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These are the first official images of the new BMW 5-series saloon, which have leaked out ahead of the car’s official unveiling on Monday evening.
Although the car remains partially covered, further details have been seen on lightly-disguised 5-series saloon and estate models that have been spied in recent weeks as the firm enters the final stages of development of the car.
New BMW 5-series pictured - official teaser images
Styling will be much more conservative than the current model, but it will feature a larger version of the firm’s trademark kidney front grille.
It will share its platform with the recently-launched BMW 5-series GT, which itself uses a chopped down 7-series platform. BMW will apply much of what it has learned developing the ride and handling of the GT into the 5-series.
The car will be slightly larger than the outgoing model but thanks to weight-saving measures it should be no heavier. However, BMW has abandoned its use of lightweight aluminium on key parts of the car, opting instead for an all-steel arrangement.
BMW’s M division has already started work on the next-generation M5, which will feature turbocharging for the first time.
It will use the firm’s new twin-turbo V8 seen in the X5 M and X6 M and the new M5 will continue the car’s tradition of being more powerful than the one it replaces. Despite this, it will still be more fuel efficient, with reduced emissions.
Little is known at this stage about the new 5-series Touring, but like the saloon, it will be longer, wider and bigger inside than the car it replaces. The boot space is likely to be increased from the maximum 1650 litres in the current car, but it is unlikely to grow beyond the 1950 litres of its biggest rival, the new Mercedes E-class estate.
There will be new codenames for the 2010 5-series: F10 for the saloon, F11 for Touring, F10M for the M5 and F07 for the Gran Turismo.
BMW will launch the car live online on 23 November at 7pm GMT.


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Many UK shares are trading at low prices currently, thanks to all the economic turmoil regarding inflation and interest rates. Yet as a long-term investor, the issues plaguing the stock market today are, in my opinion, short-term problems that many top-tier, high-quality businesses will be able to withstand.
With that in mind, I’ve spotted two stocks that seem like no-brainer buying opportunities, even if I only had as little as £100 to invest. Let’s take a look.
One of the best UK shares to buy now?
XP Power (LSE:XPP) has had a tough run of late, with the share price tumbling by over 60% in the last 12 months.
As a quick reminder, the business is an electronics components manufacturer that works directly within the engineering, medical, and semiconductor manufacturing industries. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the disruptions to global supply chains have created many headwinds for this business.
Revenue growth has stalled while the order book and lead times continue to build. Sourcing raw materials is proving to be challenging. Even more so, given its manufacturing facilities are located in China, where strict Covid-19 policies are still in effect. To add more fuel to the fire, its competitor Comet Technologies accused XP Power of stealing trade secrets which a US jury awarded $40m in damages against the firm.
With all that in mind, watching these UK shares get sold off isn’t all that shocking. But while these developments are frustrating, the long-term strategy of this business ultimately remains uncompromised. At least, that’s what I think.
Management is still proceeding with its facility expansions to bolster manufacturing capacity once supply chain disruptions have ended. It has £189.2m in liquidity to work with versus only £105.8m in short-term liabilities. And while the $40m legal bill isn’t a pretty sight, it’s ultimately a one-time expense.
In the short-term, further volatility in the XP Power share price may continue. But as a long-term investment, this looks like a no-brainer buy for my portfolio, despite the risks.
Stock Pick #2
Another British business hit hard recently is Howden Joinery (LSE:HWDN). Shares of the UK kitchen materials supplier have tumbled nearly 40% over the last 12 months. And it’s not difficult to understand why.
With consumer spending for discretionary items like home renovation steadily declining and the house building industry beginning to slow, many investors expect Howden Joinery to follow suit.
But looking at the latest results, it seems someone forgot to tell the company. Because revenue continues to grow by double-digits, profit margins are climbing despite inflationary pressures, and the firm is capturing greater market share through expanding its depot network.
Management has admitted that if the housing market or consumer sentiment continues to suffer, maintaining its current momentum could prove challenging. This is obviously a significant risk to consider before making an investment decision.
Yet, with a P/E ratio of just 10 and a tasty 3.4% dividend yield, these UK shares look like a bargain, in my eyes. That’s why I added them to my income portfolio last week.
Markets around the world are reeling from the current situation in Ukraine… and with so many great companies trading at what look to be ‘discount-bin“ prices, now could be the time for savvy investors to snap up some potential bargains.
But whether you’re a newbie investor or a seasoned pro, deciding which stocks to add to your shopping list can be a daunting prospect during such unprecedented times.
Fortunately, The Motley Fool UK analyst team have short-listed five companies that they believe STILL boast significant long-term growth prospects despite the global upheaval…
We’re sharing the names in a special FREE investing report that you can download today. We believe these stocks could be a great fit for any well-diversified portfolio with the goal of building wealth in your 50’s.
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- 3 growth stocks on my buy list
- 2 UK dividend stocks to buy in September
- These battered UK shares could explode when the stock market recovers
- FTSE 100 reshuffle: 2 shares I’d buy in September
- Aveva share price soars 30% on buyout news! Here’s what I’d do now
Zaven Boyrazian has positions in Howden Joinery Group. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Howden Joinery Group and XP Power. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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CHINA: Fiat plans to set up new JV in China
Fiat is planning to establish a new joint venture in China, according to reports citing remarks by CEO Sergio Marchionne.
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Chiron Investigation Crypto Restoration Solutions Unleashes New Tactics to Deal with With Relevant Cases #Chiron #Investigation #Crypto #Recovery #Solutions #Unleashes #Methods #Deal with #Related #InstancesNews Headlines
DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – (NewMediaWire) – January 24, 2023 – Chiron Investigations initiates employing new procedures to help victims of cybercrime, Crypto Restoration Solutions has unveiled a ground-breaking cryptocurrency recovery technique. UK’s Dartford – Investigations by Chiron Foremost cyber forensic enterprise Crypto Restoration Methods is happy to announce the debut of their new bitcoin restoration engineering. Following circumstances of cybercrime that focus on cryptocurrency and forex trading buying and selling, this ground-breaking remedy is meant to guide men and women and businesses in recovering shed electronic property by furnishing guidelines on how to get their stolen cryptocurrency again.
Chiron’s Investigations staff of pros works by using refined practices and reducing-edge cybersecurity resources to obtain on the net belongings and adhere to electronic trails left by robbers, with a achievement charge of 9/10 in tracking and retrieving shed monies. It facilitates its users with assisting these impacted by Forex trading investing crimes. The company has not too long ago broadened its products and services to include cash recovery for victims of romantic criminal offense, where by revenue has been stolen by a dishonest spouse or on the net legal.
Chiron Investigations offers a assortment of safeguards in addition to restoration services to help safeguard cryptocurrency investments in the very first place. These contain chopping-edge protection solutions, a group of serious detectors, and a planet community that provides all-encompassing protection. The business enterprise promises that all electronic currency transactions would be recovered at a price of 97%.
What’s more, the enterprise advises adopting robust passwords, remaining careful when checking out links or downloading attachments, environment two-component authentication (2FA) on incredibly hot wallet accounts, and trying to keep software program and products up to present-day with the most current protection patches and updates. They also advise wondering about employing a chilly wallet for long-time period cryptocurrency storage. It is acknowledged to offers efficient crypto recovery companies to aid get stolen money back.
In summary, the restoration assistance business is as a result completely ready to assist customers get well their assets thanks to a no acquire, no cost technique and a workers of certified authorities.
About the Enterprise – Investigations by Chiron Bitcoin Restoration Companies
Chiron Investigation is a cyber forensic firm Crypto Recovery Answers is located in Dartford, United Kingdom. The crew of gurus at the organization is committed to helping people and firms recuperate missing electronic property in the wake of cybercrime that concentrate on cryptocurrencies and fx buying and selling. Chiron Investigation works by using complex techniques and slicing-edge cybersecurity equipment to come across on the net property and comply with digital trails remaining by robbers, with a results fee of 9/10 in monitoring and recovering missing monies.
Pay a visit to https://chiron-investigations.com/ for additional particulars.
Contact Person: Julie Spencer
Organization Name: Chiron Investigations Crypto Restoration Options
State: United Kingdom


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Is there a simple answer to the $64,000 question?
The post NSW has reopened. Time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia. –
Finally, eventually, (and hopefully not prematurely), the state of New South Wales has begun to loosen some of the COVID restrictions that have been in place for the past few months.
And Victoria announced that up to 10,000 people would be able to attend the Melbourne Cup next month. And again, hopefully it’s a proportional response and we won’t see a related spike in cases.
But in short: Things are moving.
The proportion of the economy that’s been truly ‘shut down’ is remarkably small (at least relative to the large-type ‘LOCKDOWN’ headlines in the tabloids), with GDP down an uncomfortably large amount, yet not large in absolute terms.
The economy will have shrunk by maybe 5% to 10% over the period restrictions have been in place — a lot, given GDP changes are usually measured in 1% to 2% increments, but it’s important to remember that 90% to 95% of economic activity still continued — quite remarkable, during a pandemic.
That sort of fall, in normal times, would still be enough to visit destruction on an economy, perhaps for years, so it’s still a huge deal. But much, much better than the headlines might have you believe.
And, of course, it had very different impacts in different industries. Cafes, restaurants and pubs have been smashed. Ditto tourist attractions and, for most of that time, the construction industry.
Online retail and grocery sales soared. So did home furniture, televisions and home office equipment.
These impacts are obviously pandemic-related, but such varied outcomes aren’t unusual in downturns — some industries continue to thrive, while others are hurt badly.
To state the obvious, this one was obviously unusual!
And the impacts owe a lot to the times: the people it impacted (mostly lower-paid service staff), those who were unscathed (white-collar workers), the government support (almost everyone in one way or another!), and the huge spike in national savings, thanks to the impact of the aforementioned government support, and the lack of spending from those who would have otherwise travelled interstate and overseas.
Perhaps the biggest impact, in ongoing structural terms, is the rush to buying online. It’s a trend that was already in full swing before COVID, but it was turbocharged (and that might be an understatement) by the pandemic, as online sales boomed. Many retailers saw their online sales more than double as a result.
But it wasn’t a flash in the pan.
Last month’s retail figures, a full 18 months on from the beginning of the pandemic, showed total retail sales in decline (thanks largely to those restrictions), but online sales up 15% — not bad when you think of all of the stuff we’ve already bought, plus the online retail surge that had already happened over the last year and a half.
But what about the future?
With both states about to open up over the next 6 to 8 weeks, what should we be looking forward to?
As investors, which companies should we be buying?
It is perhaps the question I am asked most often these days, by friends, family and those in the media.
The problem in answering it is twofold. And they both come down to not timing, but time.
See, imagine you’re looking at BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).
When you’re buying shares today, you’re not going to be paid back by this year’s BHP profits. Or even this year and next year.
The price of a company’s shares should — when the market is being rational — be the total value of all future per-share profits, added together, then ‘discounted’ because you’re not getting all of that money up front.
(In case you’re wondering, you should be happy to pay maybe 95c for someone to give you $1 next week, but maybe only 50c if you need to wait 5 years to get that $1… it’s the ‘time value’ of money).
Mathematically, that also means that COVID, the severe (economic) impacts of which will probably only last 18 months or so, shouldn’t have made too much of a dent in a company’s share price, compared to the profits it’ll make over the rest of its corporate life.
Second, again when the market is being rational, it should be forward-looking.
So, by the time we get to mid-October of 2021, and the rollback of restrictions is underway, the market should already have priced that in.
Take, for example, shares in Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT).
They were selling for around $35 each in February 2020, right before the COVID crash.
Two months later, they were $9.
They’re back to about $22.50 each.
Not because there are (many) more planes in the air.
Not because their shops are overrun with customers.
Not because they are swimming in cash flow.
But because the market thinks it can see a time when those things will again be true, even before the restrictions end.
And the price is up in anticipation.
Here’s the unfortunate truth: the time to buy in anticipation of an event is before everyone else is already anticipating it.
It’s why I was suggesting investors should be buying last April, May, June and July.
(And still buying today, putting the benefits of ‘dollar cost averaging’ in your favour, but that’s a different piece!)
Can you still buy travel stocks today and make a quid? Maybe. But most of the ‘bounceback’ gains have been had.
The time to buy was when everyone else was hating them. When the reopening looked too far away.
Which isn’t to say it’s easy. And you’ll almost certainly miss the very bottom, but such is life.
So, when you hear people telling you which shares you should buy ‘because things are bouncing back’, be sceptical.
Instead, right now, I’ve got my attention on two things in particular.
(Fair to say I’m not a ‘thematic’ investor, so I’ll take ideas from everywhere, but I think there are two places worth looking).
The first is ‘travel stocks 12 months ago’.
No, I don’t have a DeLorean, but if the right time to buy travel stocks was 12 months ago, what will we look back on this time next year and wish we’d bought?
Or, put more simply, what are the unloved stocks of today? Right now, some retail looks very cheap, for example. And a lot of tech has been thrown out with the bathwater in the recent slump. That’s two potential sources of return.
The other place I’m looking is more evergreen, but the returns tend to be, too. And that’s looking for high performing businesses the market simply undervalues. The growth stories that are likely to keep on growing, well past most fund managers’ financial models.
I don’t think it’s an understatement to speculate that most of the market outperformance over the past couple of decades has come from companies that have grown faster, and for longer, than the market expected.
Think Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) here at home, or Amazon (I own shares), Apple or Microsoft in the US.
Not the only place to make money, of course, but a pretty reliable one, which over that time, has tended to do pretty well for investors.
So I’m sorry if you wanted some magic answer to the question of “What should I buy now that NSW is open again?”
But you didn’t really think it was that easy, did you?
Good investing is simple… but it’s not always easy.
Avoiding the ‘too good to be true’ answers is a good start.
Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?
When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*
Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.
*Returns as of August 16th 2021
John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips owns shares of Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2022 $1,920 calls on Amazon, long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2022 $1,940 calls on Amazon, and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, and Flight Centre Travel Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.


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- On Monday, SmileDirectClub announced the launch of a new oral care line available at 3,800 US Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com.
- Shares surged 29% Monday, the largest intraday gain for the company since its initial public offering in September 2019.
- Still, SmileDirectClub is trading more than 50% below its IPO price of $23 per share after deep losses and attention from short-sellers has weighed on the company stock.
- Watch SmileDirectClub trade live on Markets Insider.
Shares of SmileDirectClub surged 29% Monday after the company announced the launch of a new line of oral care products available exclusively at US Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com.
It's the largest intraday gain for SmileDirectClub since it listed as a public company in September 2019.
The retail rollout "extends our mission to be the consumer's first resource for safe, affordable, and convenient oral care solutions," said Josh Chapman, SmileDirectClub's chief global brand officer in a press release.
An electric toothbrush and whitening kit from SmileDirectClub are immediately available at 3,800 Walmart stores and on the retailer's website. Later in the quarter, the company will release three more products for the line including toothpaste, a water flosser, and an ultrasonic UV cleaner that sanitizes things such as toothbrush heads, retainers, aligners, and dentures, the company said.
SmileDirectClub will also separately begin offering a "club edition" electric toothbrush and replacement toothbrush head subscriptions exclusively on its website, the company said.
The launch and partnership with Walmart, a major retailer, has spurred investor confidence and led to the record gain for SmileDirectClub. The company got off to a rough start when its September 2019 public listing had the worst first-day performance of any US IPO over $1 billion since 2007.
The company's woes mounted when Hindenburg Research released a scathing report saying that the company was "carelessly cutting corners in a field of specialized medicine, putting customer safety at risk." Hindenburg shorted the stock, giving it a $2 price target.
SmileDirectClub later shed as much as 13% when Hindenburg tweeted that its stores were raided by the Dental Board of California. The company fell an additional 20% when it reported a larger-than-expected loss in its third-quarter earnings release in November.
With today's gains, the company is still trading more than 50% below its IPO price of $23 per share. Wall Street analysts have a consensus price target of $19.45 and 11 "buy" ratings, 1 "hold" rating, and zero "sell" ratings on SmileDirectClub, according to Bloomberg data.


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DAILY BRIEFING: Millions of Barclays customers locked out of accounts over Easter as lender completed spin-off of its retail bank
Millions of Barclays customers were locked out of their accounts over Easter as the lender completed the spin-off of its retail bank.
Barclays used the break to separate out its 24 million small business and consumer account holders from its riskier investment banking arm.
Making a break: Barclays used Easter to separate out its 24m small business and consumer account holders from its riskier investment banking arm
The amount of cash in circulation is growing at its lowest rate for 55 years as people pay by card instead.
Annual growth in notes and coins was just 0.2 per cent in the year to February, according to Bank of England figures, the lowest level since 1963.
Fears that robots will replace humans in the workplace have been overblown, according to a major study of the world’s richest nations.
Only around 14 per cent of jobs are likely to be automated in contrast to almost half previously predicted.
However, a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found 66 million jobs are still at risk in 32 countries.
Eight in ten of UK business leaders are worried about the prospect of a cyber-attack on their business, according to Lloyds Bank.
Jaguar Land Rover boss Ralf Speth says self-driving cars are unlikely to overtake the human-controlled steering wheel for generations.
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The customer data of 1.5 to 1.8 million zoo and amusement park visitors has been leaked.
Due to human error, Ticketcounter placed a file with this information publicly online,
The file contains bank account numbers, names and date of birth of visitors to, among others, Diergaarde Blijdorp, de Apenheul and Duinrell.
Ticketcounter discovered last week that the data was sold via the dark web, an anonymous part of the internet that is not accessible with regular browsers.
The company has now taken the file in question offline and deleted it.
However, criminals have already made copies of this.
The criminals also try to blackmail Ticketcounter with the stolen data.
If the company pays 7 bitcoin, the criminals say they will delete the data.
7 bitcoin is worth around 280,000 euros at the time of writing.
Ticketcounter says it will not pay for this and has filed a declaration.
Affected customers placed an order through Ticketcounter between July 23, 2018 and August 4, 2020.
These are customers who bought a ticket for museums, Diergaarde Blijdorp, the Apenheul, Duinrell and events such as Keukenhof, VT Wonen Beurs and Schaatsbaan Rotterdam.
The file contains many important customer data, such as name, e-mail address, telephone number, address, date of birth and IBAN.
Passwords or credit card information have not been leaked.
Criminals can use the leaked data to send highly targeted phishing emails.
Customers are therefore advised to be vigilant about this.
The companies have notified affected customers of the leak.
A report has also been made to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, which is mandatory for such data leaks.
Users can enter their e-mail address on a Ticketcounter website and will then be informed by e-mail whether and what information is known to Ticketcounter.


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E-COMMERCE payment management services provider CyberSource, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Visa Inc, has announced a partnership with South-East Asian payment network provider AirPay Co Ltd.
This agreement will allow AirPay to provide secure mobile payment services to Garena users, as well as support the company in growing its market share in the region, CyberSource said in a
statement. Bangkok-based AirPay aims to provide mobile payment services to 14 million active, monthly mobile users of Garena, an Internet company headquartered in Singapore. - See more at:
- DNAInfo, Tuesday, August 11, 2015 12:30 PM
Read the whole story at DNAInfo »


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The haul included the equivalent of 250,000 pints of beer, 4,000 bottles of wine and 300 bottles of spirits.
Raids were carried out at the ports of Dover, Tilbury and Purfleet and inland at 23 locations including off-licences, haulier truck stops, industrial units and warehouses.
HMRC, working with Border Force, Trading Standards and Kent Police, seized a total of 137,124 litres of illegal alcohol during the operation, including:
- 132,940 litres of beer
- 260 litres of spirits
- 3,924 litres of wine
- Seven vehicles
John Pointing, assistant director of criminal investigation for HMRC, said: “Alcohol smuggling costs the UK economy around £1bn a year in lost revenue. HMRC is committed to tackling alcohol crime and this month’s action has had an outstanding impact in bringing law enforcement agencies across the UK and Europe together to disrupt one of the most serious organised criminal threats.”
Similar operations took place in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy.


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SoleFest took over the Miami Beach Convention Center as hundreds of fans packed the building with thousands of the hottest kicks around! Fans were lined up hours before doors opened for yet another great event in south Florida!
Doors opened early Saturday morning as over 50 vendors from across the country filled the convention center with the most exclusive LeBron’s, KD’s, Kobe’s, Jordan’s, Yeezy’s, custom kicks, snapbacks, socks, and much more at SoleFest Miami! Kicks on Canvas, EZ Kicks, EB Kicks, Hoop Culture, The Edition Boutique, Tier Zero Ekin were all in attendance.
Fans of all ages kept busy at SoleFest Miami from 12 to 5pm. Brian Llorin was the first of many raffle winners at SoleFest. Brian took home a brand new pair of Kobe 9 EXT’s courtesy of Tier Zero Ekin! Chris Wilson was the trivia winner, bringing home a SoleFest t-shirt at the beginning of the show.
SoleFest VIP tickets are extremely limited and sell out quickly every show. VIP ticket holders at SoleFest Miami received 5 raffle tickets, 1 VIP raffle ticket, exclusive SoleFest Miami VIP lanyard, SoleFest Sneaker Convention wristband, and a sneaker cleaner pack courtesy of our sponsor EB Kicks! Zifu Zhang had the lucky VIP ticket, winning a brand new pair of Air Jordan “Bordeaux” 7’s!
Hundreds of general raffle tickets were purchased through out the day at SoleFest. Anthony Rodriguez had the winning ticket for a brand new pair of Air Jordan “Marvin the Martian” 7’s! Anthony also took home the “TRES” backpack from Hoop Culture!
SoleFest Miami brought out multiple pairs of the most sought after kicks. We give our fans the chance to nominate and vote for the best kicks at the show. Dean Ismajli was crowned champion with his beautiful pair of Air Jordan “OVO” 10’s!
Palm Beach County Kicks was took home $100 cash after being chosen for “Best Vendor” with one of the best selection of kicks we’ve seen at SoleFest Miami!
Overall, SoleFest Miami was a great event and we want to thank everyone that was in attendance! A special thanks to EB Kicks once again for making the trip from Las Vegas to attend and take part in SoleFest Miami!
Stay tuned for photos of the recap below and grab your tickets for SoleFest Tallahassee here!


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Nokia Research Suggests High Demand For MMS
Beware the corporate sponsored study that says “what we’re planning on selling has bigger demand than expected!” Nokia has sponsored a study saying that lots of people are clamoring for expensive MMS services – when reality doesn’t seem to be agreeing with that point. Certainly, there are some areas where MMS has been catching on, but almost all other studies about usage say it’s been slow to take off – mainly because people weren’t sure why they needed to add anything (at a high price) to their SMS habit. Of course, the lack of interoperability across carriers hasn’t helped matters. As that gets sorted out, and as more camera phones hit the market, MMS use should pick up somewhat, but carriers need to stop looking at it as “expensive SMS with pictures”.


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Dubai boasts globally competitive business ecosystem, experts say
The UAE just recently took the leading place in the Worldwide Entrepreneurship Index 2022
Over the previous twenty years, Dubai has actually aimed to grow a worldwide affordable organization community which is a magnet for business owners as well as financiers from around the globe, claimed Majed Al Suwaidi, Handling Supervisor of Dubai Media City.
” Strategic campaigns as well as organization incubators like in5 enhance the landscape of chances for startups in Dubai as well as offer the needed governing structure as well as framework to scale up,” he claimed. “Also international financiers as well as VCs are taking advantage of the extraordinary range of chances readily available right here.”
” We see the extraordinary rate as well as pressure with which startups are arising in our very own incubator,” he included. “Given that 2013, in5 has actually invited as well as sustained greater than 500 startups which have actually brought in greater than Dh1.4 billion in financing, as well as we are particular the emirate’s versatile, business-friendly plans as well as making it possible for atmosphere will certainly remain to improve start-up success as well as strengthen why our nation is the very best area to begin a brand-new organization.”
Al Suwaidi likewise highlighted exactly how the Worldwide Entrepreneurship Screen (TREASURE) had actually placed the UAE initial internationally in its Worldwide Entrepreneurship Index 2022. The nation climbed up 3 places from its 4th placement international position in in 2015’s record to take the leading place this year, outmatching various other leading international economic climates noted in the record.
” The UAE has actually gained its leading position in this year’s Worldwide Entrepreneurship Screen record via the insight as well as concentrated drive of our management,” Al Suwaidi claimed.
Abdullah container Touq Al Marri, UAE Priest of Economic situation, had actually claimed that the nation’s top position is a clear message to financiers, company owner as well as business both inside as well as outside the nation that the UAE has a solid financial atmosphere, as well as versatile as well as aggressive plans that make certain all the centers as well as rewards needed to bring in as well as develop organizations.
The difference likewise highlights the nation’s SME version where business running in the UAE can make use of the encouraging chances as well as the benefits supplied by its organization atmosphere to expand as well as come to be huge as well as successful endeavors as well as attain success in both the local as well as international markets.
Last month, the Ministry of Economic situation released a brand-new vision for the National Program for Small as well as Tool Enterprises, targeted at supplying business owners as well as SME-owners in the UAE with numerous brand-new as well as incorporated campaigns as well as solutions. The brand-new collection of solutions are made to offer nationwide organizations with even more development opportunities as well as enhanced market gain access to.
Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Priest of State for Entrepreneurship as well as SMEs, kept in mind that the National Program for SMEs has actually until now created greater than 25 collaborations with leading organizations in the general public as well as economic sectors, which have actually been adding to the growth of campaigns as well as solutions under the 3 programs.
He advised different entities as well as business to proceed sustaining the nation’s entrepreneurship programs as well as join the National Program for SMEs to add to supplying rewards as well as distinct solutions to business owners to more improve their payment to the nation’s international competition as well as advertise development of the nationwide economic climate.


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Investors have been watching to see whether CEO Ellison, who took over in July 2018, can turn the company around.Retailread more
Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei laid out plans to bring more efficiencies to the organization. This included simplifying the reporting structure, cutting down on surplus staff, axing...Technologyread more
Trump said he has "been thinking about payroll taxes for a long time" — and he cautioned that "whether or not we do something now, it's not being done because of recession."Politicsread more
The bond market has entered a financial twilight zone, and at this point, there doesn't seem to be a smooth way out.Market Insiderread more
After Elon Musk touts Tesla solar on Twitter, Walmart sues the electric vehicle and clean energy company over store rooftop panels that ignited.Technologyread more
President Donald Trump said on Twitter he was postponing a scheduled meeting with Denmark's prime minister because of her lack of interest in discussing a possible sale of...World Politicsread more
China has used both monetary and fiscal measures to lift economic activity as its trade war with the U.S. looks set to intensify in the coming months.China Economyread more
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo privately told business executives and free traders that the trade war could end by the 2020 election and that hurdles to an immediate agreement...2020 Electionsread more
"I think (rate cuts) will help, but whether they're going to be sufficient to counter the negative trade pressures and global growth slowdown and impact is debatable," one...Central Banksread more
The Federal Reserve has lost control of interest rates as evidenced by the federal funds rate trading higher than any part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve, Jeffrey Gundlach,...Marketsread more
Chinese overseas investment growth will likely slow or even decline in the next few years as risks around the world increase, according to new research by Moody's Investors...China Economyread more
Walmart said on Saturday in a filing with a U.S. regulator that it may take India's Flipkart public in as early as four years, detailing for the first time a potential listing timeline for Walmart's largest-ever acquisition.
Minority investors holding 60 percent of Flipkart's shares "acting together, may require Flipkart to effect an initial public offering" (IPO) four years after the close of the Walmart-Flipkart transaction, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said in a May 11 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The IPO should be done at no less a valuation than that at which Walmart invested in the Indian e-commerce firm, the filing said.
Walmart announced earlier this week that it will pay $16 billion for a roughly 77 percent stake in Flipkart in what is the U.S. retail giant's largest-ever deal and a move to take on arch rival Amazon in a key growth market.
The investment implies a valuation of nearly $21 billion for Bengaluru-headquartered Flipkart.
The deal now awaits clearance from India's anti-trust regulator and is expected to close later this year.
As part of the deal, Walmart will initially appoint five directors to Flipkart's board, two directors will be named by minority shareholders while Bansal will take one board seat, according to the filing.
Walmart said it may, in future, appoint a sixth board member with the approval of the majority of the Flipkart directors.
It also said it could appoint or replace Flipkart's chief executive and other key executives of group companies in consultation with Bansal and the board.
Walmart or its units could ask Flipkart to issue new ordinary shares of up to $3 billion before the close of the "transactions and on or before the first anniversary of the closing", it said.
Reuters previously reported that Google-parent Alphabet was in talks to invest about $3 billion for a roughly 15 percent stake in Flipkart.
That deal could be sealed before the close of the Walmart-Flipkart transaction or immediately after, a source told Reuters, declining to be named as the talks are private.
Walmart also said no party would be liable to pay a termination fee if a share issuance or purchase agreement with Flipkart were terminated.
The Economic Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources, that Japan's SoftBank Group, which owns a roughly 20 percent stake in Flipkart, was rethinking its exit due to tax liabilities and because it saw further value in Flipkart.
SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son has said that their investment in Flipkart had grown to almost $4 billion. That growth came just 9 months after SoftBank used its Vision Fund to invest about $2.5 billion in Flipkart.
A spokeswoman for SoftBank in India declined comment.
Former Amazon employees Sachin and Binny Bansal founded Flipkart in 2007 and, just like Amazon, began by selling books.


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The event is featuring discussion sessions with international experts from countries such as India, Estonia, and Singapore, regarding the development of a digital personal identification and...
In Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s book "Blind Assassins," she says that “touch comes before sight, before speech. It’s the first language and the last, and it...
Thailand is leading the ASEAN community in 5G technology beginning with Chulalongkorn University and the Eastern Economic Corridor project from next year.
Any buyers who want to report pirated or counterfeit products being sold online can contact the Department of Intellectual Property hotline on 1368.
Governments across the globe have been taking steps to secure data and are setting out rules around its exchange and storage.
In Southeast Asia, only 27% of adults have formal bank accounts and only 33% of businesses have access to proper financing
Under the concept of ‘One Roof, All Possibilities’, True Digital Park is now ready to ignite startup unicorns and support the country in driving digital economy.
The two central banks aim to promote the use of innovation and technology to reduce costs and improve efficiency of financial products and services.


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I have a lot of love for Movies especially science fiction however nothing beats the fun of sitting behind a screen and playing some hard core FPS games. Apart from them i am a major lover of Assassins Creed titles especially Brotherhood, The Witcher and God Of War. Huge fan of animation director Hayo Mayazaki.
We all have heard the floating rumors about a Disc less Xbox One to be in the works, however, we never got any official confirmation but now we have yet another rumor that sparks even more fire for those looking forward to this version of the console. According to a report by Windows Central, the rumored Disc Less Xbox One is called Xbox One S All-Digital Edition that has a release date set for May this year. Now before we take this any further we would recommend you to take this with a grain of salt, provided this is only a rumor and there is no official confirmation what so ever.
Based on the report, it is code-named Xbox Maverick internally and it is claimed that the preorders are set for mid-April, while the release date is May 7. In fact, Windows Central is a little too confident about this claim that they have gone out to say that, “it could be a near-global simultaneous launch for almost all existing Xbox markets.”
Brad Sams reports that the exact date for the discless XBO SAD Edition is May 7
– MCC for PC is close to release
– Halo Infinite apparently looks so good compared to current-gen stuff that they decided against showing gameplay in the trailer 🤔https://t.co/1lapT10tCm
— Nibel (@Nibellion) March 5, 2019
Well if this news does bear any authenticity, then without any doubt it would be an amazing step form Microsoft. However, we like to think that if that were actually the case, we might have had an official word already, since April is just around the corner and such type of news does not serve beneficial for the company if it remains hidden, then again we never know, what the company aims. Moreover, we also think that since Microsoft is currently working on the next-gen Xbox, known as Xbox Scarlett, it would be unreasonable for the company to introduce this Disc Less Xbox One this late in the game, with the release date set for coming may, it is already very late. Why do we say late? Well if we are to believe the rumors, then we also have rumors regarding the release of future Xbox, which suggests that it might roll out next year.
Which means that they are working on this latest Xbox and with all focus set, introducing this version of Xbox could prove to be a waste of time, work and finance. That said, it could also be the other way around that before they leave the Xbox One in the hall of fame, they want to take as much juice out as they can, which would make sense.
Be that as it may, it does not entirely mean that Xbox will be leaving the discs for good, it will only be a debut of its first-ever disc-less console. Perhaps they are setting a base for future Disc Less Microsoft consoles.
So what are your thoughts regarding this Disc-Less Xbox One Release Date rumor? Let us know in the comments below.


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As Apple paid homage Friday to Steve Jobs a year after his death, the US technology giant appeared to be extending its leadership in the sector even without the visionary leader.
(AP)—Oracle CEO Larry Ellison envisions his recently acquired Hawaiian island becoming a "little laboratory" for experimenting with more environmentally sound ways to live.
As I played around with the iPhone 5 on Wednesday, I wondered what the late Steve Jobs would have thought about the latest twist on Apple's best-selling device.
Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs - and so far, that hasn't been a problem for Apple Inc.
(AP)—The widow of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs is joining Stanford University's governing board.
Steve Jobs didn't live to see the outcome of the bruising war that pitted his iPhone and iPad against mobile devices that use Google's Android software.
Apple will unveil a new, smaller version of its wildly popular iPad in October after the release of the latest version of its iPhone next month, the All Things Digital website reported Sunday.
Apple's decisive victory in a landmark US patent case against Samsung could reshape the hot sector for mobile devices and slow the momentum of Google and its Android system, analysts say.
Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with the late Steve Jobs, predicted "horrible problems" in the coming years as cloud-based computing takes hold.
A 10-member jury was chosen Monday to hear the Silicon Valley blockbuster trial with Apple and Samsung battling over patent infringement for hot-selling smartphones and tablet computers.


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The cereal major became the number two global snacks player last year when it snapped up Pringles from Proctor & Gamble (P&G) for $2.7bn. The latest investment plans mark Kellogg's first move to expand the branded snack business in Europe after the takeover.
The expansion of the Belgium Pringles plant could generate 180 jobs in total, 60 of which the company is currently hiring for.
The plant is the only European facility producing Pringles and currently operates with six production lines. The expansion will target demand in the EMEA region.
“The demand is growing and growing, so we need to expand the plant to satisfy demand. It’s running 24/7 and it is at full capacity,” said Sarah Luvisotto, European snacks communications business partner, Pringles International.
Luvisotto told BakeryandSnacks.com the expansion will take place gradually and in two phases.
“At the moment, 60 jobs were already created and we are hiring these new employees right now as the first production line will become operational this year. Then, and as stated in the agreement with the Flemish Government, in function of the business growth and market demand for the new product, Kellogg intends to further invest in a phased way and hire more people according to production needs.”
There is potential to hire an additional 120 people over the coming two years, she added.
Pringles to drive Kellogg growth beyond Europe?
Globally, the Pringles brand was the fourth largest snack brand after PepsiCo’s Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos products in 2012, according to data from Euromonitor. It held a 2.2% market share, compared to a Lay’s share of 6.7%.
Kellogg CEO John Bryant recently highlighted the importance the brand holds in driving the company forward in the snacks sector at an international level.
Bryant said the snack brand provides a platform for growth not only for snacks, but cereal as well, particularly in emerging markets.
“I think Pringles transforms our international business, gives us improving visibility,” he said.
Back in October, Japanese food major Morinaga secured the sales rights of Pringles in Japan. Sales commenced in January 2013.
The CEO said hopes were high for the Pringles brand in China given Kellogg’s joint venture with Wilmar that was struck late in 2012.


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KFOX14 - kfoxtv.com - Search Results
Recall Alert: Garden-Fresh Foods products may contain Listeria
By: Jesse Martinez
EL PASO, Texas Garden-Fresh Foods issued a voluntary recall of several ready-to-eat salads, slaw and dip products that may contain Listeria monocytogenes, health officials said.
El Paso health officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that the food company's products sold in several states, including Texas, may be contaminated.
The contaminant may cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.
Some short-term symptoms found to occur in healthy individuals may include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, health officials said.
Officials said Listeria infection may cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
Affected items include brands such as Market Pantry, Archer Farms, D'Amico and Sons, Finest Traditions and others. Click here to see a list of affected products.
Customers who purchased any of the suspected products are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Anyone with questions may contact the company at 1-800-645-3367 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


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By bringing together some of the brightest minds from the AI and ML landscape to discuss their applications and their scope in the future in India’s new normal, the 39th global edition of World AI Show, organized by Trescon, will focus on mapping AI adoption in India’s enterprises and explore the prospects of future technologies.
BANGALORE, INDIA, Nov 22, 2022 – (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) – Owing to the increased digitization of numerous industries, there is a rise in the demand for AI-integrated systems throughout India. The country is adopting AI quickly due to a thriving IT sector and an increase in the use of cloud-based apps. Taking these developments into the consideration, the 39th global edition of World AI Show, slated to take place on November 23, 2022, at The Leela, Mumbai, will highlight endeavors and pioneering advancements in the AI ecosystem in India.
The event will address significant developments in India’s AI, ML, IA & Robotics environment, providing insights on a variety of government initiatives aimed at increasing internet access and promoting services like e-governance, e-banking, e-education, and e-health.
Speaking about Denodo’s presence at World AI Show, Ravi Shankar, Sr. Vice President & CMO, Denodo says, “To improve the results of AI and ensure that business value is delivered, the quality of the data being used will be key. We are now shifting from model-centric AI where the focus was on the tuning of the model and processing of the data, to data-centric AI, where data and its suitability is now more of a focus to derive better results. To better manage enterprise data, organizations will look to platforms that focus on delivering data with consistency, accuracy and trust. Platforms that help AI projects accelerate the delivery of insights and drive business improvements. Join us at the World AI Show to hear about the Denodo platform a how it provides a logical data architecture that helps organizations leverage their data more effectively and efficiently which helps to drive better business outcomes.”
While discussing the importance of AI, Soummo Bose, Head of AI, Tata Steel, explains, “AI learns from & enhances Human Intelligence rather than competing with it. AI is immensely data hungry, and it needs to be nurtured like a child in its development phase for it to learn the appropriate skill/behavior. Companies need to intently cultivate a data culture while being patient with an AI’s development.”
Shedding light on conversational AI, a key topic at the World AI Show, Aman Goel, CEO & Founder, Exotel states, “Conversational AI will play an important role in the future of customer engagement. Driven by ever-increasing customer expectations, it has become paramount for businesses to implement a round-the-clock easily scalable solution that can only be supported by machine learning tools. Currently, we are at the precipice of chatbot and voicebot technology, with research and new developments in natural language processing and emotional intelligence emerging every day to simulate human-like conversations. We envision a future where AI-enabled support will become a fundamental process in customer engagement, acting as the initial point of contact between a customer and the business. This does not mean that the customer engagement segment will become completely automated by AI. Companies that find the right synergy between human and AI interactions will lead the way in offering successful engagement and support.”
The event will feature some of the most prominent thinkers in the Indian AI, ML, IA & Robotics landscape, including:
- Nitin Mittal, President & Group CTO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Ltd.
- Rucha Nanavati, CIO, Mahindra Group
- Krishnan Venkateswaran, CDIO, Titan Company Limited
- Rajgopal Nayak, CTO, Metro Brands Limited
- Ninad Raje, Director & CIO, Health Assure
- Souma Das, Managing Director, Alteryx India
- Gokul Gopalkrishnan, SVP & Business Head, Asia, Uniphore
- Mallika Haria, SVP – AI SME & Lead, Citi
- Dinesh Jain, VP & Head Clinical Data Analytics, Max Healthcare
- Sushil Pathak, Head – Intelligent Process Automation Global CoE, Reckitt
- Nilotpal Gupta, Head of Data Science, ICICI Securities
- Kamal Kumar, Head of Analytics, Myntra
- Amit Purohit, VP & Head of Digital, Aditya Birla Mutual Funds Ltd
- Soummo Bose, Head of AI, Tata Steel
- Chiranjoy Chowdhuri, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Pidilite Industries Limited
- Anand Das, Head of Digital & AI, TVS Motors
- Surbhi Gupta, Head of Digital, ACC
- Ashwin Kalamkar, Head of Analytics & COE, Biocon
- Gaurav Singh, Head – Automation & Projects, Adani Group
- Lalit Khosa, Director Sales, Exotel
- Bharat Venkat, Technical Director APAC, Customer Success, Denodo Technologies
- Dhruv Rastogi, VP & Head of AI, Data Science & Data Engineering, IKS Health
- Aman Goel, CEO & Founder, Exotel
- Gaurav Agarwal, VP & Managing Director India Region, Automation Anywhere
- Prashant Hosangadi, Vice President – Business Relationship Management, Worley
- Moumita Sarker, Director, Deloitte India
- Prashant Kaddi, Partner, Deloitte India
“In recent years, the Government of India has set up multiple initiatives to boost AI development in the country. These include the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Mission in 2020, which has a budget of Rs 1.5 billion (US$ 21 million) over five years, and the setting up of an AI development center in Bangalore. In addition, the government has also been working on developing AI standards and has set up a task force to develop a National Strategy for AI. With World AI Show, we hope to draw attention to India’s advantageous environment for the development of global AI,” Mithun Shetty, CEO, Trescon
Event partners at the 39th edition of World AI Show India include:
For more information visit: World AI Show, India
About World AI Show, India
World AI Show is a thought-leadership-driven, business-focused, global series of events that takes place in strategic locations across the world. As part of the world tour, the India edition is gathering pre-qualified CIOs, CEOs, CTOs, Heads of AI, Chief Digital Officers, Heads of Innovation, and International AI experts from the industry.
The show features exciting keynotes, enterprise use-case presentations, product showcase, panel discussions and tech talks to discuss the latest challenges for the sector arising out of the pandemic situation. Witness next-gen AI solutions from global leaders and explore its relevance and impact on your organization.
Trescon is a global business events and consulting firm that provides a wide range of business services to a diversified client base. Trescon is founded and managed by a group of specialists with more than 8 decades of combined expertise in successfully developing business events, trainings and consulting for corporates, governments, associations and high-net-worth individuals across the world. Our advisory board members comprise of an ever-growing exceptional mix of senior-level industry veterans and successful tech entrepreneurs.
With a deep understanding of the realities and requirements of the growth markets we operate in – we strive to deliver innovative and high-quality business platforms for our clients.
For further details about the announcement, please contact:
Head – Media, PR and Corporate Communications, Trescon
+91 95559 15156 | firstname.lastname@example.org
Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)


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Creative Spark places bets on Prospect Hall campaign
Creative Spark has been appointed to produce a national marketing campaign for Prospect Hall Casino.
The agency, which has offices in Manchester and Leeds, will be working on the first ever television advert for the brand, which is owned by San Francisco gaming platform, Betable.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Betable on a campaign like this,” said creative director and founder of Creative Spark, Neil Marra.
“It’s extremely concept heavy stuff, which was great to sink our teeth into. We’ve got an absolutely cracking TV ad lined up already and are looking forward to rolling out the subsequent campaigns in the future.”
Marra added that the new ad would “invite viewers to step inside excitement” with a CGI tour of the Prospect Hall world.
“Creative Spark was the obvious choice,” added Adele Lawton, operations director at Betable UK.
“There is a lot of red tape around gaming, particularly when developing a TV ad, but we trusted Creative Spark not only to navigate the difficult compliance rules, but also deliver us something really special. We can’t wait to see it on the TV.”


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09/02/2014, 12:09 pm
Ahead of Apple's Sept. 9 event, where it is expected to unveil two new iPhones and offer a sneak-peek at a new wearable device, financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald has given a strong endorsement to investors, saying the next few months could prove to be Apple's most exciting period in many years.
09/02/2014, 08:09 am
With the inclusion of HomeKit and HealthKit in Apple's forthcoming iOS 8, as well as rumors of a new 'iPhone 6' mobile payment system, investment firm Piper Jaffray has increased its price target on the company's stock to $120.
08/30/2014, 07:08 pm
Apple's anticipated "iWatch" may carry a price of around $400 when it goes on sale, though the wearable device is likely to be offered at a range of price points, according to a new report.
08/29/2014, 11:08 am
Though Apple is expected to unveil its hotly anticipated "iWatch" at a forthcoming Sept. 9 event, the device won't actually ship to consumers for some time, potentially missing the holiday season entirely and arriving in stores in early 2015, according to a new report.
08/28/2014, 06:08 pm
Seemingly corroborating recent claims that Apple will launch its long-awaited "iWatch" wearable at an upcoming iPhone special event, Bloomberg on Thursday reported that the company decided to pair the two hardware announcements in order to "manage expectations" of the hotly anticipated wearable.
08/28/2014, 03:08 pm
Following Apple's announcement that it would move its September media event -- at which both the "iPhone 6" and "iWatch" are said to be unveiled -- from the company's typical event stage in San Francisco to much larger space in Cupertino, new photos show that they have also constructed a bespoke two-story building on the grounds likely dedicated to the event.
Apple announces Sept. 9 event for expected 'iPhone 6' & 'iWatch' unveiling: 'Wish we could say more'
08/28/2014, 12:08 pm
Apple on Thursday confirmed that it will hold a media event on Sept. 9, with a teaser sent to members of the media showcasing the date and a teasing tagline that reads: "Wish we could say more."
08/28/2014, 09:08 am
On the heels of a report suggesting that Apple's long-anticipated "iWatch" could be unveiled within the next two weeks, a new patent application published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows that the company has continued to contemplate wireless charging solutions for just such a device.
08/27/2014, 10:08 pm
In a possible bid to get word out before an expected Apple iWatch announcement sucks the air out of the room, LG on Wednesday took the wraps off a circular display-toting G Watch R, while Samsung touted a new cellular 3G-equipped Gear S smartwatch.
08/27/2014, 01:08 pm
Apple's hotly anticipated "iWatch" may be introduced to the public sooner than expected, with a new report claiming the device will be formally unveiled at an anticipated Sept. 9 event, where the next-generation iPhone is also expected to debut.
Apple manufacturing costs spike to highest-ever levels, seen signaling huge 'iPhone 6' & 'iWatch' launches
08/25/2014, 01:08 pm
Apple's manufacturing and component purchase commitments reached a record $15.4 billion last quarter, leading one analyst to tell investors on Monday that Apple is gearing up for a blockbuster fall with the launch of an "iPhone 6" and rumored "iWatch."
08/19/2014, 04:08 pm
After meeting some resistance at the $100 mark, shares of Apple stayed in three-digit territory and closed above their previous all-time high in Tuesday afternoon trading, setting a new record for the company's stock.
Continued production issues may force Apple to delay 'iWatch' until 2015, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims
08/19/2014, 03:08 pm
With a number of issues allegedly still standing between Apple and the launch of its anticipated wrist-worn device, the so-called "iWatch" may not even see the light of day until next year, the latest missive from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests.
Apple's gross margins likely to decline this fall with new product designs, but quick rebound expected
08/12/2014, 11:08 am
It's expected that Apple will see its gross margins shrink at the end of 2014 as the company is expected to introduce a completely redesigned "iPhone 6," though one analyst sees margins trending upwards once again by the March 2015 quarter.
08/08/2014, 05:08 pm
In a short blog post about Motorola's upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch, the well-connected John Gruber caused a stir by seemingly saying Apple will launch "their wrist wearable thing" in September, though he later clarified that his comments were a "joke" and not based on any inside information.
08/01/2014, 11:08 pm
Amidst a quickly growing smartwatch market, Hewlett-Packard is throwing its hat into the ring with a fashion-forward iOS and Android-compatible device made in partnership with Gilt and designer Michael Bastian.
07/31/2014, 03:07 pm
Market expectations for Apple's anticipated "iWatch" may be grossly overestimated, as well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Thursday that he expects that only 3 million wrist-worn smart devices from Apple will make it to store shelves by the end of this year.
07/29/2014, 09:07 am
Executives at longtime Apple supplier TPK -- thought to have been selected by the iPhone maker to manufacture touch modules for the so-called "iWatch" -- are said to have revised earlier forecasts for a profit uptick in the third quarter, pushing the expected surge back by three months in what is seen as an indication that Apple's wearable is suffering from delays.
07/25/2014, 09:07 am
The data in Apple's recently released 10-Q filing reveals the company has invested heavily in manufacturing and component purchases as it gears up for a series of highly anticipated major product launches this fall, including a next-generation iPhone and anticipated "iWatch."
07/24/2014, 10:07 am
Apple is interested in dynamically adjusting iOS notifications based on a user's physical activity, such as silencing an iPhone or perhaps even a mythical "iWatch" when the user is exercising, or bugging them to get moving after an extended period of inactivity.


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MSU alum Minh Tran has combined his passion for sports and his entrepreneurial spirit and created a rapidly-growing international business called Executive Fan. With the help of Port Lansing, Tran has been able to delay initial costs and give his business the jump-start it needed to succeed.
Executive Fan is an innovative, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing company focused on bringing fans unique products that connect them with their favorite sports teams. The first product on the market is a special type of office, packaging, and duct tape with college logos called Fan Tape. This tape can be used for anything from wrapping and packaging gifts and boxes, to designing dorm rooms and book covers. The idea was developed in 2009 by Tran and a few of his friends—all avid sports fans—and they began in a basement, testing samples and working on licensing and market analysis. Their first customer was Meijer, and they have since expanded to include Kroger, Giant Eagle, pharmacies such as Walgreens, and some college book stores.
“We knew that people are always tied to their schools, even when they leave,” said Tran. “Now we have fans of our products all over the world, because international students want to stay connected to their favorite schools here in the states.”
Tran’s products are produced overseas, however much of their packaging and other components are sourced domestically and locally. Tran is the first user of the General Purpose Zone, which allows the company to access most of the benefits of the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) both quickly and easily. These benefits include delaying duty payments, direct delivery of imported goods and clearing customs in Lansing.
“Minh Tran is a global entrepreneur that has taken an idea and surrounded himself with the right people to successfully launch his company,” said Brent Case, Vice President of International Business for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. “He knows how to leverage area resources to benefit his business.”
“The biggest challenge for us has been licensing overseas, because of the language barriers and coordinating with multiple partners to make sure we are all on the same page,” said Tran. Tran and his team will continue to develop new, niche products for his customers, as well as to expand his market through national public relations initiatives with other companies.
Tran’s advice to young entrepreneurs is to stick with your vision and don’t get off path.
“I started at one of the worst times for businesses and I survived” said Tran. “If you believe in it, do it.”


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Peter Lewis: A fast moving and topical business and finance show.
A fast moving and topical business and finance show bringing you breaking business and economic news and financial market updates. Presented by former CEO and investment bank global trading head Peter Lewis, with over 30 years' industry experience. Join Peter and his expert guests for analysis and discussion on the day's top business stories live from 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. every weekday morning on RTHK Radio 3. We have a podcast to download after the show and you can also listen through the RTHK Radio 3 website live or later in the day. We welcome your questions, comments and feedback to read out in the show. You can email us at firstname.lastname@example.org, post on our Facebook page "Money Talk on RTHK Radio 3 " or find us on twitter "MoneytalkR3") .
Andrew Work is sitting in for Peter Lewis on Money Talk, and is joined in the global market review by Alex Wong, Director of Asset Management at Ample Capital, and Michelle Lam, Greater China Economist at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking. Providing this week's view from the mainland is Brock Silvers, Managing Director at Kaiyuan Capital in Shanghai.
27/05/2019 - 8:13 Business and Market Discussions
Alex Wong, Director of Asset Management at Ample Capital, comments that investors are worried about the restrictions on Huawei, which will create a ripple effect on the Chinese economy since the tech-giant is a major contributor to Shenzhen's GDP.
Talking about President Trump's visit to Japan, Michelle Lam, Greater China Economist at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking, points out that a number of Japanese companies are following the direction of the US and are suspending the supply of electronic parts to Huawei.
27/05/2019 - 8:21 View from China
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau, says the proposed new US tariffs on Chinese goods will hit Hong Kong hard with almost half the Chinese exports going to the US via Hong Kong being affected. He said that a second round of tariffs would affect about HK$130 billion worth of Chinese exports to the US via Hong Kong – about 2.2% of the city’s total exports.
The IMF has warned that the global expansion has plateaued and become less balanced because of rising trade tensions. The Fund says that Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on imports could knock almost 15% off global growth by 2020.
In the latest economic data, China’s economy softened a little in the second quarter but was still above the government’s target of around 6.5% growth. US consumer spending rose for the fifth month in a row last month.
Joining this morning’s panel discussion are Wendy Liu from Nomura and Jack Siu of Credit Suisse. Providing the view from Japan is Nick Smith from CLSA in Tokyo. After 8:30, we’ll explore the latest developments in robotics with Eden Lu and Mark Mak founders of Roborn Dynamics. In this week’s emerging markets segment we shall discuss Indonesia with Vasuki Shastry, Asia House Board Member & Author of "Resurgent Indonesia: From Crisis to Confidence".
17/07/2018 - 8:09 Business and Market Discussion
Wendy Liu, Head of China Equity Research & Chief Equity Strategist for Greater China at Nomura International, says the Mainland economy is doing well and the slowdown so far is minimal.
Jack Siu, Director & Senior Investment Strategist for Asia Pacific from Credit Suisse, is confident that the China government can maintain its GDP growth target, and he expects the growth rate will be 6.5% by the end of the year.
17/07/2018 - 8:25 View From Japan
17/07/2018 - 8:35 Tech Report : Robotics
17/07/2018 - 8:46 Emerging Markets Update : Indonesia


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Watch our exclusive video introduction and access this week’s Orange Book with our compliments.
In what has been a tough retail environment, Macy’s appears to be weathering the storm. The stock is up more than 14 percent year-to-date, outpacing the broad U.S. stock indexes and slightly better than the S&P 500 retail industry group. Kristin Bentz, executive director of PMG Venture Group, recently sat down to speak with Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, chief executive officer and president [...]
Foreign institutional investors bought $179 million of equities across India, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam in the week to Wednesday, compared with net sales of about $440 million the week prior. Click here to continue reading.
Central banks in many developed economies have responded to the global financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn in similar fashion, enacting aggressive policies to address the initial liquidity crisis, followed later by unorthodox polices to spur growth and bring down unemployment. Click here to continue reading.
US Q2 2013 Economic Outlook from Bloomberg Briefs Click here to take a free trial to Bloomberg Brief Economics for 30 days.
The European Central Bank’s threat to cut off Cyprus’s access to the Emergency Lending Facility (ELA) on Monday will be the main focus of investors early next week. Cypriot lawmakers begin debate today on legislation to unlock bailout funds and prevent a financial collapse. The Cyprus bank holiday is scheduled to expire on Tuesday and a failure to reach terms [...]
Download the exclusive Currency Wars supplement here.
The recent decline in the fortunes of several large retail chains mirrors the hollowing out of the middle class following the 2007-2009 recession. Lost jobs, falling wages and shifting preferences among consumers reflect increasing income inequality and a bifurcated retail market. The difficulties faced by these mass market retailers, such as J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., may be indicative of [...]
Bloomberg economist Joseph Brusuelas previews the week ahead in U.S. economics data releases, including retail sales, inflation and manufacturing. Click here to continue: U.S. Economics Preview
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Samsung’s Galaxy line has sold over 100 million smartphones since it was first launched with the Galaxy Nexus. Last summer, Samsung launched its Galaxy S3, a smartphone that competed with Apple’s iPhone in every way. While it seemed to be a smartphone that piggybacked off of the design of the Galaxy S2, it was purchased in large numbers and started the rumor that Samsung just may come to rival Apple. Flash forward seven months later, and the rumor has come true: Samsung is now such a huge rival to Apple (along with Google) that the company stopped laughing at Apple in its commercials. It seems that Samsung’s goal as a staunch Apple rival has been achieved.
As with all popular smartphones, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has become one of the most rumored smartphones on the market (right next to the iPhone 5S and the supposed Motorola “X Phone,” as so called by the Wall Street Journal). It has been said that Samsung would kill the home button that has plagued its Galaxy S2 and S3; later, this rumor was recanted for the traditional home button on the Galaxy S4. It was said that the Galaxy S4 would run Android 5.0 (Key Lime Pie), but this will not be the case since Google will reveal KLP at its own Google I/O event in May 2013. Samsung does not get the newest Android updates until after Google releases them. This means that Google’s Nexus phones are the most coveted in the Android ecosystem. If you want to stay on top of Android updates, get a Google Nexus phone. I read in a recent article, however, that Samsung’s current rise to power and its strong command of the Android OS does concern Google (according to the Wall Street Journal). Google fears that Samsung may decide to request faster updates for its Galaxy line, a feat that may serve to make Samsung’s phones as popular and up-to-date as Google’s own smartphones. The last thing Google wants to do is give this kind of power to a company that has decisively taken down Apple and its iPhone).
Other interesting rumors about the Galaxy S4 include the following:
* floating touch gestures
* wireless charging
* transformation of pixel shapes (from linear to diamond and triangular shapes)
* would run on an Exynos, octa-core processor chip
* Samsung would replace its super AMOLED screens with LCD screens
First, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will come with floating touch gestures (or so it has been said). Gesture control is a huge feature on Windows computers, and Windows manufacturers have placed cool features in laptops that Android and iOS are now starting to consider (gesture control and fingerprint scanners among them). Next, there is wireless charging — a new tech feature that has been considered to be a future wave of technology. Most smartphones still come with normal adapters, but Samsung looks to incorporate Qi wireless charging into its future smartphones. The pixel shapes rumor was said to benefit Samsung, as the Korean manufacturer could pack more pixels into the screen if the pixels were shaped in something other than linear fashion.
The octa-core processor chip was the one rumor that picked up quite a bit of steam for some time. After all, Samsung just announced that it looks to produce octa-core processors for its smartphones in the future.
Since the Galaxy S4 had yet to arrive, it was assumed that the GS4 would be the first phone to contain the new processor chips. A new rumor that surfaced within the last few days says that Samsung will now use Qualcomm chips instead of the Exynos processor chips. Additionally, Verizon photos show that the new Samsung Galaxy phone will run with a quad-core processor chip instead of an octa-core, come with a five-inch display (and 1080p video recording), as well as wireless charging (as revealed by paperwork filed with the FCC).
Do you dislike the idea of Samsung’s super AMOLED screens? According to a very recent rumor, Samsung may decide to remove its AMOLED screens and implement LCD displays into its latest Galaxy phone lineup. After all, the company has produced billions of LCD screens for its most affluent client (and most hated enemy), the Apple Corporation. I am sure that Samsung is aware of the fact that some customers love Samsung but dislike AMOLED screens, and this recent rumor may show Samsung’s desire to line its phones up with Apple’s iPhone in more ways than one. Samsung has been gunning for Apple’s fall since its Galaxy S3 hit store shelves. One of the company’s newest moves consists of producing an 8-inch tablet that was revealed at Mobile World Congress, known as the Galaxy Note 8.0. Samsung’s new Galaxy tab has been designed to compete with Apple’s iPad Mini (7.9 inches). Since the company has produced 10-inch tablets and now an 8-inch tablet testifies to its desire to go head-to-head with Apple once more.
Back to the Verizon rumors. The details that are most reliable have come from Verizon’s benchmark tests with a phone marked “SCH1545.” Verizon’s Galaxy S3 has a product label “SCH1535”; if the “1535” phone refers to the S3, then the “1545” product label belongs to the S4. The GS4 will come with specs such as a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, 1.9 Ghz, and a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor. As for an official announcement, the Korean manufacturer will spread the word on March 14, 2013. Since this is approximately two weeks away, I am sure that the rumors will continue to abound. The question that will remain at the end is, “How much of the tech predictions did tech writers and news sites get right”?


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Although various institutions were opened to keep the economy afloat, parks and amusement entrepreneurs have urged the government to reopen the amusement parks.
They said the industry has come to a standstill due to coronavirus lockdown for about 3 and half months. As a result, many workers, officials and traders are facing livelihood uncertainty. Moreover, various rides of parks and recreation centers are being damaged.“Although the tourism and amusement parks have suffered irreparable damage, so far no specific direction has been found to open the parks. If the parks can re-open in view of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, the government will generate revenue and the traders will be able to survive” said a Bangladesh Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (BAAPA) press release.
Despite the business season, the tourist and amusement parks are already closed following the government's instructions. Due to this, the sector is facing a crisis and the entrepreneurs of this sector are suffering.
All tourist and amusement parks have already taken all necessary steps to prevent coronavirus infection in accordance with the Department of Health's hygiene rules, so the parks can be reopened at any time as directed by the Government.
Rides set up in tourist and amusement parks are imported from abroad and can be damaged at any time as the rides are closed for a long time.
For a long time, the country’s tourism and amusement park sector has been playing a major role in the development of the country by providing huge revenue to the Government treasury through income tax, VAT and other taxes, including employment of a large population.
It has been playing a special role in building a promising and healthy next generation. Moreover, various institutions including hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, transport and airlines have been re-opened to keep the economic activities going.


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Business News of Wednesday, 7 November 2012
CIMG Telecoms Company of the year, Vodafone Ghana has launched an innovative mobile asset tracking service for companies called the Fleet Manager Service.
The service is aimed at eliminating the challenges companies face with respect to the management of their fleet of vehicles and mobile assets.
The Fleet Manager tracking system comes with features such as fuel sensors for monitoring fuel consumption, digital cameras for taking pictures around the vehicle, audio voice recognition to communicate with drivers, magnetic locks for extra security and coded log-in features for drivers.
It also includes a GPS tracking device with a data sim installed in the vehicle and tracking software on a computer and accessed by the customer through the internet on real time basis from the comfort of their office.
Speaking at the launch, Head of Vodafone Business Solution, Derek Appiah said the Fleet Manager tracking service is a testament of their promise to deliver unique customer solutions and to empower customers to be fruitful in their businesses.
According to him, driver idling, over-speeding, hijacking, fuel and car theft, high operational cost, safety of people and property will be a thing of the past.
Mr. Appiah indicated that business customers with five or more vehicles within the SME, corporate and government sectors will be able to increase productivity and efficiency whilst reducing operational costs and ensuring the safety of people and property.
“We are confident that a significant amount of customers, lives and businesses will be improved with the product” he added.
The Vodafone Business Solution boss said even though similar tracking devices are on the market, their product is unmatched, as he says it comes with innovative features that surpass any other on the market.
Derek Appiah stated unequivocally Fleet Manager Service will improve productivity, reduce accidents, improve safety of passengers and reduce cost significantly.


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CSPI sues Coke over Vitamin Water claims
Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed a class-action lawsuit against Coca-Cola, the parent company of Glaceau Vitamin Water. Vitamin Water, says CSPI, makes sugary drinks that promote obesity but positions these products as healthful because they contain added vitamins and herbs. Does this make them healthier? No, but it certainly makes them sell better.


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Modern Warfare II is the next release in the Call Of Duty franchise, and it will be released in October. The reveal of its artwork was delivered via a massive cargo ship, literally.
Reportedly over 24 hours, the Call Of Duty team maneuvered cargo ship that featured a 90,000 square foot Modern Warfare II wrap also features COD character Simon “Ghost” Riley. The Port of Long Beach dock (CA) also features artwork that once the cargo ship was in place linked up to reveal the full Modern Warfare II visual.
Of course, this is 2022 so if it isn’t recorded it didn’t happen, and drones were used to capture everything. Also filmed was the imagery of game’s new squad of operators called “Task Force 141.” But maybe most importantly, included in the artwork was the game’s proper release date of October 28, 2022.
Check out the official artwork reveal below. Needless to say, gaming company budgets are still quite healthy.
‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II’ Releases In October, Artwork Revealed Via Cargo Ship was originally published on hiphopwired.com


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MINNETONKA, Minn. – Aug. 5, 2015 –
Digi International®, (NASDAQ: DGII, www.digi.com
), the M2M solutions expert, today announced that it will participate in the following investor conferences in August 2015:
About Digi International
- InvestMNt on August 5, 2015 at University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Campus at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. Organized by the CFA Society Minnesota, Jeff Liebl, vice president and chief marketing officer, Digi International, will be presenting at 3:25 pm CT in room 315 as part of the Equity Track, investMNt’s flagship conference track.
- Canaccord Genuity 35th Annual Growth Conference on August 12, 2015 at the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. Digi International executives Ron Konezny, president and chief executive officer, and Mike Goergen, senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, will be presenting at 9:30 a.m. ET in the Montreal room.
Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) is your mission-critical M2M solutions expert, providing some of the industry's broadest range of wireless products, a cloud computing platform tailored for devices, and development services to help customers get to market fast with wireless devices and applications. Digi's entire solution set is tailored to allow any device to communicate with any application, anywhere in the world. For more information, visit Digi's website at www.digi.com
, or call 877-912-3444 (U.S.) or 952-912-3444 (International).
Davies Murphy Group, Inc.
Office: +1 781-418-2402


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Predator Hunting Grounds update 2.01 patch notes released for PS4 players. According to the official Predator Hunting Grounds version 2.01 patch notes, the latest update added quality of life bug fixes. Apart from this, Predator version 2.01 also includes performance improvements.
Recently, a major update added various bug fixes and changes. Unfortunately, since the last patch, many players are still experiencing several performance issues. Today’s Predator Hunting Grounds version 2.01 will fix a few of these issues.
Check out more details below.
Download free Predator Hunting Grounds update 2.01 on PS4 and Xbox One.


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Yesterday, the Air Jordan 10 and Air Jordan 12 "OVO" PEs hit the web in official fashion. Unreleased and reserved to friends and family of October's Very Own frontman and Jordan Brand member Drake, the shoes have caused quite a stir since they were first seen nearly two months ago. Today, we take a look back at the timeline of the incredibly intriguing Air Jordan "OVO" PEs.
He made it. Years of putting in work on the road in his Jordans led Drake to a Jordan Brand deal and thus exclusive kicks in his home team tones. The Air Jordan 12 "OVO" PEs see stingray styling on the typically leather mudguard, as well as clique call-outs on the insoles and outsoles. Making the most of white, gold and black shades, check out detailed images of these October's Very Own x JB exclusives in the photos below.


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29 July 2016
In economic news, Phillip Morris International (makers of such brands as Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and Parliament) released their second quarter earnings report and stated that their shipments have dropped globally.But due to increasing price hikes and a growing demand in Asia, Phillip Morris saw net revenue increase by 1.4 percent. This did not appease investors as stock of Phillip Morris International (PM) has fallen 5% since July 15.
In an article by Bloomberg Gadfly, a commentary website about economic news, the author shows a graph of growth of smoking prevalence over time among different continents of the world. From December of 2014 to December of 2015 we see a decline of smoking rates across the globe, except for Asia Pacific which does not include the Middle East. In Asia, we see a rise in smoking prevalence, and that seems to be where we see most of Phillip Morris’ profits lie. It would be safe to say that Phillip Morris, most definitely has a large number of Asians hooked on their products because of the market share of brands such as Marlboro and Parliament have.
The graph is certainly troubling, as Chicago still manages to get a large number of immigrants from Asia/China who come here and settle in Chinatown and the surrounding area. This is most certainly something that CASAP does not want to see, and we hope to decrease the risk of having immigrants continuing to smoke when they come here. More importantly, CASAP will continue to monitor smoking trends in Asia as they develop.
A link to the full article and the graph can be found here.
Updated stock prices for Phillip Morris can be found here.


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Gaming Tech Startup Banger Games to Build the First Blockchain-Based Gaming Hub After Raising €10 Million in Funding
Online games have surged in popularity in recent years, with millions of games to choose from. However, the same cannot be said about blockchain games, decentralized games created with blockchain technology. Unlike traditional games that live in a centrally controlled server, blockchain games are distributed and run on the Ethereum blockchain network.
To further increase the adoption of blockchain games, Banger Games, a gaming startup is set to open new possibilities for empowering gamers. Banger Games recently raised a €10 million funding to become the first gaming hub that – regardless of game, publisher, or platform – aggregates players’ gaming experiences, organizes and informs, while adding a second layer of rewards based on in-game and community objectives.
Banger Games is developing the 1st blockchain-based gaming hub, establishing a new global gaming economy. All gamers will be able to find new ways of interacting with their peers through the Banger Games hub, connecting publishers and gamers. Features for businesses and developers, like a blockchain integration SDK and crypto-enabled monetization methods, will join gamer-centric must-haves such as achievements, automated SMART tournaments, and anti-cheat clients.
Founded in 2019 by CEO Borja Villalobos and Nicolas Gonzalez Keller, Banger Games is a gaming ecosystem that connects and rewards players, icons, brands, and publishers through a revolutionary currency for completing objectives within the gaming industry.
Unlike other gaming platforms, Banger Games wants to give back ownership, control, and monetization to the gamers for the first time. With the aim to create a global gaming currency and resolve a problem that has existed within this industry for far too long.
As the gaming industry has become more focused on profits, walled gardens, microtransactions, and less on the fun – Banger Games views gamers as gamers and not as products. Banger Games aims to establish one shared currency and economy for gamers to free them from the current walled gardens. On Banger Games, gamers will have opportunities to compete, challenge themselves, earn, trade, and enjoy their gaming experience to its fullest.
When asked about current needs in the market, Borja Villalobos, CEO at Banger Games, comments: “As the industry has exploded in different directions ( Crypto, Metaverse, VR, Indie Publishers, Play to Earn) we are certain that gamers feel more disconnected than ever. Banger is the platform aimed at unifying this ever-increasing ecosystem into one central point in the gaming universe.”
Some of the investors in the round include Avalanche, Shima Capital, GSR, Flori Ventures, Poolz Ventures, G20, LucidBlue Ventures, Belobaba Fund, Squares Capital, CSP DAO, Halvings Capital, OIG Capital, BigCoin Capital. The round also included angels such as the Co-founder of Polygon, Jaynti Kanani, DAOs, and communities like Neo Tokyo.
The round included strict ticket size limits to prevent any single large investor to dominate. Banger Games aims to build a community-led project, where the voice of individual community members could make a difference. This could be undermined if there was a single or small group of investors having the majority of the influence.
The platform will feature automated SMART Tournaments executed through smart contracts. Banger has already been testing a closed-beta on the massively popular CS;GO. In addition, it will include advanced features such as a Battle Pass, in-game achievements, an anti-cheat client built with IBM, and P2P cloud gaming which will enable gamers to share their unused processing power. Technical integrations helping to see Banger Games vision come to life include IBM, Chainlink, & Polygon. Banger Games will reward gamers with NFTs, Banger Coins, and a vast amount of other prizes offered by recognized brands and influencers.
Publishers will also get major benefits, including an SDK that will allow connecting any video game, including classic non-blockchain games, to the Banger Games ecosystem. They will also be able to use new monetization tools, access community grants, and investment opportunities.
“My investment in Banger Games was an easy decision, I love the idea of leveraging activity across different games empowering users to monetize their gaming experiences. This is why the Bangers approach and the team they’ve assembled to make it happen has resonated with me from day one.”
Jaynti Kanani, Co-Founder Polygon:
“As the Blockchain gaming industry slowly grows out of its shell, it will need hubs and safe places to learn and evolve for gamers and even publishers. We feel that bangers is set to become this pillar in the industry that helps it through that process and beyond. ”


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Majority of Ontarians Oppose Government Cannabis Stores
According to a Nanos Research poll, the majority of Ontario residents support private sector cannabis stores over government run stores.
The Ontario government recently announced cannabis regulations that will have the province create a Cannabis Control Board of Ontario, similar to the LCBO. The CCBO will control the sale of legal cannabis. As part of the announcement, the Ontario Government announced that there will be no forms of private cannabis sale allowed in the province. The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) condemns this proposal as a bad deal for consumers, and against the will of Ontario residents. The government banning private sector cannabis stores is a move that not only limits consumer choice but also enables black market sales.
Toronto-based David Clement, the North American Affairs Director for the CCC, condemned the regulations as limiting choice and innovation. He also highlighted how such regulations empower the dangerous black market for cannabis.
“Ontarians have already made it clear that they don’t want government run stores controlling the sale of legal cannabis. The move to create a cannabis control board will simply replicate the existing issues we see with the LCBO and alcohol. The province should embrace private retail and the wants of consumers,” Clement said.
In addition to cannabis, the Nanos survey also demonstrated that a majority of Canadians oppose the government’s move to plain package tobacco, that a majority of Canadians oppose banning homesharing and ridesharing apps like Airbnb and Uber, and that a majority of Ontario residents want private alcohol sales as opposed to the current LCBO model.
The CCC represents consumers in over 100 countries across the globe. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Ottawa, Washington, Brussels, Geneva and other hotspots of regulation, and inform and activate consumers to fight for #ConsumerChoice. Learn more at consumerchoicecenter.org.
SOURCE Consumer Choice Center


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Soon, we too can possess a partial of Spotify.
The song streaming use has filed for its initial open offering, seeking $1 billion for a start on a New York Stock Exchange. The ticker will be $SPOT, according to a F-1 filing.
Spotify’s preference to go open has been approaching and in a works for months as a association aims to lapse investments to try capitalists and offer grow a business. Now, it’s opening itself adult to a pocketbooks and a inspection of a open market. That standing isn’t always easy — only demeanour during competing music-streaming use Pandora.
But Spotify is creation moves to be bigger and better. As of Dec 31, Spotify has 159 million monthly active users and 71 million subscribers, as in those who compensate to use a service. In a F-1 filing, Spotify records that it expects these numbers are “nearly double a scale of a closest competitor, Apple Music.” Apple has historically been still about a distance of a paid services such as Apple Music. But a new Wall Street Journal report suggests Apple Music could pass Spotify in a U.S. if it continues to grow during a rate of 5 percent per month.
Spotify’s business, according to a F-1, is to offer song fans, who expostulate a company’s income by listening to paid ads or profitable for a subscription.
“Our goal is to clear a intensity of tellurian creativity by giving a million artistic artists a event to live off their art and billions of fans a event to suffer and be desirous by these creators,” reads a commencement of a overview in a F-1 filing.
Spotify has had unsure story with a song industry, confronting extreme recoil from large artists. Pop star Taylor Swift pulled her music from a streaming use in 2014 and after partnered with Apple Music, as she demanded some-more financial earnings for work. Swift put her song back on Spotify final year.
But a recognition and continued dominance of streaming is strong. As Spotify cited in a F-1, streaming revenues increasing by 60 percent in 2016, reaching $4.6 billion. Meanwhile, earthy sales and digital download revenues declined during 8 percent and 21 percent, respectively, citing several estimates.
Spotify isn’t alone in a bid to grow a streaming service. As a association cites, Apple is a large competitor. Among a risks suggested in a F-1 is “our ability to attract impending users and to keep existent users.” There’s Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and SoundCloud — to name a few. And like Taylor Swift showed, artists have power.


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Reports estimate the value of Poland's petfood market for cat and dog food products surpassed PLN1 billion (US$3.15 billion) in 2011, an increase of 7% year-on-year, which has one petfood manufacturer looking to capture a largest market share.
Currently, petfood manufacturers Mars and Nestle are the largest in the Polish market.
But, Polish food company Mispol may be looking to invest, according to president Petras Jasinskas, who expects Poland's petfood market will grow by an additional 10% in 2012. The company has not yet disclosed the amount it plans to invest.
The company builds on its boutique business with three new lines for pet stores, including baked dog food and treats
Learn about more companies and how they are lending a helping paw and claw to their own cause campaigns
Petfood companies who promote their support of causes in their marketing campaigns are staying innovative in these uncertain times
Committees discussed key proposals such as a possible shift in the oversight of animal feeds
The intent was to educate regulators and industry about the Model Pet Food Regulations
It gives more direct control to CVM in establishing and maintaining ingredient definitions
Now is the time for packagers, producers, marketers and manufacturers to capitalize on the traveling with pets trend
While petfood shoppers continue to show strong brand loyalty, pet products have not been immune to the store brand swing
There's a disconnect between consumers' confidence in petfoods and their knowledge of what makes the foods nutritious
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