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Up until now if you wanted to strap on your own virtual reality headset you’d have to navigate through the mess that is importing items into South Africa. That was until local online retailer Raru announced that the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets would be made available for special order.
This is the first time we’ve seen a retailer actually selling these headsets which have been available in other parts of the world since 2016.
Before you rush out to get your calculators trying to figure out how much extra Raru is charging you for the chance to strap a screen to your face, the retailer has told customers on Twitter why there is such a large disparity in pricing.
“We are getting these from a local supplier so we have to work with the prices we are being offered the product at I’m afraid,” said Raru on Twitter.
Raru has also said that orders will be dispatched in 10 – 15 working days.
What is unclear at time of writing is how after sales support and repairs will be handled. We have contacted Raru to find out more about this and we’ll be sure to update this story when we hear back from the store.
It’s also worth pointing out that you need a positively beastly PC to run either of these headsets properly. We’ve included a break-down of the recommended specifications that should accompany each headset.
|Oculus Rift||HTC Vive|
|NVIDIA GPUs||NVIDIA GTX 1060 / NVIDIA GTX 970||NVIDIA GTX 1060|
|AMD GPUs||AMD Radeon RX 480 / AMD Radeon R9 290||AMD Radeon RX 480|
|CPU||Intel Core i5-4590||Intel Core i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350|
|Video Output||HDMI 1.3||HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2|
|USB||3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port||1x USB 2.0 port|
|OS||Windows 7 SP1 or higher||Windows 7 SP1 64 bit|


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TOMS RIVER, N.J., Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Medical social networking just got even easier with the newly launched Healthguv app. Renowned for its unique healthcare network, Healthguv has been a hub of medical related information ever since its inauguration. Enjoy Healthguv on your Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
The social networking website has gained hundreds of followers from all across the world, eager to connect with peers and medical experts. With the Healthguv app, the site has become even more user friendly and easy to navigate. Launched during the holiday season, the app has already made waves in the tech startup industry.
Joseph Creadle, Camille Valmon and Gabrielle Valmon, the founders of Healthguv, are excited about the launch of their app. Joseph said, “Social media has become one of the most effective ways of connecting people globally. Nowadays, individuals rely upon social networking channels for pretty much everything, from advertising products, organizing campaigns, and getting their daily dose of news. In this fast-paced world, people want instant access to these services and an app dedicated to medical social networking is the ultimate way to go about it.”
Just as Healthguv has been carefully designed by a team of medical experts, the Healthguv app is no different. It brings the global community together even more efficiently, making it easier for members to exchange information, seek professional advice, and discuss treatment options online.
A representative for Healthguv stated, “We acknowledge the advantage social media apps have over their websites. They’re more accessible to the users, and can easily be navigated on their smartphones and other devices. Our app has been designed to make it even easier for Healthguv’s members to sign up and stay connected. With its user friendly features, they can now get quicker access to their healthcare information.”
Healthguv has been the go-to channel for the online community. By connecting members with healthcare information, it’s been an extremely useful platform in creating awareness about various medical issues. There are millions of people all over the world who are in search for people who share their rare medical conditions. Users can get the latest reviews, google a disease, upload images, videos and instantly chat with other users. Create a network with people globally.
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/get-access-to-information-on-healthcare-issues-with-the-healthguv-app-300961561.html

domain: news


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British chip designer ARM has just signed off its 50th licensing agreement for its ARMv8-A technology, which includes support for 64-bit computing.
More than 27 companies have signed agreements for the company’s ARMv8-A technology and it seems that the idea is starting to gather some momentum. Arm said that those company’s that signed up include all of the top 10 companies who sell application processors for smartphones; nine of the top 10 application processor companies for tablets; four of the top five companies that provide chips for consumer electronics; four of the top five companies that provide chips for enterprise networking and servers; and eight silicon vendors from Greater China.
ARM said that the licensing agreement demonstrates the continuing strength in demand for the company’s 64-bit-capable ARM Cortex-A50 processor family and ARMv8 architecture licenses which will serve future digital devices and infrastructure deployments coping with more complex applications within strict power budgets.
Noel Hurley, general manager, processor division, ARM claimed that ARMv8-A technology brings 64-bit capability and improved efficiency of existing 32-bit applications. All this should help tablets and smartphones replace PCs for many tasks.
The ARMv8-A platforms are fully backward compatible and will efficiently execute over a million 32-bit apps and extensive software assets already in use, Hurley said.


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Facebook reaches agreement in privacy case with the FTCBy Lee Kaelin 9 comments
Facebook has settled its ongoing privacy dispute with the Federal Trade Commission after being charged with failing to keep promises it made regarding the privacy of its users, and for deceiving them. Resolving the dispute and agreeing acceptable terms is a major step forward as the company prepares for its estimated $100 billion initial public offering next April.
The FTC investigated multiple claims centering around the social network's privacy policies. The commission accused Facebook of systematically "invading" user privacy on seven specific counts. They specifically addresed Facebook's claims about its privacy policies that were "unfair, deceptive, and violated federal law."
Under the proposed aggrement, Facebook will have to obtain consent from users before making any changes to how their information is shared with other users or advertisers. This means users will have to opt-in to any new features or privacy settings before the changes can take place within their profile, which is in contrast to the current approach that requires them to proactively opt out from anything they are not comfortable with in the social networking site. The company will also be required to undergo an independent review of its privacy policies bi-annually for the next 20 years, the results of which will be inspected by the FTC.
"Facebook is obligated to keep the promises about privacy that it makes to its hundreds of millions of users," said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the FTC. "Facebook's innovation does not have to come at the expense of consumer privacy. The FTC action will ensure it will not."
In a blog post published yesterday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave his thoughts on his commitment to the Facebook community: "Overall, I think we have a good history of providing transparency and control over who can see your information. That said I'm the first to admit that we've made a bunch of mistakes."
He further commented, "In particular, I think that a small number of high profile mistakes, like Beacon four years ago and poor execution as we transitioned our privacy model two years ago, have often overshadowed much of the good work we've done [...] Privacy principles are written very deeply into our code. Even before the agreement announced by the FTC today, Facebook had already proactively addressed many of the concerns the FTC raised."


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A smart business owner is always in the process of reorganizing his or her company to adapt to the changing business environment—but when it comes to bankruptcy, restructuring and reorganization become even more paramount.
Learning how to avoid the severe financial distress that comes with the failure and liquidation of a business is one of the best things a new business owner can do. Here, experts weigh in on the steps companies can take to restructure effectively and avoid bankruptcy.
Understand cash flow. David Chase, managing partner of Advanced CFO Solutions, says the first thing any business ought to do is not be surprised by a shortfall in cash. “Business owners ought to be thinking well in advance, ‘How do we keep a good view on our cash?’” he says. “Utilize the 13-week cash flow model. Within three months, you can take care of most challenges as you see them coming.”
Chase adds that business owners should also put together a long-term cash flow view, which will help to define capital structure and give them a good view of how quickly they are spending their money and when they need to go to the bank.
Make due with as little capital investment as possible. Brian Rothschild, attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer, says many young businesses invest in expensive offices, new equipment, flagship products and flashy marketing, but this strategy can burden a company with a heavy debt load. “[That] siphons off profits, restricts flexibility and makes the business’ product more expensive. … If you can get by without it, do so,” he says.
Adapt quickly to change. “Older businesses sometimes fall victim to upstarts because they fail to adapt to a changing business environment,” Rothschild says, adding that upstarts have an advantage because they are considering all of their business processes—customers, product offerings, employees—for the first time from the ground up. “To ensure that the old way is still the right way, successful businesses [should] regularly evaluate everything from the ground up,” Rothschild says. “Streamlining can change your business from surviving to thriving.”
Do the math. Businesses sometimes fail because they are providing services or selling products that are not profitable, Rothschild says. “A business should be realistic in its internal accounting for the costs of goods and services that it offers, and raise the price of anything that is not profitable at current volumes,” he says. “If the product is not attractive at the higher price point and customers balk, the business should not sell it.”
Liquidate inventory. There can be a lot of cash tied up in inventory, says Chase. “If you’ve got $1 million sitting in your warehouse, find a way to get it down to $500,000,” he says. The concern many business owners have is that customer service and inventory work hand in hand—meaning if a company doesn’t have much inventory and someone calls wanting to order 1,000 of a certain product and the company doesn’t have it available, it’s viewed as poor customer service.
However, as a company approaches bankruptcy, Chase says it might be better to lose a sale if it means the company can still make payroll. “Entrepreneurs need to think about the relationship between high and low inventory and high and low customer service and adjust that mix as cash gets tight,” he says.
Pay out profits last. Rothschild admits it can be tempting to pay out profits to owners and shareholders after a good month, but doing so without reserving for lean times and upcoming capital investments, such as equipment that needs to be replaced, can be dangerous. “Reserve properly and pay out profits cautiously,” he says.
Fail quickly. It’s important to recognize when a business is unsalvageable, Rothschild says. “Often business owners in this situation will invest more, take out additional loans, personally guarantee lines of credit, and sell profitable lines of business to keep unprofitable lines afloat,” he says. “Rather than go down with a sinking ship, learn to recognize the end of a business early so that you still have means to invest in something new and potentially profitable.”
Hire outside help. As a last resort, a company can hire an outside consultant to review its financials. “Circumstances can be pretty overwhelming, and the stress of dealing with this alone makes people crazy,” Chase says. “If you find yourself feeling this way, hire professionals to get you through the process. They can range from a CPA to people who do CFO accounting work to professionals who focus on restructuring.”
“Business owners are good at making the product they make, but they’re not so good at stepping back and saying, ‘Why are we doing the process we’re doing?’” Rothschild adds. “Hiring an outside person to do an evaluation as to whether what you’re doing still makes sense is totally worth it.”


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Rishika Sadam / Reuters
The company says it’s aimed at helping smartphone users with poor connectivity in its second largest market
(BENGALURU) – LinkedIn, the operator of the world’s largest online business networking service, has launched in India a “Lite” version of its website for mobile browsing.
The company, which is being acquired by Microsoft Corp , said on Monday the version was aimed at helping users browse its website faster on their smartphones in areas with slow or poor internet connectivity.
“LinkedIn Lite” loads four times faster and provides a better experience to users in urban and rural areas with patchy networks, Akshay Kothari, the company’s country manager and head of product for India, said at an event in Bengaluru.
The version will be available in the next few weeks, he said.
Last year, LinkedIn revamped its mobile app after facing heavy criticism for poor design and user experience.


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While digital identities will continue to rise, the physical format for a number of identities, especially in a government space, still remain relevant, a senior official said.
“As we continue to leverage physical cards, there are additional steps that we absolutely recommend — things like holograms or micro print guilloche patterns, a lot of the same ways that we protect banknotes and such those same principles can be applied to identities. So, then you’ve got a nice balance between data security and visual security,” Isaac Young, VP & Head of Desktop for Secure Issuance, HID, told Khaleej Times in an interview on the sidelines on Gitex Global 2023 in Dubai.
The world’s leading provider of trusted identity solutions is showcasing its latest innovations in secure identity issuance and identity management at Gitex under the theme, “Secure, Sustainable, Future-proof Solutions”.
At Gitex, HID is displaying HID Fargo Connect — the industry’s first cloud-native card issuance platform — paired with card printing innovations such as the HID Fargo HDP6600 retransfer card printer and the DTC1500 direct-to-card printer — to demonstrate how the solution simplifies card issuance while increasing security. The company also introduced its HID Element UV Ink Printer and Laser Engraver card personalisation solutions — specifically designed to meet the high-volume and high-security requirements of large organizations such as government entities and financial institutions.
Additionally, company experts are explaining how HID PIAM (physical identity and access management) solutions reduce the costs and risks associated with onboarding, badging, visitor management, access management and compliance.
Through exhibited products, HID will demonstrate its dedication to developing more sustainable solutions and how product lifecycle and environmental impact considerations are central to the design of every HID solution — many of which are GreenCircle® Certified for their energy-saving and other eco-friendly attributes.
With the proliferation of mobile devices ever on the rise, HID is demonstrating how its cloud solutions provide new ways to manage identities and support new form factors such as smartphones and wearables — thus inherently future-proofing ID issuance and management for years to come.
“Security and sustainability are in our DNA,” said Andrew Munnik, Segment Director, MEA, HID. “As we unveil our latest innovations at Gitex, HID will demonstrate how we continue to lead the way in providing secure, sustainable and future-proof solutions — ensuring today’s security and technology professionals have the tools they need to create safer and more eco-friendly work environments both now and as the world moves toward a more digital future.”
Looking ahead, HID is trying to create an ecosystem that will allow and enable choices. “So if you want a physical or you want a mobile identity, we can help you issue either one of them. So for us that becomes very important, and we continue to focus on identity card issuance enhancements holistically,” Young said.
HID is also seeking to ensure that its products are sustainable. “We are think about how can we make our products more environmentally friendly, going all the way back to the design and the manufacturing of the product. We have installed solar panels on our factories so that we can reduce our carbon footprint, and also making things out of materials that can be recycled so that the machine doesn’t end up in a landfill and then trying to make sure that we design machines that last a very long time have a long serviceable life, so that you’re not just continually replacing,” Young said.
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BlackBerry is going private in a deal valued at $4.7 billion. It's a sad end to what was once a high flying tech company. Here, via Reuters, is a look at the rise and fall of the company.
CHART OF THE DAY: The Rise And Fall Of BlackBerry
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Back when Fall Guys got off to a great start, it was not long before it turned into one of the best games of the year. In the coming months, some players jokingly mentioned that it was a dead game, in reference to the fact that its fame was already history, although this changed a few days ago, when it was released as free-to-play and revived the interest in it.
The strategy of Epic Games has seemingly worked and as proof is the most recent record that the game has just broken.
Following its release on PlayStation 4 and released as part of the PlayStation Plus August 2020 freebies, Fall Guys turned out to be the most downloaded game in the service’s history. It followed suit on PC, registering more than 2 million units sold on Steam alone in a matter of days.
Since it became free-to-play, it was expected that the title would reaffirm its success, get a lot of new players and incidentally break several more records.
Fall Guys Has Already Gained an Incredible Number of Players
The predictions came true and as soon as it was available for free, the game exceeded the 20 million players mark in the first 48 hours as a free-to-play game.
It didn’t end there, because 12 days after it broke this record, Mediatonic reported that the number reached 50 million players, which is quite an achievement: “We are in absolute disbelief. Thank you all!”, commented Mediatonic.
To put it in context, it means that the number of Fall Guys players is larger than the population of Canada or California.
As we told you, Fall Guys was only 2 weeks as free-to-play with its Free for All version, so there is no doubt that the number will grow in the coming weeks and months, particularly if we take into account that there will be more events and content for the game, like an Assassin’s Creed themed challenge that has just started.
So what do you think of this great achievement by Fall Guys? Tell us in the comments. Fall Guys is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Epic Games Store).


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Electric vehicle maker in the US, Biliti Electric, has introduced the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell (HFC)-powered electric three wheeler. The company has named it ‘Fastmile’. Ability Electric had partnered with Hyderabad-based Gayam Motor Works (GMW) last year, under which the company will operate in India. He has also announced to set up the world’s largest electric three wheeler plant in Telangana.
What is special about this electric three wheeler?
The company claims that this electric three wheeler can cover a distance of 130 miles i.e. about 209 kilometers comfortably once filled with hydrogen. It will take less than three minutes to fill it with hydrogen . Fastmile’s motor carries a payload capacity of around 700 kg. The three wheeler electric vehicle has also been tested on rough roads during a road test of 10,000 kms.
What is different in this from normal electric vehicles?
These fuel cell based electric vehicles (FCEVs) differ from normal electric vehicles with batteries in some aspects. Normal EVs have a large battery to store electricity, whereas FCEVs generate their own electricity from the cell using hydrogen. Rahul Gayam, CEO, Billiti Electric, said: “This is a major step forward in shaping the future of hydrogen energy for global markets.”
Growing utility of electric vehicles
Gayam said EVs with normal batteries aren’t the only way to make transportation carbon-free. Small and economical vehicles are also being changed by the technology of hydrogen fuel cells. Electric three-wheelers or electric rickshaws are good means of end-to-end connectivity in traffic. Their utility is also increasing in congested urban market areas and small spaces. This technology could revolutionize the field of three wheeler EVs while being economical.
Government’s full emphasis on electric vehicles
Recently, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari made a big statement amid rising prices of petrol and diesel, saying that the use of petrol will be stopped in the next five years. In fact, by this statement he meant that more emphasis would be laid on the use of electric and hydrogen fuel based vehicles in the country so that petrol and diesel based vehicles could be phased out.


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ESAM shares his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Wi-Fi tier list
ESAM shares his Wi-Fi Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list ⚡⚡⚡ Esports news, analytics, reviews on WePlay! The latest news on WePlay!
The coronavirus pandemic has a lot of the world's population engaging in social distancing, which has led to the cancelation of events and closing of business that had groups of people coming together.
For the FGC, that means having to play their favorite games online, which brings in a lot of factors like lousy internet connections and ping. A couple of pros have begun to drop Wi-Fi tier lists to help share their insight on which picks are the best for online play.
Popular Super Smash Bros. player Eric "ESAM" Lew joins the list of pros to release a Wi-Fi tier list for Smash Ultimate; however, it's only partially arranged by viability. His list mainly categorizes characters based on their speed and zoning tools. Fast characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Zero Suit Samus sit right at the top because of how quickly they can act and how much longer it would take opponents to react during lag.
Projectile characters like Samus and Inkling also found their way into Top Tier, thanks to the opponent's inability to accurately track or time bombs and shots due to things like latency. Pikachu still managed to maintain a top position though. There's a reason why online play has led to a lot of rage quits, but it would appear that ESAM's main is impervious to all that.
Little Mac finally makes it out of the bottom to sit in Mid Tier, while characters usually considered better than him like Olimar, Marth, and Jigglypuff are around the bottom. The results show just how much of a difference there is between online and offline play.
One good way of improving your online experience, especially for fighting games, is to forgo Wi-Fi altogether and use ethernet cables via an adapter. Also, make sure that you're using the right cable for your internet connection. It won't solve all your problems, but it will make things a lot more bearable for all parties involved.
You can check out the full tier list in his video here.


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Black money is the money that is not accounted for. In other words, it is the portion of the money you have been hoarding without paying the required taxes to the Govt. Not paying your taxes and cheating the Govt. is actually a criminal offense. The PM of the nation Mr. Narendra Modi has demonetized all 500 and 1000 rupee notes, forming 85% of all the cash transactions in India. But you will be quite surprised to know that not all money is kept as mere cash.
Most of the money operating in the black money market is deposited in Swiss bank accounts. This black money is utilized to buy arms and ammunition, buy guns, promote terrorism, involve in smuggling activities and heighten the sales of liquor and drugs to people across the country. In a nutshell, you can firmly conclude that it is this black money that very conveniently promotes anti-social activities. That is the reason; black money circulation has to necessarily come to a halt. The introductory paragraph reiterates the importance of bringing the black money back in India.
Introducing 2000 rupee notes is a well-cited example of black money puzzle. You will find it hard to exchange with shops or merchant establishments or anywhere else as 500 and 1000 rupee notes are demonetized.
Certain facts about what is happening to bring the black money back
The Swiss Govt. and the Indian Govt. have signed a bilateral agreement to fight towards tax evasion and fraud.
Switzerland has signed an agreement namely AEOI. AEOI stands for Automatic Exchange of Information. By this agreement, the Indian Govt. will have an immediate access to account holders having their money deposited at the Swiss Bank. India will get the entire list of account holders by the end of 2018. The smart anti-social guys by then would conveniently switch over their accounts to a different tax haven. Hence, bringing back the black money to India is now the need of the hour.
Countries like US, France, Italy and Singapore have fought for their rights and received the black money back. India has not fully initiated the process to get the black money back due to its own inertia.
It might apparently not be possible to retrieve the entire black money account holders’ history and get the money back. But further accumulation of funds in the black money market can be curtailed if the Indian Govt. follows these steps:
The Govt. has to monitor individuals who are traveling to Switzerland quite frequently.
Keep a stricter tab on NGO’s wanting to set up industries. The funding process has to be thoroughly checked and the means of funding has to comply with the whiter or cleaner money standards.
Verify the inflow of FDI. FDI stands for Foreign Direct Investment. The Indian Govt. will have to cross-verify which country is depositing funds into India and what is the purpose behind it? It is hard-work for intelligence and detective agencies.
Lower taxes. By lowering tax slabs, more and more people would be prompt in paying their taxes on time.
Last but not the least, once possible suspects in black money hoarding are identified, the Govt., needs to take adequate measures in acting upon them. When you leave the black money hoarders scot-free, they would continue to do their job.
It was estimated that more than 1,965 rich Indians have deposited their money with the HSBC bank located in Zurich. Zurich is the capital city of Switzerland. The total amount comes to 25,500 crores. Imagine if that amount was with the Indian Govt. right now, how well our economy would have flourished? We would have become a developed economy by now. The Swiss accounts holders included high-end industrialists from India. Nothing much has been done so far even though the account holders list was published in the year 2015. Something similar to the Patriotic Act of the USA to fight terrorism and tax evasion should come up in India as well. Then, we can see some radical change.
India can create new black money specialists if:
Taxes are not lowered.
Compliance is not fully enforced.
Transparent procedures in tender awarding contracts are still being practiced and
Harsh penalties are not imposed on the defaulters.
We have seen what this black money puzzle is all about. The importance of bringing black money back in India has also been highlighted by specialists. It’s time to change things. Surely, the time has come!


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Airlines have restored in-flight service at different paces, but with the exception of JetBlue, one thing is consistent: drinks are served in disposable plastic or paper. I’ve had enough and started bringing my own cups and glasses from home.
Why I Bring My Own Cups And Glasses When I Fly
Coffee is not meant to be consumed in a paper cup. Wine is not meant to be sipped in a plastic glass. Yet since the pandemic began over a year ago, major airlines in the United States have eliminated glassware and ceramic cups altogether, citing safety concerns.
But we have multiple studies suggesting the virus is not spread via surfaces. Furthermore, whether it be glass or plastic, flight attendants still have to collect it, so I don’t really see what the safety concern is. I do see the cost concern of having to stock and wash reusable glassware and ceramic coffee cups, though.
Since airlines, other than JetBlue which restored its full onboard service last autumn, seem to be in no rush to bring back real cups and glasses, I’ve started bringing my own.
This is my new travel coffee cup:
And my new travel drinking glass:
You should have seen the flight attendant reaction on a recent flight…
FA: “Where did you get that?”
Me: “I brought it from home.”
FA: “Oh, you go girl. Love it.”
He proceeded to summon his colleagues so they could all take a look and then offer a collective apology for the plastic cups, as if it was their choice.
Water is bad enough from a plastic cup, but wine? Are you kidding me? No chance. Those days are over.
So until airlines start restoring glasses, I have no choice but to bring my own.
This is hardly an issue unique to airlines, sadly. Many of my favorite coffee shops continue to insist on throw-away cups instead of using ceramic. Hopefully this will change soon too.


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Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and Tesla CEO, has sold shares worth $5 billion, just days after launching a Twitter poll asking if he should sell 10% of his massive interest in the electric carmaker, in which millions voted.
According to regulatory papers submitted on Wednesday, the billionaire, who has a net worth of over $300 billion, sold 4.5 million shares this week.
The company’s stock dropped by about 16 percent in two days after the survey showed that he should sell shares, before regaining some ground on Wednesday, November 10.
Musk issued a Twitter poll on Saturday, asking his fans to vote on whether he should sell a portion of his ownership in Tesla to meet his tax obligation.
“Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock,” he tweeted.
“I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes.”
The poll received over 3.5 million votes, with roughly 58 percent in favor of the share sale.
Musk also highlighted that he is not paid in cash by Tesla: “I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock.”
Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world, with a stock market worth of more than $1 trillion.
According to papers with the US stock market regulator, he also sold another 934,000 shares for around $1.1 billion after exercising options to buy roughly 2.2 million shares.
According to the stock sales records, nearly a fifth of the shares were sold based on a pre-arranged trading strategy established up in September, long before Musk’s weekend social media statements about selling some of his shares.


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Melty Blood developers Type-Moon have been steadily promoting Melty Blood Type Lumina before its release this coming September 2021. Fans have long been waiting for this release for almost two decades. Here's what we know about Melty Blood Type Lumina's release this 2021.
Melty Blood Type Lumina Release Date
According to the trailers that Type-Moon is releasing lately, Melty Blood Type Lumina is scheduled for release on September 30, 2021. Its release will be second of the new wave of fighting games that has rollback netcode support. Many fans are looking to play this title online due to this new feature doing well for Guilty Gear Strive from Arc System Works.
Melty Blood Type Lumina Trailers
As seen on Type-Moon's official Youtube channel, the developers have been releasing a steady stream of new Melty Blood Type Lumina trailers. Since July, Type-Moon has been revealing at least two character trailers per week. More characters may be revealed for this title soon as the game's release date closes in. For now, here's the release announcement trailer to give you a better look at the game.
Melty Blood Type Lumina Character Roster
So far, Type-Moon has released these trailers for its characters. Many of these character reveals are familiar faces from the older titles. Here's some trailers released for the initial roster of this title:
- Shiki Tohno
- Kouma Kishima
- Arcueid Brunestud
- Akiha Tohno
- Hisui & Kohaku
- Miyako Arima
- Michael Roa Valdamjong
- Vlov Arkhangel
So far, we've yet to know how many characters will the initial roster the developers give to Melty Blood Type Lumina. We'll update you on all the developments here.
Melty Blood Type Lumina will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC through Steam.


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Is Your Business Ready for a Digital India?
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated India's digital shift. To seize the opportunities it presents companies will need to excel in four key areas of digital transformation.
- Article |
- 17 December, 2020
The journey toward a digital India has been a fitful one but in the last few years rapid growth in internet penetration, rising private and public investment in digital technologies, and enthusiastic adoption by Indian consumers has made the country a global force in the worldwide digital revolution.
In the last four years alone the country has added an astonishing 420 million internet connections, that's more than 50% of the 750 million total connections. To put it in an even starker context, in the last 3 years alone India has added more internet users than the entire active user base in the USA. This rapid growth has been powered by the world's fastest-growing smartphone market and a nationwide rollout of 4G networks.
As a result, India is one of the world's highest growth e-commerce markets, expanding from less than $1bn in 2010 to more than $30bn in 2019 and projected to reach over $100bn by 2024. And the rise of e-commerce is not restricted to the consumer internet. The Government of India's e-marketplace GeM is targeting $100bn in transactions in the next 5 years, up from $3.5bn last year as it transforms government procurement.
What is more, all of this was before COVID.
COVID-19 has accelerated the digital shift
The impact of COVID-19 has been a dramatic and broad-based acceleration of the digitalisation trend in India.
While the initial weeks of lockdown saw many e-commerce companies suspend deliveries, as restrictions eased Indian consumers turned to their apps in unprecedented numbers. E-commerce growth is now projected to accelerate from around 50% CAGR over the last few years to over 80% in 2024 as a result of COVID. This is compared to a growth rate of 24% globally. Grocery is expected to be the biggest driver of growth, contributing 40% of the incremental gross merchandise value (GMV) between now and 2024.
Other low penetration categories are being targeted from personal health to consumer durables and even automobiles. With Hyundai becoming the latest auto brand to facilitate a fully online buying process from customising trim to arranging financing.
This online shift is not restricted to consumers. The digitalisation of B2B commerce has rapidly accelerated during the pandemic. For example, the large wholesale trade that supplies millions of kirana (mom and pop) stores around the country is witnessing an equally dramatic revolution as store owners shift from physical to digital channels. Embracing its offer of greater convenience, lower prices and even access to working capital finance. Bangalore-based start-up ShopX saw retail sign-ups double and average order size rise 40% between April and July. Other leading players like Udaan and Jumbotail have accelerated their expansion plans with the former now valued at over $7bn. And leading FMCG brands have been quick to embrace the new channel. Retail Association of India expects 30-40% of B2B commerce to shift to digital platforms in the next 3 years.
Powered by the conversion of consumers and traders to digital platforms the share of digital payments has also risen during the pandemic. By 2023 it is now predicted that $271bn of transactions in India will switch from cash to cards and digital payments.
Meanwhile, with millions of school children homebound for months on end, the pandemic has turbocharged India's already rapidly growing e-learning space. Making it the world's second-largest market and expected to be worth $1.9bn by 2021.
Lastly, the most profound impact of COVID-19 has been on the healthcare system and one of its most enduring effects may well be to transform one of the least digitalised sectors of the economy. Take for example telemedicine, a technology that has been a much-vaunted solution to India's health inequalities for years but that finally came into its own during the pandemic. A recent survey found that 80% of clinicians have used telemedicine in 2020 and 77% of patients would like to continue using it after the pandemic. As a result, India’s telemedicine market is projected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025, driven by a rise in teleconsultations, telepathology, teleradiology, and e-pharmacy caused by the pandemic. Furthermore, to facilitate a broader digital transition in healthcare the Indian government announced plans in August for a digital health identity with full interoperability.
Business has been forced to adapt
As the pandemic spread Indian business was forced to rapidly adapt to the new digital reality. Organisations had to facilitate an overnight shift to remote working for most white-collar workers, marketing and sales activities had to move online, and business operations had to rely on remote communications to manage manufacturing and supply chains.
The abrupt transition led to significant innovation and fast adoption of new digital tools but it also exposed widespread gaps in firms' systems & processes, IT infrastructure, and data management. The crisis also put strains on outdated organisation structures and exposed an absence of digital skills caused by low prioritisation of digital over recent years. More fundamentally still, the digital shift challenged the existing business models and strategies of many companies that had failed to consider its impact on the creation of business value in their industry.
Consequently, digital now presents both a huge opportunity for companies that can seize it but an existential threat to those who fail to quickly learn the lessons from the crisis.
4 areas that make you ready for a digital India
To adapt your organisation to the realities of digital India you need to focus on transforming your business in several fundamental areas. Drawing on the learnings from many large-scale digital transformations we have identified four pillars of digital that are crucial building blocks in creating a digitally-enabled business.
To start the transformation journey you should first evaluate where you stand in each of these four areas.
Vision and Strategy
Success in digital requires an integrated strategy powered by an ambitious vision. By defining a clear aspiration on digital that is linked to the creation of business value, leaders can establish digital's importance to the overall business strategy and position it as a priority for the whole organisation. Most digital initiatives tend to fail because leaders are unable to articulate an overarching vision to their teams and therefore their connection to the business strategy remains unclear. Consequently, employees see digital initiatives as a fad that quickly falters when senior management attention is diverted to seemingly more pressing issues.
Further, operationalising any digital strategy requires strong governance and coordinating mechanisms and a high level of engagement across the organisation. Most companies still consider digital the remit of the IT department rather than a firm-wide priority. Hence, it falls through the gaps of departmental silos. Instead, leaders need to define high priority digital use cases across business areas with clear outcomes, committed deadlines, and accountable business owners. The role of IT becomes one of facilitator and enabler but the ultimate responsibility often lies with the business owner who derives the most value from the initiative.
Digital transformation initiatives are complex because they often involve multiple dependencies distributed across the organisation which means that important digitalisation efforts often get held back by a lack of responsiveness in other parts of the business. Therefore as a leader, it is vital that you first set out a clear digital transformation roadmap of prioritised initiatives. The roadmap brings transparency across the organisation and spells out the activities, deliverables, timeline, along with the financial and human resources that will be needed at each step.
This transformation roadmap should be accompanied by a dynamic process to govern its implementation including regular C-level progress reviews.
While vision and strategy are the brains of digital transformation technology is the backbone. During the crisis, many Indian companies found their current capabilities were unfit for a fully digital world. To successfully digitalise organisations require a strong and flexible technology spine encompassing systems and processes, infrastructure, and data.
The most successful companies are leveraging emerging technologies such as robotic process automation, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and the internet of things (IoT) to reimagine their core business processes. Delivering dramatic gains in efficiency, productivity, and customer experience. However, before these innovations can be explored many firms still need to standardise, digitise, and automate core business processes. Whilst manufacturing operations have often achieved a basic level of digitisation thanks to the widespread adoption of ERP in India, many functions like sales and marketing, finance, and HR have huge scope to digitise.
Once processes have been digitised companies can start to automate them to remove the bottlenecks caused by manual intervention. Next, they can leverage the data generated from the digitised processes to gather analytic insight to further optimise them. Thanks to the power of AI and machine learning this process of analysis and improvement itself can be increasingly automated, rapidly accelerating the rate of improvement.
Effective digitalisation also requires a robust technology infrastructure to enable real-time data flow across the organisation in a world of remote working. A large number of Indian companies are operating with legacy technology that was designed for office and factory-bound workers and limited amounts of data that was rarely analysed. Today, leaders need to conceptualise their digital infrastructure for total workforce mobility through cloud-based solutions, along with big data capabilities to gather and analyse huge amounts of data generated from every business function and countless processes, captured by an ever-increasing number of IoT devices.
Along with the right technology infrastructure, companies must adopt suitable platforms for data management and analytics that balance the need for real-time insight with appropriate data security and cyber-attack defences.
Organisation and People
A sharp vision for digital and the right technology will not be sufficient to achieve effective execution unless your businesses' digital priorities get reflected in your organisation structure, hiring, and training.
The pandemic has exposed the limitations of traditional hierarchical organisations, slowing down decision-making and impeding agility in the fast-moving crisis. Successful organisations have struck the right balance between autonomy and alignment - facilitating higher performance while team members have been forced to work from home. Given the popularity and effectiveness of remote working, some form of hybrid home-office work environment is likely to emerge once the pandemic recedes rather than a return to business as usual.
In this new digital world, leaders will need to accelerate the transition to more distributed teams focused on projects rather than functions along with streamlined decision-making processes.
The acceleration of digital trends has also highlighted the glaring talent gaps in many organisations in skills ranging from software development to web design, and data analytics to digital marketing. To thrive in a digital world companies will need to redesign their hiring practices to prioritise digital skill sets and design new digital roles that will become critical to business growth.
Along with hiring new digital talent companies must take steps to upgrade the digital capabilities of their existing workforce. Through benchmarking current capabilities they can identify key gap areas as well as the internal talent that can be tapped to mentor and coach colleagues alongside more structured training programmes.
Last but by no means least, to succeed in a digital India you will need to transform your culture to embrace a digital-first approach across every level of the organisation.
Cultural change begins at the top. From the CEO down leaders need to demonstrate a visible commitment to digital transformation on a daily basis. Reinforcing the digital vision, reminding people of its importance, and recognising the actions and achievements that contribute to its progress.
The performance appraisal of senior leaders should include metrics related to digital transformation and senior executives must be actively engaged in the review process for digital initiatives.
Evidence of a mindset change on digital will be seen when people in the organisation adopt digital as the default way of doing business, when they collaborate across functions on digital initiatives, and when they see digital as primarily a business rather than a technology issue.
Furthermore, Indian businesses need to foster a test-and-learn culture that encourages experimentation with new digital approaches. When the pace of technological change is only accelerating there are no once-and-for-all solutions. Success in digital will come from making changes in quick increments in response to continuously emerging technologies and evolving customer needs.


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By Emily Warn
By day and night, Christine Deavel is the co-owner of OPEN BOOKS, Seattle’s poetry-only bookstore. She likes her clothes to help sell books. Case...
By Barbara Jane Reyes
Cypher Books has just announced that Suheir Hammad's breaking poems, which was the recipient of the 2009 Arab American Book Award in Poetry, has...


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Bandai Namco has released a new PV revealing a new mobile game. The title of the game is “Kamen Rider City Wars” aka “Masked Rider City Wars”. The pre-registration of the game has gone live but they haven’t announced any release date yet. Aside from the announcement, there are no specific information yet about the game.
You can watch the official PV here:


text: Delivery of IBM’s 8750 digital successor to the antique analogue 1750 PABX, announced last October for the European market, has been delayed at least nine months, with industry sources predicting a two-year wait. IBM says that a faulty board connected to the 8750 Motorola 68020-based central processor is responsible for the delay and expects the redesign to be finished in time for shipment early next year. A spokesman said the layout of the faulty circuit board has been amended and that testing is now underway. But further obstacles in the form of PTT approval and interconnectivity tests with other PABX suppliers could impede sales of the switch on the European market. Interim approval has been granted in the UK by Oftel for the 8750 to connect to the public networks but the rest of Europe has yet to follow suit and IBM confirms that delays in some countries are unavoidable while maintaining that testing procedures have started. The 8750 switch will offer British Telecom’s version of ISDN signalling for private networks, DPNSS, from day one in the UK, although IBM has not started interconnectivity testing with other vendors’ DPNSS implementations. Manufacturing of the 8750 is being carried out by IBM’s integrated switching systems services at its Havant plant in Hampshire. The US version of the Rolm business communications system, the 9750, destined for the North American, Asian and South American markets, was shipped shortly after last year’s Autumn launch with all US customer site installations completed in March this year, IBM reports.


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Beer with smaller climate impact – Miljönytta
Our drinking habits and the beer market have changed a lot in recent years. Ten years ago, there were about 20 breweries operating in Sweden. Today, the number is closer to 190. In the 1970s, Systembolaget (the government owned chain of liquor stores with monopoly on alcohol sales in Sweden) offered 50 different kinds of beer. Now, thousands of beers are available. In the 1970s, few except the environmental authorities made any connection between beer production and the environment, or linked business opportunities to environmental advantage.
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DUBAI: KBW Ventures, the company founded by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, was among a group of backers who agreed to refinance $60 million of debt held by a Californian cellular agriculture seafood company, it was announced on Tuesday.
BlueNalu produces a variety of seafood products directly from fish cells. In addition to the latest debt financing, it previously raised $4.5 million in early 2018 and $20 million in 2020.
The San Diego company aims to use the funding to open a 40,000 square foot pilot production facility as part of its bid to launch a pilot program and eventually distribute its products across the US.
“The team at BlueNalu is driven to produce cell-based seafood products that are healthy for consumers, humane for animals, sustainable for our planet and provide increased food security to each nation in which we go to market,” said Lou Cooperhouse, BlueNalu president and CEO.
“This recent round of funding will allow us to continue advancing our mission and the next phase of our commercialization plans, while we continue to develop strategic partnerships that we expect will provide us with global market reach during the coming years.”
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, added: “We have increased our stake in BlueNalu by investing for the second time. Our commitment to inject further capital is based on the company’s impressive forward roadmap, detailing a clear path to ramping up production and bringing its first product to market. KBW Ventures is pleased to play a role in the largest financing ever for a cell-based seafood company, aligning ourselves with mission-driven businesses that seek to solve the world’s food security issues sustainably.”
Amir Feder, BlueNalu’s CFO, said the company is confident it can penetrate the lucrative $200 billion global seafood market and that it is in the process of signing up a series of international strategic partners.
Last month, KBW Ventures also increased its investment in a Singapore-based biotech company aiming to produce lab-grown dairy products. TurtleTree Labs raised $6.2 million as part of its latest round of funding. Besides KBW Ventures, other investors included Green Monday Ventures, Eat Beyond Global and Verso Capital.
Founded in 2019, TurtleTree Labs, which has offices in San Francisco and Singapore, will use the funds to accelerate research and production of functional, bioactive proteins and complex sugars found in human milk.
The company hopes these will have potential benefits in gut and brain health, which can be applied to both infant and senior nutrition and offer a viable alternative to animal-based dairy products.
KBW Ventures invests in companies with transformative technologies and business models. Its other investments include the Colorado-based pet food firm Bond Pet Foods and California’s Beyond Meat.


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Mercedes CLA45 AMG saloon pictures
The first picture of the new Mercedes CLA45 AMG sports saloon has been revealed
The Mercedes CLA45 AMG sports saloon has been unveiled for the first time, albeit in computerised form. It was unveiled as Sony announced its new Playstation 4 games console, with the CLA45 among the cars in a new driving game, Driveclub. It will also be joined in Driveclub by its hatchback brother, the Mercedes A45 AMG, which has already been revealed in real life and debuts at March’s Geneva motor show. The CLA45 AMG is essentially a four-door spin-off, and which premieres at April’s New York motor show. It will use the same 355bhp/332lb ft 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the most powerful regular production engine of its type yet. It drives all four wheels through a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox. The A45 AMG is capable of an electronically limited 155mph top speed, which the CLA will replicate, while the saloon’s slippier, more aerodynamic shape might help it shade the A45’s 4.6sec sprint to 62mph. It will cost more, with a pricetag close to £40,000 likely. Getting hold of it on Driveclub will, we reckon, prove a little cheaper.


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Facebook’s Internet.org, which was launched in India in last February in association with Reliance Communications, faced resentment with a number of leading Information technology and Internet firms pulling out of the service after net neutrality activists claimed it violated the principles of a neutral Internet.
“I would say India is unique in that respect and very much an outlier. In other markets, Internet.org has been embraced as a pro-connectivity initiative that has garnered a lot of support,” Internet.org Vice President Chris Daniels said.
A committee by telecom ministry set up to examine the issue of net neutrality earlier this month submitted its report The committee recommended collaborations between mobile operators and content providers that enable “gatekeeping” roles should be discouraged. Facebook plans to scale up its service to offer free basic Internet on mobile phones, an executive said, after introducing the application in 17 developing countries over the past year.
Also read: Facebook launches instant articles
In a blog post released to mark the first year of the initiative, Facebook said it will allow any mobile operator to offer the service under its Internet.org program. The social networking giant currently partners with specific operators to launch the service in different countries. Internet.org has brought over 9 million people online over the past year, Daniels said.
Facebook developed the platform with six technology partners to bring an estimated 4.5 billion unconnected people online, mainly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. It offers selected web services for free to users, along with access to Facebook’s own social network and messaging services.
The blog post also said that over the past year, the service had bought new users onto mobile networks on average over 50% faster and that more than half the people using Internet.org are paying for data to access the wider Internet within 30 days.
Internet.org the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg started with initial launches in Africa, later expanding to cover 17 countries — including large populations like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia — across three continents.


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Qatar has taken steps to shut down the $300 million-a-year lamb trade with Australia in the latest blow to farmers and meat processors already suffering from China import bans
In what some see as another retaliatory blow linked to culturally insensitive diplomacy, Qatar has abruptly ended a subsidy which has underpinned the trade with Australia for the past five years.
The Qatar move comes after the Morrison government raised concerns over invasive searches of Australian women travellers at Doha's Hamad International Airport in October.
Lamb exporters and sheep industry leaders were reluctant to publicly link the trade disruption to the outcry over the searches for fear of inflaming the situation.
Karim Nol, the boss of Sydney-headquartered Al-Karim Exports, said Qatar was one of Australia's biggest and most important markets and the trade disruption had come without warning.
"For five years everything was going fine, all sweet, and then overnight it is cancelled," he said.
"It is going to affect a lot of producers and abattoirs across Australia, in Tasmania, in Victoria, in WA."
Trade minister Simon Birmingham said any suggestion that exports of lamb to Qatar had been banned were incorrect.
"Qatar is apparently reviewing the operation of its state-supported import scheme, including possibly moving to a less state-controlled and more market-orientated model," he said.
"We expect that Australia will experience competition for future contracts under a new model, but that there will be continued demand for premium quality lamb in Qatar."
The Qatar government has subsidised Australian lamb imports since 2015 but suddenly cancelled the long-standing agreement effective from December 31 even though it was not due to expire until the end of 2023.In a shock move, Qatar government-controlled Widam Food Company notified markets that Qatar would cease subsidising Australian fresh and chilled meat from the end of the year.
Under the subsidy and associated supply contracts, Australia was exporting about 1.25 million processed lambs and 250,000 live sheep a year to Qatar.
Mr Nol said his company handled about 15 per cent of the exports to Qatar, with lamb air freighted out of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to the Middle Eastern nation.
"Once the subsidy stops we can't export any more. It just won't be viable," he said.
Mr Nol said the loss of the Qatar market would hit farmers and abattoirs geared up for the trade and have a ripple effect through the supply chain.
"There is going to be a multitude of people affected through to transport companies and airline agents," he said.
Roger Fletcher, Australia's biggest sheep meat processor but a relatively small player in the Qatar market, said he understood Qatar had been considering ditching the subsidy for some time.
Qatar might look to Syria and Sudan to fill the void.
The Labor Opposition attacked the Morrison government for not protesting strongly enough after women from several countries, including Australia, were ordered off a Qatar Airways flight, taken into an ambulance and physically searched.
Qatar later said it regretted the searches, carried out as part of an investigation into an abandoned baby found at the airport. The airport officers involved now face jail.
Qatar Airways continued to operate flights to and from Australia at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns and helped maintain a stable supply of sheepmeat into Qatar.
It is understood Qatar subsidises Australian lamb as part of a food supply and security agenda that previously included ownership of big tracts of Australian farmland.
Qatar Investment Authority-owned Hassad Australia sold its farm portfolio to Macquarie Group for $300 million last year and reinvested some of the proceeds in Macquarie’s agricultural funds.
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text: Home GCC UAE Gen Zers have new priorities for Ramadan, reveals AI-powered study New research by Sila Insights mapped nearly two million online conversations to discover how Ramadan is evolving through changes in demographics and lifestyle choices by Gulf Business April 12, 2023 Sila Insights, the Dubai-based AI-powered consumer intelligence company, has unveiled the findings of The Ramadan Shift, a study that examined the changing lifestyle priorities of Gen Zers and millennials during the Holy Month. According to the study, Ramadan pursuits are becoming more individualistic, reflecting changing demographics, media consumption habits and lifestyle choices. This is underpinned by the finding that young Arabs now prioritise friendships over family gatherings and prefer gaming, sports and TikTok, to traditional habits such as watching movies and TV series. Using proprietary AI-powered Arabic-native language processing, Sila Insights analysed Arabic tweets, Instagram posts and TikTok videos from across the Arab world, from Ramadan 2022 to date. In all, the sentiment, emotion, and dialect (considered a substitute for country of origin) of nearly two million online conversations using the word ‘Ramadan’, in Arabic or English, were tracked. The posts had an estimated reach of more than 22 million people and 6.2 billion views. Paul Kelly, CEO and founder of Sila, said the study is one of the thought leadership initiatives by the company that highlights how its proprietary AI-powered consumer intelligence is disrupting traditional market research. “Our goal is to make insights and marketing in the Arab world more effective with deep Arabic consumer intelligence and influence. This will bring real value to big data and support brands with actionable insight to drive their growth across the region and beyond.” He added: “The findings of our new study will help organisations and businesses connect more strongly with Gen Zers during the Ramadan season and guide tactical decisions such as media spending. When it comes to Millennials, they can address the financial responsibilities of celebrating Ramadan. But what really stands out, is the need to prioritise the quality of the Ramadan experience for all.” The research also found that nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of post-millennials appear increasingly nostalgic for Ramadan experiences of the past. They long for a stronger sense of community and to go back to Ramadan traditions. Meanwhile, a majority (79 per cent) of millennials (aged over 30) worry about the financial pressures of celebrating Ramadan, such as the cost of eating out and gifting. Just over one in four (29 per cent) of this cohort are likely to be nostalgic for the Ramadan of yesteryear. Although their Ramadan priorities differ, Gen Zers and millennials share the same passion for the values of Ramadan. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of their online conversations concern spirituality, with the rest being about stronger community connections during the Holy Month. The most popular topics in the context of spirituality are practices such as dua’a (the offering of informal prayers and supplications), followed by religious obligations, such as the profession of one’s faith, the five obligatory prayers, performing zakat (alms), fasting and the Hajj pilgrimage. Specific to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Gen Zers (youth below the age of 30) prefer to spend more time with friends than at family gatherings, and increasingly enjoy video games, sports and TikTok. During the study period, the consumption of TikTok Ramadan posts rocketed to 5.17 billion, with each post generating more than 707,497 engagements. Reflecting the rising popularity of TikTok, online conversations about watching TV series – a traditional Ramadan activity – are diminishing, especially among Gen Zers. TV is now the most popular conversation topic for Millennials in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Across all Ramadan posts, the predominant emotion was ‘excitement’, which was especially strong in the Emirati, Bahraini and Yemeni dialects. The study also found that conversations about Ramadan start long before the Holy Month, although peak TikTok views occur during the first week. Read: Insights: Gaming, Gen Z and the metaverse Tags gEN Z Ramadan research Study 0 Comments Share Tweet Share Share You might also like Hai Ramadan returns to Expo City in March; here’s what to expect Dubai school holidays: When is the half-term break? Insights: Supporting healthcare needs of a multi-generational workforce UAE holiday calendar for 2024: When is the next paid leave?


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Calendar filling with Christmas activities
December 8, 2022
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to plan to be in downtown Superior between 5 and 7 p.m. on Friday to participate in the Once Upon a Christmas annual event. From the scheduled activities, it appears it will be a festive time to visit with friends and neighbors and see what Superior stores have to offer this holiday season.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus have confirmed they plan to participate. Mrs. Claus will headquarter near Main Street Floral and will have locally made treats for the youngsters. Santa will be seated in the Farmers & Merchants Bank lobby and visiting with...
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“We are excited to launch the Vivo S1 Pro smartphone in the country because this reflects how the brand is striving to make innovations as a tool for the younger generation to showcase their personalities and power their lifestyles, especially in the realm of social media.”
– Charisma Buan, Vivo Philippines PR Lead
Attended by Vivo Executives, distributors, and exclusive media partners, the event showcased the numerous features of the device, with focus on its Quad Rear Cameras housed in a diamond-shaped module.
Vivo S1 Pro boasts a 6.38-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, with a notch that houses a 32MP shooter. It also sports the company’s signature in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 665, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It packs a 4,500mAh battery with Dual-Engine Fast Charging.
The device retails for PhP15,999, and is now available for pre-order online and in-store until November 29. It will be available at all authorized Vivo outlets nationwide starting November 30, 2019.


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A recent Disney newsletter points to a sequel for 2010’s Epic Mickey. The sequel to the Nintendo Wii exclusive is said to be heading out all platforms this time around, taking Mickey on a multi-platform journey. The newsletter also points to a cooperative mode in the sequel, one where players work with the tag team of Mickey and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Mickey’s magical paintbrush will return, but your counterpart will have the ability to fly a helicopter and use electricity to fend off enemies. The game is said to feature a slew of Disney’s “forgotten characters”.
Epic Mickey was a pretty game on the non-HD Nintendo Wii, and a high resolution version is something that could have made the first even better. The newsletter didn’t say when to expect Epic Mickey 2, but be on the lookout for a release date announcement when more details arrive.
- This article was updated on:December 4th, 2017


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Steven A. Rudnitsky Awarded The Pinnacle
Madison, NJ (June14, 2005)—In ceremonies held at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College at Florham in Madison, NJ, on June 10, 2005, Steven A. Rudnitsky of Norwood, NJ, was inducted into The Pinnacle, the highest award the University can bestow on its alumni. Pinnacle recipients are chosen on the basis of success or distinction in their chosen fields; significant contributions to society and humanity through public or humanitarian service; and outstanding service to the University, or reflection of the unique character of Fairleigh Dickinson in their lives.
In 2002, Steven Rudnitsky assumed the post of chairman and chief executive officer of Cendant Hotel Group, the world’s largest lodging franchisor. He is responsible for the organization’s operation, growth, performance and strategic direction. His achievements include an unprecedented quality assurance initiative; the launch of TripRewards, the world’s largest lodging loyalty program; and the creation of a 100-person field organization to support franchisees. He also led the effort to acquire Ramada International Hotels and Resorts and all Ramada worldwide trademark rights.
Prior to joining Cendant, Rudnitsky was president of Kraft Food Services and executive vice president of Kraft Foods. When Kraft acquired Nabisco Foods Company in December 2000, he was asked to integrate and lead their food service businesses.
Rudnitsky began his career in 1980 with McNeil Consumer Products, a division of the Johnson and Johnson family of companies. He subsequently honed his franchising and marketing skills during a 12-year career with PepsiCo, beginning in 1984.
In 1996, the Pillsbury Company recruited Rudnitsky to revitalize its lagging food service unit and serve as its vice president and general manager. In 1999, Nabisco lured him back to New Jersey to serve as president of its food service company.
Rudnitsky received his master’s degree in marketing from FDU in 1985 and serves on the University’s Global Advisory Board.
In presenting the award, Peter Strebel, executive vice present and chief marketing officer, Cendant Hotel Group, said, “You are highly respected by those who know you. Coming from a modest childhood, you have grown to achieve financial success and security while making significant contributions to the business world. By constantly challenging yourself, you inspire those around you. Your University takes great pride in awarding you The Pinnacle.”
Photo: FDU President Dr. J. Michael Adams (at left) congratulates Steven Rudnitsky


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New Boots store one step closer to opening
Health and beauty retailer Boots is one step closer to opening in Quedgeley.
It comes after their new home, the former Blockbuster store at Olympus Park was demolished.
The demolition paves the way for construction to begin on the new store.
The store has been broadly welcomed by councillors.
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Quedgeley parish councillor Roger Langston, for the Fieldcourt ward, said: "On the whole it is a good thing that Boots want to come here.
"It is better than an empty site and it will provide new facilities and jobs for the people of Quedgeley."
Deb Llewellyn, city councillor for Quedgeley, said: "People will be very excited by this and it could really boost trade in Quedgeley and hopefully other big names will come here in the future."
The old Blockbuster store closed down in May 2012 and has recently been demolished.
A much larger Boots store will be built over the back of the car park, incorporating a mezzanine floor.
The firm confirmed they were interested in developing the site in October.
But not everyone agrees that Boots is the right choice for the vacant site.
Quedgeley resident Emma Roberts, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said: "I think that this is a case of Boots as a brand being seen as a good choice for the old Blockbusters site rather than anyone thinking if we need that type of shop in Quedgeley."
For the full story see Thursday's Citizen.


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Factorial, a developer of next-generation solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, previewed a 100 Ah battery cell at CES 2023 in the Stellantis exhibition space. Developed as part of Factorial and Stellantis’ joint development agreement announced in November 2021, this cell results from the two companies’ continued collaboration to bring advanced solid-state battery technology to electric vehicles. (Earlier post.)
After already successfully creating automotive relevant sized cells of 40 Ah capacity (earlier post), Factorial is introducing even larger format cells to meet the key performance requirements from their global leading automotive OEM partners.
In his keynote address at CES 2030, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said that:
With Factorial, we are in development of a proprietary technology that uses less cobalt. Coming by 2026, the solid-state battery may deliver up to 30% higher energy density compared to conventional lithium ion, which could enable an even longer driving range or less weight. Together, we are already working on the next generation that will push this to 50%.
Factorial’s battery features a polymer-based solid electrolyte and a lithium-metal anode. Factorial’s FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) leverages current lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities, which saves production costs and time, while improving energy density and safety.


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Volvo Trucks’ launch tour for the company’s new truck models outside Europe continues and recently it was the turn of South Africa. “We are glad to be able to offer our customers in South Africa the most modern and innovative Volvo line-up ever. This will sharpen our competitive edge in the area,” says Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks.
With the launch of its new truck models in South Africa, Volvo Trucks aims to strengthen its position in the area even further. “South Africa is an important market in Africa and an important platform for expansion in neighbouring areas too,” says Claes Nilsson.
The brand already has a strong position in the country. After its launch in 2010, the first-generation Volvo FMX quickly established itself as an attractive choice with South African customers. In fact, South Africa currently ranks number four among Volvo Trucks’ top FMX markets. “The Volvo FMX suits customers here, often working in mining and logistics operations and sometimes in very difficult road conditions. This creates a strong demand for truck uptime as well as for after sales support and service,” says Claes Nilsson.
The launch in South Africa is the second outside Europe following the introduction this spring of the new FMX and FM plus the launch of the new Volvo FH a year ago. The launch tour will now continue to the Middle East, Asia and South America.
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At its launch event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled its new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to plenty of fanfare. On its 10-year anniversary, Apple announced new features for the iPhone 8 that may surprise some.
Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, unveiled the slick iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in three colors: silver, space gray, and gold. The new design features even-layer color processing glass front and back that's reinforced by steel and aerospace-grade aluminum framing. The aluminum alloy, and internal steel and copper structure has commentators calling it the iPhone 8 one of the most durable iPhones ever. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are water resistant like the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, rendering waterproof cases obsolete to a certain extent — the iPhone 8 can be submerged up to one meter underwater for 30 minutes without damage. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a higher water resistance rating and can reach up to 1.5 meters water depth.
And just like the iPhones 7 and 7 Plus, the 8 and 8 Plus have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays, respectively. The new displays boast of True Tone technology that adapts color and temperature to ambient light, making colors more accurate and providing a similar array of tones at cinematic films. The new stereo speakers are also 25 percent louder than the iPhone 7, with a deeper bass.
Along with improvements in glass durability, display quality, and speaker strength, Schiller announced what many people were buzzing to know: The iPhone 8 has Qi wireless charging. Apple will begin selling charging pads in their stores.
Schiller also announced an A11 "bionic" chip — the "most powerful chip ever in a smartphone." The A11 chip holds two performance cores that are 25 percent faster than the previous A10 chip, and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster, Apple says. The 12mp sensor is said to provide 83 percent more light, but with more power efficiency. The A11 also has a new image processor that gives the phone a faster low-light autofocus and reduces hardware noise, a bonus for iPhone photographers.
For those who see camera quality as the make-it-or-break-it when it comes to their smartphone upgrades, the iPhone 8's 12mp camera boasts of deeper pixels, image stabilization (only on the regular iPhone 8), a new color filter, and apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.8 for telephotos. Better camera specs are a given, considering that Apple has presented a better camera with each new iPhone. The iPhone 8's new dual-camera now has a "Portrait Lighting" feature that sense depth and adapt lighting as you compose your shot. The iPhone 8 has a menu so you can select your lighting effect. At the promo event in Cupertino, several examples of portraits taken by the iPhone 8 appeared on the screen and Schiller pointed out that the photos did not have filters applied to them: "These aren't filters. This is real-time analysis of the light on your subject's face."
Apple also boosted the video features on the iPhone 8 line, with faster video frame rates, new video encoder, and better slow-motion capabilities. Augmented reality was also heavily promoted at the Apple demo. Schiller described the the iPhone 8 as the first smartphone created especially for augmented reality (AR), although Google would protest whether it's the first smartphone designed for AR. Google already released its second AR phone early August.
What "created for AR" means, in Apple's case, is cameras calibrated for AR, accurate motion tracking, real-time lighting, and realistic graphics. To demonstrate, Apple showed several games and the Sky Guide app that shows the constellations in the actual sky. Directive Games CEO Atil Mar took the stage to present a new AR game that will arrive later this month, Machines, where players can battle their friends online or in the same room even.
The 64GB version of the iPhone 8 retails for $699, and for the iPhone 8 Plus it's $799. There will be 256GB versions of both. Preorders begin Friday, Sept. 15th for a Sept. 22nd arrival.


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THE International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2022) kicked off at KLCC Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Oct 12, 2022.
Taiwan Excellence, an initiative of the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade and managed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), had set up an exclusive exhibition pavilion at IGEM with the theme “A Green Future” aimed at igniting business opportunities in sustainability between Malaysia and Taiwan.
IGEM is Malaysia’s most influential exhibition and conference for green technology and environmental protection.
A total of 45 selected products from Taiwan Excellence showcase the continual innovation and value creation that is at the heart of many Taiwanese corporation.
The products included eco-friendly biodegradable materials by 100% ZHI and AVATACK; PE plastic lining-free recyclable paper food containers by CircuWell; the world’s first eco-friendly closed-loop recycled hot-stamping foil by UNIVACCO; high-precision pumps from Walrus Pump and HCP Pump; drug-free and pure plant-based shampoo by AROMASE & juliArt, and many more.
Environment and Water Ministry (KASA) secretary-general Datuk Seri Ir. Dr Zaini Ujang and Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) chairman Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad attended the Taiwan Excellence Pavilion opening in IGEM 2022 to shore up support.
Taiwan Excellence is the globally respected symbol of innovative value, and many Taiwanese enterprises are market leaders in carbon reduction and net-zero emission, said Taiwan Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur director Eva Peng in her opening address.
Their green focused achievements are recognised around the world and their eco-friendly products are highly sought after.
Peng further expressed her delight that Taiwanese exhibitors are not only participating in IGEM for commercial purposes but have also arranged for exchanges and dialogues with local environmental groups to deepen the understanding of how Taiwanese products can assist in achieving environmental protection objectives and become green partners for Malaysia.
Taiwan Excellence held two highly educational and well-received webinars in the run-up to the IGEM physical exhibition with representatives from AROMASE, CircuWell, AVATACK and HCP Pump sharing their respective company’s sustainable philosophy and experiences with the participants.
In addition to the product exhibition, Taiwan Excellence is also focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ideology and has joined the Eco Schools Malaysia initiative as a partner with the aim of sowing the seeds of a green economy.
In this case, Green Growth Asia Foundation executive director Ir. Ts. Dr Mahadi Mohamad expressed his conviction that Taiwanese Excellence award-winning products will inspire the students’ ecological-focused thinking about the possibilities that product innovation brings to environmental protection and provide a fresh perspective for the movement.
Green Growth Asia Foundation is the organisation behind the Eco Schools Malaysia effort.
Renowned Malaysian actress Dayang Nurfaizah is the brand ambassador for the Taiwan Excellence ESG initiative and will be participating in an environmental protection workshop on Oct 27 in a secondary school in Perak.
She will also lead the students in planting hibiscus seedlings grown in biodegradable seedling bags from Taiwan with the aim of greening the campus while reducing waste and nurturing the love for environmental protection in the next generation.
Taiwan Excellence had also prepared a string of exciting programmes and gifts for the IGEM physical exhibition from 12–14 Oct, 2022, with trade visitors who participated in business-matching, experiential activities and questionnaires standing a chance to win a Johnson Fitness treadmill.
For more information about Taiwan Excellence in IGEM 2022, visit the event website at www.taiwanexcellence.org/en/2022iGEM. – Oct 14, 2022


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Silicon wafer costs continued to drop final week, in keeping with figures from the Silicon Trade Department of the China Nonferrous Steel Trade Affiliation.
M6 mono wafers (166mm/155μm) have been priced at RMB5.8-6 per piece US$0.83-0.86), with the common transaction worth dropping to RMB5.99 per piece, a weekly decline of three.7%.
For M10 mono wafers (182 mm/150μm), costs have been quoted at RMB6.6-6.8 per piece, as the common transaction worth fell to RMB6.77 per piece, down 5.45% on the week earlier than.
Lastly, G12 mono wafer (210 mm/150μm) costs have been RB8.7-9 per piece. The typical transaction worth dropped to RMB8.88 per piece, a fall of 4.2%.
|Merchandise||Lowest worth||Highest worth||Common worth||Week-on-week change|
|M6 mono wafer (166mm/155μm)||5.8||6||5.99||-3.7%|
|For M10 mono wafer (182 mm/150μm)||6.6||6.8||6.77||-5.45%|
|G12 mono wafer (210 mm/150μm)||8.7||9||8.88||-4.2%|
By way of provide, most corporations are decreasing their working price. A number of producers lower working charges final week, whereas others deliberate to scale back manufacturing masses and decelerate capability ramp-ups in December to handle extreme stock attributable to oversupply.
Nevertheless, since there’s a delay for corporations to scale back their working charges, costs is not going to be considerably impacted within the quick time period. In the long term, it is going to assist resolve the mismatch downside of provide and demand of the commercial chain.
For demand, there are coverage dangers exterior China the place enthusiasm for buying cells continues to be not excessive.
At current, the mainstream cell buying and selling worth stays between RMB1.35-1.37/W. The buying and selling worth of long-term module orders is stabilised at RMB1.92-1.95/W, with a concentrate on the execution of beforehand signed orders.
Adjusted native pandemic management insurance policies have stimulated end-user calls for, which is able to profit module producers.
Abroad, the US Division of Commerce has preliminarily dominated that 4 of the eight Chinese language corporations underneath investigation tried to evade tariffs by processing merchandise in Southeast Asian international locations earlier than transport them to the US.
In response, the Chinese language International Ministry stated the US’s judgment severely broken the soundness of the worldwide PV industrial provide chain and international efforts to sort out local weather change, and can finally hurt its personal pursuits.
In accordance with Chinese language and abroad set up demand and This autumn Chinese language module export expectations, the month-to-month demand for silicon wafers might stay weak.
In December, mono silicon corporations plan to scale back working charges, so the scenario of minor provide surplus could also be eased. Wafer manufacturing in December is predicted to be about 34GW and oversupply will proceed, so the worth is predicted to fall barely.


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By John Toole
---- — New Hampshire’s appetite for Dunkin’ Donuts seems insatiable.
Pelham and Windham planners next week will review separate projects for the Massachusetts-based company.
Approval would bring the number of Dunkin’ outlets to more than 30 along the Interstate 93 corridor in Southern New Hampshire.
The projects in Pelham and Windham come just months after Salem planners approved the company’s seventh outlet in town.
The restaurants in Pelham and Windham would be the third in each town.
Is this too much of a good thing? Divided opinions on the streets of Derry yesterday indicated it’s worth discussing over coffee.
“You can’t have too many Dunkin’ Donuts, because everybody is always going there,” Brenda Holt of Derry said. “It makes it more convenient.”
Holt admits she sometimes gets her coffee at Cumberland Farms to save a few pennies.
“But Dunkin’ Donuts is great,” she said. “I love their coffee.”
For Christina Sadler of Londonderry, Dunkin’ is a regional institution.
“It’s a popular New England thing,” Sadler said. “Everybody has Dunkin’ in the morning.”
Brothers Trevor and Tyler Guay of Londonderry disagreed over the Dunkin’ explosion.
“I personally love Dunkin’ Donuts,” Trevor Guay said. “I don’t think there can be too many.”
But brother Tyler Guay disagrees.
“I love Dunkin’ Donuts myself, but there are too many. There’s not enough variety in your town,” he said. “I can think of four in a one-mile radius.”
The proposed Dunkin’ Donuts in Pelham would replace a convenience store at 869 Mammoth Road.
The one in Windham would be part of a project at 43 Range Road, which includes retail and office space.
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ has more than 10,000 restaurants in 31 countries. Sales for last year amounted to nearly $7 billion.
The company has a presence in nine of 12 communities in Southern New Hampshire, with 29 outlets.
“They just opened a new store at 227 North Broadway, where the old Granite State Potato Chip factory was located,” Salem planning director Ross Moldoff said. “They obviously have a very successful business model, as evidenced by all the stores they are building around the region.”
Dunkin’ is proposing a country-style store with dormers in Pelham, planning director Jeff Gowan said.
“The Planning Board held a site walk last Saturday that was very well attended,” Gowan said. “A plan to improve traffic flow by altering the end of Valley Hill Road, where it meets Mammoth, was discussed at the site walk and the Highway Safety Committee will meet to review and provide comment on that concept in advance of the Sept. 5 Planning Board meeting.”
Off-site traffic improvements would be subject to approval from selectmen, should planners OK the overall plan, Gowan said.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is certainly a successful and prolific company,” he said.
Windham community development director Laura Scott said the Windham project would be a new one, with Dunkin’ as one of three tenants, near the intersection of Range Road and Delahunty Drive.
The company’s vision, one of ongoing growth, is outlined on the corporate website that details plans for major expansion throughout the U.S., including Texas and California.
In Southern California alone, plans call for 45 stores.
The company in recent months also announced 19 new stores in Texas and eight for the Rochester, N.Y., area.
In 1980, the company’s slogan was changed to “Dunkin’ Donuts, it’s worth the trip.”
There’s little travel involved today and the current slogan seems more appropriate: “America runs on Dunkin’.”


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Outlook for global semiconductor industry in 2023 and beyond: Future Horizons
SEMI, USA recently organized the International Trade Partners Conference (ITPC 2022) at the Fairmont Orchid, Kohala Coast, Hawaii.
Semiconductors were once deemed the enabling technology for the electronic era but are now considered essential to the modern economy and functioning of every aspect of society. Global reliance on this critical sector was clearly emphasized during the pandemic years and will only intensify as we move forward.
Malcolm Penn, Founder and CEO, Future Horizons, presented the outlook for the semiconductor industry in 2023 and beyond. There’s been plenty to keep industry executives awake at nights. These include semiconductor market downturn, inflation/interest rate rises, global recession, Russia’s war in Ukraine, China-Taiwan tension, supply chain disruptions, Chips Act/onshoring. In May 2022, Future Horizons even warned of negative 22 percent growth for semiconductors in 2023, although, the jury is still out on that.
There have been 15 previous upturns since the first cyclical downturn in 1961. 10 previous booms were stronger. Shortages would have hit in 2018 had the market not collapsed. Problem was the industry had not had a shortage since the 2000 ‘Dot.Com’ boom. The 2021 boom and 2022 shortages were predictable, and there was nothing special. The semiconductor industry is still fundamentally structurally cyclical. Perhaps, it needs a new model. OEMs need to share the capex business risk.
Four driving influences
There have been four key driving influences. First, the economy! There has been toxic mix of slowing demand and recession. We have seen supply chain disruptions, faster monetary normalization, global indebtedness, Russia and China Sanctions, China-Taiwan tensions, etc.
Next comes unit demand! It has been running way above long-term average. We have seen 7.8b/week vs. 6.5b trend. Shipments are now seriously +20 percent over-inflated. There are collapsing over-stretched lead times, and high levels of inventory. Third, there is capacity. There was a massive 2021-22 capex spending spree. In 2021, it was $103 billion, up 45 percent vs. 2020. It was targeting over-inflated IC unit demand. Increased Capacity was starting online in 2H-2022.
Finally, ASPs. The steep upward trajectory collapsed in June. 77 percent of the supercycle ASP gain was wiped out in two months. Tier 2/3 foundry ASP cuts in the pipeline, Can TSMC hold the line? The increase in capacity is co-incident with softening market demand. Global economy is now heading for high inflation / interest rate rocks.
Unit shipments have been way above long-term average. Shipments are now seriously over-inflated by ~20 percent. A correction is inevitable! Real demand is not measured anymore (demand minus inventory liquidation once lead times shrink and fab WIP gets exhausted). As per the November WSTS Blue Book, it is right on cue as the downward correction has now started.
The capacity or capex spend is now seriously overheated. Sustained period of underinvestment had caused 2021-22 supply shortages. Subsequent catch up spend as percentage for semiconductor sales are at an unsustainable record high (targeting actual vs. real demand).
ASP recovery was in full flow since Jan. 2021, which was shortages driven. ASP collapsed in June 2022, and it’s always sudden, steep, and unexpected. Once the unit demand slows, the backlogs shrink and ASPs always plummet. Then, ‘any order’s a good order’! All of the year-on-year growth rates are now negative.
Forecast still at +4 percent for 2022
The global semiconductor industry is still forecast to grow +4 percent for 2022, as of Sept. 2022. It was +6 percent in May 2022, and +10 percent in Jan. 2022. This has happened due to consumer spending squeeze, followed by high inflation and interest rate rises. We are still bullish about 6 percent growth, but that’s highly improbable. The bear downside is +2 percent, which is much more probable, but negative growth is unlikely. The global semiconductor industry is still forecast to grow to $578.302 billion at 4 percent in 2022.
As per November WSTS Blue Book, the Q3 growth hit -6.3 percent, which is just below our worse case bear scenario. That means, any forecast over +5 percent just isn’t going to happen! That would require positive industry growth in Q4-22.
The 17th semiconductor industry down cycle is now in full flow. We are seeing collapsing demand, coupled with increased capacity, and now, a global economic downturn. The 2023 growth forecast for the semiconductor industry is still -22 percent, and there is no change from the Jan. 2022 forecast. Worsening economic outlook will likely prolong the downturn and push the recovery out. It is too early to call the outlook for 2024. Statistically, we should be back to low, single-digit positive growth. Magnitude and timing depends on the depth and reach of the global economic slowdown/recession.
No shortages of growth drivers
Looking forward, there are no shortages of growth drivers for the semiconductor industry. We have things such as smartphones and consumer, including PCs, communications backbone, servers, automotive, including EV, energy, including alternative energy, IoT, home automation, industrial, including robotics, transportation, AI, games and consoles, bio and e-medical, quantum computing and sensors, and even stuff that we’ve not yet thought of!
Downturns are when innovation and longer-term market share gains come to the fore. The successful firms double down on R&D and ‘invent ways out of the crisis’. R&D always accelerates during a downturn. There is no denying at the human and corporate levels. They are painful to endure. Cutbacks, pushbacks, and layoffs are often unavoidable. Better supply chain partnerships would clearly help their impact.
It is time to rethink the industry supply chain model – top down vs. bottom up driven. OEMs must take more responsibility for their security of chip supply. Keep track of the industry fundaments – don’t overthink or overhype. It’s rarely ‘different this time’, as cycles happen. Deal with them, and don’t deny it. Downturns are a structural part of the industry psyche, and are systemic. Be prepared, and don’t fight it! The 17th industry upturn’s round the corner.


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Nearly a third of those working in the travel industry expect to travel more for business in the next six months, according to a new survey.
Property and leisure and entertainment sectors are more confident about their level of business travel in the six month period, while only 29% of travel workers expect to go on corporate trips more often. The statistics, released by Mapfre Assistance, also showed that 17% of those in travel think they will take less trips in the next six months, which means 54% think it will remain the same.
“There is a noticeable difference between the confidence levels of business travellers indifferent sectors, which should give business travel agencies an indicator as to where they should focus their efforts in the coming months,” said Leire Jimenez, head of B2B travel at Mapfre. “The difference between the responses by sector demonstrates that we are still in very uncertain economic times and we expect there to be keen competition between business travel firms for companies in the most optimistic sector”.
Business travellers in the professional services, retail and education felt they were most likely to reduce their corporate travel in the next six months.


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The North American re-release of More Songs, the critically-acclaimed full-length from Chicago’s Grown Ups, is now available for pre-order from Topshelf Records (My Heart To Joy, Pianos Become The Teeth, Defeater).
The Midwestern quartet’s debut will see an official Stateside street date of November 9th on both CD and LP formats. Originally issued in May of 2010 by Big Scary Monsters, the British imprint will continue to carry the record as part of its catalog in the UK and Europe
Limited to 500 12-inches on four colorways (100 Coke Bottle Clear / 100 Off White / 100 Clear Gold / 200 Black), Topshelf has several special package deals available and the label will be giving away a test pressing to one random pre-order. Moreover, anyone who ordered the first pressing of the BSM-released More Songs is eligible for a free, exclusive screen-printed poster. Go here for additional info.
To celebrate the pre-order launch and upcoming release, Grown Ups and Topshelf have partnered with Absolutepunk.net for a test pressing contest. To enter, go here.
A U.S. tour in support of the re-release is currently being booked and Grown Ups will be playing this year’s Fest in Gainesville, FL as well. (tour dates to come soon!)