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Poster Vivo X70 : Vivo will introduce their latest smartphone series, the Vivo X70 Series next week which will most likely consist of three variants, namely the vanilla Vivo X70, Vivo X70 Pro, and Vivo X70 Pro Plus.
The first appearance of the Vivo X70 Pro Plus in the Latest Gadget News has been seen on the Chinese forum site, Weibo, and shows the color choices of the smartphone and the rear view which will have a four-camera configuration.
The Vivo X70 Pro Plus will launch in at least three color options, namely Black, Orange, and Blue, which are likely to have synthetic leather.
Vivo X70 Pro Plus will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset from Qualcomm and will have an Image Signaling Processor (ISP) developed by Vivo itself called V1.
The poster also shows that the Vivo X70 Pro plus will have a four-camera configuration on the back with the main camera ISOCELL GN1 from Samsung which has a 50MP resolution of 1/1.31″.
This main camera will be accompanied by a periscope camera that has an optical magnification of 5 times as well as a 48MP Sony IMX598 ultrawide camera and a 12MP Sony IMX663 portrait camera.
The Vivo X70 Pro Plus has yet to be seen from the front, but considering that this is a flagship smartphone from Vivo, it will most likely have an OLED screen with a punch hole that houses the selfie camera.
The Vivo X70 Pro Plus will also most likely have an in-display fingerprint scanner accompanied by refresh rate support and fast charging as well.
Vivo X70, Vivo X70 Pro, and Vivo X70 Pro Plus will be officially introduced on September 9, 2021 next week.


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Gaming company Razer confirmed that it is in the process of developing a mobile device focusing on gaming and entertainment. CEO and co-founder of Razer Min-Liang Tan told CNBC’s “Managing Asia” that the company is developing a mobile gaming device.
“One of the most hotly rumored things about Razer is that we’re coming up with a mobile device. And I can say that we are coming up with a mobile device specifically geared toward gamers and entertainment,” said Min-Liang Tan.
“We’re hoping to have it come by the end of the year, so that’s something we’re working on,” Tan added.
(Photo source: https://www.razerzone.com)

domain: news


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Kimchi wars: South Korean academic takes spat with China to new level with tart ad in New York Times
- Sungshin University professor says he ran advert to let ‘world know clearly that kimchi belongs to Koreans’
- The shot across the bow of China was the latest in a simmering dispute between the two countries over which one can rightfully claim the pungent delight
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin University in Seoul who specialises in publicity, said he launched the campaign announcing Kimchi as an “iconic food of Korea and its culture”, as acknowledged by Unesco, “in order to let all the peoples in the world know clearly that kimchi belongs to Koreans, pure and simple”.
The advert ran in the Times’ US and international editions on Monday.
Seo said he felt compelled to place the ad in response to China taking credit for being the origin of the fermented vegetable dish, whose popularity is gaining worldwide.
“Chinese online influencers, state-controlled news media, government officials and even its ambassador to the UN are going all-out in their efforts to commandeer kimchi as something Chinese,” he told This Week in Asia.
Beijing recently won certification from the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) for pao cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan province in southwestern China, an achievement Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with Communist Party mouthpiece People‘s Daily, reported as “an international standard for the kimchi industry led by China”.
That claim was refuted by the ISO, which clarified that the certification was for pao cai, not kimchi. Pao cai is a typical Chinese pickled vegetable dish, but differs from kimchi in its preparation method and ingredients used.
The spat intensified earlier this month when China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, posted a picture on himself on Twitter holding a full tray of kimchi, urging his followers to “try some home-made kimchi by yourself”.
A kimchi-making video uploaded by Chinese internet culinary sensation Li Ziqi with the hashtag #ChineseFood also added fuel to the flare-up online, with critics saying the 19-minute video insulted Korean culture.
Meanwhile, China has pulled the plug on a South Korean social media influencer after she added a thumbs-up emoji to comments online criticising China for claiming to be the origin of kimchi and ssam, a pork-and-vegetables wrap.
The influencer, nicknamed Hamzy, was kicked off Chinese microblogging site Weibo and video-sharing website Bilibili, with all her postings erased by Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said.
The Shanghai-based company Suxian Advertising, which runs Hamzy‘s video accounts and her online shop on the e-commerce site Taobao, also said it planned to terminate its contract with her, shut down her online shop and delete her videos.
Hamzy had 2.9 followers on Weibo and 1.3 million followers on Bilibili.
Chinese internet users said she had insulted China by showing her approval for what was in effect anti-China commentary.
“If I have to say kimchi belongs to China in order to operate in China, I would stop operating there,” Hamzy said via her YouTube account.
Na Kyung-won, a well-known politician from South Korea’s conservative opposition People‘s Power Party who is running for Seoul mayor, jumped to Hamzy’s defence, accusing China of being “small-minded”.
Kimchi, the latest cultural feud between South Korea and China
“I support Hamzy for speaking her mind,” Na said on Facebook.
“This is a sort of cultural retaliation that does not fit the era of globalisation,” she said. “If China hits us with cultural and economic retaliations, we should not sit idle.”
Seo‘s advert, which he said was produced by “kimchi experts”, carried a picture of a dish of chilly-flavoured, pungent kimchi with the text: “The Kimchi making & sharing culture was listed as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Historically, this iconic food of Korea and its culture date back thousands of years.”
Adding that the fermented food has grown to be loved by people around the world, it ends with, “Kimchi is Korean, but it belongs to everyone.”
Instead of trying to counter every claim made by China over kimchi, Seo said he decided to let the world know the “accurate facts” about the dish in a “concise and visually striking way” rather than simply being “swept up in anger” over the issue.
Seo is also planning to release a series of YouTube videos on the “facts of kimchi” in different languages, including Chinese and English, with the first episode expected to run in March.
Seo said kimchi is not the only Korean cultural item China claims as its own, noting that Korea‘s flowing traditional robe, the Hanbok, and its ancient solo opera form Pansori are also said by many Chinese people to have their origins in the mainland.
He attributed the seeming cultural appropriation to nationalist envy. “Chinese people may feel threatened by the rise of K-pop, including boy band group BTS, K-drama and K-films such as the Oscar-winner Parasite, as Asian culture was almost synonymous with Chinese culture in the past,” Seo said.
“I strongly suspect that Chinese party and government authorities condone all these distorted expressions of patriotism by young Chinese people, which would undermine friendly ties between the two countries,” he added.
Learn how to make kimchi from a Korean chef
Lee Seong-hyon, head of the centre for Chinese Studies at Sejong Institute, a non-profit think tank, noted that Chinese and Koreans have clashed many times in the past over contentious issues including where the borders of the ancient Koguryo Kingdom in Manchuria should be drawn and whether the Chinese philosopher Confucius was of Korean blood.
Chinese authorities may find it beneficial to let the kimchi spat intensify in order to “fan patriotism and rally support” for the government and Chinese Communist Party as it marks its centenary this year, he said.
But to Koreans, Lee said, “the issue is something of a different order because Kimchi is part of the Korean identity; Koreans eat Kimchi at every meal and it‘s like oxygen” for them.
“If China ends up alienating many Koreans over kimchi, it would satisfy Chinese people‘s nationalistic ego for a moment but it would not be helpful for China’s ling-term national interests,” he added.


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Jamie Dimon 1, Mark Zuckerberg 0.
That is the result of a new study released by biometric technology developer SmartMetric which asked consumers how much they trusted different industries to protect their personal data.
In the survey, 91 percent of respondents said they have at least some trust in their primary bank.
That is four times the 23 percent who have the same level of trust in their social media networks.
Credit card companies merited a 65 percent rating, followed closely by online retailers at 58 percent.
That high level of trust needs to be fully exploited by banks as they adjust to new competitors and technology which threaten to erode their market share. Banks need to carefully vet which new platforms they partner with for fear of seeing that lead shrink.
Only 20 percent of respondents say they have a lot of trust in the companies they often do business with to keep their personal information secure. More than half (55 percent) say that level has fallen over the last 12 months.
Lack of trust may be affecting mobile wallet adoption, SmartMetric said in a release. Only two percent of Americans actually use digital wallets, even though 13 percent of smartphone owners have a digital wallet app.
SmartMetric shared the results of a June Gallup poll which asked people choosing not to use digital wallets why they will not in the next year. The biggest reason was security concerns (55 percent), followed by lack of knowledge, negligible benefits, and low retailer acceptance.


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PRINGLES has launched a new range of crisps – but they’ve mixed up the recipe by omitting a vital ingredient.
The new snack, named Pringles Loud, doesn’t actually contain ANY potatoes.
The product's creators have decided to ditch spuds in favour of corn, grain and vegetables.
The crisps will be available in a variety of flavours: Spicy Queso, Salsa Fiesta, Super Cheesy Italian, Fiery Chili Lime and Mighty Pizza.
Despite the change in the recipe, the launch isn't being pitched as a healthy alternative or a calorie-cutting option.
Kurt Simon, senior director of marketing at Kellogg, who own the brand, told CNNMoney: “We’re not trying to convey that the new crisps are better for you.”
He added that Pringles were releasing the snacks to target a market “of bold explorers who are eager to try something different in flavours and unique textures".
Perfect Pringle ring challenge sweeps social media as popping mad Netflix writer shows how it's done
Why doesn't Gary Lineker tweet about the rising price of crisps that Walkers oddly blame on Brexit?
Fizzy vitamin C tablets to cure hangovers can contain as much salt as TWO bags of Walker’s crisps
The treats will be available in US stores from mid-January.
Although currently only available in America, Pringles isn’t ruling out bringing the range to the UK.
A spokesperson said: "We applaud the launch of Pringles Loud in the US.
“The future innovation pipeline for Europe is packed with excitement too, so watch this space as to whether Pringles Loud also lands in Europe or not!"
It's not the first time Pringles has put out some bold recipe choices.
Over Christmas, the food giant decided to launch SWEET flavours... but not all snack fans were convinced this was a good idea.
It wasn't their only Christmassy creation that caused a stir, as they also released pigs-in-blankets scented CANDLES.


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States and urban centers are fighting the expansion of payday-loan workplaces, that offer loans against workers’ future paychecks.
The Chicago City Council, for instance, passed a measure in very early November needing city that is special to open up payday-loan shops. And Cook County State’s Atty. Richard Devine’s workplace has sued one Chicago-area payday-loan company, saying it illegally harassed clients to obtain them to pay for straight back loans. Meanwhile, state legislators have already been hearings that are holding see whether the cash advance america industry requires more regulation.
But customer need has resulted in the growth of payday-loan stores in Illinois. From just a few four years back, the continuing state now has significantly more than 800, including those running out of money exchanges.
That expansion has arrived even though a lot of the shops charge exactly just exactly what amounts to an interest that is annual of greater than 500 % on the loans, which outrages some politicians and customer teams.
But because borrowers often repay the loans in one single to fourteen days, people spend much less than 500 per cent. A rate that is common Chicago is ten dollars for every single $100 lent per week.
There’s absolutely no roof regarding the rates that payday-loan stores in Illinois are permitted to charge.
Some customers become determined by the loans or get a lot of in the past.
“Once people have for them to get out,” said Robert Ruiz, chief of the public interest bureau of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office into it, it’s very difficult. “Unfortunately, the rates that are exorbitant completely appropriate.”
Due to the high prices, payday-loan stores can be profitable. They are priced at about $120,000 to open up, and obtain a good investment return of 23.8 %, based on a research that is recent by Stephens Inc. in minimal Rock, Ark.
The potential that is high-profit generated some consolidation on the market, with organizations such as for instance residential district Chicago’s Sonoma Financial Corp. seeking to expand. Currently Sonoma is continuing to grow from two shops during the end of 1997 to 44 shops into the Chicago area and four in Indiana. Following its merger that is pending with effortless cash set of Virginia Beach, Va., it’ll have 170 shops in 19 states.
Frank Anthony Contaldo, leader of Sonoma, stated their shops frequently have sources from banks. “Banks I did so this 20, 30, 40 years back, but with all of the mergers, there is no location for the typical guy to get merely to get a couple of dollars now,” Contaldo stated.
Katherine Williams, president of customer Credit Counseling of better Chicago, concurs, saying that numerous banking institutions have actually stopped making loans that are small they’ve merged and gotten bigger.
“The payday-loan shops fill a void available on the market that the banking institutions and institutions that are financial stepped away from–very little, uncollateralized loans,” Williams said.
She said customers be in trouble with payday advances if they abuse the machine, such as for example if they get from from shop to keep getting advance loans from the future paycheck that is same.
Typically, though, the payday loans–which are seldom bigger than $500 each–do perhaps perhaps not singlehandedly put individuals into bankruptcy or severe monetary difficulty, Williams stated.
“Payday loans are simply an element of the string of financial obligation,” she said. For the 1,000 customers her group views every month, just about 60 or 70 have unpaid pay day loans, and they’re often encumbered along with other financial obligation.
Ed Mierzwinski regarding the U.S. Public Interest analysis Group in Washington, whom states the payday-loan industry abuses consumers, claims the long-lasting response is to “force banking institutions to produce these loans.”
“Whenever we can not do this, though, we would like more regulation of payday-loan shops. They truly are like appropriate loan sharks,” Mierzwinski stated.
Payday-loan workplaces are managed during the state degree. In Illinois, the Department of banking institutions oversees the industry, and officials here state they seldom have complaints about pay day loans.
“We get periodic complaints, but we now haven’t gotten an number that is enormous any means,” stated Mary Kendrigan, spokeswoman when it comes to division. “there is need available on the market.”
The study found in October, the department released a study showing that the average payday-loan customer in Illinois is a woman in her mid-30s earning just over $25,000 a year.
The division will not want to increase legislation it is taking care of a customer training system, Kendrigan stated.
“It seems to us that in place of any (additional) regulation, the main focus has to be on customer education,” she said. “we are attempting to obtain the message out that short-term loans, specially pay day loans, aren’t a poor device if individuals utilize them because they had been designed to be utilized, which will be as being a stopgap measure when individuals are experiencing a short-term monetary crunch.”
Individuals should be reminded to cover their loans straight back on time, to comparison shop for prices including checking neighborhood banking institutions and credit unions, and also to browse the payday-loan that is entire when they do get that path, Kendrigan stated.
John Falk, a modifications officer within the Chicago area, was happy with their payday-loan experiences at an E-Z Payday Advance shop in Crystal Lake.
“I’m interested that individuals are making an effort to state the shops are really a ripoff and they are preying on individuals. If you are using it properly, it really is a convenience,” stated Falk, who may have used the loans for unanticipated vehicle and house repairs.
Falk’s spouse, Anne, seems only a little differently concerning the loans. She said she would like they stored the funds these are typically shelling out for loan costs, but she still views the loans as being a convenience.
John McCarthy, whom manages the shop where Falk gets their loans, balks during the proven fact that their industry is pressing individuals over the side economically.
“the income individuals have from payday stores does not push them into bankruptcy. Then they were in big trouble before they came to the payday store,” said McCarthy, who is secretary of the Illinois Small Loan Association, a payday-loan industry group if that happens.


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Monday, September 18, 2006
Will Ford marry General Motors?
The news today is that Ford and General Motors are discussing the possibility of some type of merger. You may recall that a few months ago GM was considering the possibility of merging with Renault of France and Nissan. That may actually make some sense. But Ford and GM? Would they make Ford-o-lets? Chords? It would be a General Mess. Both companies are drowning in overpaid blue-collar and white-collar employees. The unions have fought for and won significant concessions in additional benefits, especially health care. There is no way these companies can pay for lifetime benefits for that many employees and produce cars at a price we are willing to pay. In ten years will Ford and General Motors be subsidiaries of Toyota, Honda, and Nissan? Other companies will follow. Those who ignore foreign competition and the effects of an aging baby boom generation are doomed to fail. Twenty-five years ago Ford and Chevy loyalists would have fought you for just suggesting such a merger. Fifty years ago "Made in Japan" meant cheap, useless, tin toys. Now it means the highest quality automobiles and electronics. Probably in less than 25 years China will have passed us in quality and price--and there are lots of folks in China. Can we assume that USA will continue to be the economic leader of the world? What would it look like if several of our major employers were put out of business by foreign competition? What will the stock market and housing prices do when baby boomers are required to withdraw money from 401k accounts (read mutual funds)? Many of us have seen the economy, property values, stock prices, and net worth only go up all our lives, with the exception of short-term drops. How long could we endure steady declines? How would our values and priorities change?


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Volvo Aero and Lufthansa Technik will jointly develop new repair methods for structural parts of large commercial aircraft engines. The two companies will also cooperate in the appropriate certification processes, the repair services and the marketing and sales activities for the business. “The target of this cooperation is to combine the forces of two leading specialists in engine parts repair to develop new and highly valuable repair methods to the benefit of our customers,” said Daniel Gross, director of sales and business development for engine parts repairs at Lufthansa Technik. According to Gross, the union is an important step for both companies in the commercialization of development and performance of engine parts repairs. “We are looking forward to developing a range of repair services in partnership with Lufthansa Technik,” said Staffan Svensson, senior v-p of engine services. Volvo Aero is part of the Volvo Group which manufactures trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The company also develops and manufactures components for aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik, Volvo Aero Team on Engine Parts
- June 30, 2010, 12:05 PM


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This edition of our 3D printing news digest Sliced asks the following questions: How is 3D printing being used in post cancer surgery for dogs? How are rats and 3D bioprinting being used to repair damaged human diaphragms? How is 3D printing changing automotive design? All this and more from Dassault Systèmes, atum3D, The American Institute of Architects and Renishaw.
Indonesia prepares for Industry 4.0
Adaptive Corporation has acquired NobleTek’s Dassault Systèmes software sales and support division. Dassault Systèmes is a French 3D software company. Adaptive Corporation will provide current NobleTek customers with continued access to and support for the Dassault range of simulation and PLM software. Adaptive CEO Eric Doubell said “This acquisition allows us to increase our penetration in many areas and assures current NobleTek customers that we have a presence where they exist.”
The Indonesian government has launched an Industry 4.0 roadmap, “Making Indonesia 4.0.” President Joko Widodo is optimistic about the opportunities and jobs that Industry 4.0 will bring about, whilst emphasising the need for any potential economic growth to benefit all members of society.
Shining 3D, the Hangzhou headquartered manufacturer of 3D printers and scanners, has opened new offices in San Francisco. The offices will serve as the base of Shining 3D’s operations in North America. “The new office for the Americas is the logical next step in Shining 3D’s internationalization process,” said Oscar Meza, Shining 3D’s VP of Global Sales & CEO Shining 3D Technology, Inc. USA.
Ontario’s Manufacturing Innovation Summit took place yesterday, April 5. The conference gathered industry experts, investors and entrepreneurs from across Ontario’s manufacturing sector to share strategies for remaining globally competitive.
Sharebot, an Italian producer of 3D printers, is opening a showroom and headquarters in Ventura, California, in partnership with XponentialWorks. The move will expand Sharebot’s customer reach and reseller network throughout North America.
XJet Ltd, a manufacturer of metal and ceramic 3D printers, has installed an XJet Carmel 1400 AM 3D printer at Youngstown Business Incubator, Ohio. Entrepreneurs and researchers at the incubator will have access to the 1400 AM, the first 1400 AM in the U.S.
atum3D, a Netherlands-based producer of 3D printers, has moved into new headquarters in Gouda, Netherlands. atum3D has boasted that it intends to put the city, which they note is “already world-famous for its cheese”, on the global 3D printing industry map.
SME, a non-profit organisation seeking to advance manufacturing in North America, and Rapid News Communications Group, owners of TCT Group, have announced two new events. RAPID + TCT West and the RAPID + TCT Executive Strategy Summit will leverage the two organizations’ industry knowledge to promote greater adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies in North America.
3D printed pitching
Hailey Dawson from Las Vegas, aged 8, has thrown the first pitch in game 3 of the Padres Opening Day series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Dawson was born with Poland Syndrome, which caused her to have underdeveloped fingers on her right hand. Students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ College of Engineering 3D printed the prosthetic hand that has allowed Dawson to grasp and throw a baseball.
The United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi Police force, has launched a 3D printing initiative for the presentation of evidence in criminal investigations. The initiative, according to Brigadier Abdulrahman Al Hammadi, Director of the Criminal Evidence Administration, as reported by the Emirates News Agency, will “help to achieve justice without having to use original evidence and hurt the feelings of the families of victims.”
Eric Demeri, a science teacher in Lee County, Southern Florida, has 3D printed a prosthetic arm for one of his students, third grader Dulce Jaimes. Jaimes was born without half an arm, but thanks to Demeri is now able to help her family: “Now I can help my mom out with my brother” said Jaimes to ABC news.
Women in 3D printing, architectural research grants
Netia McCray, Founder and Executive Director of Massachusetts-based non-profit organisation Mbadika, has collaborated with AutoDesk’s Youth Engagement Manager, Erica Nwankwo, to produce MLab, a YouTube mini-series focused on technology. Speaking about Marvel’s Black Panther, Nwankwo said “I think the film really did a good job of portraying women in these different environments. That’s one of the passions behind the YouTube series, to show people of color using 3D printing with Tinkercad, laser cutting, and all these tools [which seem] inaccessible but are accessible.”
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Upjohn Research Initiative is distributing $100,000 worth in grants to architectural research and design projects. The grant, now in its eleventh year, will qualify recipients to have their research published by the AIA. Read about projects funded, here.
British engineering company Renishaw has launched its Fabrication Development Centre (FDC). The FDC is aiming to develop a steady pipeline of talent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), by providing young people with hands-on learning experiences in STEM.
New BigRep TPU-based filament
BigRep has released a new TPU-based 3D printing filament, “PRO FLEX”. PRO FLEX is a flexible engineering material that offers high temperature resistance as well as low temperature impact resistance. Moshe Aknin, BigRep’s Chief Technology Officer, said “In terms of applications with PRO FLEX, we see high potential for 3D printing in fields like footwear, custom vibration dampers, and seals, due to its high chemical resistance”
Implants for dogs
Students at the University of Manchester have produced a 3D printed robotic prosthetic hand for amputees. The hand was built at a cost of £307. The hand’s joints are fully pose-able, enabling users to perform simple everyday tasks such as picking up items, using a knife and fork, or even typing.
A 3D printed titanium implant has been successfully used to replace the hard tissue lost from the removal of a tumor in a seven year old Bernese mountain dog. German medical 3D design company Voxelmed designed the implant based on 3D scans of the affect area, whilst Renishaw 3D printed it.
Taiwan’s National Applied Research Labs and China Medical University Hospital are collaborating on a strategic partnership with the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster in Singapore. The collaboration will focus on a range of 3D printing initiatives related to biomedical applications.
Researchers at UC San Diego (UCSD), have 3D printed a wearable device for the monitoring of electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours. Researchers say the device has applications in the monitoring of GI activity outside of clinical settings. The 3D printed box is connected to 10 electrodes which are attached to the stomach. Results from the device are comparable to more expensive and invasive methods used in clinics.
Researchers from Saga University and Kyushu University, have published a paper detailing their use of 3D bioprinted cellular patches to repair damaged human diaphragms attached to rats. The researchers used Cyfuse Biomedical’s Regenova 3D bioprinter to produce cellular patches with a tube wall thickness of 1 mm. The paper, published in the Biomaterials journal, is titled “Regeneration of diaphragm with bio-3D cellular patch.”
SprintRay, manufacturer of the MoonRay desktop DLP 3D printer, have fully integrated 3Shape’s Implant Studio software with their 3D printers. SprintRay’s 3D printers can now use 3Shape Implant Studio to 3D print surgical guides for dental implant surgeries.
3D printing changing automotive design
Oliver Heilmer, head of design at the British automaker Mini, has described how 3D printing is changing the automotive design process. At the 2018 New York International Auto Show Heiler told The Drive that “we can do things now as designers that we couldn’t do before we had 3D printing. [For example,] This entire door panel is one piece, and when manufactured by 3D printing it’s much lighter. But we can also change the look and feel of it at any moment, even after the manufacturing starts, without having to create new tools to make it. Before this, it would take more than a year to make a change happen.”
HW Audio, maker of audiophile in-ear monitors, are crowdfunding a new range of customisable in-ear monitors using 3D printing. According to HW Audio’s Kickstarter page, standard methods of manufacturing such as injection molding failed to produce the design the company wanted.
Voting for the most Creative use of 3D printing of the year and more in the 2018 3D Printing Industry Awards is open.
Looking to advance your career in 3D printing? Looking for talent? The 3D Printing Industry Jobs is live.
Featured image shows A 3D printed titanium impant for lost tissue in the maxilla of a Bernese mountain dog. Photo via Renishaw.


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Thailand’s government issued a royal decree that includes a provision exempting crypto transfers from value added tax (VAT) payments until December 31, 2023, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday.
Based on the new ruling, crypto and digital asset transfers on regulated exchanges will not require 7% VAT payments until the start of 2024.
This new ruling is in addition to a previous waiver on VAT levied on crypto and digital asset transactions that was enacted in March. This exemption will also expire at the end of 2023.
The Thai government also rolled back plans to institute a 15% capital gains tax, thus enabling traders to offset any annualized losses against unrealized profit earned from crypto investments.
Thailand’s government says these waivers are part of efforts to boost investment in the country’s digital asset space.
Crypto is, however, banned as a means of payment in Thailand, as previously reported by The Block. This ban does not prohibit people in the country from trading and investing in cryptocurrencies and digital assets.
© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


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Disney+ says it recorded more than 10 million sign-ups on its first day of being available in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands.
The SVOD service from The Walt Disney Company went live in its first batch of markets on November 12. It will launch in Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico on November 19. On March 31, 2020, it expands to Western Europe, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and a number of other countries.
The platform launched with 500 films and 7,500 episodes of TV series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more.
Digital TV Research projects Disney+ will have 101 million subscribers by 2025. Disney said there are no plans to release further subscriber data outside of its quarterly earnings calls.


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Workers at the Penn Square Apple Store in Oklahoma City filed with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election, the third largest in the US. According to a press release, 70 percent of store salespeople, intellectual managers, technicians, creatives and operations specialists have signed cards expressing interest in being represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
About 30 percent of workers sign union cards to show enough interest for NLRB elections.
The filing was previously reported BloombergAnd Michael Forsythe, an employee and organizer at the Oklahoma City store, writes the outlet, that workers are looking for “more transparency and input on issues like safety, scheduling and pay.”
Apple’s US retail stores have had a successful union drive — in June, workers at Apple’s Towson Town Center store in Maryland voted to unionize. Campaigns at other stores, such as one in New York City (which it hopes to run in conjunction with the CWA), and another in Louisville, Kentucky, have not reached the point of holding elections. An election was supposed to be held in Atlanta, but the CWA called it off, saying Apple’s “repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act” made it impossible to hold a fair election.
Earlier this year, Apple’s vice president of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien tried to convince employees not to unionize, saying that doing so would “put another company at the center of our relationship.” Apple or our business. (The organizers in Maryland were mostly Apple Store employees, but the union worked with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.) The company was accused of union busting through captive audience meetings and not allowing employees to post union notices. Flyers.
Apple also addressed a major complaint from some workers: money. In May, the company raised the starting hourly wage at its retail stores from $20 to $22.
Given Apple’s apparent anti-union efforts and election or other public union activity, it’s easy to assume that the campaign to unionize the company’s retail locations has waned. However, experts say to the edge Rapid campaigns like managing a Starbucks are not common and can take years or even a location to manage. In other words, it’s not normal to get news from New York or Atlanta every day. Organizers at Towson Town Center say they’ve heard from people at other stores who are quietly trying to organize their own campaigns.
The campaign in Oklahoma City reinforces the idea that union campaigns at Apple have not taken place. Now that the petition has been filed, the NLRB must certify that sufficient interest has been shown. If it is determined to be, Apple and administrators can come to an agreement on how to conduct the election (which happened in Atlanta), or the NLRB can hold a hearing and decide how the election should be conducted.
Reached for comment, Apple spokesman Josh Lipton said the company was reiterating its earlier statement. Earlier this year, he said to the edge Apple is “fortunate to have amazing retail team members and we value everything they bring to Apple. Very strong compensation for full-time and part-time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits and We are happy to offer benefits.


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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Factual Adds Nutrition Information
Los Angeles data startup Factual has expanded its big database in the sky to include nutrition information, including ingredient lists and nutrition attributes for consumer packaged goods. Factual said late Wednesday that its service now includes ingredient lists for over 350,000 of the most popular consumer packaged goods, and nutrition facts for over 150,000 packaged foods. Factual's APIs and data is used by software developers to easily access and update a wide range of data, including location information and other data sets; the expansion into nutrition allows mobile, web, and other developers to call up things like number of calories for a snack, to find foods which do or do not include certain ingredients, and much more. The nutrition information is part of its Global Products dataset, which also is tied into UPC codes.


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A new smartphone is coming, and it’s one that will surely turn heads for being the first in the local mobile market to sport a USB Type-C port. Its name? The Redfox Aurea.
Windows 10, while very much alive and kicking as a PC platform, has never enjoyed the levels of success that Android and iOS have had for years in the smartphone universe. Its slow death, however, doesn’t seem to faze Vaio. The Japanese manufacturer has unveiled the Vaio Phone Biz.
In just three weeks, the next Samsung flagship smartphones will be unveiled. You don’t have to wait until February 21, though, because a set of renders already claims to show what the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge look like. Check them out here.
ZH&K Mobile, although a minor player in the mobile market, has a wide range of products. If you’re looking for a 6-inch phablet, for instance, the company has the Odyssey Perri to offer.
Amidst the Cherry Mobiles and MyPhones in the local mobile market are smaller challengers that sometimes surprise us with well-rounded mobile devices. One particular product that has come to our attention is the ZH&K Odyssey Evo smartphone.
Firefly Mobile’s Intense series of smartphones rose in popularity last year, so it only makes sense that the company wants to keep the momentum going this year by introducing a new member to the series. It’s the new Firefly Mobile Intense Desire.
Whenever a holiday celebration is right around the corner, we techies can always look forward to super deals, discounts and promos for sought-after devices. If you fancy the Starmobile Knight Luxe, for instance, the Chinese New Year brings good tidings—the smartphone is currently selling at Php1,500 off its regular price.
The Blackview R7 is a high-end, cost-effective smartphone that you should look forward to in April 2016.
MyPhone has unveiled its latest affordable smartphone, one that comes packing an octa-core processor. Meet the new MyPhone My32L.
Cellprime, the company behind the CloudFone brand, has partnered with Disney for a new product—the CloudFone Special Edition smartphone.
CloudFone has die-hard phablet lovers covered too. In addition to its smaller 5-inch offerings, the company has announced the new 5.5-inch CloudFone Excite Prime handset.


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Why do we need your overdraft fees?
According to the CNN (so you know, it’s very accurate information), if Biden gets elected, he might appoint regulators that could crack down on overdraft fees.
A Bloomberg analyst (so again, very accurate) even says that “Overdraft fees are one of the biggest risks to the banking industry under a Biden presidency”.
I feel like they might have said that about every politician/ potential president- so nothing to write home about.
A daylight robbery – 9% of accounts pay 79% of overdraft fees
The CNN article does mention that overdraft fees are a BIG business for banks with JPMorgan Chase taking home more than $2.1 billion of overdraft income last year.
Think about it this way. With $2.1 billion, JPMorgan Chase can keep more than 20,000 workers on their payroll (assuming $100,000 per year including benefits). That’s about 10% of their workforce. That’s a lot.
We created our blog because of overdraft fees – so I guess I do have some interests that people will keep paying them…? Wait, that doesn’t sound right.
A new iPhone
The Almighty God was nice enough to release a new line of phones yesterday – thy name shall be called iPhone 12. Charger and earphones not provided (come on, for environmental purposes of course). You will get an incredible camera you don’t need with an ultrafast 5G internet connection too expensive and unavailable to actually use.
This is a convenient time for Apple to release this phone. A green line in the middle of the screen of my iPhone XS Max just appeared out of nowhere two weeks ago. I have been told that I just need to buy a new one. I am stronger than this and will wait a few weeks.


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Get fit – or get fatter!
That will certainly be the most common decision made by Americans as the calendar flips into 2014, whether it’s a conscious one or not. Because the stats don’t lie…
Currently, two-thirds of adults (and nearly one in three children) are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
No wonder “losing weight” is the most popular New Year’s resolution year in and year out.
Let’s just say that the results were more shocking than the number of people who actually keep their New Year’s resolutions.
‘Tis the Season
Their first-quarter sales have improved sequentially over the past six years – by an average of 60.2% and 25.1%, respectively.
Now, plenty of companies witness such severe seasonality – particularly in the retail sector. And as investors come to expect it over time, this shouldn’t be an exploitable phenomenon.
Well, that’s where the shock comes in…
Another Market Myth Gets Busted
Over the last decade, both NutriSystem and Weight Watchers averaged gains in the first three months of the year. And February and March represent particularly positive months, meaning the strong sales results coincide with strong stock returns.
(Consider this the latest proof that efficient market hypothesis is total bunk.)
Do NOT Deposit Another Dollar in Your Bank Account Until You Read THIS
A CIA insider has launched an urgent mission to expose the government’s secret money lockdown plan…
Once you see what could happen next time you go to an ATM, you’ll understand why he’s sending a FREE copy of his new book to any American who answers right here.
Now, what about the inconsistent performance during the middle of the year? Well, it’s hardly coincidental…
After all, 36% of Americans give up on their New Year’s resolutions within one month, 54% cry uncle within six months, and only a pathetic 8% keep their resolutions all year, according to research out of the University of Scranton.
Essentially, as more customers bail – forcing the companies to adjust sales guidance – investors head for the exits, too.
Like clockwork, though, investors return near the end of the year in anticipation of a new crop of weight-loss resolutions.
Again, this stock market seasonality shouldn’t exist. But it does, making now an attractive time to consider entering a position.
Careful, though! Only one of these stocks represents a solid investment.
All signs point to NutriSystem being the best bet.
It averages positive returns 66% of the time in the first quarter of the year, compared to 43% for Weight Watchers.
February is historically the best month for the stock, with positive returns an impressive 90% of the time over the last decade.
A quick glance at the fundamentals seals the deal.
NutriSystem might be trading at a higher valuation than Weight Watchers, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.7 versus 11.2. But it’s deserved.
Analysts expect the company to boost sales and profits by 15% and 65%, respectively, next year. In comparison, Weight Watchers is expected to witness an 8.5% decline in sales and almost a 10% decline in profits in 2014.
Bottom line: Self-improvement goes hand in hand with the New Year. And profits can, too, now that you know how to cash in on Americans’ inability to commit.
Ahead of the tape,


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As we enter 2020, now is a good time to have a look back at what mattered for inkjet production print in Europe in 2019.
The big inkjet event in 2019 for Europe was undoubtedly the Hunkeler Innovation Days. From humble beginnings as an open house of a finishing equipment manufacturer the event morphed into the most important trade show for document-oriented inkjet production printing. The visitor numbers for 2019 improved again from about 6,000 to 6,500 and about 100 exhibitors from around the world were present. While most of the visitors are still from Switzerland and surrounding countries the portion of overseas visitors increased again, with the share of visitors from the Americas doubling to 9%. Judging by the focus and the quality of attendees this show even eclipses drupa in importance for CF inkjet. The most important take-away of the event was the maturity level that production continuous feed inkjet printing has reached. Vendors demonstrated that given the right paper and production conditions quality is not a concern anymore. See Inkjet Insight at Hunkeler
Environmental issues remained big in 2019, probably even gaining momentum. One of the main focus areas of the newly elected European Commission for the next five-year term will be the environment. Currently the printing industry is subject to continuous restrictions of its solvent emissions (VOCs). New limit values will be adopted for large heatset, gravure and flexo printers in 2020 and those will be applicable as of 2024. Inkjet solvent emissions are usually much lower but could become the target of scrutiny as well. The current commission made a commitment that, by 2030, all plastic packaging will have to be reusable or easily recyclable. This might not all be bad news since, for example, the proposed ban on plastic straws in the European Union (for 2021, or in some countries even 2020) is a boon for paper-based alternatives, with some printing companies starting to supply those.
Recycled paper usage will be on the rise as well, but not immediately. The Chinese ban on waste imports, implemented in January 2018, has led to “a crisis situation” in the European paper recycling sector. It led to an oversupply of recovered paper and plummeting prices according to the European Recycling Industries Confederation (EuRIC). For years China was a major importer of waste paper, not only because China lacks pulp, also because the waste paper was used as cheap ballast for empty container vessels returning to China. While new European paper recycling centres are being built, it will take another two to five years before they are available, and this will improve the availability of recycled paper grades.
Sometimes the effects of a regulation touching the printing industry becomes only visible some time after. GDPR (the European privacy regulation) came into effect in May 2018. There was some unclarity however on how the regulation will affect the direct mail industry. The regulation would give consumers a lot more rights on how personal information would be stored and used for marketing purposes. As the main objective of the regulation it does require opt-ins for electronic media channels and data processing, while physical mail is based on a “opt-out” model. There are some more regulations to adhere to, for example strict policies on storing and processing data and having a data security officer in the company. Fines could be drastic: up to 4% of the annual turnover. The expectation was that direct mail would be affected much less than electronic channels and might even benefit. But it seems that insecurity prevailed and direct mail was negatively affected as well. The UK household panel of Wilmington Millennium found that direct mail volumes dropped by 30%. It is likely that other countries had strong volume declines in 2019, but data is lacking so far.
With respect to inkjet product introductions, 2019 was a quiet year in Europe. This is no surprise as drupa 2020 looms large. The Hunkeler Innovation Days in February did bring lots of progress and improvements on existing inkjet devices, but little true news. For example, Ricoh showed the VC70000 but had announced it 9 months before. Later in the year two interesting launches did make it to the European market. In October, 4 months later than in the US, the Xerox Baltoro was launched in Europe. With Kyocera and the TASKalfa Pro 15000c a new entrant joined the fray in production inkjet later in the year. The Pro 15000c was previewed more than a year before, but now the device is for sale and the first devices are in operation in Europe and more shipments are expected before year end.
A major event that did not happen in 2019 is Brexit. The printing industry might not be in the limelight of discussions when it comes to Brexit, but the impact will not be small either. The BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation) reckons that approximately 50% of all UK print exports are to the EU – £1.4bn of £2.9bn, whilst only 35% of imports are from the EU. Almost all of the positive trade balance in printed products is as a result of EU trade. Tariffs or lengthy border procedures can endanger this. The supply chain will be affected as well. The bulk of raw material used for print is obviously paper and board – however the UK is not a big producer of both. Most paper and board is imported and with 80% stemming from Europe price rises and disruptions are likely if no agreements with the EU can be reached. A post-referendum survey of the BPIF suggested that companies held the impression that the overall effect of Brexit would have a negative impact upon business.
Finally, on a somber note, Xerox closed the former Impika site in Aubagne, France. After Impika was acquired by Xerox in 2013 the site had been leading the CF inkjet developments for Xerox. Before, Impika developed and sold a good number of CF inkjet products and also supplied the VL-Series to Kodak. Closing the site has been under wraps for a while not to endanger the undertaking by violating French labour laws. In the future all Xerox inkjet developments will be made in the US.
With a sluggish economy, Europe will remain a difficult market in 2020. But all industry news and events next year will be dwarfed by drupa and we at Inkjet Insight look forward to reporting directly from the show. Will you be at drupa? Please get in touch.


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Stock trading platform MarketWolf has raised $10 million in its latest funding round led by Jungle Ventures and Dream Capital. Existing investors and others, including 9Unicorns, Iseed, Crescent and Riverwalk, also participated in the round. The company has so far raised $17.4 million, it said.
MarketWolf plans to use the capital to build out its product suite and to hire top talent across product, marketing and engineering functions. The company is also planning to hire talent in tech and product development. Founded in 2017 by Vishesh Dhingra and Thomas Joseph, MarketWolf targets first-time investors to make the trading experience easy and jargon-free.
The number of trading accounts and retail active clients have grown 10X compared to the same period last year, despite the volatility seen in public capital markets this year, it said in a statement.


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BitBoy Crypto is a bitcoin content producer with a net worth of around $28 million.
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Drivers may soon have to spend thousands of extra dollars for their cars under new energy emissions rules proposed by the Albanese government.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the new plan in early February, but it has since been criticized by senior executives in the car industry.
It involves imposing carbon ‘penalties’ on certain models under the recently proposed 2025 CO2 targets.
Owners of Australia’s best-selling car in 2023, the Ford Ranger, will potentially have to pay an extra $6,150 due to the tax, according to estimates compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Only estimates exist at this time because Bowen has not yet released the government’s own modeling of how the changes will affect prices.
FCAI estimates also suggest that the Toyota LandCruiser would be the car model most affected by the changes, incurring additional fines of $13,350.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen (R) announced the new emissions plan for cars in early February.
The carbon cap has been criticized by auto industry experts for its potential to increase the cost of
Tony Weber, executive director of the FCAI told the Herald Sun who does not understand why the government does not publish its own figures.
“Good public policies are created when there is transparency about the objectives and the assumptions that support those objectives,” he said.
‘Obviously we hope that there will be changes to the proposed rules. If carried out as formulated, the impact on consumers will be enormous, particularly in two senses: the increase in the cost of purchasing the vehicle and the availability of the product in the market segments.’
Carbon penalties would affect 18 of the 20 most popular cars in 2023, excluding only Tesla models that receive carbon credits.
The Toyota HiLux, Isuzu Ute D-Max, Toyota RAV4 and MG ZS would face bills of $2,690, $2,030, $2,720 and $3,880 respectively.
However, green car options would see the opposite effect on prices: Tesla Model Y owners would receive a $15,390 credit and those with the Model 3 would receive $15,940.
The FCAI figures assume that sanctions would be awarded based on the variant with higher CO2 emissions of each car.
Webber said the plan will likely push the market toward more electric vehicles in the future.
No cars will be banned under the proposed plan, but penalties will vary between models depending on their average emissions and whether or not they exceed the government limit.
This limit will decrease each year until the end of the decade, when needs are expected to be 60 percent lower than when the reductions began.
Experts have speculated that these changes will limit the availability of traditional SUV and ute models, as manufacturers seek to avoid fines for violating pollution limits.
The Toyota HiLux (pictured), Isuzu Ute D-Max, Toyota RAV4 and MG ZS, would face bills of $2,690, $2,030, $2,720 and $3,880 respectively under the new emissions standards.
Bowen was accompanied at a press conference by Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, who insisted that the availability of the models will not be affected by the change.
“It’s not a restriction on what Australians can buy,” Mr Bowen said.
‘You can still buy a ute, an SUV, whatever you want… In countries with vehicle efficiency standards (like the United States and New Zealand), utes and SUVs are often the best-selling cars. “That’s up to Australians, but we would like Australians to have more choice in that.”
The minister said if Australia reached US standards by 2028, the cost of cars would be reduced by about $1,000 a year.
Mrs King also stressed that the cost of cars would not increase.
“The good thing is that there have been years and years of real experience in countries around the world,” he said.
‘And therefore the international evidence is that it does not have an impact on the price. I have no doubt that we are going to hear all sorts of nonsense about this from the opposition and other interested parties. We’re going to hear that the Utes are banned.
‘That’s not true… Let’s hear about the price. Again, not true. No evidence; There is just no evidence to say it will affect the price at all, be it SUVs or utes or any other vehicle.
Weber was skeptical about the optimism shown at the press conference and asked if the plan was a win-win, why wouldn’t they publish the figures themselves.
TO Ms King’s spokeswoman said the government was working with manufacturers throughout the consultation phase on the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King insisted the new plan will not affect the price or availability of combustion vehicles, but experts still disagree.
However, National Senator Matt Canavan is not so optimistic and believes the new plan will increase the cost of many popular cars by $9,000.
‘“Some simple calculations show what the impacts of the Australian government’s plans will be,” he wrote for the Courier Mail.
‘The most popular car sold in Australia last year was the Ford Ranger. According to government figures, it produces 182 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer traveled. In 2029, the government’s emissions limit for light commercial vehicles (which is the Ford Ranger type of car) will be 81 grams of carbon dioxide. So the current Ford Ranger would be 101 grams over the limit and with a tax rate of $100 per gram, Ford would face a tax of $10,000, which would be passed on to you.’
Canavan’s estimates were backed by CarExpert.com.au founder Paul Maric, who told the Herald Sun there is currently a shortage of electric vehicles compared to those powered by combustion engines.
He also noted that manufacturers such as Ford or Toyota have limited electric vehicle options and, therefore, would be greatly affected by the new sanctions.
Australian Automobile Dealers Association (AADA) chief executive James Voortman added it was inevitable these costs “could end up leading to more expensive vehicles”.


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The chain is set to create 200 new jobs when it opens the additions to its estate, which are in Covent Garden's Drury Lane, Ealing, Stratford, Bromley and two in Harrow. By the time they are completed, Travelodge, Britain's second-biggest budget hotels operator after Whitbread's Premier Inn, will be the market leader with 6482 rooms spread across 45 hotels in the capital.
The firm's expansion comes at a time when the insolvencies in the UK hotel industry have soared, up 120% since last June. The first half of this year has seen 21 hotel groups collapsing.
Travelodge's chief executive, Grant Hearn, said the firm wants to cash in as tourists flock to London for the Olympics. "We have long stated our aim of being the lead brand in London by the time of the Games. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the tourism industry and we intend to take it with both hands."Reuse content


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Oct. 16, 2012 at 3:05 PM ET
As of Tuesday, customers can now pre-order Microsoft's Surface, and the Redmond-based company appears to be banking on some impressive sales.
The Wall Street Journal's Lorraine Luk writes that Microsoft has "placed orders to produce 3 million to 5 million" Surface tablets in the fourth quarter of this year, according to component suppliers in Asia. "That is similar to the orders that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets and Google’s Nexus 7 tablets, these suppliers say," Luk notes.
A previous report suggested that Apple may have ordered as over 10 million of the yet-to-be-announced smaller iPad — often referred to as the iPad Mini. This new device is expected to be unveiled on Oct. 23, during a press event held in San Jose, Calif., and — according to rumors — may hit shelves one to two weeks later.
Microsoft's Surface begins shipping on Oct. 26.
Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.


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Consumer prices rose again in November after falling the previous month for the first time since the so-called “Great Recession,” helping to quell fears that Spain could face a period of deflation such as that experienced by Japan for more than a decade.
According to a flash estimate released Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the consumer price index (CPI) rose an annual 0.2 percent this month after declining 0.1 percent in October, the first time that had been the case since 2009, when the Spanish economy shrank 3.7 percent.
On a monthly basis, the CPI was flat compared with October. The harmonized index of consumer prices, which is used for comparative purposes with the rest of Europe, rose an annual 0.3 percent this month.
The INE also confirmed that the economy emerged from one of its longest recessions in decades in the third quarter of this year, with household spending notably picking up for the first time in six quarters.
Since pensions were raised by 1.0 percent retirees will gain spending power because of low inflation
The governor of the bank of Spain, Luis María Linde, earlier this month indicated that fears of deflation were exaggerated, pointing to the fact that low inflation helps offset wage contention by maintaining spending power, and improves the country’s competitiveness.
The rate of inflation in November is traditionally used to gauge whether state pensions need to be topped up to compensate for loss of purchasing power. However, since pensions were raised by 1.0 percent this year, retirees will in fact gain spending power because of low inflation.
Under the new system of annual reviews of state pensions, which links increases to the economic cycle, benefits are set to be increased by the minimum 0.25 percent next year.
The INE confirmed that GDP in the period July-September climbed 0.1 percent from the previous three months after nine quarters in negative territory. On an annual basis, output declined 1.1 percent. The flash estimate was for a fall of 1.2 percent. The annual decline in GDP in the second quarter was 1.6 percent. The government is forecasting a contraction of 1.3 percent for the full year.
Household spending rose 0.4 percent from the second quarter, while spending by the public administrations increased by 0.1 percent. Investment grew 0.2 percent after declining for three quarters in a row. As a result the negative contribution of domestic demand to GDP narrowed by 1.2 points from the previous three months to 2.5 percentage points.
However, the external sector lost a bit of steam, with its positive contribution to GDP declining to 1.4 percent points from 2.1 points in the second quarter. Annual growth in exports of goods and services slowed to 4.7 percent from 9.1 percent, while imports rose by only 0.7 percent, compared with 2.5 percent in the second quarter.
“Spain’s economic situation is starting to improve,” Bloomberg quoted Robert Wood, an economist at Berenberg Bank in London, as saying. “Business sentiment is picking up, unemployment is probably close to a peak and exports will continue to be a growth driver in the next year or two.”
The contraction in employment as measured in full-time jobs narrowed to 3.2 percent from 3.9 percent in the second quarter. Nonetheless, the economy shed 522,000 jobs in the third quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.
The services and construction sectors saw most improvement, with the decline in employment in the former easing to 2.1 percent from 3.0 percent, while in the latter the fall was reduced to 11.6 percent from 14.4 percent.
Apparent labor productivity growth per job increased to 2.4 percent from 2.1 percent in the second quarter, while unit labor costs declined 1.9 percent, 2.3 points less than the implicit GDP deflator, a measure of inflation.


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The company has a global market-leading position in the truck- mounted forklift sector
Machinery company Hiab is creating 100 new jobs in Dundalk amid increasing demand for its truck-mounted forklifts.
Recruitment for the roles, which will add to the 300 staff already employed by Hiab in Louth, will start immediately.
The majority of the positions are for general operators with mechanical skills, as well as support roles in manufacturing engineering, R&D engineering and warehousing.
In addition, the company is investing €50m building new facilities in county Louth. When operational in 2023, the new factory will replace Hiab’s existing Dundalk facilities.
The factory will include the company’s Irish manufacturing operations and a global hub for innovation and research and development, catering for the “rapidly growing” global truck mounted forklift sector, according to a statement from the group.
Hiab is a major provider of on-road load handling equipment, as well as smart and connected solutions.
The Swedish manufacturer has a global market leading position in the truck- mounted forklift sector.
Its products serve a range of industries including construction, waste management, recycling, forestry, fire rescue, agriculture and landscaping.
Rogier van der Linde, senior VP for Truck Mounted Forklifts at Hiab, said: “Hiab’s operation in Dundalk is a key part of the company’s global success story. It has been home to innovation and production of truck-mounted forklifts since 1986.
“It will continue to lead the world in new product development and solutions that ultimately help other business sectors be more effective and efficient in their transportation operations.”
The company is currently experiencing a “remarkable uplift in demand” in Europe and the United States, Mr van der Linde added.
Hiab is part of Cargotec Corporation, which employs approximately 11,500 people globally.
Cargotec's sales were around €3.3bn last year.
The expansion of its presence in Dundalk is supported by the Government through the IDA Ireland.


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June 30, 2007
Not a complete surprise but the iPhone will not render Flash on it's Safari browser, according to Adobe developer relations for mobile and devices. Flash must not be as good as Quicktime!
Update: I should leave it to the experts...it looks like Apple might be adding Flash to the iPhone according to the WSJ; see Next iPhone generation will support Flash.
There's also plenty of other developments, like the free iPhoneDevCamp held at Adobe in San Francisco the weekend of July 6, Apple on Optimizing Web Applications and Content for iPhone,and The AIR iPhone an AIR application that possibly could be ported to FlashLite to work on cheap handsets.


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By Nivedita Balu
(Reuters) - All eyes will be on Nike Inc's sales forecast for China as it reports quarterly numbers against the backdrop of calls to boycott global brands in the country for their comments on alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
While overall results are expected to get a boost as Americans spend their stimulus checks on Air Max and Jordan sneakers, sales growth in China, Nike's fastest growing business with a roughly 20% share of the total revenue, has shown signs of slowing following the backlash.
Research firm Cowen's data showed that sales in China were weakening into June, and product sales on e-commerce platform Tmall declined as search trends for "guochao", Mandarin for homegrown fashion, gained popularity.
Graphic: Nike's power play in global markets - https://graphics.reuters.com/NIKE-PREVIEW/jbyvrzoqove/chart.png
For an interactive graphic, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/3xQrbll
Earlier this year, Nike and rivals Adidas and H&M, faced heat on Chinese social media after internet users found statements the companies had made in the past on the use of forced labor in Xinjiang. https://reut.rs/2UAKLDJ
Nike has said it does not directly source cotton from the region and confirmed with its contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the area.
"We could see near-term sales volatility in Greater China, the brunt of which is likely to be felt in the next 1 to 2 quarters," BTIG analyst Camilo Lyon said.
Nike reports results on June 24.
Graphic: Nike's domination in the sports footwear market - https://graphics.reuters.com/NIKE-RESULTS/qzjpqxqawvx/chart.png
For an interactive graphic, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/3d5wwgo
* Nike's fourth-quarter sales in Greater China are expected to surge about 35% to $2.22 billion, slower than the 50% growth in the previous quarter
* Overall, revenue is expected to grow 74.4% to $11.01 billion from a year ago, when the pandemic was at its peak.
* The blue-chip stock is one of the worst Dow 30 performers this year, down about 6% compared with the index's 10.9% gain.
WALL STREET SENTIMENT
* The current average analyst rating on NKE shares is "buy" and the breakdown of recommendations is 27 "strong buy" or "buy", 4 "hold" and 1 "strong sell"
* The median price target is $163.30. The stock closed at $133.10 on Wednesday
QTR ENDING REFINITIV IBES ACTUAL RESULT SURPRISE %
Feb. 28 2021 76 cents 90 cents Beat 18.1
Nov. 30 2020 62 cents 78 cents Beat 25.1
Aug. 31 2020 47 cents 95 cents Beat 102.5
May. 31 2020 7 cents -51 cents Missed -865.4
Feb. 59 cents 78 cents Beat 32.2
Nov. 30 2019 58 cents 70 cents Beat 20.7
Aug. 31 2019 70 cents 86 cents Beat 22.8
May. 31 2019 66 cents 62 cents Missed -5.9
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)


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(Bloomberg) — Uber Technologies Inc. has made an offer to acquire Grubhub Inc., a move that could combine two of the largest food-delivery apps in the U.S. as the coronavirus drives a surge in demand, according to people familiar with the matter.
The companies are in talks about a deal and could reach an agreement as soon as this month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter isn’t public. Deliberations are ongoing, and talks could still fall through, the people said.
Grubhub said in a statement: “Consolidation could make sense in our industry, and, like any responsible company, we are always looking at value-enhancing opportunities. That said, we remain confident in our current strategy and our recent initiatives to support restaurants in this challenging environment.” Uber said it wouldn’t “respond to speculative M&A premiums” and that the company is “constantly looking at ways to provide more value to our customers, across all of the businesses we operate.”
Shares of Grubhub climbed as much as 39% in New York trading after being temporarily halted. They were up 29% at the close of trading in New York, valuing the company at $5.6 billion. Uber, with a market value of $56 billion, rose 2.3% Tuesday.
Grubhub, founded in 2004, is the oldest of the major food delivery companies in the U.S. In recent years, competition from DoorDash Inc. and Uber has squeezed Grubhub’s profit margins. The coronavirus is adding more pressure, forcing Grubhub to withdraw its 2020 financial guidance last month. Uber pulled its forecast, too, and said a plan to turn a quarterly adjusted profit this year would be delayed until 2021.
As part of a series of cost-cutting movies, Uber is shuttering food-delivery operations in seven countries where the service has proved to be unpopular, it said last week. Those markets represented 1% of Uber Eats gross bookings and 4% of the business’s adjusted loss before interest, taxes and other expenses for the first quarter of 2020, the company said. Uber’s ride-hailing business has been hammered by the global pandemic, but in the U.S. and other developed markets, delivering meals has helped the San Francisco-based company drive sales as people mostly stay at home.
But food delivery remains largely unprofitable. That dynamic has led to much speculation on potential consolidation in the industry. DoorDash, which is privately held and backed by SoftBank Group Corp., is the most popular in the U.S., followed by Grubhub and Uber. Any merger between the major apps could draw antitrust scrutiny. Together, Uber and Grubhub could account for 55% of the market, according to Wedbush Securities.
A deal “would help consolidate the U.S. online food delivery market and reduce cash burn,” Bloomberg Intelligence senior industry analyst Mandeep Singh wrote in a note Tuesday.
(Updates with Wedbush note in the penultimate paragraph.)
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Kibanda TopUp, a Kenyan-based startup that aims to digitize the food supply chain for micro, small, and medium restaurants in Africa closed a $460k pre-seed round last week to increase its customer base.
The round was led by US-based JAM Fund, with the participation of mPharma’s CEO, Gregory Rockson; Flutterwave’s CEO, Olugbenga GB Agboola; Alarko Ventures’ Managing Partner, Cem Garih; and several angel investors.
Launched in February 2021 by Co-founders, Njavwa Mutambo and Emilie Blauwhoff, Kibanda delivers goods directly to restaurants via electric tricycles assembled in Nairobi by ARC Ride.
“The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Africa was a stark reminder of how fragile Africa’s food supply chains are. With half of the African population eating from largely informal restaurants daily, strengthening restaurants’ supply chains is a matter of food security. We are on a mission to increase restaurants’ contribution to African GDP. This means enabling restaurants with the stock and financial services they need to serve Africa’s growing population,” said Mutambo.
Customers can order inventory such as grains, beverages, poultry, and beef via app or SMS and receive their order the next day.
Since its launch, the startup has reportedly served 130 restaurants, just recently announcing the one-hundredth restaurant on May 31, 2021.
The startup plans to use the funding to hire critical team members in the engineering and supply chain who will enable fast growth and development of additional products.
Local investors like Rockson and Agboola continue a growing trend of African investments in early-stage startups.
“Local informal restaurants are the heart of social commerce in African neighborhoods. Kibanda Topup has a great opportunity to drive a transformation of these businesses into a formal restaurant cooperative to maximize the economic potential. I am excited about the team behind this journey as they have the right experience and intent to build a huge business,” said Rockson.


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Spectacular Italian Collection Generates Big Interest In Investing In Wine, Says Investment Portal Invezz.com
iNVEZZ.com, a portal for investors, has released a new article commenting on a recent wine auction where an impressive collection of Italian wines generated big interest among investors and collectors.
March 5, 2013 (Newswire.com) - iNVEZZ, a portal for investors, today published a new commentary looking at the recent Acker Merrall & Condit's fine wine auction. Although the auction saw the continuing dominance of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, which generally are the preferred choice for people investing in wine, the highlights of the auction were Italian wines which sold comfortably above their high estimates.
In its new article,iNVEZZ reports that the recently concluded February sale of Acker Merrall & Condit brought in a total of $3.1 million and saw 94 percent of its lots sold. Among the auction highlights was a four magnum collection of Bartolo Mascarello Barolo in several vintages which sold at $7,995, well above its high estimate of $4,800. Several other Italian lots also surpassed their upper estimates.
iNVEZZ notes that the Acker Merrall & Condit auction is not the only recent sale where those investing in wine have favoured the production of Italian vineyards. At Sotheby's February New York sale, wines from the Tuscan coastal vineyard Tenuta dell'Ornellaia raised $147,123 in total, comfortably surpassing their upper estimate of $110,000.
iNVEZZ also reports on the healthy performance of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines at the Acker Merrall & Condit auction, adding to the signs of a wider fine wine market recovery alongside the upbeat results from Sotheby's and Christie's February auctions. In its commentary, iNVEZZ points out that investors as well as collectors have been showing revived interest in investing in wine so far in 2013, with many doubtless looking to take advantage of the lower prices registered during the market decline in 2012.
The new iNVEZZ article can be found in the portal's news section, which presents investors with timely updates of current affairs in the investment world. In addition to news, iNVEZZ.com also features in-depth analysis on topical investment issues and insights into mainstream investment products and markets.
To learn more about iNVEZZ, join, contribute your own professional or amateur expertise on the investment areas of your interest or engage with other investors or experts, please visit www.iNVEZZ.com.


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Ubisoft releases a South Park: The Fractured but Whole fart pillow to coincide with the launch of the game, with the merch now available from GameStop.
Pokemon Sun and Moon fans are to receive a special version of one of the games’ most powerful creatures soon, with GameStop distributing a Shiny Silvally to players.
After less than 24 hours, the SNES Classic Edition is already sold out at GameStop and ThinkGeek, but more shipments are on the way to give shoppers another chance.
The retailer GameStop officially announces that the second round of pre-orders for the Xbox One X start tomorrow for the video game company’s customers.
GameStop executive Eric Bright discusses the controversy surrounding the company’s expensive SNES Classic bundles, stating that they make shopping ‘more convenient’.
During Gamestop’s quarterly financial conference call, CEO Paul Raines states that the Nintendo Switch has been the company’s ‘most successful Nintendo launch ever’.
GameStop officially announces that it will have more SNES Classic Edition consoles available for customers, but there is a catch when it comes to obtaining them.
To coincide with pre-ordering now being available for the Xbox One X, GameStop announces a new trade-in promotion intended to save fans some serious cash off the new console.
GameStop plans to give away 100 NES Classics throughout August, building up to pre-orders opening for the upcoming and highly anticipated SNES Classic.
GameStop announces to its employees that it will be open on Thanksgiving this year, presumably to take advantage of the impending Nintendo Switch sales rush.
GameStop is running a giant Summer Sale with dozens of titles hitting new low prices, including $20 Mass Effect: Andromeda, Doom, Titanfall 2, and much more.
GameStop sends out letters warning customers that may have been targeted by a recent credit card hack that struck the company between November 2016 and February 2017.
A leak reveals GameStop plans to allow trade-in customers to transfer their store credit into their Amazon accounts via the Amazon Cash retail partnership program.
Red Dead Redemption 2 will lead to more sales for games like Destiny 2, according to GameStop, explaining that games like Red Dead ‘suck money’ from others.
GameStop reveals that the Nintendo Switch is responsible for increased profit margins, with the system said to be outpacing Wii by 10% in the same timeframe.
GameStop’s senior director of merchandising reveals new shipments of Nintendo Switch units are selling out in hours at the retailer, with no slowdown in sight.
A security firm reports that GameStop may have been the victim of a large-scale security breach which involved the reselling of customer’s credit card information to authorized third parties.


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With several multi-platinum certified singles, a debut album at number 1 (Epic), a long list of awards and more than 1.5 billion ‘views’, Lunay just released “Sin Ropa”. It is his first solo single of 2021 and the first official trailer for his new project, “The child”.
“Unclothed”, which once again features the production of the two most important producers of current Latin music, Chris Jedi and Gaby Music and it is published by his Star Island label, it appears with surprising and sensual visuals that accompany the single.
Lunay It continues like this more overwhelming than ever just starting 2021, as it has already done with its collaborations in “Sexual Fantasy”, “When it will be” and “In My Room”. In addition, it has been the cover of one of the most influential publications in fashion worldwide, WWD.
Nor should we forget the successful collaboration with Pull & Bear, exhausted in the first days. For this reason, the Puerto Rican singer and the prestigious international fashion brand are now announcing their second collection, ‘Lu-Lu Athletics Club’, which will hit stores next week.
In addition, the reggaeton player will be one of the artists protagonists of the new season of Tiny Audience (HBO) that will be released next March. In just two months since 2021 began, Lunay He shows again why he is one of the most important artists in Latin music.


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Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Executive Director of ExportNZ Catherine Beard has welcomed National’s policy on reopening the border, saying exporters and business travellers would be very supportive of a better approach to managing the movement of people into New Zealand.
“ExportNZ has been calling for a risk-based approach, with double-vaccinated business travellers able to do rapid Covid testing and either home isolation for a short period, or no isolation as the population becomes highly vaccinated in New Zealand.
“While exporters have coped with not being able to travel when the rest of the world was not travelling, that time is coming to an end, and the rest of the world is getting back to face-to-face meetings. It is no longer workable to not be where your customers are. Exporters tell us this is the number two barrier to trade, after shipping and logistics problems.
“Businesses need to be able to plan their trips in advance and know they can get back to New Zealand with little or no down time, and National’s policy recognises this.
“As well as getting exporters back on the road internationally, we also need to get international businesspeople and skilled technical people into New Zealand. For example, there are big investments in new plant and equipment that are being held up because technicians can’t get into New Zealand to install new imported machinery,” Catherine Beard said.


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Xcel Energy says power has been restored to all but a few dozen customers in downtown Sioux Falls.
The announcement came Saturday afternoon.
More than 500 customers were affected by the outage that happened early Friday morning following an underground fire traced to electrical equipment. By Saturday morning about 200 customers remained in the dark.
Xcel officials say the power is now 95 percent restored. It says the only customers left without power are businesses.
Full restoration is expected by 7 a.m. Sunday.
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Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 have seen a huge surge in demand after the company recently lowered their prices. This is according to Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, who shared this information during an online conversation with investors following the release of the company’s Q4 2022 results.
Previously, Tesla was producing more cars than they could sell, but now the company is receiving two orders for every car they build, says Musk. Due to this high demand, Tesla has had to raise prices again in some markets, including the United States. However, the overall demand for Tesla vehicles is still higher than ever before.
To meet this demand, Tesla is focusing on maintaining high profit margins for its products. The company is investing billions in expanding its factories and building new ones, with a focus on production within the United States, in order to ensure the highest efficiency for its production lines and maintain its position as one of the top profit margin companies in the automotive industry.
It’s worth noting that Tesla’s sales and demand are increasing and the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, is confident that the company will continue to grow in the future. If you’re thinking about buying a Tesla, now might be the time to take advantage of the lower prices and high demand.


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Just a few days after hinting at the possible return of the popular pick-10 create-a-class system, Treyarch has posted another cryptic tweet about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Today’s tweet showcases four logos that appear to be perks, as well as two wildcards—which are create-a-class features that allow players to be more creative with their loadouts.
In response to a fan who said that she heard perks and scorestreaks wouldn’t be in Black Ops 4, Treyarch tweeted, “Don’t worry, we know some people… which has its perks.”
This is great news for fans of traditional Call of Duty titles, especially after rumors were circulating that Black Ops 4’s multiplayer might be similar to Overwatch gameplay.
Related: The popular pick-10 create-a-class system could be returning in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Although the images in Treyarch’s tweet aren’t confirmed to be perks, it certainly seems like that’s the case. Fans are even speculating that these logos could be for popular perks from previous titles, such as Dexterity, Sleight of Hand, Dead Silence, and Marathon or Lightweight.
The most recent Call of Duty title, WWII, replaced the traditional perk system with Basic Trainings—and players can only select one Basic Training per class. With the potential return of the pick-10 system, however, Black Ops 4 could allow players to once again pick three or more perks in multiplayer.
Call of Duty fans can expect to learn more about Black Ops 4 during the game’s official community reveal event on May 17. Black Ops 4 will be released on Oct. 12.


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- Apple appears to be safe from the upcoming round of tariffs.
- The new round of tariffs is part of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China.
- China also announced new tariffs, which will take effect in September.
President Donald Trump has identified another $200 billion worth of Chinese-made products that will be subject to a 10 percent tariff in the United States effective Sept. 24, but several big names are missing from the list.
The final list of products that will be taxed does not include the Apple Watch, AirPods or the FitBit fitness tracker. In fact, the list excludes all electronic devices that use Bluetooth wireless communications.
Click to read about what Trump’s tariffs mean for you.
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has been vocal about its concerns that the tariffs will cause prices to rise for U.S. consumers, and that the president’s actions will hurt American consumers more than Chinese manufacturers. Apple said in a letter commenting on the proposed tariffs that its “concern with these tariffs is that the U.S. will be hardest hit, and that will result in lower U.S. growth and competitiveness and higher prices for U.S. consumers.”
In response to Apple’s comments, Trump tweeted on Sept. 8 that there was an “easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now.”
Graco, 3M and FitBit Are Also Exempt for Now
Other consumer goods that escaped this round of tariffs include baby car seats manufactured by companies like Graco (NYSE:GGG), whose SnugRide car seats are made in China, and rubber gloves from companies like 3M (NYSE:MMM).
Being exempt from the tariffs is good news for these companies, because they won’t be pressured to raise prices in the U.S. FitBit Inc. (NYSE: FIT) shares rose on the news that the tariffs won’t affect them, helping the company recover after shares dipped upon Apple’s new product announcement.
Upcoming Tariff Increases
The 10 percent tariff will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1, 2019. In addition, Trump threatened tariffs on another $267 billion worth of products if China retaliates against this latest round of tariffs. If that happens, almost every Chinese import would be affected.
And it might well come to that. China announced Sept. 18 retaliatory tariffs worth about $60 billion on U.S. goods. The tariffs will apply rates between 5 and 10 on U.S. products goods, and will also take place on Sept. 24.
Click to keep reading about companies that have reinvested in America following Trump’s election.
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Amazon have become the latest retailer to take a punt on the pricing of Microsofts so-far-divisive Xbox One next-generation games console. If your bank balance is in the red, you may want to look away now.
Though Microsoft have yet to reveal a recommended retail price, Amazon have set their pricing for the console at a whopping £599.99.
To put that in perspective, the Xbox 360 launched at £209 for its basic model, with a premium model weighing in at £279. The Sony rival, the PlayStation 3, cost £425, while Sony also have yet to reveal pricing for their next-gen PlayStation 4 console.
In Microsoft’s defence, Amazon have a tendency to push their pre-order prices higher than their eventual selling price, giving them the opportunity to lower the price later on ahead of launch. It looks good, right?
The news follows an earlier pricing leak by Zavvi, who were among the first to offer pre-orders for the new console. They set pre-order prices at £399.99 – a price that was initially regarded as quite expensive but that looks positively like a bargain now.


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The week ahead the economic calendar looks pretty busy with inflation and employment reports from numerous countries scheduled for release. Moreover, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia and Bank of Japan will publish the minutes of their last policy meetings.
[B]Monday [/B]is Whit day in Europe, thus, liquidity will be thin across the Europe. On the second half of the trading session, in U.S., the NAHB Housing Market Index for May is expected to show a small improvement to 59 from 58 before. The Bank of Canada will release its quarterly review for the Canadian economy and the central banking. Overnight, the Reserve Bank of Australia will publish the minutes of the last policy meeting when the policymakers cut the benchmark interest rate decision by 25bp to 1.75% after being unchanged for almost a year.
On [B]Tuesday [/B]morning, all the attentions will be on sterling as the final UK inflation rate for April will be released. Compared to the year before, consuming prices are forecasted to have increased by 0.5% as in March, while compared to the month before the analysts forecasted an increase of 0.3% from 0.4% before.
Other important economic indicators coming out are the producer price index input and output and the retail price index for April. In Eurozone, the Trade Balance for March will be released. Going to U.S., the final inflation rate for April will be published. The year-over-year indicator is predicted to rose to 1% from 0.9% before and month-over-month to jump to 0.4% from 0.1% before.
The U.S. manufacturing and industrial production of April, as well as the capacity utilization, are coming out. Overnight, Japanese economic growth for the first quarter is predicted to show an expansion of 0.1% qoq against a contraction of 0.3% before.
On [B]Wednesday[/B], the UK employment report will be published. No changes are expected to the ILO unemployment rate for the three months to March. The average earnings including bonus for March are forecasted to have risen 1.7% from 1.8% the month before. The unemployed people in UK are expected to have increased by 4.0K in April less than last month’s increase of 6.7K.
In Euro zone, the inflation rate for April will be released and the analysts forecasted that Euro zone as whole will remain in deflation for the second month in a row following a flat month in March.
In U.S., the highlight of the day is the FOMC minutes of the last policy meeting. During the night, Australia’s employment report will be published and the unemployment rate is forecasted to rise up to 5.8% in April from 5.7% before while the employment change is expected to show that economy added than half number of jobs in April than in March.
On [B]Thursday[/B], in UK, the retail sales for April are expected to show an increase of 0.5% compared to the month before that declined by 1.3%.
The European Central Bank will release its monetary policy meeting accounts while in U.S. the weekly jobless claims and the CB leading indicator will be released. During the afternoon, Fed’s William Dudley will give a speech and later in the day, the Bank of Japan will publish its monetary policy meeting minutes.
Finally, on [B]Friday[/B], the Eurozone’s current account will be released during the morning. Thereafter, attention turns to Canada where they will release the retail sales for March and the inflation rate for April. In U.S., the existing home sales change for April are expected.