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I recently asked 25 venture capitalists and angel investors which companies they are most excited by based on their operational performance (not based on what they've raised to date).
Some common names showed up, and here they are.
Looker -- Every business is becoming more data-driven and quantitative. And sure, there are quite a few companies attempting to make data analysis easier for growing businesses (Tableau, Mixpanel, etc.). Looker is, according to its investors, on a torrid pace and is executing extremely well.
LendingHome -- The process of getting a mortgage is known to be both painful and massive. LendingHome is well on its way to solving this problem using technology. The company has raised $98 million of capital to date from some of the top investors in the Valley, and recently announced that it funds over $550 million in mortgage loans.
Finrise -- San Mateo-based Finrise is operating in the massive and rapidly growing fintech market with a unique angle. Finrise helps patients handle out of pocket health care costs using great software. Patients and practices are reportedly thrilled with the product and the company is growing rapidly.
Datastax -- It's often the stuff that happens in the deep, dark area of devops that companies don't think about (but every company feels the pain). Datastax is effectively the commercial side of the open source Cassandra database management system. Datastax has raised $190 million to date and is reportedly growing fast.
August -- With all of the press surrounding the Google acquisition of Nest and the subsequent drama, people have taken their eye off of high-flyer August. August has amazing traction and a huge opportunity to take the smart home market in major way. The company is the gem of the portfolio of multiple investors I spoke to.
Postmates -- Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart get a lof of the press and attention around last-mile delivery of goods. But Postmates is reportedly growing insanely fast, as validated by leaked financials that came out recently. This was validated by a few of the investors I spoke to, who claim Postmates has the opportunity to win the delivery wars outright.
Intercom - San Francisco-based Intercom is tackling the widely known customer-communication problem that many web-based businesses face. This is already known to be a gigantic market, with the recent Zendesk IPO. Intercom is moving extremely rapidly on product and on sales, garnering praise from a few of its investors.
Turo -- It turns out not everyone uses Uber and Lyft, and self-driving cars are still a long way away from adoption. Enter Turo, which allows people to make money off of a massively depreciating fixed asset. Turo and its well-covered competitor Getaround are reportedly flying under the radar and growing very fast.
Nuzzel -- Nuzzel is one of the darlings of the Silicon Valley that everyone uses, and is on the verge of a tipping point. Nuzzel allows users to create individual newsletter subscriptions, which they can share with their friends (among other nifty features). Jonathan Abrams (formerly the founder of Friendster) has built an amazing product, and the user numbers are growing rapidly according to investors.
Flexport -- They say that the biggest opportunities often exist in the "unsexy" markets. Flexport is a young company that creates software to streamline shipping and logistics for all businesses. The traction on Flexport is reportedly "ridiculous" and the company is on track for amazing things.
Enigma -- With the movement toward cities publishing open data, there is now more need than ever to create tools to analyze that data. Enter Enigma, a New York City company that makes it easy for people to make sense of all of the new information. The company has raised $34.6 million to date, and multiple investors love its traction.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the dollar amount raised to date by Datastax. The sum was $190 million.


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From the moment that the first reports emerged stating Disney (DIS) - Get Walt Disney Company Report was looking to buy most of 21st Century Fox (FOXA) - Get Fox Corporation Class A Report, it was easy to grasp that one of Disney's main motivations for inking the deal is to put its streaming efforts on better competitive footing with the likes of Netflix (NFLX) - Get Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Report, Amazon (AMZN) - Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report and Time Warner (TWX) (HBO).
And the comments the media giant has made since announcing the deal on Thursday morning certainly do nothing to dispel that notion.
To recap: Disney already had a 30% stake in Hulu, and is a few months removed from unveiling plans to pull its films from Netflix at decade's end, launch a streaming service in 2019 that would become the exclusive home of Disney's marquee film properties (among other things) and launch a sports streaming service in 2018 that will air content not broadcast on ESPN.
Now, Disney is gaining Fox's 30% stake in Hulu; film franchises such as X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avatar, Home Alone and Die Hard; and TV franchises such as The Simpsons, Futurama, Modern Family, The Americans, Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story. It's also getting FX Networks, National Geographic channels, Fox Networks International, the Star India TV network unit, a 39% stake in European pay-TV leader Sky (the stake will soon be 61%, provided regulators approve) and Fox's 22 regional sports networks (RSNs).
Based on what Disney has said about the deal through its press release and deal slides, as well as what CEO Bob Iger and others have said through a conference call and interviews, here are some takeaways on how Disney plans to leverage Fox's assets to further its streaming ambitions.
1. Disney wants to keep a controlling stake in Hulu, in spite of the potential fallout.
Hulu is currently a partnership between Disney (30% stake), Fox (30%), Comcast's (CMCSA) - Get Comcast Corporation Class A Report NBCUniversal (30%) and Time Warner (10%). Each investor has supplied Hulu with a healthy amount of content, and that's a big reason why the service, which had 12 million subscribers as of May 2016, maintains a cult following among avid TV show viewers. It's also why Hulu is often able to air new shows shortly after they've been broadcast.
Much of that could soon change, with Iger signaling on the call that Disney wants to retain the 60% stake in Hulu that it's set to have. "[O]wning roughly a third of [Hulu] was great, but having control of it will enable us to greatly accelerate Hulu into [the streaming] space and become an even more viable competitor to those that are already out there," he said. And though he didn't make any promises to do so, Iger left the door open to upping Hulu's original content investments with the help of Disney and Fox's intellectual property.
All of that suggests Hulu will have even more Disney and Fox TV/film content going forward. It also makes it likely that NBCUniversal and Time Warner will re-think how much support they want to give Hulu. That's especially true for Time Warner, which only has a 10% stake and can opt to push more content instead to its HBO Go and HBO Now streaming services.
2. Disney wants to keep its upcoming streaming service "family" oriented.
"[I]f you think about our direct-to-consumer offerings, Hulu is sort of a more adult-oriented product using Fox television production and FX," Iger said on Thursday. "ESPN [is] obviously in the sports vein and then Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm [are] in the more family vein." He added that Fox's Marvel and National Geographic assets are good fits for the upcoming Disney service.
That kind of segmentation between Hulu and the upcoming Disney service gives Disney a larger total opportunity. But with well over half of U.S. households likely to be signed up for Netflix and Amazon Prime by decade's end, it also risks stretching the company's streaming efforts too thin. Consumers already hooked on Netflix and Amazon Prime -- the latter, of course, features a lot more than just video services -- could balk at paying for two more streaming offerings.
Assuming they're willing to pay for one more, splitting Disney/Fox's content between two services spells a tougher fight against HBO -- particularly for households that don't have kids.
3. Disney has big plans for Fox's international content assets.
Fox Networks International provides Disney with 350-plus channels in 170 countries. Star India gives Disney 69 channels in the world's second-most-populous country, as well as the local Hotstar streaming service. Disney is also getting Fox Deportes, a Spanish-language sports network reaching over 21 million U.S. households; and the European content rights possessed by Sky, which claims over 21 million subscribers and runs a pair of streaming services.
All of this spells many opportunities to offer international streaming services with a mixture of Disney/Fox studio content and local material. It also offers chances (depending on the exact licensing rights) to bring content controlled by overseas Fox subsidiaries to U.S. streaming services.
There could especially be some interesting options for sports content, given the distribution rights that Fox subsidiaries have for major overseas soccer leagues and the Indian Premier League (cricket). Iger declares that pairing Fox's sports assets with those of ESPN "creates exciting new avenues to grow [the ESPN] brand far beyond the United States."
4. Disney will tread carefully when it comes to using Fox's regional sports content.
When asked on the call about Disney's plans for Fox's U.S. RSNs, Iger talked up the potential for them to supply content for ESPN's national networks, and vice versa. But he added that Disney isn't "anticipating a substantial value proposition in terms of the direct-to-consumer aspect of ESPN because the Regional Sports Networks will primarily be distributed as they have been distributed by multichannel providers."
Translation: Disney doesn't want to step on the toes of pay-TV providers paying massive per-user affiliate fees for ESPN and the RSNs by adding a ton of regional content to its ESPN streaming service. But with the RSNs collectively having the broadcast rights for 15 MLB teams, 17 NBA teams, 12 NHL teams and a slew of elite college football and basketball programs, Disney could still have some flexibility to use the RSNs to strengthen the ESPN streaming service -- for now, it has promised to show MLB, NHL and MLS games, but not any NBA or NFL games.
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Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon’s original brewery, celebrates 31 years as an independent craft brewer on June 27. Deschutes ranked as a top 10 brewery out of more than 7,400 brewers nationwide by members of the American Homebrewers Association in Zymurgy’s Best Beers in America. A great honor to kick off the anniversary festivities.
Craft beer industry news.
Atlanta will soon reach sweltering temps, making summer days and nights nearly unbearable. A new collaboration between two Atlanta based tastemakers, King of Pops and New Realm Brewing, aims to cool things down in and around town. The first in the “Push Cart Series,” BGL Belgian Ale is bursting with refreshing notes of blackberry, ginger, and lemon.
Two Beers Brewing Co. is proud to announce their partnership with conservation organization, The SeaDoc Society. SeaDoc Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the health of marine wildlife and their ecosystems through science and education.
With a Pacific Northwest scorcher on the horizon, Widmer Brothers is introducing its new summer seasonal Dreifecta, a refreshing German-Style Pilsner made with a special blend of three hops and three malts. At just 5% alcohol by volume, this hoppy pilsner with a crisp, dry finish is the easy-drinking beer that fans can reach for all summer long.
Terre Haute Brewing Company (THBC), Indiana’s oldest (and America’s second-oldest) brewery currently in operation, is proud to welcome two new brewers, Anthony Megali and Jack Haltom, who are ready to launch their first THBC brew – Citragenesis.
A bevy of new advertisements for one of Boston Beer Company’s core Samuel Adams beers, Sam ’76, hit the brewery’s YouTube channel today. The commercials, which carry the tagline “I can taste my beer,” feature drinkers “finally” discovering taste in their beverage.
Earlier this month, Axle Brewing Company announced they would close their taproom and brewery on June 30 as they pursued a buyer to grow their brand. On the heels of this news, Axle is releasing the stunning 2019 Wolf Tone BBA Imperial Stout.
In the latest Legislative Update: Maine lawmakers vote to reform self-distribution and franchise laws; Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signs a law increasing the amount of beer craft breweries can sell directly to consumers; North Carolina passes legislation to sell beer and wine at college sporting events; and Pennsylvania legislators consider a lower sales tax on at-the-brewery sales.
Firestone Walker hits the ground running this summer with the seasonal release of Cashmere XPA—an exclusive offering in the 2019 edition of the Beer Before Glory mixed pack.
Connecticut’s Two Roads Brewing Company continues its mission of innovation and Taking the Road Less Traveled as it enters the hard seltzer market. Created and canned at the Two Roads facility, in Stratford, CT, H2ROADS Craft Hard Seltzer is set to shake up the booming category by creating a portfolio of hard seltzers that uses 100% real fruit in lieu of extracts and flavorings.
The team at Louisiana’s first and largest craft brewery, Abita Brewing Company, has listened to the pleas of its loyal patrons and partners across the country and announced seasonal favorite Abita Strawberry Lager is now available year-round to customers.
Purple Lightning IPA is the newest addition to Challenge Series, a lineup of one-time-only craft ales inspired by competitive racing and modern taste trends. This 6.75% ABV ale has a malt base of Pale, Pilsner, White Wheat, and Blonde RoastOat™ malts. Late hop additions of Huell Melon, Hallertau Blanc and HBC 431 creates bright melon, tropical, and citrus notes without overwhelming bitterness.
Summer’s arrived at the Austin Eastciders Collaboratory as the number-one craft cidery in Texas released a juicy Watermelon Cider exclusively at its East Side tap room beginning Saturday, April 20.
There is another mate joining from across the pond. Magners® Irish Cider is bringing new innovation to the US for the first time in a while with Magners Berry. Magners Berry has been a fan favorite overseas, and the Magners US team has received many requests to bring it stateside.


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If they displace congesting and polluting four-wheel alternatives, they are worth a look:
The benefits of owning a battery-powered two-wheeler far outweigh the downsides, especially in a pandemic.
Many of us are entering a new stage of pandemic grief: adaptation. We are asking ourselves: How do we live with this new reality?
For many Americans, part of the solution has been to buy an electric bike. The battery-powered two-wheelers have become a compelling alternative for commuters who are being discouraged from taking public transportation and Ubers. For others, the bikes provide much-needed fresh air after months of confinement.
So it’s no surprise that e-bikes are now as difficult to buy as a bottle of hand sanitizer was a few weeks ago. In March, sales of e-bikes jumped 85 percent from a year earlier, according to the NPD Group, a research firm. Amazon, Walmart and Specialized are sold out of most models. Even smaller brands like Ride1Up and VanMoof have waiting lists.
That’s a remarkable shift. For many years, e-bikes carried the stigma of being vehicles for lazy pedalers and seniors. The bikes draw power from a battery and motor to make pedaling significantly easier. You can also accelerate with the press of a button, transforming cycling from a strenuous exercise into a joy ride.
“I was convinced that e-bikes would completely change cities all over the world in the next 10 years, but it seems like because of this crisis, suddenly it’s all happening in the next three or four months,” said Taco Carlier, the chief executive of VanMoof, which is based in Amsterdam.
If you are contemplating an e-bike purchase, there are trade-offs to consider. For one, the battery packs and motors add bulk. For another, these ostentatious bikes may lure thieves.
To find out what you get for your money, I tested two different e-bikes on the streets and steep hills of San Francisco over the last two weeks. Both can be ordered online: VanMoof’s $1,998 S3, an internet-connected smart bike, and Ride1Up’s $1,495 700 Series, which is more like a normal bicycle with a battery and motor.
After the tests, I’m totally sold. E-bikes, I concluded, are for people who want to get around quickly with minimal effort — and that’s a large portion of the population. Here’s what you need to know…
Read the whole story here.


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- Gross revenues +22% to Kshs 20.3B –
- Net Revenue +19% to Kshs 12.5B
- Cost of operations +27%
- Operating Profit +4%
- Profit before tax +5% to Kshs 3.9B
- PAT Kshs 2.7Bn
- EPS Kshs 26.98
BAT Kenya‘s net income rose by 0.71% in the first half of the year increasing by KSh19 million to KSh2.69 billion for the six months to June.
The higher earnings were attributed to increased sales volumes.
“Gross revenue increased by 22 per cent to Ksh 20.3 billion driven by the recovery of domestic sales volumes, excise-led price increases and sustained momentum on export sales,” the cigarette maker said in its results.
The company added that its growth in domestic sales was partly offset by the five per cent rise in excise duty that was effected in October 2020 and the change in value-added tax in January 2021.
“This triggered price increases which generated additional pressures on consumer affordability resulting in downgrading to lower-priced brands and a high incidence of illicit trade,” said BAT.
Operational costs rose by 27 per cent to KSh8.6 billion driven by higher volumes of cigarettes sold and investment in portfolio transformation.
Finance costs dropped to KSh49 million from KSh81 million incurred in the previous similar half year.
The board has approved an interim dividend of KSh3.50 per share amounting to KSh350 million.
The interim dividend will be paid on 16 September 2021 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 12 August 2021.


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Leaked HTC Update Roadmap Shows Android 4.4.4 Rollout Starting in July, Android L Under Evaluation
While quite a few of us here on XDA have long since forgotten about OEM firmwares and updates in favor of aftermarket development efforts, many still prefer the additional value-added features found in stock-based ROMs. And for those who remain on stock or stock-derived firmware, it’s always nice to have an idea about upcoming Android releases.
Thanks to famed leaker and XDA Recognized Contributor llabtoofer, we now have a better idea of HTC’s upcoming update roadmap for several devices including the HTC One M8 (2014), One (M7), One Max, One Mini, and more. According to the leak, Android 4.4.3 + Sense 6, which was previously slated to hit the M7 and M8 will likely be skipped in favor of going straight to Android 4.4.4 + Sense 6. This update will likely hit these devices between July and August. It is also set to hit devices that were not set to receive the 4.4.3+ Sense 6 update such as the One E8 (M8_Ace), One Mini 2 (Mem), and One Dual SIM (M8_DUGL) between August and September.
Although the M7 will receive the update love, the Android 4.4.3/4 + Sense 6 update isn’t slated to hit older One variants, the Butterfly S, or Desire 816 and 610. However, Android L has not yet been ruled out for any of these devices, and evaluation will take place once source is released, which will likely be between October and December of this year. And once that happens, we already know that HTC intends on bringing L to all consumer M7 and M8 variants within 90 days.
You can learn more by heading over to Llabtoofer’s site or clicking on the screenshot to your right. What are your thoughts on HTC’s leaked update roadmap? Are you disappointed that several of these relatively recent devices likely won’t see an official update to 4.4.4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


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An announcement from Amazon . com on Tuesday did not address Google’s claims but stated the online retail giant didn’t block consumer services which Amazon . com users could still achieve the web site form of YouTube.com around the Echo Show and Fire TV. “Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer use of a wide open website,” Amazon’s statement stated. “We aspire to resolve this with Google as quickly as possible.Inches
These types of conflicts could be confusing for consumers who most likely would like to watch whatever they like around the devices they have bought.
“It’s pretty childish that companies as large as Amazon . com and Google can’t exercise an offer which makes sense for each of them, therefore enhancing the industry to develop and, rather, let consumers and content proprietors suffer,” stated media analyst Dan Rayburn of Frost & Sullivan.
This is not the very first time the 2 companies have sparred over services. Google pulled YouTube in the Echo Show in September, stating that the way in which Amazon . com had implemented YouTube did not adhere to Google’s tos. YouTube came back towards the Echo Show recently, prior to being pulled again . Variety reported that Amazon’s latest implementation also had some terms-of-service issues, that have been associated with the actual way it used voice instructions.
The spat also exposes the way the interdependent condition of movies online — by which companies frequently work with their competitors hoping reaching more viewers — can hurt consumers. Also it highlights just how much control the businesses which make devices and run video services have and just how willing they’re to make use of individuals products as bargaining chips with each other.
Meanwhile, another lengthy-standing movies online tiff gets (somewhat) resolved. By Wednesday, Apple TV proprietors are finally in a position to add Amazon’s Prime Video for their devices — about six several weeks after Apple leader Tim Prepare guaranteed the service was coming. The 2 companies apparently had trouble negotiating while putting on the hats of each partner and competitors.
There’s no obligation for Amazon . com to hold products of any sort, and the organization has worked out its editorial decision over its products before. But it is definitely not helping Amazon . com or its consumers for the organization to limit its selection — particularly eliminating such popular competing products as Apple TV — without real justification.
“Consumers shouldn’t be injured in these types of business disputes. Both Amazon . com and Google have to take their customers first rather of putting them from a rock along with a hard place because of corporate warfare.” stated John Bergmayer, senior counsel in the consumer advocacy group Public Understanding.
When Amazon . com stopped selling Apple TV and Chromecast on its site 2 yrs ago, the organization gave the skinny excuse it had become “important the movies online players we sell interact well with Prime Video to prevent customer confusion.”
Amazon . com didn’t immediately respond when requested if Apple TV will go back to Amazon’s online shop since it supports Amazon . com Prime. By duration of writing, the merchandise wasn’t for auction on Amazon . com.
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple unveiled three new inclusions in its smartphone selection Tuesday, together with a $999 premium version — a telephone that shows where Apple plans to accept iPhone into its next decade.
The bar for that new phone was high for Apple. Most of their revenue is generated with the smartphone. Overall, analysts appeared to consider the organization hit the objective, but nonetheless wanted a lot of where the organization would go next.
“Apple organized a really competitive group of products because it celebrated the iPhone’s tenth anniversary,” stated Geoff Blaber, research v . p . at CCS Insights. ‘The key question now’s just how much it’ll prioritize software and services because the engine of future growth,” he stated, adding that that may help reinforce Apple’s effective hardware business.
While Apple required time for you to celebrate the iPhone’s background and its late co-founder Jobs, additionally, it made obvious that it is forging a brand new path ahead. For instance, Apple skipped the iPhone 7s name altogether — signaling a cleaner break in the last generation of phones.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have glass backs, by having an aluminum trim which comes in black, grey and gold. The brand new products are speedier with better cameras and improved battery efficiency. The phones may also accommodate wireless charging, an element on competing phones. Apple’s mind of promoting Phil Schiller stated Apple yet others can make charging pad that will appear at partner coffee houses and stores, as well as in newer and more effective cars.
Apple is bumping in the base storage from the iPhone 8 to 64 GB in a cost of $699. The bigger iPhone 8 Plus will begin at $799. Both is going to be readily available for order on Sept. 15 and ship on Sept. 22.
Yet while Apple touted the characteristics from the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, it had been the iPhone X that stole the show. Apple leader Tim Prepare stated the iPhone X — a reputation spoken because the “iPhone 10”— will “set the road for technology for the following decade.”
The iPhone X will begin at $999 — significantly greater than the bottom cost from the other models. It is going to be readily available for pre-order on March. 27th, and ship on November. 3.
The iPhone X comes with an advanced variety of cameras for facial recognition, which enables the telephone to get unlocked simply by searching in internet marketing. The cameras can become familiar with a user’s face and note gradual changes. And you can use it at nite and day.
But Apple guaranteed that it wouldn’t collect the data on all individuals faces. The data would simply be stored around the smartphone, not delivered to Apple servers.
The facial recognition technologies have other applications, too. Apple introduced “animoji” — animated emoji that imitates your facial movements and enables you to record animated messages through texts.
The brand new high-finish smartphone includes a 5.8 inch display that covers the whole top of the phone. Unlike its cheaper brother or sister, the iPhone 10 is available in space gray and silver and sports a “super” retina display, which Schiller stated was much sharper than every other iPhone since it uses OLED display technology.
Particularly, there is also no home button. Users must swipe and employ gestures to shut an application. Calling up Siri is now able to done with a brand new side button.
The iPhone X boasts updated cameras too, and also the battery existence is 2 hrs more than the iPhone 7.
Such as the new iPhone 8, the iPhone X could be billed wirelessly.
Overall, while analysts stated this doesn’t feel as crucial as the very first iPhone, Apple did enough to demonstrate it’s headed within the right direction. “The iPhone X won’t disrupt the smartphone market how a initial iPhone revolutionized mobile and lots of other industries,” stated Thomas Husson, v . p . and analyst at Forrester. “However, along with iOS 11 innovations, it’ll reinforce consumers’ and brands’ loyalty towards the Apple ecosystem in addition to illustrate the evolving role of smartphones within an more and more connected world.”
Apple announced other upgrades and new inclusions in its products line.
The brand new Watch, known as the Series 3, may have its very own cellular connectivity, stated Apple’s chief operating officer, Shaun Johnson, who’s also responsible for Apple’s Watch division. The Timepiece can receive calls — making use of your iPhone’s number — and may support apps including Maps and WeChat. The brand new Apple Watch may also be suitable for Apple Music, meaning technology-not only as an mp3 player by itself.
The Timepiece may have as much as 18 hrs of battery existence across LTE, Bluetooth and Wireless. Beginning Sept. 22, cellular form of the timepiece goes on purchase for $399. Without cellular connection, it’ll cost you $329. The Series 1 Apple Watch’s cost will drop to $249.
Apple can also be creating a big push to produce its very own shows and shore up its position within the family room. The Apple set-top box, Apple TV, has become likely to support 4K HDR video the organization stated. The organization can also be adding live news and live sports sections towards the Apple TV application.
This area is getting faster processors. The organization demonstrated the way it could connect eight people online and ask them to play a relevant video game together.
Versions of flicks and shows filmed in 4K will definitely cost just like HD videos on Apple’s iTunes store. The brand new Apple TV 4K goes on purchase Sept. 15 and ship Sept. 22. It’ll cost you $179. While 4K adoption continues to be slow to obtain began, analysts say it’s starting to achieve a tipping point.
Apple’s stock fell around 2.five percent throughout the event before closing lower just by .40 % to $160.86.
2010 iPhone launch event hit a rocky patch when Apple executive Craig Federighi visited demonstrate the iPhone X’s facial recognition technology, Face ID, which replaces the fingerprint scanner like a security mechanism.
iPhone have been revealed with huge fanfare, caused a brief crash in Apple’s market price. The stock soon rallied, however, as analysts described 2010 launch event as putting Apple within an “extraordinarily strong” position.
Held the very first time inside a 1,000-seat auditorium within the company’s recently-built “space ship” campus, Apple Park, the annual product showcase unveiled three new iPhones, our prime-finish iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, plus an upgraded Apple Watch and 4K Apple TV.
Prior to the product bulletins, there is a extended portion of the keynote focused on Apple’s retail strategy, where the company’s mind of retail Angela Ahrendts stated the organization no more describes its shops as “stores” but “town squares”. This, she stated, was simply because they host a lot of occasions and workout sessions they have become “gathering places”.
Best of luck attempting to hold a protest or picnic during these corporate “town squares”.
The iPhone X was brought to the crowd by Chief executive officer Tim Prepare while using “one more thing” format that former Chief executive officer Jobs accustomed to surprise and delight people throughout his keynotes. Regrettably for Prepare, hardly any within the announcement was surprising because of major leaks within the preceding days.
“If there hadn’t been all of the leaks there will be a large amount of big surprises and individuals might have leave amazed. The leaks required the advantage from the bulletins, but we’ve still seen a really strong group of items that re-establish Apple’s lead in many groups,” stated Apple analyst Jan Dawson.
The iPhone X includes some striking features, such as the an advantage-to-edge screen, no desltop button (since the screen now spans the whole front from the device), and also the infrared-powered facial recognition system that Apple states is 20 occasions safer than Touch ID (when it’s working). Face ID isn’t just employed for unlocking the telephone, but additionally paying and logging into banking apps.
“The iPhone is locked until your perception also it recognizes you,” stated senior vice-president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, adding it recognizes the face even though you improve your hair do or are putting on glasses or perhaps a hat.
New iPhone models displayed in the Apple launch event in Cupertino, California. Photograph: Stephen Lam/Reuters
Plus the iPhone X, Apple launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which have a more effective processor, better, bassier loudspeakers as well as an upgraded camera with portrait lighting to match better images of people. All the phones could be billed wirelessly utilizing a Qi standard charging pad.
Additionally towards the iPhones, the Plastic Valley titan unveiled a brand new form of its smartwatch, Apple Watch Series 3, with cellular connectivity, and that means you may take calls without getting to pair it having a phone, enhanced fitness monitoring and training tools, and streaming service Apple Music.
Additionally, it upgraded its TV streaming box, Apple TV, with 4K resolution – a business standard Apple continues to be slow to consider.
Analysts noted that Apple continues to be heavily dependent on the iPhone for the majority of its revenue, but acknowledge that the organization is diversifying into spaces including health, home automation and content.
“The iPhone will be the headline,” stated Dawson. “Everything else hangs off it.”
Nevertheless, analyst Geoff Blaber from CSS insight stated that Apple is within “an extraordinarily strong position”.
“In hardware terms, it’s really towards the top of the smartphone market. Samsung is really a fierce competitor but Apple is constantly on the lead and differentiate in the way the hardware, software and services get together. That is why Apple is constantly on the define the.Inches
Apple’s stock exchange value is heading perfectly into a new milestone and it is latest affiliate marketing on 12 September could push the tech giant nearer to becoming the very first ever $1tn (£760bn) company.
In the finish of a week ago, their market capitalisation hovered around $830bn, ongoing a ten-year run which has generally headed upwards since a minimal of $69bn in The month of january 2009, throughout the economic crisis. Tuesday’s event, using the iPhone 8 the star attraction, will make an effort to meet investors’ – and customers’ – vaulting expectations.
What will Apple tempt users with to warrant Wall Street’s belief in the future profits? An Apple spokesman declined to go over what’s going to be revealed in the event within the company’s $5bn, spaceship-formed Cupertino headquarters. However, although Apple is definitely tight-lipped, this season leaks from the suppliers, and from the organization itself (through details baked into an application update) have told us much about what’s coming.
The smartphone marketplace is more competitive than ever before, with sophisticated devices readily available for much under the rumoured £900 price of the iPhone 8. Most rivals are swallowing losses by cutting prices to win sales but Apple is heading upmarket to safeguard the iPhone, that is essential to its success.
Three new models are anticipated: two updating its present 7 and seven Plus models (most likely known as the 7S and 7S Plus), and something entirely new – the iPhone 8. Internally referred to as “D22”, its screen will unlock via facial recognition, potentially replacing the fingerprint unlock system used since 2013. The screen may also cover a lot of front, allowing the display to visit to the perimeters. And also the screen uses a technology purchased from Samsung – known as Amoled, or active matrix organic light-emitting diode – which provides better colours. It might also mean the brand new phone have a longer battery existence since it doesn’t need to be backlit, unlike the LCD screens Apple uses presently.
But none of them of those technological tweaks are cheap – therefore, the £900 cost tag, when compared to £719 beginning cost from the bigger iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple’s share cost
The brand new phone is a tricky sell, states Jan Dawson, who runs US-based tech consultancy Jackdaw Research. “It has to obtain the balance perfect, providing people with an engaging upgrade within the successors towards the iPhone 7 and seven Plus, whilst offering up a greater tier,” he explains. “It has to achieve that without alienating individuals who can’t afford or justify spending the greater cost for that new device, but shouldn’t accept the second best.Inches
The final time Apple were built with a “second best” phone, the plastic iPhone 5C in 2013, its sales were slower than expected, while interest in the very best-finish 5S outstripped supply. Apple must avoid that occuring again, states Dawson: “It needs to give you the new premium phone in sufficient figures to ensure that if there is a big demand shift in the standard models towards the brand new one, it doesn’t finish up depressing overall sales while you will find supply constraints.”
Apple appears confident. For that current quarter, it’s forecast revenues of $49bn-$52bn, which may represent development of between 4% and 11% from last year, and produce its performance to 2015 levels. Dawson expects that iPhone sales will grow year-on-year within the October-December and The month of january-March quarters: “Much from the timing of this growth is determined by the availability constraints.”
A couple of years back, “wearables” – the marketplace sector covered with digital watches and Fitbits – were viewed as the following technology hit. However the first Apple Watch, released in April 2015, underwhelmed many reviewers.
None the less, early adopters loved it the study company IDC reckons 28.8m had offered through the finish of This summer this season. Though Apple doesn’t release unit sales or revenues, it’s certainly the world’s most widely used smartwatch, while Google’s rival Android Put on business has unsuccessful to consider off.
Now Apple is readying a version that may use 4G phone systems. This means individuals who’ve bought an Apple Watch out for fitness reasons – the watch’s greatest subscriber base – can stream music or podcasts when they run and exercise, in addition to making FaceTime video or audio calls, getting map directions, and receiving and replying to messages. Based on Bloomberg, the 4G version is going to be on purchase in the four US mobile carriers, and perhaps through European systems too.
Apple’s wearables strategy doesn’t visit the timepiece: its wireless in-ear AirPods earphones, that have been an issue since their launch this past year, have delighted individuals who were able to get hold of them. With supply improving, they may be a Christmas hit.
The Apple Watch: loved by its proprietors. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for that Protector
Using the smartphone market now well-established, the house is the brand new battlefield for that big tech companies. A couple of years back many people expected that Microsoft will be a serious contender because its Xbox console was set up in countless living spaces.
But rather Amazon . com has had a lead, getting offered an believed 15 million of their voice-controlled Echo and Us dot devices, which could provide weather, news and traffic reports and be a musician, in addition to controlling digitally connected lights and other alike devices around the house. Google became a member of in this past year using its Google Home device. Now Apple is pitching along with HomePod, a higher-quality music speaker controlled by its Siri voice assistant. As you may guess, it’s pricey, having a reported price of around £349 within the United kingdom.
Also expected is definitely an update to Apple TV, their set-top box, to let it stream greater definition pictures. By itself, that may not seem much. But the organization has big ambitions in america market, where countless homes are abandoning costly monthly cable-TV contracts and choosing cheaper services for example Netflix. Apple always really wants to succeed of individuals broader digital trends. Now it aims to get an alternate TV service, supplying a la carte programming if you purchase its hardware.
However, TV systems won’t license their programmes cheaply because they would like to support the viewers who consequently watch the adverts that offer their revenues. So Apple is getting to create its very own. Eddy Cue, the manager behind this drive, is well-armed for that fight. In addition to hiring TV and movie executives, he’s bought the legal rights to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke and it has a $1bn warchest for creating original content. Although that’s a lengthy way from Netflix’s $6bn annual spending, or Amazon’s believed $4.5bn, Apple is ambitious.
Tim Prepare: leading Apple into film and television production. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images
An iphone 4g means a brand new form of Apple’s iOS software, that will update about 500m existing devices in addition to running around the new items. With iOS 11, iPhone and iPads can run “augmented reality” (AR) apps, which could overlay The Exorcist spaceships, or map directions, or geolocated information, onto an active camera view on screen. AR apps are forecast to spark a brand new application boom a number of them will struggle, but it takes only one success to validate the whole field. And Apple may have a benefit over Android, where AR is only going to focus on a couple of million devices through the finish of the season.
Within the last seven quarters, and 12 of history 19, the quickest-growing a part of Apple continues to be its “services”. Most lately generating $7.2bn – greater than either iPad or Mac sales – it offers Apple Music charges, the 30% cut of payments and subscriptions on countless apps within the Application Store, and payment for iCloud storage (where just the first 5GB is free of charge).
reported that Apple is focusing on such glasses what’s unclear, as always, may be the timescale. Several weeks? Years? We can’t make sure until Tim Prepare shows them back on stage.


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GUWAHATI, June 12: Under the aegis of the Commissionerate of Industries and Commerce (CI&C), a 10-day training on candle-making has been initiated from today at Quality Control Office of Industries and Commerce Department, Bamunimaidam. Thirty women have been selected from Kamrup (Metro) for the programme.
‘Numaligarh Refinery Limited and IOCL, Digboi produce some of the finest wax in the country. Though there is no dearth of raw materials of wax, yet there is no existence of cottage industries in this sector here’, said Mikshi Debi, Deputy Director and in-charge of Women Cell, CI&C. ‘Hence, this training programme aims to empower the women in this business sector and turn them self-reliant’, she added.
Puberun Sarmah, Resource Person from NEDFi said that the programme will be followed by a year-long training on advanced designing, capacity building, hand-holding in candle-making. ‘The goal is to brand Assam candles, facilitate the market linkages and take it to the global are,’ stated Sarmah.
It may be mentioned here that CI&C plans to hold a similar training programme at Tezpur as well.


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The Casey Files
A quick chat about trade deficits seems timely. Starting with the notion that they are inflationary, right?
Well, technically, they don't have to be. That's because, in the absence of government intervention, all a trade deficit should mean is that the people of one country are willing to trade their money for something on offer by the people of another country.
In the 1800s, the U.S. ran big deficits and did quite well because our country was full of opportunity and promise, so foreigners invested here, more than we invested there.
The problem comes when a government, say China, steps into the picture and deliberately suppresses its currency to attract businesses to certain sectors of its economy -- for instance, city dwellers. That causes an aberration, the result being a lot of U.S. dollars shipping out to China in exchange for all manner of consumer goods... dollars that the Chinese have then turned around and invested in U.S. Treasuries.
More on that momentarily.
It's All Political... and Politics Are Fickle
The massive deficits with China are unstable because, rather than being the result of open trade, they are based largely on political decisions made by a handful of people in the Chinese government.
In time, those people -- or their successors -- may decide that there is more advantage to spending the dollars. Or they will be forced to do it. Say, to appease other segments of the economy now penalized by the higher cost of foreign goods. Or they might have to spend the dollars to pay the cost of a war or to bail the country out of a financial crisis.
Regardless of the reason, at some point the political advantage of spending those dollars, rather than hoarding them -- which the Japanese did to their detriment in recent decades -- will reach a tipping point after which those greenbacks will come flooding back to the market, devastating the value of the dollar on foreign exchange markets.
The dollar has already, since 2002, lost about 26% of its value. Of course, a good deal of the pain that depreciation has caused to the wallets of foreigners has been offset by the interest they earned on their Treasuries. But treading water is one thing, and standing by while your pile of cash starts to go up in the flames of a monetary crisis is another.
Viewed from another angle, over time it isn't the trade deficit that is inflationary. Rather, the trade deficit is effectively a subsidy provided to the U.S. by China ... a subsidy that comes from the Chinese having used the river of dollars provided by U.S. consumers to buy the unbacked paper of the U.S. government. That has allowed U.S. interest rates to remain artificially low and forestalled inflation in the U.S. It is as if China is building up a big bank of inflation points. Sooner or later, they are going to spend those inflation points.
Make no mistake, we are in uncharted water; it is unprecedented that the claims represented by the fiat currency of one government -- that of the U.S. -- have been accumulated in such massive quantities for the reserves of other governments. And we're not just talking China but virtually the world. And the world is getting nervous.
To quote Thai Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn in his recent address to the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Kyoto:
"Should the financial markets lose confidence in the U.S. dollar, huge capital outflows from the U.S. could lead to a rapid depreciation of the U.S. dollar, and thus dramatic appreciation of other currencies."
The whole matter of trade deficits is, unfortunately for investors not paying attention, just one of far too many aerosol cans now roasting in the fire. When they start exploding, you'll want to be safely hiding behind a wall of gold and silver.
In the final analysis, every day gold goes up and gold goes down, with the movements based on any number of inputs. To avoid being panicked one way or the other, a long-term perspective is required to see these fluctuations in their proper perspective. And, despite all the jagged fits and starts these past few years, and all the nay saying along the way, three years ago, gold was trading for $393 an ounce... 40% lower than it is today.
And the better gold shares have offered exponentially higher returns than that.
While now is the time to begin accumulating your gold and gold share positions -- if you have not already started doing so -- how will you know when things are about to get really "interesting"? My partner Doug Casey recently made the observation that it is not when the trade deficit is rising that you should be concerned, but when it starts to contract... because that is a sign that the flood of greenbacks is starting to return home.


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XTransfer has recently established a strategic partnership with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Trade Promotion Centre
China-based cross-border financial services provider XTransfer has completed the $15m Series B-1 financing, which was led by the eWTP Fund and included China Merchants Venture Capital, 01VC, Yunqi Partners, and Gaorong Capital.
XTransfer intends to use the proceeds for expansion of its international financial network, licensing applications in various countries, team and technology upgrades, and marketing.
Company founder and CEO Bill Deng said: “We observed the last wave of economic globalisation, which gave birth to a global financial network, including international banks, card schemes, and payment companies, which originated from Europe, the United States, and Japan. I believe, China will further accelerate its reform and opening-up and embrace the world.
“This embrace will start with the China based SMEs. They will drive the globalisation of Chinese businesses, and they will need a financial services platform to provide the infrastructure to empower them. This new platform will empower SME’s with mobile Internet-based technology, data-driven intelligence, and people-oriented services.”
XTransfer established collaboration with CCPIT
Founded in May 2017, in Shanghai, XTransfer is an international company with branches and relevant licenses in Hong Kong, the UK, Canada, the US, Japan and Australia.
XTransfer provides financial service solutions for Chinese SMEs, including cross-border and local collection, payment, foreign exchange, lending, and other treasury management services, through its global financial network.
The company said that it has recently established a strategic partnership with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Trade Promotion Centre.
The partnership with the CCPIT will offer a variety of services and resources to China-based SMEs, allowing them to enter foreign trade and gain access to key resources such as XTransfer.
XTransfer claims that it has gained the trust of most customers through its performance in the past two years, and is actively communicating with regulators across the world to comply with the latest regulatory changes at any time.
eWTP partner Jiang Dawei said: “The eWTP Fund is dedicated to technological innovation and global development of innovative businesses in regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As the BRI is being implemented, more and more SMEs are going abroad to deploy their business resources on a global scale.
“XTransfer is set on helping these SME’s greatly reduce the financial costs associated with their expanding global business. We highly agree with the business and vision of the company. We believe that financial technology enterprises, such as XTransfer, will play a vital role in the construction of a new global financial network.”


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Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Keith Muhakanizi stated that the country’s export receipts have amounted to $416.47m in September 2020, representing a 29.5% increase from $321.41m recorded in August 2019, the latest figures from the Ministry of Finance show.
In the report released by the Permanent Secretary, the performance of the economy report for the month of September 2020 indicates that sentiments about doing business in Uganda turned out positive for the first time since February 2020 as the economy expanded by 2.9% in the 2019/20 financial year which is less than the earlier estimate of 3.1%. Economic growth was also less than 6.8% recorded the year before mainly due to the effects of COVID-19.
Uganda registered a further marginal decline in annual headline inflation from 4.6% in August 2020 to 4.5% in September 2020.
The Uganda Shilling depreciated against the dollar by 0.5% in September 2020 trading at an average mid-rate of sh3,695.09 per $1 compared to sh3,677.55 per $1 the previous month.
Government spending during the month amounted to sh2,253.97b against sh3,005.22b that had been programmed for the month.
The government collected revenues amounting to sh1,488.98 billion in September 2020, posting a shortfall of sh228.04b against the sh1,717.02b target relating to the appropriated budget approved by parliament.
During the month of September 2020, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania all registered slight declines in the annual headline inflation. Kenya’s headline inflation declined from 4.4% to 4.2%, Rwanda’s declined from 10.9% to 10.8% while Tanzania’s declined from 3.3% to 3.1% in September 2020.
The decline of inflation in Kenya was partly attributed to the slowdown in the increase of prices for housing, water, electricity, cooking gas, and kerosene while the decline in headline inflation for Tanzania was as a result of a slowdown in the price increases for food and non-food items.


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Dubbed a freight forwarder for the internet age, Flexport is among a group of start-ups looking to disrupt the field of logistics, digitizing the processes that their more established competitors currently handle by relying on telephones, spreadsheets and fax machines. And launched just four years ago, the San Francisco-based company, that now employs over 400 staff across seven international offices, has recently been valued by investors at more than $1 billion.
Shunning the industry’s traditional and costly paper-led approach in favor of the speed and efficiency of software, Flexport’s web-based app allows clients to organize transportation, clear customs and arrange associated services online, as well as offering real-time visibility of their shipments. Data analysis enables the company to optimize shipping routes and simplify relationships with all parties along the supply chain, from ports to truck drivers, and by reducing container travel time this also allows clients to keep less inventory to hand, without incurring the risk of running out.
Just a year after raising $65 million at a valuation of $365 million, Flexport is thought to have recently closed a new round of funding. According to TechCrunch, multiple sources have confirmed that the start-up, which has received support from Carmen via venture capital investor Susa Ventures and independently, has completed a $110 million Series C at an $800 million pre-money valuation, viewed by the company as more manageable than the $1 billion originally touted. “We’ve always sought the best investors, and the investors who can help the company the most don’t always offer the highest valuation,” explained Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen to Forbes.com.
Founded in 2013, Susa Ventures manages two early-stage technology funds. The company’s focus is investing in teams with technical founders, and companies that use data, network effects or economies of scale to build value and achieve longevity. Since its launch, Susa has funded 41 companies, including Flexport, and in keeping with its rather unique family-style approach to business, has helped numerous founders connect with and learn from one another.
"Susa has been hands-down one of Flexport's most engaged, connected, and helpful investors,” said Flexport’s Ryan Petersen. “Over half of our anchor clients came through Susa introductions, and those in turn led to the other half coming on board. Flexport would be half as good a company without the clients that came through Susa introductions."
Ryan Petersen, who has an MBA from Columbia and a B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley, is also the founder and ex-CEO of ImportGenius.com, the largest provider of business intelligence to the import-export industry. It was importing dirt bikes and scooters from China with his brother, which involved having to deal with freight forwarders, that led the entrepreneur to realize how antiquated the industry was, and subsequently resulted in the launch of Flexport in 2013.
The new capital raised will undoubtedly help Flexport continue to transition from a pure-play software company handling logistics to a bona fide freight company. The start-up opened its first warehouses at Los Angeles International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport last month, with more scheduled to follow, a move that will allow Flexport to offer a wider range of services and gain market share - Petersen told Forbes he expects revenues of $500 million this year, which compares to those in excess of $1 billion currently enjoyed by 25 of the company’s freight forwarding competitors.
“It’s a logical step for [Flexport] as well as for any other start-ups looking to disrupt this market,’” Cathy Roberson, a shipping industry analyst, explained to wsj.com. “Right now a lot of those start-ups are nothing more but marketplaces where all you can do is compare rates, book freight, manage documents and so on. It’s time for them to start differentiating themselves."


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Trade turnover between Russia and China has grown by a third since January, according to Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, which expects further growth this year.
“By the end of the year, there is every chance to reach a historical maximum [in trade turnover with China],” the head of the ministry, Maxim Reshetnikov, said on Wednesday at a meeting of the Russian-Chinese subcommittee on trade and economic cooperation.
Also on rt.com
Reshetnikov praised the steady confidence Chinese companies have put in the Russian market, shown by prolonged economic activity and the launch of new projects even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ministry plans to send four of its representatives to China to work in the Russian trade mission and promote cooperation with emphasis on the digital economy and sustainable development.
Among the issues discussed at the meeting were the restoration of supplies of Russian fish products to China, ensuring uninterrupted export cargoes crossing the Russian-Chinese border by land, and expanding cooperation in agricultural trade.
“We are interested in the implementation of new large projects – the first Russian-Chinese insurance company, the construction of additional capacities of the terminal for receiving and transshipment of liquefied petroleum gas and propylene in Manchuria,” Reshetnikov said.
Also on rt.com
According to China’s customs administration, trade turnover with Russia at the end of 2020 dropped by 2.9% in annual terms and amounted to $107.76 billion. However, in the pre-crisis years, the indicator grew steadily, rising gradually from $69.52 billion at the end of 2016 to $110.75 billion in 2019. Both countries plan to get back on course as soon as possible, with the goal of increasing the volume of bilateral trade to $200 billion per year.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section


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Huawei India will launch a new Y-series phone in India on January 7. The Huawei Y9 2019, which was first introduced a coupled of months earlier in select markets, is now being teased on the Amazon India website. Huawei has also rolled out press-invites for the launch event. This phone is expected to be the […]
The post Huawei Y9 2019 With Big Display and Big Battery To Launch In India On January 7 appeared first on Smartprix Bytes.
Source: Tech News


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Outlook 2011: Everyone Needs Commodities
The essence of natural resources and commodity investing can be boiled down to one key point:
As the earth’s population swells to 7 billion, the migration to cities accelerates, incomes rise, and people desire things the things that improve their lives, thus increasing global demand for commodities and natural resources.
A larger, wealthier class of people in the emerging world are demanding more goods as they raise their standard of living and the supply of these goods is impacted by geopolitics, diminishing mature sources and even weather.
The story begins in emerging markets where economies are growing at stable, healthy rates. Current growth rates for countries such as China, India, Malaysia and others are in the 6-10 percent range, manageable levels that are not characteristic of overheating economies. Many forecasters are expecting a slight slowdown in growth for emerging countries but a few (South Africa, Indonesia and Russia) should see GDP growth rates surpass last year’s levels.
Many point to China’s bank lending, which was roughly $1.2 trillion last year, as a negative because it is such a large amount for a $5 trillion economy, but we don’t see it that way. We think what’s taking place is more of a normalization of liquidity and interest rates. Growth will still be in the upper single digits, which is very constructive for commodity demand going forward.
Economic growth is just the tip of the iceberg. Many of these emerging markets are just discovering credit. India, China, Brazil and Russia all have consumer debt levels growth below 20 percent. Other burgeoning countries like Saudi Arabia and South Africa have less than 5 percent. As credit expands to this hungry consumer base, the consumption of refrigerators, furniture, air conditioners and other luxuries we consider necessities here in the U.S. should follow suit.
We’ve already seen the impact rising income levels can have on consumption in Chinese car sales. From 2003 to 2010, China’s car sales have increased over 300 percent. In fact, car sales jumped 45 percent last year alone in China. This increase has made China the global leader in car sales. China isn’t alone however, estimates show that 72 million cars were produced globally last year and expectations are that it will jump to 79 million in 2011.
This auto boom has shifted the dynamics of energy consumption in the developing world. The transportation sector has historically consumed about 35 percent of all energy used in the developing world. But over the next 15 years or so, it’s expected to reach about 60 percent—comparable levels to that of the developed countries of North America and Western Europe.
Emerging market demand is largely the reason global oil demand levels are at record highs despite a sluggish economic recovery in the U.S. and Western Europe. Much of this demand comes from China and India, whose combined share of global oil demand has increased from 9 percent in 2002 to roughly 15 percent last year.
But it’s not just oil emerging markets have been gobbling up. It takes a lot of base metals such as copper, tin, nickel and others to expand a nation’s power grid, sewer system and transportation lines. China’s most recent Five-Year Plan calls for $50 billion to be spent on upgrading the country’s power grid and an another $110 billion on building 13,000 kilometers of high-speed railways.
This is a reason why we’ve seen the price of copper, lead, tin, nickel and zinc jump more than 100 percent during the past two years.
The market isn’t expecting prices for these metals to turn around any time soon. Take copper for example. Current prices are north of $4 a pound but the futures market remains bullish with prices set around $5.43 a pound.
Copper’s supply/demand fundamentals are very supportive of higher prices. Mine production has been declining since the early 1990s but the metal’s versatility has kept copper demand on the rise.
For instance, you may not think that air conditioning demand would have much to do with copper prices but each central air conditioning unit contains roughly 50 pounds of copper. The monthly output of air conditioners in China has increased since the beginning of 2009, coinciding with a 217 percent increase in copper prices.
Copper isn’t alone. We’re bullish on many industrial commodities for similar reasons. As the rebound in global economic growth continues, we should see increased demand for other commodities like metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel.
The biggest threat to commodity prices is the possibility that the Federal Reserve may begin to raise interest rates, which would weigh on commodity prices. More than likely however, the Federal Reserve will maintain historically low interest rates and the U.S. economic recovery will remain on course through the year.
P.S. Evan Smith and Brian Hicks contributed to this commentary. Also, for more updates on global investing from me and the U.S. Global Investors team, visit my investment blog, Frank Talk.


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Ready to Start Your Career?
December 22, 2017
UNM4SK3D: Kaspersky, Experian, and CTB-Locker
December 22, 2017
#accusationsDue process. That's what Kaspersky is saying they were denied of after the Trump administration banned the use of its products in government networks. Now, they're asking a U.S. federal court to overturn this ruling. How did this all start? Well, back in October of this year, an article from the New York Times described Israeli intelligence officers getting visibility into Kaspersky’s network in 2015 where they witnessed Russian government hackers hacking US government hackers. This caused a widespread wave of suspicion from the US government, with the DHS response reading, "The risk that the Russian government, whether acting on its own or in collaboration with Kaspersky, could capitalize on access provided by Kaspersky products to compromise federal information and information systems directly implicates U.S. national security." This resulted in a directive ordering civilian government agencies to remove Kaspersky software from their networks within 90 days. Fast forward to today and the company has continued to deny it has ties to any government and said it would not help a government with cyber espionage.According to the Kaspersky complaint, it appears the value of Kaspersky’s software sales to the U.S. government totaled less than $54,000, or about 0.03 percent of its U.S. subsidiary’s sales in the United States, pointing at a large concern for Kaspersky's reputation in the country. Additionally, allegations about the software have hurt its much bigger consumer software business, which prompted retailers like Best Buy to pull Kaspersky products from their shelves. In the lawsuit, Kaspersky alleges that the government largely relied on uncorroborated news media reports as evidence in a review of Kaspersky software. Since the beginning of this saga, Kaspersky has offered to share the source code of its software and future updates for inspection by independent parties, however, it seems no one is interested in this offer.
DHS has harmed Kaspersky Lab’s reputation and its commercial operations without any evidence of wrongdoing by the company. -the company’s founder, Eugene KasperskyWant the full story on what lead to the US/ Kaspersky battle? Read this edition of 'UNM4SK3D.'
#exposedAWS should be spelled 'B-A-D.' Yup, more bad news involving another unsecured data repository. This one, which belongs to Alteryx, a data analytics firm, has publicly exposed datasets from their partner Experian and the U.S. Census Bureau that contain sensitive personal information on 123 million U.S. households.UpGuard Director of Cyber Risk Research Chris Vickery was first to disclose the issue, noting that the sensitive information available to any AWS Authenticated User included home addresses, contact information, purchasing behavior, mortgage ownership, and financial histories. UpGuard stated that this “constitutes a remarkably invasive glimpse into the lives of American consumers.” While the spreadsheet uses anonymized record IDs to identify households, the other information in the fields are incredibly detailed as to be "not merely often identifying, but with a high degree of specificity." Further analysis of the Experian marketing material shows the information delves deeper into household finances, analyzing investment behavior, car buying, and even retail purchasing histories, segmented into categories like 'Book Buyer' and 'Cat Enthusiast.'Experian has that they “[provide] consumers with notice and choice when it comes to how their data is being used,” using “careful consideration of consumer privacy” and “values-based practices that govern the acquisition, compilation and sale of our consumer data." This incident has proven yet another reminder of how third-party vendor risk can result in sensitive data leaking from multiple entities, not to mention how severe the looming threat of data exposure is to consumers, many of whom are still reeling from the Equifax breach. UpGuard wrote,"The data exposed in this bucket would be invaluable for unscrupulous marketers, spammers, and identity thieves, for whom this data would be largely reliable and, more importantly, varied. With a large database of potential victims to survey, with such details as 'mortgage ownership' revealed, a common security verification question, the price could be far higher than merely bad publicity."
This case highlights that third-party vendor relationships are a growing cybersecurity risk. Data from three different organizations: Alteryx, Experian, and the US Census Bureau was revealed. -Varun Badhwar, CEO and co-founder of RedLockLearn how to leverage the S3 events feature and Simple Notification Service in order to monitor the actions taken on certain assets. Read 'AWS: Monitoring S3 With Events and SNS.'
#ransomware"But officer, I only rented the malware!" Romania arrested five suspects for allegedly spreading CTB-Locker (Curve-Tor-Bitcoin Locker or Citroni) and Cerber ransomware, which they rented from a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation on the Dark Web.You may recall CTB-Locker as a more recent PHP ransomware that attacked blogs, websites, content managers and more in 2016. During 'Operation Bakovia,' a joint operation between Romanian and Dutch police and public prosecutors offices, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the FBI, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), police turned up a large haul of hard drives, laptops, external storage devices, cryptocurrency mining computers, and documents. From what police found, the responsible individuals are being prosecuted for "unauthorized computer access, serious hindering of a computer system, misuse of devices with the intent of committing cybercrimes and blackmail."Europol says that early this year, "the Dutch High Tech Crime Unit tipped off Romanian authorities about a group of Romanian nationals who were behind a wave of spam that pretended to originate from well-known companies in countries like Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK." They also explained that CTB-Locker was one of the first ransomware variants to use Tor to hide its command and control infrastructure, not to mention that the operation has identified more than 170 victims from several European countries. Although the actual identities of the arrested individuals have not been released, Europol posted a dramatic video of the arrests, where you can see how armed officers stormed the suspects' residence.
The spam messages intended to infect computer systems and encrypt their data with the CTB-Locker ransomware. Each email had an attachment, often in the form of an archived invoice, which contained a malicious file. Once this attachment was opened on a Windows system, the malware encrypted files on the infected device. -Europol press releaseGet an in-depth look at the Cerber ransomware. Read 'Ransomware Technical Analysis.'


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Dr. P.V. Viswanath
Strong Euro Bedevils EU Firms: Despite Currency
Drop, Companies Struggle to Stay Competitive
Despite the euro's 8.2% drop against the dollar since mid-March, European companies continue to grapple with the currency's overall strength.
STMicroelectronics NV is a case in point. Carlo Bozotti, chief executive of the Geneva-based chip maker, says the euro is among his biggest headaches. As growth slows in the chip industry and his bankers forecast that the euro, despite its recent slip, will remain relatively high for a while, Mr. Bozotti says he can't afford to wait any longer to take tough steps to boost competitiveness and profitability.
Mr. Bozotti is shifting costly, less productive European manufacturing to Asia. As part of these efforts, STMicroelectronics recently announced it would cut 2,300 jobs in Europe. Mr. Bozotti also wants to move all the manufacturing of what he calls "more mature," or commodity-type, chip products to Asia over the next five years.
STMicroelectronics' predicament shows that the still strong euro -- it remains 48% higher against the dollar than it was in late 2000 -- is a big handicap for companies that may only now be taking steps to restructure their businesses in the face of low growth and rising competition. Reasons for this delayed response vary, including European labor laws, which make restructuring difficult and, in some cases, management that simply didn't confront the combination of the market and currency downturn with enough rigor.
"The outside world is bored of blaming everything on the euro-dollar, but it is a huge problem. A huge problem," says Wolfgang Ziebart, the CEO of German chip maker Infineon AG, which recently displaced STMicroelectronics as Europe's largest semiconductor company by revenue. An Infineon spokeswoman said that the chip maker isn't making specific business changes as a result of the strong euro but that the company does engage in hedging strategies to help offset the impact.
While European chip makers have been hit particularly hard by the exchange rate, they aren't alone. Other companies that produce in the 12-nation euro zone and rely on overseas buyers, such as luxury watch and jewelry maker Bulgari SpA and German car maker Volkswagen AG, have also seen their growth either contained or reversed by the euro's strength in recent years.
Volkswagen, for instance, has been shifting the production of its Jetta models to Mexico from Europe since last year. The company also plans to increase production in Mexico of other models as part of efforts to make cars in the currency zones where it sells them.
In March, Mr. Bozotti took the helm of STMicroelectronics, the world's sixth-largest chip maker by revenue, when he succeeded the company's long-serving CEO, Pasquale Pistorio, and he has been scrambling to restore the company's competitiveness. STMicroelectronics makes chips for mobile phones, printers and cars, among other things. It counts Nokia Corp., the world's largest maker of handsets, among its customers.
As is the case with oil, microprocessors are priced in dollars. With 70% of STMicroelectronics' costs in euros, the unfavorable exchange rate has slashed the company's operating profit and even pushed it to an unexpected loss last quarter. STMicroelectronics' finance department does some currency hedging, but it hasn't been enough to offset the damage incurred from the dollar's weakness.
"The performance of our company in recent past quarters has not been satisfactory," Mr. Bozotti told analysts and investors at a recent conference in New York. "Our market-share gain has come to a halt."
To be sure, the euro is just one of several factors affecting Mr. Bozotti's business. The semiconductor industry generally is wrestling with overcapacity. STMicroelectronics has suffered criticism for a behind-the-curve culture when it comes to technology and a management that has preferred stability for its work force at the expense of growth for investors, repeatedly issuing profit warnings and missing targets. The company also is facing stiff pricing competition from Asia and the U.S., particularly with its memory chips, which store data on phones and cameras.
In a recent interview, the 53-year-old executive said moving plants and manufacturing to Asia and other initiatives should reduce STMicroelectronics' costs by more than $500 million annually. He said he is also refocusing research-and-development resources and is betting that a new generation of chips designed to power new gadgets, such as high-definition televisions and video-enabled cellphones, will help drive growth.
While investors welcome Mr. Bozotti's efforts to reinvigorate the business, some question whether the measures he is taking will go beyond the currency issue to tackle STMicroelectronics' fundamental weaknesses. "It's not a foregone conclusion that it will be a success," says William C. Conroy, an analyst at Sanders Morris Harris in Houston, of STMicroelectronics' restructuring. Sanders Morris doesn't have a banking relationship with STMicroelectronics. Mr. Conroy, who owns shares in the company, has a "hold" investment rating on the stock.
Mr. Bozotti says the euro isn't the company's only issue. "We clearly
have challenges," he told investors at the recent conference in New
York, citing industry overcapacity and falling memory prices. Addressing
high costs, including the euro, is key to his strategy, he said.


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Sun, January 23, 2022
Published: Nov 24, 2021
Kaspersky cybersecurity analyst Tatyana Shishkova warned Android phone users that the Joker malware has returned to Google Play Store.
Published: Jun 14, 2019
Lazada, Southeast Asia's leading e-commerce platform, and Google Play have launched Google Play Gift Code on LazMall to enable online audiences to easily top up Google Play credits in Thailand.
Copyright Ⓒ 2022 Nationthailand - All rights reserved.


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Akorn closes $120 million debt deal
This article was originally published in Scrip
Akorn, a US niche pharmaceutical firm, has raised $120 million in debt by selling 3.5% convertible senior notes due in 2016. The debt will convert initially at a price of $8.76 per share of common stock, which is a 34% premium to the company's closing share price of $6.49 on 3 June. Akorn estimates that the net proceeds from the sale of the notes will be about $115.3 million (after expenses).


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A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies (HATTA) and Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) during the open session of HATTA’s annual general assembly on Wednesday, 27 March, in Athens.
The memorandum signed between HATTA and TÜRSAB aims to expand the long-term collaboration between the two associations, develop tourism between the two countries and remove disincentives in travel.
According to the memorandum, a Joint Tourism Board will be established to create and promote joint tourism packages for overseas and developing tourism markets.
During his speech, TÜRSAB President Başaran Ulusoy said that during this year, the association would hold nine familiarization trips in different regions of Greece to explore opportunities to promote new tourism products.
“Tourism professionals of both countries have great potential for cooperation and the two countries are extremely attractive destinations in the Mediterranean,” he said.
During the January 2012-January 2013 period, Greek arrivals to Turkey increased by 2.21 percent.
Last year, 669,823 Greeks visited Turkey while the number of Turkish tourists that visited Greece amounted to 552,090 (37,427 traveled by boat from Turkey to Greece).
“However, the procedures to get a visa from Turkey to Greece create obstacles for tourism,” he said.
Good news from Germany
German tour operators this year will expand their offers concerning hotels, flights and programs to Greece, according to German Travel Association (DRV) President Jürgen Büchy.
“Greece – especially its coast and islands – belongs to the most favourite travel destinations of Germans mainly in the summer season,” he said during his speech and underlined that the majority of tour operators propose that Greece has good chances for a comeback.
DRV’s president said that for Greece to make a comeback and have ongoing tourism growth, investments must be made in tourism infrastructure such as hotels and airports.
He said Greece should make a good name for itself in quality tourism and concentrate on its unique selling points and not count on low cost tourism (for example, all-inclusive resorts).
“As revealed by customer surveys, Greece has weaknesses compared to competing tourism destinations in the Mediterranean of value for money, service and accommodation,” Mr. Büchy said.
He added that Greece’s advertising should be “rejuvenated” and the tourism offering must be adjusted to suit customer needs and the new target groups that have sprung up.
“…If strikes or demonstrations sometimes are in focus of the media, Greece has to convince through its service, hospitality, good infrastructure and a variety of different accommodation as well as their cultural heritage,” DRV’s president said.


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NEW YORK, NY, March 28, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Every cloud has a silver lining, they say, and this is surely the case for the Palma Boat Show this year. After a disappointing year in 2012 when the boat show was cancelled because of insufficient show entries, 2013 sees it making a comeback with a vengeance.
In the thirtieth anniversary year of the show, changes to the format now make the Palma Boat Show a fine venue for luxury charter companies.
At the time of the cancellation last year, Oscar Siches, a member of MIAB, the Marine Industry Association of Balearica, said the intention was to take the setback as an opportunity to revamp the show and create "a new model with more public participation, shorter duration of 5-6 days and incorporating larger yachts".
The planning has paid off. The show is no longer going to be a 'small boat' show, only appealing to people in the sailing industry. 2013 sees the launch of the first Palma Superyacht Brokerage and Charter Show, on Palma's longest quay. This will feature yachts over 24 meters, and present a diverse range of luxury yacht hire opportunities.
The result is a five day 'festival with a maritime flavor', a lively mix of culture, cuisine, sailing and nightlife from the 1st to the 5th of May 2013, a showcase for luxury charter opportunities, and an event that will better reflect what is on offer in Palma.
The revamped Palma Boat Show is the achievement of a new organizing committee of sailing and yachting associations teamed up with local government leaders to bring the Palma community closer to yachting. This collaboration was 'fought for' by Cesar Nuno Pacheco, a keen sailor and Director of the Business Promotion Department, and Oscar Siches of MIAB (the Marine Industry Association of Balearica).
The first Palma Boat Show, which was an innovative concept at the time, was held in 1983 at the Port of Alcudia, and then moved to the Port of Palma in 1984. It has since been continually adapting to the industry and the market, but has always been considered a small boat show. The reality though, is that Mallorca has long been popular with superyachts, where the waters are perfect for overwintering and luxury charters enjoy the spectacular sailing. Historically the local population has not been very supportive of this reality, so one of the committee's objectives was to break down the 'them and us' barrier which has evolved.
The result is a show with something for everyone - exclusive yacht charters and brokerage services, with all the features that appeal to the international sailing community, set against a background of sporting and cultural activities, entertainment and fun for local people and visitors.
In summing up the driving force behind Palma Boat Show 2013, Oscar Siches said "we need to educate people about the bigger yachts. We need to break down barriers between the select groups in yachting and the wider public. They are small steps, but they are there."
Ultra Marine Yacht Charters, the exclusive yacht charter company in New York, is dedicated to offering an un-paralleled confidential service and providing the insight required to ensure you experience an unforgettable luxury charter. We specialize in luxury yacht charters worldwide including the most private super yachts in the world - Motor yacht charters, sailing yachts for charter, corporate yacht charters and super yacht charters. Contact our expert team for more information on booking a yacht on + 212 423 9280 or visit the website: www.ultramarineyacht.com.
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President Trump’s decision on Thursday to risk setting off a global trade war by imposing stiff taxes on imported steel and aluminum might seem to have little to do with Hawaii, but consider companies like Island Recycling.
Every month, the 60-employee firm in Kapolei ships off 200 containers full of recycled goods, including iron and aluminum scrap metal, to places like Taiwan, Malaysia and China, where smelters process the metals for resale as raw material.
“All of this has to go somewhere, and we don’t want it to go to the landfill,” said Jim Nutter, Island Recycling’s owner and president. “Plus, there’s a lot of value to these products.”
So much value, in fact, that scrap metals were among Hawaii’s most valuable exports in 2017—worth more than cash crops like coffee, cocoa, mac nuts and papaya combined.
Iron, aluminum and copper scraps raked in $47 million last year, compared with $37 million for Hawaii’s top agriculture exports, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For 2014-17, scrap metal exports totaled $186 million, the Census Bureau says.
So what do Trump’s tariff’s mean for this industry?
“The overall view is it’s probably not going to change a lot in the near future,” said Nutter, because the tariffs apply to imports.
The Trump administration has said that steel is essential to U.S. national security, a central component to transportation and military equipment and infrastructure like power grids and water systems.
A January report by the Commerce Department found that the nation’s heavy reliance on imported steel weakened the domestic steel industry and thus poses a risk to the economy and national security.
Although China produces a relatively small amount of the steel imported into the U.S., it produces nearly half of the world’s steel, and other countries have accused China of dumping steel at artificially low prices to drive out competitors and gain an even greater share of the market.
The tariffs, which are essentially taxes, tack 25 percent onto the price of imported steel and 10 percent onto imported aluminum. That’s expected to hurt states with big manufacturing industries, like Texas, which imported $8.3 billion in steel and aluminum in 2017.
But not necessarily Hawaii. According to a Brookings Institution analysis of Census data, Hawaii ranks last among the 50 states in terms of steel and aluminum imports. The state imported just $2.8 million in the metals in 2017. That amounted to about 0.1 percent of Hawaii’s imports.
Broader Economic Implications?
But the big question is whether the tariffs could prompt a trade war, which would make it harder for the U.S. to sell goods overseas, including scrap metals.
Most of this steel comes from Canada, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Russia, the Commerce Department reports. Those countries accounted for 57 percent of imports to the U.S. Already, trading partners like the European Union have said they will retaliate by taxing a range of U.S.-made goods, including T-shirts, bed linens, tobacco, bourbon and motorcycles. What if other allies in the Americas and Asia follow suit?
Imports from 10 countries make up the vast majority of steel imports into the U.S. That question, among others, has caused many U.S. business leaders to sharply criticize the tariffs. Last week, Gary Cohn resigned as Trump’s top economic adviser after expressing concerns about the tariffs. On Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce decried the tariffs in a statement.
“We won’t drive the economy to over 3 percent growth or continue to create jobs if we go down this path,” said the chamber’s president, Thomas Donohue. “We urge the administration to take this risk seriously and specifically to refrain from imposing new worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminum.”
“These new tariffs would directly harm American manufacturers, provoke widespread retaliation from our trading partners, and leave virtually untouched the true problem of Chinese steel and aluminum overcapacity,” he said.
Lori Abe, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, declined to comment on how the tariffs could affect Hawaii. But Paul Brewbaker, a long-time Hawaii economist who is the principle of the consulting firm TZ Economics, said nothing good would come from imposing big taxes on global commodities. The only winners, he said, might be a relatively small number of U.S. industry workers.
“There’s no way globally that everyone is better off,” Brewbaker said. “It’s got to be globally worse than it was before. It never nets out positive.”
“A trade war’s definitely not in our interest,” said Bruce Iverson, director of marketing and development with Oahu’s Reynolds Recycling. Although Reynolds primarily ships aluminum cans to mainland smelters, it is more likely to send aluminum scrap overseas. A trade war that increased prices of U.S. scrap aluminum in overseas markets would certainly have an impact on Hawaii recyclers, Iverson said.
“Anything that’s going to affect our price is going to affect our business,” he said.
Beyond the potential lost income, Brewbaker notes, there’s an environmental risk: If overseas customers aren’t willing to pay a good price for scrap metal, then the Hawaii companies won’t have a financial incentive to ship what amounts to garbage away from the islands. That might be more important than lost income.
“No matter how small it is in dollar value,” Brewbaker said of the scrap metal, “it’s a problem if you can’t get rid of it.”
It’s already getting tougher to sell scrap metal, especially to mainland smelters, said Camellia Young, finance manager at Ace Recycling in Kalihi. In 2013-14, a ton of ferrous metal fetched $200-$250, she said. Now, customers pay only about $15 per ton, she said.
“I have been watching, and I have been thinking about it because I am very concerned,” Young said. “Unfortunately, they decided to go ahead with the tariff.”
Still, much of the concerns about trade wars and the broader effects of the tariffs are speculation for now. Island Recycling’s Nutter said he has spoken to a steel dealer in Taiwan and for now is fairly certain Hawaii’s scrap businesses won’t be affected.
“It doesn’t concern me as much as you might think,” he said.
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Stay Up To Date On The Coronavirus And Other Hawaii Issues


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Milwaukee—Shannon Specialty Floors will run a rebate and price promotion through March 31, 2019 to assist its clients in recent tariff price increases and supply issues.
The new promotion includes a $3 to $4 rebate per square yard on featured in-stock SKUs in three of its best-selling sheet vinyl lines.In addition to the rebate promotion, the company has announced a price decrease on its Tuf Stuf Plank You Very Much sheet vinyl and its T3 luxury vinyl tile line.
“We hope that these rebates and price promotions can help those who have been negatively impacted by the current economic tariff situation,” said Jeff Collum, CEO and president, Teknoflor and Shannon Specialty Floors. “Our objective is to assist the consumer, end user and contractors with issues that may arise as tariffs drive price increases.”
For details, visit: shannonspecialtyfloors.com/find-a-rep.


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The club is thrilled to unveil our new away strip for season 2020/21.
It has been designed to celebrate our unique history by recording every single match result since joining the league in 1900. There are over 4,000 green, red, and orange dots on the front and back of the shirt with each representing a win, loss or draw in the league.
The shirt also features “Original and Best” IRN-BRU branding, as we continue one of the longest running sponsorships in Scottish football with our partner AG Barr.
This is the first away kit of our new partnership with Admiral, and will be promoted online over the next few days using images of some of our most famous former players under the hashtag #MostHistoricKit
A big thank you to our media team for arranging a socially distant photocall this week featuring Simon Murray and Monica Anderson.
The new kit is available to buy now from the Queen’s Park Supporters’ Association online shop.


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Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Tesla’s and SpaceX’s CEO, tweeted that he holds cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, ether, and dogecoin and has no plans to sell them.
He had asked on Twitter for opinions on the likely rate of inflation over the next few years.
“USD consumer inflation will stay at all-time highs, and asset inflation will run at twice the pace of consumer inflation,” Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy Inc. and a renowned Bitcoin bull, responded to his tweet.
Weaker currencies will collapse, and money will flee from cash, debt, and value equities to scarce assets like #bitcoin.”
To which, Musk responded, “It is not entirely unpredictable that you would reach that conclusion.”
As a general principle, for those looking for advice from this thread, it is generally better to own physical things like a home or stock in companies you think make good products, than dollars when inflation is high.
I still own & won’t sell my Bitcoin, Ethereum or Doge fwiw,” Elon Musk tweeted.
Musk’s Advice On Crypto.
Musk said, “It’s not totally inevitable that you’d come to that conclusion.” MicroStrategy suffered a $147 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter as the business had to write down its Bitcoin position due to the market drop.
Bitcoin, which had dropped as much as 3% prior to Musk’s post, momentarily recovered before receding. The price of ether and dogecoin increased the most in the last hour among the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinGecko.
Musk is well-known for his cryptocurrency-related social media activities. He announced in May that he hasn’t “and won’t” sell any Dogecoin, a satirical token developed in 2013 that he’d become a supporter as the self-proclaimed “Dogefather.”
The billionaire also announced that he owns Bitcoin, Ether, and Dogecoin last year.
Also Visit: Here are 4 Reasons why one should Trade on TurboXBT


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Users of Venmo App – a mobile payment app owned by PayPal – will be able to buy, store and send Bitcoin and three other cryptocurrencies.
The global digital payment processing giant PayPal has bought a cryptocurrency escrow company, Curv.
This Binance service, allows users to pay, send and receive cryptocurrency payments worldwide without fee. Traders and users can choose from more than 30 currencies, including bitcoin, Ethereum and BNB.
PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman announced this week that it is the most important aid to launch a new business unit dedicated to cryptocurrency services.
Coinbase is a huge of the crypto sector with greater than 35 million individuals in over 100 nations utilizing the platform to purchase, promote, retailer,… Read More »Cryptocurrency aims for mainstream as Coinbase files for IPO


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Fans of Popeyes Chicken Sandwich are in for an additional treat as the food giant has added Chicken Nuggets to its menu and yes, it has the same batter that is used in the Chicken Sandwich. This new poultry item is sure to gladden the hearts of its regular customers and bring in new ones but will sadden the hearts of Chick-fil-A and others as they now have competition in the Chicken Nuggets market space.
On Tuesday, Popeyes said that from July 27 orders will be fulfilled for its chicken nuggets. White meat chicken breast will be marinated for 12 hours. It will be battered and breaded using butter milk and fried with the same seasoning that is used for its popular chicken sandwiches.
Customers can order small, medium or large servings ranging from 4 pieces to 36 pieces in-store. However, online customers will also have a bigger option of ordering as many as 48 nuggets.
Sam Siddiqui, president of Popeyes said in a release that their new Chicken Nuggets were unlike anything a consumer may have experienced before and it was just like their game changing chicken sandwich.
He also added that they aim to show the world, once again, the magic of Popeyes chicken with their new nuggets. They said that they believed that the crunchy pieces, delicious and juicy chicken nuggets would have guests question how they ever enjoyed chicken nuggets before they tried the ones from Popeyes.
Following a food battle with Chick-fil-A in 2019, Popeyes introduced a new chicken sandwich. Americans waited in very long queues in drives-thru lines just to get a single sandwich. Within three weeks of its debut, the new sandwich became a totally sold-out item.
In October, it was added to the regular menu and returned to the stores, where it is still extremely popular. Later this month, the response to the new Chicken nuggets will also be known but it promises to be a good response as the same batter will reportedly be used by Popeyes.
The nuggets can be paired with Popeyes popular sauces such as
- Bayou Buffalo
- Blackened Ranch
- Buttermilk Ranch
- Mardi Gras Mustard
- Sweet Heat.


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Transport service provider Uber has decided to open up the Uber platform to taxis in Singapore with its recent launch of uberTAXI.
The launch of this new service will allow cab riders in Singapore easy access to Singapore's fleet of taxi. In addition, it also helps drivers find more customers efficiently, increasing their utilisation and earnings each day, while reducing carbon emission because they are not circling the streets looking for customers.
uberTAXI, like all services on the Uber platform, is completely cashless, enabling users to book and pay directly through the Uber app. Customers can simply select the TAXI option in-app, take a ride, and their card will be charged automatically. Trip details will then be emailed directly to the customer, boosting the convenience factor.
According to the company, uberTAXI pricing will follow the same fare rates set out by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). uberTAXI will also offer a five-minute waiting time for customers, and the meter will start at the time passenger enters the taxi.
A unique feature of this service is that users will receive a photo, license plate as well as phone number of the driver so that they can safely identify and contact them. Users can also share their location and estimated time of arrival with their friends using uberTAXI's "Share my ETA" feature.
"In addition to uberX and UberExec, we also know taxis are well loved here. By partnering with the best taxis in the city, we are bringing yet another safe, reliable and seamless option to move around Singapore. This is why we are offering the new taxi choice to Singaporeans - the same Uber convenience, reliability and quality riders know and love," said Mike Brown, Regional General Manager of Uber.
To commemorate this launch, Uber is offering a 25 percent discount on all rides on uberTAXI until September 30, 2014.
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