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The UAE’s plans to rival the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations by 2020
Speaker: Graham Ellis
The UAE is fast meeting its aspiration to transform itself into one of the best countries in the world by 2021, when it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Key to this aspiration is to position Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub. Good transport links, a variety of hotels, retail and restaurants plus a number of amazing tourist and leisure attractions – with more planned – alongside hosting the next World Expo 2020, make Dubai’s 20 million annual visitor target more than achievable. Theme parks currently under development are expected to generate $5bn annually by 2020 while the Expo site, hotels, retail and related infrastructure developments could see investment total some $40bn.
This is therefore an exciting time for Dubai and one of massive investment – meaning real opportunities for UK companies (some 5000 UK companies are already involved in the UAE, whether in design, construction, ICT, creative & experience economy, financial and professional services).


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Bioworld has signed a European apparel deal with 2Kool2BTrue, the Miami tattoo-inspired artwork brand. The exclusive apparel will be launched by Bioworld at The London Edge Trade Show in Earls Court in February 2012 as the first stage in a European roll out strategy to grow the brand within independent and fashion forward high street and online retailers.
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Coronavirus Lockdown: Fiat India Automobiles, Tata Motors JV plant resumes operations at Ranjangaon
Fiat India Automobiles Pvt Ltd (FIAPL) on Tuesday said Ranjangaon-based manufacturing facility, co-owned by it and Tata Motors, has resumed operations
New Delhi: Fiat India Automobiles Pvt Ltd (FIAPL) on Tuesday said Ranjangaon-based manufacturing facility, co-owned by it and Tata Motors, has resumed operations.
The plant is a 50:50 joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) India and Tata Motors.
FIAPL's management has developed and implemented a comprehensive programme of safety measures to protect over 3,000 direct and indirect employees, their families and surrounding communities from the spread and transmission of COVID-19, the automaker said in a statement.
The company, which manufactures passenger vehicles and powertrains in the plant, has implemented layers of protection, including cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing, it added.
"We have restarted operations with a lean workforce. Our absolute priority is the protection of employees, ensuring we provide them with a work environment that maintains the highest standards of safety, health and hygiene," FIAPL President Ravi Gogia said.
The company's responsibility is also to educate them on a regimen they should follow after work hours so that their families are also protected, he added.
"We have also activated our supply chain which is vital to ensuring smooth and efficient operations. Our aim is to gradually step-up with assured supplies and a careful increase in the density of our working," Gogia said.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Maharashtra govt launches 'world's largest' plasma therapy project for COVID-19 patients; trials to be held in 21 medical colleges
The project, titled 'Platina', is the largest convalescent plasma therapy-cum-trial project in the world, a state medical education department official said
India reports 14,821 new COVID-19 patients, 445 deaths in past 24 hours; total case count crosses 4.2 lakh with toll now at 13,699
India on Monday added 14,821 new COVID-19 cases pushing the infection tally to 4,25,282, while the death toll rose to 13,699 with 445 new fatalities, according to Union Health Ministry data.
COVID-19-hit US unlikely to be in EU's list of safe countries as Europe prepares to reopen to foreigners
European Union envoys are close to finalising a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe again, possibly from late next week, EU diplomats confirmed Saturda


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NEW DELHI: It is often viewed as a healthier alternative to a real smoke.
But electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have now been found to be as harmful for your lungs.
A new study, presented at the European Respiratory Society's annual Congress on Sunday, showed that the e-cigarette that claims to offer the experience of lighting up without the hazards, caused an immediate increase in airway resistance, lasting for 10 minutes.
Researchers from the University of Athens aimed to investigate the short-term effects of using e-cigarettes on different people, including people without any known health problems and smokers with and without existing lung conditions.
The study included eight people who had never smoked and 24 smokers, 11 with normal lung function and 13 with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.
Each person used an electronic cigarette for 10 minutes. The researchers then measured their airway resistance using a number of tests, including a spirometry test.
In healthy subjects (never smokers) there was a statistically significant increase in airway resistance from a mean average of 182% to 206%.
In smokers with normal spirometry there was a statistically significant increase from a mean average of 176% to 220%.
Experts say electronic cigarettes are devices that deliver nicotine through a vapour rather than smoke. There is no combustion involved but the nicotine in the device is still derived from tobacco.
Professor Christina Gratziou, chairperson of the ERS Tobacco Control Committee, said: "We do not yet know whether unapproved nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes, are safer than normal cigarettes, despite marketing claims that they are less harmful. This research helps us to understand how these products could be potentially harmful."
In countries such as India, e-cigarettes can be easily bought from kiosks.
"E-cigarettes are just a mechanism to deliver nicotine in an attractive format. One is only creating a customer for nicotine, people should not get lured into puffing e-cigs because they, too, are harmful," said Bhavna Mukhopadhyay from Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI).
"We found an immediate rise in airway resistance in our group of participants, which suggests e-cigarettes can cause immediate harm after smoking the device. More research is needed to understand whether this harm also has lasting effects in the long-term. The ERS recommends following effective smoking cessation treatment guidelines based on clinical evidence which do not advocate the use of such products," Professor Gratziou added.
Contrary to what some marketers of the electronic cigarette imply in their advertisements, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not consider it to be a legitimate therapy for smokers trying to quit.
"The electronic cigarette is not a proven nicotine replacement therapy," Dr Ala Alwan, assistant director-general of WHO's Noncommunicable Diseases had said.
"WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm the product's safety and efficacy. Its marketers should immediately remove from their web sites and other informational materials any suggestion that WHO considers it to be a safe and effective smoking cessation aid," Dr Alwan added.
The typical electronic cigarette is made of stainless steel, has a chamber for storing liquid nicotine in various concentrations, is powered by a rechargeable battery and resembles a real cigarette. Users puff on it as they would a real cigarette, but they do not light it, and it produces no smoke. Rather, it produces a fine, heated mist, which is absorbed into the lungs.
Developed in China in 2004, the electronic cigarette is sold there and in numerous other countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.
Marketers of the electronic cigarette typically describe it as a means to help smokers break their addictions to tobacco. Some have even gone so far as to imply that WHO views it as a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy like nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.
Manufacturers, however, claim these don't contain any of the 4,000 cancer-causing substances like tar and carbon monoxide found in regular fags and are, therefore, a "healthier smoking alternative".


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India has witnessed a record shift in purchasing habits toward the premium end for big-ticket items such as cars
, two-wheelers, smartphones
, televisions, refrigerators and laptops
since the pandemic, according to market trackers. In several categories, the contribution of pricier, premium products to total sales has doubled or is growing at twice the pace of the mass segment.
The latest data from market intelligence firm GfK India showed that the share in sales of laptops priced above Rs 60,000 has risen to 26% in the January-August period from 13% of total unit sales or volume sales in the same period of 2019. For televisions above 50 inches, it has risen to 12% from 5%; for washing machines with a capacity of 7 kg and more it has increased to 70% from 58%; and for refrigerators of 350-litres plus to 6% from 3%. For smartphones, the unit sale contribution of models priced above Rs 25,000 grew 1.5 times in August this year from the same month in 2019.
Similarly, the demand for cars priced above Rs 10 lakh has grown at a faster pace than the mainstream market below Rs 10 lakh. Between January and August 2021, the sub-Rs 10 lakh car market grew by 160% from the year earlier, whereas those above Rs 10 lakh have grown by 210%, according to Jato Dynamics India.
The automotive consulting firm says the share of sub-Rs 10 lakh segment in the overall market slipped by over 700 basis points, whereas that of vehicles in the Rs 10-20 lakh bracket gained 600 basis points, accounting for 23% of the overall market in January-August 2021 compared with 16% two years ago. Even in bikes, the pricier 125-250 cc segment has grown almost twice the pace than the entry-level 75 to 125 cc.Trend visible in smaller cities too
Jato Dynamics said the shift toward higher-priced models has been consistent over the last two to three years but became pronounced after the Covid-19 outbreak. The share of entry-level cars declined from 9.5% at the beginning of 2019 to 6.6% by the end of 2020 whereas the share of higher-priced SUVs and MPVs increased from 33% at the beginning 2019 to 41% by the end of 2020.
"The pandemic has brought some structural shifts in consumer choices and shopping behaviour," said Nikhil Mathur, managing director, India, GfK. He said consumers are looking for a value proposition in tech and durables rather than just utility, marking a clear shift to premiumisation.
Mathur said this trend of premiumisation is reflected even in smaller cities led by reverse migration, rising aspirations, and improved infrastructure. It will continue to grow, backed by easy financing options.
Tarun Garg, director, sales and marketing at Hyundai Motor India, said customers are stretching and they really want to have everything in a car, with no compromises. "This is happening across brands, across variants," he said. "Post the first Covid-19 wave, many industry experts predicted downtrading to lower segments. However, today, it is exactly the opposite that has happened. Our share of higher-priced cars and SUVs have gone up, preference towards higher variants have accelerated."Higher disposable income
CEOs also attribute this shift to premium cars, bikes, laptops and smartphones to higher disposable income with consumers who don't have too many avenues to spend on such as eating out, holidays and travel. They said this shift will continue at this pace with salaries restored or hiked, while spending avenues remain limited.
India's passenger vehicle market has recovered steadily since the slump in 2019 to 2.13 million units in August, although it's been hit by the global semiconductor shortage, leading to long waiting periods for some models. Vehicle makers have responded by launching 11 new models in 2021 in price segments above Rs 10 lakh with 84 variants, as per Jato Dynamics.
Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics India, said nearly 16% of households in India fall in the affluent (Rs 10-20 lakh annual income) and elite (Rs 20 lakh and above) categories. This upper category has benefited disproportionately, he said.
"Cars priced above Rs 10 lakh now account for more than 26% of the overall market and the rate of growth is higher than the overall industry. This augurs well for manufacturers and financiers," Bhatia said. Luxe car segment
The trend is magnified in the luxury car segment. Vikram Pawah, president of BMW Group, India, said even after the global financial crisis, the top end of the market had recovered the fastest and it's the same this time around too. To be sure, models such as the X7, 8 Series and M8 models priced above Rs 1 crore have longer waiting periods.
"The disposable income at the higher end is much more, hence the multiplier effect is higher," Pawah said.


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Perkins Coie is pleased to present its fourth annual Food Litigation Year in Review 2019, offering a summary of the past year’s key litigation outcomes, regulatory developments, and filing data. Using metrics from our proprietary database, developed by our food litigation team in order to track and understand trends in this area, 2019’s Year in Review again reports an increase in class action litigation, with a record-breaking 173 new lawsuits filed. The upward filing trends in the class action landscape are mirrored in other industries and in the prosecution of related claims: putative class actions against the pet food and dietary supplement industries were on the rise in 2019, as were Proposition 65 warning notices. Continue Reading Food Litigation Year in Review 2019
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued finalized amendments on January 14, 2020, to its regulations that will become effective on April 1, 2020. Per OEHHA in its Final Statement of Reasons, the amendments “clarify how intermediate parties in the chain of distribution can satisfy their obligation to provide a warning” under Proposition 65. OEHHA also revised the level of knowledge required to trigger warning obligations for retail sellers.
The Ninth Circuit delivered a win for food and beverage companies just in time for the new year in a published opinion in Becerra v. Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., — F.3d —, 2019 WL 7287554 (9th Cir. Dec. 30, 2019).
Plaintiff in Becerra alleged that use of the word “diet” to describe Diet Dr Pepper is misleading because it suggests the product will help consumers lose weight. She relied on several scientific studies to allege that aspartame, the artificial sweetener in many diet sodas, “is likely to cause weight gain,” and “poses no benefit for weight loss.” She also relied on the results of a survey that, according to Plaintiff, showed the majority of soft-drink consumers believe “diet” soft drinks will help them lose or maintain their weight. After several rounds of motion to dismiss briefing, the district court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice, and plaintiff appealed.
On the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent declarations regarding the safety of products containing cannabidiol (CBD), several companies have been hit with class action lawsuits alleging that that the company’s CBD-containing products are mislabeled and falsely advertised in violation of state law. Further class action litigation is expected given the language of the FDA’s recent pronouncements and the widespread availability of CBD-containing products. Companies should prepare for the possibility of litigation and actively seek to mitigate the risks of unwanted attention by FDA or putative class action plaintiffs.
On October 7, 2019, the California Chamber of Commerce (“CalChamber”) filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the Attorney General and private bounty hunter plaintiffs from enforcing Proposition 65 regulations relating to acrylamide in food.
Acrylamide is a chemical that forms in nearly all starchy plant-based foods that have undergone high-temperature cooking, including French fries, coffee, cereals, crackers, breads, tortilla chips, dried fruits and many other foods. Acrylamide has been present in food as long as humans have been cooking. The chemical forms from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food—it is not intentionally added to foods, nor does it come from food packaging or the environment. Continue Reading California Chamber of Commerce Challenges Proposition 65 Acrylamide Warning for Foods
Late last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 595, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2019 (the “SAFE Banking Act”). The stated purpose of the SAFE Banking Act is to “increase public safety by ensuring access to financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers and reducing the amount of cash at such businesses.”
In particular, the bill would provide safe harbor and other protections under federal law to financial institutions and insurers that provide services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses. Under the proposed bill, such insurers and financial service providers would not be subject to liability under federal law solely for providing such services to, or investing the income derived from, cannabis-related legitimate businesses.
In an Order issued earlier this week, the D.C. Superior Court entered an important ruling on the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (DCCPPA). While the ruling ultimately found that the plaintiffs in the suit had standing, it substantially trimmed the theories upon which that standing was grounded.
In Praxis Project et al. v. The Coca-Cola Company, two individuals and a non-profit organization lodged suit against the beverage manufacturer alleging that the manufacturer had made false, deceptive, and misleading representations about its sugar-sweetened beverages in violation of the DCCPPA. Among other things, the Plaintiffs alleged they had standing to lodge the suit based on the DCCPPA’s unique standing provisions.
As of August 2019, overall food litigation filings are on pace with those of last year. California and New York remain the two most popular jurisdictions for food litigation matters. While California filings in 2019 are approximately the same as this time last year, we note that about 40% of total California filings occurred between September and December 2018. So far this year, we have also noticed an uptick in filings in the District of Columbia. While filings in the District were a small part of the overall total in 2018, food-related filings in this jurisdiction are currently exceeding those of larger jurisdictions, including Florida, Illinois, and Missouri.
Regarding types of matters, false labeling cases have far outstripped those of other categories. Compared with August 2018, food-related false advertising claims have increased nearly 60%. Filings for “all natural” and slack-fill claims have fallen compared to August 2018, with fewer than 20 new cases filed in 2019 from both categories combined. Even so, we are tracking a number of important trends regarding “all natural” claims, including several cases alleging that the presence of malic acid or other materials render product labeling regarding “naturally flavored” false or misleading. Continue Reading PC Food Litigation Index: August 2019
As we reported in July 2019, many states have enacted laws related to the labeling of meat alternative products and limiting their use of meat-like descriptors like burgers or hot dogs. One such law recently took effect in Mississippi.
Mississippi’s law, S.B. 2922, provided that a plant-based, insect-based, or cell-cultured food product “shall not be labeled as meat or a meat food product” and even imposed potential criminal sanctions for doing so. Just a few weeks after it went into effect, the state has promulgated draft regulations that appear to create a substantial carve-out for plant-based foods. The draft regulations are notable for what is included and omitted from this significant carve out. Continue Reading Industry Insight: Mississippi Reverses Course on Plant-Based Meat Alternative Labeling
In recent years, we have tracked numerous cases that claimed food products marketed as “pure” did not have the marketed levels of purity. From water to cheese to honey products, “pure” claims have led to challenges in federal and state courts around the country.
Many suits alleged that trace amounts of synthetic chemicals or pesticides render products impure or otherwise not 100% “natural.” Recently, a consumers’ association sued a tea manufacturer, alleging that the tea showed trace amounts of synthetic molecules, including glyphosate, even though it was marketed as “100% Natural” and “Pure.” Honey manufacturers have faced several similar suits, which alleged that honey containing trace amounts of pesticides, particularly glyphosate, is not “100% Pure.” Continue Reading Industry Insights: Putting “Pure” Claims in Context


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Nokia is changing hands again, but this time, the sale of the company will allow it to finally sell Nokia-branded, Android-powered devices.
A quick backstory: a little more than two years ago, Microsoft bought Nokia's phone division. Now, the tech company is letting it go. Well, it's letting go of its feature phones division.
The story gets even more interesting. The sale of Microsoft's low-end phone unit in a $350 million deal involves a new Finland-based company named HMD Global. It may sound new, but its owner is one we're all familiar with - Foxconn.
That's right. The controversial Chinese manufacturer of iPhones owns the company that just bought what will be the return of Nokia in Android form. In addition, the 4,500 former employees of Microsoft's phone division will also be switching sides to HMD Global.
The fine print of a press release, however, reveals that Nokia Technologies itself won't be making Android-powered devices. The company basically just licensed HMD sole use of the Nokia brand on phones and tablets worldwide for the next 10 years. So yes, upcoming phones bearing the "Nokia" name will be powered by Android, but these won't necessarily be made by the Nokia we knew and loved in the company's heyday a decade ago.
Nonetheless, HMD Global plans to leverage, grow and of course, ride on Nokia's global brand reach to sell beautifully designed, high-quality devices that we have come to expect from the Nokia brand.
Besides the hundreds of millions they've already spent, the Finnish Foxconn-owned company will also pay out more than $500 million in the next three years to support the worldwide marketing of the new breed of Nokia phones and tablets.
"Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand in an industry where Nokia remains a truly iconic name. ... Working with HMD and FIH will let us participate in one of the largest consumer electronics markets in the world while staying true to our licensing business model," said Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies.
Photo: John Karakatsanis | Flickr


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This has not been a great year for the PC industry -- and it's about to get even worse. With sales of mobile devices exploding, Gartner yesterday downgraded its forecast for PC sales this year to 9.3 percent or 385 million units from 10.5 percent.
Sure, lots of execs in other industries would kill to have a growth rate that high, and 9.3 percent is much higher than the projected growth of the entire economy. So why am I singing the blues for Michael Dell? In a word: momentum. Tablets, smartphones, and the cloud have it. PCs and PC-centric companies like Dell and Microsoft don't.
[ Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the Mobile Edge blog and Mobilize newsletter. | Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. ]
A tale of lowered growth would have been far less doleful five years ago. In those days, a dip in sales would have been due to one of two factors: either a temporary slip in the economy or a buying pause as businesses and consumers delayed purchases while they waited for a new operating system from Microsoft.
Not this time. The recession is certainly a factor; businesses are spending less on everything, and so are many consumers. But is anyone sitting around thinking, "Gosh, Windows 8 and its cool touch interface will be here in 2012. Don't want to buy a PC now." But you can bet your butt that when the iPhone 5 (or 4S, as the case may be) rollout is close, the excitement meter will be off the chart.
What we're looking at is a perfect storm: The mobile revolution, the desire of consumers to accumulate digital content at home, and the consumerization of IT are together swamping the PC.
Netbook sales sliding
One telling point in the Gartner forecast is the cratering of netbook sales. "Consumer mobile PCs are no longer driving growth, because of sharply declining consumer interest in mini-notebooks [aka netbooks]. Mini-notebook shipments have noticeably contracted over the last several quarters, and this has substantially reduced overall mobile PC unit growth," says Ranjit Atwal, a research director at Gartner.
The PC industry, including Intel, invested tons of marketing and development money in those little guys, and after an initial burst of sales to early adopters, people didn't want them. Why? They were like buying a Yugo instead of a Toyota. Stripped down and underpowered, they simply weren't interesting.
The failure is all the more striking when you look at what Apple was doing at the same time. At the height of the miniboom in netbook sales, Steve Jobs was catching flack from pundits who thought he should produce a mini MacBook. He refused, instead focusing the company's energy on the iPad. We know how that worked out. As of the last quarter, the biggest drag on sales of iPad 2 was lack of capacity to meet demand. Simply put, Apple is selling every single one it can produce. Wouldn't Michael Dell like to be in that position?
The Gartner report maintains that sales of tablets are, by and large, not responsbile for the falloff in PC sales. "They don't overlap enough in function," says Gartner analyst George Shiffler. But people who can afford them may well be extending the life of their existing laptops and using the money they've saved to buy a tablet rather than a new laptop.
Although Gartner might be slower than some of us to predict the fall of the PC, the research company is changing its methodology to reflect the mobile consumer revolution. By the end of the year, Shiffler told me, Gartner will issue a unified forecast that encompasses several computing devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, and cellphones.


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Chattanoogans and non-Chattanoogans alike may have noticed that our city has received quite a bit of media attention for our thriving 3D printing scene. CNET, one of the world’s top sites for tech news, said that 3D printing is “where Chattanooga's past meets its future,” while 3D Printing Industry noted that Chattanooga is on track to “be far ahead of the world.”
Like many people, you may be confused about what exactly 3D printing is and – perhaps more importantly – why Chattanooga has a become leader in the industry. You’ve arrived at the right place.
Simply put, 3D printing allows users to upload a digital file and ‘print’ customized, three dimensional, solid objects layer by layer (here’s a handy video from Mashable that explains the 3D printing process). 3D printing offers many advantages over traditional manufacturing, like the ability to print hard-to-find machine parts on demand, or print shapes that aren’t found in traditional manufacturing processes. Around the globe, people use 3D printing to create things we’ve never seen before, like 3D printing food and cars.
In the midst of all this innovation, industry experts recognize Chattanooga as a top hub for 3D printing companies, which comes as no surprise to those who have recently visited the area. For starters, there’s a large cluster of 3D printing companies in Chattanooga, including: Branch Technology, which uses the world’s largest freeform printer to make building walls; 3D Ops, which uses CT scans and MRIs to build 3D printed models of body parts, so that surgeons can better plan and practice medical procedures beforehand; and Collider, a startup which recently received invested from VC firm Asimov Ventures, will allow manufacturers to print in materials and shapes not yet used in 3D printing.
These companies all participated in GIGTANK, a boutique accelerator for startups developing ultra high-bandwith business applications. GIGTANK organizers recognized that Chattanooga – a city with a rich history in manufacturing – was ripe to be the next great 3D printing hub, and in 2014 dedicated spots in the summer GIGTANK program to 3D printing companies. Many companies, including Branch, first came to Chattanooga for the GIGTANK program and ended up staying after realizing how great Chattanooga is.
So what else makes Chattanooga a 3D printing hub? As you’ve heard, Chattanooga boasts the fastest internet in the Western Hemisphere. Our municipal utility, EPB, offers companies and residents internet speeds as fast as 10 gigabits—more than 300 times faster than the average U.S. speed. Most importantly, our internet allows users to upload speed as fast as they can download: a critical aspect for 3D printing companies uploading large files with their product designs.
Since the Gig’s roll out in 2010, our city has experienced a cultural and entrepreneurial renaissance, which has helped attract new companies and residents. In fact, Chattanooga’s downtown has doubled its number of residents in the past two years; investors are building more than $700 million in downtown developments, providing even more housing and cultural opportunities for all. 3D printing has made its way downtown—the fourth floor of the Chattanooga Public Library is home to a 3D printer that is available for public use.
And of course, these companies promote Chattanooga in their own way by exporting 3D printed and Chattanooga-made products. Branch Technology recently displayed its 3D printed garden pavilion at Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville, making the news and exposing many to what Chattanooga-area companies can create.
Are you part of 3D printing company and want to learn more about bringing your company to Chattanooga, or simply interested in learning more about 3D printing in our city? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and give us a call at 423-756-2121. We can’t wait to hear from you.


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US-based B2B payment solution provider Bento for Business has teamed up with Visa to roll out a new debit card product.
The new product is designed for small and mid-size businesses (SMBs).
Under the agreement, the B2B payment firm will add Visa Business debit cards to its modular financial operating platform. Furthermore, this aims to help small businesses manage their cash and employee expenses.
The integration will give Visa’s SMBs clients access to Bento’s businesses management tools. These include budgeting, capital management, employee card controls, and bookkeeping.
Visa global head of small and medium enterprises David Simon said: “The SMB segment is a priority for Visa and we continue to be an advocate for the 30 million SMBs in the United States.
“The Bento solution will evolve how Visa Business cardholders and merchants manage expenses and gain insights into their cash flow and financial management activities.”
CEO, Farhan Ahmad said: “We are confident that working with Visa will strengthen and accelerate our mission to bring a complete financial operating platform to the underserved SMB market and help these businesses to unlock the fullest potential of their working capital.”
Visa has been added to Bento’s operating platform, having teamed up with Mastercard in 2015.


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IN recent news WTWO - The Company announced on May 07, 2012, it had received an initial purchase order for $300,000 as Phase I of a purchase program worth $4,000,000. The initial order calls for the manufacturing of 5 combustion powered rotary engines that will convert several palm oil power plants in Germany.
This purchase program also includes the development and manufacturing of a demo plant for Dubai. The demo plant is now fully designed and ready for production. Plans are for the plant to utilize its new state of the art liquid plasma torch technology.
The new demo reactor is now in production and is expected to be ready by the end of August. Additionally, the Company expects to have its new generation combustion motor up and running by mid- September.


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AJA appoints Miss Grand International (MGI) to be sole online distributor of health supplements, anti-aging & beauty products, seeks to expand B2B wholesale both domestic and overseas, adding new products total 30 SKU to boost sales.
Comment: I mean….if AJA is appointing you, you gotta be quality…..AJA has been in far too many pump n dumps for me to remember.
AOT sees 3.5m passenger during CNY week at its 6 airports, +20% yoy, and would avg 352,393/day, with 21,115 flights/d, +16.7% yoy.
Comment: It’s definitely feeling a lot like CNY
BAY eyes more M&A in retail banking business to expand footprint in the region, target to boost overseas revenue from 14% last year to 25% over next 3 years.
Comment: I’m not sure if BAY is going to be the main investment/financing arm for the Japanese expansion throughout the region. They’ve already been going directly, and just using BAY to take pieces here and there.
BDMS is expected to register solid 1Q supported by wellness tourism after signed MOU on healthcare collaborate with Saudi late last year, wider margin from specialty clinics and complex diseases, higher contribution from SSO patients, Thunhoon.
Comment: BDMS are going to be building mosques within their hospitals. The issue for BDMS now is that in the provinces, they’re going to lose market share to the great local players that are able to provide the same/better service at -20-30% the price.
DITTO’s board approved acquisition of 24.9% stake in NETBAY, 49.8m shares @ Bt17 total Bt846m via share swap with NETBAY’s CEO, Pichit Viwatrujirapong, which will receive 3.32m shares of DITTO @ Bt25.5/share valued at Bt846m, to complete by end of Feb, AGM Feb 5.
Comment: So the POS that is DITTO has decided to buy a real business in NETBAY and then the founder of NETBAY went “ahhh I’m finally liquid” and will dump his stake in DITTO.
KLINIQ sees all time high revenue in 2023 to Bt2.2b, +30-40%, from 50 branches nationwide, expects another record high this year with same 30-40% growth, supported by 15 new branches.
Comment: You need to carefully go through this company’s accounts.
NYT sees monthly avg vehicles traffic thru RO-RF pier between 85k to 90k units/month driven by auto EX-IM, boost from EV, mulls expand cargo warehouse to fill demand for space.
Comment: Okokokok. Are these EV’s been Exported? Or imported?
PTTEP’s allocating a Bt230b this year to boost gas production at Erawan gas block, expects petroleum sale to grow 9% to 505K DOED this year from 468K last year.
Comment: OH, MORE CAPEX FROM OIL&GAS? Who’s been saying that the only industry spending money this year are the OGs? Sustainability/ESG donkeys can LMBs.
SSP to conduct feasibility study to invest in 2 windfarm projects including 38mw windfarm in Pingtung, Taiwan and 150mw in Bako Philippines.


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Amazon will be the last of three major tech companies to alter its policy on listening to customers' voice recordings amid mounting public pressure. On Friday, Amazon began allowing users of its Echo smart speaker -- equipped with the voice-assistant Alexa -- to opt out of program that gathered some users' voice recordings for human review. After being collected, recordings were sent to third-party contractors who then listened to the clips and documented its content and whether or not the device was able to complete the command. Amazon will let users choose whether or not their voice recordings can be used in a program that listens to audio snippets for Echo smart-speaker improvements. As previously reported, the program accidentally scraped up private information from users by accident, including arguments, official business talk, and audio of people having sex.
Hot on the heels of Amazon admitting it can listen to private Alexa audio, a new report has revealed that employees can also access users' home addresses. An Amazon team charged with auditing Alexa users' commands can see users' latitude and longitude coordinates, allowing them to easily discover their addresses, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to the situation. It's the same team uncovered by Bloomberg earlier this month, which is located all over the world and sifts through thousands of recordings, transcribing and analyzing them in the process. An Amazon team charged with auditing Alexa users' commands can see their location coordinates, allowing them to easily discover their addresses, a new report has found Tap the menu button on the top-left of the screen. Select'Manage how your data improves Alexa.' Turn the button next to'Help Develop New Features' to off.
Amazon staff review thousands of audio recordings made by Alexa each day -- including snippets of couples arguing and having sex -- an investigation claims. The clips were accidentally captured by the popular digital assistant -- confusing the noises for the commands it should be listening to -- and sent off for analysis. Staff at the tech firm review one in every five-hundred recordings made by Alexa, whether of deliberate commands to the assistant or accidental recordings. According to a privacy expert, the revelation is a reminder of the extent of the personal information that the tech firm has on its users. Amazon has an English-speaking team monitoring thousands of Alexa recordings daily based in Bucharest, Romania, the Sun claims, along with similar setups in Boston, Costa Rica and India.
Forty-one percent of voice assistant users are concerned about trust, privacy and passive listening, according to a new report from Microsoft focused on consumer adoption of voice and digital assistants. And perhaps people should be concerned -- all the major voice assistants, including those from Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung, as well as Microsoft, employ humans who review the voice data collected from end users. But people didn't seem to know that was the case. So when Bloomberg recently reported on the global team at Amazon that reviews audio clips from commands spoken to Alexa, some backlash occurred. In addition to the discovery that our AI helpers also have a human connection, there were concerns over the type of data the Amazon employees and contractors were hearing -- criminal activity and even assaults in a few cases, as well as the otherwise odd, funny or embarrassing things the smart speakers picked up.
WATCH (May 24, 2018): Amazon's Alexa records family's conversation, sends it to random contact Amazon staff can listen to commands and questions users pose to the Alexa voice assistant -- and they sometimes do. The company acknowledged that the conversations aren't totally private in a statement to Global News after the news was first reported by Bloomberg. "We only annotate an extremely small number of interactions from a random set of customers in order to improve the customer experience," Amazon said in the statement. Amazon explained that the company uses samples collected to better train "speech recognition and natural language understanding systems." READ MORE: Alexa recorded one family's conversations and sent them to a friend, without them knowing Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Amazon has "thousands" of employees who are trying to improve Alexa's speech recognition technology.


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The following is a collection of craft beer news and events in San Jose and the greater South Bay for the upcoming week and beyond. As event details may change from time to time, please do check with the establishment directly, especially if you are extra excited about a particular event.
Recent beer news
Check out the recent article on a co-op brewpub in San Jose in its initial planning stages with a Q&A with one of the principle organizers.
Beer events this upcoming week
Mon., Nov. 12, 2012: San Jose’s Wine Affairs hosts a Ballast Point keg tapping event. 1435 The Alameda, 408-977-0111. The following is from their recent newsletter: “We will be featuring Ballast Point beers with a special keg tapping of Indra Kunindra (stout brewed with madras curry, cayanne pepper, cumin, toasted coconut, and kaffir lime leaf). Keg tapping at 5 p.m. plus some other delicious treats from Ballast Point will be available all day on draft and in bottle.”
Tues., Nov. 13, 2012, starting at 4:20 p.m.: Original Gravity Public House in downtown San Jose hosts a Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ tapping event. 66 S. First St. Per their Facebook event page: “October 2012 marks the return of the feared and revered Brown Shugga after a painful year of drought! Come hang with Rudy of Lagunitas and warm your insides with this incredible beer.”
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.: There is a tapping party featuring WinterBock at Gordon Biersch San Jose. 33 East San Fernando St., 408-294-6785. Per their recent newsletter: “WinterBock beer is a dark, full-bodied lager with overtones of caramel and toffee maltiness with a hint of holiday spirit.” There will be live music and complimentary passed appetizers. Folks who bring an unwrapped toy to be donated for Toys for Tots will receive 2 complimentary WinterBock beer tickets.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.: A tapping party featuring Winter Tartan Scottish Ale takes place at Rock Bottom Campbell. 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #700, 408-377-0707. Per their recent newsletter: Winter Tartan is “a traditional Scottish ale with a smooth, malty flavor and a hint of vanilla.” Folks can also meet brewer Russell Clements at this tapping event.
Wed., Nov. 14, 2012, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Catch live music and good beer at Poor House Bistro with “Blues & $2 Brews” featuring 21st Amendment Brewery. 91 South Autumn Street, San Jose, 408-292-5837.
Thurs., Nov. 15, 2012, starting at 6:00 p.m.: Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose hosts their weekly Pint Night. Check the Harry’s Hofbrau Facebook page for updates. 390 Saratoga Ave., 408-243-0434.
Thurs., Nov. 15, 2012, starting at 6 p.m.: Jack’s Bar & Lounge in Japantown offers up their weekly $2 Pint Night. Check the Jack’s Bar & Lounge Facebook page for updates. 167 East Taylor St., 408-287-5225.
Fri., Nov. 16, 2012: BevMo! stores host weekly Beer Tasting events on Fridays. Check your local BevMo! store for details.
Sat., Nov. 17, 2012, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.: The fourth SJ Beerwalk (previous SJ Beerwalks took place in Japantown and downtown Campbell) takes place in downtown Willow Glen. For details, including ticket purchasing, click here. The following is from their recent media release: “SJ Beerwalk will be bringing the same thoughtfulness in beer selection and strong emphasis on community to Willow Glen. The focus of the first Willow Glen Beerwalk will be seasonal/winter brews… ‘Beerwalkers’ will be invited to discover and explore twenty-five charming venues, from exclusive boutiques to unique restaurants.”
Sat.-Sun., Nov. 17-18, 2012: Left Bank Brasserie Santana Row hosts a prix fixe meal paired with beers from Drake’s Brewing Company as part of their Left Bank Santana Row Summer Beer Pairing Series, La Fête de la Bière. 377 Santana Row, Suite 1100, 408-984-3500.
Looking ahead: Save the date
Tues., Nov. 27, 2012, starting at 6:30 p.m.: Winter Wonderland Brewer’s Dinner takes place at Rock Bottom Campbell. 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #700, 408-377-0707. Beer pairings to be announced. Call the restaurant to make reservations. For the Facebook event page, click here.
Thurs., Nov. 29, 2012: Pint Night at Santa Clara’s Wicked Chicken featuring Strike Brewing Company takes place. 2565 The Alameda, 408-246-9464.
Sat., Dec. 8, 2012, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m., KraftBrew Winter Ball 2012. Seasonal beer tasting and holiday ball at the San Jose’s Woman’s Club – 75 S. 11th St. Per their recently posted Facebook event page: “Featuring newly released holiday ales and specialty brews, the KraftBrew Winter Ball will be a festive event in which guests are encouraged to dress in their holiday finery, dance, drink, and be merry. And now, for the first time ever, the KraftBrew WinterBall will feature a ticketed price which includes all food and beer tasting. Tickets are limited and will go on presale for $35.00 each. Light Appetizers will be provided by the Naglee Park Garage. Other highlights of the night include two live bands that will be sure to get your toes tapping and best beer purveyors from around the Bay Area. More info on bands, brews, and special menu to come, so stay tuned!”
[This post was shared on Examiner.com.]


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Amazon is about to commence promoting hoverboards once again, and Ideal Get will start promoting hoverboards for the first time, now that security-compliant boards are hitting the marketplace. TechNews is prepared to deliver all your articles at a blistering pace, with our snazzy News Show Pro GK5 module generating distinctive article previews direct on your homepage in style. Generating high-quality content is challenging enough without having having to worry about developing your site from scratch. Hover animations and highlights make it clear when components are clickable, and CSS animations, such as the radial social icons menu for sharing posts across the web, make your web site active and fascinating.
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Tech News Tube allows you to stay on best of the latest tech news and rumors in 1 elegantly designed reader. Justin Robert Young hosts the show and is joined by Steve Kovach (Tech Insider) and Len Peralta to talk about Facebook and their ad push beyond the walled garden. Enjoy a completely overhauled Tech News Tube experience with our greatest release ever.


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ERO welcomed to Prague Christian Zinglersen, ACER Director, who had arrived as part of his long planned calls on regulators across the EU. In addition to discussing European energy regulation and long-term cooperation between the organisations, Stanislav Trávníček, Chairman of the ERO Board, and Christian Zinglersen also touched upon the current situation in the Czech Republic.
“I am not aware of any of the European regulators overseeing the selection of a business strategy by a particular energy supplier or the way the supplier manages its risks or grasps market opportunities. This is not a basic role for regulators. But, naturally, the current situation in Europe spurs debates amongst us, the regulators, on the way to address suppliers’ reliability and to protect consumers when the supplier’s stability fails,” says Christian Zinglersen.
For the ACER Director, Stanislav Trávníček described the impacts of the largest alternative supplier’s and other smaller suppliers’ recent collapse, which had affected some 900,000 consumers who then migrated to their supplier of last resort. He suggested that this experience should result in reflections on boosting the European regulatory framework with a view to preventing such risks.
Christian Zinglersen noted that he saw similar developments, albeit with not so serious impacts, in a number of EU countries.
Stanislav Trávníček described the situation in the Czech Republic as a representative example of the impacts caused by collapsing suppliers’ business strategies that verged on moral hazard. He emphasised that these suppliers did not honour their contract obligations to their consumers and failed them in a most regrettable manner; the competent authorities should now investigate this.
Christian Zinglersen commented on the unusual situation in the market, also regretting that ERO’s independence was being challenged in certain areas.
In respect of the lesson potentially learned from the current developments Christian Zinglersen pointed to the upcoming preliminary evaluation of high energy prices in Europe, carried out by ACER based on a request from the European Commission. He specifically noted that the current price shock at the wholesale level, which was the basis of the problems in retail markets, was entirely unprecedented and had primarily been caused by global shifts in supply and demand. As such, it occurred completely beyond control of the EU, let alone the member states themselves.
According to Christian Zinglersen, it is all the more necessary that ACER reflects on adequate protection of final consumers against the risk of excessive wholesale prices and potential collapse of suppliers who do not honour their contract obligations to their consumers. The EU’s current legal framework is designed so that energy regulators across Europe are not in a position to oversee suppliers’ risk management and business strategy; and even when uncovering any irregularities, they have virtually no options for intervening. At the same time, the current experience clearly reflects the need for tools that will suppress the risk of the recurrence of these situations, which fundamentally undermine consumers’ confidence in the energy market.


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New Yorkers generally can’t agree on anything, so when the city collectively comes down hard on your business plan, it might be time to consider a pivot.
That’s the dilemma Paul McDonald and Ashwath Rajan are facing as word begins to spread about the former Google (GOOG) employees’ idea, which some see as a threat to the city’s bodegas and mom-and-pop stores throughout the country.
Bodegas—grocery stores that can be found all over the NYC area—are invaluable for people who need to dash out for an essential item (or, just as frequently, a deli sandwich).
McDonald and Rajan’s venture, which not-so-ironically is called Bodega, envisions five-foot-wide pantry boxes filled with non-perishable items that can be opened with an app and will automatically charge customers for what they take. The startup has already installed 50 kiosks on the west coast and plans to have over 1,000 nationwide by the end of 2018.
The convenience factor might be nice, but that’s not quelling the outrage on Twitter.
The takeaway from Twitter? If you want to take on big retailers, have at it. But New Yorkers would kill for their bodegas.


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Ichimoku Kinko Hyo EUR/JPY: The EUR/JPY pair is now testing the lower level of the cloud…
EUR/USD is about to retest 1.1600
Information is not investment advice
The pair slightly contracted after reaching the highest level since 2018. What’s next?
The euro has shown the great performance during 2020 so far. It seems it has changed the 2-year downward long-term trend. If we look at the weekly chart below, we will notice it.
The Euro gained on the current risk-on sentiment and the weak US dollar. Also, EU members agreed on the 750-billion-euros recovery fund to support economies in Europe. This fund includes 360 billion euros in loans and 390 billion euros in grants that don’t need to be repaid. Moreover, today the German consumer climate gave an additional impetus to the further EUR’s rally. It came out 0.8%, that was twice better than analysts expected. Some analysts claimed that the euro is overbought, but it keeps rallying no matter what.
If we look at the weekly EUR/USD chart, we’ll see that the pair is really close to break the intersection of the 12-year trendline and the 50.0% Fibonacci retracement level at 1.1600. If it crosses it, it will surge to the 61.8% Fibo level at 1.1820.
Now let’s look at the 4-hour chart. EUR/USD reached the key psychological mark at 1.1600, but then slightly contracted. If it breaks it through again, the price may jump to the high of September 9, 2018 at 1.1625. On the flip slide, the move below the support at 1.1570 will form the bearish double-top pattern and push EUR/USD even lower to 1.1525. Follow the US unemployment claims report at 15:30 MT time. It will add some fresh volatility to the pair!
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo CHF/JPY: The CHF/JPY pair is now testing the upper level of the cloud…
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo GBP/JPY: The GBP/JPY pair is now trading within the cloud…
The stock market has reversed, and now it’s going lower and lower…
Walmart is one of the biggest retail corporations in the US, with $244 billion in total assets. Does it worth buying amid rising prices and supply concerns that shatter the world economy?
Japan's inflation is set to reach 2% in April's reading, for the first time since 2015. But what about the weaker Yen?!


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FCA Boss Wants Midsize Pickup for Ram
Question is whether or not it should be body on frame.
The Ram brand needs to expand and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is considering a return to the midsize pickup market, CEO Sergio Marchionne said in Geneva today.
"We're looking into it," Marchionne told reporters at the 2016 Geneva auto show. "I have a keen interest in getting it done. The big question is whether it should be body on frame."
FCA has explored the idea of a unibody, lifestyle compact pickup and while the idea was in the works for some time, it was never greenlighted because the automaker was having trouble developing a truck that would get the fuel efficiency required and that could be sold at an affordable price while still generating a profit.
The business case is still tough -- Marchionne said when he looks at the Chevrolet Colorado he assumes the profit margins are lower than General Motors' full-size pickups because the costs are likely similar but the smaller trucks sell for less.
Even so, "I think it's a good place to be. Ram needs to expand its lineup."
Ford is expected to reintroduce the Ranger midsize pickup to the U.S. market in 2018, and build the smaller body-on-frame truck at its Michigan Assembly Plant.
Ford discontinued the Ranger for North America in 2011 but the truck is a strong seller in the rest of the world. In the U.S., the automaker wanted to steer all sales to the larger F-150. The Dodge Dakota, Chrysler's last midsize pickup, was discontinued after the 2011 model year.
The small pickup segment has seen a resurgence with the new GM entries and Toyota's new Tacoma.
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Tata Motors is planning to launch new, fuel efficient cars and hybrid vehicles in India and China. Tata is also planning to increase sales of its luxury brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in the two markets. Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said that the company is planning to launch a new cross-over vehicle, two new passenger vehicles and a new range of heavy trucks in India.
“The current range of vehicles has seen resurgence in demand, and the challenge before the company today is to deliver enough vehicles to meet market demand,” Tata said.
He said that China has emerged as the third-largest global market for Land Rover⁄Range Rover and “studies are underway to consider options to increase market penetration in China, India and other developing markets.”
Tata also revealed that the company is also planning to widen the Jaguar portfolio by launching a station wagon, a new entry-level Jaguar, and a new roadster.
Tata also plans to revamp its entire Range Rover portfolio and vows “the new Range Rover EVOQUE will have a bold design evolution in sports utility vehicles (SUVs).”
Tata Motors registered a 41 percent increase by selling 67,799 vehicles in July 2010 as against 48,054 vehicles in the same period in 2009. This includes the company’s export as well.
In the domestic market, it recorded a 39 percent growth at 63,558 units, including both passenger and commercial vehicles, as against the 45,599 units sold in the same time last year.


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Scania has restarted production of its V8 truck and marine engines, following an order stop caused by strike action at one if its suppliers.
The company says it has begun the challenging process of reducing its backlog of orders.
“This is probably the worst disruption that has hit our company in many decades when it comes to supply disturbances,” said Alexander Vlaskamp, senior vice president of Scania Trucks.
“I really would like to thank our customers for the great patience and understanding they have been showing during this dire situation. We at Scania are now doing everything in our power to reinstate a normal situation and deliver V8 trucks and engines worldwide as soon as possible,” he added.
Lengthy strikes at one of Scania’s main casting suppliers led to the production halt. It has now secured a small but steady initial supply of the engine blocks that are the foundation of the V8s.
Scania says it will take some time to deal with the backlog.
“There will still be uncertainties for some weeks before we have the whole picture and can ramp up our production,” confirms Vlaskamp. “But we are starting now, and will increase gradually with the aim of confirming a correct delivery schedule during the next few months for existing orders. We will successively open up for new orders.”
The V8 engines for Scania’s new truck generation, and for its industrial and marine applications, are produced in Södertälje, Sweden. The truck engine range consists of four different versions, with power outputs ranging from 520hp up 730hp, and to more than 1,150hp for marine engines.


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Money matters are serious business. Whether it’s tracking expenses, getting paid, or managing payroll, finance-related tasks have zero room for error and no time for delay. And if there’s one company that understands this more than anyone, it’s Intuit.
A leading provider of financial and tax preparation software for consumers, small businesses and accountants, Intuit is constantly working to improve the performance of its various software titles, which include QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Quicken. As part of that effort, the QuickBooks Online team uses New Relic APM and Insights to keep an eye on what customers using the app are experiencing.
“We’ve been using New Relic for the past two years and it’s been great in helping us identify the changes we need to make for the app to work better,” said Gran Goza, principal application operations engineer for Intuit’s Small Business SaaS offerings.
One of those changes included moving QuickBooks Online into a single-page architecture, one in which the app could now live mostly in the browser and render pages much faster. “Now that the app is no longer going back to the server side to generate and download entire pages, we can just get the data needed from the server side to display in the browser. This greatly reduces the amount of data being sent to the user for each request, from hundreds of kilobytes down to much less than a kilobyte. So users are experiencing much faster response times.”
Gran and other members of the Intuit team were recently at the Velocity conference in Santa Clara showcasing the new QuickBooks Online experience and how they’re using New Relic Insights to ensure optimal performance for its users.
“Because all transactions are automatically feeding into our Insights dashboard, the greatest value that I see is the ability to look very specifically at problem areas in near real time,” Gran said. “We’re able to slice and dice our New Relic APM data to get a closer look at what might be causing the problem, or spot different performance trends that we can use to proactively find and fix emerging issues.”
In addition to using New Relic’s histogram and percentile features to drill into performance problems, Intuit is also starting to explore more business use cases for New Relic’s real-time analytics platform. “For example,” explained Gran, “I can see how using Insights with tagging could help empower our customer care team. They could get additional data to help debug and immediately work with a product engineer to get issues fixed much quicker than before.”
Once Gran’s team familiarizes itself with New Relic Insights a bit more, they plan to expand its usage into payroll and Intuit’s other Small Business offerings. “Although it’s only been a few months,” said Gran, “we’re already seeing actionable data from Insights that we can use to improve our customers’ experiences.”
Want to learn more?
Read the blog post, “’Mobile-Ready’ Services Enable Innovation at Intuit.”
Image credit: Asami Novak/New Relic


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November 1, 2023
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has paid out $16 million to whistleblowers this year, with the majority of the 1,530 tips received involving cryptocurrency. Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero stated that crypto continues to be an area with pervasive fraud and other illegal activities. The rise of cryptocurrency has led to more retail customers falling under the CFTC's jurisdiction, making the efforts of the CFTC's Whistleblower Program and the Office of Customer Education and Outreach even more crucial.
Emily, a dynamic blend of tech-savvy and casino enthusiast, hails from the snowy landscapes of Canada. With her innate grasp of cultural nuances, she ensures online casino guides resonate deeply with Canadians. Emily's spirited and engaging nature makes her a favourite among peers.


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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a drop in startups which has reduced employment opportunities across a variety of industries. Many businesses have been forced into budget cuts and employee furloughs because of the harsh economic times. After a virtual portfolio meeting with several company CEOs to discuss COVID-19 challenges, Andrew Chung, founder of 1955 Capital, provided the following takeaways for how startups can adapt to this new reality.
Businesses will be forced to make tough decisions regarding budgeting during this time. The success of any startup relies on how well leaders steer their businesses toward success. CEOs must think creatively when making budgeting decisions, including more upfront cash payments, cost-sharing, and other financial support.
According to Andrew Chung, runway planning entails engaging strategic partners who have been severely hit by the crisis. Some businesses have experienced significant downward pressure on market caps and are dealing with furloughs and budget cuts. The number of people filing for unemployment has been on the rise after the lockdowns as businesses continue to feel the effects of coronavirus. As a result, it is difficult to predict how long it will take before things come back to normal.
Runway extension entails planning when to raise the next round and meeting milestones in advance. For example, businesses can plan monthly cash burn over time, which may require fundraising. Startups may need to decouple their burn rate from unpredictable timing of a return to regular activity when strategic partners return their phone calls.
Level the Playing Field
Startups have an opportunity to catch up with established companies during this period if they implement appropriate strategies. The pandemic has leveled the playing field by allowing each business to work out recovery. They need to rethink their target markets and reprioritize their development efforts in gaining a market share. For example, startups that produce products for multiple market applications can start by targeting those sectors that are resilient to the coronavirus pandemic. This means businesses can renew their product matrix and shift focus from the most affected sectors to the least affected.
Breaking geographical barriers is also an essential part of adaptation. According to Andrew Chung, businesses should be looking at the global picture and learn from those who have already adapted to the conditions. Countries like China and Taiwan can provide a ready market because they have already reopened their economies.
Startups can also adapt to the health crisis by rethinking their distribution strategies. Travel restrictions and social distancing rules have forced many industries including retail, hospitality, travel, and restaurants to slow down their businesses. The lockdown restrictions have forced changes to distribution strategies, such as adopting online marketing and direct-to-consumer opportunities.
Rethink Approaches to Fundraising
Fundraising can be challenging for startups during this time because most investors would prefer working with existing companies as opposed to startups. This is due to the uncertainties of whether the business will thrive. Startups need to prioritize capital pockets that are active during the crisis. For example, they may have to rely on funding from people they know and can trust. CEOs must convince investors that they can perform due diligence and assure return on investment.
There are other potential sources of funding that you can find during this period through more creative means. For example, some funding sources for startups can come from government grants and R&D programs if you have a tech business. All businesses need to create a portfolio that will be favorable to investors, says Chung.
Secondly, businesses can look toward family offices for possible funding. These are less bound to the institutional framework for funding, especially when dealing with a well-capitalized business. A startup can seek investors from family and friends who have faith in their ability to create profits.
Adopt a Global Perspective
During this time of uncertainty, there are more opportunities for startups that introduce radical innovations, which can be useful on a worldwide scale. As governments seek to restore growth and repair their economies, businesses should be thinking toward a global perspective, such as sourcing from the Asian market.
Startups can adopt this global perspective by understanding how customers are acting in other countries. Regions such as Asia already dealt with a similar health crisis during the SARS outbreak, and thus have prior experience on how to recover. Startups can monitor how their business counterparts in Asia are doing during this current pandemic.
Importance of Team Morale in Remote Work Environments
Startups need to adopt a proactive approach that improves team morale to survive. According to 1955 Capital, it is more crucial than ever for startups to focus on team building. This means CEOs should cultivate a team culture between suppliers, partners, and employees alike. Every stakeholder should be brought on board and know a business’ priorities and be involved in planning initiatives.
Such approaches include regular check-ins to individual workers and the creation of virtual opportunities that can replicate the physical interactions within the workplace. This allows teams to stick together during this crisis and keeps employees motivated. Some startups have remote workers whose morale and productivity will be improved by a team-oriented focus.
Startups play a vital role in the economy, but the coronavirus crisis reduces their creation and challenges their survival. Andrew Chung provides a perspective into surviving in the unique environment of COVID-19. Businesses should focus on driving revenue and growth, even during slowed economic growth. They should be forward-thinking and focused on the best way to enhance their competitiveness in a post-COVID business world.


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Popeyes‘ playful logo is as memorable as its signature bright orange hue, drawing fried chicken fans from across America to indulge in the chain’s southern sides and riotously popular chicken sandwich. As the company eyes international expansion, it brought in ad agency Jones Knowles Ritchie to clean up its branding, making for a subtly sophisticated look.
Despite widespread food industry hardships and previously unforeseen challenges, the fast food industry has weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than expected. Popeyes itself reported 37.9 percent comparable sales growth in Q4 2019 and 29.2 percent in Q1 2020 (despite the pandemic). As such, the chain is moving forward with plans to open stores across the globe, particularly in China, where it plans to open over 1,500 restaurants over the coming decade — this highlights the need to update and unify its look for the global takeover.
“You want it to be clean, cool, contemporary, and relevant, but you don’t want it to lose the warmth, humanity, and familiarity of a brand that people know,” JB Hartford, creative director at Jones Knowles Ritchie, told Fast Company of the redesign. Once quirky and unbalanced, the Popeyes logo has become sleeker, making it a little more mature and a little easier to read on smartphones.
Though the new logo is more even-keeled than before, it retains the mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, with consistent spacing for tidiness. JKR also enlisted type foundry Colophon to create a Popeyes-exclusive typeface, dubbed “Chicken Sans.” Accompanying the new branding is an overhaul of all manner of Popeyes imagery: Bon Appétit photographer Alex Lau was brought in to shoot menu imagery, emphasizing Popeyes’ orange hue, with packaging laden with New Orleans-indebted illustrations and a new chicken mascot named “Poppy.”
American branches of Popeyes have already rolled out the new designs, with the restaurants set to receive a Louisiana-themed facelift in the coming years.
Popeyes restuarants are still open for business — in-store and delivery — but for those seeking to cook up crispy treats from the comfort of their homes, learn to create perfectly crunchy fried chicken from Matty Matheson.


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New Delhi: Videos have become the go-to tool that brands worldwide are turning to. India is no exception in this case. Brands, in their quest for higher customer engagement, are rooting for videos. Marketers, too, are seeing the positive results of video performance when it comes to higher volume conversions.
Globally, media consumption is increasing on various platforms, especially digital. And the volumes are only going through the roof.
Plan2shoot is a unique technology-driven video creation platform. It weaves a creative web of ideas, and organises all the bits and pieces into coherent and innovative video content.
Plan2shoot allows creative and innovative ideas to prosper and, through this, it effectively mixes human ideation with state-of-the-art technology to develop a cutting-edge approach to video aggregation.
Plan2shoot’s co-founder and CEO Vikas Sardana says their video platform is a synonym for trust. “During my two-decade-long career in the media Industry, I realised that there were too many issues faced by brands and creators. The market was huge yet unorganised and trust was seriously missing,” he says.
Plan2shoot realised the potential in the video space and thought of introducing technology wherein every step of video creation could be streamlined, irrespective of the location. Plan2Shoot is hosted on robust cloud technology platform with main emphasis on media security and availability. The technology ensures fast upload of media files by creators using multipart technology and enables fast downloads for verification by brands.
The tech part ensures that all parts are transparent to both, creators, and brands to verify every step of development phase and enable both creators and brands have smooth experience in sharing media. This, says Sardana, makes the entire process transparent.
“The validation of our platform during the Covid-19 pandemic has further strengthened our location-agnostic belief. We have been able to get our work done even from remote areas without even stepping out and endangering ourselves,” Sardana adds.
Plan2shoot strongly believes in and already has implemented a structured process of video creation. Every piece of content created is carefully examined and, through a step-by-step process, the idea is fashioned into a well-defined narrative on the product.
Plan2shoot strictly follows due diligence while screening video talent and always makes it a point to deliver creative content. Client satisfaction is our top priority, says Sardana.
“Our videos give the impression of a solid quality product, “ says Ishan Bhattacharjee, co-founder, Plan2shoot. In the digital space, the platform, he elaborates, replaces chaos with superb quality, and always adds an extra zing to the marketing process.
“We churn out awesome content - visually pleasing, polished and loaded with innovative ideas. Our clients love and share our work,” says Bhattacharjee.
Plan2shoot endeavours to make everyone a winner. “We go all out to bring a lot of synergy between creators and brands. And by constantly doing this we create a happy and buzzing marketplace,” Bhattacharjee adds.


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Amazon Music confirms they will have it on March 18.
Drake has been releasing music exclusively with Apple since What a Time to Be Alive, his collaborative album with Future, debuted on his Beats 1 show OVO Sound Radio. (Although, you could argue that the surprise iTunes drop of If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late started it.) But it looks like this time around, Drizzy won’t be giving the scoop to Apple Music.
He is gearing up to release a brand new project, a self-described playlist of new tunes called More Life, this Saturday, March 18 and, according to Pitchfork, at least Amazon Music will be carrying it on the release date. Spotify has also teased they will be streaming the playlist, as well, but have not confirmed whether it will be on the official release date or not.
— Spotify (@Spotify) March 16, 2017


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With more than 1,400 tech startups operating in the country, Estonia stands at the leadership position as Europe’s most vibrant startup hub in Europe.
The country also has a world-class track record in building unicorns, having been the birthplace of no less than 10 billion-dollar tech firms, namely Skype, Playtech, Wise, Bolt, Pipeline, Zego, ID.me, Gelato, Veriff and Glia.
Estonia’s thriving startup scene has made it an enticing location for investors. In 2021, Estonia startups raised a total of EUR 962 million, more than doubling 2020’s EUR 464 million, data from law firm Sorainen show. In 2022, it only took Estonian startups four months to surpass last year’s total sum, showcasing investors’ continued bullishness in the Estonian tech sector.
This vibrant startup scene is fueling the growth of the Estonian venture ecosystem. An extensive analysis by Ain.capital, an online media dedicated to the European tech ecosystem, looks at the country’s most active venture capital (VC) firms backing the region’s promising tech startups.
Most of these funds focus primarily on the domestic market, but also target the broader the Baltic, Nordic and European regions. Many are also actively investing in the fintech industry, backing up-and-coming ventures like Nordigen, Veriff and Montonio.
Superangel is an angel group based in Tallinn that invests in the artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, mobility, logistics, fintech and software-as-a-services (SaaS) sectors, cutting cheques of between EUR 100,000 and EUR 1 million largely for seed and Series A rounds. The firm is backed by prominent entrepreneurs and angel investors from the tech ecosystem, who have collectively invested in more than 100 startups worldwide.
Notable investments include Estonian unicorn startups Bolt, a mobility platform, Veriff, an identity verification specialist, and Pipedrive, a customer relationship management (CRM) and intelligent revenue platform.
Superangel currently has 41 companies in its portfolio, including fintech startups Montonio, Nordigen, Grunfin and Salv.
In June 2022, it launched a new EUR 50 million fund, which it said it will use to invest primarily in deeptech startups from across the Baltics and Nordics.
Founded in 2016, Change Ventures is a venture capital (VC) firm based in Tallinn. The VC focuses on tech startups with a preference for business-to-business (B2B) and SaaS businesses, as well as founders across the Baltic states and their diasporas around the world.
Change Ventures’ investments range between EUR 400,000 and EUR 3 million in seed stage (occasionally pre-seed) tech startups.
It currently has 26 startups in its portfolio, including fintech companies Planet42, Nordigen, Inzmo and AskRobin.
Change Ventures closed a EUR 49 million fund in February 2022.
Startup Wise Guys
Founded in 2012, Startup Wise Guys is mentorship-driven accelerator program for early-stage B2B SaaS, fintech, cyber, sustainability, and extended reality (XR) startups.
The intensive five month accelerator program is focused on validating, developing and selling products to business customers, providing select startups with access to over 250 international and local mentors with B2B startup experience.
Startup Wise Guys is one of the largest early stage investors in Europe, having backed more than 300+ startups with founders from more than 40 countries. Alumni and portfolio companies in the fintech industry include Trisbee, Traders Alloy, Tarla.in, and PayQin.
Tera Ventures is an Estonian VC firm investing in early-stage digital startups in the Baltics and Nordics. The VC helps some of Europe’s most disruptive technology companies scale and become global leaders, backing ambitious founders and their compelling visions at pre-seed and seed stage.
Tera Ventures is industry agnostic but does have preferences for fintech, automation, health, the future of retail, as well as themes like AI and machine learning (ML). It currently invests out of its EUR 45 million 2nd fund.
Tera Ventures has 24 startups in its portfolio, including fintech startups Montonio and Monese.
Founded in 2019, Lemonade Stand is a Tallinn-based VC fund focusing on early-stage B2B startups from the Baltics and Eastern Europe, regardless of their headquarters’ location.
Lemonade Stand’s investments range between EUR 25,000 and EUR 300,000, and include successful companies in its portfolio like Woola, Fyma, and Cachet.
According to its website, Lemonade Stand currently has 38 portfolio companies, including fintech startups Plural, Dillali, Grunfin, Ender Turing and Montonio.
Founded in 1999, Trind Ventures is a venture fund focusing on European tech companies, investing in promising startups from seed rounds all the way to sustainability.
Trind Ventures primarily focuses on the Northern and Central European region and looks for tech innovations that are benefiting end users, community-driven inbound business models, and most importantly, companies with a long-term path to a defensible competitive position.
Trind Ventures starts from the seed round, initially committing between EUR 100,000 and EUR 500,000, and can follow-on with investments of up to EUR 3 million per company.
The VC currently has 21 companies in its portfolio, according to Dealroom, and has made no investments in the fintech industry.
Karma Ventures is an early-stage VC firm specialized in late seed and A round investments in Europe’s most promising deeptech software startups. The firm backs companies with strong ideas unique technology, customer traction and global ambition, accompanying entrepreneurs in figuring out the path to growth in all aspects.
Karma Ventures initially invests up to EUR 5 million per company, and makes follow-on investments in later rounds.
According to its website, the VC currently has a portfolio of 14 startups, including fintech companies Tuum (formerly Modularbank), Xolo and Lucinity.
In November 2021, Karma Ventures closed its second fund with a hard cap at EUR 100 million. The firm said it will use the capital to continue backing the most promising early-stage European deeptech startups.
Yolo Investments is a venture capital focused on seed and Series A stage investment opportunities across gaming and fintech. Yolo Investments’ mission is to invest in outstanding people with bright ideas who are focused on innovating and disrupting the norm in all manner.
Founded in 2017 as Vereeni Investments, Yolo Investments has created a thriving ecosystem with ventures across a variety of industries, including fintech, gambling, media, software development, crypto and blockchain.
Yolo Investments today holds investments in more than 55 companies with a total of EUR 375 million in assets under management. Fintech startups in its portfolio include Curve, AskRobin and GoodBank.


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PepsiCo plans to devote hundreds of millions of dollars to severance pay as they kick off a round of layoffs and initiate their hefty restructuring plan. According to Business Insider, Pepsi filed with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) that they expect to incur $2.5 billion in pretax restructuring costs through 2023. 70% of charges relate to severance and other employee costs and 15% cover factory closings. They predict the restructuring will allow them to save $1 billion annually through 2023 by improving efficiency.
“Our second set of priorities … involves becoming more capable, leaner, more agile and less bureaucratic,” CEO Ramon Laguarta said. “In doing so, we will drive down cost and that enables us to plow the savings back into the business to develop scale and sharpen core capabilities that drive even greater efficiency and effectiveness creating a virtuous cycle.”
PepsiCo will lay off fewer than 1% of its more than 110,000 corporate employees, most of which have jobs that will be replaced by automation. Many of the employees in Plano, TX and Purchase, New York were already sent notices of their termination, kick-starting the company’s plan to start “relentlessly automating and merging the best of our optimized business models with the best new thinking and technologies,” as Laguarta calls it.
The story of employees being laid off because of superior technology is not a new one. It has been a fear that has plagued workers, particularly those whose jobs require manual labor, for much of the digital age. Rounds of layoffs like this don’t help to ease any stress on those employees that corporations see as “unskilled.”
Many have argued that automation will not decrease employment numbers, but rather will make workers focus on things like problem-solving and creative strategy rather than manual labor because robots will be doing the literal heavy lifting. Amazon, who has made an aggressive drive towards automation over the past few years, actually hired thousands of employees in 2018 (though they aren’t exactly treating those employees humanely).
Most Pepsi employees will cease to work for no later than April—even sooner for others.


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RENO, Nev. (Dec. 11, 2017) — ITS Logistics announces that Ryan Martin has joined its senior leadership team as President of Warehouse & Distribution. Martin will take over this growing division and continue ITS' reputation as one of the leading 3PL providers on the West Coast.
"I'm very excited to have Ryan join our executive team," said Greg Sanders, CEO of ITS Logistics. "He brings a ton of experience in traditional distribution services as well as e-commerce, and his smarts and energy bring tremendous value as we continue to expand in this space."
Martin has been in the logistics industry for almost 20 years, starting as an intern at the K-Mart Logistics Center in Reno, NV. Upon graduation with a BS in Business Administration and Logistics Management from the University of Nevada, Reno he joined JCPenney and soon became the youngest Senior Facility Manager in the company's? history.
He was elevated to the corporate office as Sr. HR Manager of Associate Development, responsible for training and development of more than 8,000 Supply Chain employees. After becoming a Supply Chain Facility Director on the East Coast, he ended his career at JCPenney in Texas by running their fully automated flagship distribution center which spans 1.1 million sq. ft. and had 430 employees.
Martin then joined Speed Commerce as VP of Operations managing their B2B, e-commerce and call center businesses. Ryan moved back to Reno with EBAY Enterprise and assumed the role of Director of Operations for both Northern Nevada and Southern California. Before coming to ITS, Ryan was the GM of Arrow Electronics' flagship distribution center, with almost 900 employees.?
Martin joins ITS and will be taking over for Darryl Bader, who has been the President of the Warehouse & Distribution division and is one of the original founders of the company. Bader will continue in his role as part owner and board member, as well as remain involved in strategic planning and supporting the executive team.
"I'm honored to be joining ITS Logistics as President of Warehouse and Distribution," said Martin. "ITS has a great brand and reputation within our industry which makes this opportunity very exciting, and our unique position within the 3PL/4PL industry makes us well poised for continued growth and success. I want to thank the founders for building such a solid organization and selecting me to help lead it going forward."
When Martin isn't working, he spends time with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, and his immediate family in Reno. He also likes to get out in the country and hunt, and at home he enjoys woodworking and building furniture.
About ITS Logistics:
ITS Logistics is a premier third-party logistics company (3PL) that provides personalized supply chain solutions with an asset-based dedicated fleet, warehousing and distribution services, and nationwide multi-modal freight brokerage. Founded in 1999, ITS Logistics operates daily throughout the U.S. and proudly offers unparalleled service backed by strong family values and work ethic.
Director of Marketing, ITS Logistics


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Amazon has a new Echo device on the way, and this time it has a camera. The $199 Echo Look sits on a table or dresser, and can snap photos and videos with Alexa voice controls. Results then appear in a companion app, where users can check themselves out and share photos. The app also taps fashion experts and algorithms to help users choose between outfits, and provides recommendations on more clothing to buy. For now, the Echo Look is available to Amazon Prime customers by invitation only.
Online clothing sales have been booming in recent years, and became the top online shopping category in late 2015, according to ComScore. The Echo Look could motivate users to build their wardrobes through Amazon, while potentially spreading Amazon’s Alexa assistant to more rooms of the house. Amazon isn’t the only company building algorithms to help you pick out your next outfit: fashion’s quickly becoming an emerging focus in artificial intelligence.


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“On Monday, Barnes & Noble sent customers an email to notify them about the cyberattack. The company made clear that customers’ financial information had not been exposed. Their transaction history, however, was potentially exposed. The company said ‘transaction history, meaning purchase information related to the books and other products that you have bought from us’ were retained in the systems that were impacted by the cybersecurity attack.
Customer’s email addresses, were also potentially leaked in the cybersecurity attack, according to the company.”
“Despite being the world’s largest video game retailer, GameStop has struggled to stay afloat amid increasing competition from digital game stores.
Like Blockbuster Video and Tower Records before it, video game retail faces major challenges to its business model. As more people buy video games through digital storefronts like Steam or the Xbox Store, fewer buy games on physical discs from GameStop.”
“Kroger said Wednesday that new Simple Truth Plant Based offerings include more dairy-free options — such as cheese shreds and slices, oat milk ice cream, almond milk yogurt and creamy salad dressings — plus “trend-inspired” recipes like ready-to-eat brownie batter and cauliflower dips.”
Contact us below for more information or cost estimation for an upcoming project.


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Call it the stealth auto stock rally.
Shares of General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) are all up more than 30% since the start of June. That’s not Tesla (TSLA) territory, which has soared more than 150% over that period, but it’s certainly enough to outperform the broader market – the S&P is up about 12% over the same period.
The rally has been fed by a number of factors. Earlier this year, when auto plants and many dealerships were closed by Covid-related shutdown orders, there was a great deal of uncertainty about how the automakers would weather the storm. Millions were out of work and millions of more were working from home, reducing the need to buy cars to commute to work. Car rental companies, which traditionally are major purchasers of new cars, nearly halted their purchases because of a drop in their business. Other fleet buyers, such as businesses and local governments, were also pulling back.
The big three American automakers all lost money in the second quarter and only GM posted a slight profit for the first half of the year. But they are expected to return to profitability when reporting third-quarter results. Ford and Fiat Chrysler report Wednesday, while GM reports next week.
Beyond the return to profitability and the Covid-inspired downturn in car sales that was less than feared, some investors hope that traditional automakers could start to benefit from a growing demand for electric vehicles.
GM is showing progress in transitioning to electric vehicles, outpacing other traditional automakers, wrote Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas last week after GM announced a $2 billion investment to build electric cars in Tennessee.
“Investors who missed Tesla are trying to find exposure [to electric vehicles] and GM is striking the right tone,” he wrote. “It doesn’t hurt that third quarter results are likely to be very strong, substantially assisting in the recovery of GM’s balance sheet to ensure funding of the electric vehicle transition ahead.”
But the automakers still face challenges, including a high level of joblessness and a shift to more people working from home, which could be headwinds for several years. Few analysts expect the industry to get back to the 2019 industrywide US sales of 17 million cars and trucks until 2022 – at the earliest.


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Investing in the future
Published on The Edge Markets on Jan 13, 2015
Internet of Things
The IoT may seem like a new concept, but it has been around for decades. The application of computing and communications capability into everyday items has existed in things like automated teller machines since 1974. However, the term IoT was only coined in 2009 by British innovator Kevin Ashton.
This industry has been gaining momentum in the last few years due to factors such as cheap and widely available broadband internet access as well as lower technological costs. This, in turn, has spurred the development of more items and devices with wireless internet capabilities.
Today, the IoT can be found in a variety of household and everyday items such as washing machines, lamps, wearable devices and cars. The Internet of Things World Forum held recently in Dubai estimates that this revolution has a potential to generate revenue of US$13.3 trillion.
And the growth is set to continue. In a November press release, Gartner Inc, a US information technology research and advisory company, forecasts that “6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2016, up 30% from 2015 … In 2016, 5.5 million new things will get connected every day.”
The company projects connected devices will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. Industry experts predict that the sector would soon require a change in its moniker from the Internet of Things to the ‘Internet of Everything’.
There are very few global listed companies with an IoT segment in their business, says Devan Linus Rajadurai, founder and chief investment officer at Malayan Traders Capital. He names Apple, Intel and Google as the few that count.
Intel has been considered at the forefront of this industry ever since it rolled out its own IoT platform in December 2014. Last year, the sector accounted for US$2.1 billion in revenue — 10 times more than the revenue earned by its mobile and communications division. While it is traditionally known for manufacturing microprocessors for computers and other devices, Intel recently expanded its product range to include three Quark chips intended for IoT devices. It also introduced the Curie software platform to facilitate the development of wearable technology.
Devan says Intel makes for a safe investment bet as its chips are a need that others would depend on. “Intel produces the microchip processors and sensors that are going to be put in these everyday things. While companies like Google and Apple produce the software and come up with new product ideas, some products don’t come to fruition. That’s why these two companies are riskier when it comes to IoT.
“There are a lot of private players that come up with IoT products from a software perspective. They will have to collaborate with companies like Intel which produce the microchip processors that power the new IoT products.”
Nevertheless, those who want to ride the trend can still consider looking at Apple. “Apple would be an obvious pick as it is not highly valued and it has a few IoT products already released such as the Apple Watch, Apple CarPlay and Apple Pay. Plus, it is an innovation machine that is constantly looking for the next revolutionary IoT product. It could change the dynamics of television if it wanted too,” says Devan.
Another stock Devan is bullish on is Google, which may seem like an unusual choice for a value investor. “But there are some arguments for it. Google is one of the best IoT companies in the world. It is really looking at how to put the internet into things. That’s why it bought Nest Labs Inc in January 2014, a company that manufactures devices that monitor your heat and fans in the home. That works very well in the US where the issue of how to reduce your energy bill is being discussed. Google is also putting software in cars and so many other things.”
Those who want to take advantage of these stocks can consider the iShares US Technology ETF. As at Dec 18, its top holdings included Apple, Alphabet (parent company of Google) and Intel.


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Several new panels and sessions have been confirmed for this November’s GDC Next conference in LA.
Revently confirmed highlights include an exclusive Xbox One Kinect talk that promises to be ‘demo-heavy’, Riot Games, Twitch and Team Dignitas debating the ‘evolution of eSports’ panel, and a discussion focused on veteran triple-A developers from Bungie, EA, and Zynga setting up on their own as indies.
Titled ‘The Next Generation of Kinect,’ the talk from Microsoft will be delivered by its senior software engineer Claude Marais, who is set to detail the technical specifications of the hardware and software for the Xbox One’s own motion controller.
GDC Next – pitced as a spiritual succesor to GDC Online – will take place alongside the App Developers Conference from November 5th to 7th this at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
For more information, visit the official GDC Next website.


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Jessie J said that she was inspired by the one and only RiRi.
Motherliness style, at least in celebrity circles, has changed ever- and we've Rihanna, the queen of wearing whatever the hell you want during all three trimesters, to thank forthat.However, go for it, If that meansleggings.However, also go for it, If that means a sheer babydoll dress.( With baby number two on the way we can not stay to see what she has in store for us!) One celebrity who has been inspired is Jessie J. At the BRIT Awards, which took place on Saturday, the songster arrived in style, wearing a red hot set by with a matching ruffled cloak that showed off her belly.( Interestingly, it was a remarkably analogous shade to the honey red ensemble- custom- made Loewe- worn by a certain someone at the Super Bowl.)
In an interview with Capital FM, Jessie said she's,' celebrating unapologetically!' and her recent motherliness wardrobe is proof! Bump- unbosoming, along with bold snap colours, has now come hand JessieJ.
In another interview on the red carpet, Jessie was asked if she had any other choice but to wear her belly out' I feel like why not? I was looking at dresses and what I could do and I was like so numerous people cover it up. Actually Rihanna, just inspired me to just, you know, who knows if this will ever be again so I am just going to celebrate it.'
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