, he said.
With a team of 45 people in the US, Neeva is expected to be released in “four-five months,” beginning with the US home markets and then English-speaking regions such as Western Europe, Australia, and India. “We have a very good team of engineers, designers and product managers, and very good supporters,” says Ramaswamy. So far Neeva has raised $37.5 million with the same Graylock, Sequoia Capital, and Ramaswamy investments.
Ramaswamy says that the product is different from what people are familiar with, providing a single search and question window for personal data on platforms such as dropbox and email accounts. “We have core technologies to reconsider. And on a certain extent, stuff like how you crawl the web and how you index related basics,” he says. Like Google, Neeva will also use AI and the computer to create the secret sauce — search rankings.
Ramaswamy says about concerns about personal data: “We guarantee that the product and business are built to index your personal data to serve your results and for nothing else… We set up a company that is customer first and the customer alone from the very outset. We are really willing to ensure that this is the only source of income.”
A Neeva blog also reaffirms its dedication to ad-free, assures that “your data is never sold in any form” and guarantees that your search history will be removed in 90 days by default. (The default for Google is 18 months.)
After spending 16 years at Google, Ramaswamy said he felt it was “just not healthy” to have so much influence over large technology platforms. “It’s nice people, this isn’t the problem. If you need to gain more money, there is a great temptation to show another ad,” he says, adding that what Neeva offers is an option. “And this choice makes the Internet richer.”
He recognizes the complexities of delivering a paying product and the need to make sure it is “excellent.” Ramaswamy says, however, that is the inspiration for him. He quotes the example of services such as Spotify and Dropbox, which were popular in segments where free options were missing, and hopes that Neeva may also force its rivals to slash their ads. “Now you can’t say I’m going to show a page of ads… Users will go for a paid option because it’s too much.”
“We are sure that certain segments of the population will see value in a superior product, adds Ramaswamy. And in the current worrisome climate, particularly in terms of the size and effect of technology companies, we feel that we can get enough people who say ‘I want just a simple alternative, a service I use, that I pay.’ And that’s it, there’s no more data worry, no more data worry about what’s going to happen.”


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Zoomass Calendar contest pits the pretty against the pretty
Move over Mexico – the University of Massachusetts and the rest of the Five College community may be participating in a new version of the hot body contest.
Popular Campus Entertainment is encouraging area college students to apply for a slot in their 2010 Zoomass calendar.
According to a press release by Popular Campus Entertainment, students who think they “have what it takes to be the hottest co-ed on campus” should apply to be the calendar models in which they are to express their own personal fashion taste.
Applications can be found online at http://zoomasscalendar.com/Competition/Popular_Campus_Entertainment.html and are due by Oct. 1. Students have an online application sent in with their name, school name, two head shots and one full-body shot. There is also a $5 application fee students can pay using PayPal. Applications with photos can be sent to ZoomassCalendar@gmail.com.
Only 50 students will be selected from the online auditions to be contestants in the second audition held in Amherst. The release also stated that a panel of judges will rate each of the 50 contestants on their “personality, attitude, fashion sense and attractiveness,” and choose the best 24 to continue on with the competition. Students will vote online for their favorite contestants and the 12 students with the most votes will win $100 and model in a professional photo shoot for the 2010 Zoomass calendar.
Alyssa Creamer can be reached at email@example.com.


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UNITED STATES – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled a hand sanitizer available in the Midwest United States after it was found to be incorrectly labeled as “edible alcohol.”
CorigoMeg, LLC is voluntarily recalling “all lots” of LeaFree Instant Hand Sanitizer-Aloe Vera, according to a press release from the FDA earlier this month.
“These products are being recalled being recalled because they are labeled as ‘edible alcohol’,” the FDA said. “Ingesting hand sanitizer, which is intended for topical use may result in alcohol toxicity.”
Symptoms of alcohol toxicity include: lack of coordination, slowed or slurred speech, drowsiness, or coma, which can be fatal. Younger children may experience a sharp decrease in blood sugar which may result in death, and pregnant women who ingest alcohol have experienced birth defects and developmental disabilities.
The FDA continues to maintain a growing list of recalled sanitizers due to the presence of dangerous chemicals, and misleading packaging. As of Sept. 16, the list contains 183 recalled sanitizers, most of which contain potential methanol or propanol contamination.
“Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested,” the FDA said. “The agency is aware of adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol that has led to recent adverse events including blindness, hospitalizations and death.”
Methanol is often used to create fuel and antifreeze. Since the agency began reporting on the contaminations in June, at least one death has been reported in association with tainted hand sanitizer.
Most reputable sanitizer companies use isopropyl or ethyl alcohol. SaniGo, a veteran-owned small business producing USA made sanitizer in Indianapolis, IN., formulated their industrial antiseptic hand rub in accordance with FDA regulations.
“It was very important to us to not cut corners when it comes to customer safety,” SaniGo Business Development Manager Jordan Mendenhall said. “We genuinely care about your family, that’s why our sanitizer is made is 75 percent isopropyl alcohol.”
Mendenhall added hand sanitizer is for external use only, and should never be ingested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website says from 2011-2015, U.S. Poison Control Centers received close to 85,000 calls concerning hand sanitizer exposure in children.
Want to read more? Here are similar LemonWire headlines:


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The deteriorating sales of Logan hasn't deterred Renault's aggressive plans of producing cars at its Chennai plant by 2011. According to Mr Marc Nassif, Country General Manager, Renault India, Renault globally has small cars, sedans and sport-utility vehicles, its just that they have to select the right model that's best for India.
Renault is expected to launch its first compact hatchback next year, followed by a notchback in 2011 (possibly the Sandero and its derivative). Renault has frozen investments in its JV plant with Nissan at Chennai, but it could use that facility.
Currently Renault also has Mahindra's underutilized plant (where Logan is produced) at Nasik as an option. We hope Renault gets the pricing right this time. It's high time Renault understands Indians are ready to pay the premium provided the car is technologically advanced and practical.
But don't forget the looks Renault! (Isn't Honda a live example?).
Renault's other plan of producing a low cost car with Nissan and Bajaj is progressing at a snails pace due to differences among the JV partners. Let's hope it debuts in 2011 as per schedule.


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AT&T To Launch Samsung Galaxy Camera
Just two days back, AT&T announced the exclusive contract of Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 along with the complete support to Samsung Ativ Smart PC and to Asus Vivo Tab and now they have announced the launch of Samsung Galaxy Camera under their wing.
The whopping 16 MP camera having the impressive features like 21X optical Zoom and the power of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Camera is one of the digital camera of its own kind which has the firmware installed and that too Android. Galaxy Camera has the same display and internal features as of the top end Galaxy Model S3.
It offers full access to Google Play app store and also offers various photo editing tools to enhance the image quality. The best part about the Galaxy Camera is the capability to offer the DSLR quality, facebook integration, 3G & 4G and full web access.
Galaxy Camera release date is not confirm yet, however it is expect to launch this year only at the whopping price.


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HomePod Assembler Predicts Future Smart Speakers to Support Face ID
Taiwan’s Inventec Appliances, the assembler of Apple’s upcoming HomePod smart speaker, has said that it expects future voice assistant products to include facial and image recognition capabilities, such as Face ID. President David Ho told reporters after the company’s earnings conference that AI-related features make people’s lives more convenient and to make the product easier to use, according to Nikkei Asian Review.
“We see trends that engineers are designing smart speakers that will not only come with voice recognition but also incorporate features such as facial and image recognition”, Ho said. Although he did not specify which product he was talking about, analysts believe he is likely referring to the next generation of Apple’s HomePod. Meanwhile, Jeff Pu, an analyst at Yuanta Investment Consulting, has said that Apple may roll out HomePods with 3D-sensing cameras in 2019.
Ho confirms that his company will ship a “new voice-enabled smart speaker” by the end of the year to meet the holiday season demand. He added that his company makes smart speakers for more than one client and some of them already shipped in mid-2017.
Inventec Appliances will only ship about 50,000 units of the device by the end of this year, said Arthur Liao, an analyst at Taipei-based Fubon Securities. “According to supply-chain checking, Apple is set to make 4 million units of HomePod in 2018, but we are currently a bit conservative about whether the demand would be that good,” said Liao.
Inventec’s total shipments of smart and connected devices is expected to see a single digit growth in 2018 from this year’s estimated level of around 70 million units.