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Unions make new inroads into chains
As the number of unionized Starbucks branches now exceeds 100, employees of another coffee chain have revealed their intention to organize.
Workers at five Chicago-area units of Intelligentsia Coffee, one of several coffeehouse groups owned by JAB Holdings, have asked federal labor regulators to schedule a vote on representation by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
The union, one of the largest in the country, is already the collective bargaining voice for Colectivo Coffee, a chain of 20 coffee shops in Chicago and the Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Madison.
A majority of Colectivo’s 440 employees voted last August to be represented by two local IBEW chapters. The union is currently negotiating a contract on behalf of the workers.
The push by Colectivo workers to unionize predates the campaign within Starbucks. Baristas employed by the largest chain announced their intention to unionize in August, and the first vote for a unit’s membership did not take place until mid-December 2021.
But Starbucks Workers United, a newly formed affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), has gained tremendous momentum since then. To date, crews from 111 units in 25 states have voted for union representation. Only 10 voted against, according to a running tally maintained on Wikipedia. Starbucks Workers says 150 more stores have been given the green light by the National Labor Relations Board, the federal unions’ watchdog, to hold votes in the coming months.
Even if each of these stores rejected union representation, Starbucks would still have the dubious honor of being the most organized restaurant chain in the nation. Yet unionized stores represent only a fragment of the more than 9,000 outlets that Starbucks operates in the United States.
Pro-union Intelligentsia workers took a different approach than their Starbucks counterparts in their organizing efforts. Starbucks baristas have opted to unionize store by store, despite the company’s efforts to expand elections to all of its employees in a market, a vote that would be harder for the union to win.
Intelligentsia employees decided to adopt the approach favored by Starbucks. All employees of the small chain’s five units in Chicago will vote to join IBEW as a single group.
Also participating will be workers from Intelligentsia’s roasting facility in Chicago.
In total, the ballot should be open to 40 to 50 people, an IBEW representative told local media.
The recent spread of trade union activity has been largely confined to the coffee sector, and generally to small players in this field. Days before the IBEW announced that Intelligentsia baristas in Chicago would demand a vote, one-store Black Coffee Roasting in Missoula, Montana, revealed that its employees had voted to form a union called Third Wave Workers.
Other unionized coffee chains include Darwin’s, in Boston, and Spot Coffee in Buffalo, NY Petitions for union elections have been filed by employees of Good Karma in Philadelphia, Storyville Coffee in Seattle, and Tudor’s Biscuit World in West Virginia .
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Augmented Reality has officially gone mainstream. One considered too complex and expensive for most companies investing in digital transformation, AR has quickly evolved into a versatile, highly accessible toolkit for a variety of different use cases. Today, companies and consumers alike are using AR for everything from enhanced shopping experiences to team collaboration.
Additionally, the statistics show demand for Augmented Reality is increasing too. Around 57% of customers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand offering AR experiences, and 70% of consumers believe AR will become a part of their everyday lives in the years to come.
So exactly how big is the AR market, where is it having the biggest impact on consumers, and what factors are driving its continued growth?
The Size of the Augmented Reality Market
Various reports show the size of the AR market is growing, and at a pretty incredible rate too. According to Grandview Research, in 2021, the value of the AR market was around $25.33 billion, but the space is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 40.9% through to 2030.
Fortune Business Insights suggests the market will be worth around $97.76 billion by 2028, representing a growth rate of 46.8% between 2021 and 2028. Elsewhere, Markets and Markets tells us the AR space will be worth around $88.4 billion by 2026, benefiting from a CAGR of approximately 31.5% between 2023 and 2026. While the exact projections vary, the overall consensus is that the augmented reality market is huge, and it’s getting bigger all the time.
Of course, AR is driving more attention in some spaces than in others. For instance, in 2021, North America held the largest revenue share (33.9%) for the AR market, with the US representing a significant number of AR buyers. This makes sense when we consider the number of leading AR tech companies in the US space, from Google to Microsoft.
While Europe is also poised for significant growth in the years ahead, the APAC region is expected to deliver the most potential for the AR industry, according to most industry reports. Developing countries such as Australia and Japan are investing in ever-more innovative technologies, and increasing availability of 5G connectivity is expected to help drive the AR space forward even further in the years to come.
What’s Bigger: AR Hardware or Software?
According to the reports above, all aspects of the AR industry are experiencing a rapid period of growth. However, the hardware segment may be accelerating at the fastest rate.
In 2021, AR hardware accounted for 59.8% of the market. The growing adoption of AR-powered devices, the proliferation of more advanced smartphones, and the development of AR smart glasses are all contributing to the success of this segment. In fact, head-mounted displays and smart glasses accounted for around 70.7% of the market during 2021. Since then, numerous vendors have begun to branch into this space, with various smart glasses announced at CES 2023.
While the hardware space is generating a lot of hype right now, there’s still significant scope for AR software to grow. Currently the software space for AR is growing at a rate of 41.8%, driven in large part by the discovery of new use cases for augmented apps. Evolving industrial brands are leveraging AR to deliver intelligent remote assistance to workers, while healthcare companies are experimenting with AR to assist with medical training and remote patient care.
Additionally, low-code and no-code platforms are making it easier for companies from various industries to develop their own AR experiences, without the need for extensive programming knowledge. Platforms such as Meta’s Spark AR, as well as the AR APIs, SDKs and toolkits available from leaders like Google and Apple are opening the door to more innovation in the space.
What’s Driving the Growth of AR?
So, why is AR such a big deal in the current landscape, and what’s causing it to grow so rapidly? First, AR is evolving in line with the growing adoption of new, innovative technologies in the wider world. Companies are looking for better ways to unlock immersive experiences for training, collaboration, and customer service, and vendors are producing an ever-evolving range of tools.
AR chipsets have become more common, with brands like Qualcomm developing dedicated solutions for hardware vendors producing smartphones and wearables with AR accessibility. The versatility of the AR space has led to widespread adoption too. Today’s users can leverage AR using web-based platforms, smart applications on phones, and wearables alike.
Perhaps the main factor driving the continued growth of the augmented reality space is the consistent discovery of new and valuable use cases for the technology. For instance, as the Grandview Research report notes, AR is spreading across multiple industries, including:
- Manufacturing and Construction: Companies are using AR apps in the new industrial landscape for production line management, analysis, and even to interact with digital twins. AR can assist with the creation of virtual blueprints, and even offering remote guidance.
- Advertising and marketing: AR is providing companies with opportunities to reconnect with customers, using virtual exhibitions, hosting events, and offering try-before-you-buy experiences through mobile apps.
- Healthcare: Various AR solution providers are now collaborating with healthcare institutions and offering AR tools to facilitate remote care. Many of these organisations are also experimenting with the benefits of AR for training.
- Education: In the educational space, AR technology is proving to be a valuable tool for immersive learning, assisting in the development of various crucial skillsets. Immersive technologies can improve knowledge retention and engagement.
- Navigation: AR technology has the potential to revolutionize both indoor and outdoor navigation, particularly when paired with new generations of vehicles, designed to deliver exceptional guidance to drivers without the need for handheld devices.
What’s Next for the AR Market?
Although it’s difficult to predict exactly which trends will emerge as the biggest drivers for the AR industry, we can see examples of numerous emerging technologies which could contribute to the size of the industry. For instance, the rise of the metaverse and Web 3 technologies represents excellent opportunities for the AR space. AR technologies could allow users to interact with virtual objects and NFTs from the metaverse in the real world, and create more advanced avatars using AR tech.
The evolution of artificial intelligence, and increasingly powerful algorithms for computer systems could benefit the AR space too. Generative AI solutions already have the potential to transform the way digital landscapes and 3D assets are created for the immersive industry. Additionally, AI-assisted AR solutions can allow for more powerful experiences in various industries. AI built into smart glasses and AR apps can improve user interface experiences, and deepen immersion.
Additionally, as demand for immersive experiences continues to grow, new tools for platform and content creation are emerging all the time, empowering new innovators to get involved.
Simply put, the augmented reality market is already huge, but it’s set to get a lot bigger.

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Nintendo is still one of my favorite gaming companies. It is so determined to make games that are pure joy, and family friendly, even if the gaming world has changed towards gray and sepia-toned palettes and adult themes. The death of Satoru Iwata was tragic for gaming fans around the world, and we all mourned his passing. However, the company needs to move on, and they have appointed a new leader.
Nintendo’s official announcement has gone out (thanks Game Informer) and the new president is Tatsumi Kimishima. He ran Nintendo of America during the GameCube era and has since been a managing director, general manager of the corporate analysis and administration division and general manager of the general affairs division. Now, he will take over leading the entire company, but his appointment was accompanied by some other small staffing changes:
In addition to their existing titles, Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto have been named as the company’s first fellows. Takeda, who is general manager of the integrated research and development division is now a technology fellow. Miyamoto, who is the general manager of the entertainment analysis and development division is Nintendo’s first creative fellow.
While many conjectured that Minamoto would become the new president, this sounds like a more judicial move. By choosing a Japanese native with strong Western ties, we should see some more bridging between East and West in future Nintendo policies. That’s not to necessarily mean that we will see radical changes in policy from what we’re used to with Nintendo, but it certainly could help to inform the development and reveal of Nintendo’s NX console.
Last Updated: September 14, 2015


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– A patch of impatiens next to a pond in Taiwan or geraniums in
a provincial French courtyard could easily have traveled a path
that started in Gilroy, where each year the Goldsmith family holds
a spring flower show for plant distributors and growers from around
Gilroy – A patch of impatiens next to a pond in Taiwan or geraniums in a provincial French courtyard could easily have traveled a path that started in Gilroy, where each year the Goldsmith family holds a spring flower show for plant distributors and growers from around the world.
Crowds of industry pros this week are roaming through the greenhouses at Goldsmith Seeds, off Hecker Pass Highway, checking out the latest varieties of bedding plants produced by the Goldsmiths and three other family-run plant businesses.
Soru Lin, a plant distributor from Taiwan, laughed when asked which plants caught his fancy as he spent Thursday making his rounds.
“That’s a big question,” he said. “Because Taiwan is a tropical area, we’re normally looking for humidity-proof [plants].”
He and an assistant joined other buyers in plying expert staff with questions about the thousands of plants spread over rows of tables. Lin’s list of potential buys included the Goldsmith family’s impatiens and petunias.
Joel Goldsmith, whose father started the family business in Gilroy in the 1960s, explained that the impatiens are a popular item among both growers and distributors, although they tend to look for different things.
Distributors usually ask about the availability of seeds and the germination rate – the percentage of seeds in each batch that actually bloom, Goldsmith said. Growers ask more specific questions, focusing on growing techniques and the need for growth regulators, chemicals that slow the growth rate of a plant and prolong its life in bloom.
Impatiens are among the family’s most popular offerings, Goldsmith said, because they have a competitive advantage that appeals to both distributors and growers.
“You can grow ours with a fraction of the growth regulators,” Goldsmith explained. “That will save $3,000 per acre for professional growers.”
That selling point was not lost on Rick Michell, whose family’s plant distribution business has long worked with Goldsmith. In fact, Michell’s first foray into the world of horticultural involved a post-collegiate internship at Goldsmith’s in 1982.
“The impatiens are very interesting, ” Michell said. “We buy then from Goldsmith’s in bulk and sell to large seller-growers that (in turn) sell to (retail) chains. Everybody uses impatiens. The goal is to reduce growers’ costs, and these use less plant growth regulators.”
The Goldsmith family began its plant shows in 1967, five years after starting the business. The company now has greenhouses in Guatemala and Holland, where they grow their colder-weather plants.
“We were the only ones doing it at first,” Goldsmith said referring to the family’s plant show. “Now there are 25 locations up and down California doing shows this week.”
While the plant show keeps the Goldsmiths and three other family-run plant businesses attuned to their customers, it also serves as a boon for the local community.
Each year, after the crowds of international buyers have returned home with their list of top choices, the family gets together with the local Rotary Club to sell off its flowers for charity.
This year, the flower sale takes place on April 16, from 8am to 1pm, at Goldsmith Seeds, 2280 Hecker Pass Highway.
Flower Show ready to go
Gilroy – When the crowds of plant buyers and growers have tucked away their notepads and cleared out of the Goldsmith family’s greenhouse, Gilroyans will once again have the chance to stock up on the newest varieties of geraniums, impatiens and dozens of other bedding plants.
Goldsmith Seeds, off Hecker Pass Highway, hosted one of 25 plant shows held throughout California this week. The family’s show, which began in the 1960s and now attracts major plant distributors and growers from around the world, long ago found a natural way to give back to the community. For more than 30 years, the family has sold off its plants to benefit local charities following its week-long trade show. This year, the plant show, which is run by the local Rotary Club, will take place on April 16.
The flower show runs from 8am to 1pm, but local plant enthusiasts line up as early as 6:30 in the morning to lay claim to the thousands of bedding plants, according to Councilman Craig Gartman, who serves as chair for this year’s plant show.
“If you’re the first ones there you get the best selection,” he said. “Generally it’s the first three or four hours that are craziest.”
Last year the event raised $48,000, half of which went toward a scholarship fund for horticultural students. The other half supported a number of Rotary charity programs, including scholarships, a youth leadership camp and Rotary International’s health and disaster relief programs.
For more information, visit www.goldsmithseeds.com.
Rotary Club Flower Sale
April 16, 8am to 1pm
Goldsmith Seeds, 2280 Hecker Pass Highway


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- According to the Global Fintech Report,India has surpassed China as the leading fintech startup hub in Asia by attracting almost 50% more funding than their Chinese counterparts.
- FinTech or financial technology is an industry comprising companies that use technology to offer financial services.These companies operate in insurance,asset management and payment and numerous other industries.
- China has always remained a dominant player in the fintech startup space in Asia but overtime the situation has reversed with cautious investors and a tighter regulatory environment.
- India has seen leading global companies such as Google, Amazon expanding their reach into the fintech space while there is also a growing number of new startups among a market with industry leaders like Paytm and Phonepe.
- According to NITI Aayog,India is one of the fastest growing FinTech markets globally and industry research has projected that USD 1 Trillion or 60% of retail and SME credit,will be digitally disbursed by 2029.The Indian FinTech ecosystem is the third largest in the world,attracting nearly USD 6 billion in investments since 2014.
7 min read


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In early February, Google announced that the home security system and burglar alarm Secure Nest will soon be compatible with the “Assistant”. Thanks to the update, users will be able to control “smart” devices, giving instructions to voice assistant.
The catch is that “Assistant” requires a MIC what consumers purchase a security system, did not know. Moreover, this fact was not even mentioned in the product specifications. In particular, earlier Google never talked about the built-in microphone in the Nest Guard is a device that combines the functions of source of alarm and motion sensor.
Representatives of the search engine, commenting on the situation to Business Insider, acknowledged that a mistake was made. “The built-in microphone was never secret and had to be specified in the specifications, — said in Google. — It was a mistake on our part”. The company stressed that the microphone is “never included” and “activated only when the user explicitly enabled this option”.
The microphone was added with the purpose to extend the functionality of devices Nest Secure as the emergence of new opportunities. For example, to “smart” alarm will be able to recognize the sound of broken glass, the company said.
∎Apple will punish the developers that wrote the screen of the smartphone read more
Google bought Nest, a startup founded by people from Apple in 2014 for $3.2 billion. Head of the company Tony Fadell, commenting on the deal, has promised not to impose the goods and services, and its policy is to maintain a transparent, requiring the consent of the consumer. In February of 2018 at the Nest was replaced by the head: he became Rick Osterloh, senior Vice — President, “iron” Google and the former head of Motorola.
Read more •••


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This is the 20th edition, and you’re reading Media 450. A 2-minute-newsletter on everything media.
The call for battle has been sounded. On March 29, as soon as Jay Shah tweeted about the release of the tender document for media rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the BCCI, India’s media sector went into a tizzy.
I’m pleased to announce that @BCCI has issued the tender document for @IPL media rights for seasons 2023-27. With 2 new teams, more matches, more engagement, more venues, we are looking to take #TataIPL to newer and greater heights.
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) March 29, 2022
It would not be wrong to say the IPL rights are the crown jewel of sports broadcasting in India. By ensuring a guaranteed cricket-crazy audience for six weeks every year for five years, the IPL is a big driver of ratings for sports networks, not to mention the vast interest it commands from sponsors and advertisers. In 2017, the Star network won both television and streaming rights to the tournament for five years, with a consolidated bid of INR 16,347 crores.
For the 2023-27 cycle, the BCCI believes it can rake in higher revenues. Accordingly, they have already set a cumulative base price of INR 33,000 Crores for the entire bundle. However, interestingly, the rights have been divided into four bundles.
While Bundle A represents the television rights for the Indian sub-continent, Bundle B contains the digital rights. Bundle C is a “non-exclusive package” for telecast of 18 games out of the total 74 to be played, while Bundle D includes television and streaming rights for the rest of the world. The BCCI has already made it clear that no consolidated bid will be entertained, and each bundle will be up for E-auction on June 12.
Traditionally, Bundle A has always been hotly pursued by sports broadcasters such as Sony and Star. However, this time around, Bundle B is expected to be the most-keenly contested—the digital rights auction.
The race for the IPL’s Indian digital rights is crowded. Star is there in the fray, along with the Sony-Zee combine and, surprisingly, Google too. However, two new players are expected to slug it out as well: Viacom18 and Amazon Prime Video. Both companies have been beefing up their live sport offerings in recent months. Viacom18 is also expected to mount a serious bid for Bundle A, as its sports channel, Sports18, was launched on April 15. The bitter rivalry between Amazon and Reliance Industries (Viacom18’s parent) is only expected to intensify during the auction.
The auction of the digital rights will not just give a boost to the winner in terms of revenue, but it might also end up redrawing the Indian sports broadcast market. It’s time to grab the popcorn for watching a pitched battle play out.
Cover Image from iStock by Getty Images.
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Dixons Retail will deploy cloud-based Microsoft Office 365 software across its operation in the UK and Ireland, Czech Republic and Hong Kong, the owner of the retail chain, and others including PC World...
The map was created using data collected through the Low Frequency Array telescope
New technique enables nanoscale patterns to be cut in graphene without compromising its electrical properties
Graphene moves a step closer to commercialisation with new method encapsulating graphene inside another two-dimensional material
Google says that it was 'an error' not to tell Nest Secure users about hidden microphone
Passwords in password managers can be compromised using malware and memory forensics tools


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Champagne glasses at the ready - we were fizzing with excitement to learn Moët & Chandon are bringing back Moët Party Day for 2017!
Following the success of last year's event, the champagne giant has confirmed the festivities will be returning to New Zealand this year, in Christchurch's Baretta Bar and in Auckland at Britomart's REC, who, for the whole month of June, will be offering Moët inspired canapés and an exclusive Moët & Chandon cocktail. Yes!
REC will be showcasing their specialty dish of citrus cured Akaroa salmon, served with tomato gel, and dotted with black olive crumb and cucumber, as well as a delectable vegetarian option. Their Moët cocktail of choice? A Sunset Bellini designed especially for the day.
Celebrated globally from the UK to Japan, this evening of glitz and glamour will be celebrated on June the 17th in 80 countries with Kiwis the first to kick off the celebrations.
Moët & Chandon Senior Brand Manager, Ali Campbell, said “Moët Party Day is a great reason to savour champagne in collaboration with some the most stylish restaurants, bars and lounges around the globe. We are excited to announce the return of Moët Party Day to Christchurch and the launch in Auckland this year, we look forward to creating truly memorable Moët moments for all to enjoy.”
We can only expect amazing things from Moët who have promised a evening of special moments and surprises. Beginning at 9pm in Auckland and 5pm in Christchurch on June 17th - this soiree is definitely not one to be missed!


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News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.
Barclaycard is scrapping interest charges on THESE cards - but there's a catch
Experian and ClearScore merger could push up credit cards and loans prices
I was scammed out of £120 when Uber driver claimed I was sick in cab
The simple '30% rule' that could help boost your credit score
Credit cards are set to eclipse cash — but which is the best option for you?
Debit card payments more popular than cash for the first time ever
Google slammed for £5 app which wirelessly scans credit card details
Best credit cards deals and how to apply
Visa meltdown causes chaos for Brits — but how much cash do you carry?
Dad-of-three’s £4,600 doorstep loan debt is stopping him from buying a house
10million Barclaycard customers can get money off gig and festival tickets
Barclaycard will PAY you to transfer debts to balance transfer credit card
Millions of Brits feel they are ‘living beyond their means’, a study has found
One in five young adults have no savings in face of fresh crash
Asda's making a BIG change to its credit card - and shoppers won't be happy
How a balance transfer card could help save you THOUSANDS when paying debts


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Chinese dairy processor Yili has said it is preparing for increasing sales of infant formula in the country, which is set to be driven by a rise in living standards coupled with a policy change allowing families to have more than one child.
The MD of Yili’s Netherlands’-based European R&D centre, Gerrit Smit, told an early nutrition industry conference in London that infant formula is increasingly a key component of the firm’s dairy portfolio.
“Yili is the biggest dairy producer in Asia and growing fast,” Smit said. “Turnover currently stands at more than CNY600bn (US$90bn) compared to CNY130bn in 2005. Yili’s total revenue reached CNY60bn for the first time in 2015, with profit of CNY4.65bn.”
Smit said that while Yili has the largest share of China’s general dairy, milk powder, ice cream, liquid milk and children’s milk markets, the infant formula powder sector is of particular focus. “One in every six Chinese babies grows up drinking Yili milk powder,” Smit said.
Following the Chinese government’s recent decision to implement a national “general second pregnancy” policy, which allows single-child families to have another baby, “this will have a big influence over China’s infant formula milk powder market”, Smit said.
The new policy means an estimated 90 million families in China are eligible to have a second child, Smit said. “China will see a new baby boom coming, which is a great potential market opportunity for infant formula. The number of new-borns in 2015 was an estimated 16.5m. That is expected to rise to 18m this year – and to 22m in 2017.”
Added to the anticipated baby boom is the willingness of increasingly better-off families to seek out premium products, especially in caring for their children, Smit said.
“In recent years, the growth rate of the disposable income per capita of China’s urban population and the net income per capita of the rural population both exceeded 10%,” Smit said. “People now expect more premium products and can afford to buy them.”
Smit said premium segment sales are increasing rapidly, in regular grocery stores and supermarkets as well as in specialist stores that focus on mothers and their babies. Online sales of formula and other baby food products are also on the increase – and “account for around 25% of currently estimated sales of baby foods”, he said.
“This is a time of great opportunity for infant formula growth in China,” Smit said. “We expect to expand further to be able to cater for this increasing market. We also recognise the importance of being able to provide mothers who have to use infant formula with the very best of ingredients.”
Yili booked a 71.2% leap in net profit for 2014, which rose to CNY4.17bn. Sales in the period amounted to a total of CNY54.44bn with growth driven by the company’s “star products”. Sales of the firm’s Satine Milk rose 60% and Pro-Kido growing up formula sales rose 91% year-on-year.


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Toys for Pawz Fundraiser
Tis’ the season! It’s that time of year again where Back Barn fundraises for our furry little friends! We are excited to announce our BIG Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley fundraiser will be Saturday, December 9, with a special visit from our friend, Steve Caporizzo, 2-4PM! The shelter will be collecting items and donations that day and a portion of the beer sales will also be benefiting the shelter. There will be raffle items, food by Buena Comida 2-7, and live music by North Allen Duo, 6-9!
Let’s make this holiday season EXTRA special!!


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- December 1, 2017
- 0 Comment
November’s first-anniversary celebration at Beach Enclave North Shore turned out to be a notably smiley event. But then you earn a smile or two when your team proves a new luxury resort concept. Beach Enclave North Shore, the first project for the Beach Enclave team led by developer Vasco Borges, drew attention from the start….


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Sales tax revenue up in three cities, down in Bentonville
Posted: February 22, 2013 at 12:25 p.m.
Sales tax revenue for Rogers soared this month, with Fayetteville and Springdale also showing increases over last year’s collections. Bentonville’s totals, however, took a tumble.
This story is only available from our archives.


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Simon Hu has been appointed chief executive of Ant Financial in a boardroom shuffle.
Alibaba, the world’s biggest retailer and its FinTech affiliate Ant Financial announced a raft of changes at boardroom level on Thursday amid an ongoing restructuring.
Ant Financial named Simon Hu as its new chief executive, replacing Eric Jing.
Jing will remain executive chairman of Ant Financial, a position he held concurrently with his chief executive role.
Hu joined Alibaba back in 2005 and served as president of Ant Financial since November 2018.
He will know report to Jing.
Ant Financial is the highest valued FinTech company in the world, and the world’s most valuable start-up company, with a valuation of $150 billion (£115.2 billion).
Alibaba founder Jack Ma set up Ant Financial (previously known as Alipay) in 2004 as the main way for Alibaba shoppers to pay for goods.
Ant Financial chief technology officer Cheng Li will replace Jeff Zhang as the chief technology officer of Alibaba, according to an internal company letter seen by Reuters.
Jeff Zhang will remain the chairman of the Alibaba Technology Committee, Dean of Alibaba’s DAMO Academy and president of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, the letter added, which was written and signed by Alibaba Group chief executive Daniel Zhang.
The letter also mentioned that Jiang Fan, president of Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall e-commerce sites, will also oversee the company’s Alimama advertising unit.
“From where we stand today, we can clearly see the need for multiple business groups to have complex collaborations in each of our strategic pillars in order to win success,” Daniel Zhang wrote in the memo reported by Reuters.


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The J.M. Smucker Co. is investing $1.1 billion to build a new manufacturing facility and distribution center in McCalla, Alabama, dedicated to production of Smucker’s Uncrustables sandwiches. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in January 2022, with production planned for 2025.
Tyson Foods is building a $355 million bacon plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, primarily for the production of Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean retail and foodservice products. The 400,000-square-foot facility is expected to create 450 jobs with production beginning in late 2023.
Ferrero North America, part of the global confectionery company the Ferrero Group, broke ground on a new 70,000-square-foot chocolate processing facility in Bloomington, Illinois. It will be the Ferrero Group's third facility that processes chocolate, and its first outside of Europe. The new plant is set to open in spring 2023.
Armada Nutrition, a full-service product developer and manufacturer specializing in powder and capsule applications, announces plans to broaden its operation capacity with a new 438,000-square-foot nutraceutical manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. Combined with the company's existing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Armada will have over 750,000 square feet of manufacturing space, making Armada one of the industry's largest contract manufacturers in the US in terms of capacity and output.
HempRise has opened its 100,000-square-foot operation in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The plant has the capacity to produce 10 metric tons of hemp biomass per day, which is equivalent to approximately 8 million pounds of biomass per year. The company selected Gray to design and build the facility.
We in the trade press have been extolling the virtues of automation for a long time, and you’re probably sick of hearing us ramble on about it. Nevertheless, if there were any other reason to take a hard look at implementing automation—at least partially—in your facility, it would be now. COVID-19 has certainly created some practical problems: Short-staff due to people at home sick with coronavirus, social distancing impossible on cutting/protein lines, changeover time killing production output…and the list goes on.


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The series about a team of girls who serve as “Earth’s first responders” is currently streaming on Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! and will debut on Netflix in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East next month.
Under the new agreement, Genius Brands and Never Wrong Toys will develop a full range of preschool toys, including dolls, action figures, vehicles, playsets, plush, electronic and interactive toys, roleplay items, and more.
“We are seeing increasing demand across social media for more ways to interact with the characters and stories of this highly engaging series about seven diverse girls with seven different powers who work together to protect the planet and its animals,” says Harold Chizick, president of global content sales, marketing and consumer products, Genius Brands. “Season three is going to have a unique twist on the stories that we are excited to bring to consumer products as well.”
The new toys will debut next year and will be timed for release with the third season of Rainbow Rangers, which will debut exclusively on Kartoon Channel! in the first quarter.
“Rainbow Rangers is a unique original preschool brand that appeals to both girls and boys with its messages of empowerment, friendship, adventure, and environmental consciousness, and we are excited to collaborate with Genius Brands to further engagement with the brand through an all-new action-based toy line that will resonate with young kids around the world,” says Eva Wong, co-founder, Never Wrong Toys.
Rainbow Rangers is seen by kids around the world through a growing network of streaming and broadcast partners.
A limited batch of toys inspired by the series was produced by Fisher-Price last year and quickly sold out at Amazon and Walmart.


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Real Madrid have agreed a world record 10-year deal with Adidas which will become the most lucrative shirt deal in the history of football.
Real have have had their kits made continuously by Adidas since 1998, although their first involvement came in 1981 - before the La Liga side switched to Hummel in 1986 and then latterly with Kelme.
According to Marca, Real and Adidas will continue to be linked until 2028 with a massive €1.1billion deal set to be announced.
The deal would be a world record deal as it dwarfs Manchester United's £750million deal with Adidas which was signed in 2013.
It would also top the £140million El Clasico rivals Barcelona pick up a year from Nike.
The cash will come in handy as Real Madrid look to redevelop their Bernabeu stadium.
Marca said: "To put this in perspective, and compare it with Nike in the NBA, who kit out all the 21 teams for $1 billion over eight years. In other words $125 million, or €110 million a season for 21 teams which is the same that Adidas will pay for just Real Madrid."
Since being sponsored by Adidas, Real have won six La Liga titles, and six Champions League crowns - including three in their last three seasons.
Nike and Under Armour were also keen to pinch the lucrative contract from Adidas but Real's loyalty paid off for the German giants.
Along with Adidas, Real receive €70m a year from Fly Emirates as their main shirt sponsor, which is higher than the amount Barca and United get from Rakuten and Chevrolet, respectively.
The new deal could usher in a new era of big spending at the Bernabeu - with the Madrid-based side failing to splash out in recent transfer windows.
Real were relatively quiet this summer with Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois , Alvaro Odriozola and Mariano Diaz their showpiece signings.


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Let’s talk straws, plastic straws.
Picture this: you’re at a local food joint. You place your order and wait at the next window. Your food comes out and they hand you the drink. You go to the little table where they have napkins, lids and straws. But something is different, something isn’t there. You realize the lid looks
different, and straws are no where to be found.
Cities like Seattle, Miami, Berkeley and many others have banned the use of straws in the cities along with many other and a few that are waiting for approval. Big companies like Starbucks and Disney are working on reducing their plastic foot print by eliminating straws and even more restaurants, even locally are banning the use of those small plastic sticks we all use to drink out of.
Only about 9% of plastics used end up in recycling and the rest end up in landfill or our oceans. There is an iceberg named the Pacific Garbage Patch that floats 79,000 tons of plastic through the Pacific ocean.
So why are we starting with straws? Theres so many other forms of plastic like water bottles and tooth brushes but straws are small and can cause harm in ocean life. The most common is that they get stuck in sea turtles noses, causing them trouble with breathing.
Local businesses have joined to no straw movement. Tazikis in the Mountainlair now requires you to ask for a lid and straw and the Evansdale crossing now gives out lids that
do no require a straw. Although they seem like small steps they are helping with the bigger picture of reducing plastic from the oceans.
Some businesses are dealing with backlash to the movement. Marshalls Hall of Fame Cafe in Huntington eliminated straws this past summer. They experienced backlash from locals
who need to a straw to drink, due to disabilities.
Although plastic straws are disappearing, that doesn’t mean straws are gone forever. Reusable straws made from metal, hard plastic, and even bamboo can be found on amazon or in stores like Walmart for a very cheap price. Restaurants have started to give out paper straws and biodegradable straws are coming into the market.
So don’t think of this as an end to straws but rather a new beginning where our drinking tubes and sea turtles can live in harmony.


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Taimur Ali Khan was spotted with his nanny in Bandra, Mumbai. Junior Nawab was looked adorable in his white baby t-shirt, paired with checkered shorts and orange crocs. All pictures/Yogen Shah
Taimur Ali Khan - inspired doll became the talk of the town recently. Everyone was surprised to see the two-year-old's doll on sale in a toy shop in Kerala. While many loved the concept, Tim's mother Kareena Kapoor Khan is not at all impressed with the Taimur doll.
Bebo feels it does not resemble her son, Taimur Ali Khan but Chucky the doll from the Hollywood horror flick Child's Play (1988).
Speaking about Taimur Ali Khan's nationwide popularity, when Karan Johar asked Kareena about the doll on the show, she said: "Just because the doll has blue eyes, scruffy hair and a bandhgala, it does not make him Taimur."
For the unversed, let us tell you that last year, a fan took to Twitter to share a picture of a Taimur doll being sold in Kochi, Kerala. Netizens went into a tizzy and the doll has been flying off the shelves ever since.
Earlier, Kareena Kapoor Khan, after knowing about dolls modelled on her son, she had said in an interview to Mumbai Mirror, "Taimur can't run away from his popularity and neither can his parents. When I saw the doll, I wondered what I was supposed to say."
Well, looks like Bebo no more loves those dolls. She clearly won't buy it for her munchkin.
Taimur Ali Khan was spotted with his nanny in Bandra, Mumbai. See pictures
DISCLAIMER: mid-day and its affiliates shall have no liability for any views, thoughts and comments expressed on this article.


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Android 10 for Nokia 7.1 coming next week, 5 more Nokias are getting it in January
Towards the end of August, HMD released its roadmap for Nokia devices scheduled to receive Android 10. Just yesterday, the Nokia 9 PureView joined the Nokia 8.1 as the second device in the brand’s portfolio to receive an official Android 10 build and we also got a more up to date release schedule for some other Nokia models.
During the Nokia 2.3 launch, HMD’s Pranav Shroff announced on stage that the Nokia 7.1 will get updated to Android 10 as early as next week.
The next handsets in line are the Nokia 6.1, 6.1 Plus and 7 Plus, which are getting updated in January. Also scheduled for January are the Nokia 6.2 and 7.2.
The rest of the Nokia lineup will follow the previously released roadmap.
Nokia Android 10 roadmap
Source (video) | Via


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Japanese manufacturer Nissan has previewed its all-new NV300 work van this week, hinting at the latest addition to the car maker’s commercial vehicle range.
Seen here with just its nose peeking out from under a sheet, the Renault Trafic-based van is set to be unveiled at the Hanover commercial vehicle show in September, with a launch in select markets to follow.
The van is very unlikely to feature in the Australian commercial scene, however, with Nissan’s local arm continuing to rule out a return to the segment.
Nissan Australia has previously cited a competitive market with established players like the Toyota HiAce and Hyundai iLoad as reason enough to steer clear of the sector.
Set to enter Nissan’s commercial vehicle range between the smaller NV200 and the full-sized NV400, the all-new van - which replaces the Primastar - will compete in selected market against the Ford Transit Custom, Mercedes Vito and Volkswagen Transporter.
Evident in the teaser image, its front-end styling borrows elements from Nissan’s passenger cars.
Up font is the company’s V-Motion grille, similar in design to the nose of the Qashqai and Juke - though substantially enlarged.
Production of the NV300 is expected to take place at the same factory as the Renault Trafic. And, as with the outgoing Primastar, it is clear that the new Nissan will be base on Renault's van.
MORE: Nissan news, reviews, pricing and specs
MORE: Nissan Australia still saying no to vans


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Rolls-Royce is to unveil an electric version of its Phantom at next month’s Geneva motor show. This car will be a test car and not go into production for the time being, the aim for Rolls-Royce is to gauge customers opinions. The Phantom Electric car, code named EXP 102, will make its first public appearance in Geneva then do a world tour visiting Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
There have been reports about Rolls-Royce developing an all-electric version of its Phantom luxury sedan for several years now, the latest with newly appointed CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes admitting such a car would be good idea.
Torsten Muller-Otvos said the firm was “seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable in our cars in the future. I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience. This will serve as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains.”
This is the first electric car for the ultra luxury market and could set the way for others. The Phantom Electric car can be recharged from a domestic electric power plug, and it will produce zero emissions.
The fuel powered Phantom costs £300,000 and can do around 15 miles to the gallon, the experimental electric Phantom costs just 2p per mile to run, but its cost is likely to be closer to £1 million.
There will be public test drives, to demonstrate to potential customers in the luxury segment, where Rolls-Royce will take feedback on their experiences, thoughts and concerns. Some aspects Rolls-Royce will be focusing on include acceptable range between re-charges and operation in extreme weather conditions.
More details will follow after the launch of the Phantom Electric 102EX’s at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, which kicks off on March 1.


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Produced by So Fraiche Media A day with the so|fraiche team at BOY “So the team and I went down to Shoreditch a while back to shoot our feature ..
The biggest news of all concerned BlackBerry’s plans for its popular messaging platform,BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). At long last the company is taking the service cross-platform. Come summer, BlackBerry will release BBM ..
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The industry segment, which used to be almost half of the books before the AQR started under the present government in 2015, now expanded 14.7 per cent in the last five years under the Narendra Modi government. But bank credit book has expanded from Rs 56.2 trillion in March 2014 to Rs 86.7 trillion in March 2019. Most of this growth has come from services and retail loans — a segment that has traditionally saved banks from booking large non-performing assets (NPAs) because of their comparatively lower ticket size and well-diversified clientele base.
As a result, the industry segment is roughly one-third of the banking system’s books. This has happened because banks deliberately tightened their purse strings from lending to the corporate sector, which caused them heavy NPAs in recent years.
In 2016-17 (FY17), credit to the industry witnessed de-growth of 1.9 per cent, and on that base, credit grew 0.8 per cent in 2017-18 (FY18). As a result, absolute credit to the industry remained lower than 2015-16 (FY16) levels of Rs 27.3 trillion for two consecutive years. Only in FY19, the credit book expanded.
An analysis shows that the banking industry has avoided the medium enterprises the most. After growing only 0.4 per cent in 2014-15, the medium enterprises witnessed de-growth in FY16, FY17, and FY18. Admittedly, the exposure in the medium segment is also not much — only about Rs 1 trillion for the banking industry as a whole. Large industries though, are witnessing a comeback.
But there is nothing much to cheer yet, caution experts.
“The good news is that FY19 credit growth has finally been in double digits at 12 per cent. This was driven by strong growth in retail, a pick-up in credit to the industry, and a not-so subdued growth in agri credit, even with the spate of loan waivers,” said Soumyakanti Ghosh, group chief economic advisor, State Bank of India.
“However, on the flip side, credit to the industry — mostly driven by credit to power, roads, and credit to non-banking financial companies — was mostly better rated and may not be broad-based. We need to observe how much of the credit growth momentum is maintained till the first quarter of 2019-20,” said Ghosh.
In the past five years, the growth engine for banks was the services and retail segment. Housing loans, in particular, lifted the banking sector credit growth. Besides, banks also focused on the agriculture sector in the past five years. The outstanding credit to agriculture stood at Rs 11.1 trillion by March 2019, compared with Rs 6.7 trillion at the end of March 2014.


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A recent trend from the major smartphone companies is to release a mini variant of their popular high-end phones to create a namesake device. These devices come at diminished features and price.
Samsung was one of those who began the trend with the S3 Mini. This year saw the emergence of the Galaxy S5 Mini, HTC One mini, LG G3 Beat. These devices are now joined by Sony’s Z3 compact which comes with some impressive specs.
So we decided to have a spec battle of these mini/compact devices to check out how they stand against each other.Specs Xperia Z3 Compact Galaxy S5 Mini HTC [...]
HTC One did well in the market, considering that HTC brought up the HTC One Mini in the market. The device was announced back in July and was available to some markets by then as well, whereas in India the device is now available online.
The HTC One mini is pretty much same in looks if compared to the HTC One, though the size and hardware are different. The HTC One mini sports a 4.3 inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 Pixels(341ppi), the HTC One Mini is powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU along with the Snapdragon 400 Chipset. The device comes up with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB [...]
The HTC One mini was announced earlier this year, but it seems that HTC might be running into some issues with regards to the production of the casings for the handset, which some believe has led to poor third quarter sales for the company.
According to Reuters, HTC is facing a One Mini casing shortage – reportedly linked to “design difficulties. HTC experienced a similar issue with the full-sized HTC One earlier this year. Back in March, the company couldn’t procure enough camera sensors and metal frames for the device, which ended up launching later than expected. That delay meant HTC couldn’t get a sales jump on the then-upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.
If you’re thinking [...]
Tomorrow is sure looking like the day HTC will officially declare the existence of the much leaked HTC One Mini. On Twitter, HTC UK wrote that “We have a ‘little’ bit of news tomorrow” and showed off a corner of what looks to be the HTC One Mini and its aluminum body and plastic bezel.
We have a ‘little’ bit of news tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/UKXV59wXbs
— HTC UK (@HTC_UK) July 17, 2013
Specs of the HTC One Mini have are rumoured to sport a 4.3-inch display (1280×720 resolution), 1.4Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4MP Ultrapixel camera, and a 1.6MP wide-angle front-facing camera. Of course, all this will be confirmed [...]
HTC are expected to announce the new HTC One Mini some time this month. Yesterday HTC started teasing the new One Mini, and now the device has turned up in the Chinese TENAA certification database.
The HTC One Mini ‘601e’ is listed with Android software and HSDPA/HSUPA data connectivity, and as expected looks an awful lot like a 4.3-inch HTC One — note the metallic back and trademark front-facing speakers. The volume rocker appears a little different to the HTC One in this image, as two separate buttons rather than a rocker. And the Mini’s LED flash has been relocated to above the camera lens.
HTC is prepping a couple extensions to their popular One device. Leaked images of the HTC One Mini have arrived online a few times. The HTC One Mini should be launching within the next couple weeks and sports a 4.3-inch 720p LCD display, 1.4Ghz dual-core processor, 16GB Internal Memory, 1GB RAM, 4-megapixel “Ultrapixel” camera, run Android OS 4.2 Jelly Bean and many of the new features such as Beats Audio, Zoe Share, BoomSound.
In addition, HTC has long been rumoured to compete against rival manufacturers with a phablet. Mobile Geeks cited individuals who claim to have knowledge of the company’s plans.
Photos of the HTC One Mini popped up just last week. Now there’s a new image to go along with some hardware specifications for HTC’s upcoming 4.3-inch phone.
Bloomberg is confirming what we already knew. According to “two people familiar with the matter,” HTC will release a smaller version of their popular HTC One flagship phone. The report indicates that the One mini will have a 4.3-inch display and “will probably have a less-powerful Qualcomm Inc. processor and lower-resolution screen than the flagship.”
When the images of the HTC One mini leaked online a couple weeks ago the [...]
The HTC One Mini has been doing rounds through the rumor pages for many days now, the M4 codename device has finally shown off its aluminum accents in black color at Estonian site forte.delfi.ee. Equipped with a downsized 4.3 inch 720p display and Dual core processor the HTC One Mini retains the Blinkfeed UI, the Ultrapixel camera and the 2 GB RAM. The Ultrapixel camera is still 4 MP and the storage is a moderate 16 GB.
HTC has seen huge success with the HTC One where the company recently crossed the 5 Million sales mark for the handset. Even with delayed deliveries people have really appreciated the HTC One, and the next logical step for the company seems to be, to follow [...]
The HTC One is a beautiful phone – certainly the best that the company has produced. According to a post by the reputable Evleaks, HTC will be bringing the same quality of design to those looking seeking a mid-range device. This is the same strategy they did with the HTC One X and the One S.
This picture above, which has leaked online before, is of an all-aluminum device that currently goes by the code name of the “HTC M4″ (before the HTC One launched it was known as the M7). It’s reminiscent of the flagship One, but the specs have been scaled down. The HTC M4 reportedly sports [...]


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It’s been hinted at and teased by Valve since GDC 2011 when they announced Steam Big Picture Mode, then all went quiet. As of now, according to Jason Holtman of Valve, who was speaking with PCGamesN “it’s coming, soon”. Big Picture Mode is essentially just another experiment that Valve is working on and that the community and how they use this new feature will determine what they do next. That said, Valve doesn’t want to rush it either, saying “We’re trying to make it a really good initial experience, and then see what happens.” This new feature of course stems from the fact that a great deal of users have large televisions or surround sound systems and they want to make the most of it with their PC games, Valve will be attempting to do just that allowing their customers to experience the content they’ve paid for on their other display and sound devices by using a gamepad and new TV friendly interface. Essentially it brings your PC gaming to the couch in an easier to access manner.
Steam Big Picture Mode is a long teased thing of mystery. Announced over a year ago at GDC 2011, the mode should allow PC gamers to play, start and interact with their Steam games using a gamepad and TV friendly interface and. But it’s been kept under wraps by Valve since the announcement.


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Taylor Swift and Beyonce lose revenue: who became the richest star
For several years, Beyonce held the leading position and was considered one of the richest and most powerful women of foreign show business. This year, the pop diva plunged into motherhood and canceled several shows. Perhaps this influenced the overall wealth of the star family Beyonce and Jay Zee. Indeed, in the list of the richest people, a star with an income of $ 105 million ranked second!
The leader was former rapper Sean Combs, better known as Puff Diddy and ex-boyfriend Jennifer Lopez. Despite the fact that the artist has long ended his musical career, Combs earned 130 million from advertising and selling a third of his own fashion brand Sean John.
The third place was taken by the author of "Harry Potter" JK Rowling with an income of 95 million.On a million American greens, rapper Drake is behind the writer, and the top five leaders are the golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo with 93 million.
By the way, Taylor Swift, who last year headed the list and increased her account by as much as 170 million, earned 4 times less this year and fell to the 49th line.
The representatives of the Jenner-Kardashian family were also listed. The youngest, Kylie, steps on the heels of a more eminent sister Kim. Only 4 million Kylie missed up to $ 45 million Kim Kardashian. But, judging by how actively the products of personal cosmetics Kylie Jenner are being sold, the young person has all the chances to wipe her famous sister's nose.


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General Mills Flour Recall Expanded Again After Four New Food Poisoning Reports
Following several new reports of E. coli food poisoning linked to contaminated flour products, General Mills has expanded an already massive recall, identifying additional flour that may be unsafe and pose a serious health risk for consumers.
The FDA announced the latest General Mills flour recall expansion on July 25, following at least four new reported illnesses. The most recent recall marks the third expansion, widening the production date range by over 2 months’ time.
The original recall was first announced on May 31, impacting roughly 10 million pounds of flour sold under the Gold Medal, Signature Kitchens and other brand names, after a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O121 food poisoning sickened at least 38 individuals in 20 different states.
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Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
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To date, the newly adjusted number of reported sicknesses has increased to at least 46 consumers across 21 states, resulting in 13 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported to date.
Upon the initial recall, the FDA began performing trace-back investigations by collecting E. coli samples from sickened patients to match them to contaminated samples pulled from General Mills flour products. The FDA’s investigation has identified several sub-types of E. coli from the samples of General Mills flour products that matched the sickened patient’s samples.
Following the 10 million pounds of General Mills flour originally recalled, the FDA expanded the recall on July 1, following additional illness reports. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), newly diagnosed patients reported consuming flour products outside of the original recall production range.
Following further investigation, the FDA announced the second expansion of the recall on July 11, to include certain Betty Crocker Delights cake mixes that were processed with Wondra flour linked to the recall announced on July 1.
General Mills, FDA and the CDC have collaborated to expand the potentially contaminated products production dates from November 4, 2015 through December 4, 2015 to now any listed product with a production date up until February 10, 2016.
Consumers are being encouraged to visit General Mills website at www.generalmills.com/flour for a full list of the recalled products and production dates, as well as corresponding UPC code.
E. coli O121 can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses, especially among children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. E. coli infections may also cause pregnancy complications for women.
Although most E. coli bacteria cause mild bowel irritation and flu-like symptoms, some forms, including E. coli O121, can be extremely harmful and cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration that can be extremely harmful to those with weakened immune systems. In severe cases, when E. coli O121 is left untreated, it can result in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure for all age ranges infected.
Customers are being urged to never consumer raw flour products as they are grown outside and naturally susceptible to bacterium that unless cooked, could cause sickness if ingested. Customers with further questions or concerns are being asked to contact General Mills at 1-800-230-8103.
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Of all the industries affected by COVID-19, tourism has been one of the worst impacted. Although lockdown measures varied – and continue to vary – between countries, countless flights were cancelled and resorts and hotels were forced to close around the world. Emergency measures were often introduced at short notice, meaning that the tourism industry had little to no time to prepare for what was coming. The result was that even the most determined travelers faced serious barriers to enjoying a vacation in 2020, which has in turn been catastrophic for those who depend on tourism to survive.
As some degree of normalcy returns, attention naturally moves to the gradual revival of the tourism industry. However, opinions vary on the best way forward. While there are undoubtedly those who wish to return to “business as usual” as quickly as possible, others believe that COVID-19 was an unwanted yet much-needed check to generally unsustainable travel behaviors. This interesting time of potential change for the industry presents those who choose to study tourism management with the unusual opportunity to redefine tourism for our modern times. Given the number of livelihoods dependent on the recovery of the travel industry, it’s arguably never been more important to study tourism management.
Rebuilding Economies on a New Foundation
The revival of the tourism industry will not be uniform. Instead, it will be shaped by each country’s reliance on income from tourists, or by the need to protect its economy and other industries by limiting the entrance of foreign visitors. The tourism industry will have to work with different types of government intervention in either scenario, and so those who have studied tourism management could take on an important role in navigating these new limits and opportunities.
Countries who depend on tourism for more than 10% of their gross domestic product have faced a dire economic situation in the wake of the pandemic. Many are islands which have consistently attracted tourists for the same reason that their economies are now suffering: they offer idyllic landscapes unspoiled by the bustle and pollution of other industrial activities. The vast majority of these countries belong to the developing world, where luxury resorts employ locals with a vastly different lifestyle to that of their customers. For people who live in these countries, the recovery of the tourist industry is fundamental to their survival. Those who study tourism will be uniquely placed to support much-needed economic development in these areas.
As a result of the risks and restrictions associated with COVID-19, there is set to be a huge focus on domestic tourism as a means to rebuild economies. While some countries – such as the USA and France – already have a thriving domestic tourism economy, this will be a new area of development for many. Those in the tourist industry will have to research, experiment and invest in order to attract new clients who would not have previously considered a vacation in their own home country; an academic background in tourism management will be invaluable during this process.
Changing Attitudes to Travel
Although hardened travelers may seem relatively undaunted by COVID-19, the pandemic is predicted to change the travel habits of many. At this early stage it’s difficult to predict what these changes might look like. However, it follows that certain demographics are more likely to pull back on international travel based on their increased vulnerability to the virus. Since COVID-19 resulted in job losses across a range of industries, it can also be deduced that the amount of disposable income people are able to dedicate to travel will be reduced in many cases. For different branches of travel and tourism to adequately respond to these changes in customer base and need, strong tourism management skills will be required. Which makes it an especially relevant field of study at the moment.
Some commentary has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is a mere preview of the global panic the world will increasingly experience as a result of climate change. So it can be hoped that living through COVID-19 may act as a catalyst for previously disinterested parties to take action on environmental issues. Of course, unnecessary international travel was already heavily criticized by activists pre-pandemic, but it is likely this message will become more popular in its aftermath. If so, sustainable travel will become a site of renewed and energetic interest. Again, students of tourism management could make a huge difference – not just to the future of travel, but to the future of the planet.
The Ongoing Importance of Tourism
Despite current concerns, people all over the world continue to have a cultural curiosity that drives them to travel. It’s difficult to imagine a world in which this is not true, or in which our current level of globalization is reversed. It should be remembered that travel, although often considered a luxury for the few, has a positive impact beyond personal benefit. The travel and tourism industry ensures the ongoing promotion and preservation of cultural heritage, and supports the economic survival of otherwise under-resourced communities. Perhaps most importantly at a time of international crisis, it enables people of different backgrounds to develop a human solidarity that transcends borders.
In terms of scale and depth of impact, there are very few events in modern history that can be compared to this pandemic. Although affected to varying degrees, people around the world have been united to some extent by their shared experience of COVID-19. What is certain is that, when it’s safe to do so, they will want to connect. They will want to explore beyond the homes they’ve been confined to. What this will look like in a post-pandemic world depends greatly on the creativity and specialist knowledge of tourism professionals. That’s why it’s more important than ever to study tourism management.
Take Your Love of Travel to the Next Level at EU Business School
If you’d like to know more about working in this fascinating sector, EU Business School is the perfect place to learn how to disrupt the travel and tourism industry. You can study Leisure and Tourism Management as a bachelor’s or MBA in a fully international environment, allowing you to simultaneously build valuable cultural and communication soft skills by collaborating with fellow students from all over the world. These programs are available on our Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux, and Munich campuses.


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Samsung and Huawei already brought foldable phones into the mainstream, but their prices are very high. We’re talking about $2000 for the Galaxy Fold and $2600 for the Huawei Mate X. Xiaomi is now said to seriously undercut them by prepping a $1000 foldable phone.
A recent report by iGyaan mentions that Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone, dubbed Mi Fold or Mi Flex right now is going to be priced at $999 in USA or 999 euros in Europe. In India it should cost around $1087. The debut of the product is scheduled for sometime between April and June and it’ll first happen in China, followed by separate launches in other global markets.
The device will cost half of the Galaxy Fold because it uses OLED panels made by Visionox Technology, a company I must admit I haven’t heard of. We’ll see if the panels are half as good as the Galaxy Fold and Mate X ones. The source also mentions flagship specs for the device, including a Snapdragon 855 CPU, 10 GB of RAM and I also expect a dual or triple camera on board.
There was a video surfaced online for the device back in January, that revealed its dual folding nature. It’s not very clear if that format is still on the table, since it would make the device pretty pricey.


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American grouped purchases giant Groupon is entering Israel and purchasing local coupon website Grouper, Calcalist reported Tuesday. The deal is estimated at $15 million – an impressive return for an initial investment of only tens of thousands of shekels by Grouper's founders: Dori Hilleli, Dotan Stav and Yuval Karjevski.
The three founders are expected to receive about $4 million each. Ido Pollak, CEO of the New Media division at RGE Group, may get $1-2 million.
Grouper was founded in March 2010, less than a year ago, and registered as a company in July. Since then it has become the biggest online grouped purchases company in Israel, selling more than 150,000 coupons. Its annual turnover amounts to more than NIS 2 million (about $565,000).
Grouper operates from Moshav Batzra in the Sharon region and has no external investors, according to the Registrar of Companies, apart from Ido Pollak.
Grouper founders Ido Pollak, Dotan Stav, Yuval Karjevski and Dori Hilleli (Photo: Adi and Eyal)
Yuval Karjevski, one of Grouper's founders, told Calcalist last week that he was inspired by Groupon when he established the company.
"I decided that it was an interesting model, and I wanted to convert it because I felt it would work well," he said. "In December 2009 I convinced Dori and Dotan to join, in March we were already online with the first deal, and we moved forward."
Many coupon websites were launched in Israel following Grouper. There are currently 19 active sites, including Baligam, Dealhayom, Yemama and coupon initiatives within existing websites like Ynet, Walla and Mako.
Hebrew ads launched in recent weeks have been directing internet surfers to a Groupon page, offering different discounts. Surfers who visited the site found an ad in Hebrew suggesting that they sign up for the service.
Huge internet brand within 2 years
Groupon is considered the biggest online grouped purchases website in the world today and one of the most popular brands in the internet world. On Monday, the company officially announced the completion of a $950 million funding round, valued at $4.75 billion.
According to reports, it rejected a $6 billion acquisition offer from Google several weeks ago. Groupon declared that the funds it raised would be used to expand its international presence. The company has 35 million subscribers in the United States.
The company, founded two years ago by entrepreneur Andrew Mason, offers online coupons granting 50-70% reductions on a variety of services, such as restaurant meals, spa treatments, hotel stays and even cosmetic treatments according to the subscriber's geographical location.
Most coupons are used for the purchase of services rather than products like computers, furniture or cellular phones. Recently a person even proposed to his girlfriend through the site.
The deal's execution depends on a minimum number of subscribers within a limited period of time, usually 24 hours. Grouper operates similarly, and its homepage includes, for example, 62% reduction on a teeth cleaning treatment, the original price being NIS 260 ($74). Almost 110 people signed up for this deal within 36 hours, while the deal's execution required a minimum of 30 subscribers.
One of Groupon's main shareholders is the Battery Ventures equity firm. One of its prominent partners, Scott Tobin, is an American Jew who immigrated to Israel about two years ago and is working to locate Israeli companies for investment purposes.
Battery has a growing presence in Israel. According to reports, it tried to buy control of Retalix and parts of Comverse in the past.
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With the dropping of the Google Nexus One plans for Verizon and Sprint, it is pretty obvious that Google's phone store experience had rather limited success. Today Andy Rubin posted on the Official Google Blog that Google is moving the Nexus one to retail locations (no actual stores yet announced) and will eventually stop selling handsets via the web store.
I thought this statement was classic:
It’s remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.
Duh! Isn't that what we have all been saying for years? The US carrier model is successful because of the in store experience where most purchases are made and people obviously want the greatest choice in service plans. It is not going to be easy to ever change this model in the US because there are too many consumers who want the cheapest phone and want to buy it in their physical store where they can try it out first.


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TIME investiert 6 Mio. Euro in iConcerts (360° concert video platform)
The Swiss company Transmedia Communications, which developed successfully, under the iConcerts brand, an HD digital, multiplatforms, pre-recorded concert distribution operation, has received €6 million in equity financing from growth investment firm TIME.
iConcerts has become the leading worldwide digital distributor of audiovisual concerts, combining a high quality and unique catalogue of over 1500 concerts of international superstars with a technological edge that allows both accessibility and effective monetization of content.
iConcerts is available in HD on pay TV in over 80 countries, as “the” emblematic brand of pre-recorded on line concert distribution, but is now also offering a global on-line access on connected devices such as tablets or smart TV’s.
iConcerts is currently consolidating its leading position and experiencing a very strong revenue growth through the expansion of its range of services, the broadening of its geographical coverage and the accelerated development of multi-devices access.
TIME equity financing will be used to facilitate iConcerts development in terms of:
– Geographical footprint
– Reach on connected devices
– Catalogue, through acquisition of global and local concerts
– Technology, in order to enhance users’ experience and monetization
This investment is fully consistent with TIME policy to operate at the heart of the digital revolution by focusing on equity investments in fast growing and innovative European companies in the Telecom, Internet, Digital Media and E-business sectors.
The main shareholders of Transmedia (iConcerts) are its founders, Etienne Mirlesse and Natalia Tserkova, and Swisscom Ventures, which have supported the growth of iConcerts since its creation.
Etienne Mirlesse, iConcerts founder and CEO, states: “We are very pleased to have TIME on board, as it holds a more strategic view than conventional funds, which will be very beneficial in a period of rapid growth and high value creation. Having an investor like TIME brings us not only additional capital but also a very strong knowledge of the music and audiovisual industries and of all digital usages. This partnership will give us additional strength to negotiate with global media and telecom operators as well as with content owners. TIME is the valuable partner we needed to move to the next stage of our development: a world-known brand, a global footprint, a complete multi-devices accessibility, a strong turnover and high margins.”
Dominique Mégret, Head of Swisscom Ventures adds: “The timing of this investment could not be better for iConcerts, at a time when connected devices are spreading, thus fostering the company’s growth. TIME, as a specialized investor, will reinforce the shareholding structure, finance the growth, and support the management of iConcerts.”
Henri de Bodinat, President of Time Equity Partners comments:” iConcerts has demonstrated a strong and consistent value proposition in concert broadcasting, starting with a rich and secured repertoire, and substantial contracts with premium TV operators. iConcerts will extend its global footprint and provide content and premium services to manufacturers of connected devices, which are the next wave of the digital revolution. iConcerts is fully in line with TIME focus: to invest in companies leveraging disruptive and innovative technologies to become market leaders and grow profitably, with a possible strategic premium in case of corporate acquisitions.”
About TIME: www.time-ep.com
TIME Equity Partners advises and manages the growth capital platform TIME Investors, which focuses on companies operating at the heart of the digital revolution. Funded by Yam Invest, an investment company created by four European entrepreneurs, TIME provides equity financing to dynamic, profitable and innovative European companies in the Telecom, Internet, Media and E-Business (TIME) sectors. The management of TIME (Henri de Bodinat, Jean-Stephane Bonneton and Jean-Luc Cyrot) combines a strong background in management and technology in the digital sector, as well as an entrepreneurial DNA, a must-have to fully understand and support digital companies at key stages of their development. TIME has invested, as planned at its inception, 50 millions euros in three years, in seven companies all leaders on their markets. The last two investments are iConcerts, and Brille 24 (the leading German online retailer for prescription glasses).
About iConcerts: www.iConcerts.com
iConcerts was launched in Geneva in 2006, by TransMedia Communication SA. Transmedia was created by Etienne Mirlesse, a French entrepreneur, originally a concert producer but also the founder of a US start-up sold to Sony, and by Natalia Tserkova a Latvian graduate of Harvard and MIT and former MIT Labs executive. Starting with Video On Demand (VOD) of concerts, iConcerts has expanded its offering in 2009 with a linear thematic Channel and a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service.
With its extensive catalog of live content (1500 filmed concerts), and its range of services, iConcerts is considered as an attractive premium channel by pay TV operators. IConcerts is available in more than 85 countries, with a strong footprint in Asia (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, India), and is included in channels’ packages offered by cable, satellite or telecom operators. On a current total of conventional TV households worldwide of 1,5 billion, with 550 million on terrestrial TV, 650 million on Cable TV, and 300 million on satellite, iConcerts is available to over 250 million households.
But iConcerts is now also available on smartphones, tablets, PC and smart TV’s via its website or via native applications boosted by global agreements with giant manufacturers such as Samsung or Lenovo. In 2015, in addition to households equipped with classic TV, 2 billion people will own a smartphone, 1 billion a tablet and 500 million a smart TVs, a major growth opportunity for iConcerts.
iConcerts is based in Geneva, with offices in Paris, London, Seoul, Beijing, and Singapore.


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Narrow your search
It plans to use the acquisition to push its existing backup, storage, and online remote access into the MessageLabs customer base.
Spam levels dropped by about one-third following the recent takedown of the Rustock spambot, according to Symantec's latest Intelligence Report.
The Rustock botnet is shrinking in size but its spam attacks are increasing in scale and intensity, security vendor Symantec said.
Using Internet access terminals at an airport might put you at risk of losing personal information.
More malware is sent via e-mail servers in U.S., but China is actually the top source for malware based on true location of senders, says Symantec.
Spam levels increase more than 5 percent in February over prior month, due in large part to greater activity from Grum and Rustock botnets, according to Symantec.
MessageLabs tailors its services for e-mail and Web traffic security filtering to suit smaller organizations.
E-mail spam that includes truncated Web addresses sees a dramatic increase very recently, security provider MessageLabs says.
Spam made up more than 90 percent of all e-mail last month, with networks of zombie PCs producing the vast majority of such messages, MessageLabs says.
Botnets appear to have suffered a big blow with the shutdown of Pricewert, resulting in the reduction of spam activities by 15 percent globally.


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We are delighted to announce this morning that we were named the Best Independent Digital & Technology Business at the 2016 Merseyside Independent Business Awards last night.
The MIB Awards, now in their fourth year, were created to recognise the region’s independent business sector and to commemorate Morecrofts’ 200th anniversary in 2013.
From one-man operations to large employers, the prestigious awards see businesses from all over the county submit their case.
The awards are judged independently by two panels made up of key stakeholders including Liverpool Vision, Liverpool & Sefton Chamber of Commerce, Liverpool BID Company and more.
This year’s awards culminated with a black tie dinner at the Titanic Hotel’s Rum Warehouse on September 29th.
Connect’s joint managing directors, Carole Boardman and Janet Symes said: “Our success at the Merseyside Independent Business Awards has not only given us a platform to promote our work and show the country what we do best, but proves that Liverpool is a city packed full of creative talent.”
For more information about the Merseyside Independent Business Awards, visit the official website.


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WhatsApp to stop working on these iPhones. Know if yours is on list
WhatsApp will soon withdraw its support from older iPhones by January 2022. Check the list of iPhones that will no longer support WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is likely to withdraw its support from several Android devices and iPhones by this month only. The Facebook-owned texting platform WhatsApp has updated the list of devices in one of its blog posts. The platform stops supporting older versions of Android, iOS operating systems, and older models of smartphones as a part of yearly upgradation.
Whatsapp has revealed that it will stop working on more than 30 smartphones, starting from January 2022. The list includes Samsung Galaxy phones, iPhone 6S, iPhone SE, HTC Desire 500, Sony Xperia M, LG Optimus F7, and many more. Considering that these companies have millions of users, this drastic step by WhatsApp will affect millions of users.
According to a report shared by Sproutweird, WhatsApp will stop supporting many older phones in Brazil.There are over 2 2 billion active WhatsApp users worldwide, with over 100 million in Brazil alone. However, it is not clarified whether this will apply to any other part of the world, including India.
Since, many of these smartphones on the WhatsApp list are being used in India too, it is a matter of concern for Indian users as well. However, any confirmation about WhatsApp support for Indian users is still awaited.
Which OS system will lose WhatsApp support?
iPhone users with iOS 9 or less will no longer be able to access WhatsApp and send messages, photos, videos, or any other services provided by the platform. Hence, if your iPhone or operating system is old, then you won't be able to install the updated version of WhatsApp and soon your WhatsApp will not function at all.
Here's the list of iPhones that will lose WhatsApp support in January 2022:
Apple iPhone SE (16GB, 32 GB, and 64GB)
Apple iPhone 6S (32GB and 64GB)
Apple iPhone 6S Plus (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128 GB)
Apple iPhone 6S (128 GB) A
Apple iPhone 6s (16gb)
How can you prevent your phone from losing WhatsApp support
WhatsApp users with old OS phones can try to update their OS to the most recent WhatsApp and phone system OS as is possible.


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Back in November 2019, Sega announced it would be bringing Yakuza games to the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. Things started out with Yakuza 0, what with it being chronologically the first game. Yakuza Kiwami followed in April 2020. Now, on July 30, 2020, the Yakuza Kiwami 2 Xbox One and Windows 10 versions will debut.
People will be able to play the remake of Yakuza 2 in three ways on Microsoft platforms at the month. People could straight-up buy it for $19.99 for the Xbox One or Windows 10 PC. (The normal PC version arrived back in May 2019.) Or, if someone subscribes to the Xbox Game Pass, they could go ahead and play it there as long as their subscription is active.
This means three of the four promised Xbox One Yakuza ports have arrived. The fourth is Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Microsoft and Sega confirmed at the May 2020 Xbox 20/20 presentation that the most recent installment in the series would show up on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in addition to the PlayStation 4.
As for Yakuza Kiwami 2, it follows Kazuma Kiryu as he is once again pulled back into the Tojo Clan’s affairs after an assassination. The Dragon of Dojima finds himself facing the Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda. Oh, and this remake adds a whole new Majima Construction minigame and strategic affair.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is immediately available for the PlayStation 4 and PC. The Yakuza Kiwami 2 Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs on July 30, 2020.


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Redoubler d’efforts pour l’innovation au Nouveau-Brunswick
This article was originally published by the Telegraph Journal on November 18th, 2022.
Next week business, government, academia and private investment leaders from across New Brunswick will gather in Saint John for the first-ever InnovateNB Celebration, a chance to foster relationships, build innovative networks and celebrate our success and future opportunities for our province. The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), along with The McKenna Institute, TechImpact, Propel and Envision Saint John, is one of the sponsors of the celebration because we collectively believe that innovation is fundamental to the province’s economic prosperity.
When you hear the word “innovation” you might conjure up an image of a group of young coders wearing hoodies and typing furiously on their laptops as they create the hot new app. While that’s part of the story – and an important part of who we invest in at NBIF – the reality is that innovation is essential to economic growth and solutions in every aspect of New Brunswick’s economy.
Artificial Intelligence, automation, cybersecurity, ICT and other technologies will transform many industries in the coming years. By embracing this change, we can get ahead of the curve and position key economic sectors to thrive. Innovation can create a “step change” in growth and efficiency that will ensure provincial industries maintain and grow global relevance. Innovation creates significant potential for New Brunswick if we take advantage of the opportunities it presents.
The good news is that we know of, and invest in, people and companies across our province working hard to embed innovation in the priority sectors of our economy like advanced manufacturing, agritech, oceans, forestry, energy innovation, digital health, ICT, and cybersecurity. Many of these people will take part in the InnovateNB Celebration and be recognized for their contributions to innovation across the province. The diversity of participants underscores how embedded innovation is in our economy and bodes well for our collective future.
At NBIF we take our mandate to foster innovation to drive economic growth for New Brunswick to heart. NBIF has two distinct streams of innovation support: venture capital investment in new high growth start-up companies and funding of applied research at post-secondary and research institutes. This is foundational to New Brunswick’s innovation agenda, stimulating new businesses, attracting and retaining talent, and driving private sector investment.
Attracting $350 million in private sector investment
NBIF was founded in 2003. Over 20 years it has made strategic investments in New Brunswick-based start-ups and applied research. Today, those investments are worth over $60 million – $33.5 million from equity in 67 companies and $28 million in cash from 11 successful exits when companies were acquired, with the majority of these funds committed to future reinvestment in new companies.
We are proud of those results but beyond that, the companies have created nearly 1,300 well-paying jobs and generate more than $70 million in annual global revenues, translating into corporate and personal taxes that contribute meaningfully to New Brunswick’s economy.
NBIF’s investments in the tenacity and innovation of New Brunswick companies have assisted in attracting more than $350 million in private sector investment into our province’s companies from across Canada, the United States and Europe. NBIF is often the first to commit to investing in these start-ups which bridges further investments from national venture capital firms, national research programs and more. It would be much harder for these start-ups to access these firms if NBIF was not there to make that critical first investment.
We are all about co-investing, using our resources to attract other private investors and funding sources that will enable New Brunswick innovators to grow and prosper.
Growing the innovation community
Beyond the dollars and cents impact of NBIF, our role is foundational in another way. Our investments help entrepreneurs build start-ups and high-growth companies that attract (and retain) the kind of skilled talent that is increasingly hard to come by around the world – the software engineers, AI developers, system architects, cybersecurity professionals and more that fuel so much innovation. By investing in our home-grown start-ups that attract these valuable employees, we create an environment that entices still more talent to the province. It is part of a virtuous cycle.
Collectively, there is a need to create a milieu where New Brunswick is recognized as an exciting place to build not only a business, but also a thriving career with likeminded professionals working with companies that are transforming global industries. Let’s call it the “innovation vibe” – a feeling of energy, excitement, and confidence for the future built on a shared commitment to innovation. That’s important for much more than the young disruptors in hoodies – every established industry in New Brunswick will rely on this kind of talent.
Innovation is a team sport – our businesses, colleges and universities, private investors, start-up accelerators, economic development teams and more all have a role to play. Together, we need to push hard to accelerate our innovation ecosystem in New Brunswick to create the conditions leading to new opportunities for the individuals and companies that will drive economic growth.
We have done it before with home runs like Radian6 and Q1 Labs and have been doing it ever since with companies like Introhive, ProcedureFlow and others percolating right now locally that have the potential for explosive growth.
We know because NBIF has invested in them.
Doubling down on innovation
At NBIF we are doubling down on innovation.
Very shortly, we will be unveiling a bold new Investment Strategy to accelerate the growth of innovators and entrepreneurs in this province. We will be looking for – and investing in – more New Brunswick-based high-growth potential companies across a broader spectrum of their journey to help them drive results.
This integrated strategy will drive increased economic benefits to our province. It will add energy and pace to the perpetuating system of innovation that drives job creation, tax growth, new corporate revenue, increased spending, and reinvestment by successful founders and investors back into new start-ups and the provincial economy. Collaborating with our partners in the private sector, investment, government, and education, we are building a virtuous cycle of opportunity and growth.
Aristotle famously said that excellence is not an act but a habit. New Brunswick needs to make its commitment to innovation a habit, something every aspect of our economy and society embraces every day. Yes, coders in hoodies are a key part of this habit but so too are workers across our traditional industries, manufacturing facilities, professional services firms, healthcare and education systems and more.
Innovation must be embedded in how we work as a province and NBIF is wiling to lead the charge. We all benefit when innovation happens. Let’s get to it.
Jeff White is the CEO of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation. You can find out more about the InnovateNB Celebration at www.innovatenbcelebration.com.


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What's old is new again as Apple's original HomePod has returned with revamped internals and big sound — but an unchanged high price.
Tile has updated its entire lineup on Tuesday with all-new designs, boosted range, louder alert tones, improved privacy features, and an upcoming augmented reality mode to take on Apple's AirTag. Unfortunately, they won't support Apple's Find My app.
Apple has shared some resources and details for accessory makers looking to integrate Ultra Wideband-enabled Nearby Interactions in their hardware.
Apple's AirTag is the company's simplest, and smallest product since it started including stickers with devices. If it didn't require accessories, it would be nearly perfect — though there are also issues to be aware of.
Here's how to get the most out of Apple's AirTag tracking fob with iPhones that don't have Apple's Ultra Wideband U1 processors in them, or in countries with prohibitions on UWB.
Tile is planning to introduce a new tracking device with Ultra Wideband capabilities, an expected core feature of Apple's long-rumored "AirTags."
Apple has added its U1 chip to even more products, and is clearly planning to make Ultra Wideband a major feature of its device ecosystem? Here's a breakdown of UWB, what it does now, and what it can do for you.
Not mentioned during Apple's "Time Flies" keynote on Tuesday is a new Apple Watch Series 6 hardware feature primed to play an important role in the company's upcoming product ecosystem.
After a year of rumors, Apple's Ultra Wideband and Bluetooth "AirTags" tracking fobs are expected to arrive in 2020. Here's everything that we know about them so far.


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Scooby-Doo Enix held a conference call today to discuss its recent financial results and revealed some future plans during the call.
Japanese analyst David Gibson summarized the SE interview afterwards: the sale of Crystal Dynamics and Eidos to Embracer Group is the first phase of Square Enix’s plan, and the second phase will be “diversifying the capital structure of the studio.
Rising game development costs mean that studios with 100% ownership need to be selective and pool their resources, which limits expansion. As a result, SE will “conduct a studio portfolio review.
Some studios will maintain 100% equity structures, while others will change (equity or joint venture),” he added, adding that Square Enix will also look to expand its studio portfolio.
According to a report on the conference call, “the biggest impact will be around larger games for European/US studios,” meaning Square Enix “will be able to allocate resources primarily to Japanese games.
“Square Enix is looking to sell shares of its studios to other companies to improve capital efficiency, and companies like Sony are among its buyers, with interest expected from the likes of Sony, Tencent and Nexon.”
He also noted that Square Enix’s decision is “extraordinary” because the publisher should have enough money to meet its needs without having to sell its stake in existing studios.
Square Enix’s current game development costs are $840 million,” he said. But after the Crystal Dynamics / Eidos sale, the company will have $1.4 billion in cash and zero debt, which is more than enough for expanded game investments and without the need to sell a stake in the studio.”