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The beginning of 2018 saw CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg make a major announcement about a significant change to our Facebook Newsfeeds.
Zuckerberg wrote that his ‘2018 resolution’ is to get our Facebook Newsfeeds back to basics, that is, Zuckerberg wants to give friends, family and groups you are a member of more prominence on our feeds, while businesses, brands and media must take a step back.
Previously, the aim of the game was to get people spending more and more time on Facebook, and as a result of this, our Facebook feeds were becoming increasingly overcrowded with memes, videos and public content from businesses. This ultimately meant more ad revenue for Facebook. That may be good for Facebook, but, according to an increasingly loud chorus of critics, it’s not so good for humanity.
Following scrutiny over the last year, and with past employees publicly criticising the social media site for its detrimental effects on mental health, Zuckerberg has made it his mission and responsibility to ensure that the site’s users will see more content from friends and family, and that their feeds will be less ‘crowded’ with public content. Zuckerberg emphasized that the company’s decision to advance posts by friends and family at the expense of unpaid or “organic” post by businesses and media, is driven by the company’s mission to help people “connect with each other” and have “meaningful social interactions.”
What Exactly is the Update?
Facebook cleverly determines which status updates you see, and in what order they appear in your news feed, by calculating a post ranking score for each status update. These are called ‘signals’ – e.g how many people react to, comment on or share posts to determine how high they appear in News Feed
With the new update, the weightings of certain signals in the news feed algorithm will change dramatically. Posts from family and friends will be much more prominent, and posts from business pages will be suppressed.
With this update, Facebook will also prioritize public posts from friends, family and businesses that spark discussion. These are the types of posts that result in a lot of comments. That means, if your Business page generates lots of discussion on posts, then luckily for you your page won’t be affected as much. However, if your Business Page posts generally receive just ‘likes’ then this unfortunately means fewer people will be seeing your content.
The days of content randomly appearing in your feed because people are clicking ‘share’ or ‘like’ are over. Now it’s about more “meaningful social interactions.”
What will this mean for digital marketing agencies and the businesses that rely on the social media site for getting in front of their customers? What are the next steps?
The Resurgence of Groups & Private Sharing
Matt Navarra of The Next Web, said that “2018 is going to be all about private sharing, building niche communities and growing audiences on a wider spread of platforms.” With Facebook’s latest Newsfeed update, we should look towards Facebook Groups, as these are Facebook’s ‘most recent attempt to build a stronger sense of community.’
And as a result of this, over the last year, “Facebook has spent a lot of 2017 developing Groups for this purpose and to address the shift towards private sharing.”
To promote the groups, Facebook launched analytics tools last year, which helps admins of the groups track usage. ‘Admins can now see the number of active members they have and how often they post and comment, which can show them if a particular topic resonates or not. Before, admins had to manually count this data. ‘
Facebook Groups are proving to be a more targeted and valuable way to reach a specific audience on Facebook. With Facebook’s newsfeed update, Facebook Groups may be the way brands and businesses reach their audience if they are willing to take the time to build an engaging and interactive community.
Want to know more about or create a Group? See here!
Possible Increase in Ad Cost
One thing marketers will have noticed in Zuckerberg’s announcement was that there was no mention on the impact on paid Facebook posts. Paid ads on Facebook won’t be affected, but as a result of Facebook’s newsfeed change, agencies and businesses will have to spend more on paid ads on Facebook in order to get the same number of views that previously could have organically. This means, that if any businesses or brands haven’t already changed their Facebook strategy entirely to paid, they may have to with the update.
On top of this, Mark Zuckerberg predicts that the time users spend on the platform will go down. With fewer scrolls through the Facebook feed, and more brands competing and bidding for a place on the shrinking newsfeed, this means that the cost of paid ads may increase.
3. Don’t Try Engagement Baiting.
You may think that more comments on your posts will mean you’re good to go. Sadly, this is not the case.
Business Pages who try posts such as ‘Comment yes if…’ or ‘LIKE this if…’, and even ‘TAG a friend who…’ will be targeted by Facebook and de-ranked in the newsfeed.
Pages that systematically and repeatedly use engagement bait posts to try and gain reach will be at the wrath of the brand new ‘Page-level demotion’ function that Facebook are slowly rolling out over the coming weeks.
This means that pages who repeatedly post “engagement bait” will see more “significant drops” in reach across all of their posts.
Instead, marketers and businesses should try making their posts more engaging. For example, Netflix’s Facebook page encourages fans to talk with each other about their favourite shows and raises valuable discussion.
Take a hard and realistic look at your posts – see which get the most comments and conversation. The type of posts that never attract any comments should be dropped from your scheduled content.
Overall, Facebook will be heavily demoting posts that go against one of their key News Feed values — authenticity.
Ultimately, 2018 will be all about ‘value’ for Facebook. The value of the community, value of your content and the value of time ‘well spent.’ This means less funny viral videos, and more content from the people you chose to connect with. What are your thoughts on this Facebook Newsfeed update? Will it be affecting your business or agency? Will 2018 really be about private sharing and niche communities? Comment your thoughts below!


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Ex-Islington cop who schooled in Hackney saves business from Covid-19 bust
- Credit: Courtesy of Aaron Henriques
A former police officer who grew up in Islington and schooled in Hackney has saved his cleaning business - and the 35 jobs associated with it - from becoming a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ex-Islington cop Aaron Henriques set up his cleaning business in 2017 - a franchisee with Maid2Clean - after a decade of policing, but the business almost went bust after 90 per cent of customers cancelled their contracts within the first two weeks of the first national lockdown in March.
Though rejected for government grants, Aaron used money from the recent sale of his own home to cover the costs of his company, which operates in Cardiff and London.
He told the Gazette: "When I started to see the cancellations come in so fast but my bills staying about the same, it was just lucky timing that I sold my house a few months before.
"Otherwise, I would not have been able to save the business and jobs for my team, who rely on me to provide work for them in order to survive."
Despite being invited to Downing Street in 2018 to discuss the UK's small business strategy, Aaron's and many other small businesses were not eligible for government grants or furlough.
Still, he says the government have "done a lot": "Although they could not help me, I think the country could be in a much worse place than it is today had the support packages not been available to so many others."
The businessman, who was once a Stoke Newington RAF cadet and is known also as Aaron Henray, took the "huge risk" to invest heavily in marketing after the first lockdown - but the decision paid off when Aaron saw 200 per cent more new clients per month.
He encourages other entrepreneurs to spend more on marketing, as he did, to cope with the ongoing economic effects of the pandemic.
- 1 'Extremely distressing': Council leader's shock after Highbury Fields stabbing
- 2 Murder investigation after teenager stabbed in Islington park
- 3 Ocado puts in new lawfulness application for site near primary school
- 4 Food festival cancelled after organiser ceases trading
- 5 New housing scheme for rough sleepers opens in Finsbury Park
- 6 ‘A pillar of the community’: Tributes paid to Des from Islington Wine
- 7 Islington Council concern over 'lost Londoners'
- 8 Highbury site earmarked for Gypsy and Traveller pitches
- 9 Finsbury Park man due in court charged with pub murder
- 10 Police appeal for witnesses after Finsbury Park stabbing
His advice to other entrepreneurs is: "Don't try to save and hideaway from this, get yourself out there now and save your business."
Since the tier system has been put in place, Aaron has seen few cancellations with customer numbers back to pre-Covid levels.
"My biggest problem will now be recruiting new staff. Some of our very best cleaners over the years have been from Europe and with the run-up to Brexit we've found it much harder to recruit," he added.
For more information visit www.aaronhenriques.com

domain: news


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NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ --
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 31, 2008 - 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: NJIT, Atrium-Campus Center, Newark
SPONSORS: AT&T, Verizon, CTIA - The Wireless Association & T-Mobile
Unless you are Rip Van Winkle or an honest to goodness luddite, you likely -- at this very moment -- have a PDA in one pocket and an mp3 player in the other. For many of you, they are one and the same! You've already embraced the wireless world and you know the incredible impact these technologies have had on the way you live, work and play.
Can you even imagine what the future holds?
The Wireless World: Untethered Opportunities is a half-day forum focused on the future of wireless communication, the growth and evolution of wireless technology and the impact that the wireless industry has on the state's/nation's economy. Through a series of discussions, this forum, offered by the New Jersey Technology Council and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, will explore how public policy decided today will impact the wireless market of the future.
"The wireless market is increasingly dynamic and growing in New Jersey," said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T New Jersey. "This forum will examine ways for the state's environment to remain attractive to both wireless consumers and businesses."
"We think this forum offers a prime opportunity to explore the fast-changing world of wireless communications," said Douglas Schoenberger, Verizon vice president, Public Affairs. "We're just on the brink of realizing the endless potential of unconfined communications and New Jersey has a significant opportunity to capitalize off of these constantly changing developments."
"Policy Unplugged" will be the first panel and will bring together
policymakers, including tech champion Assemblyman Upendra Chivakula, who
will discuss market re
|SOURCE New Jersey Technology Council|
Copyright©2008 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


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Reportedly, some hackers stole information belonging to at least half a billion Yahoo accounts. This was revealed on Thursday by the company itself, which advised the users to change their passwords. The hack actually happened in 2014 and hackers gained access to names, dates, email addresses, phone numbers and even security questions and answers.
The biggest data breach in history
The internet giant, which will soon be sold to Verizon, said that requested help from authorities. The company called the hacker a “state-sponsored actor” but so far, no country has been put behind the attack. Yahoo advised users to change their passwords in the case they haven’t done it since 2014. The company has 1 billion monthly active users in all their domains including finance and online shopping. Their famous email service is used by about 225 million monthly users.
This recent hack does nothing else but remind everyone how hacking is spreading across the world. Passwords are vulnerable. This is why some cyber specialists advise us to use different passwords for all the accounts that we have. Right now, specialists are working on replacing the classical passwords with other safer methods like retina or fingerprint scans.
Verizon buys Yahoo
Verizon is paying around $4.83 billion for Yahoo. The say that they have been informed of the breach and that will balance the possibilities. The company will evaluate the situation in the best interest of their customers. But most likely, the breach will not affect the buying process.
Some people are criticizing Yahoo for not discovering the hack in 2014, right when it happened. Keeping in mind that they were aware of the seriousness of those breaches, why didn’t they check if everything was all right? The Yahoo hack is considered to be the largest ever.
Yahoo has already begun procedures to protect its users by blocking security questions and answers. But everyone knows that the real danger is the use of passwords on other websites. This could be a chain reaction. Let’s remember that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s account was also hacked. This happened after a similar method stole the passwords of more than 100 million LinkedIn users.
Losing users’ trust
Specialists think that Yahoo will need several months to recover and to regain their user’s trust. A study even revealed that almost 97% of people lose their trust in a company after a hack happened. This could mean very bad news for Yahoo. If they don’t do something quickly to ensure the safety of their clients, this might even be the end.
But this is not a singular case. On August 1, a hacker who goes by the name of Peace admitted to stealing about 200 million Yahoo usernames and passwords. His hack had reportedly happened in 2012. He even said that he might sell those accounts on the dark web. He had previously tried this with other social media accounts. But even like this, this breach is somehow unsurprising. It is indeed very difficult for companies like Yahoo to protect all the data they hold. Yahoo is not the first victim of hackers. It will surely not be the last either.
Image source: here


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Egyptian pound steady at official auction and in exchange bureaus
Egypt's central bank kept the Egyptian pound steady at 7.73 per dollar at a foreign exchange auction
Egypt's central bank kept the Egyptian pound EGP= steady at 7.73 per dollar at a foreign exchange auction on Sunday after a depreciation earlier last month. The pound remained steady at currency exchange bureaus.
The central bank said it had offered $40 million and sold $37.8 million at a cut-off price of 7.7301 pounds per dollar CBEO, unchanged from Thursday's rate.
The central bank held the pound at 7.5301 for five months until earlier last month, when it allowed it to weaken to 7.6301. On July 5, the bank let it slide a further 0.10 pounds.
Analysts say letting the pound weaken in a controlled way could boost exports and attract further investment, but also raises Egypt's large bill for imported fuel and food staples.
Egypt has sought to tame a once-thriving currency black market with measures such as a cap on dollar-denominated bank deposits.
Two traders at currency exchange bureaus said the pound was changing hands at 7.875/88 per dollar on Sunday, virtually unchanged from 7.87/.88 per dollar quoted on Thursday.
The central bank gave banks permission in January to trade dollars up to 0.10 pounds more or less than the official rate, with an extra 0.05 pounds for currency exchange bureaus.
Egypt’s central bank governor says pound depreciation not worryingThe central bank allowed the currency to depreciate by 20 piasters in its official foreign exchange auctions Economy
Emaar Misr sets IPO price at 3.8 Egyptian pounds per shareEgypt's Emaar Misr has priced its initial public offering at 3.8 Egyptian pounds per share Property
Emaar Properties trims Egypt listing price, sees up to $334 mln floatDubai's Emaar Properties' Egyptian subsidiary has a portfolio of investments in Egypt worth around 53 billion Egyptian pounds Economy
Central bank: Egypt money supply up 16.5 percent in AprilEgypt's M2 money supply stood at 1.7 trillion Egyptian pounds at the end of April 2015 Economy


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Shortly after Ram dropped the news on the third-generation EcoDiesel back in June of 2019, GM fired back a few weeks later with all the details on its new, inline-six 3.0L Duramax diesel. We tha
The research report on Solid or Dry Lubricants market delivers a detailed assessment of this industry landscape, the major trends that define the dynamics over the forecast period are cited, t
June 09, 2021 17:15 ET | Source: Leading Edge Materials Corp.
Sibanye-Stillwater, a multinational precious metals mining company, has selected Tenova Pyromet, a Tenova company specialising in the design and supply of submerged arc furnace technology for th
Australia-based Syrah Resources has signed a binding offtake agreement with Tesla for the supply of graphite as active anode material from its Vidalia production facility in the US state of Loui
New Jersey, United States,- The latest report published by Verified Market Reports shows that the PEX Plumbing Pipe Fittings Market is likely to garner a great pace in the coming
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Xiaomi's looking to put a big smile on shutterbugs' faces with a new, monstrous sma
Hi, what are you looking for?
Pune, Maharashtra, India, December 24 2021 (Wiredrelease) Prudour Pvt. Ltd –:Growing Demand For Ion Indicators Market | Better Business Growth, A


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A committee has been constituted under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to examine issues related to FDI in the ecommerce sector, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
The panel will examine issues related to FDI (foreign direct investment) in the ecommerce sector and give suggestions, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The committee was constituted on July 12 under an additional secretary-level officer from the DPIIT with members from the departments of commerce, consumer affairs, legal affairs, and MSME.
According to the current policy, 100 percent FDI is allowed in the marketplace format of ecommerce retailing. However, FDI is prohibited in the inventory-based model. This has put ecommerce market leaders Amazon and Flipkart at loggerheads with the law, with in-house sellers Cloudtail and WS Retail (respectively). Many online sellers’ organisations have complained about these marketplaces offering lower prices through their in-house sellers, giving them an unfair advantage.
On February 1, 2019, FDI norms were implemented to bar ecommerce companies from selling products of companies in which they hold stake, and ban cashbacks, discounts, and exclusive sales etc., which have been the key success factors for ecommerce in India so far.
Both Flipkart and Amazon had then said that their sellers, mostly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), would be severely impacted. However, not much has changed in the functioning of the marketplaces so far.
On the other hand, pure marketplace models like Snapdeal and ShopClues have been vocal about wanting strict implementation of the policy. Recently, a bunch of prominent Indian ecommerce players, including the two, joined hands to form an official body to voice the industry’s viewpoints regarding policy frameworks for the sector. Named The Ecommerce Council of India (TECI), the non-profit organisation wants to ensure that any regulatory framework will balance the interests of all stakeholders. It aims to work in collaboration with trade bodies in India and outside to further the objectives of the association.
The TECI members include services provider UrbanClap, online fashion rental platform Flyrobe, omnichannel enabler Fynd, and social commerce platform Shop101 among others. Digital-first fashion brands like Bewakoof, Mamaearth, and Rustorange are part of this initiative as well.
(With inputs from PTI)


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For people with knee injuries or significant knee pain, finding relief is often difficult. New technology could soon get patients moving again.
Tempted to get a tattoo? Today, people from all walks of life have tattoos, which might lead you to believe that tattoos are completely safe. But beware—there may be associated health risks.
Many creative entrepreneurs sell their products on and offline, but would you trust an at-home manufacturer with your cosmetics? Some consumers are swearing by the do-it-yourself products.
Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to the federal government addressing concerns over proposed regulations trying to link e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to rules meant for the cigarette industry.
Those thinking about getting a tattoo may want to check what ink is being used for their new design.
Consumer Reports is out with a warning about the risks of prescription and over-the-counter pain killers.
A food manufacturer is recalling thousands of pounds of hummus and dip products sold at Target and Trader Joe’s stores.
PetSmart said they will stop selling dog and cat treats made in China due to fears that they are making pets sick.
Dog owners beware; the FDA has issued a new health warning about jerky pet treats imported from China.
For millions of men trying to fight the effects of aging, there’s a drug that claims to make you stronger, smarter and more virile. But as CBS4’s Eliott Rodriguez tells us, life threatening side effects have many questioning if fighting low testosterone is worth the risk.


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Here’s the “Speeding Bulletin” video report for the period September 5-11, 2018.
The “Speeding Bulletin” is your weekly Superman news video, recapping the latest events in the world of Superman.
Our top news stories this week included: The CW releases the first trailer for the premiere episode of Season 4 of “Supergirl”, the Royal Canadian Mint is releasing the world’s very first Superman sculpture coin, and Sideshow Collectibles announced the upcoming release of their Batman vs Superman diorama.
Merchandise seen in this episode:
- Steve is wearing a Superman 3/4 Sleeve T-Shirt similar to one available from Amazon.com
- Purchase the Superman Sunglasses advertised in this episode from our Online Shopping page
- Purchase this week’s Superman comic books from TFAW.com
- Purchase “Speeding Bulletin” merchandise from CafePress.com.


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By Operation Rainfall Contributor / May 24th, 2016
Square Enix has posted a new English trailer for their upcoming classic-style RPG I am Setsuna.
The trailer is titled “E3 2016 Trailer”, so it seems the company is getting a head of all the hype and showing some of their games before hand. Additionally, the trailer shows off battles and story scenes that players can expect, as well as, an air ship scene, that I quiet enjoyed.
You can watch the trailer below:
I am Setsuna will be available on PlayStation 4-via PSN and PC-via Steam on July 19.


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Asustor took the opportunity at CES 2018 to launch their AS4000 NAS series. It will have two SKUs - the 2-bay AS4002T, and the 4-bay AS4004T. While there are plenty of 2- and 4-bay NAS units in the market to choose from, this series stands out for a unique hardware feature - we believe these are the first 2- and 4-bay ARM-based units to come with a 10GBASE-T network interface. 10G has finally started to appear in home consumer equipment. Switches such as the Asus XG-U2008 and the Netgear GS810EMX Nighthawk Pro, 10G add-in cards such as the Asus XG-C100C, and even non-workstation enthusiast desktop motherboards with 10G capabilities built-in (eg.: ASRock Z370 Professional Gaming i7) are slowly, but surely, bringing 10G mainstream. There are...
The launch cadence for Meizu smartphones has been rather speedy as of late. Already this year we’ve seen the introduction of the m3, the m3 Note, the Pro 6...15 by Ian Cutress on 7/19/2016
Much has been written over the last few years on the significant cost issues semiconductor companies are and will be facing over the coming years. While newer manufacturing nodes...7 by Ryan Smith on 10/6/2015
Today MediaTek announces their brand new flagship SoC for smartphones and tablets, the Helio X20. MediaTek continues their Helio SoC branding announced earlier in the year, making the X20...69 by Andrei Frumusanu on 5/12/2015
As part of our MWC coverage we had the pleasure to have a guided tour through MediaTek's booth to see what kind of new technologies the company has in...34 by Andrei Frumusanu on 3/8/2015


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When the second version of IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) for GDPR compliance comes out of beta on March 31, it still won’t integrate with Google.
But that’s because IAB Europe has decided to give companies until June 30 before the previous version of the TCF is deprecated and TCF 2.0 becomes the only show in town.
Google said in a statement that “it remains committed to the integration with IAB TCF 2.0” and that it’s aligning its integration with the new timeline set out by IAB Europe in order to effect “the smoothest transition possible.”
The TCF steering group is extending support for V1 until the end of June to give publishers and vendors more time to get comfortable with the new specs. That decision was made before the coronavirus outbreak.
TCF 2.0 has been in the works for the better part of a year and incorporates changes based on feedback from publishers and interactions with data protection authorities (DPA) across Europe.
IAB Europe had around 600 vendors signed up for TCF 1.0. Roughly 300 of those have already registered for the new version, which demonstrates an eagerness among vendors to be seen as compliant by their publisher partners, said Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe.
“We’ve seen a steady uptick, even in the last couple of weeks,” she said, noting that the work-from-home situation hasn’t hindered the trade org’s ability to troubleshoot, coach and answer policy questions over Slack and email. The IAB Tech Lab is fielding any questions that come in about the technical implementation.
But do European regulators actually think that the TCF is a viable compliance tool? They’ve never given it their blessing, and some of their previous warnings – such as in the case of ill-fated French ad tech company Vectaury – cast doubt on whether consent strings are kosher under GDPR.
According to Feehan, though, data protection authorities are actually receptive to the framework. IAB Europe has met with six different DPAs, including Ireland, the United Kingdom and Spain, to go over TCF 2.0 in detail, and although their public pronouncements have been “guarded,” it’s a different story behind closed doors, she said.
“We’ve seen DPAs become better acquainted with the TCF over the course of a single conversion and develop quite a positive attitude towards it,” Feehan said.
Unfortunately, the only one way to get an official stamp of approval is by engaging in a lengthy certification process under GDPR involving a rigorous review by multiple DPAs and, eventually, the European Data Protection Board itself.
IAB Europe is planning to kick off that process in the coming weeks, and Feehan is hoping for the best.
Short of “that kind of official imprimatur,” however, the framework will remain in a kind of limbo or “twilight zone,” she said, despite the fact that “I think a lot of DPAs actually do see the TCF as the best thing in the market right now to comply with the law at scale.”
“What’s really frustrating is that the TCF is also a really good instrument that DPAs can use to enforce the law,” Feehan said. “It provides an auditable record for transactions, and that should be really appealing to the DPAs.”
TCF 2.0 cheat sheet: What’s new
One of the most significant additions to TCF 2.0 is more support for legitimate interest as a legal basis in addition to explicit consent – a top request from publishers. And TCF 2.0 includes an integrated right to object, meaning that users will be able to signal whether or not they’re cool with data processing based on legitimate interest.
The new version also provides more – and more detailed – data processing purposes so that it’s clearer to users what data is being processed and why. In the first version, for example, all you had was “personalization;” in 2.0, personalization is broken out into two types: “create personalized ads profile” or “create personalized content profile.”
This addition was made with both DPAs and publishers in mind.
“DPAs care about making sure that consent is informed and specific and that the information presented to people is simple and user-friendly,” Feehan said, “while publishers can get that much more control over what they allow ad tech intermediaries to do.”
And users can switch purposes on and off per vendor, and read more user-friendly explanations of each purpose before consenting.
“We’re trying to reconcile the apparently contradictory imperatives of ease of understanding and simplicity along with granularity while maintaining a standardized approach,” Feehan said.
In that vein, TCF 2.0 introduces the concept of “stacks” into the UI, which describes multiple data use cases, designed to be both understandable for consumers and provide detailed information for those that want it.
For example, a stack like “Personalized ads and ads measurement” cover four purposes at once: basic ads selection, creating a personalized ads profile, showing personalized ads and ad measurement. Users can click to see a user-friendly definition for each purpose. Gluttons for punishment can also read the full legal definition of each use case.
3/27/20: Story updated to include Google’s statement.


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NetEase’s music streaming division Yuncun runs the NetEase Cloud Music app, which is shown on the smartphone in this photo.
Fan Jianlei | Vision China Group | Getty Images
Guangzhou, China– NetEase It has launched an initial public offering (IPO) of its music business Cloud Village in Hong Kong, raising approximately US$500 million.
Yuncun will sell 16 million shares at a price of HK$190-220. The final price has not yet been determined.
As part of the over-allotment option, an additional 2.4 million shares can be issued.
At the high end of the range, Yuncun will raise approximately HK$4.04 billion (US$519.6 million), excluding IPO-related fees and other expenses.
Yuncun runs NetEase’s music streaming business, and the company says it has 185 million monthly active users. In the nine months ended September 30, its revenue increased by 51.5% year-on-year to RMB 5.1 billion (US$799.6 million), but it still suffered significant losses due to competition with Tencent’s music streaming business for market share.
The company’s revenue mainly comes from subscriptions, advertising, and the time users spend buying virtual items on its platform.
NetEase initially applied for the listing of Yuncun in August, but It is said that Due to market fluctuations, the IPO was postponed.
In the past year, China’s technology industry has faced an increasingly tighter regulatory environment in all areas from antitrust to data protection, which has dealt a blow to the stock prices of many Chinese giants.


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Australian Forests and Timber
New Forests investigating port development on Kangaroo Island
NEW FORESTS is investigating port development options at Ballast Head, near American River on Kangaroo Island, at a site formerly used for shipping gypsum and before that for loading ballast on to sailing ships, according to Adelaide Now..
New Forests chief executive David Brand said the multi-user port, estimated to cost roughly $25 million, would include a 300 metre jetty.
The port is expected to open the way for the Forest Investment Trust, managed by New Forests, to start harvesting its 10,500ha of forests on the island in 2018, creating employment for another 50 people a year in harvesting and haulage operations.
New Forests is carrying out an advanced feasibility study and working with stakeholders to develop a major projects application that meets the island’s needs as well as those of all the plantation owners.
Mr Brand said he expects the new jobs will open up work for a mix of local and new people to the island.
“We want to outsource the contract work, it’s a great opportunity for local businesses to step-up,” Mr Brand said.
Once harvesting starts on Kangaroo Island, he expects about 500 tonnes to be delivered from its forests to the Ballast Head port each day.
Mr Brand said New Forests bought the Ballast Head site from the receiver-manager of Gunns Limited earlier this year after selecting it as a viable port from a study that took into account commercial, environmental, and social criteria.
New Forests’ development of a new port is expected to bring wider benefits to the island and help stimulate its economy.
Mr Brand said the benefits of the new port will include providing an open access freight hub to help lower the cost of freight from the island — carried by commercial shippers — helping make the island’s other industries more viable.
“It makes sense to build a general purpose multi-user port for agricultural produce and other freight such as fuel, oil, machinery, grain, hay and timber,” he said.
“We will need one ship every four to six weeks, taking 30,000 tonnes of logs, initially, to China which is a well established market for hardwood logs and more valuable than woodchips.”
The trust owns 10,500ha of the island’s 17,000ha of blue gum forests, which it bought from the old managed investment scheme company Great Southern in 2013, after buying the land in 2011.
Mr Brand predicts a bright long-term future for forestry on Kangaroo Island because it has the highest productivity of any of its growing regions due to good rainfall, a temperate climate and flat land.
Benefits of building the port for the island economy are expected to include payments of $20 million a year for harvesting 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes of timber and haulage, plus a significant economic multiplier benefit.
New Forests plans to progress its feasibility study to refine the costs of implementing the port before moving into a full planning and development phase in 2016. Separately, listed entity KI Plantation Timbers is progressing its plans for a port at Smith Bay.


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TODAY’S TALK ON EDITORIALS CIVILS360
AUGUST 10, 2017
The goods exchange
- With the resumption of cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade on the Uri-Muzaffarabad route this week, it seems that the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, has upheld her promise of supporting this trade, which is also a part of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Trade was stopped in Uri on July 21 after banned drugs were seized from a truck while trade on the Poonch-Rawalakot route has stopped for over a month now after border tensions.
It’s about barter trade
- Of late, cross-LoC trade has been in focus after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) began probing the funding patterns of traders.
- Such administrative checks, although essential, do not address the root cause of trade irregularities.
- While the results of the investigations have not been made public, it is important to realise that this is barter trade wherein goods are exchanged against goods without involving any monetary exchange. Therefore, regular accounting and other practices of international trade may not be applicable here.
Steps to better trade
- First, a joint investigation team from India and Pakistan should be set up to investigate cases of narcotic and arms smuggling across the border.
- At present, truck drivers end up being the victims although they may or may not be involved directly. Such a team should address the root cause of such instances in a speedy and transparent manner.
- Second, to keep a check on the traders and trade practices, a monitoring cell of officials from State and Central agencies must be constituted.
- It should monitor daily trade practices such as registration of traders, invoicing and exchange of goods, trade balancing, etc. to address allegations of hawala money, under-invoicing, and even misrepresentation of goods.
- Trade data and information for each registered trader should be mandatorily recorded in an electronic format by the trade facilitation officer and shared with the cell at regular intervals for analysis and other checks.
- Third, there is a need to institutionalise and formalise trading communities.
- As an initiative, traders and chambers on both sides have come up with the idea of a joint chamber called the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which will have traders of both sides as well as the local chambers of Jammu and Kashmir and the Mirpur Chamber. Support from both governments will add weight to it.
- This will also help create more transparency in transactions and information flow among traders and chambers in both inter- and intra-LoC.
Train the trader
- Finally, it is important to impart training to LoC traders. With support from excise and security agencies, training sessions should be conducted on the standard operating procedures of this trade as well as established accounting practices such as maintaining balance sheets. This would help traders and government agencies monitor trade and ensure trader accountability.
- Over the last year, cross-LoC trade has been affected by a number of allegations. With a resumption of trade, the government must uphold its promise of taking cross-LoC confidence building measures (CBM) to the ‘next level’ — as mentioned in the ‘Agenda of Alliance’. Thus, it is necessary that the Central and State governments take the necessary steps towards reforming trade and ensuring capacity building of traders.
Castles in the air?
- Two months after the India-Afghanistan air corridor was inaugurated with great expectations, news that it has been hit by a shortage of cargo planes is a cause for concern.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ashraf Ghani had agreed on the project during the Heart of Asia summit in Amritsar in December 2016, as a gamechanger to get around Pakistan’s obstructionist behaviour in delaying truck shipments from Afghanistan to the Wagah border.
- The fact that Mr. Ghani himself developed the plan, which allowed traders to pay what they would have to transport their goods by road with the Afghan government underwriting the rest, showed Kabul’s commitment to securing its trade links with India.
Shouldn’t India be optimising its efforts to secure connectivity and trade with other countries that lie to its west?
- Despite its commitment of $2 billion in development aid to Afghanistan, there are few new infrastructure projects that the government has taken up in the past few years.
- The big ones, mostly planned a decade ago, have been complete, including the Zaranj Delaram highway (which connects to Iran), the Herat dam, the Doshi-Charikar power project, and the construction of Afghanistan’s parliament complex.
- In addition, India’s plans for the Chabahar port in Iran and the trilateral agreement to develop transit trade also need close attention.
- The trilateral agreement has yet to be ratified in Iran, and tenders by India Ports Global Limited to develop berths as well as the railway line connecting Chabahar to the Afghan border at Zahedan (first planned in 2011) continue to be delayed.
- Similarly, there has not been sufficient follow-through on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline after its inauguration in 2015.
- Eventually, India’s dealings with both Afghanistan and Iran are not just about circumventing Pakistan. They should open up important new connectivity and commerce avenues, as well as develop markets in Central Asia, and through them to Russia and Europe.
- While it is heartening that Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recommitted to the trilateral arrangement and development of Chabahar during his recent visit to Iran, regional connectivity needs more administrative will than just ribbon-cutting ceremonies and grandly announced plans that run aground when the government’s focus shifts elsewhere.


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Apple may be eyeing struggling electric-vehicle startup Canoo to help as the company ramps up its ‘Apple Car’ project.
In 2019, Apple purchased Drive.ai to bring in autonomous vehicle expertise. Some of the engineers and managers acquired in that deal are now central to the company’s work on a car operating system and self-driving software.
In recent months, Apple also hired several people from the auto industry to help ramp up its car development work after top managers left the project. It’s recruited key people from Ford, Rivian, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Waymo and other brands.
But a potential acquisition target has emerged that could help Apple’s project even more: Canoo.
The EV startup, founded five years ago, has been struggling… It also wouldn’t be too difficult for Apple and Canoo to start talking. Canoo’s former chief executive officer, Ulrich Kranz, is now one of the top executives on Apple’s car project. Apple also has some former Canoo engineers on staff.
And the two companies have held talks before. They discussed ideas ranging from an investment to an acquisition back in 2020…
MacDailyNews Take: Gurman also reports that “Apple probably wouldn’t want the startup’s underlying technology in a deal, but that its engineering talent could be an asset,” citing “a person close to both Apple and Canoo.”
Canoo’s website states: Canoo’s mission is to bring EVs to everyone. The company has developed breakthrough electric vehicles that are reinventing the automotive landscape with bold innovations in design, pioneering technologies, and a unique business model that spans all owners in the full lifecycle of the vehicles.
Distinguished by its experienced team from leading technology and automotive companies – Canoo has designed a modular electric platform purpose-built to deliver maximum vehicle interior space that is customizable across all owners in the vehicle lifecycle to support a wide range of vehicle applications for consumers and businesses. Canoo has offices in California, Texas, and Michigan.
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!


text: The EPA estimates that less than 9% of plastic is recycled in the USA. More than 2x that amount is incinerated, and the vast majority winds up in landfills or the natural environment -- where it can take more than a thousand years to break down. Massachusetts, for example, predicts that they will run out of landfill space by 2030 -- a grim outlook that will become increasingly common across other states. There are numerous studies showing the health consequences to humans and marine-life that result from plastic pollution. Despite that, over 8 million metric tons of plastic finds its way into our oceans annually. Stated differently -- every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean. By making it easier and less expensive to find plastic-free products -- we are working towards a future without plastic pollution.


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Apparently, it's not only investors and company execs that are depressed by the cholesterol meds Vytorin and Zetia. The FDA has approved a label change adding depression as a possible side effect of the drugs. The agency said the new language will be added to post-marketing adverse reactions, and it will be listed as a potential side effect in another section of the package insert.
Of course, Vytorin and Zetia have been under pressure since last month's release of a trial showing that Vytorin--a combo of simvastatin and Zetia--didn't slow artery clogging any better than simvastatin alone, despite cutting "bad" cholesterol more effectively. Made by Merck and Schering-Plough, Vytorin has lost market share since the study was released, and both companies' have seen their stock suffer--though their shares have since rebounded somewhat. One analyst has even elevated Schering to a "buy" rating.
- check out the FDA's letter to Merck about the label change
- get the agency's letter to Schering-Plough
- read the Dow Jones story
- see more in the Philadelphia Inquirer
- check out the Schering stock news in the Houston Chronicle


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(Alexandria, VA) – America’s senior citizens today joined a wide and diverse chorus of business groups and grassroots organizations commending the House Judiciary Committee for its consideration of H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Jim Martin, Chairman of the 60 Plus Association, released the following statement hailing the legislation as a “critical tool to protect America’s intellectual property from Internet theft, both domestically and globally.
“60 Plus strongly supports SOPA, much-needed legislation that will strengthen our enforcement efforts to curb online counterfeiting and piracy in an ever-changing digital world. Rogue sites are sophisticated, deceptive operations aimed at luring consumers, including senior citizens, into purchasing dangerously defective products or downloading illegal pirated content filled with malware. Additionally, America’s seniors are committed to, and dependent on, America being a dominant force on the world’s economic stage. Rogue sites legislation like SOPA will help save jobs, grow our economy, and protect consumers.
“I applaud Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) for his persistent and thoughtful work on this bill which enjoys tremendous bi-partisan support, co-sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), ranking minority member. Passing SOPA through committee is a vital first step in ensuring that America’s economic assets are not picked dry by Internet and digital pirates. After SOPA is passed out of committee, we must then follow through to ensure final passage, so American hard work and ingenuity can continue to provide all of us the prosperity we have worked so hard to achieve.”


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The most important issue now pending between the governments of the Republic of Korea and the United States is to ratify and implement the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement without further delay.
We should not miss this chance to open a new horizon for our alliance. This landmark deal could help hasten the U.S. economic recovery, create millions of jobs for Americans and increase U.S. exports to South Korea.
Passing the treaty would provide a significant strategic opportunity for both countries.
The concerns that the South Korea-European Union Free Trade Agreement would result in lost business for the U.S. — with U.S. companies losing competitive advantages in the South Korean market — are becoming all too real, since that agreement took effect provisionally, on July 1, 2011.
For example, trade volume between South Korea and the European Union has risen dramatically and rapidly. For South Korea, the two biggest beneficiaries have been auto exports, up by 80 percent, and petrochemical products exports, up by 70 percent in just the month after the agreement entered into force.
At this point, politicians across the aisle in both countries need to ask themselves what options would deliver the best strategic benefits — for the U.S. as well as South Korea. We can come to no solution other than the free-trade agreement. So it should not be viewed as a political bargaining chip but rather as a way to advance our national interests.
The trade agreement could generate substantial economic benefits for both countries. For example, if you look at average tariff rates for trade between South Korea and the U.S., Seoul’s rates on goods imported from the U.S. are 12.1 percent, far higher than those of the U.S. rates on Korean goods (3.5 percent).
Under the trade deal, 95 percent of U.S. exports to South Korea will have tariffs eliminated within five years. In addition, implementation would not only provide the U.S. with major economic benefits but create strong momentum in reaffirming Washington’s engagement and leadership in Northeast Asia — where it has significant strategic issues to address. These include security on the Korean Peninsula, the rise of China and the growing uncertainty in the region since many view Washington as too distracted by the Middle East.
With Asia becoming the center of gravity for the world economy, why shouldn’t the United States swiftly improve U.S. market access there?
The FTA would also boost South Korea’s economic benefits — particularly its exports to the U.S. Passage would improve the competitiveness of South Korean companies vis-à-vis other foreign enterprises doing business in the U.S. It would also most likely provide South Korea with the strategic means to compete with China and India — rapidly emerging as Asia’s economic powers.
While some U.S. leaders are concerned that the free-trade agreement would ship U.S. jobs overseas, this is not true. In fact, comparing the volume of investments between the two nations, South Korean investment in the U.S. overwhelmingly surpasses U.S. investment in South Korea.
During 2006 to 2010, for example, the total value of South Korean investments in the U.S. was $22 billion, 2½ times that of U.S investments in South Korea, which were $8.8 billion. The trend of bilateral investments would only increase under this treaty.
But Seoul’s major objective, and biggest benefit, from implementing the trade agreement with the world’s largest economic power would be improving the structure of the South Korean economy. With this FTA, Seoul could strengthen its competitiveness in the midterm and long term through a qualitative upgrade in meeting global business standards — rather than just focusing on a short-term ambition of increasing our U.S. exports.
Owing to South Korea’s success in negotiating FTAs — we now have seven in effect — Seoul’s national competitiveness and foreign market share continue to rise steadily, according to the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitiveness Report.
In both countries, important elections are due. In South Korea, our National Assembly election is set for April and our presidential election in December 2012. The U.S. presidential election will be in November 2012. Since 2012 will be filled with major political races in both nations, the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to effectively discuss trade-agreement implementation.
Thus, we should take action without delay. I welcome the continuing bipartisan progress in the U.S. Congress on this. There is no more time to squander.
Implementation of the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade agreement offers an opportunity to open a new frontier for our alliance. So the longer ratification of this win-win agreement is delayed, the more likely it is that the future-oriented development of the Korea-U.S. alliance will be hampered by drawn-out political disputes.
Jinha Hwang, a member of South Korea’s National Assembly, serves on the Committee of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification.


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The Lunar New Year is typically a festival of abundance and excess. But three years into the pandemic, food prices have risen across the globe thanks to a confluence of pandemic-induced supply chain constraints, bad weather that decimated crops and surging energy prices have also affected the cost of fertilisers.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s food price index reached a 10-year high last year and the World Food Programme estimates that 272 million people worldwide are at risk of becoming acutely food-insecure. This Week in Asia takes a look at various markets in the region and how ethnic Chinese families from Singapore to Thailand intend to mitigate food costs amid the festivities.
Before the pandemic, a family of seven in Malaysia could have a decent spread for the Lunar New Year reunion dinner for 700 ringgit (S$227), but this year the Wongs will have to spend about one-third more.
Celebrations during the Year of the Tiger will be a frugal one, said Andrew Wong, adding that even buying the cheapest dish on the table – vegetables – was just too costly.
“Last year, you could get a whole head of cabbage for 4.50 ringgit (US$1), but now it has doubled,” said Wong, a 34-year-old health care professional.
Across Malaysia, millions feel this pinch as prices of food continue to soar since the pandemic hit in 2020. People are now paying record prices for food items.
On the official Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority price list, a whole chicken can cost consumers up to 9 ringgit a kilogram, and red onions were 16 ringgit a kilo.
In 2019, the price of chicken and red onions were both around 7.50 ringgit a kilo.
To cut costs, the Wong family is reusing decorations from previous years and wearing clothes they already own instead of buying new ones. They are also not buying any new items for the house this year.
Chong Chi Howe, a traditional Chinese medicine chiropractor, said his family decided to put shopping on hold to save money and also to avoid crowds as the Omicron virus continues to spread.
“We’ll be cooking at home this year too, because eating out just exposes us to Covid-19,” said the 27-year-old, adding that guests were not invited this year so the amount of new year goodies would be halved.
Wong said some may think his measures were drastic, but the Lunar New Year to him was “just another day”.
Meanwhile, “prices of goods are going up but our salaries have remained the same”, he pointed out.
In Malaysia, the domestic supply and demand chain was massively impacted by the monsoon floods in mid-December.
Farmers in vegetable-producing areas like Cameron Highlands in Pahang were hit by landslides, devastating crops.
With the rising prices of raw items, restaurants may have to cut down their serving sizes to be able to stay afloat, said the Pan Malaysia Koo Soo Restaurants and Chefs association vice-president Ringo Saw.
Last month, research houses predicted headline inflation to moderate this year, ending its five-month high at 3.3 per cent recorded in November 2021.
The headline inflation is expected to decelerate and is forecast to reduce to 2.1 per cent and 2.4 per cent this year according to MIDF Research and Kenanga Research house.
Singapore, where nearly three-quarters of the 4 million citizens and permanent residents are ethnic Chinese, the prices of some food items like fresh fish and bak kwa (pork jerky) rise during the Lunar New Year season. This year, however, consumers are hit by a double-whammy of seasonal price hikes and food inflation.
For retiree Ann Tang, 64, this meant cutting down on her reunion dinner spread and buying cheaper options.
“We used to buy more and a wider variety of food for luck and other meanings. This year I won’t be buying fish maw. For abalone, I’m cutting that down from two cans to one can,” the former bank officer said.
Tang said vendors were citing the pandemic for the price hikes, saying there were difficulties in securing stock. Even the oranges she usually bought from the supermarket now cost $2.95 for five instead of $2.45 before.
While she estimates a 10-15 per cent price increase this Lunar New Year compared to before the pandemic, local broadsheet The Straits Times reported the prices of popular fresh fish like pomfret and garoupa had doubled compared to November.
Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking, called it a perfect storm. “There are issues of logistics and supplies because of the pandemic, and all of that is compounded by adverse weather and floods that have added to supply issues,” he said.
Singapore’s consumer price index rose by 4 per cent in December compared to 2020. Its central bank last week made a surprise off-cycle tightening of its monetary policy to mitigate inflation risks. The trade minister has also warned of further food price hikes and said the government would diversify its import sources to keep prices competitive and enhance supply resilience.
Song said Singapore was a price taker when it came to food, since the city state of 5.45 million residents imported more than 90 per cent of its food. The issue now was that prices were rising across the globe, he added.
While middle-income families like Tang coped by scaling back their celebrations, experts said it was harder for lower-income families.
Food security expert Paul Teng from the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies at Nanyang Technological University said any price increases affected lower-income households more since they spent a higher portion of their incomes on food, and would have to divert more money away from other essentials when prices went up.
Charities like Food from the Heart delivered about 10,000 food packs last year, a 59 per cent increase from 2019.
Song expects Singapore’s upcoming budget to include measures meant to deal with food inflation such as vouchers and tax rebates to help offset costs.
For Indonesian-Chinese housewife Meryta Lin, rising food prices in her hometown Pangkalpinang meant she, her husband and two children had to enjoy fried pempek bangka (a local fishcake variant) less often.
The 33-year-old said that just a couple months ago, cooking oil prices in the provincial capital of Indonesia’s Bangka Belitung Islands, near Sumatra island, increased to around 50,000 rupiah (US$3) from some 30,000 rupiah every two litres.
She said the price of the 12kg LPG – used as cooking gas – also rose from around 150,000 rupiah to about 185,000 rupiah each cylinder, while an egg now costs 2,200 rupiah instead of 1,400 rupiah.
Lin, whose husband works at a car spare parts shop, said her household each month used five to six litres of cooking oil and one LPG cylinder bought from a grocery store near her home.
Southeast Asia’s largest economy reported 3.51 per cent growth in the third quarter of last year, with Statistics Indonesia recording 1.87 per cent inflation last year.
The inflation has put a damper on the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities. Lin is already scaling back on frying food and also cutting back on her beauty salon visits – going once every two months instead of monthly – so that the family could allocate the money to buy food items.
Lin said she was hopeful the government would help people like her overcome the soaring prices.
Yet, higher food costs are not Lin and her family’s only problem. The surge of Omicron cases in Indonesia means the family of four will stay home for Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner for the second consecutive year.
Lin, who has six siblings, said she missed celebrating the festival at her parents’ home in the province with her extended family.
About 7 million of Indonesia’s 270 million people are ethnic Chinese.
With a total caseload of more than 4.3 million and 144,000 coronavirus-related deaths, Indonesia is the country worst affected by the pandemic in Southeast Asia.
Piter Abdullah, research director at the Jakarta-based think tank Center of Reform on Economics Indonesia, said the 2021 inflation was “very low” since there were no extreme food price fluctuations and food supply was “relatively sufficient amid very low demand conditions”. Before the pandemic, Indonesia typically had a 6-7 per cent inflation.
But Piter warned that the government needed to secure food imports early so as not to be hit by extreme fluctuations in food prices.
“This all will impact the inflation [rate] later, provided that Omicron does not cause a spike in cases.”
Due to inflation and record pork prices in Thailand, Naris Wasinanon plans to be pragmatic during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Naris, director of the Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Samut Prakan province, wants to keep the budget under 1,000 baht (US$30) but still adhere to the spirit of tradition. Ethnic Chinese families in Thailand use dozens of pieces of meat, fruits and desserts as the food signifies abundance.
“Praying requires three to five types of meat, some fruits and desserts,” he said. “The ritual requires us to pray to the sky, the earth and the water, so I’ll probably get one type of meat to represent each of the three elements, and a few types of sweets only.”
Inflation is expected to cut Lunar New Year spending this year by at least 30 per cent compared to last year, said Aat Pisarnwanich, director of the International Trade Study Centre at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
The celebrations are hit by record pork prices that have shot up by almost 80 per cent in six months. As of January 20, pork costs 230 baht (US$6.90) per kilo, compared to 200 baht in the first week of January, and up from 130 baht at the beginning of June last year, according to Kasetprice, a Thai website that monitors prices of agricultural commodities.
An outbreak of African swine fever led to a mass culling of pigs, with more than 159,000 pigs eradicated between March and October last year.
Aat said the prices of pork would even be higher at the end of January due to high demand during the Lunar New Year. “This is the first time in history that pork prices in Thailand has reached more than 200 baht (S$8) per kilogram,” he said.
Naris said pork nevertheless remained “an important part of the ceremony”.
“So I might get a slab of pork belly. I will also buy a boiled duck for 400 baht and a squid for 100 baht. Others might choose a roasted chicken at about 100 baht for poultry instead of duck.
“I will also need to buy some fruits. Grapes are more expensive than oranges, though it depends what kind of oranges they are,” he said. “And there are some desserts I will get. But I will get what’s necessary only, not everything on the menu.”
Even so, Naris said even before the pandemic, Lunar New Year prayers and celebrations in Thailand had been getting noticeably smaller over the years.
People in the younger generation nowadays no longer focused on holding grand events, he said. “They prefer to save money.”
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.


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Products: Bosch Releases 5.0 Software Update for ADS and ADS X Scan Tools
Video shows how to fix tab flanges that break off from a bumper cover, particularly on 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonatas, with an airless plastic welder.
Polyvance has released a new instructional video showing how to fix tab flanges that break off from a bumper cover with an airless plastic welder.
Some bumper covers, particularly 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonatas, are known to have tab flanges that break off from the bumper cover. These bumpers have a groove along the edge where the plastic is paper-thin. This is a common design on bumpers today, which creates a need for a quality repair procedure.
Polyvance’s instructional video on their YouTube channel demonstrates the process of performing this repair using an airless plastic welder. Click on the above video to see for yourself.
For more information about Polyvance’s products or to inquire about a training or demo session, email [email protected] or call (800) 633-3047.


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Paysafe announces that it has extended its partnership with Polish retail chain Zabka. With a chain of more than 7,700 convenience stores across Poland, Zabka already offers Paysafe’s prepaid eCash solution Paysafecard and will also provide a payment point for the company’s online cash solution, Paysafecash.
Paysafecash is an alternative payment method for customers who want to use cash for easy and secure digital wallet loading, bank account deposits, or online payment for products and services. It makes online transactions possible for customers without a debit or credit card or who do not want to use them for online transactions for security reasons.
Paysafecash has been integrated to facilitate cash deposits for popular challenger banks Monese and bunq. It also enables online cash payments for loans and insurances purchases in partnership with the Polish FinTech company Provema. It has recently announced the integration of cash loading into ZEN.com’s virtual wallet.
Przemysław Tomaszewski, Sales & Services Development Director, commented: “There is ongoing demand for cash payments in Poland, and we are delighted to support Paysafe in its efforts to bring the benefits of the eCash payment solution Paysafecash to our customers for their online transaction needs. Our stores are ideally located to increase accessibility to payment points, adding to the convenience of the payment solution for customers in Poland.”


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Production of electric Amazon delivery vans on April 11, 2022 at Rivian’s plant in Normal, Ill.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
Shares of Rivian Automotive sank Monday after a report by The Wall Street Journal that said the upstart electric-vehicle maker is suing a key supplier in a legal battle that could delay vans ordered by Amazon.
Amazon, a major investor in Rivian, placed an order for 100,000 electric delivery vans last year.
Rivian’s lawsuit, according to the report, accuses Ohio-based Commercial Vehicle Group of violating its contract with Rivian to supply seats for the vans by sharply raising its prices after the contract was signed. It said in court filings that the dispute could impact its…


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Huawei exceeds 200 million smartphone shipments, setting company record
It credits the success of its P20 and Honor 10 phones, among others.
Abrar Al-HeetiTechnology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
ExpertiseAbrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture.Credentials
Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
has set a record for itself by shipping more than 200 million
in 2018, the company said in a statement Sunday.
The Chinese phone maker said the numbers were largely driven by the success of products like its P20, Honor 10 and Mate 20 series.
Huawei's smartphone shipments have grown from 3 million units in 2010, it added. Last year, it said it sold 153 million units. The company overtook
in the second quarter of 2018 to become the world's second largest phone vendor, according to researcher Canalys.
"In the global smartphone market, Huawei has gone from being dismissed as a statistical 'other' to ranking among the Top 3 players in the world," Huawei said in its statement.
Watch this: The best Android phone around? Meet the Huawei Mate 20 Pro


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July 15th, 2021 | Karl Fillhouer | Read article on Supply Chain Brain
An already stretched supply chain in the coming months will likely face a deluge of freight unlike any we’ve seen before. There’s an economic boom on the horizon that’s going to stretch trucking coast to coast, and it’ll continue to stress transportation globally. That’s indisputable.
There are mounting challenges ahead for shippers and distributors in getting their goods to market. Now is the time to start making sure your transportation network and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) are prepared and ready to handle and position your freight when the time comes.
While well-intentioned, the current momentum toward near shoring — that is, moving manufacturing closer to home — will likely stall as the economic recovery takes off.
The demand for goods will be too great, and Americans’ desire for cheap imported goods will come to bear. In the end, it’s all about the money, and many U.S. companies will go right back to outsourcing manufacturing in China and the Pacific Rim at large.
Complicating matters further, when other countries’ economies hit a true recovery period, we’re going to be competing in the U.S. for access to manufacturing capacity within the global supply chain. That’s going to drive prices up across the board, especially for transportation services.
For example, let’s narrow in on the lumber market. If you consider the current housing market, home builders across the country can’t source the lumber they need to keep up with the demand for new homes. You can’t build a house without lumber. Issues like that will continue to spring up, or be exacerbated, as the economy hits an accelerated growth pattern. These goods have to come from somewhere, and that likely means from across the Pacific.
More maritime freight bound for the U.S. will stream across the Pacific from those Asian manufacturing hubs. Ports, especially those on the West Coast, are already overwhelmed and facing major backlogs due to the effects of COVID-19 and staffing issues. For every day there’s a backlog, it takes a port three to five days to clear it. Ports can’t keep operating at 105% on an ongoing basis in perpetuity.
More freight will likely be re-routed to East Coast and Gulf ports like Houston, Miami and Jacksonville, among others, via the Panama Canal. More freight will also likely be routed to ports in Mexico to then be trucked into the U.S.
If you’re a retailer or a distributor in the U.S., a question you need to be asking yourself is how long you want your products to be sitting out on the ocean and not being sold. Because with the wrong logistics service provider, you could be looking at additional weeks before your goods arrive via ship to be unloaded.
More than just goods being hung up in transit, maritime carriers will charge those who have containers on a ship for storage on their ship. That puts you in the position of not having products ready to go when a consumer wants them or when you need them to be there, and you’re being charged each and every day they sit on the ocean. Talk about a lose-lose.
You’ll also be competing with the likes of the largest retailers, like Walmart Inc. and Target Corp., who often buy full ships of 20,000 40-foot containers coming across the Pacific. They’re sure to have their logistics operations pushing to get to port and to market.
It’s time to make sure you’re doing the same, and that you’re pressing your logistics providers on these issues before the economic boom gets here and it’s too late.
Karl Fillhouer is vice president of sales and operations at Circle Logistics.


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The Jeep Wrangler 4xe is not a fully electric vehicle, but rather, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which means it still has a gas engine. This Jeep plug-in is one of the best-selling PHEVs on the market today, and for this reason, the automaker has been quite successful with sales. However, now it has to recall almost 63,000 of those PHEVs.
Editor’s Update: A spokesman from Jeep (Stellantis) got back to us and substantiated the details in this article. However, he did add a few pieces of information we did not include. Most of the recalled vehicles are in the field, so the stop-sale only impacts a tiny fraction of the recall population. As expected and required, those vehicles will be remedied before they are sold. The company spokesman’s official statement is as follows:
“Stellantis is recalling an estimated 62,910 U.S.-market vehicles to update their vehicle-control software.
A routine review of customer feedback led to a Company investigation that discovered a certain population of vehicles may be equipped with software linked to stalling, a condition that could lead to accidents or injury. The Company is aware of one potentially related injury and two such accidents.
Affected customers will be advised next month when they may schedule service, free of charge, from dealers. Notification recipients are urged to follow the instructions therein. Customers with questions in the interim may call 1-800-853-1403.
The recall is limited to model-year 2021-23 Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUVs produced before Aug. 18, 2022. The campaign also affects vehicles in Canada (est. 7,254) and certain markets outside North America (est. 16,752).”
Jeep has issued the recall since the engine could stop running unexpectedly. If a car has the potential to lose power while driving, it poses a safety issue. According to the automaker, the Wrangler 4xe PHEV’s gas engine may lose communication and then shut down.
Autoblog cites the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in its report that Jeep is already aware of multiple issues related to the problem, including several warranty claims and field reports, as well as two accidents and an injury.
The recall applies to Wrangler 4xe models manufactured for the 2021 through 2023 model years. The plug-in Jeep came to market as a brand-new model for 2021, though the powertrain option wasn’t available until late in the model year. Since then, Jeep has brought both the 2022 and 2023 models to market largely unchanged.
According to a report on the matter that was published by Autoblog, 62,909 Wrangler 4xe SUVs are impacted by the recall. It includes vehicles produced from September 2, 2020, through August 17, 2022. Jeep says that only the 4xe PHEV models are affected.
Jeep will provide more information to owners of impacted Wrangler 4xe PHEVs beginning on January 12, 2023. The automaker will send a recall notice in the mail. If you own a Wrangler 4xe and paid to have a related problem fixed, you will be able to apply for a refund from Jeep. The automaker has also issued a nationwide stop-sale for all Wrangler 4xe models.
Upon visiting your local dealer, a technician will apply software updates to fix the problem. For more information, visit the NHTSA’s recall website. The compaign number for the recall is 22V865000. You can also enter your vehicle’s VIN on the website to see if it’s included in the recall.


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REMOTE WORKSPACES EVERYWHERE — March 22, 2021 — Today at ONE21, NBCUniversal unveiled its new technology and data offerings coming to market via One Platform and invited partners to join and co-develop key capabilities.
First launched in 2020, One Platform is the tech stack of NBCUniversal’s Global Advertising & Partnerships business. The expansions outlined at ONE21 build on the company’s mission to create a more automated, more self-service, more data-driven future for partners, helping advertisers meet their key KPIs and create real business impact while making the entire process of reaching the right consumers at scale — from audiences to planning to delivery to measurement — as simple as turning on the screen on the wall. From new partnerships to new products, these milestones in the One Platform technology roadmap illustrate the company’s ongoing commitment to more secure and streamlined methods for buying, planning, and measuring advertising across premium video — with much more to come.
NBCU AUDIENCE INSIGHTS HUB
Doubling down on its commitment to building an open marketplace, NBCUniversal is ushering in a new era of data interoperability and partnership with privacy solutions in mind. Later this year, the company will be launching the NBCU Audience Insights Hub, a proprietary data clean room environment that will unlock data interoperability between NBCU and its partners. With this new solution, NBCUniversal will feed its first-party audience data, which will enable partners to run restricted, permissioned queries across the two data sets without exposing any underlying personally identifiable information. From privacy to scale to speed, no other media company can offer an open solution like the NBCU Audience Insights Hub.
The data interoperability provided by the NBCU Audience Insights Hub will power several new, first-to-market self-service capabilities across all of One Platform’s key components, including:
- Digital audience exploration: In NBCUniversal’s new centralized clean room environment, partners will be able to explore how audiences and customers overlap, providing valuable aggregate insights without any underlying data exposed from either party. This will enable brand and agency partners to better find and understand their customers to drive results while keeping viewer information safe.
- Cross-platform planning: NBCUniversal will combine the new clean room environment with its proprietary Linear TV APIs, giving partners self-service access, for the first time ever, to NBCUniversal’s aggregate linear and digital data — all the necessary ingredients needed for cross-platform media planning — in one integration.
- Reach & frequency measurement: The new hub will incorporate certified reach measurement models, which will enable partners to utilize ad exposure data and conduct their own analyses, providing the ability to deduplicate campaign reach and frequency for more efficient media planning and measurement.
- Cross-platform attribution: NBCUniversal will continue to extend its interoperable measurement capabilities, enabling partners to conduct their own self-service multi-platform attribution. In the long-term, this will unlock always-on closed-loop attribution capabilities for every campaign.
The NBCU Audience Insights Hub is launching with two leading development partners – cloud computing platform Snowflake will power the initial clean room framework and VideoAmp will be the first measurement partner to integrate — with more in the pipeline.
As a part of the company’s long-term commitment to and investment in creating a unified data strategy for partners to tap into, NBCUniversal is developing NBCU ID. NBCU ID will bring together the organization’s first-party audiences — from NBCU’s Entertainment, Sports, News to Hispanic brands; from linear to OTT to mobile and desktop; from Peacock to Fandango to Universal Parks & Resorts — to create a 360-degree profile of consumers under a single, deterministic ID with privacy in mind.
NBCU ID will improve the user experience for consumers and partners alike. Containing both proprietary first-party insights collected by NBCUniversal and acting as a high-fidelity match key for all second and third-party data sets brought to One Platform, NBCU ID will help inform cross-platform planning and measurement use cases while driving personalization for viewers across all screens.
PEACOCK TAKES FLIGHT ON ONE PLATFORM, PROGRAMMATIC & CROSS-PLATFORM
NBCUniversal is proud to empower partners to activate their campaigns however works best for their business, and in 2021 it’s expanding with Peacock. As the company continues to scale programmatic enablement, NBCUniversal is now bringing these capabilities to Peacock, embracing data-driven and automated activation with key DSP partners on the leading ad-supported streaming platform.
When it comes to planning, partners will now also be able to extend their unified cross-platform plans onto Peacock. This new capability will enable marketers to reach even more incremental audiences on streaming. In addition, advertisers have the option to target any kind of incremental audience, whether it’s a Nielsen demo or a custom segment, including segments sourced from a brand’s own CRM data. With each of these expansions, NBCUniversal is offering more self-service solutions and more data-driven planning across even more content.
ONE PLATFORM CONTINUES TO SCALE WITH FREEWHEEL’S CERTIFIED PARTNER PROGRAM
NBCUniversal’s One Platform is built for and with partners of all kinds, and FreeWheel is no exception. That’s why, at ONE21, FreeWheel unveiled their plans to launch the FreeWheel Certified Partner Program. Focused on ensuring the interoperability that the future of television needs, the program aims to work across the ecosystem to more optimally integrate with partners across technology, data, demand, and supply – including One Platform. From simplifying the ability for buyers to plug in to One Platform, to providing greater access to third-party premium inventory, to optimization and decisioning, FreeWheel and NBCUniversal are continuing to collaborate, and are setting the bar and the pace for the entire industry.
TRADE DESK PROGRAMMATIC PARTNERSHIP FURTHER EXPANDS ACROSS ONE PLATFORM
Programmatic offers partners of all sizes a simple way to reach their key audiences across NBCUniversal. That’s why NBCUniversal is enabling even more programmatic on One Platform, in partnership with The Trade Desk. From access to live streaming inventory across major sporting events to global inventory from CNBC International, more must-see programming moments from around the world will be available through programmatic.
NBCUNIVERSAL’S ONE PLATFORM CONTINUES TO SOAR
The company also shared new proof points for NBCUniversal’s One Platform core components. These include:
- SCALE: One Platform gives partners access to the more than 230 million U.S. adults 18+ who give their time and their trust to NBCUniversal each month as they engage with NBCU’s content on 14 networks across linear TV, CTV and over 300 unique digital access points. With the shift towards streaming, CTV and other digital platforms now account for 30% of total consumption among key audiences, allowing marketers to double their incremental reach using digital — increasing from 20% to 40% in just two years. This growth provides marketers who leverage NBCUniversal’s cross-platform optimization capabilities with an unparalleled opportunity to reach their key audiences at scale.
- AUTOMATION: One Platform’s automation of the digital RFP process, in collaboration with Operative, Mediaocean, and a consortium of other major media companies and agencies, is targeting to reduce digital workflows by up to 50%, or 15 hours, per campaign. And using NBCUniversal’s Linear TV APIs, PremiumMedia360 is automating NBCU’s TV pre- and post-log reporting, reducing manual account management work by as much as 30%.
- EFFECTIVENESS: One Platform’s data-driven approach has proven its impact across the board, with advanced targeted campaigns delivering brand awareness lift as high as +19%, site visitation lift as high as +27%, and foot traffic and sales lift as high as +19%.


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Survey: Half of US consumers want tablets for Christmas
The hottest tech gifts this holiday season will likely be repeat - albeit updated repeats - of 2011. That, according to a new TechBargains survey. According to the report more than half of US adults have a tablet high on their list of wanted gifts this Christmas. Nearly half (46%) will buy a tablet for someone else; 34% plan to gift themselves with a tablet.
In fact, one in four people say they'll give up buying another gadget if they can have a tablet instead. The survey shows 53% plan to buy a tablet while one-quarter say they'll shell out for a smartphone. New television sets and laptops are also on the Tech Wanted lists. Other interesting findings include:
• 33% say they want Google's Nexus 7 tablet
• 30% say they want an iPad
• 24% want the iPad Mini or the Kindle Fire HD
Just over one-fifth will spend between $250 and $500 on a tablet while about half of those surveyed say they'll spend at least half their holiday budget on electronics/tech buys.
"With more tablets on the market to fit every size budget, our survey reveals consumers are even more interested this year versus last year in giving and receiving a tablet - the must have tech gadget this holiday season," said Yung Trang, president and editor-in-chief of TechBargains.com.
As for how they'll make buying decisions most (87%) say they'll look to consumer product reviews while 77% will looking for free shipping deals. Nearly 70% will base their buys on brand reputation and 61% will look for discounts.
- Snapchat beats Facebook for daily video views
- Global study reveals 'authenticity deficit' among brands
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The Reserve Bank of India has given the country's banking sector a hard deadline to get Windows XP out of its ATMs: June 2019.
That's more than five years beyond the May 2014 end of support for the OS.
In a notice to the nation's banks, issued last on June 21st, 2018, the Reserve Bank makes it clear that XP “and other unsupported operating systems” have been on its mind since at least April 2017, when it issued a circular outlining its concerns.
In spite of previous advisories instructing banks to put migration plans in place, things have not moved fast enough for the RBI.
The notice said, “The slow progress on the part of the banks in addressing these issues has been viewed seriously by the RBI,” adding that "the vulnerability arising from the banks’ ATMs operating on unsupported version of operating system and non-implementation of other security measures, could potentially affect the interests of the banks’ customers adversely." In other words, customer accounts could be affected in negative ways.
A timetable presented to the banks says they must reach 25 per cent deprecation by September of this year; 50 per cent by December; and 75 per cent by March next year.
The timetable also requires banks to implement anti-skimming technology, and to use whitelisting on ATMs so that only approved software can run on them.
Banks have been instructed to file their compliance plans by the end of July 2018.
Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash
Dozens of carbon monoxide alarms sold via Amazon and eBay have been taken offline after failing safety tests.
Consumer watchdog "Which?" said some of the alarms seemed identical to ones that had failed tests in 2016.
Three of the unbranded devices, made in China, repeatedly failed to sound when carbon monoxide was present.
The watchdog said there are flaws in the current product testing system. It advised anyone owning one of the alarms to replace it immediately.
Consumers should contact the company they bought it from and request a refund, it said. Most of the devices are unbranded with no model number but all resemble the picture shown.
Alex Neill, the managing director of home products and services at "Which?", said: "It's extremely concerning that these unsafe alarms were being sold by major retailers. When household names such as Amazon and eBay are selling products that could put consumers at risk, it is clear more must be done by businesses and the government to proactively identify potentially dangerous products and stop them from entering people's homes."
Amazon says, "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The products in question are no longer available."
Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash
Tesla plans to downsize its solar production: The company will cut 9 percent of its workforce, close more than a dozen installation facilities, and end its partnership with Home Depot.
The Home Depot deal accounted for about 50 percent of Tesla’s solar sales.
The staff reduction raises questions on whether Tesla has a plan for its solar power division. The company says it expects solar and car battery production to remain on schedule.
In total, it looks like about 60 installation facilities will remain open, and Tesla has said that these cuts are part of a broader workforce reduction which is expected to reduce the company’s staff by about 4,100 people across the board.
There has been little in the way of good news lately for Tesla or those who depend on the company to make a living. Last month, Elon Musk ordered a review of the company’s contract workforce, which led to the majority of contractors being terminated unless they could find a Tesla employee willing to vouch for them. This recent round of cuts, which will affect both Tesla’s solar and car divisions, shows that not even company employees are safe.
While we do not know the exact reasoning behind Tesla’s decision to cut its workforce, it may have something to do with the delays plaguing the Model 3. The company is currently trying to produce 5,000 units of the electric car per week, but has fallen short of that number thanks to a combination of factors ranging from mismanagement, contractors, and over-reliance on robots. There are rumors that the company will have to go to Wall Street for a loan, but it would appear that Musk is trying to avoid that route, which may partially explain why the company is reducing its workforce.
Sent to us by: Jeff Weston
Pornographic images have begun appearing in Super Mario Odyssey.
As far as Mario games go, Nintendo hit it out of the park again with Super Mario Odyssey. Having captured the essence of the game perfectly it is perhaps one of the most fun and accessible games currently out there or, at the very least, on the Nintendo Switch.
It seems, however, that some naughty material has been turning up in the game: Hackers have found a way to get pornography to appear in the game.
They've reportedly found a way to infiltrate the profile avatar system. With it, they have begun uploading adult images. The issue is all based on the mini-games offered within Mario Odyssey showing other players’ scores and, of course, their avatar with it.
Nintendo has advised that while they work on a fix for the problem, any young children should only play the game offline. By doing this, they won't be able to view any of the online scores submitted and as such will avoid the offensive material. The mini-game which has most specifically been affected by this is Luigi’s Balloon World, which was part of a free update added earlier this year.
The software used to exploit the issue can only be installed on “cracked” Nintendo Switches. It's believed that this might only be the tip of the iceberg as to what the hackers could be capable of.
Sent to us by: Robbie Ferguson


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Golden Bear has teamed up with 'one of the most prestigious names in the car industry'.
The news comes following the success of Go Mini, a major launch for Golden Bear's GB Toys label, which saw the largest TV campaign launch in its history.
Another brand hitting shelves in autumn/winter 2013 will be CBeebies' Something Special.
"This has already had fabulous success in the UK with a limited retailer launch and promises great things when fully rolled out," read a statement.
"The company also has further projects in the pipeline with BBC Worldwide to be announced imminently."
Golden Bear and GB Toys will announce more deals in the next two weeks, including 'one of the most iconic boys' properties' which will be added to its line-up.
Chairman John Hales said: "2013 will be one of the most exciting years in the company's 33-year history.
"There is so much development going on we can’t wait to show customers what we have in store."
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The so-called Apple Car has been running through the rumor mill for a while now, with many expecting that Apple will release its own car by the end of the decade.
What some people might not know is the fact that former Apple CEO, the late Steve Jobs, actually considered working towards an Apple Car back in 2008, but instead chose to concentrate on the iPhone.
The news comes from a then senior vice president at Apple, Tony Fadell, who says that he distinctly remembers discussing larger products with Steve Jobs, most notable the potential for an iCar.
Jobs and Fadell had collaborated so far on the iPod and the iPhone, and even went as far as to swap ideas for a car design on a number of occasions. According to Fadell, the discussions involved answering questions like “what would a dashboard be?” and “what would seats be?”
As you can probably tell, in the end Jobs decided not to pursue the iCar. At the time, the American auto industry looked like it was about to collapse, and Apple itself was too busy trying to push the iPhone into the mainstream. Since that time, however, the Detroit auto industry has rebounded, making it a great time to get into making cars.
In fact, a number of high profile tech companies are entering the auto industry, with the most notable companies being the likes of Google and Uber. Google has said that it is looking to design a car that could go into production by 2020. While Apple certainly hasn’t been as public speculation suggests that the company is also hoping to enter the industry at around that time. With over $200 billion in cash, it certainly has the resources to be able to do so.
In fact, according to Fadell, cars and phones aren’t really that different.
“A car has batteries; it has a computer; it has a motor; and it has mechanical structure. If you look at an iPhone, it has all the same things. It even has a motor in it,” said Fadell, who has since become the chief executive officer at Alphabet’s Nest home appliance company. “But the hard stuff is really on the connectivity and how cars could be self-driving.”
In fact, Apple’s interest in cars reportedly goes even before the 2008 discussions. Apple senior vice president said in a 2012 court testimony that the company was discussing the possibility of a car before it even released the iPhone.
Of course, as anyone interested in Steve Jobs will know, the CEO said “no” to a lot of projects. Plenty of projects were proposed to Jobs at the time, including things like cameras and televisions, however in the end Jobs reportedly wanted to change the world with the iPhone.
That doesn’t mean, however, that we’ll never see a car from Apple. Apple is a different company now under Tim Cook, and the auto industry in great shape, and it is certainly ready for a revolution when it comes to electric cars.
Not only that, but with Google working on a self-driving car of its own, Apple will surely want to compete.
So what would an Apple Car look like? Well, it will have a very heavy focus on design, as any Apple product would. If Apple were to release a car around 2020, the car would need to be self-driving and include smart car features like Internet connectivity and a high-tech security system. Not only that, but it will need to seamlessly interact with products like the user’s iPhone and Mac.
The evidence suggesting that Apple is readying itself for a new car is piling. The company has been hiring a number of new employees over the past few months, with these employees reportedly having been poached from companies like Tesla and other major auto companies to work on the new product. Apple has even reportedly been scoping out a location to test its new car in secrecy.
It will certainly be interesting to see what Apple comes up with when it does finally release the Apple Car, however under this much scrutiny the company will need to be careful to not let any seriously revealing leaks out, which could be difficult.


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Chewy (CHWY) - Get Chewy, Inc. Class A Report will release its third-quarter results on Thursday, December 9. This earnings release has been highly anticipated by investors. The online pet supplier has some big challenges to overcome ahead, from economies reopening post-pandemic to continued supply chain disruptions.
The company has taken a beating recently – Chewy shares have sunk nearly 19% over the past month alone.
(Read more from the Wall Street Memes: After its Recent Drop, What’s Next for AMC Stock?)
Chewy’s online business was a big beneficiary of “stay-at-home” trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. For fiscal Q4 2020 and fiscal Q1 2021, Chewy reported positive earnings-per-share for the first time since it went public in June of 2019.
However, pandemic tailwinds are slowly fading as economies reopen. In its most recent quarter (FQ2 2021), Chewy’s earnings and revenue both missed analysts’ expectations.
The slowdown in Chewy’s business is part of a larger overall trend. Third-party data forecasts a worldwide e-commerce growth downshift to 14.3% in 2021. This is partially due to the rebound of brick-and-mortar stores and partially just a tempering of the unsustainable, red-hot growth rates e-commerce saw last year.
Fiscal Q3 2022 expectations
Consensus estimates for Chewy’s fiscal Q3 2022 are a negative $0.04 earnings-per-share and revenue of $2.2 billion. Here are a few things to keep in mind on earnings day:
- Despite the e-commerce industry’s recent cooling, last quarter, Chewy reported an active customers growth of 21% and net sales rising 26% year-over-year.
- For fiscal Q3, Chewy expects its net sales to be between $2.20 billion to $2.22 billion, which represents 23% to 25% year-over-year growth.
- But supply disruptions are a major risk factor that may prompt a negative surprise in Chewy’s fiscal Q3 results.
- So, the demand seems to be there. The question is, will supply be able to meet it?
Recently, Wolf Research analyst Deepak Mathivanan weighed in on Chewy ahead of its earnings. He believes that fiscal Q3 results will be in-line with expectations since CHWY has topped revenues’ mid-point guide by an average of 2% over the past four quarters.
The analyst mentioned that supply chain impacts are an important unknown during the holiday season, but he nevertheless predicts firm fiscal Q4 revenue guidance near 20% year-over-year. Mathivanan has a buy recommendation on CHWY and has set a $90 price target.
(Read more from Wall Street Memes: Here’s Why GME Stock Could Soar After its Recent Plunge)
Post-pandemic conditions have challenged online businesses that saw red-hot growth during pandemic lockdowns. Recently, companies that benefited from the pandemic, such as Zoom (ZM) - Get Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Class A Report and DocuSign (DOCU) - Get DocuSign, Inc. Report, saw their share price plummet after earnings. Both companies disappointed investors with poor guidance, pointing to slowing growth as the economy reopens and consumer habits shift back to normal.
Chewy will probably report results that are either in-line or maybe slightly below expectations due to supply chain headwinds. Investors should not expect much growth in the short term, but guidance for the next quarter and beyond may be crucial to determining Chewy’s long-term performance.
(Disclaimers: this is not investment advice. The author may be long one or more stocks mentioned in this report. Also, the article may contain affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence editorial content. Thanks for supporting Wall Street Memes)