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Gaming technology provider Win Systems will be presenting the latest developments from its Gaming division at the ICE London 2024 trade show, scheduled for February 6-8 at the ExCeL exhibition center in the UK’s capital.
The company intends to conduct personalized presentations of its new products, which were previously introduced at G2E and are now entering the European market. The showcase will take place at Win Systems’ VIP Lounge.
The new releases include the Symphony electronic roulette from the Gold Club line which, according to the provider, “has already managed to capture the attention of the most discerning players and operators in America.”
This product features the VISIOLUX Lighting System that not only creates enhanced light effects but also provides information about different phases of the game, along with updated hardware, a redesigned gaming layout, and optimized performance.
Additionally, the Symphony electronic roulette offers a versatile jackpot system adaptable to various space configurations through different placement options, whether horizontal or vertical.
Win Systems is also set to introduce two new slot machine cabinets aimed at different segments of the European market. The Sublime cabinet is a hybrid model that incorporates the latest technology and ergonomic design for player comfort. The Rhapsody XL cabinet, designed for route operations and locations with limited space, features 27-inch Full HD screens and a high-quality sound system.
Alongside these cabinets, Win Systems will showcase a wide range of new game titles, such as Jin Long Cheng Xiang or Goddess Link, and multigame options aimed at the European player base.
For further information or to schedule a meeting at ICE, operators can contact Gergana Chelebieva, Sales Manager for Europe at Win Systems, via email.
Gergana Chelebieva commented: “We are thrilled to participate in ICE this year, as we aim to showcase our latest releases in the Gaming division. To do so, we are making our exclusive VIP Lounge available to all operators, allowing us to provide more personalized attention.
“We look forward to listening first-hand operator’s specific needs in every market, enabling us to continue expanding across Europe and Africa by offering our solutions fully adapted to each type of operation.”
Win Systems will be at ICE London 2024 in North Hall 18, located on the 1st floor.


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At a time when MSMEs are struggling, the Centre’s tech-driven thrust on tax compliance has made things worse.
While systemic issues were prevalent even before, they matter far more in 2021—when recovering MSMEs have been walloped yet again by a period of uncertainty due to covid-19.
NEW DELHI :
Towards the end of 2017, an entrepreneur based in Noida spent ₹12 lakh and bought a commercial truck for the fly-ash based construction materials plant that he runs in the satellite town on the eastern outskirts of New Delhi.
The businessman received a jolt when he learned that an error by the truck dealer in uploading the invoice onto the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Network—the dealer identified it as a retail sale when it was a business-to-business transaction—would cost him dearly.
Because the dealer could not rectify the error before the close of the financial year in March 2018, the 38-year-old entrepreneur, who didn’t want to be identified because it involves a tax matter, had to pay back to the government the entire input tax credit of ₹2.5 lakh that his company had claimed for the purchase.
Almost four years after the GST—billed as the biggest tax reform since independence but criticised for its flawed implementation—came into force, such losses remain a pain point for industry.
Sustained tightening of rules, particularly over the last few months, aimed at making the system more transparent is increasingly touching the lives of small businesses. And while systemic issues were prevalent even before, they matter far more in the summer of 2021—when recovering small and medium enterprises have been walloped yet again by a period of uncertainty due to the second wave of covid-19.
One key enduring worry for small and big businesses alike is a restriction on taking credit for the GST paid on raw materials and services if the seller has not yet deposited the taxes collected with the government. What is the sanctity of an invoice issued by the seller or of an electronic permit generated by an official website for transportation of goods if these are not enough for the buyer to claim credit for the taxes he or she paid, asked the businessman quoted above.
“If nobody honours an invoice, what is the need to invest in computerised billing systems?" he wondered.
An email sent to the spokespersons for the finance and corporate affairs ministries and to the office of the revenue secretary seeking comment for this story remained unanswered.
A regulatory trend
Because the responsibility for collecting indirect tax and paying the government falls on the seller in most cases, buyers depend on the seller’s compliance to get credit for the taxes that they paid. The authorities find it hard to grant the credit if they have not received it from the seller. Since October 2019, GST authorities have scaled back the extent of tax credits available to businesses where suppliers have not uploaded details. Now, it is capped at 5% compared to 20% earlier.
In the case of a capital goods purchase, if the seller does not upload the details of a sale, the buyer is unable to claim a depreciation benefit for it.
The troubles that plague micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) point to a regulatory trend which was designed with honest intentions—of bringing more transparency to transactions and creating a digitised economy under the penetrating gaze of a tech-driven regulatory ecosystem.
The government’s intention is to improve its oversight of businesses, raise the quality of corporate governance, and improve India’s historically low tax compliance, which will in turn help lower tax rates for all. But many MSMEs find that journey arduous, if not perplexing.
The unfinished nature of GST, the cost of hiring consultants to handle compliance, the sustained tightening of tax rules and what firms describe as a “not so friendly user interface" of the GST Network are all making life unnecessarily difficult, entrepreneurs complain. With the income tax department, GST authorities and the Customs department increasingly sharing data on transactions in the economy, mismatches have to be avoided at all cost.
Steps to improve transparency are welcome but genuine businesses should not get hurt in the process, industry representatives said. “If we are able to plug leakages and prevent instances of fraud, that is a good thing but if genuine taxpayers are criminalised as an unintended consequence, it is not a good thing," said Sanjay Aggarwal, president of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “In general, the compliance burden on MSMEs should come down—whether it is GST, income tax or even on banking."
More and more companies have been made to report business-to-business transactions in real time to a portal run by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for greater oversight of economic activity and to check GST evasion.
This requirement, first brought into effect in October 2020 for businesses with ₹500 crore of annual sales, applies to those with ₹50 crore in sales from 1 April 2021. The government’s idea is to make it applicable to all eventually.
PHD Chamber, meanwhile, has been pressing for various compliance requirements to be eased. Doing away with the requirement of a separate GST registration in each of the states a business operates is one of them. Lowering the threshold for presumptive taxation—levying tax on small businesses that are not required to keep books of account on the basis of an estimate—is another.
At present, businesses with sales of ₹2 crore and less can sign up for presumptive taxation and 6% or 8% of their gross receipts will be treated as their income subject to riders. Businesses want the sales threshold to be raised. Lowering the threshold for tax audits is yet another demand.
“These are pain points. Individually, they may not seem to be much but their cumulative impact on business is large. The point is, MSMEs are in bad shape now and need a lot of support," said Aggarwal.
The tech-enabled regulatory oversight regime covers everything from individual transactions to invoices, tax returns and the way books of accounts are maintained. In March, the corporate affairs ministry introduced a change in the bookkeeping norms that mandated compulsory use of software that preserves audit trails.
Responding to pleas from the industry for more time, the government quickly deferred it to 1 April 2022. The new software requirement mandates that every company that has an accounting software to maintain books should use only software capable of recording the audit trail of each and every transaction.
With technology emerging as the backbone of the oversight push, there is one big winner—business fintech firms that marry technology and legal expertise to help businesses stay on the right side of the law. For these entities, the increasing compliance and disclosure standards are proving to be a major opportunity.
Tax technology has become a key vertical in the business of many advisory firms. The technology and software tools that they offer plugs into their clients’ business management software and guides them by generating a calendar of tax due dates and other requirements under various state and central laws.
Although there are numerous central and state laws, businesses have to give special attention to about 150 key laws that they need to follow strictly, according to consultants.
According to Kapil Rana, founder and chairman of HostBooks Ltd, a service provider, the potential market is huge with around 50-55 million small businesses operating in the country.
“Prior to GST introduction, the market was scattered since different states had different tax structures. With GST, the market got integrated and got a fillip," said Rana. HostBooks has about eight products which can be used individually for different functions or could be adopted as a single solution.
It is not only consultants who gain from the transformation of the regulatory landscape though. Remaining fully compliant improves a businesses’ access to credit. They can also access finance on the basis of receivables. “As enterprises try to grow their business and become financially sound, it is imperative that they follow high transparency standards," said Archit Gupta, founder and chief executive officer of ClearTax, a tax and financial services software platform.
Indeed, many small businesses want to remain compliant but what dissuades them is the cost. According to Mukul Shrivastava, partner, forensic and integrity services, at EY, a large number of organisations have the intent to remain compliant with statutory requirements but are not prepared to make the necessary investments because of the cost that it entails.
According to industry estimates, the cost of adopting technology solutions in the case of a small retail shop is in the range of ₹12,000-24,000 a year and in the case of a business with up to ₹10 crore in sales, it is in the range of ₹30,000-50,000.
“The intention is not to evade, and they will generally rectify a breach as soon as it is identified by them, or when the authorities send any intimation. Their weakness is that they do not know what all to comply with, and hence this is more in the nature of trial and error," said EY’s Shrivastava.
Impact on exchequer
Sustained efforts to step up tax compliance has had a telling effect on GST receipts. Central and state governments collected a record ₹1.41 trillion in GST in April in spite of the second wave of the pandemic, which induced lockdowns in several parts of the country. Since October, GST revenues have stayed above ₹1 trillion each month.
According to the government, effective tax administration, deep data analytics and closer monitoring against fake-invoicing have contributed to the improvement in GST receipts along with a nascent economic recovery.
Industry watchers, however, point to other possible reasons too—an increase in commodity prices, among others. Basic metal prices, for instance, have been rising at double-digit rates year-on year since December and the increase was 16.6% in March and 19.25% in April, official data showed.
When primary articles become costlier, it tends to push up downstream product prices too. Industry watchers also point to the trend of high spending during election months as a possible factor for improved tax collections. Also, year-end efforts by businesses to meet sales targets in March would have helped in improved collections in April. Taxes for March sales are collected in April.
It remains to be seen whether GST collections will sustain the growth momentum. Official data showed that the electronic permits generated for movement of goods had contracted by around 17.5% in April from the level seen in March. Taxes for April sales is due in May.
To be sure, there have been some beneficial fallouts too from the tech-driven push to transform the regulatory architecture. Tax return forms—both GST and income tax—will increasingly come pre-filled.
Another example is the availability of faceless income tax assessments—a way of electronically processing tax returns which get picked up for scrutiny without a personal interface between a taxpayer and officials.
Cases are selected for scrutiny for various reasons, including mismatches, discrepancies or suspected tax evasion. Only in about 8-10% of all the faceless assessment orders issued so far has any addition of taxable income been made, Mint reported on 8 April quoting Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman P C Mody.
Also, the corporate affairs ministry is working on a plan to start adjudication of company law violations that are compoundable in nature—offences in which the charges are dropped in return for the payment of a penalty—entirely in the virtual mode by the Registrars of Companies and Regional Directors starting October.
But despite these gains, many MSMEs will inevitably find it difficult to sink time and effort into onerous regulatory mandates, even as they struggle to stay afloat in the months ahead. The second wave of the pandemic has put a bigger burden on small businesses. MSMEs are on a tight spot today, said PHD Chamber of Commerce’s Aggarwal.
“Considering that wide swathes of the country are under movement restrictions, there has been a substantial fall in demand. On the one hand, MSMEs have lost a lot of migrant workers and they do not have orders. It has become difficult," he said.
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Entrepreneurs are more interested in having fun than making money, a report has revealed.
In the London School of Economics and Shell Livewire study, The Changing Face of UK Entrepreneurism, profit was found to no longer be of paramount importance for self-starting tycoons, more, it is the ability to create fun and dynamic teams, cultures and lifestyles that motivates them.
The report also revealed that entrepreneurs’ role models are those renowned for social consciousness and style. It mentions the founders of smoothie drinks company Innocent, Virgin king Richard Branson and dot-com success stories as “heroes of today’s entrepreneurs”.
James Smith, chairman of Shell UK, said: “With the likes of Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice filling our television screens, it seems that entrepreneurialism is very much in vogue.
“Encouraging innovative ideas, supporting their commercialisation and celebrating success are vitally important to all organisations of whatever size.”
Shell Livewire has provided more than 70,000 young people with tailored business start-up advice over the past three years, and operates in more than 20 countries.


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Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli cited "unimaginable times" for the auto industry, in announcing additional cuts that reportedly amount to an additional 5,000 white-collar jobs, on top of 29,000 blue- and white-collar jobs Chrysler has already cut in the last two years.
Employees will be briefed on their options from Oct. 24 to Nov. 5. Often when "voluntary" buy-out programs are announced, it's with the idea that if enough people accept a severance package, there will be no need for involuntary pink slips. However, this time around, Chrysler warned there will be involuntary cuts regardless, by the end of December.
Besides "voluntary" retirements and salaried-worker buyouts, Chrysler will offer "enhanced benefits," to include both cash vouchers and vouchers for new vehicles. By "enhanced" benefits, that probably means "enhanced" in terms of being more valuable than the involuntary cuts to come.
Chrysler also said it will "more diligently control spending," and cut back on "all discretionary and overhead expenses and reduce capital expenditures not connected to major product programs."
Amid widely reported rumors that Chrysler and Chrysler's parent company, Cerberus, are negotiating with General Motors for some sort of takeover or merger, Nardelli told employees that Chrysler would, "make additional organizational and restructuring announcements in the near future as the Company works to find new ways to operate."
That was in an Oct. 24 Nardelli letter to employees that was excerpted on a Chrysler blog for journalists.
"These are truly unimaginable times for our industry. We continue to be in the most difficult economic period most of us can remember. The combination of troubled financial markets, difficult credit, volatile commodity prices, the housing crisis and declining consumer confidence continues to weigh on the economy. Never before have auto industry sales contracted at such a fast rate," Nardelli said.


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Membership in the WTO is of no benefit to us—it actually does us great harm! It has damaged our economy and caused us to forfeit our sovereignty. The WTO now controls us, causing us to have no control over our own affairs. By signing the agreement with the World Trade Organization, the U.S. Congress agreed to concede a major portion of our sovereignty and usurp our democratic legislative process, including:
Tag Archives: WTO
Nearly everything in a tech store has a label “Made in China” on it. In fact, it is almost difficult to find something that isn’t made in China. Not only has this flood of goods from China put our companies out of business, but they are hurting, even killing people. Counterfeit high end bikes, wheels, and helmets from China are putting people’s life in grave danger.
World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations created in the 1990s with regard to financial services still allow for the kind of trading and exchange that nearly destroyed the world banking system. And because the U.S. government submits to the will of the WTO, a potential challenge to laws from that body would force a reversal.
One of the main reasons our Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) do not work is due to the fact that other countries immediately implement a value-added tax system after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), while the U.S. still has not implemented a VAT. Free Trade Agreements either eliminate all or most of the tariffs between two countries. Once a country joins the World Trade Organization (WTO) that country then almost immediately implements a VAT system or raises their VAT to replace their tariffs. The VAT acts just like a tariff but is entirely in line with WTO standards. The result of this system is that American exports are essentially economically blocked by other nations.
No country or civilization has ever risen to such wealth and power to have receded so quickly to stagnation, dependency and indebtedness. The reason is twofold: our disastrous “free trade” agreements and our membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO).


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LifeLock recently alerted its customers that its digital wallet — a piece of smartphone software that holds folks’ personal credentials — is not PCI compliant.
That means, according to a consensus in the payments industry, the technology is just not safe for people to use.
As a result, the Arizona company is deleting the software from all of the app stores, Google Play and Amazon, included. Separately, LifeLock is also deleting customers personal information from its internal servers. Just to be sure.
The payments card industry standard dictates how payment card information should be stored.
From a disclosure:
We have determined the app is not fully compliant with payment card industry (PCI) security standards, and we are taking immediate steps to correct this and ensure the ongoing safety of your personal information.
It’s important for you to know that we have no reason to believe your personal information, including credit card numbers and other data, has been compromised as a result of the PCI compliance issue.
This does not affect [a customer’s] ability to use your credit cards or other information you have uploaded to LifeLock Wallet.
Late last year, LifeLock acquired Lemon Wallet for $42.6 million. (Read the TechCrunch story, here.)
More on payments card standard (from Wikipedia):
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a proprietary information security standard for organizations that handle cardholder information for the major debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM, and POS cards.
Defined by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, the standard was created to increase controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraudvia its exposure. Validation of compliance is performed annually, either by an external Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) that creates a Report on Compliance (ROC) for organizations handling large volumes of transactions, or by Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for companies handling smaller volumes.
It’s worth keeping in mind that PCI standards are the bare minimum that every business has to comply with — from the deli on the corner to, yes, even Target before and after its infamous data breach debacle.
The LifeLock snafu also calls into question Lemon Wallet’s founder, Wences Casares, the same dude behind Bitcoin vault Xapo.
Just another reason for top banking regulators, both state and federal, to be concerned.


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Updates to Anti-Social Media
Sophos: Facebook battles tiny startup over privacy accusations John E. Dunn remarks:
“You can argue Six4Three’s allegations either way … they’re another example of the way the company perfectly understood the value of its user data and wanted to monetise it.”
“Alternatively, by restricting third parties, Facebook was simply reigning in risky access that privacy advocates believe should never have been allowed in the first place.”
ESET: UNICEF now using cryptocurrency mining for fundraising – “So far in 2018, the NGO has launched two charity campaigns with the aim of raising funds through cryptocurrency mining.”
Technode: Qihoo 360 discovers high-risk security issues in EOS, says 80% digital wallets have problems – “Blockchain platform EOS is facing a series of high-risk security vulnerabilities, according to Chinese cybersecurity company Qihoo 360 […] EOS is a blockchain-based, decentralized system that enables the development, hosting, and execution of commercial-scale decentralized applications (dApps) on its platform.”
Updates to GDPR page
The Register: Businesses brace themselves for a kicking as GDPR blows in – “Securing company data just got even harder”
The Register: Softbank’s ‘Pepper’ robot is a security joke – “Big-in-Japan ‘bot offers root access through hard-coded password and worse bugs too”
Sophos: California tests digital license plates. Is tracking cars next? – Lisa Vaas comments: ‘Yes, now we can add license plates to the pile of “do we really need xyz IoT thing,” which already includes internet-enabled fridges, toasters, washing machines and coffee makers.’ And mentions quite a few of the issues that this initiative raises. What could go wrong?
Interesting paper: Post-Spectre Threat Model Re-Think
Updates to Mac Virus
(1) Bleeping Computer: Malware Found in the Firmware of 141 Low-Cost Android Devices – “Two years after being outed, a criminal operation that has been inserting malware in the firmware of low-cost Android devices is still up and running, and has even expanded its reach.”
Dr Web report from 2016: Doctor Web discovers Trojans in firmware of well-known Android mobile devices – “Doctor Web’s security researchers found new Trojans incorporated into firmwares of several dozens of Android mobile devices. Found malware programs are stored in system catalogs and covertly download and install programs.”
Avast report from 24th May 2018: – “The Avast Threat Labs has found adware pre-installed on several hundred different Android device models and versions, including devices from manufacturers like ZTE and Archos. The majority of these devices are not certified by Google.”
(2) Meanwhile, Sophos’ Matt Boddy has been looking at how to find out the answer to the question Are your Android apps sending unencrypted data? He says:
“My concerns led me to do some network analysis on popular Android apps, following the methodology set out in the OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide.
I’ll tell you what I did, what I discovered and how you can do it too.”
Updates to Anti-Malware Testing
AMTSO has issued press releases – AMTSO Membership Approves Major Step Forward in Testing Standards and AMTSO Announces Full Adoption of Testing Protocol Standard following the approval by a majority of AMTSO members of its Draft Standards and authorization of a working group at the recent AMTSO meeting.
No information at present on exactly how the voting went, which I’d like to have seen in the interests of transparency.


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Nintendo’s financials for the three months ending June 30 have shown flagging sales of ¥81.5 billion, with the total number of global Wii U hardware sales for the quarter at just 160,000.
Q1 net sales of ¥81.5 billion, down 3.8% year-on-year.
Q1 net income of ¥8.6 billion, 63.7% of total net sales came from overseas
Full-year net sales projection is ¥920 billion and net income of ¥55 billion.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf was Nintendo’s biggest Q1 seller at 1.54 million global units. Has now hit 5.4 million life-time sales.
In the company’s financial report, Nintendo confirmed that the ¥81.5 billion ($832.6m / £547.5m) net sales figure was down 3.8% on the same quarter last year, which raked in ¥84.8 billion.
The report adds that gross profit hit ¥36.4 billion, net profit hit ¥8.6 billion, and 63.7% of total net sales came from overseas markets. By contrast, Nintendo incurred a net income loss of ¥17.2 billion in the same quarter last year.
This year saw operating income of ¥4.924 billion down from last year’s ¥10.331 billion, suggesting that Nintendo’s decision to stay away from E3 and focus on internet campaigns like Nintendo Direct has helped the company trim some fat.
The company now forecasts net sales for the fiscal year ended March 2014 at ¥920 billion and net income at ¥55 billion.
The report states that Wii U hardware sales for the quarter were 0.16 million units (160,000) while software hit 1.03 million.
An excerpt reads, “Although the Wii U hardware sales still have a negative impact on Nintendo’s profits, gross profits were ¥36.4 billion mainly owing to the fact that the proportion of the software sales over net sales increased and the profitability of the Nintendo 3DS hardware improved.
3DS & Software Overall
In software, Nintendo’s biggest-hitter for the quarter was Animal Crossing: New Leaf on 3DS at 1.54 million units sold worldwide, followed by Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon at 1.43 million units and Tomodachi Collection at 1.39 million units.
Incredibly, Animal Crossing: New Leaf has sold 5.4 million copies since its initial launch in Japan.
No Wii U title passed the one million sales mark.
For incoming game releases in Japan, The Legend of Zelda Wii U is now pegged for an ‘Early 2014’, Mario Kart 8 is still down for Spring, Super Mario 3D World is still simply a ‘End of 2013’ release, while Yoshi’s New Island remains undated.
2014 will also yield the Japanese release of Bayonetta 2, Yarn Yoshi, Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and “A brand new title from Monolith Software Inc.”
Moving onward, the report states that Nintendo will help more Japanese studios release their games overseas and that it will continue to ramp up digital sales in an effort to improve profitability.


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Why Brand Suitability is Important in 2023 and Beyond
Daily digital media consumption is predicted to increase by nine minutes to eight hours and 23 minutes in 2023. That’s a lot of time spent reading articles, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and viewing shows and movies online. This is great news for the digital advertising industry. The opportunities for marketers to reach and engage consumers are virtually endless with so much of our lives now being spent online.


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The vivo X100 Pro, the high-end smartphone, is the first to have the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset. The new processor has sparked a lot of debate because of its unique all-performance core. Many are wondering if it can sustain its performance or if throttling will offset all the benefits.
The Dimensity 9300 is manufactured on TSMC’s third-generation 4nm+ process and offers a 40% improvement in peak performance compared to last year’s Dimensity 9200 while using 33% less power. It has four Cortex-X4 cores and four Cortex-A720 units. The GPU is the Immortalis-G720 MC12.
Initial tests suggested a 54% drop in performance after 15 minutes in a CPU throttling test. However, a full review found that the performance only dropped to 73% of its initial power after 40 minutes, which is better than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside the iQOO 12.
In terms of performance, the X100 Pro is slightly behind the iQOO 12 in the single-core test but ahead in the multi-core test. In Antutu 10, the X100 Pro and the iQOO 12 scored over 40% higher than other smartphones. In GFXBench, the vivo consistently outscored the iQOO, scoring 20 to 30% higher than last year’s Snapdragons.
In 3DMark testing, the Dimensity 9300 had a slight edge in the ray tracing Solar bay test and the Wildlife Extreme test, but lost in the simpler Wildlife test. Overall, the Dimensity 9300 in the X100 Pro has proven to be stable and powerful, demonstrating impressive performance in various benchmark tests.
The new MediaTek chip is showing promise and could provide strong competition in the high-end smartphone market. The X100 Pro’s implementation of the Dimensity 9300 has proven to be stable and powerful, with impressive performance in various benchmark tests. This places it as a strong contender in the high-end smartphone market.


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Genius hacker uses AI to help Amazon Alexa respond to sign language
Artificial intelligence is used to turn sign language into spoken words
As smart as voice assistants like Siri, Alexa and the Google Assistant are, they are in danger of leaving deaf people behind, due to most smart speakers not having a screen.
Given their ability to help around the home - switching on lights, adjusting the heating, locking doors and controlling other devices - it would be a shame if smart speakers were unable to assist consumers who might benefit more from their abilities than the rest of us.
Spotting their shortfall, software developer Abhishek Singh has come up with a solution, by creating a program which uses a webcam to read sign language, then speaks this aloud to a nearby Alexa device.
When the device replies, it's spoken messages are then heard by the program and written on a computer screen for the deaf user to read.
A video uploaded by Singh to YouTube shows how responsive the application is, recognizing his signing and turning the gestures into spoken words in a matter of seconds - and certainly quick enough for Alexa to understand what's going on.
The video demonstrates how a deaf person can use sign language to ask Alexa to read the weather forecast, convert a measurement from feet into meters, say the current time, and add items to the user's shopping list.
Singh says he used the TensorFlow.js deep learning software to teach the app sign language, which is read out by a laptop using Google's text-to-speech system, which the nearby Amazon Echo speaker hears and responds to.
"The project was a thought experiment inspired by observing a trend among companies of pushing voice-based assistants as a way to create instant, seamless interactions," Singh told Fast Company. "If these devices are to become a central way we interact with our homes or perform tasks, then some thought needs to be given to those who cannot hear or speak. Seamless design needs to be inclusive in nature," he added.
Although Singh's solution uses a laptop placed near to an Echo speaker, it doesn't take much imagination to see how such a system could be added to the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Look smart speakers, which include a webcam and a display. Sign language could also be added to the upcoming Google Smart Displays, which are due on sale later this month and give the Google Assistant a screen and camera.


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AUGUST APPAREL JOBS LOSS IS ‘WORST IN SIX MONTHS’
Byline: Alison Maxwell
WASHINGTON — Employment in the domestic apparel and textile manufacturing industries continued to erode in August, declining by 12,000 jobs from July amid an otherwise strong national labor market, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The apparel industry ended August employing a seasonally adjusted 670,000 workers, down 10,000 from July and 89,300 below year-ago levels. Meanwhile, textile employment fell 2,000 workers in August to 557,000, which is 37,700 below August 1998 levels.
“The dropoff in apparel this month is the worst that it’s been in six months,” said Labor Department Chief Economist Harry Holzer. “But this is just part of a long-term decline, and some months will be worse than others.”
“Companies are going offshore,” remarked Carl Priestland, an apparel industry consultant. “The continuing price pressures are just forcing them to. They don’t feel that they can compete domestically.”
The drop in apparel and textile jobs occurred as the national unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent in July. The economy, however, created only 124,000 jobs in August, after adding 338,000 in July. Economists had predicted the addition of 200,000 to 300,000 jobs.
“It’s hard to characterize this as a good or bad report,” said Larry Horowitz, an economist with Boston-based Primark Decision Economics. “It reflects a slight slowing of the economy in general and a lack of rebound in the manufacturing sector in August, but there may be some seasonal factors going on.”
Holzer said the loss of jobs in the apparel and textile industries would not hurt the U.S. economy in general, but could impact certain areas of the country.
“Apparel is part of a larger problem in manufacturing that we’ve lost over 400,000 jobs over the last year and a half,” Holzer said. “Some of those jobs may come back, but the apparel jobs probably won’t, and that will affect the workers in regions of the U.S. that are more dependent on garment plants.” The average apparel workweek in August was 37.2 hours, down slightly from July’s average week of 37.4 and the August 1998 week of 37.6. The average textile workweek was 40.9 hours, down from 41.3 in July and 41.2 last year.
Employment at apparel and accessories stores in August dropped by 5,000 jobs to 1,182,000 from 1,187,000 in July, but it was up 30,000 jobs above a year ago. Department stores for the month showed a gain of 6,000 jobs to 2,484,000 from 2,478,000, and that was 98,000 jobs above August 1998.


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More than 50 million consumers are expected to shop this Saturday, Nov. 24 specifically to support small, local businesses on what has become known as Small Business Saturday. Carroll County, for the third straight year, is offering its passport program to incentivize patronizing local businesses.
Two Towson shopping centers, Towson Town Center and The Shops at Kenilworth, are gearing up for busy holiday shopping on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and later in December at Kenilworth, there will be "Procrastinators Night."
It has evolved into the biggest single day for sales in the holiday season for some independent businesses, and one of the biggest days for others. Increased shopper traffic – much of it generated by publicity from the giant credit card issuer and by community and business associations -- pays off in other ways too. It attracts new customers who otherwise wouldn't think to patronize smaller shops and reminds residents about locally owned shops in their own backyards.
Downtown Bel Air was bustling with holiday shoppers Saturday as people took advantage of post-Thanksgiving deals and made an effort to patronize independently-owned businesses for Small Business Saturday.
The "Shop Small" campaign started six years ago as an American Express-created "holiday" to get consumers to think about patronizing, independent local establishments during the Black Friday weekend. This year, neighborhoods and businesses throughout the Baltimore region participated in special events and promotions.
Businesses were working hard to get customers to their stores, at a time when Black Friday gets diluted by online shopping, new "holidays" like Small Business Saturday and more scattered opening times.
Kids home from school, and some adults home from work, might not have ventured out into the Laurel streets lightly dusted with snow, but the weather Monday was just right for Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to do some holiday shopping.
Shopping holidays have their place, but the business textbook basics – quality product, effective promotion, prominent placement and reasonable price – will always carry the day when it comes to attracting and keeping customers, long after the hype has faded.
Despite extra time to shop as more retailers opened for business on Thanksgiving Day, consumers spent less money this year during the first four days of the official start of the holiday shopping season, according to figures released Sunday by the National Retail Federation.
Scores of independent merchants in the Baltimore area did their part Saturday to get the "Shop Small" message out for the fourth annual Small Business Saturday. American Express launched the initiative four years ago to help small shops compete with national chains and online sellers during the traditional kickoff weekend to the holiday retail season.
Harford County holiday shoppers may have flooded local retailers Thanksgiving evening and Friday morning for traditional Black Friday sales, but there will be plenty of great pre-Christmas deals to choose from in the shops along the main downtown streets of Bel Air, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace during Small Business Saturday.
Experts predicted that 33 million Americans planned to go shopping on Thanksgiving Day, and Baltimore-area shoppers were no exception. Many Marylanders hit the stores in between Thanksgiving dinners and the nighttime Ravens-Steelers game.
By By Pamela Wood, Alison Knezevich, Jamie Smith Hopkins and Lorraine Mirabella and The Baltimore Sun


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A typical growth cycle of a country includes higher incomes translating into higher savings. These higher savings lead to even higher investment. That further leads to more high-paying jobs and more people with even higher incomes. Such a cycle needs to go on like an assembly line in a factory for economies to grow.
In the case of India, systemic shocks since 2013 have disrupted that virtuous cycle, opines Morgan Stanley, a global bank, in a new report last week. While the report does not single out those shocks, one can safely assume that those include demonetisation, goods and services tax rollout and the lockdowns enforced during the pandemic since March 2020.
The sharp fall in growth was not followed by any quick recovery in investments, especially in the private sector. While large private corporations are using their balance sheet muscle to sustain themselves despite a slump in demand for goods and services, small and medium-sized businesses, continue to suffer. They create jobs in large numbers and presently are unable to do so. That presents a significant challenge, and this column has argued that the government needs to do more to improve the delivery of credit or grants to small businesses.
There is a lot of chatter in the analyst world that India needs to boost manufacturing due to problems due to sour trade relations between China and America. However, that is a big challenge on the ground. A lot has happened during the pandemic.
At least three foreign companies — Harley Davidson, General Motors and Ford Motors — have stopped the assembly of vehicles in India. That is a terrible news. Not only it puts out factory workers directly employed by these companies out of work, but a whole chain of auto-ancillaries and related services also faces a business cut.
What it means to your money
While the government continues to find a way out, you need to identify pockets of growth. Your money needs to grow for you to meet your life goals. There is merit in identifying sectors that would create more jobs. They are more likely to witness faster growth than sectors where demand is slow. Financial services, consumer technology, agriculture supply chain, and related technology are areas where new money is currently invested. Venture Capitalists invested close to $17 billion between January and July of 2021 in companies like e-commerce companies like Flipkart, education-oriented ones like Byju’s and upGrad and many others in India. That is second only to China, according to reports.
The key to your success is appropriate asset allocation. In your investment habits lies an opportunity. A lot of you have started to dabble in the stock market. The number of demat accounts opened lately indicate a significant surge like never before. For almost two decades, the total demat accounts in India hovered between two crore and 2.5 crore. It has suddenly jumped to near seven crore over the past two years. There was a boost to stock market trading during the pandemic. However, mobile technology is a significant enabler.
A similar expansion of the market was witnessed in the insurance sector, mutual funds and retail banking. Even after that, India remains a significantly ‘under-serviced market for financial services. In comparison to the world, fewer people have access to them. That presents an opportunity for growth.
If you can study businesses and buy individual companies that you think would grow with the economy, you must do that.
Your long-term savings must be channelised into funds that target growth businesses. Equity markets tend to outperform all other asset classes in the long term. Two things influence equity prices. These include the nation’s economic growth and interest rates. All predictions suggest the country could be on the road to recovery after a dramatic fall in growth in 2020. Interest rates are most likely to remain low too. That should allow small and large businesses to bounce back.
If you are not into direct investing, you must give equity mutual funds or exchange-traded funds a chance. Your retirement savings can benefit from the growth in equity assets.
2-2.5 cr Demat a/cs in india for 2 decades
7 crore Demat a/cs in india in last 2 years
Finding pockets of growth
Your money needs to grow for you to meet your life goals. There is merit in identifying sectors that would create more jobs. They are more likely to witness faster growth than sectors where demand is slow
(The author is editor-in-chief at www.moneyminute.in)


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Plans to create a £10million centre dedicated to celebrating the north-east’s marine life are progressing today with the launch of a fundraising campaign and pop-up shop.
The Greyhope Bay charity has taken over what was the Early Learning Centre in Aberdeen’s Bon-Accord Shopping Centre and filled it with displays about the ambitious project.
Tonight about 100 guests will attend a reception at the store and it opens to the public tomorrow morning.
The first step towards creating the proposed dolphin-spotting centre will be the construction of exhibition and cafe space from about 10 shipping containers at the site, near the Torry Battery.
The unique venue, called The Bridge, will cost £500,000 and supporters are being asked to donate cash to ensure it is up and running early next year.
Marine research scientist, Fiona McIntyre, is leading the project and was last night adding the finishing touches to its new city centre base.
She said: “We will be raising money at the shop, but what’s more important is spreading awareness of our plans and getting people behind them.
“If we can raise £50,000 through the crowd-funder, demonstrating the public’s appetite for it, we should be able to get match-funding and grants for The Bridge elsewhere.
“We want to highlight that Aberdeen is one of the best places in Europe to watch dolphins, you can see them almost every day.”
The pop-up shop features a cafe area with seating made from repurposed pallets, while a painstakingly crafted 3D map outlines where the centre will be located.
TV screens beam eye-catching footage of the area’s dolphin population cavorting off the coast and a table display of historic fishing tools reminds visitors of the region’s longstanding affinity with the sea.
The idea for the attraction was hatched when more than 3,500 people attended a gala day at Greyhope Bay last summer.
The shop will remain open for three months, and cash can be pledged towards the venture for eight weeks at


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Lake Michigan Shore Wine Fest is on the move
SAWYER, Mich. - A popular event for wine lovers in Southwest Michigan is undergoing a big change this weekend.
The Lake Michigan Shore Wine fest is moving.
It had been held at Weko Beach in Bridgman.
But now it will be held at Warren Dunes State Park Saturday from 1 p.m. until sundown.
Organizers say the move is because of the event's growing popularity.
They also say it's due to the increasing number of wineries in the area.
22 wineries are now involved in the Lake Michigan Wine Trail.
"We were getting a little crowded where we were so we've got a lot more space now and another great things is in the past you had to shuttle in and now you can drive right in and take your own parking spot," says Scott Soethe of Lemon Creek Winery.
Along with wine, you can also enjoy food and live music.
For more information on the festival, click HERE.


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Driving your car into a cramped parking space can be a harrowing experience, but BMW says it has developed a robotic parking system to solve the problem.
The luxury carmaker’s parking-assist technology will park your car for you as you stand outside and watch, according to BMW during the demo of a working prototype at its Munich headquarters this week.
All you do is press down on a remote-control button and your Beamer parks itself.
The parking system is very straightforward to operate, said Raymond Freymann, managing director of BMW group research and technology.
“You just press a button,” Freymann said. “It is something simple, but something that is really smart.”
The company says the technology will be available within three years.
There’s a movieclip of the car at the source article.


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Alertpay plans big for Bangladesh
Company’s local agent speaks to The Daily Star
Imrul Kayes Chowdhury
Since its inception in Bangladesh, Alertpay is becoming popular among the freelancers and IT exporters.
Within a week of its launch, Alertpay got 21,000 new members and growing rapidly, said Jamal Shah, COO of Casada Technology, the sole agent of Alertpay in Bangladesh, in an interview with The Daily Star.
Alertpay is a Canada-based online payment gateway service provider which operates in 190 countries in 23 different currencies across the globe.
It came to Bangladesh in the last week of February.
In the interview Shah said the signup process is a bit time consuming in Bangladesh at present due to its verification process. If someone wants to sign up, he or she needs to go through verification process after providing all the necessary information such as proof of address, national ID, bank account and all he said.
Although it should take two to three days for Alertpay to complete the process, it is taking time for them to verify as their operation is new here and our national IDs and other information are mostly in Bangla, Shah said.
Casada as sole agent here has proposed Alertpay to authorise it to verify the information so that the signup process can be fast.
When asked about its operation, Shah said transaction has been made through Alertpay and its operation is going good and it will continue to do so. Because, Shah said, the vehicles IT freelancers use to receive payments here are either expensive or lengthy unlike Alertpay.
Alertpay offers two things that no one has offered before in Bangladesh- online transaction and cost effectiveness.
As per Bangladesh Bank’s FE Circular No. 15, IT freelancers can receive up to $ 500 per transaction. Alertpay charges only 2.50 cents (about Tk 240) for this $500. However, Shah said, governor of Bangladesh Bank said that this 500 dollar window will expand which means more money can come with fewer fees.
“Alertpay has come to Bangladesh since there was no such service for our IT freelancers. They are not here for business only, they want to help people”, said Shah.
It took Alertpay almost one and half years to come. There were some roadblocks but with the help of Bank Asia, Alertpay overcame those.
“It is not an easy thing to adopt all the requirements of Bangladesh Bank and other local banks’ policies and come here”, said Shah.
He said Bank Asia understood the importance of it and assured all our support.
Bank Asia is the local partner of Alertpay and it has no plan to partner with any other banks now. Freelancers can get their money to any branch of any bank across the country.
For example, if someone has an HSBC account, he will get his money to that account via Bank Asia. And it will happen within that Tk 240 charge.
On the fact that one cannot send money from Bangladesh through Alertpay, Shah said it is a regulation by Bangladesh Bank. Alertpay received approval to operate here based on this rule. It does not affect Alertpay’s business though it’s a roadblock, Shah said.
He hoped that situation will change and people will be able to send money too through Alertpay.
When asked how Alertpay profits from this, Shah said they profit by taking a very minimum conversion fee when dollar is converted to taka.
Alertpay takes full responsibility for secured transaction. “They have monitoring teams who work 24×7 to provide secured transaction”, he said.
Shah said ogranisations like oDesk, ifreelance.com and others should also join hands with Alertpay to make it simple for our people to get their hard-earned money.
“Majority of our IT freelancers work through such sites and to receive their income they use money brokers or other means that are costly, whereas Alertpay is cheap”, he said.
He also said Alertpay has plans to expand its services in every possible e-commerece field in Bangladesh gradually. They are already working on it.
Alertpay will also bring its debit card to Bangladesh. Bank Asia as a local partner is already working on it. This debit card can be used across the globe.
Shah said Alertpay is open for competition because only competition can help maintain a good service otherwise it is bound to go down.


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By technical editor Matt Allard:
Some new information has been released regarding RED’s mysterious #4K4ALL announcement. According to Jarred Land over at RED USER, Raven will be RED’s new entry level digital cinema camera. It will cost $5950 US for just the camera Brain, and the release date is unknown at this stage. The price includes a fixed SSD Media Bay as well as the fixed Canon EF Mount. Whether other mounts will be available has not been announced yet. The official announcement for the Raven will be on the 25th of September.
RED Raven features a 4K Dragon sensor which is 20.48mm wide, a bit shy of Academy 35mm and APS-C. According to RED all your APS-C / S35 lenses should cover. The Raven will apparently be capable of up to 120fps 4K recording. It is part of the “DSMC²” family style of camera body along with Weapon, which likely means Raven will be compatible with the same accessories. RED RAVEN will be the lightest weight camera body in the DSMC² family.
According to Jarred Land, “The Raven doesn’t replace Scarlet, It’s a new category in our line up. Raven is a younger, hungrier, more “spirited” member of the RED family with a bit of a chip on his shoulder ready to take on the entire sub-$10k market with images that you will be incredibly proud of.”
A shooting package that will allow you to get up and running with 120GB MINI-MAGs, the new 4.7″ LCD Touch, and battery solution should be available for under $10k. RED has obviously seen the market for sub $10k and under cameras grow dramatically in recent times and it looks like they are trying to get people to buy into the RED ecosystem, with the eventual plan that users will want to upgrade to some of the companies more expensive cameras. It is probably not by accident that the #4K4ALL hashtag was being put out by RED right around the time the Sony FS5 was being launched.


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CNRG Purchases Alabama Building Center
December 29, 2011
Central Network Retail Group, LLC (CNRG) announced the acquisition of NFL Building Center, a lumber and building materials center located in Daphne, Ala. In addition to buying the operating assets of the Daphne store, CNRG will also reopen NFL’s Gulf Shores, Ala., location this spring. Doug Gregory, president of Morrison Terrebonne Lumber Center, and his partners will assume operating responsibility of NFL Building Center for CNRG. The transaction will close Jan. 1, 2012.
“Will Newberry and his partners at NFL Building Center, Jim Fisher and Joe Lovelady, built a great business on the Gulf Coast. We are proud to have the opportunity to add their stores in Daphne and Gulf Shores to our portfolio,” said Boyden Moore, president of CNRG. “We are also glad that Joe Lovelady will stay on with us and work with the CNRG team going forward.” The stores will continue to operate under the NFL Building Center name.
In Category: Headlines
Related: Buy, Football


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New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The government today allowed duty free import of up to 5,00,000 tonnes of raw sugar to boost domestic supplies and check price rise amid production fall.
The duty-free imports will be allowed until June 12 under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ), according to a notification laid in Parliament.
Elaborating on the notification, a government official said that southern ports will be allowed to import 3 lakh tonnes of raw sugar, western ports 1.5 lakh tonnes and eastern ports 50,000 tonnes.
The shipment quantity for each refinery will be decided by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) based on the parameters such as total refining capacity, capacity utilisation in the current year and demand in a particular area, the official told PTI.
Refineries will have to apply with DGFT for undertaking imports. "The cap on import quantity has been kept so that there is no adverse impact on next sugar marketing year and there is check on speculation during the end of the ongoing 2016-17 marketing year ending September," the official noted.
Raw sugar imports are feasible now as global prices are ruling lower at 16.2 cents per pound at present.
The sugar production in India, the worlds second largest producer and biggest consumer, is estimated to be much lower than the annual requirement of 24.5 to 25 million tonnes.
Sugar production, which the government has not yet released officially, is estimated to drop to 20.3 million tonnes in the ongoing 2016-17 marketing year from 25.1 million tonnes last year because of drought.
With an opening stock of 7.7 million tonnes, the country would have 28 million tonnes of sugar this year, which is much higher than the annual requirement. There are around 29 refineries in India. PTI LUX MKJ


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Google’s splashier investments–the self-driving cars, the cyborg face accessories, the “moonshots“–might grab all the headlines. As well they should! But it’s important to remember that the search giant’s more ambitious projects were all made possible by a less sexy technology that, to this day, quietly makes the company most of its billions: ads.
In Google’s version of the future, advertisements could literally be coming for your attention from all angles. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google sent a statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission in December, revealing that it could one day be serving ads on “refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches, to name just a few possibilities.” In the letter, which was revealed on Tuesday, Google was trying to make its case to the SEC that it shouldn’t have to disclose its mobile ad revenue, since the definition of “mobile” is constantly changing.
And to an extent, Google is right. One of the lesser discussed side effects of the so-called “Internet of Things” is the open-ended possibilities it offers for advertisers. Google’s acquisition of Nest Labs, for example, gives it a mainline to the intimate daily schedules and behavioral patterns of its users. If Google sprinkling ads inside your Gmail inbox made you feel squeamish, well…things are only going to get weirder.
Imagine coming home after a long day at the office. You’re too tired to fuss with making dinner, and Nest’s sensors–knowing you’re home later than usual because of all that motion data it has gobbled up–beams a Pizza Hut ad to your Chromecast-connected television. Or maybe even your glasses. Or the Google Now voice booming through your sound system.
While some people might find that possibility awesome, remember too that others will inevitably find ambient, ubiquitous commercials kind of creepy. When does it stop? What if the first thing you hear when your alarm rings in the morning is an ad for orange juice? What if I’m in the shower? Do I really want to reminded that my L’Oréal is running low when there’s soap everywhere?
It’s why some legislators would rather clamp down on potential, technology-abetted abuses of power before they happen. As Electronic Privacy Information Center president Marc Rotenberg told Fast Company in January: “The basic problem with the Internet of Things, unless privacy safeguards are established up front, is that users will lose control over the data they generate.”
For all the possibilities our hyper-tethered future opens up, it’s the unsexy stuff like advertising that has the potential to get the messiest.


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The Popularity of Black Friday Sales in Pakistan
SALE I DISCOUNT I FREE – Do we have your attention?
SALE, DISCOUNT and FREE are three words that can pull a crowd anywhere in the world. But when it comes to Pakistan, the mania can be pretty frantic. And this is what gives Black Friday such huge popularity here. Just the idea of getting something for lesser amount or getting two in the price of one is enough to force people into taking an off from work, skipping college or leaving the kids with their grandmothers.
Initiation of Black Friday
Interestingly enough, even though our population is such a fan of sales, Black Friday is only a recent advent. Taking place in the west for years, Black Friday came to Pakistan with the rise of internet shopping, particularly introduced by German Rocket Company’s online shopping domain, Daraz.pk. They became popular with their easy access to pretty much everything on the internet and delivery systems for homes.
So it was Daraz who decided to launch Black Friday in Pakistan, knowing that it will be accepted and promoted joyfully. According to the co-CEO of Daraz group Bjarke Mikkelsen, “Reaching Rs. 1 billion in sales on a single day is a milestone not only for Daraz, but for all of Pakistan. Ecommerce is no longer a small part of the market, but a cornerstone of the retail market.”
Other brands decided to jump in too like Yayvo, an online shopping forum by TCS. They were able to receive 60,000 orders that were for Rs. 200 million in the first week alone.
Other Black Friday Versions
Now everyone has jumped in, wanting to share the glories of Black Friday sales and revenues. The results are pretty spectacular because people have started waiting for the upcoming discounts with gusto.
Since Friday is associated with religious connotations among Muslims and Pakistanis can get sentimental about naming things, some businesses decided to name the sale day as ‘White Friday Sale’. Homeshopping.pk, being the primary promoter of White Friday, is offering discounts up to 70%!
Most brands that go on sale offer mind blowing options for people. It isn’t just online ventures who dedicatedly become a part of the sale festivities. From clothing brands to shoes, supermarkets to restaurants; everyone seems to be preparing for the variety of discounts and sale offers.
But who seem to be the happiest? Pakistanis off course! For them, it is now an international festival they too can joyfully be a part of. When once we only used to hear about grand sales taking place all over the world in the last few days of November, now Pakistanis can join in the sales season.
Are you ready for the upcoming sales?
Tell us about your plans for this Black Friday Sale in the comments below.


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Russian tech company Mail.ru Group will additionally invest $60 million in the AliExpress Russia joint venture, Vedomosti reported citing to the company's press release.
After approval by the board of directors, the company provided AliExpress Russia with $60.3 million in exchange for additional newly issued shares of the joint venture, the Mail.ru Group said. They plan to use the invested funds to develop the logistics of AliExpress Russia, expand the categories of goods, as well as improve the level of service.
Mail.ru Group will participate in the round together with a number of other shareholders. Now the company owns 15% of the economic interest and 17.6% of the voting share in the asset. After the completion of the round, which is planned for the 4th quarter of 2021, no significant changes in the shares of the company are expected, according to Mail.ru Group.
In July 2021, Mail.ru Group released its financial results for the second quarter of 2021, according to which the company’s aggregate segment revenue increased by 17.4% year-on-year to $406 million (29.9 billion rubles).


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FunTech Innovation (FTI) is excited to announce the debut of their latest Innex and Ideao series at the ISE (Integrated Systems Europe). The event takes place from January 31st to February 3rd, 2023 at the Fira Barcelona in Spain, and is expected to bring together the top professionals in the industry of Pro AV, IT, system integration, and unified collaboration.
With the growing trend of hybrid work, meeting rooms with video conference capability have become an essential part of the modern office. As companies adapt to the changing needs of their employees, conference rooms have had to evolve to accommodate both in-person and remote attendees. This has led to an increased demand for technology-driven conference room solutions that can deliver seamless and immersive collaboration experiences.
In light of this, FTI is proud to introduce its latest offering, the Innex Cube, a 360° AI-powered tabletop conference cam. Designed specifically to meet the needs of today’s hybrid workforce, the Innex Cube delivers a unique combination of cutting-edge technology and intuitive design, making it the ideal solution for companies looking to enhance their conference room experience.
The Innex Cube is a game-changing solution that offers not just an immersive 360° view, but with multiple built-in video modes, users can pick one mode that fits their meeting environment to best. From a regular mid-size meeting room, to huddle room, and town hall, the Innex Cube is flexible for various meeting rooms and scenarios. With its innovative design and easy-to-use AI modes, the Innex Cube is set to revolutionize the conference camera market and provide customers with a truly exceptional experience.
#Innex Conference Room Solutions
FTI is also announcing the debut of more products joining the Innex series, which represents a significant expansion of the offerings, providing customers with a wider range of video conferencing solutions to fit their unique needs. #InnexC580 4K ePTZ conference camera with enhanced AI voice tracking. #InnexShare wireless conferencing system with webcam video streaming, wireless casting, touch back, and content broadcast. #InnexST100 speakerphone with wireless camera streaming, all accessible in one type-c cable. #InnexDC500 4K foldable document camera featuring upgraded mechanical design and optical lens to provide vivid image for remote sessions.
The Ideao Hub 24” touch monitor not only provides a sleek and modern display for video conferencing, but also integrates a hub for all your devices, making it the ultimate solution for personal workspace, huddle room, and shared hotdesk. With its intuitive touch controls, smooth writing experience, and integrated hub connectivity, the #IdeaoHub upgrades any Windows computer into a giant Surface Pro, and enhances productivity in any workplace.
“We are thrilled to unveil our new product series at ISE,” said Eric Lee, founder & CEO of FTI. “Our team has worked tirelessly to bring this product to life and we are confident about it. We can’t wait to see the reaction from the industry professionals at the exhibition. The Innex Cube and Digital Table Solution represents the future of video conference.”
Attendees of the ISE exhibition will have the opportunity to see the new products in action and learn more about their unique features and capabilities. FunTech representatives will be on hand to answer any questions and provide demonstrations.
FunTech is also actively seeking partnerships and distributors. Please stop by our booth #2S200 to learn more about our products and how we can collaborate to bring the future of video conferencing to more people.”
For more information, visit our website funtechinnovation.com
Become a partner: email@example.com
About Fun Technology Innovation Inc. (FTI)
FTI designs innovative and AI powered collaboration solutions that revolutionize remote communication and create the most true-to-life experience in a virtual environment. Powered by big data and consumer insight discovery, we infuse fun, artistic design and surprising technologies into our products to deliver the most mind-blowing experience for people.


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Google expanded options for keeping personal information private from online searches.
Earlier this week, the company revealed that it will remove people’s personal contact information like phone numbers, email and physical addresses from search results.
In a statement, the search giant said open access to information is vital, “but so is empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their sensitive, personally identifiable information private.”
“Privacy and online safety go hand in hand. And when you’re using the internet, it’s important to have control over how your sensitive, personally identifiable information can be found,” it added.
Google has recently welcomed the European Union’s new regulations; Digital Services Act (DSA), that will police illegal content on social media giants like Meta’s platforms.
A Google spokesperson said the company welcomes the DSA’s goals but added it wants to work with EU policymakers to “get the remaining technical details right to ensure the law works for everyone.”
“We welcome the DSA’s goals of making the internet even more safe, transparent and accountable while ensuring that European users, creators and businesses continue to benefit from the open web,” the spokesperson told CNBC. “As the law is finalised and implemented, the details will matter.”


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Lampert, the German producers of PUK precision arc welding equipment, have announced three innovations at Baselworld.
Visit Stall D44 in Hall 4U to see:
- “INOSTAR®”, a newly developed electrode, which achieves better ignition and longer life. Original electrodes will remain available.
- Tin welding wires
- A new welding microscope with hydraulic pivoting arm


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By Ryan Duey
Jessica Tjaden, K-State Research and Extension SNAP-Ed nutrition educator, has restored and reopened the Kitchen Re-Store at the Lincoln Center in Marysville. The Re-Store provides kitchen items and cooking supplies at no cost to those in need.
Tjaden said it sat dormant for a couple of years.
The Re-Store relies on community donations of kitchen items and cooking supplies. Donations can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Lincoln Center, or you can contact Tjaden directly.
Tjaden is also planning to add to this new resource by hosting cooking classes for those in need.
Tjaden stated that there are no limitations on how many items can be taken. For information on donating or receiving items from the Kitchen Re-Store, you can contact Tjaden at 785-562-3531 or email her at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Is climate change ruining your SAUVIGNON BLANC? Temperature shifts could be causing wines to become corked
- Research led by University of Lisbon says quality of corks is decreasing
- They say this is due to thinning bark on the trees that produce wine corks
- Quercus suber trees have seen a drastic decline in quality in 20 years
- Thinner bark means the corks are worse at keeping air out of bottles
- The researchers say this could be because they are protecting themselves against increasing ultraviolet radiation resulting from climate change
- This has caused the bark to thin to just 10% of what it used to be
An abundance of low quality cork trees with thin bark may be ruining the quality of wine corks.
The reasons for the lower quality of trees, which has steadily declined for 20 years, can be attributed to climate change according to a team of researchers.
The bark of the trees might be being chemically changed by increased exposure to ultraviolet light as a result of climate change.
Research led by University of Lisbon says the quality of wine corks is decreasing. They say this is due to thinning bark on the trees that produce wine corks, known as Quercus suber trees (pictured). They have seen a drastic decline in quality in 20 years, and thinner bark means the corks are worse at keeping air out of bottles
HOW TO ENJOY THE PERFECT GLASS OF WINE
Enjoying the perfect glass of wine doesn't require you to shell out a lot of money on the most expensive bottle you can find.
Instead, the results of the world's largest multisensory wine experiment reveal that a simple change in colour and sound can affect the taste of wine by nearly 10 per cent.
Listening to supposedly 'sweet' and 'sour' music in a room with red or green lighting can significantly alter the taste of a glass of wine, according to the research
The full findings suggest red light and 'sweet' music is the ideal combination, increasing enjoyment by as much as nine per cent.
Green light and 'sour' music increased freshness and reduced intensity by 14 per cent.
‘It’s the same as someone moving from being ambivalent about the taste of something to really liking it,' said Professor of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University Charles Spence.
'And, with this experiment, that shift happened in seconds.'
The research, reported by Live Science, indicates are rather more unexpected consequence of climate change.
The genetic study was led by Dr Rita Teixeira of the University of Lisbon and shows how the £1.2 billion ($2 billion) cork industry is at risk.
While cork struggles to maintain its consistency, plastic and metal wine stoppers are on the rise.
To produce a good product, cork producers need bark at least one inch (25 millimetres) thick - if the cork is too thin it will let air into the bottle and ruin the wine.
But the trees, called Quercus suber trees, have undergone a drastic decrease in quality to the point where there bark is now as little as 0.1 inches (three millimetres) thick - just 10 per cent the optimum level.
The reason for this dramatic drop in just two decades was unknown but now Dr Teixeira and colleagues think the blame can be pointed at climate change – although she says there could be other culprits.
‘There are several factors like climate change, landscape changes and the dry seasons getting longer that could be causing the decline,' Dr Teixeira from the University of Lisbon told Live Science.
‘The change in bark quality may be the trees' way of adapting.’
To produce a good cork (stock image shown), producers need bark at least one inch (25 millimetres) thick - if the cork is too thin it will let air into the bottle and ruin the wine. But the trees have undergone a drastic decrease in quality to the point where there bark is now as little as 0.1 inches (three millimetres) thick
The trees grow only in southwest Europe and northwest Africa.
In their research the team analysed the genes of five high-quality and five low-quality cork trees in Portugal.
It was found the bad quality trees were much higher in compounds to protect themselves from the additional ultraviolet radiation, at the expense of bark thickness.
This suggests the trees are adapting to the increase in radiation from the environment.
Obviously, however, it is not just wine tasters that should be worried by this research.
It stands to reason that, if these trees are adapting to deal with a changing climate, so too might be others that provide different foods and products.
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According to the latest study ‘Experience in 2030: The future of building customer experience’" developed by Futurum Research, commissioned by SAS, by 2030, 67% of customer service activities will take place via intelligent machines. By 2030, intelligent machines will also be responsible for 69% of decisions taken during customer interaction.
“It is obvious that in the coming decade there will be a rapid expansion of the relationship between people and machines,” Daniel Newman, Principal Analyst, one of the founders of Futurum Research, said. He added, that companies will have to maintain a balance between providing experiences similar to human interactions while achieving immediate results expected by customers. The study showed that technology will be the main driving force behind creating new positive customer experience (CX). Companies need to change the way they think about the consumer ecosystem to keep pace with both today's customers accustomed to the high level of service and ever-changing consumer technologies.


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KENTWOOD -- While the man who runs a local comic book store fights to recover from gunshot wounds sustained in an apparent robbery, fellow comic fans and retailers from around the country are gathering money to help with medical costs and other expenses.
Police say David Pirkola was shot about 7 p.m. Friday as he worked at Apparitions Comics and Books, 2757 Ridgemoor Drive SE, by a man who entered the store demanding money.
The robber fled and remains at large, according to police. Meanwhile, 56-year-old Pirkola remains in critical condition at a local hospital, according to friends.
"This isn't something you do to get rich," said Peter Ryan, who is one of the partners in the Kentwood store as well as another store in Lansing. He said most comic book store owners are fans who turned their love of the medium into a business, but one that operates with tight margins.
It is a job that rarely comes with perks like comprehensive health plans, so an Internet site has been set up to collect money to be used for health costs and also to help Pirkola keep the store open.
On comic book-related Web sites, word of the robbery has been passed nationwide. Ronald Richards, of San Francisco, offered to use his comic book Web site as a host site for the account set up for Pirkola.
Richards said violent armed robberies are rare for comic book stores, most of the money in a comic store is tied up in the inventory.
"For this to happen to a retailer is disturbing," Richards said. "As you can imagine, no matter how speedy the recovery, getting back to running his business will be challenging."
Family members were at the hospital and a friend was at Pirkola's home taking care of his cats.
Stephen Jahner, one of the Lansing-based partners of Apparitions Comics and Books, said he is working to make sure that the store will not shut its doors while Pirkola is hospitalized.


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Ducati’s new Scramblers, AMG’s One gets a finish line, Big-Block Volvo Gasser
Ducati keeps the Scrambler party rockin’ with two new versions
Intake: Ducati is not letting its popular Scrambler stagnate. An update will bring two new iterations of the bike to showrooms worldwide: the Scrambler 1100 Tribute Pro and the Scrambler Urban Motard. The 1100 Tribute Pro is being released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Ducati’s signature twin-cylinder, air-cooled engine. Styling touches that tie the new model to those of the early ’70s include a brown seat with dedicated stitching, spoke wheels, and Giallo Ocra livery topped with a period-correct Ducati logo on the tank. The Urban Motard bike takes the Scrambler platform and refocuses it slightly by fitting a high-mount front fender, spoked 17-inch wheels, and number plates hung below the seat. The Motard sports the more rev-happy 803cc L-twin, while the Tribute Pro is equipped with the 1079cc L-twin tuned for bottom end grunt.
Exhaust: Taking a bike that was already retro-focused and dialing it up a notch is a fairly safe play, we’re not mad about it. For one, that vintage logo looks fantastic on the Tribute Pro gas tank. (High pipes are always a hit, too.) Ducati’s misuse of the term “motard,” however, we cannot forgive. A motard is traditionally based on a motocross machine that is converted to pavement or track usage. High-mount front fenders and tacked on number plates do not a motard make. Yes, handling will likely be a bit sharper with the front wheel losing one inch in diameter, but make no mistake, the Scrambler Urban Motard is a standard-class machine.
Mercedes-AMG One gets go-ahead for 2022 production
Intake: It’s been a long time coming, but the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar is finally headed to production in 2022, according to a report by Autocar. The 275 customers who placed orders for the F1-engined, 1000-plus horsepower machine are said to have been notified that their cars will begin rolling out of Affalterbach next year. When the car was first revealed in 2017, eager buyers shelled out over $2.5m and were told to expect delivery two years later. However, problems making the 1.6-liter turbocharged V-6 hybrid engine road-ready were greater than expected. These challenges included having to fit a gasoline particulate filter to meet emissions rules in Europe, and figuring out what to do about the race engine’s 5000 rpm idle speed—more than a little impractical for daily driving. When the One eventually does start hitting the road, we’ll discover whether it can still meet its manufacturers claimed 218 mph top speed and run on electric power alone for up to 16 miles.
Exhaust: Not since the Ferrari F50 has a car maker tried to build a road car with a Formula 1-derived motor and today’s hybrid engines are way more complex than the normally-aspirated V-12 that Ferrari took from the track. Mercedes has been changing power units and taking grid penalties this season due to reliability issues and that’s hardly something they can afford to do with a halo production car.
Totally bonkers Volvo P1800 gasser sports supercharged big block, runs 10s
Intake: What now? A U.K. father and his trio of daughters revamped a far-gone Volvo P1800 chassis with a full restoration, turning it into something truly insane. Nicknamed Ain’t No Saint, this monster sports a supercharged Chevy 454 big-block and full gasser setup. The 600-hp monster can run 10s in the quarter mile—its fastest pass thus far is a 10.01 at 133 mph. It was unanimously selected by a panel of judges as one of the finalists for a U.K. Hot Wheels Legends Tour competition in which the winning entry will become a 1:64-scale die-cast car.
Exhaust:Not only does this whole setup look wicked, this once-dainty Swede apparently has the speed to back it up. “This is a beautiful example of a gasser—a drag racer with street car form,” said famed designer Ian Callum, one of the judges in the panel that selected Ain’t No Saint as one of the finalists. “Often with dragsters, the chassis is so important that the body gets overlooked, but this example is fabulous with great attention to detail. It’s a super quality, beautifully-built car. And it completely hits the Hot Wheels brief.” We couldn’t agree more, Mr. Callum.
Listen to this Honda Jazz play sweet, uh, jazz
Intake: South African musician The Kiffness has riffed on his Honda’s squeaky glove box to create a jazz track that’s gone viral on YouTube. After realising the groaning glovebox sounded like a funky horn, he added a door slam, synthesized cymbals, drums, bass, piano and a live trumpet—all played from the front seat, even tooting the car’s horn in time. His Honda is, of course, a little Jazz hatchback.
Exhaust: If cool car sounds are your kind of jazz then maybe you’ll like the Lexus Mindfulness Tracks that the Japanese luxury car maker has released on Spotify. Developed with mindfulness expert Christoph Spiessens the tracks use sounds such as the tailgate warning bell, seat motors, engine idle and screen washers, to create a relaxing vibe.
California governor signs law banning new equipment with small gas-powered engines
Intake: California will outlaw the sale of new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, chain saws, and golf carts as early as 2024. Under a new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, all new small-engine equipment producing less than 25 horsepower must be zero-emission by a yet-to-be-determined date. (That horsepower threshold should exempt motorcycles and side-by-sides, on account that most of those engines are over 25 hp.) Proponents of the law say small internal-combustion engines create as much smog-causing pollution in California as light-duty passenger cars. Although legislators say $30 million has been set aside to help professional landscapers and gardeners make the transition to zero-emission equipment, the Los Angeles Times reports that an estimated 50,000 small businesses will be affected by the law, not to mention private individuals.
Exhaust: We all care about protecting the environment for future generations, but if our math is correct, $30 million shared among 50,000 businesses comes to $600 apiece. That isn’t going to go very far, especially for commercial-grade equipment used by landscapers. And how many batteries will be required to complete a full day’s work? Since California already struggles to provide enough electricity to avoid rolling blackouts—particularly during wildfire season when gas-powered generators are not a safe alternative—charging those batteries could prove to be tricky. On some days, it could even be impossible.
Tony Stewart is lending his magic touch to two-car NHRA drag team for 2022
Intake: For a man that’s spent the majority of his life going around in circles, Tony Stewart is poised make big waves in straight-line racing come 2022. Yesterday, the 50-year-old motorsports mogul announced that Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) will field two entries in NHRA drag racing competition. His fiancé and multiple-time NHRA winner, Leah Pruett will campaign a Top Fuel rail, while series veteran Matt Hagan will aim to add a fourth NHRA Funny Car championship to the mantle. Stewart, who tested a top fueler earlier this summer, confirmed he has no plans to hop in a car and compete in drag racing’s highest level. The new NHRA endeavor rounds out Stewart’s stacked ownership portfolio that already includes a four-car Cup Series operation, an Xfinity Series team, Ohio dirt track Eldora Speedway, and the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series.
Exhaust: Tony Stewart is no stranger to entering new disciplines. In the late-1990s, after winning an IndyCar championship, the man affectionately known as Smoke left full-time open-wheel racing in favor of stock car racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. There he won three driver championships prior to hanging up his helmet in 2016. As an owner, he’s also notched two Cup Series championships, and too many trophies to count in the grassroots circle track ranks. There is no doubt Stewart’s track record and his proven driver duo, combined with the sponsorship partners he can bring to the staging lanes, will translate into quick success in professional drag racing. Watch for Pruett and Hagan to hold a golden Wally, or two, in 2022.


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UK smoothie firm Savsé targets Irish expansion
Company hopes to secure deals with Musgraves and Tesco in bid to increase revenue
Savsé smoothie founder Guka Tavberidze with his mother, Nina, the inspiration behind the brand.
UK smoothie group Savsé, the first cold-pressed smoothie brand in Ireland, is targeting deals with Musgraves and Tesco in a bid to increase the size of its operation here to comprise between 5 and 10 per cent of its overall turnover.
“The aim would be to grow the [Irish] market significantly over the next year. We want to get the product into as many customer’s hands as possible,” Paul Gurnell, the company’s head of sales told The Irish Times.
The company launched in the UK in 2013 as an alternative healthy smoothie option.
While Ireland is a small proportion of Savsé’s business so far, the company says it is becoming more important. “The health trend in Ireland is accelerating at a rate faster than elsewhere,” chief executive Guka Tavberidze said.
Mr Tavberidze set up the business to find a natural alternative to the high levels of sugar typically in smoothie products.
“I believed it could be done a lot better,” he said. “I was a normal average guy with a dream of taking on the giants.”
Unlike other smoothie brands, Savsé uses non-thermal high-pressure processing to make the juice. This allows it to use ingredients like kale, broccoli and spinach, which couldn’t be used if the company used the traditional large-scale method of making smoothies.
Despite intense competition in the market from the likes of Innocent and Naked, Mr Tavberidze believes his company can succeed. “We have the best product on the market,” he boasted.
The company took a hit after last year’s Brexit vote. Savsé’s factory was located in the EU and a change to exchange rates negatively impacted the company’s profitability. The most recent accounts available dating to the end of September 2016 show that it made trading losses of more than £3 million, an increase of 88 per cent on the previous year.
Mr Gurnell said the company is returning to profitability having moved its factory operations back to the UK.
The smoothie company has also received the backing of AGC equity partners, which is believed to have taken a stake of more than 25 per cent.


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Sharper Images Returns to the Beauty Devices Business
Like Adidas track suits and fanny packs, Sharper Image is back hoping to capture the allure of its heyday when its stores were the destination for the latest in gadgets. The new roster includes beauty tools in a partnership with Conair.
Forty years ago, when shopping malls bustled with traffic, Sharper Image was the go-to place for the gadget obsessed. The stores closed in 2008 and the company was relaunched the next year as primarily an online merchant and with a selection of products sold in stores such as Target, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Bed Bath and Beyond.
Now, the legendary logo is looking to regain its appeal through a series of new licenses, including several in the beauty industry. Next year, in a partnership with Conair Corp., Sharper Image will roll out Conair-produced grooming products such as shavers, razors, trimmers, nail care and body care. Additionally, there will be hair tools including curling irons, curling wands, flat irons, hot air brushes, specialty stylers, hot rollers and hair dryers. Sharper Image is targeting distribution in major retailers. Conair is the leading producer in hair care appliances, according to industry data. The timing could be fortuitous. According to research from Kline, tool sales are on the rise, especially in hair care.
“I’m looking forward to jumping into the creative process and exploring fashion through a different lens,” said actor Michael B. Jordan exclusively to WWD about becoming the first face of @coach ‘s men’s business. Not only will the actor appear in its global ad campaigns, but he will also create a capsule with designer Stuart Vevers. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. #wwdfashion
“The name of the show is GP — giant pockets,” said Karl Lagerfeld pre-show, in his backstage meeting room at @Fendi to Bridget Foley. @Bellahadid was one of the many famous faces who graced the catwalk including @Gigihadid, @Adwoaaboah, and yes, even @Kendalljenner. #wwdfashion
Photographed by Kuba Dabrowski/WWD
“We are obsessed with Fendi and we want to share this obsession,” said CEO Serge Brunschwig to WWD. @Fendi will be releasing a new capsule collection Oct. 16 centered around the Fendi/Fila logo created by Instagram artist @Hey_reilly. Further proving the logo trend isn’t going anywhere. Link in our bio for more details. #wwdfashion
Earlier this month at the #WWDStyleDimension, @origins previewed its latest face mask— Hello Calm with relaxing and hydrating Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil. It’s now available in Origins stores & online, and on @sephora.com. Perfect for some post fashion week R&R. #DiscoverOrigins


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SBA boss Mills will visit tech startup in Parkville caves
The CEO of a technology startup stowed away in Parkville caves learned this week that he soon would receive a visitor from President Obama’s administration.
Karen Mills, chief of the Small Business Administration, plans to tour the production facilities of Mobile Innovations LLC, which does business as messageQube, and TextCaster LLC at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The visit is part of a larger tour of U.S. manufacturing sites, highlighting products that are made in America, said Rob Sweeney, CEO of both of the mobile tech companies.
Sweeney said the administrator’s visit comes after he sought SBA financing to help expand messageQube.
Sweeney previously tapped into SBA resources to assist TextCaster, which he started in 2003. TextCaster is a service that allows various public agencies and media companies such as Gannett Co. Inc. and Dow Jones & Co. send text messages to large groups.
Sweeney launched messageQube this year to help people connect with loved ones — particularly older relatives — who don’t have, or don’t use, email or texting.
A mini thermal printer inside the messageQube, which looks like a small white box, spits out receipt tape displaying messages or images sent from cell phones and Web applications.
On Tuesday, Mills is expected to discuss the role the SBA and SBA lenders can play in the creation and expansion of small businesses, Sweeney said.
But he said the more significant thing is her visiting his offices, which occupy roughly 7,000 square feet in the Parkville Commercial Underground complex at Park University.
Monthly utility bills in the caves are less than $100 for his space, Sweeney said.
“These dynamics alone are welcome to small businesses that must control operations costs,” he said.
Alyson reports about technology/telecommunications, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
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Snapchat, the social media giant, celebrated the grand opening of their new office in Austin, Texas. To mark this special occasion and foster team camaraderie, Snapchat aimed to provide their employees with an unforgettable experience. They turned to Liveprinting.com to create a unique onsite activation that not only fed the team but also allowed them to proudly display their brand loyalty with freshly printed t-shirts.
Liveprinting.com stepped up to the challenge, setting up an onsite screen printing station at Snapchat's grand office opening celebration. As the Snapchat team mingled and enjoyed delicious food, they had the opportunity to create custom t-shirts on the spot. Attendees could choose from a variety of Snapchat-themed designs and watch as their chosen design was expertly screen-printed onto high-quality eco friendly shirts.
The onsite screen printing activation became the life of the party. Snapchat employees enthusiastically participated in the creative process, crafting personalized t-shirts that showcased their commitment to the brand.


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While the gaming industry is still figuring out how business works during the COVID-19 pandemic, CD Projekt Red is prepared to weather the storm. Today, the company announced its financial report for 2019, including updates on Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk 2077 was originally scheduled for release on April 16, 2020, before CD Projekt Red delayed the game back to September 17, 2020. In a message to shareholders, CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kici?ski committed to the September release of the studio's next title.
"Since mid-March we have been working from home, while ensuring continuity of all our of operations. Our goals haven’t changed; first and foremost, we intend to release Cyberpunk 2077 in September," says Kici?ski. "We feel motivated and have the necessary tools at our disposal to meet this goal."
The company also offered up some new details about sales of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CD Projekt Red cited the "excellent" sales of The Witcher 3 for 2019, partially because of the "high acclaim" of Netflix's Witcher series and the release of the game on Nintendo Switch. Despite being released in October 2019, The Witcher 3 on Switch accounted for 11% of total sales of The Witcher 3 in 2019; PC led with 53% of sales, followed by PlayStation 4 with 26% and Xbox One with 10%. Across all platforms, 82% of The Witcher 3 copies sold were digital.
In terms of pure revenue, CD Projekt Red landed at 521 million PLN ($125 million), up 44% percent from last year. Profits were also up, totaling 175 million PLN ($42 million). The studio intends to keep the momentum up by focusing on its dual franchises: The Witcher and Cyberpunk. The shareholders report touts the "migration towards a dual franchise model," backed up by other "independent product lines."
Last year, the studio entered into a new deal with The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski, giving the company new rights to the franchise. This year, The Witcher 3 passed Steam's new $50 million sales threshold, giving the developer an 80/20 revenue split, instead of the standard 70/30 split. And given the dual franchise model, the studio is still deciding whether its next title is more Cyberpunk or a brand-new Witcher game. And we'll be waiting for those games, just like we're waiting for the second season of The Witcher on Netflix.