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PartyHat.GIF Tumblr just passed a huge traffic benchmark by finally reaching 170 million global users a month. It’s now the ninth most visited site in the U.S., according to Quantcast. David Karp took to the Tumblr Staff site to congratulate his users and say, “You guys have earned an audience bigger than the biggest TV networks, and you continue to make some of the most thought provoking, insightful, inspiring, funny, diverse, and compelling content being created today.”
Young Money Also worth noting is that Tiffany & Co launched their official Tumblr today. It’s called From Out Of The Blue. The blog contains a couple pictures of necklaces containing an unfathomable number of diamonds and a promotional video that would make any tween ask their parents for a diamond tiara. That’s what Tiffany is going for, right?
Put Your Skills To Good Use The New York tech community organizing group, NY Tech Responds, is putting on a grouping of events dedicated to helping Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. On December 1st and 2nd, they’ll be having a talk called the Sandy Relief Agency Conference, a hackathon, and a reception to kick off their Sandy fundraising campaign. Registration for the hackathon is now open and you can get tons of more information on their website. Use your skills to help those in need!
Custom Giving Is Good Makeably, a marketplace for custom goods started by two ex-Googlers, has just launched a campaign with New York Cares called Make for Good. Kids from the Bronx have drawn their ideal Christmas wish and when a Makeably user sponsors the project, it gets made by one of the site’s custom makers. Since its launch, the project now has around 150 makers helping out in 15 countries. Buyers no longer need an access code to help out.
Finna Reschedule That Startup Weekend’s plans to team up with the FinTech Innovation Lab and the NYC FinTech Startups meetup for the first-ever FinTech Startup Weekend were squashed by Hurricane Sandy. But have no fear! The event has now been rescheduled for December 7 to 9 at Alley NYC. Throughout the weekend, there will be mentors, including VCs, lawyers and designers, stopping by to give teams advice on what they’re doing.
Nick Gavronsky, an OpenFin employee who helps run Startup Weekend with Frank Denbow, told Betabeat earlier this month that FinTech weekend is “not really like a hackathon, it’s more for first-time people” who want to start building something.
More Exploring Now Possible The gamified city exploration site, Stray Boots, announced today that it completed a $2 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Milestone Venture Partners and joined by Correlation Ventures, Great Oaks, and several angel investors. This is Stray Boots’ first venture capital raise.
Cabs Are Expensive Apparently a lot of people don’t feel like spending money to get to the airport to see their families. Shairporter, the site that lets you split the price of a cab to get to the airport, told Betabeat that its user base grew 70% over Thanksgiving weekend. Founder and CEO Winston Wu told Betabeat that the company is still in continuing discussions with NYU dorms for their next big push for the holidays in December. The company also gave away free cab rides to NYU students who shared their page on Facebook on Thanksgiving.
Vamos De Compras Bêmbele, Latin America’s new men’s and women’s e-commerce site, went live yesterday. The company is a joint venture between New York City based private equity firm PanAmerican Capital and two other significant organizations in the Latin American region. CEO Dean Schaffer was quoted in a press release sent to Betabeat as saying, “Bêmbele takes care of every aspect of the logistics process for our customers –including duties, import taxes, and shipping expenses– and delivers an order directly to their door at no additional cost.”


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Last week, Uber had announced the launch of a new feature called UberPASS in select cities as a pilot. Now, the company has started rolling out the option to users. With UberPASS, you pay a flat fee to ride, with no cancellation fees or subscription - however, at least during the current pilot, you have to complete a minimum number of rides this week, to continue accessing it next week. The UberPASS fares are being applied to UberGO rides, and don't apply on shared rides, or higher car categories.
The UberPASS feature is being rolled out to users in a phased manner - the only way to access it is if Uber sends you an email or SMS alert. After that, you can select it while booking the car.
According to the company, select riders will receive an email to unlock the feature. There is no specific eligibility criteria, but about 10 percent of riders in the four cities will get access to UberPASS. These riders will then get offers (which could include flat fares) on UberGO rides, which would vary from city to city. This in turn would unlock UberPASS.
In Mumbai, for Rs. 99, you can take an Uber for up to 8km, and Rs. 159 for 8-15km. As mentioned above, there are no cancellation charges or subscription fees with UberPASS, and no promo code either; UberPASS is simply an option in the ride types, along with UberX and UberGO.
In Bengaluru, the company is offering fares of Rs. 49 for 6km, and Rs. 99 for up to 12km. An Uber representative who spoke to us said it wouldn't be able to share a city-specific breakup, but it appears that the Chennai fee is Rs. 100, and it's pointed out that actual drop location and pickup location must be entered correctly - changes could mean that the flat fee does not apply.
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Lexus is set to unveil the all-new 2014 IS series this coming Tuesday. When Lexus shows the world the new sports sedan it will have one new advantage over most vehicles – free real-time traffic and weather updates via the standard infotainment system.
Many aftermarket infotainment systems can provide real-time traffic alerts. They do this by using the information broadcast from HD radio stations in the area. By partnering with iBiquity Digital Corporation, a developer of HD Radio technology, Lexus will now offer this information in the IS line. Lexus claims this will be the first vehicle to come with this information technology as standard equipment when the new IS begins delivery in early summer.
Lexus and iBiquity will use two separate methods of delivering real-time traffic and weather updates to its customers. For 2014 Lexus IS models without the navigation system, the standard “premium” Display Audio system will deliver the informat6ion. Lexus emphasizes that a subscription is not necessary. Commenting on this system Sandy Lobenstein, Lexus’ vice president, Connected Vehicle Technology and Planning said in a press release “At Lexus, we strive for partnerships that bring the most advanced connected vehicle technologies to our customers at a great value. As a result of our partnership with iBiquity, our owners will be the first in the industry to have access to subscription-free real-time traffic and weather data on multimedia systems across our vehicle lineup.”
In 2014 Lexus IS cars with navigation a separate technology is used. Here, Lexus will use a newly developed system that brings in information from both HD radio stations, and also the drivers smart phone’s cell network via the Enform system. It should be noted that the vast majority of Lexus IS sport sedans sent to dealers will come equipped with navigation systems.
The technology is presently on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in the iBiquity booth. The 2014 Lexus IS will debut Tuesday morning January 15th and will be covered by Torque News.
Photo shown is a Lexus Prototype image.


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Day Two of San Diego Comic Con didn't disappoint as we got to see two fantastic trailers for upcoming film and television shows. We also got to learn about the brand new Stargirl series coming to DC's new streaming service, DC Universe.
We begin with arguably the biggest trailers of the day, 'Glass' by M.Night Shyamalan which acts as a sequel to both his 'Unbreakable' and 'Split' films, featuring Bruce Willis, James McAvoy and Samuel L Jackson.
View the trailer below:
We also got a brand new trailer for new 'Young Justice: Outsiders', check it out below!
And finally, we found out that joining the new DC streaming service 'DC Universe, will be a live action version of Stargirl. See the photo released below:
Come back tomorrow for our huge look at Shazam! Wonder Woman 1984 and Aquaman! Along with many more! Breakdowns of all trailers will follow shortly after.


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|Image: Slash Gear|
Google Translate function is certainly more mumpuni after Google immerse artificial intelligence technology on the online translation service.
Technology called Neural Machine Translation (NMT) was first introduced in November last year. Now, the technology has been present for Google Translate Indonesian version and can be enjoyed by users in the country.
The presence of NMT technology in Google Translate for the Indonesian language can not be separated from research that has been done by Google. The Internet giant found five user preferences in Indonesia when using online translators such as easy to use, fast, work between devices, have audio playback feature to know how to pronunciation, and grammar.
"Therefore, Google Translate for the Indonesian language is now also equipped with NMT technology.With this technology, the translation can approach a human translator," said MacDuff Hughes, Engineering Director Google Translate when talking with media crews via video conference in Jakarta.
It is possible because Google Translate no longer translates a sentence in words per word. By utilizing the neural system, the translator system can understand a whole sentence, including interpreting it according to grammar and gender.
"That way, translated translation is now better and natural," he continued. Currently, NMT technology can be used to translate English into Indonesia, and vice versa.
In addition to Indonesia, this technology has been pinned on 40 other languages, such as Korea, Japan, Mandarin, France, Germany, Spain, and Russia. But for now, this technology is still intended to translate from English to other languages that already support, and vice versa.
This update can already be used in Google Translate, which is available through Android and iOS apps, including desktop versions, and automatic translator features in Google Chrome.


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Let’s move onto something a little more serious for a moment. There’s a device that the New York Times highlighted yesterday called the ADE 651. It’s a small, hand-held explosives detector, or so claims the company behind it, the UK-based ATSC. It’s being heavily used in Iraq, and officials there swear by it. Meanwhile, American officials call the device about as effective and realistic as a Ouija board. It’s rubbish.
Iraqis use the device at the many checkpoints set up around the country. Reason being that it’s less of a hassle to use the device than it is to use, say, a specially trained dog. The device is being questioned in the wake of several bomb attacks in Baghdad: if the device were so effective, then why didn’t it detect those bombs?
An American military commander said, bluntly, “I have no confidence that these would work.” Can’t get any more clear than that.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry bought 800 devices in 2008 for a cool $32 million. So, depending on your point of view, that’s $32 million wisely invested, or $32 million completely burned in an incinerator.
Says the report:
ATSC’s promotional material claims that its device can find guns, ammunition, drugs, truffles, human bodies and even contraband ivory at distances up to a kilometer, underground, through walls, underwater or even from airplanes three miles high. The device works on “electrostatic magnetic ion attraction,” ATSC says.
Sounds like something out of a comic book to me.


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(SHARECAST) – The Bank of England (BoE) should resist the temptation to raise interest rates in response to rising inflation, forecasting group Ernst & Young ITEM Club has warned, saying such a move could damage the recovery.
The group predicts that the consumer price index, the government’s preferred measure of inflation, will peak at nearly four percent in February, causing the BoE to increase interest rates from the current level of 0.5 percent.
However, it says that the BoE should “hold its nerve” as inflation will fall back below the two percent target.
“A premature rate rise would boost the pound, weakening the UK’s ability to increase its exports – particularly into the emerging markets – which we have long maintained hold the key to the UK’s economic recovery,” said ITEM’s chief economic advisor Peter Spencer.
Recent inflation data, which has largely been caused by soaring global commodity prices, has made the prospect of interest rate rises in the next few months appear more likely. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at analyst group IHS Global Insight, said last week that the risk of an interest rate rise before the fourth quarter is mounting.
ITEM predicts that GDP will grow by 2.3 percent in 2011, rising to 2.8 percent in 2012.
“In addition to rising commodity prices, the VAT hike and the increase in employees’ National Insurance Contributions this April, ITEM also expects wage increases to remain below inflation throughout the year,” the group said.
“There is also a significant risk of further increases in unemployment, given the cuts to public spending,” it added.
What can you do to ensure your employees know the company policy and stick to it? Hear from other CFOs and experts in our free-to-view video
The UK’s imminent exit from the EU that may now put the audit committee to the ultimate test
Governance concerns have been raised at courier firm Hermes, over allegations about it paying less than the minimum wage
HMRC has launched a series of consultations on proposals to clamp down on the black economy, which include new sanctions for companies


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June 27, 2017
Spensa announces new software features and milestone of protecting nearly $6.5 billion worth of crops
Spensa Technologies, a precision agriculture technology company located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, announced today that it now protects nearly 5 million acres of crops allowing retailers and trusted advisors to better serve growers.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - On the heels of two major partnership announcements with Simplot and Spectrum Seed, Spensa announced today that the company is now protecting 4.8 million acres across 116 different types of crops valued at nearly $6.5 billion.
“We are working hard to assist customers in leveraging the wealth of data they are already collecting to improve management and save yield,” said Ben Brame, vice president of software at Spensa Technologies. “By prioritizing fields based on Spensa's crop progress and problem likelihood models, service providers can find more problems in time to effectively treat. For example, many customers are able to discover more corn foliar disease by R1 leading to more fungicide sales and significant savings to the grower.”
Spensa’s mid-season data report demonstrates a nearly 400 percent growth rate in number of acres protected over the last six months and a 300 percent increase in value of crops protected over the same time period. Ag retailers and trusted advisors are adopting OpenScout features of the Spensa Agronomic Platform (Spensa AP) to inform their growers about agronomic and pest issues including insects, weeds and disease. It also can help them make informed and timely decisions, ultimately protecting crops from damage and improving yield potential.
New features to Spensa AP Platform at the scouting insights level include the Precision Dispatch feature that allows retailers to dispatch scouts to the highest priority issues. For example, specific problems related to the growth stage of a crop. Spensa also introduced Problem Centric Reports, which allow users to visualize insect, weed and disease problems at a high level and communicate trends and severity of issues to help growers make timely treatment decisions.
Several user requested updates to the platform include the ability to favorite pests, create condensed reports, add a field from the mobile app, iPad support, ability to overlay past scouting trips to a current trip, and a new detasseling/pollination data export.
About Spensa Technologies Inc.:
Spensa Technologies was founded in 2009 in the Purdue Research Park. Spensa’s mission is to help growers develop a network of industry-leading devices and innovative technologies to manage agronomic pests such as insects, weeds, and disease. We strive to reduce reliance on manual labor, foster eco-friendly farming and enhance crop production to help feed the world. Spensa gathers high-resolution data, models that data to reveal insights, and clearly presents our findings to help agriculturalists make the most informed decisions possible. For more information, visit: www.spensatech.com.
Media contacts: Cynthia Sequin, Purdue Research Park, 765-588-3340, email@example.com
Teresa Weirich, Spensa Technologies, 317-730-6105, firstname.lastname@example.org


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Although Houston-based BMC Software Inc. (Nasdaq: BMC) has been providing back-end information technology services for thousands of companies for more than 20 years, it doesn’t have the market name recognition of some of its competitors with end-user products, such as Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) and IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM). The company is looking to change this with its new product released Tuesday: MyIT.
“This is a significant change for the company,” said Jason Frye, senior director in the office of the chief technology officer of BMC. “It will make people look at BMC in a new way.”
BMC’s release of MyIT, which is a software that allows employees of any company to better communicate with their IT departments, comes as private equity firms are reportedly circling the company looking for a buyout opportunity. According to a report from Bloomberg, private equity firms, such as Bain Capital Partners LLC, can leverage BMC during its transition of more services to the cloud.
However, besides moving its products into the cloud, BMC is also now ready to become a more publicly recognizable company via MyIT.
The new product “helps remove the friction (employees) feel with enterprise IT departments,” Frye said. When employees access the software, which can be used on mobile devices like iPads or on computers, they have options to see if there are any IT problems at their company, such as whether email is down and why; they can search for IT resources at their office, like a free conference room or an available printer; they can search for IT tips to work more efficiently; and they can set up an appointment request to meet with their IT departments.
“BMC has been selling products at the back-end of IT, running servers, clouds and performance for a long time,” Frye said. “This is our first big entry to the front end.”
Part of MyIT’s development was at BMC’s Houston headquarters, and the company plans to roll out the product to Houston as one of its select markets in January. The project should be ready for general availability in April 2013, Frye said.
MyIT doesn’t require companies to use other BMC IT software products, and Frye said BMC is striving to increase the efficiency of IT operations with the product.
Now, the only question remains is if this new investment will attract some more interest from buyers.


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Liquidity just one of many challenges
As has been the case for a couple of years, the last two months have been anything but uneventful.
One of the topics dominating the news headlines and affecting aluminium demand has been the shortage of computer chips, which has been especially acute in North America. The shortage has been so severe that automotive industry publications estimate the production of 800,000 vehicles in North America has been affected. The production loss is put at 136,000 vehicles in Mexico alone - equivalent to 18% of the output expected in the first four months of this year.
The impact is already being felt on aluminium scrap demand. Prices have been capped not only by the lower demand resulting from auto assembly line stoppages but also by the abundant supply of Twitch from the USA owing to the shortage of containers.
Another issue dominating the Mexican scrap market is the challenge of liquidity. Some consumers and domestic traders have run into cash-flow issues, resulting in yards now giving preference to prompt payment terms over theoretical high prices with unknown payment dates. Demand for aluminium extrusion scrap remains robust and attracting scrap units from abroad. This trend is likely to continue at least until the end of this year.
The shortage of containers has not been as acute in Mexico as in other regions, so scrap exports remain a relevant alternative for most of the country’s yards.
COVID cases and hospitalizations have been dropping in most Mexican states, and the leisure and entertainment industries are reopening. Around 10 million Mexicans are now fully vaccinated and a total of 14 million have received at least one dose, representing respectively around 7% and 12% of the population but still far from enough to reach any kind of immunity. At least one silver lining is that there is less policy volatility and, at present, no threat of the industrial and manufacturing shutdowns seen last year.
With the pandemic now in its second year, BIR is about to hold its third consecutive online Convention. In these times of hardship, it is important to support our world organization and the free trade message it upholds and amplifies. That said, I can hardly wait for our next in-person Convention. Meanwhile, let’s all stay safe and green.


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Sony has announced a date for a price cut of the PS2 in Australia, but was unable to give any date for a European price slash. Over the past month the console has been cut in price in the US, and now its Australia's turn. At the moment the console retails for AUD 249.45, but as of tomorrow, this will be cut to AUD 199.95.
This price cut will happen on the same day that Nintendo's newly designed DS hits Australian shores, which will also be priced at AUD 199.95. Speaking to gamesindustry.biz a Sony spokesperson could not comment whether a similar price cut would happen across Europe stating, "We are not aware of any price cuts for the PlayStation 2 for the immediate future in the UK".
The UK launch for the DS Lite is June 23rd, could the lucky European public get a similar price cut for the PS2? We will have to wait and see.
View: Playstation Australia


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The next SIAL edition, which will take place in Paris from 19 to 23 October, is sure to be an exceptional year. Exceptional because the fair will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In 1964, the first SIAL event was launched, within the CNIT at Paris La Défense. At that time SIAL had already decided to position itself as the food crossroads of the world, with a special focus on innovation. 26 countries were represented in this first edition.
From the moment SIAL established its primary position in the rankings, the amount of international exhibitors and visitors has not stopped increasing edition after edition.
The importance of innovation has also grown in importance, turning the SIAL into a privileged observatory of new food products. 2014 will also be an exceptional year due to the record participation expected: more than 6,000 exhibitors and 150,000 visitors from 200 countries.
The food world will most definitely have a meeting point in Paris! Not only that. Nine months before opening its doors, 90% of the exhibition surface has already been booked!
“This clearly shows that a professional fair for professional people, conceived for business and aimed at business, has firmly established itself, even when the economy is less favourable than previous years”, said Nicolas Trentesaux, SIAL Group Director.
In addition, SIAL 2014 will offer something new as it expands to embrace new horizons. The integration of Equipment, Technology and Services sectors will further consolidate SIAL in the food sector: from the factory to marketing of the product
VISITOR NUMBERS AT SIAL PARIS 2014 – The 2014 edition of SIAL is expecting 150,000 visitors. Nearly 2 out of 3 visitors will come from abroad. And 200 countries will be represented in total. More than the half of its visitors will come from trade and distribution, a quarter from the agribusiness industry, 18% from catering facilities and 4% from services


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Rémy Martin Cognac Fine Champagne is the latest spirits brand to add NFTs to its portfolio. And they’re not doing it alone.
This Friday, July 29, Rémy Martin launches Usher x Rémy Martin 1738: A Taste of Passion through BlockBar as a global campaign that not only marks Rémy Martin’s first-ever NFT, but also encompasses an immersive experience and uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) integrated technology to design the one-of-a-kind collectible bottles.
The limited edition bottles were designed by A.I. integrated technology based on Grammy-award winning artist, Usher’s, “melodic description” of the taste of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal: “a smooth Cognac characterized by notes of toasted bread, vanilla and brioche,” according to the brand. While there were 50 bottles produced, only 25 bottles will be available for purchase as NFTs via BlockBar at the going rate of $500.
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“We are proud to have [Usher] launch the first limited-edition bottle design for Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal,” said Amaury Vinclet, Global Executive Director of Rémy Martin, in a statement. “This bottle is a first for the spirits industry in how the technology was used and gives spirits aficionados and Usher fans alike a rare collectible they’ll treasure forever.”
The launch is an extension to the longstanding partnership between Rémy Martin and Usher—just last year the duo launched "Team Up For Excellence - The Film", which highlighted the cultural connection between Cognac and American music since 1917 in France. This year, in addition to celebrating the harmony of music, technology and art, the campaign also commemorates the 25th anniversary of Usher’s second studio album, My Way.
For this reason, “A Taste of Passion Experience” extends to Usher’s Las Vegas Residency as an immersive opportunity consisting of three interactive rooms where guests can embark on a multi-sensory journey and finish with an array of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal cocktails during select nights of Usher’s residency that runs through October 29, 2022.
The NFT drop will be live on BlockBar at 10 a.m. EST, with bottles available for purchase with ETHETH or credit card on a first come, first served basis. The NFT proves ownership of the physical bottle which is stored with BlockBar until the user is ready to redeem when the physical bottle is available in October 2022.
“We’re very excited to be part of such a big moment for Rémy Martin as they enter the world of NFTs and launch a new limited-edition bottle which will be our first ever music collaboration to drop on BlockBar.com,” shared Dov Falic, Co-Founder and CEO of BlockBar, in a statement.Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.


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The Marketplace food court’s latest addition opened Tuesday. The Second Cup offers self-serve coffees and other hot beverages.
Dave McEwen, Food Services department head, says he had been working to bring the company to campus since early 2010.
“They have a great line of premium coffee products, all certified by the Rainforest Alliance,” he says. “Second Cup really takes into consideration sustainable business practices.”


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Let’s health it up in like a week, OK? For now…you know the drill. Eggnog! Cake! Chocolate!
TEXAS NEVER WHISPERS
Thanks to this year’s SEED grants from Virginia Lisc, Capital One, and Bon Secours, two food businesses with Texas ties will open in the East End, as well as ten not-Texas-related businesses. Alamo BBQ guy Chris Davis will open at Frontier in the former Sarahfran’s location on 25th street, and Heather Horak will introduce the teeming masses to kolache, a sweet or savory pastry staple from the Czech Republic by way of the Lone Star State.
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER
“Approximately 21 people die every day from lack of organ donations available,” according to a press release from the Share a Pen, Share a Life campaign. Their goal: to raise awareness and encourage potential donors to commit to organ donation. The release goes on to say that “A single organ donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of more than 50 people through tissue donation.”
What can you do? Go to one of the participating restaurants and take a selfie with a Donate Life Virginia pen. You’ll be doing your part to spread the word, and you could even win a prize (in addition to saving/improving lives), including a $25 gift certificate. Participating Richmond restaurants include:
- Addis Ethiopian Restaurant (9 N. 7th St in Shockoe Bottom)
- Kahlo’s (1940 Sandy Hook Rd in Goochland)
- Fat Dragon (1200 N. Boulevard in Scott’s Addition)
- The Mill on MacArthur (4023 MacArthur Ave in Belleview)
- Stir Crazy (4015 MacArthur Ave in Belleview)
YES, VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS
Good news if you’re not into the whole cooking a big meal for your family and friends thing: several Richmond restaurants are open over the holidays. From special multi-course menus at restaurants like Bistro Bobette, Brux’l Cafe, and Maple & Pine to the regular old menu at En Su Boca, The Waffle House (it’s a place!), and a handful of Chinese restaurants; there are options–options you don’t have to cook or clean up after. A Christmas miracle, indeed.
A little holiday reading, the best longform food writing of 2015, according to Eater.
This whole Mast Brothers remelted chocolate scandal is bittersweet indeed. Sorry. Here’s a HuffPo piece from beloved bean-to-bar chocolate maker Shawn Askinosie from back in March about how their other, pre-scandal claims are dubious at best anyway.
SIP: DAT ‘NOG
Like the ‘nog, if you’re going to consume fruitcake in 2015, God bless you, your window is closing. If you, however, feel more inspired to freeze, burn, and/or catapult your skittles-studded “cake”-brick, head over to the Science Museum of Richmond to find out what happens when people stop being nice and start getting really weird with holiday desserts.
Speaking of cake…this Instagram account actually exists!


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According to the new research report titled “Video Capture Cards Market Forecast to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis,” published by The Insight Partners, the market is expected to grow from US$ 467.1 million in 2021 to US$ 685.4 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2028.
The video capture cards market is segmented based on platform, type, input interface, and geography. Based on platform, the market is segmented into PC and laptops, gaming consoles, and others. In 2021, the gaming consoles segment accounted for the largest market share. In terms of type, the market is bifurcated into analog and digital. In 2021, the digital segment accounted for a larger share in the market. Based on input interface, the market is segmented into HDMI, SDI, DP, and others. In 2021, the HDMI segment accounted for a larger share in the market. Geographically, the global video capture cards market is broadly segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM). In 2021, APAC accounted for the significant share in the global market.
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A rise in popularity of various social media platforms and a subsequent transition of several advertisement and market spending converging on these platforms achieved unprecedented traction, particularly in the past few years. Additionally, the mounting trend of social media influencers and professional video bloggers, along with noteworthy rise in number of online video content-based sellers, is boosting the demand for creative video content. Thus, the enhanced quality video content has subsequently facilitated the penetration of video capture card and software application, which, in turn, is fueling the growth of the video capture card market. Moreover, several market players have launched numerous smartphone specific software targeted for this fast-growing customer base with the procurement of video capture card. Hence, the rise in popularity of online video content-based customer base such as content sellers, advertisers, and influencers is expected to provide numerous lucrative growth opportunities for the market players in the coming years. However, the professional media production houses such as entertainment industries, gaming, media, and educational institutes continue to be one of the major end users of the video capture card globally. Additionally, the emergence of several regional cinema and online content for OTT platforms across various demographics in Asian and African countries is witnessing a demand for video capture cards, which, in turn, will drive the video capture card in emerging economies.
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The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense, Food & beverage, Chemical and Materials, Semiconductors etc.
Email: [email protected]


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Inflation, recession fears have retailers facing a tough call: Lose customers or profits?
Inflation in the U.S. rose to 9.1% in June, the highest since November 1981, and a major leap from 8.6% in May.
That historic rise now has retailers making difficult decisions between raising prices and losing customers or maintaining prices and losing profits.
“With inflationary concerns, if it costs more to produce that good, it's going to cost the retailer more to buy it from the manufacturer. And then the retailer has to figure out how much of that can I pass on to my customer,” said Lynn Whitmore, managing director for Wells Fargo Commercial Capital.
Retailers have had to manage rising labor and material costs, as well as supply chain interruptions, while maintaining business sustainability. As inflation persists at a high level, retailers could see decreasing sales and possibly a recession.
Inflation is hitting Generation Zers:Here's how they are fighting back.
Talking Tech:A new reason to join Amazon Prime?
How does inflation affect the retail industry?
Retailers were able to absorb some of the rising costs at the end of last year as many customers purchased goods before the heavily discounted holiday season, said Rob Garf, vice president and general manager for retail at Salesforce.
That gain capitalized on customers' fear of limited inventory and allowed retailers to bank higher profits. But he said retailers probably will be less lucky this year because of discount pressure.
After the peak of the pandemic, many retailers are holding too much inventory in certain categories, which are expensive to keep in storage. And consumers are shifting loyalty and looking for lower prices and a better shopping experience, Garf added.
“There's going to be earlier discounts, which will really hit the retailers,” Garf said. “The consumers are feeling the pinch in their wallets on essentials like gas, food, household items, and therefore they're questioning some of the discretionary spending."
Inflationary pressures also will continue to squeeze retailer margins, particularly if the rate of inflation keeps climbing.
"For retailers … inflation plays a role as well, because as inventory ages, and the cost of that inventory increases, it costs more money for the retailers to keep that on their books,” Garf said.
During high inflation, consumers could take money from their savings to supplement the decrease in their real income, said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics.
But if inflation remains high, savings could be exhausted and people may spend less, which could push the economy into a recession. Increased interest rates from the Federal Reserve designed to counter high inflation could also lead to a recession.
What could a recession mean for retail?
If the country goes into a recession, consumers will reduce spending, and retailers will see decreased sales.
Whitmore said she believes a recession could have a correction effect on retailers, meaning that while some retailers would declare bankruptcy, financially healthy retailers would survive the downturn.
Zandi said retailers did well during the pandemic as people stayed home and bought various retail goods, from furniture to electronic devices. Now, however, retailers will face challenging financial conditions if the nation enters a recession later this year or in early 2023.
“It's those retail goods that I bought a lot of during the pandemic that I'm really going to cut back on in the recession,” Zandi said. “Even if we don't go into recession, retailers are going to have a hard time.”


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Volkswagen increased its auto lease VWALT 2014-A ABS by $500 million to $1.5 billion on the back of strong investor interest.
Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s assigned ratings of Aaa’/’AAA’ respectively to the four class of class A notes sold to securitization investors.
The fixed-rate, class A-2A with a weighted average life of 1.35-years priced at 21 basis points over Eurodollar synthetic forward curve, according to a deal term sheet with Securities and Exchange Commission. The floating-rate, class A-2B notes with a weighted average life of 1.35-years priced at 21 basis points over one month Libor.
The triple-A, 2.27-years, class A-3 notes and the triple-A, 2.64-years, class A-4 notes priced at 27 basis points and 34 basis points over the interpolated swaps curve, respectively. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citi are lead managers on the deal.
The deal is the first auto lease securitization to print this year in a consumer ABS market that has been largely dominated by prime and subprime auto loan deals. According to S&P, around $15 billion of auto lease ABS volume is slated for 2014, up from last year’s $14 billion.
At a securitization industry conference last month, issuers in the auto loan securitization space said that investor interest is migrating from retail auto loan securitization to deals backed by leases and dealer inventory financing, making it cheaper to fund these other kinds of lending via securitization.
GM Financial is taking advantage of this spread compression to expanding its securitization platform beyond subprime auto loans to deals backed by fleet leases and dealer financing, according to Susan Sheffield, executive vice president, corporate finance.
Moody’s said in a report this week that securitized auto leases continue to perform better than original expectations, in terms of both credit and market residual value. Strong lessee credit profiles and a persistently strong used vehicle market mean that credit losses on lease payments will remain low this year.
However, declining used vehicle prices as well as a higher setting of securitized residual values in recent transactions will turn recent residual value gains into marginal losses, the ratings agency warned in the report.
"Used vehicle prices are going to continue to decline, albeit marginally; we're projecting an increase in new vehicle sales in 2014 to over 16 million new units from 15.6 million in 2013," said Aron Bergman, a Moody's assistant vice president and author of the report.


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• The online exhibition is Google Arts & Culture’s most ambitious project in Africa to date
You can now experience the National Museums of Kenya from the comfort of your home via your phone.
Under the Google Arts and Culture project titled: “Utamaduni Wetu: Meet the People of Kenya”, art enthusiasts can check out cultural collections under the National Museums of Kenya that tell the stories of 28 communities.
Dr Mzalendo Kibunjia, the National Museums of Kenya director-general, said, “With digital technologies, there has scarcely been a more efficient way for cultural institutions to produce and preserve cultural goods and for consumers.”
During the event, Google also celebrated a number of Kenya’s YouTube content creators who have made strides in subscriptions.
The Churchill Show with over 1 million subscribers was awarded the Gold Creator Award. They are the second YouTube channel in Kenya to receive the gold play button after Citizen TV.


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If the 2018 market proved anything it is that you need to own stocks with an earnings backbone. That...
The Economy Is Better Than You Think
05/19/2010 11:21 am EST
Are we still in a recession? Are we in recovery? How long have we been in recovery, and when will we be whole again? If our national mood feels pessimistic, does that mean we aren’t yet recovered? What do you listen to when the steady drumbeat of information turns into too much ambient noise?
Simply put, we’re buying things, we’re shipping things, and homes are being bought, sold, and built.
[First,] there appears to be a new cycle in housing. Existing-home sales in March showed an annual pace of 5.35 million units—above the average estimate of about 5.3 million and up by nearly 7% from the February pace of 5.01 million. The sales pace of existing homes has grown year over year for nine straight months.
The pace of new-home sales in March was 411,000, the strongest showing since July 2009. Year over year, the pace of new home sales in America increased by 23.8%. The median sales price was $214,000—up by 4.3% from a year earlier.
[Meanwhile,] in late April, IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced that its superior cash flow enabled it to invest in the business and generate substantial returns to shareholders in two different ways.
The board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 65 cents per common share, which represents an increase of ten cents, or 18% higher than the prior quarterly dividend. IBM has increased its quarterly dividend over 330% since 2003.
When this latest dividend is paid, IBM will have paid consecutive quarterly dividends every year since 1916. The board also authorized $8 billion in additional funds for use in the company’s stock repurchase program.
As a broadly diversified supplier of computer hardware, software, and services, IBM is an excellent proxy for business spending and activity. When IBM increases the dividend and repurchases shares, they are feeling very, very confident!
Results for United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), the world’s largest package-delivery company—and for its rival FedEx (NYSE: FDX)—are closely watched because those companies are considered good indicators of how the overall economy is doing.
An improving economy boosted profits and prospects at UPS, as the company beat analysts’ estimates on first-quarter sales, citing increased demand overseas. Revenue rose 7.2% to $11.73 billion, exceeding [expectations]. Net income gained 33% to $533 million, and adjusted per-share profit was 71 cents.
In addition to strong growth in international package revenues, UPS called its US growth a "slow, measured" recovery and free cash generation "extremely strong."
IBM and UPS are not the only big guys who are feeling better right now. [First-quarter] earnings for companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index are expected to increase 39% from last year.
That is why the stock market has rallied over the past 12-14 months. We do not expect the stock market to rocket up another 70% or so as it has done since last spring. [But] the economy is in good shape. We don’t see any new recession in 2010.
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By: Vietnam News
Retail sales of goods and services in Vietnam reached US$214.8 billion in 2019, increasing by 11.8% compared to last year.
This marks the highest growth rate in the last four years. In 2016, retail sales rose 10 % and hit 11.6 % in 2017 and 2018.
According to Vietnam’s General Statistics Office, rising incomes, boosted by beyond-expectation economic growth of 7.02%, had strengthened purchasing power.
Vietnam’s retail revenue of goods increased by 12.7 %.
Read the full story HERE.


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A recent article on the Canadian Underwriter website on the increase in global ship losses highlights the role that technology will play in reducing shipping accidents if carefully applied to the industry with quality training and well thought out operational implementation.
Increasingly, ship losses are becoming more and more visible to the general public, with recent cases such as the sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy striking a particular chord. This not only causes human tragedy but bad PR for the ship owners. As such it is shown that self-regulation is now as much a pressure driver as IMO-led requirements.
However, for as many owners that prioritise safety there are as many again that put costs far above. With freight rates depressed at the moment in most markets there is little free cash (and incentive) to invest in quality training and, as a consequence, some owners will decide to choose the cheapest option for compliance tick boxing only.
Human error is the biggest cause of accidents, but with the introduction of technology into ship operations this is on a downward trend in general and will continue in this way as technology improves, seafarers gain competency and IMO regulation engulfs increasing segments of the industry.
Hopefully this provides an optimistic indication of the industry embracing ECDIS ahead of the mandate.


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LVMH keeps rivals on their toes with strong first quarter
Paris — On Wednesday, Louis Vuitton owner LVMH set a high bar for rival luxury goods companies trying to capitalise on Chinese demand for high-end handbags and clothing, with stronger-than-expected sales growth in the first quarter.
The conglomerate, which owns other labels such as Christian Dior in fashion and Krug in Champagne, was boosted by a strong performance in its leather goods unit, in particular, while sales of spirits such as Cognac improved from a quarter earlier.
Its performance bodes well for other companies that derive much of their profit from high-margin handbags, and which have proved a hit with consumers in recent years, such as Kering’s Gucci or Birkin bag maker Hermès.
The group, which cited a “buoyant environment” at the start of the year, posted revenue of €12.5bn in the period, up 16% as reported. It rose 11% on a like-for-like basis, which strips out currency swings and the impact of acquisitions or disposals, beating analyst forecasts and marking an acceleration from the 9% growth notched up a quarter earlier.
The company did not break down its performance by region, with more details due during a conference call on Thursday. However, it had previously flagged enduring demand in China at the start of 2019, a key market for luxury brands now trying to increasingly court Chinese consumers on their home turf.
Sales at LVMH’s leather goods unit, which is largely driven by Vuitton, rose 15%, beating the roughly 11% to 12% growth expected by analysts.


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- Our Blog
… has temporarily suspended Google Map Maker, a service to allow the community to make edits to Google Maps similar to how Wikipedia edits work. The reason the service was suspended was because of the recent public edits made to show how easy it is to make fraudulent edits to businesses. Auto Expected to Spend $1.5 Billion on Local (NewNewsCheck…
… A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology Twitter Learns From Facebook by Revamping Its Advertising Fees for Small Business (Wall Street Journal) Twitter is remodeling the way it charges advertisers, a move designed to court more small businesses in a bid to battle Facebook. The San Francisco…
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology Snapchat Adds Location-Based Photo Filters (VentureBeat) Snapchat announced the development of Geofilters, which let you add a filter over your photo that shows your location. Geofilters will be available in New York City and Los Angeles starting today.


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- HERE – the “Switzerland of Location Platforms” – continues to lead the location platform rankings across Counterpoint Research’s evaluation categories
- HERE remains the No. 1 choice when it comes to automotive, logistics and enterprise verticals
Global industry analysis firm Counterpoint Research has once again named HERE Technologies as the leading location platform, maintaining its top position and surpassing TomTom, Google, Mapbox and more.
Named the “Switzerland of location platform” because of its open, neutral and privacy-centric offering, HERE has earned the top spot this time due to its diverse portfolio across industries, applications and geographies. Thanks to products and services such as the HERE ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) Map, HERE ISA (Intelligent Speed Assistance) Map, Electric Vehicle (EV) services, and the Workspace low-code map creation tool, HERE has solidified itself as the number one provider in the automotive, logistics and enterprise verticals.
Counterpoint Research Vice President Neil Shah commented, “HERE has pioneered the transformation of the location ecosystem. It delivers a formidable array of location-centric data, services and tools via the industry’s leading location platform. HERE leads our global location platform rankings in terms of comprehensiveness, completeness, capabilities, and customer success – setting a new industry benchmark.
“The company has been investing heavily over the years leading to, for example, its dominance of the market for intelligent speed awareness – helping making driving safer and more sustainable. In the last 12 months, it has also broadened its offerings to provide advanced spatial intelligence solutions that are powering next generation autonomous vehicles. In addition, it is taking an innovative approach to building highly-automated maps – UniMap. HERE enjoys a strong pipeline of licensing, monetization and IP co-creation opportunities in almost all parts of the location ecosystem.”
According to Counterpoint, HERE continues to build capabilities while working on partnerships to enhance its offerings that range from automotive, enterprise and data-driven Internet of Things (IoT) use cases to consumer-centric location experiences.
Read the full press release HERE Maintains Location Platform Leadership; TomTom Surpasses Google to Take Second Position; Mapbox Moves to Fourth.
Read the full blog here:


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Emmy awards 2019: 'Game of Thrones' breaks records with 32 nominations FIA European Truck Racing Championship will be launched on the 8th of August
It was the most voted by the public of the German show. The new Super Smash Bros. , to be launched this year on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, is the most anticipated game by those attending Gamescom. Voting opened on August 9 through an event’s Facebook page and the show ratings were collected on site.
The organization has announced via the social network Twitter .
Super Smash Bros. 3DS will arrive on October 3. Wii u version is expected in time for Christmas Video:.


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Tech disruption has accelerated to become what I call Industrial Darwinism. Digital technology companies are displacing, and often destroying, the market leaders that once seemed invulnerable.
- The world’s biggest taxi company owns no cars (Uber)
- The world’s biggest media company creates no media (Facebook)
- The world’s largest accommodations company has no real estate (Airbnb)
- The world’s largest retailer has no inventory (Amazon)
How did this happen? The stories behind these disruptions are amazing. To share them, we’ve produced a series of short case studies on digital innovation.
The first three case studies in the series tell how:
- Netflix, a tiny startup, destroyed $8.5 billion behemoth Blockbuster
- Amazon reinvented retail and surpassed Walmart’s market cap in just 2 decades
- Apple crushed Blackberry and Nokia with a product consumers didn’t even know they wanted


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FinTech: Mastercard Acquires Finicity for $825M
Mastercard snaps up Finicity, a data aggregator and insights platform, to enhance open banking.
Global payments processor and cards provider Mastercard (NYSE: MA) will pay $825 million to acquire Finicity, a fintech startup specializing in real-time data aggregation and provider of insights. If certain targets are met, Mastercard will pay an additional amount of $160 million. (KSL.com)
The purchase gives Mastercard technology that will help banks make faster credit decisions. It will also improve account verification processes using Finicity’s platform. It allows access to financial data for businesses and individuals.
The transaction reinforces Mastercard’s strategy to diversify out from traditional card payments and into the fintech domain.
In December, it acquired RiskRecon, a provider of artificial intelligence and data analytics solutions to support companies in protecting their cyber systems and infrastructure.
Prior to that, in October, Mastercard bought up customer data and loyalty platform SessionM, to enhance its ability to help brands around the world deliver personalized, real-time offers and comprehensive campaign measurement based on data-driven insights.
Finicity acquisition rationale
Mastercard said Finicity had a proven business built on partnerships with thousands of banks and fintechs. Besides, the Finicity technology powers platforms such as Quicken Loans Rocket Mortgage and Experian Boost.
Mastercard has made a significant thrust into open banking in recent years. In 2019, it launched a set of comprehensive open banking solutions in Europe. Open banking allows customers greater control over their financial data, particularly through the use of third party apps such as money management and for payments.
“Open banking is a growing global trend and a strategically important space for us. With the addition of Finicity, we expect to not only advance our open banking strategy, but enhance how we support and accelerate today’s digital economy across several markets,” said Michael Miebach, president of Mastercard, in a statement.
Mastercard’s open banking solutions can now expand into North America, leveraging Finicity’s technology and employees. Mastercard open banking services in Europe already connect to more than 1,800 financial institutions.
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MICROSOFT IN DISCUSSIONS TO BUY STAKE IN AOL
'New York Post' Report Cites Two Sources
BROADCAST NETWORKS BUY INTO SEARCH KEY WORDS
No Longer Able to Ignore Search Engine Marketing Power
MSN BETA TESTS NEW SEARCH-AD SYSTEM OVERSEAS
Includes Demographic Functions Google and Yahoo Lack
As reports surfaced last week that made public what had been rumored for months -- that Microsoft was looking for a way to position MSN to challenge Google and had begun discussions with Time Warner about constructing a deal with AOL -- many saw potential in the combined strengths of Microsoft’s No. 2 and Time Warner’s No. 4 portals.
Largest AdSense client
If the two behemoths were eventually to carve out a deal that enabled them to combine search advertising capabilities, it would almost certainly impact Google, the power behind AOL’s paid and organic search. AOL is probably Google’s largest AdSense client. According to a recent Google filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, AOL accounted for 11% of Google’s revenue for the six months ended June 30.
Another plus for Microsoft: A deal could give it access to what many view as AOL’s killer app, its video-search product Singing Fish. “Singing Fish is a sexy application, especially when people talk about the next generation of advertising,” said Joshua Stylman, managing partner of search marketing agency Reprise Media. MSN does not have a video-search tool.
Talks were first reported in The New York Post. Time Warner and Microsoft both declined to comment.
MSN-AOL would top google traffic
A deal between AOL and MSN could create one of the biggest properties on the Internet, posing a big threat to Google and Yahoo. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, AOL and MSN had an unduplicated audience of 120 million in August, well above Yahoo’s 100 million and Google’s 80 million.
If AOL and MSN entered a partnership in which MSN powered AOL’s search engine, and AOL dumped Google, that would give MSN access to a heavy stream of AOL traffic -- 75 million unique visitors, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. From an advertising point of view, AOL visitors loiter on the site’s pages for over six minutes -- longer than visitors on any of the other big three. And as for AOL’s money pressure? Microsoft would pay handsomely to step into this role, analysts believe.
'Direct shot at Google'
Even better, that "would be a direct shot at Google,” Mr. Stylman said. “Losing your biggest distribution partner is never a good thing.”
As for MSN, a possible trade for all that nice search traffic might be a chance to share in AOL’s rich content. While MSN lacks a clearly defined content strategy, AOL, now offering its Web services for free, has a well-defined plan involving content provided by Time Warner siblings and developed exclusively to truss up the site.
Google will rake in nearly 25% of the projected $12.9 billion online ad spending this year, online market research firm eMarketer predicts. MSN and AOL had healthy ad revenue growth so far this year, but nothing like Google’s. Google also dominates with 40.5% market share based on visits, according to online competitive intelligence service Hitwise.
Several hurdles stand in the way of a deal. “You don’t want to do a MSN-MSNBC remake where [the partners] are fighting over who is in control,” said Tolman Geffs, managing director of Jordan Edmiston Group. Another issue: clashing of ancillary partnerships. One competitive problem might be between CNN (which feeds AOL) on air and MSNBC.
And then there’s the possibility that Google may enter the fray. “It is entirely possible that Google could consider making a bid for AOL as well,” according to a Merrill Lynch research report. “This would certainly protect Google’s revenues from AOL as well as enable Google to keep 100% of the search advertising revenues as well as gain a significant amount of content,” the report said.
~ ~ ~
Nat Ives and Abbey Klaassen contributed to this report.


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Emirati-owned and managed tourism investment firm Samaya sets its sights on local and global sector expansion
The UAE capital’s first Emirati-owned and managed boutique tourism industry advisory firm, Samaya International, has taken a lead role in several recent local and global tourism development initiatives that are set to bring the world to Abu Dhabi – and take the UAE to the world.
Spearheaded by Emirati entrepreneur and local industry veteran, Ali Al Hosani, the firm was established in 2009 with a vision to augment the UAE’s tourism ambitions. It focuses on developing local industry development initiatives, as well as supporting the market entry of global hotel, restaurant and retail brands.
“Our aim from inception has been to augment and invigorate Abu Dhabi’s tourism and hospitality industry, in line with the Government’s 2030 Plan for economic diversification,” explains Ali Al Hosani, Founder and CEO of Samaya International.
With over 20 years experience in the hospitality and tourism fields, Al Hosani has previously held key positions within Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).
Under his astute direction, Samaya International has been positioned to act as a conduit for investment flow into industry development projects. This includes leading the concept evolution of a global Emirati tourism and hospitality brand initiative, which is currently under development with both local and international partners.
“This project is set to become a signature regional and global luxury tourism and hospitality brand, and although details are under wraps at this stage I can share that our aim is for this brand to play an ambassadorial role on behalf of the UAE on the world stage,” says Al Hosani.
“Our vision is for the brand to act as an interactive platform to communicate, share and experience the UAE’s vibrant culture and heritage, connecting with a global audience through the generous warmth and hospitality our nation is renowned for.”
Providing advisory services to local investors seeking to broaden their Group’s brand through strategic alliances, Samaya international also encourages and facilitates vital connective links with international investors wishing to enter the UAE market to expand the global reach of their hospitality brands.
“Our key business strength lies in my ability to ‘speak the language’ of both local government and private sector corporate spheres, and the integral role I am able to personally play in connecting global investors with the local market,” adds Al Hosani.


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The photos of the new model of Perodua car that is said to be the replacement of Perodua Viva has been circulating around the internet for quite some time. Now we have clearer shots and more photos of what this Viva successor look like.
The next Perodua car was rumoured to be named ‘Perodua Axia’, though this has not been confirmed yet. Many feel that the new model look awfully similar to Perodua MyVi due to the similar rear bumper design, however the car is said to be remodelled after Toyota city car, Daihatsu Ayla. Also, the car will feature an aluminium engine.
Below are the leaked photos of the new car.
The front and rear of the new Perodua car.
The leaked photos of the car that was released on web.
The design of the new Perodua car was based on Daihatsu Ayla.
Comparison between new Perodua car and Viva
The interior comparison between the two cars. (Up) New model, (Down) Viva.
The replacement model of Perodua Viva is due for the third quarter of 2014.


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Father of Ebony Reigns has stated that the GTP produced funeral cloth (Maame Hwe) for the burial of his daughter is in honour and sustainability of her legacy.
Mr. Opoku Kwarteng made this statement at the launch of the cloth on Saturday 17th March 2018 at the Accra Westhills Mall during a press briefing.
He urged the general public and fans of Ebony Reigns to patronize the cloth for the funeral of his late daughter. Mr. Kwarteng also mentioned that cloth can be used for other purposes as it comes in different varieties.
The cloth comes in three different types, there is a red and black which is called “Maame Hwe” purposely for funerals and burial services, there is another shade of “Maame Hwe” which looks more like grey and sown for every occasion be it a casual or corporate event and finally “Aseda”, a white clothe which goes perfectly with every occasion be it an anniversary or an naming ceremony.
Bullet, CEO of Rufftown Music, Ebony’s former record label revealed that the symbols in the cloth are related to the late singer’s career which is why the clothes were named after her songs in order for her memory to live on.
A representative from Fresco Enterprise, sole distributor of “Maame Hwe” and “Aseda” cautioned buyer to look out for seals on the the clothes before buying, this is to avoid piracy and ensure value for money.


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Cattle: $1-3 HR Futures: 50-100 HRLive Equiv $136.96 + $1.36*
Hogs: Steady-$1 LR Futures: mixed Lean Equiv $ 83.65 - 0.03**
* based on formula estimating live cattle equivalent of gross packer revenue
** based on formula estimating lean hog equivalent of gross packer revenue
We should start to see a few preliminary bids in feedlot country at midweek, though it would be quite surprising if they prove attractive enough to spark selling. Indeed, feedlot manager will be reluctant to price showlists prematurely, waiting to get a better handle on the board's full bullish stretch. Our guys is that significant trade volume will once again be delayed until sometime Friday.
Hog buyers are expected to resume procurement work with bids steady to $1 lower. Processing margins have narrowed in recent weeks, and packers would like to be a better handle on the cost of live inventory if possible. The Saturday kill is currently estimated at 170,000 head. Lean futures should open on a mixed basis thanks to follow-through buying on one hand and profit taking on the other.
|BULL SIDE||BEAR SIDE|
|1)||Live and feeder futures fielded strong follow-through buying on Tuesday with most months once again setting new contract highs. The board definitely wants to keep leading cash markets higher.||1)||Given attractive deferred live premiums and the persistence of cheap feed, October placement activity likely remained well above the fall of 2016.|
|2)||Beef cut-outs closed sharply higher yesterday with the choice box surging more than $3 (i.e., closing at its highest point since July 27).||2)||Technically speaking, live and feeder cattle futures look significantly overbought and due for a corrective sell-off.|
|3)||Nearby lean hogs also soared to new highs on Tuesday, perhaps reflecting big bets on the strength of U.S. exports over the next several quarters.||3)||The cash hog market faltered on Tuesday, and the combination of lower bids and larger country receipts suggests that psychology is on the verge of turning south.|
|4)||Early bird estimates the weekly hog slaughter are pulling back below last week's level, averaging little more than 2.45 million head.||4)||China's importation of pork continues to lag far head 2016 levels (see article below). With U.S. production shifting into high gear, a recovery in Chinese appetite is critical.|
CATTLE: (beefmagazine.com) -- Prospects for increasing beef exports come at a fortuitous moment in U.S. beef history. Without them, odds favor further industry contraction over time.
Such an observation might seem bold, given the fact that all beef produced in the U.S. is always consumed at some price, and that the national cowherd is currently in the midst of the first cyclical expansion in about two decades.
Consider this, though; U.S. beef never recovered the 20% domestic demand lost from about 1977 to 1997. Total beef production last year was about 25.3 billion pounds, according to USDA's Economic Research Service. That's about what it was in 1995. During that timeframe, production was as high as 27.2 billion pounds in 2002, and as low as 23.7 billion pounds in 2015.
During the same period, total U.S. meat and poultry production grew most years; it was 97.3 billion pounds last year. Along the way, the U.S. population grew by about 21% to 323.4 million in 2016.
Notwithstanding drought-forced liquidation in recent years, that's one reason there were 31.2 million beef cows at the beginning of this year, as opposed to 36.1 million in 1995, let alone the peak number of 45.4 million in 1975.
In the last decade, as the nation's cow herd contracted in the wake of prolonged drought, beef packing capacity and cattle feeding capacity left the business. It's easy to imagine a quick restoration of the latter, but not the former.
In order to maintain the current industry infrastructure — packing and feeding capacity, allied service providers, etc. — the nation's beef cow herd likely needs to be at or above 31 million cows or so over the long haul, according to Sterling Liddell, senior analyst of data analytics for RaboBank's RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness. HOGS: (blackseagrain.net) -- China imported 920,508 tonnes of pork valued at USD 1.7 billion in the first nine months of 2017, down 28.0% and 34.1% respectively from a year earlier, said the China Customs. Meanwhile, China's domestic pork production rose 0.7% to 37.2 million tonnes, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The nation's frozen chicken imports also fell sharply in the nine months, down 23.4% at 329,657 tonnes. However, imports of beef and mutton products maintained growths, rising 14.7% and 2.9%, respectively, to 502,887 tonnes and 187,812 tonnes.
John Harrington can be reached at email@example.com
Follow John Harrington on Twitter @feelofthemarket
© Copyright 2017 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.


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Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic fashion revealed, from her brightly colored dresses to her signature handbag
Throughout her 70 years on the British throne as the longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II was known for her iconic fashion statements.
As people around the world continue to mourn her passing this week, here’s a look at the monarch’s royal style and its impact.
When she was a child, Queen Elizabeth wore cotton, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
As a teenager who was making public appearances, she slightly evolved her style to become more practical. This included wearing light-colored, short-sleeved or sleeveless dresses.
Her wedding gown — made of Chinese silk — was designed by Normal Hartnell, who also designed her coronation gown, according to W Magazine. She also wore a 13-foot lace veil.
Queen Elizabeth even saved up ration coupons to use toward her wedding dress materials, as Fox News Digital reported.
As a married royal, Queen Elizabeth began to carve out her style a bit more. She often sported “nipped-in waists” and pencil silhouettes, vastly different from the styles she used more in more recent decades.
By the 1970s, Queen Elizabeth II started to wear brighter colors.
It was a style choice she followed until her death on Thursday of this week.
In recent years, the Queen was best known for her bright, monochromatic outfits.
The reason she wore such bright colors was so that people could see her more easily at public appearances, Town and Country Magazine reported in 2018.
Of course, Queen Elizabeth always made sure to have her signature matching hat and accessories.
She was often seen carrying a matching umbrella, as Town and Country Magazine has reported.
Her stylish umbrellas were made by Fulton, a U.K.-based umbrella brand.
The company used color swatches sent by the Queen’s senior dressers ahead of her appearances so that she could have a “perfectly matched” umbrella, according to a blog post from Fulton.
Queen Elizabeth also always carried a handbag.
Though she owned more than 200 bags from U.K.-based luxury brand Launer, she had three favorites, Town and Country Magazine reported in 2019.
Those three were the black leather Royale, the black patent Traviata and a third custom bag, the magazine noted.
Gerald Bodmer, the CEO of Launer, told the Daily Mail in 2018 that Queen Elizabeth preferred “a slightly longer handle” on her handbags.
“She’s not keen on shoulder straps, zips or partitions,” Bodmer told the U.K. newspaper.
“We use a frame in the middle so she can reach deep inside, and she wants a strap that she can easily get her hand through to lift the lock and access the contents.”
Queen Elizabeth II also used her handbag to communicate with her staff, according to BritishHeritage.com.
For example, if she moved her bag from one hand to the next, it meant she wanted to end her current conversation, the website reported.
Placing her bag on a table indicated that she was ready to leave an event, according to the website.
Queen Elizabeth was also known for her lipstick, which she made sure to keep inside her handbag.
During her Platinum Jubilee Celebration earlier this year, she was seen applying hot pink lipstick from a gold tube, Fox News Digital reported.
Though her exact shade of lipstick has been kept a secret for decades, Queen Elizabeth’s senior dresser and in-house designer, Angela Kelly, previously revealed that makeup brand Elizabeth Arden held a Royal Warrant for nearly 60 years, Fox News Digital reported.
The Queen was reportedly a fan of the brand’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick.


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PC market growth unlikely to top 10% in 2024, say IC design houses
Taiwan to begin subsidizing IC innovation in January
Taiwan should be wary of new US export limitations, says minister
MOSFET suppliers remain cautious
1h 2min ago
IC design houses upbeat about demand from Chinese EV market
1h 6min ago
HTC remains focused on AR/VR, metaverse devices
1h 11min ago
Vietnam's IC design industry has a long way to go
1h 21min ago
Big get bigger in Chinese battery cell market
1h 22min ago
NEWS TAGGED 3D PACKAGING
Monday 20 November 2023
Samsung jumps into AI, set to unveil cutting-edge 3D packaging tech in 2024
With the surging demand for advanced semiconductors powering generative AI and end-user device AI, Samsung Electronics is reportedly set to launch its 3D packaging technology in 2024,...
Friday 13 October 2023
Samsung set to roll out HBM4 in 2025 incorporating advanced packaging solution
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a strategic memory roadmap, aiming to release a new generation of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) product, HBM4, by the year 2025. In this ambitious endeavor,...
Thursday 28 September 2023
TSMC talks about new 3Dblox 2.0, 3DFabric achievements
At the TSMC 2023 OIP Ecosystem Forum, TSMC announced the new 3Dblox 2.0 open standard and major achievements of its Open Innovation Platform (OIP) 3DFabric Alliance. The 3Dblox 2.0...
Monday 7 August 2023
Intel 18A process wins US gov't deal, likely to squeeze potential orders for TSMC Arizona fab
Intel has struck a deal with the US Department of Defense to develop and manufacture chips with its 18A (18-angstrom or 1.8nm) process technology under the DoD's Rapid Assured Microelectronics...
Wednesday 5 July 2023
Nvidia reportedly mulls outsourcing partial AI GPU production to Samsung
Nvidia is reportedly mulling outsourcing a portion of its AI GPUs to Samsung Electronics for fabrication amid increasingly tight capacity supply from TSMC. Industry observers noted...
Monday 24 April 2023
Marvell demos 3nm data infrastructure silicon
Marvell Technology has demonstrated high-speed, ultra-high bandwidth silicon interconnects manufactured using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 3-nanometer (3nm)...
Tuesday 18 April 2023
3D fabric business pushes TSMC into top 3 largest OSATs
TSMC came in as the world's third-largest OSAT when including its advanced packaging 3D fabric platform in 2022, according to market research quoted by China-based OSATs.
Friday 6 January 2023
Japanese manufacturers seize the opportunities of back-end processes
Japanese semiconductor equipment suppliers Canon, Ulvac, Advantest, and material maker Sumitomo Bakelite are accelerating the R&D of back-end process products. Rapidus, a chip...
Dec 4, 12:37
Turn your website traffic into money: the all-in-one system for online course
Friday 1 December 2023
BIWIN packaging and testing center achieves IATF 16949 recognition
Friday 1 December 2023
Avilon solar panel inspection in Thailand
Thursday 30 November 2023
ChoozMo AIGV creation platform applications
Micron and GlobalFoundries hit by US trade sanction shockwave
SMIC profit plunges despite Huawei orders: survival heavily dependent on subsidies and external sources
Semiconductors headed toward strong 2024
TSMC likely to win it all, with Samsung's 3nm reportedly losing several significant orders
Global semiconductor market to rebound with 13% growth in 2024, says WSTS
Huawei's NearLink wireless technology signals a decoupled connected world
Intel cuts off manufacturing in IDM2.0, TSMC is expected to benefit
Tesla's humanoid robot 'Optimus' debuts in Taiwan, showcasing AI advancements
ASML reportedly sees first big EUV equipment order cut from TSMC
US, Japanese, and Dutch semiconductor equipment export values to China dropped; more substantial strategies demanded by expert
Global top-5 notebook brands experience over 20% on-month shipment drop in October, says DIGITIMES Research
Global notebook shipments rise in 3Q23 but to slip in 4Q23, says DIGITIMES Research
Research Insight: order backlog, China demand to drive Infineon automotive segment in FY24
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On September 19, Alibaba (BABA) became the largest IPO ever, and its founder Jack Ma, is now worth about $26 billion. How did this company, a virtual unknown outside of its native China, rocket 38% on its first day of trading to achieve a mega capitalization of $230 billion overnight? Why is there all this excitement for Alibaba?
This is where some background information is helpful. In North America, the retail landscape is very well developed. If we want to purchase merchandise, we have many different options. We have a multitude of physical retail (offline) options. Or, for even more options, we can access an ever-expanding number of e-commerce options from large to niche online retailers. These e-commerce giants have become household names over the past decade: Amazon.com is the world’s largest online retailer; eBay runs a large consumer-to-consumer sales site and owns a payment network (PayPal); and Google helps small businesses advertise via its search engine. You can use these platforms to search for consumer goods, pay for them and have them delivered to you in a seamless manner. These companies are well-established in North America, generate $150 billion in annual revenue, and have a cumulative market capitalization of $600 billion.
In China, the retail ecosystem has developed quite differently. While there has been growth of retail stores in the country's major cities, the market outside of these Tier 1 cities is underserved. The reason is size. In addition to an enormous land mass, China has more than 100 cities with a population of over one million people. In contrast to the U.S., where there is one retail store for every 1000 people, in Asia-Pacific, there is one store for every 90,000 people. So even if you wanted to find a store, it likely doesn't exist. Add the problem of horrible inter city traffic congestion, and it is no wonder why Chinese consumers prefer to shop online where they can access millions of products at competitive prices easily from the convenience of their smartphone.
Jack Ma had the vision to create an e-commerce platform that could address this consumer demand and champion smaller business trying to sell online. Alibaba created Taobao, the eBay of China, to put small business on the same playing field as larger enterprises and Tmall.com was created to allow brands to effectively sell deep into China. Alipay was established to create a PayPal-like payment system to facilitate the transfer of funds within China. The challenge with that is that most domestic consumers do not have credit cards. The other issue is that most Chinese consumers prefer cash-on-delivery as they typically do not trust the seller to deliver the goods. Alipay’s solution to gain the trust of the consumer is to escrow the funds until delivery has been confirmed. Alibaba has also acquired or created other e-commerce business based on other globally proven internet businesses. The acquired assets have been integrated into a powerful vertical business model. So while Google and others struggled to address the Chinese market, Jack Ma was able to create a super internet company (e.g. Amazon+eBay+Google) that dominates that landscape.
The future retail sales growth looks bright for Alibaba. China is expected to become the largest consumer market in the world by 2017, surpassing the U.S. We are already seeing this in Alibaba’s numbers. Last year, Alibaba generated $5.7 billion in sales during the largest shopping day in China (Singles’ Day), which was three times larger than the equivalent online retail sales in the U.S. during Thanksgiving weekend. Given this growth outlook and market structure, we believe that Alibaba is on a path to overcome Walmart in sales: it is growing 10 times faster with seven times the profitability.
So let’s compare the race to $500 billion in retail transactions between Walmart and Alibaba. It will take Walmart over five decades and thousands of retail outlets to achieve $500 billion in sales. Jack Ma has ambitions to become bigger than Walmart. Alibaba will reach its goal in retail transactions without opening a single store, relying on online e-commerce platforms combined with its extensive logistics network and get to this milestone in less than two decades.
This should explain our excitement in the investment opportunity in Alibaba. At Signature, we were happy to purchase shares of the IPO. We have been following the development of this platform for some time during our visits to China and have had indirect investments in companies that have held stakes in Alibaba. The IPO of Alibaba gives us the opportunity to invest directly in this incredible asset. Time spent with the company in San Francisco during the IPO road show gave us a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Alibaba. We value the management team’s long-term vision for Alibaba and have confidence in their ability to generate shareholder value. Alibaba has a slogan: “To make it easy to do business anywhere.” This company is truly transforming the way to do business in China. We also believe Alibaba will transition its business in a material way beyond China’s borders longer term.
This juggernaut -- China’s combination of Amazon / eBay / Google / Walmart -- is going to be an interesting company to watch.


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The UK-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Trade Continuity Agreement is meant to replicate the Economic Partnership Agreement that the East African Community is yet to sign with the European Union.
The discussion on the EPA took place during the East Africa Community summit, with Tanzania insisting that it must be allowed more time to send experts to EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, to present its grievances.
East African countries can individually sign separate trade agreements with the European Union if a joint deal is not reached within the next four months.
Kenya is asking that EAC partner states adopt the variable geometry, a move that would be viewed as counter to regional integration.
Members of the East African Community to implement trade facilitation reforms including reducing “non-tariff barriers”.
The deposit of the instrument means that South Africa has formally and legally committed to the TFTA.
South Africa has ratified the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, becoming the fourth country to do so after Egypt, Uganda and Kenya. 10 more ratifications are now needed for the Agreement to enter into force.
The slow pace at which member states of the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA) are committing to the bloc, has derailed the enforcement of the treaty and trade in one of Africa’s largest economic zones.
Kenya will not sign a free trade agreement that China has been negotiating with the East African Community (EAC) partner States since 2016.
The TFTA seeks to establish an enlarged market involving 27 member countries from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and Southern African Development Community.
Despite having several trade and investment agreements from 1975, the inability for Africa to build substantial productive capacity has in effect rendered the continent a net importer, unable to meet even its own food requirements.
East African leaders call for further negotiations on EPA with their European counterparts.
Under EPAs, small-scale farmers are disadvantaged.
Botswana signed a tripartite free trade area agreement which marked a milestone in the trade agenda of the African Union.
A standoff between Burundi and the European Union over political sanctions is set to further delay the signing and ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the East African Community.
First-vice speaker of Burundi Senate said Burundi will not have the courage to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement in the context of economic sanctions imposed against it.
A decision on whether all the East African Community partner states will sign the European Union-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will be known in November during the Heads of State Summit.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni who is also the current chairman of the East African Community (EAC) arrives in Brussels, Belgium with a delegation from the EAC member states to discuss the issue of the Economic Partnership Agreements.
Kenya will take its case to the European Union in Brussels in a last-ditch effort to garner support for the Economic Partnership Agreement deal.
Though not highly publicised, the EPA has faced continued opposition from across the ACP countries, not least because of its devastating effect on small scale farmers. A new report from GRAIN goes into the details in Africa.


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I’m no fan of product tie-ins but at times, it’s a good thing. It’s good because we fans get inside info before the tie-ins happened. I mean just look at the latest news on Pokemon Go!
A Reddit user alturrisi (who has to be working at Starbucks) posted an internal Starbucks memo that says a new Pokemon Go update will be released in the US on December 8 that would coincides with the release of a new Pokemon Go-branded Frappuccino. Not only that, the memo state that new Pokemon will also be added to Pokemon Go this Thursday, December 8. That’s this week.
Usually, people will ignore such rumours but there’s was just an update that installed place-holders for the 100 Pokémon that were in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Perfect timing right? Let’s wait for a few days and see.


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Capital Region companies that do business in the global marketplace have had to contend with an increasingly difficult environment since the last quarter of 2007. The hard-put U.S. housing sector, the volatility of U.S. financial markets and the ongoing credit crisis continue to negatively impact the world's economies. The unabated run-up in oil prices and the rising cost of food have put further pressure on developed and developing nations.
In its latest report on the world economic situation and the prospects for 2008, the United Nations says slower growth in the U.S. will be the main drag on the world economy. The International Monetary Fund has sharply revised downward its forecast for world growth over the next two years. The biggest impact from the U.S. downturn will probably be felt in Europe, the IMF says.
The weak dollar helps U.S. firms sell into foreign markets because it makes their goods cheaper, but it also makes it more difficult for them to expand overseas. How have U.S. businesses operating in or selling into foreign markets fared? The Business Review asked seven local companies to tell us. They also provided a snapshot of how the Capital Region business community weaves into the fabric of the world economy.
1. Albany International, Albany
What Albany International does: Manufactures paper machine clothing, industrial door systems and engineered composites and fabrics for a wide variety of industries.
Performance in global downturn: Sales from North American operations decreased 12.9 percent in the first quarter, but the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow.
Effects of weak dollar: AI doesn't export, it sells where it manufactures, so the weak dollar is not a factor.
Other facts: More than 50 worldwide locations, including South Africa, China, Australia, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
2. Comfortex Corp., Cohoes
What Comfortex does: A division of Holland-based Hunter Douglas, it makes window treatment components and sells the items to fabricators that assemble the products.
Performance in global downturn: Exports up 58 percent this year, thanks to growing demand for American-styled window treatments in Canada and developing countries.
Effects of weak dollar: It's a factor in pushing up those exports.
Other facts: Sells and distributes in 70-plus other countries through Hunter Douglas. Also, fabricators in China assemble Comfortex products. In addition, company has a team in China getting another location up and running. 2007 export sales totaled between $8 million and $10 million, about 10 percent of all sales.
3. Fortitech, Schenectady
What Fortitech does: Develops, manufactures nutritional pre-mixes for food, sports drinks, baby formula and diet supplements.
Performance in global downturn: $130 million in revenue in 2007. Expects continued annual growth of 15 to 20 percent into 2008. The demand for the product is high as people become more health-conscious.
Effects of weak dollar: Each facility produces goods for its specific region, so the value of the dollar does not have an impact on those operations.
Other facts: Locations in Canada, Brazil, Denmark and Mexico. Also manufacturing in Malaysia since 2002. A 78,000-square-foot expansion there is scheduled to open in early 2009.
4. Gurley Precision Instruments Inc., Troy
What Gurley does: Produces sensors, gauges and other instruments for military, medical and semiconductor industries.
Performance in global downturn: 2008 sales up 12 percent over last year's record-high. Demand is strong in the military and medical fields.
Effects of weak dollar: The weak dollar has helped, opening previously closed markets in Germany, Switzerland and elsewhere.
Other facts: Has a joint venture in Lithuania with Precizika Metrology, and other joint ventures in Russia and Slovenia.
5. Hannay Reels Inc., Westerlo
What Hannay does: Makes metal reels to hold hoses and cables.
Performance in global downturn: Expecting flat sales in 2008 and will be "very happy" to match last year's revenue.
Effects of weak dollar: The weak dollar is minimizing the damage. International sales are down 20 percent from a year ago, a drop that would have likely been larger if the dollar were stronger.
Other facts: Saudi Arabia is company's No. 2 export market after Canada this year. Hannay exports reels for fire fighting, mining and industrial uses.
6. Reliable Racing Supply Inc., Glens Falls
What Reliable does: The retail store in Glens Falls sells high-end ski equipment and sporting goods. Reliable also manufactures its breakaway slalom gates.
Performance in global downturn: The estimated gross value of exports sold in 2007 was $175,000, up from $150,000 in 2004.
Effects of weak dollar: There is some impact because European distributors are interested in selling Reliable's slalom gates. But the weak dollar has increased the price of European goods sold at company store in Glens Falls.
Other facts: Various European countries import Reliable's breakaway slalom gates, which are used in alpine ski racing. Company also exports to Japan and South Korea.
7. Simmons Machine Tool Corp., Menands
What Simmons does: Builds specialized machines and equipment for producing, installing and recalibrating wheels on trains.
Performance in global downturn: Simmons expects 2008 sales to be up 20 percent over 2007. In addition to China, the company is seeing surging demand in Russia and India, and expects increased demand as more goods are shipped via rail worldwide.
Effects of weak dollar: Makes the company's products cheaper overseas.
Other facts: The company makes tools for the rail industry. China expects to spend a record $200 billion to expand its railways through 2010. Simmons should benefit. The company also has a factory in China.


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GRIFFIN Solutions Group, a software development company with THH Holdings, announces a new CEO. Former CEO moves to an executive position with THH.
Online PR News – 16-January-2021 – Atlanta, GA – GRIFFIN Solutions Group, an Atlanta based custom software development company, and part of the THH-Holdings LLC family of businesses, has named John Kaltz as the next CEO. As the CEO of GRIFFIN Solutions Group, he is responsible for the growth and continued efficient delivery of services for GRIFFIN customers and team members. Kaltz served as CIO of McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce for the past 4 years and brings not only his technical knowledge, but also business leadership skills to GRIFFIN.
“I still get that sense of pride and accomplishment when someone says ‘thank you’ or ‘this is awesome’ when a new product is introduced or a business process is automated,” admitted Kaltz. “With every day that passes, more and more companies are relying on technology solutions to drive their businesses. GRIFFIN has been providing these solutions for companies since 2009. One of the reasons I chose GRIFFIN is because we get to help companies move forward every day. Not just one company but many.“
Kaltz is replacing Dan Hoover as CEO of GRIFFIN Solutions Group. Hoover served as GRIFFIN CEO for 3 years and recently was named a Managing Partner of THH-Holdings LLC, overseeing delivery operations for all the THH portfolio of companies. These companies are GRIFFIN Solutions Group, AcquireTek, 4Cloud Services and The Jitu. Hoover was responsible for the record growth of GRIFFIN and will now implement his successes across all four companies. His focus on understanding the client’s business problem and delivering a solution will be invaluable to THH-Holdings company growth.
“Being CEO of GRIFFIN was a challenge I enjoyed. John and I have worked together before and we share the same commitment to delivery for our customers and opportunities for our team members so I know there will be great continuity,” states Hoover. “I am looking forward to working across our family of companies within THH-Holdings to continue the commitment on delivery for our customers around the world.“
GRIFFIN Solutions Group is a software development and consulting firm providing mobile and web applications, data analytics and reporting services, and IT system integration solutions. We utilize Agile Development methodologies in our collaborations and are fully responsive and flexible to client change requests in requirements and project scope.


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Across the globe, more and more countries have hopped on board of late to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Although it's not yet legal across America, several states have already passed laws to legalize it, and the neighbors to the north have also made it a legal pastime.
Given the legality of the drug's use in Canada, actor Seth Rogen has decided to capitalize on a business opportunity in the Great White North. As reported by The Guardian, Rogen and his regular film collaborator Evan Goldberg have decided to join forces again to open Houseplant, a cannabis company that will supply people all over Canada with weed.
"Houseplant is the result of years of experience and dedication, with each element and expression thoughtfully designed to make it easier for people to learn to love cannabis as much as Houseplant does," the company said in a statement.
Rogen has added a separate statement of his own about the vision he has had for the business for some time now.
"Houseplant is a passion we've brought to life through drive and dedication. Every decision we've made for the business reflects the years of education, first-hand experience and respect we have for cannabis."According to Goldberg, the pair has been preparing for this moment for the past five years, which would mean they have been working on the project since before the drug was legal for recreational use in Canada. They are hoping to teach the general population to love cannabis as much as they do.
The company is planning on selling a number of different strains of the drug, with the first one being rolled out in April. They will also come in the form of not only pre-rolled cigarettes and dried leaf but gel capsules by the end of this year as well.
Houseplant is working with cannabis supplier Canopy Growth Corporation and will be basing their operations out of Toronto. Users across the country will be able to purchase their supply online if they are not in the Eastern city.
Rogen and Goldberg are not the only celebrities dipping their toes in the marijuana business now that more places are making its use legal across North America. Snoop Dogg also worked with a subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation for his Leafs By Snoop brand, while Martha Stewart is also working with the company to create hemp products.
Other celebrities involved in the industry in various ways include Willie Nelson, Tommy Chong, Whoopi Goldberg, and Melissa Etheridge.