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The fund has quietly closed its doors of the London office at the end of last month.
Maybank also stated its intention to appoint receivers and managers over the assets of Tuaspring, save for its desalination plant and shared infrastru
Bandar Malaysia will be developed with its original partners, Iskandar Waterfront Holdings and China Railway Engineering Corp.
AirAsia has ended an agreement with Gumin Company Ltd and Hai Au Aviation to set up a low-cost carrier.
The Malaysia-headquartered fund has raised its stake in PC Jeweller Ltd to 8.6% from 4.76% earlier.
AirAsia has been on a quest to actively expand its digital businesses in order to become an asset-light company.
Ekuinas CEO Syed Yasir Arafat Syed Abd Kadir and Vynn Capital co-founder Victor Chua are among the newly-appointed members of the council.
The fund is anchored by SME Corp. Malaysia, a government agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development.
MY Security Commission 2018 annual report says investments in startups comprised only 0.8 per cent of the total funding.
The deal will also connect TheLorry to Unilever's supply chain operations.
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A campaign run by environmental activists has helped lead to a 87 percent reduction in palm oil use by eight major food companies in Norway, reports Rainforest Foundation Norway, which led the effort.
Rainforest Foundation Norway and Green Living launched the palm oil campaign last fall highlight links between palm oil consumption and deforestation in Southeast Asia. It aimed to reduce demand for palm oil in the Scandinavian country, where palm oil consumption was roughly 3 kilogram per year, mostly through processed food products.
The campaign asked major food companies to disclose their palm oil use and whether palm oil was certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an eco-certification initiative. Following the survey, the environmental groups published a ‘palm oil guide’ where consumers could look up the palm oil content in the products they buy. The effort went beyond traditional labeling which allowed palm oil to be listed generically as ‘vegetable oil’ or ‘vegetable fat’.
According to Rainforest Foundation Norway, the campaign had an immediate impact — Norwegian food producers started to scale back on, or even phase out, palm oil. Stabburet, which was once one of the country’s largest palm oil buyers, banished palm oil from its products completely, while Mills, the largest buyer, cut use by 95 percent. The result so far is food companies in Norway have reduced palm oil buying by 9,591 metric tons, or 87 percent of last year’s 11,052 tons worth of palm oil. With the eight companies accounting for roughly three-quarters of Norway’s total palm oil use for food products, per capita palm oil consumption in Norway is set to fall to just over 1 kilo per year.
The campaign only targeted food manufacturers, not fast food chains and restaurants, cosmetics producers, or animal feed makers.
Lars Løvold, Director of Rainforest Foundation Norway, said the campaign could be a model for other countries.
“Norwegian food producers have demonstrated that it is possible to produce and sell food without palm oil, avoiding complicity in rainforest destruction,” said Løvold. “The experience from Norway should inspire consumers globally to demand food products which do not contribute to rainforest destruction.”
Palm oil is the most productive of commercial oil seeds but its expansion in recent decades has taken a heavy toll on rainforests and peatlands in Indonesia and Malaysia, which account for nearly 90 percent of global production. Green campaigners have thus targeted major palm oil buyers in an effort to shift the industry toward less damaging practices. In response, the palm oil industry, working with some environmental groups, have set up the RSPO which sets social and environmental criteria for palm oil production. The hope is that buyers are willing to pay a slight premium for RSPO-certified palm oil. Still some activists have criticized the RSPO as not being strong enough and are campaigning for stricter safeguards.
The palm oil industry asserts its crop offers more oil per unit of area than other oilseeds, reducing the need to clear forests relative to other crops. But that argument has failed to win over environmentalists who note that forest clearing for oil palm plantations has not slowed and is now expanding to other parts of the world, including West Africa, Central and South America, Papua New Guinea, and the South Pacific.
Norway is one of the world’s largest supporters of tropical forest conservation. It has committed three billion Norwegian krone ($500 million) per year to slowing deforestation, including billion dollar pledges to Indonesia and Brazil for forest protection programs. The country’s pension fund nevertheless continues to invest in companies associated with forest conversion, a sore point for activists.
Updated 7/26 to include more precise figures on Norwegian palm oil consumption.
(07/02/2012) In late May I had the opportunity to fly from Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo to Imbak Canyon and back. These are some of my photos. Historically Borneo was covered by a range of habitats, including dense tropical rainforests, swampy peatlands, and natural grasslands. But its lowland forests have been aggressively logged for timber and then converted for oil palm plantations.
(06/05/2012) One of the world’s largest palm oil companies has become the first to identify and disclose high carbon forests and peatlands in its concessions. Golden Agri-Resources Limited (GAR), the owner of Indonesia’s palm oil giant PT SMART Tbk, on Monday published a carbon assessment of its holdings in Indonesian Borneo. The report is an important milestone under GAR’s forest conservation policy, which prohibits conversion of land with more than 35 tons of carbon per hectare and moves the company toward a zero deforestation target.
(01/26/2011) The commercial shows a typical office setting. A worker sits drearily at a desk, shredding papers and watching minutes tick by on the clock. When his break comes, he takes out a Nestle KitKat bar. As he tears into the package, the viewer, but not the office worker, notices something is amiss—what should be chocolate has been replaced by the dark hairy finger of an orangutan. With the jarring crunch of teeth breaking through bone, the worker bites into the “bar.” Drops of blood fall on the keyboard and run down his face. His officemates stare, horrified. The advertisement cuts to a solitary tree standing amid a deforested landscape. A chainsaw whines. The message: Palm oil—an ingredient in many Nestle products—is killing orangutans by destroying their habitat, the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.
(10/06/2010) The NGO, The Forest Trust (TFT), made international headlines this year after food giant Nestlé chose them to monitor their sustainability efforts. Nestlé’s move followed a Greenpeace campaign that blew-up into a blistering free-for-all on social media sites. For months Nestle was dogged online not just for sourcing palm oil connected to deforestation in Southeast Asia—the focus of Greenpeace’s campaign—but for a litany of perceived social and environmental abuses and Nestlé’s reactions, which veered from draconian to clumsy to stonily silent. The announcement on May 17th that Nestlé was bending to demands to rid its products of deforestation quickly quelled the storm. Behind the scenes, Nestlé and TFT had been meeting for a number of weeks before the partnership was made official. But can TFT ensure consumers that Nestlé is truly moving forward on cutting deforestation from all of its products?
(01/12/2010) Palm oil is one of the world’s most traded and versatile agricultural commodities. It can be used as edible vegetable oil, industrial lubricant, raw material in cosmetic and skincare products and feedstock for biofuel production. Growing global demand for palm oil and the ensuing cropland expansion has been blamed for a wide range of environmental ills, including tropical deforestation, peatland degradation, biodiversity loss and CO2 emissions. In response to these concerns, a group of stakeholders—including activists, investors, producers and retailers—formed the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to develop a certification scheme for palm oil produced through environmentally- and socially-responsible ways. It is widely anticipated that the creation of a premium market for RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) would incentivize palm oil producers to improve their management practices.

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Since 2008, the Alternative Investments Conference has served as a forum for private equity, hedge fund, venture capital and other alternative asset professionals to network, share ideas and stay abreast of industry trends.
This year’s in-person convening will discuss unique challenges and opportunities related to ESG issues in alternative investments.
With consumer prices rising for a third straight month in June, consumer demand continuing to outstrip supply and stock valuations well above long-term averages, our experts explore whether the so-called “everything bubble” of asset prices could be set to burst – and examine what’s next for investors and firms.
The COVID-19 financial downturn will have short- and long-term effects on personal and consumer finance, as explored by a panel of Kenan Institute-convened experts during a press briefing held yesterday. The full recording of this briefing—along with a deeper-dive analysis on the specific implications of the downturn on personal retirement income by Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown, is available in this week’s Kenan Insight.
Please join us for an exclusive conversation with Andreessen Horowitz Managing Partner Scott Kupor on Monday, Oct. 21 from 4–5 p.m. The event is part of the Dean’s Speaker Series, hosted by Kenan-Flagler Business School Dean Doug Shackelford.


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China’s top ride-hailing company Didi made two big moves in the past week: acquiring the beleaguered bike-sharing startup Bluegogo, and buying Brazilian car-hailing company 99.
At home, China’s Uber faces challenges from Meituan. The group-buying website recently launched its car-hailing services in several major cities in China, offering subsidiaries to drivers and coupons to customers.
At the same time, stepping into the Brazilian market has long been in Didi’s agenda, as the company has invested in 99 nearly one year ago. In Latin America, Uber holds dominant market shares in the local ride-hailing industry. Didi, if it seeks to beef up its presence in the region, is likely to face a fierce fight.
In Didi’s position, it must feel like rowing a boat upstream. If you stop moving forward, you fall back.
Kr-ASIA Weekly Roundup highlights tech & startup news of the past week, with a focus on Southeast Asia and China. We also pick up the best features from Kr-Asia and the web that are worth your time. Also, there is always something cool for the weekend.
News of the week:
Didi acquired Brazilian taxi and car-hailing company 99, bolstering its international presence in a major ride-hail market. (KrAsia)
Didi has acquired the bike-sharing startup Bluegogo, foraying into the bike-sharing industry. The company also have previously invested in ofo and is said to be working on its own bike-sharing brand. (KrASIA)
Alibaba is reportedly in talks to pick up a significant minority stake in India’s logistics company XpressBees, investing up to $100 million, taking on homegrown Flipkart and global rival Amazon. (Economic Times)
SoCar, South Korean ride-sharing startup, is set to launch its service in Malaysia, marking the foray into its first overseas market for expansion, according to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. (Deal Street Asia)
oBike announced to have logged over 10 million rides in 60 cities. The bike-sharing startup has set up a franchising program to work with external partners to help run its operations. (e27)
JD opens off-line fresh food store, 7 Fresh, planning to open over 1000 more in 3 to 5 years. (Sina)
Intel share price has dropped over 5% since a report on the vulnerability of its chips that give hackers accesses to sensitive data. (Bloomberg)
Best of Kr-Asia Features:
6 Fatal Mistakes in Starting a Startup, the VC Behind Didi & Ofo Explains with Classical Examples (Part 1).
Collapse or Reborn? The Media Industry in the Age of AI (Part 2).
Blog posts that worth your time:
Startup owners and investors always need to do a lot of referencing in their business. Here are some thoughts from a VC with more than 30-years experience.
This is how it feels like to live in the Hollywood home of social media’s stars.
Why and how should non-engineers learn to use GitHub? Engineer at E-commerce website Thread explains with examples from his company.
Cool thing of the week:
Memories are the safest secrets, well that’s still true for now. Japanese scientists may have opened the door to a strange future scenario where we could possibly recode or playback people’s memories.
In its nascent stage, the technology can already figure out what someone is looking at. Here is a video showing how good is the technology at the moment.


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For Pakistani exporters, the kinnow exports have started. Traders have set a target to export 300,000 tons this season, expecting to fetch $19.5 million in foreign exchange, said industry sources. This year’s target is lower by 50,000 tons compared to the exports of last year.
Waheed Ahmed, patron-in-chief, All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), said around 15 to 20 percent fruit exports were expected from a production of nearly 2.2 million tons: “Keeping the huge losses sustained by the kinnow exporters in the Russian market during the previous season, the export target for the current year has been kept 50,000 tons less compared to last year.”
Due to stiff competition in the Russian market, the exporters had to export kinnow to this international market at lower cost than its actual cost of shipments leading to huge financial losses of around $6 million in the previous season.
Ahmed stressed that to attain the export target of 300,000 tons, it was imperative to have close co-ordination and co-operation among the shipping companies, concerned ministries and departments.
“If we don’t encounter any disturbances in supply or issues related to transportation, we will leave no stone unturned to even go above the set export target,” Waheed assured.


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CannTrust Holdings Inc.‘s (NYSE:CTST)(TSX:TRST) shares continued to take a beating on Wednesday after Ontario officials announced the company’s cannabis products would be pulled from the province’s store shelves due to the pot producer getting caught offside with Canada’s federal growing regulations.
The company said on Monday an inspection by Health Canada revealed it had been producing thousands of kilograms of cannabis in five unlicensed rooms at its Pelham, Ontario greenhouse before the appropriate permits were obtained. As a result, the federal agency has 12,700 kilograms of dried cannabis on hold while it conducts an investigation.
“Due to the Health Canada temporary hold on certain CannTrust cannabis products, [Ontario Cannabis Store] has voluntarily removed all affected products from distribution pending the outcome of the investigation,” the provincial pot distributor told BNN Bloomberg.
The Ontario pot company said it has been communicating with every province to enable them to make decisions regarding its product availability while Health Canada carries out is probe.
The investigation is expected to last another eight to 10 business days as of Wednesday.
A “wake-up call” for the cannabis industry
The Ontario cannabis producer said it was unclear how much Health Canada’s non-compliance finding will impact its financials. But CannTrust did say it would source out cannabis supply from third parties to help fill the pending shortages.
The 12,700 kilograms of dried cannabis on hold could be worth up to $70 million, according to the CEO RavenQuest Biomed.
CannTrust’s shares plunged from $6.46 when the Toronto Stock Exchange opened Monday to $4.12 when it closed Wednesday – a staggaring 36 per cent decline.
This is a wake-up call for the cannabis space in a bunch of ways
“With more of these massive blue chip, multinational companies getting involved in the industry, that brings an increased focus on operational excellence,” Foster told BNN Bloomberg. “What we’re seeing now are these growing pains that have to be rectified immediately because it brings a dark cloud over the industry.”
Bruce Campbell, the founder and portfolio manager of Stonecastle Investment Management Inc., said his phone lit up with panicked calls after the news broke of CannTrust’s mishap.
“This is what investors in the sector deal with every day,” Campbell told The Financial Post. “There’s going to be news that rocks the business both up and down that you can’t mitigate around.”
Richard Leblanc, an ethics and law professor at York University, said Canadian pot companies need to start appointing independent boards to make sure they are doing business with a laser-focus on compliance.
“We’re in the early stages of governance maturity of these companies,” Leblanc said. “As they expand globally and go into other markets, the lack of governance will hurt them.”
Can CannTrust be trusted?
It’s hard to put into perspective how CannTrust’s recent major blow will reshape the company or change the already rapidly shifting cannabis industry. More than $330 million was wiped from its value by market capitalization in just three days.
Surprisingly, the chairman and founder of CannTrust remained calm after the news came to light and said he still has faith in the company’s CEO Peter Aceto.
“People are out there calling for someone’s head,” Chairman Eric Paul said. “You know that’s a typical reaction to these kinds of things but that’s not a fair or appropriate thing to do.”
CannTrust said it is unclear at this time how this problem unfolded, but the company has hired an external firm to conduct a “root-cause analysis.”
Meanwhile, the news keeps getting worse for the company as two major Canadian banks downgraded CannTrust and lowered their target prices for the stock.
Royal Bank of Canada downgraded the company from “outperform” to “perform” and dropped its target price to $5 from $13. Whereas, Bank of Montreal cannabis analyst Tamy Chen downgraded CannTrust from “outperform” to “speculative” and cut her target price to $6 from $11.


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Notwithstanding road work in progress along the Mandela Highway, the Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre promises that Christmas is ready to roll at Hi-Pro. As one of the Caribbean’s largest home centres, the store is preparing to host its first Hi-Pro Home Fest on December 14 and 15 with promises of live product demonstrations, ‘As seen on TV’ products, discounts and more.
Just a stone’s throw from the city of Portmore, the Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre offers convenient shopping facilities and is home to a wide array of home furnishings for kitchen, bathroom, living and dining spaces along with garden supplies, patio furniture, pet supplies, tools and hardware items. While the Hi-Pro brand is well known for its animal feeds, agronomy and farm supplies, the Hi-Pro Home Fest will showcase the unique home finishes and accessories that appeal to decorators, home owners and do-it-yourself (DIY) project masters.
Store operations manager, Tricia Jackson notes, “The Hi-Pro Home Fest will be an opportunity for our customers to experience the brands available in store. The event will also feature tool demos, painting and decorating tips for home owners looking to spruce things up for the Christmas season.”
Jaimie Ogilvie, Assistant Vice President, Hi-Pro Ace Division, explained that this event was conceptualised as part of the company’s sixtieth anniversary celebration.
“The Jamaica Broilers Group has been in operation for sixty years now and Hi-Pro is pleased to celebrate this milestone with our customers and other stakeholders. We want to take the opportunity to give back to our customers. Our Hi-Pro Christmas Winnings Promotion touches not only our farming community but our wider customer base and we feel that Home Fest allows us to celebrate with all our valued customers,“ said Ogilvie.
As of Saturday, December 15 the Supercentre will also be extending store hours for the remainder of the Christmas season; Mondays through Fridays from 8:30am – 6:00pm and Saturdays from 9:00am – 6:30pm.


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For RTP to take off, banks must collaborate with Fintechs
As more and more financial institutions sign up for The Clearing House’s RTP©, it may seem that the U.S. is well on its way to achieving the Federal Reserve’s target for real-time payments to achieve ubiquity by 2020. But the reality is that with many early adopters still in receive-only mode, volumes remain low.
There are several reasons for this. Obviously, the lack of a regulatory mandate or validated business cases are factors. But a less considered reason is the sheer novelty of the proposition. RTP is the first new payment rail in the United States since the introduction of Automated Clearing House (ACH) in the 1970s. There is little institutional memory—not just in banks, but across the whole industry—of how to roll out a new payment rail, identify use cases, and increase adoption.
For RTP to succeed, it is not enough for financial institutions to just connect to the network. New RTP-based payment services need to be brought to market, and the industry needs a broad-based education program aimed at consumers, corporates, banks and credit unions, outlining RTP’s myriad opportunities and benefits. It will require expanding the knowledge of how and where friction can be removed from current payment services in order to drive innovation that will allow FIs to differentiate. But FIs cannot go it alone here—collaboration with Fintech partners is essential to drive education and innovation.
More than ever before, consumers and corporates are turning directly to Fintechs for payment services, and financial institutions, in turn, are increasingly reliant on Fintechs to provide essential real-time connectivity and processing systems for new payment rails. Fintechs are also masters of agile marketing—many having learned to sell their offerings not only to investors, but also to customers in a crowded marketplace. They are evangelists by nature, having had to beat the drum, blaze the trail and establish critical mass of support for innovation.
The fresh approach of the Fintech community, combined with the decades of experience in regulatory compliance, risk management, and account servicing that FIs bring to the table, is ultimately best positioned to deliver success for RTP. Banks should embrace collaborating with Fintechs every step of the way to harness the wealth of innovation happening outside of their institutions. Consumers and businesses will continue to demand more real-time services and it’s up to the industry to act—with RTP, we can finally deliver.


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Travel Site CEO sees "change of mind" in Google's list
The CEO of travel booking site Trivago believes that attitudes toward the world's largest tech companies have changed. Axel Hever believes that the world's governments are preparing to assume the absolute dominance of Google on the Internet, saying: "There is a growing understanding of the need to set some specific rules for the digital world, as they have done in the offline world for a long time."
“It is increasingly understood that it is necessary to set some rules for the digital world, as it has done in the offline world for a long time,” Hever said. “Over the next several years, we expect more rules and regulations that should lead to more competition based on Innovation, rather than simply increasing economies of scale that dominate different sectors.
Hever went on to say that "huge platforms control our daily life" and it is "almost impossible" not to use them to some extent.
10 Feb 2021


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Employees are dismissed, mining farms closed, Jihan Wu replaced as chief and the long-awaited IPO is becoming increasingly unlikely. How bad is the biggest manufacturer of mining equipment? The company explains where to go in 2019.
The year did not start well for the Chinese mining giant Bitmain. The last one and a half months have become a series of bad news.
From December began a wave of dismissals. First, the company closed its Israeli development lab on December 10th. In this, a mining pool was developed and researched for blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence. On December 17, there were rumors on the Chinese LinkedIn website that Bitmain would dismiss half of its employees. A few days later, reports followed that Bitmain fired Bitcoin cash developers working on a go implementation of the cryptocurrency. The developers of Wormhole, a smart contracts app for Bitcoin Cash, are now apparently unemployed.
On January 10, the South China Morning Post writes that the two Bitmain founders Jihan Wu and Zhan Ketuan will step down as directors. The transition phase, in which the engineer Wang Haichao should take the tax, has been initiated since December. The same day, a radio in Texas reports that Bitmain is closing its mining farm in Rockdale. Set up in a former alumium melt at a power plant, the mining center was to become the largest bitcoin mine in the United States, with 7,000 to 8,000 miners. Four days later it is announced that the office in Amsterdam will be closed, mainly responsible for the BTC.com mining pool.
When Bitmain has the incidents commented on, a spokesman in dry words merely says that the company is concentrating on its core business. In fact, bitmain grew rapidly in 2017 and is expanding. The recent closures and layoffs are still far from the 50 percent off the rumors. If it stays that way, Bitmain is likely to overcome the crisis with relatively soft cuts.
If you look at the hashrates, Bitmain continues to be one of the absolute top miners. The company’s two large pools, Antpool and BTC.com, are among the leading pools in both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.
Hints from chief of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The IPO in Hong Kong, from which Bitmain had hoped for a capital injection of more than ten billion dollars in the fall of 2018, is becoming more and more uncertain. After the Hong Kong Stock Exchange had been hesitant before, CEO Charles Li Xiaojia becomes clearer at the World Economic Forum in January 24, after journalists asked him about the planned IPOs of mining companies Bitmain, Canaan and Ebang look.
Li answers with general but well-informed statements about how to go public in Hong Kong. The stock market decides whether a company is suitable due to its business model. At the same time, continuity and sustainability are important. “If a company has earned billions of dollars through Business A but suddenly says they want to do Business B without showing results, then I do not think the Business A mentioned in their application is sustainable.” “Will Business A continue to be lucrative if regulators so far keep their hands off but want to regulate it in the future?”
Li is referring to the fact that the three major mining companies make their profits almost exclusively by mining, but profess to enter the field of artificial intelligence. One has to know that China has made research into Artificial Intelligence the topic of the future and is about to overtake the USA in this area. The mining companies have probably promised better stock market opportunities by highlighting Artificial Intelligence in their IPO filings. Bitmain wrote about being “a strong competitor in the AI chip industry” and keeping up with Nvidia and Google – while 94 percent of revenue continues to come from the sale of mining ASICS.
Furthermore, Li points out that the cyberspace administration of China has recently introduced a new regulatory framework for blockchain companies, which should come into force in the coming months. This could regulate some Bitmain businesses that are unregulated, such as wallets, block explorers or even mining pools.
Bitmain is optimistic
With a sort of annual review Bitmain reacts on January 21 to the many rumors that the company is about to go bankrupt. In it, the company is optimistic. 2018 was a great year
Bitmain first developed a new generation of 7nm Asics and set new standards in speed and efficiency with the Antminer S15. With the Sophon project, the company then launched the second generation of AI chips, both for machine learning and facial recognition. Bitmain also offers a light version of these chips as a USB stick. The idea is that you supplement the normal systems with the chips, and already the computer has a turbo, when it comes to the difficult operation of the face recognition. You could say Bitmain is developing chips for the Chinese electronic surveillance state.
In addition to hardware development, Bitmain 2018 has also positioned itself as an investor. For example, the company has invested in the Wallet Circle. It’s probably all about establishing a crypto-dollar. Bitmain has also invested in open source developers. The company does not give a name, but says “we already have a lot of them, and we look forward to doing so again in 2019.” Even the Hardfork of Bitcoin Cash was a good thing: “It was exciting to see how different passions have fought over the future of cryptocurrencies. “
After the rapid expansion of the past year, it is time to “streamline our business.” The portfolio has become so broad that it now faces the problem of choice. “And we had to choose something this year.” Focusing on “back to our core mission and the activities that best fit our vision.” The company will become leaner.
Bitmain believes that cryptocurrencies will play a major role in finance and that Asic miners will remain an integral part of securing cryptocurrencies. “As one of the world’s leading high-performance chip makers, we believe that it will be important for Bitmain to meet this need by building on our innovations such as the 7nm Asic.”
With this turn back to the core business, Bitmain comes close to what the head of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Davos publicly demands. Maybe it will be something with the IPO.
image by Shutterstock
source German BitcoinBlog.de
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KOKOSALAKI TO FENDI?: Sources in London say Sophia Kokosalaki might be headed for Fendi. A spokeswoman for the designer denied the rumor Thursday, and Fendi’s offices in Milan were closed for a national holiday. The British designer, who has a...
KOKOSALAKI TO FENDI?: Sources in London say Sophia Kokosalaki might be headed for Fendi. A spokeswoman for the designer denied the rumor Thursday, and Fendi’s offices in Milan were closed for a national holiday. The British designer, who has a collection under her own name, had a stint as guest designer at Ruffo Research, and speculation was mounting last year that she was a candidate to succeed Narciso Rodriguez at Loewe.IN-DENTURED SERVITUDE: Could footwear magnate Steve Madden’s substance abuse issues be haunting him? Or is he avoiding the John Gotti family complaint that prison dental treatment is subpar? Manhattan federal district court Judge Kimba Wood has approved Sept. 18 as the new surrender date for Madden at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. As reported, Madden was seeking a delay for medical treatment. According to court papers, Madden is getting caps and crowns, as well as fillings for cavities. He also will be getting root canal, plus implants after two teeth are extracted. That’s not all: Madden will be receiving surgery to correct a deviated septum. Also on the agenda is treatment to "calm the visible effects" of rosacea.PHAT CHANCE: In a major advertising push for Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons placed her fall ad on a billboard on 10th Avenue at 18th Street in Manhattan. The ad, which features model Devon Aoki wearing a kimono top with jeans, is causing quite a stir. According to Michelle Perez, marketing director for Baby Phat, the owners of the restaurant across the street, The Park, want the billboard removed."Devon Aoki is an adult, a professional model and a friend," Simmons told WWD. "Baby Phat is not selling sex, we are selling clothes. And while our clothes are admittedly sexy, the notion that we are selling child pornography is absurd. We are very proud of our ad and stand behind it 100 percent." No one at The Park could be reached for comment.
“I grew up in New York but I hadn’t really experienced the city in any type of touristy way…This was probably the first museum I really explored and took the time to see,” said @haileybaldwin of the @whitneymuseum. On Tuesday night, Baldwin was joined by Jemima Kirke and more at the annual Whitney Museum Gala and Studio Party, which honored Lorna Simpson, Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo and Beth Rudin DeWoody. See more photos on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
Displayed starting this week at the @fashiontextilemuseum: An exhibition on designer @orlakiely titled “Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern,” which spans two decades and contains more than 150 pieces. “I want people to come away loving pattern and print. It’s something that makes you feel so good,” said the designer during a preview of the exhibit. Also on show are mood boards, samples, sketches and more. Head to WWD.com to see more photos. #wwdfashion
Exclusive: @dsquared2 signs fragrance licensing agreement with Euroitalia, with the first effort of the new partnership being unveiled in September. The brand will launch two scents – one for men and one for women – in Italy. Read our interview with designer Dean and Dan Caten on WWD.com. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: @zefashioninsider)
@louisvuitton has officially renewed Nicolas Ghesquière’s contract as artistic director of women's collections. "I am very pleased to open the next chapter of the story I started with Louis Vuitton almost 5 years ago," said Ghesquière, who first signed on to design the French luxury brand's women's line in 2013. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)
“I learned then and there that I had to figure out a way in life to maintain and preserve my sense of pride when I felt good about what I did or what I represented or created,” said @saintrecords on how being bullied for wearing capri pants inspired her to be the artist she is today. Knowles was at the 70th Parsons Benefit last night where she outbid the room for a Dapper Dan customized @gucci experience. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
“There’s this amazing braintrust of people who know the whole universe so well. So we talked to them and they gave us more input,” said actor Alden Ehrenreich on playing the young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The cast was at NYC’s SVA Theatre last night for an advanced screening of the film, which hits theaters this week. #wwdeye #starwars #hansolo (📷: @aurorarosedecrosta)
@asaprocky spent nearly two hours in a Plexiglas box Sunday night at @sothebys putting himself through a series of “tests” to demonstrate the process of completing his new album called “Testing.” Get all the details and see all the pictures on WWD.com. #wwdeye
“I’ve struggled my whole life to find a bathing suit that fits me that doesn’t look like a maternity bra. I’m proud of the line because it’s an accurate representation of me rather than me putting on someone else’s clothes,” says @atlantabean of her swimwear collaboration with @piaarrobio, LPA X ATL. The two decided on a swimwear collab and increased the industry standard size for the pieces. Read more about the line — and our interview with de Cadenet Taylor and Arrobio — on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Dan Doperalski)


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In addition, the research showed that 75% have faith in the stability of the market to withstand further economic pressures and remain at least at the same levels.
The sector’s ability to fulfill a growing consumer need (75%) and meet changing retirement requirements (38%) were highlighted as two of its key strengths. Indeed, these strengths have led to far greater engagement between the equity release industry and Government than ever before, and members believe this will continue over the course of the year (80%).
In addition to engagement, 60% of respondents believe that the Government will look to the industry for help with public policy issues such as meeting the pensions gap and funding care. The majority of members (60%) also believe that there is potential for a Government department to step forward to “own” equity release, thus providing a further endorsement in the minds of consumers.
Amidst this positive view is the acknowledgement that there will also be challenges ahead. Eighty-six per cent believe that SHIP needs to continue to work to increase awareness and understanding of equity release amongst the Government and consumers, in order to overcome problems faced including a lack of understanding and confidence in the products (25%).
In addition, there will be tests in the form of legislation, such as the impact of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and the Mortgage Market Review. However, 63% of respondents believe that RDR will have no real impact upon the equity release market, and an even greater 67% believe the same of the Mortgage Market Review.
Commenting, Andrea Rozario, director general of SHIP, the equity release trade body, said: “Over the past twelve months, we have seen a growing acceptance of equity release as a retirement planning option amongst consumers, advisers and the Government. With longevity increasing and the Government making it clear that the state will not be able to provide all encompassing retirement funding, other options must be considered.
“However, it is important that those who are entitled to state support fully understand what this will involve. SHIP is currently running a campaign to clarify the relationship between equity release and state benefits, having found that many advisers and consumers find the current system in need of simplification.
“We need to build on the good work already done to ensure that consumers in particular understand equity release so that they are able to weigh it up alongside other retirement planning tools. There are many opportunities ahead for growth and engagement, and the appetite to do so is evident amongst providers.”


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Emirates Post Group (EPG) has been named as the logistics partner of the fintech accelerator program Hive 22, as part of a sponsorship agreement with FinTech Hive to promote the initiative.
FinTech Hive is a financial technology hub in Dubai, UAE, and part of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). By participating in the program, the postal group intends to enable the development of technology solutions for the improvement of the customer journey and the spectrum of technology co-creation among different players across the group. The selected startups will get access to a broader network of industry players that are expected to enable innovative co-creation of technology solutions. The agreement was signed by Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, group CEO of Emirates Post Group, and Raja Al Mazrouei, executive vice president of DIFC FinTech Hive.
Abdulla Mohammed Alashram said, “As the world continues to shift even more toward technological adoption, we are excited to partner with DIFC FinTech Hive, and explore collaborations with innovative fintech startups that are known to be more agile and can bring rapid solutions to today’s challenges. Emirates Post Group’s growth and investment strategy will depend on supporting fintech startups, and we look forward to nurturing and sustaining those startups within the region.”
Raja Al Mazrouei said, “As the first and largest financial technology accelerator in the region, the DIFC FinTech Hive Accelerator program enables the most innovative startups opportunities for partnership, investment and mentorship to help shape the future of the financial services sector. We are excited to partner with Emirates Post Group this year to support participants in bringing their innovative ideas to contribute positively to the industry.”


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A Knoxville, Tennessee man was arrested on November 5th after allegedly holding employees in a Little Caesars’ restaurant at gunpoint. On that night, Charles Douglas Doty Jr. ordered a pepperoni pizza at the store and became very upset when employees told him it would take about 10 minutes to make the pizza.
The 63-year-old then demanded a free order of breadsticks and went outside to wait for his order. But in a horrific twist, he returned shortly after with an AK-47, demanding that the Little Caesars’ employees give him his order immediately. When Doty noticed an employee trying to leave the store, he stopped him and demanded to know “where in the hell he thought he was going”, WVLT reported.
In an attempt to calm the situation a customer who had already received her pepperoni pizza offered it to him, hoping Doty would take it and leave. Meanwhile, the Little Caesars employee he confronted ran to the back of the store and called 911. Officers responded to the store on Cedar Bluff Rd around 9 pm, but the gun-wielding Doty left before police arrived on the scene.
According to the Charlotte Observer, a former Little Caesars employee, Kimberleigh Smith who was working that night said she was shocked that such a terrible incident took place over a $6 pizza. Smith explained that she was taking care of a female customer who was just getting ready to leave when Doty got his massive gun. He pointed it directly at Smith, demanding to know where his “damn pizza was.”
Charles Doty was later arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated assault and one count of, especially aggravated kidnapping. He was taken into custody on a bond of $90,000 and is due in court on Monday, November 29th. Interestingly, Doty isn’t facing any petty theft charges for taking the woman’s pizza. For his dangerous outburst at Little Caesars, he faces up to 60 years in prison and a fine of $50,000 in Tennessee.
Sadly, Charles Doty isn’t the first dissatisfied client to threaten personnel at a retail or restaurant like Little Caesars during a dispute. There have been several events of this nature, particularly concerning Covid-19 safety standards. Unfortunately, even though these protocols are in place for the public’s health and safety, some folks see it as nothing more than a major inconvenience.
In Sydney Australia, a man threatened an employee at a McDonald’s when a customer refused to wear a mask. He then proceeded to slam his fist against the plexiglass barrier that separated personnel from consumers, Washington News Day reported. In June, a consumer at a Starbucks in Miami Gardens, Florida, threatened a barista with a gun over a disagreement about cream cheese. The employee was concerned that if she didn’t give him what he wanted, her life would have seriously been at risk.
Various media outlets have reached out to Little Caesars’ representatives for comment, but the restaurant chain has yet to publicly address the situation. But as is the norm with sensitive issues of this nature, the restaurant chain will probably institute new safety protocols (if there are any) internally.


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Vietnamese villagers who want Pacific Crystal Textiles shuttered for polluting their environment haven’t let up, and global brands are now facing production hold ups.
The factory supplies product for Uniqlo and the company does business with brands including Calvin Klein and Victoria Secret, but only Uniqlo has been confirmed as sourcing from the Hai Duong facility.
Villagers have reportedly been blockading the entrance to the Hai Duong factory, which is owned and operated by Hong Kong-based Pacific Textiles Holdings Limited, as they call for the mill to cease operations for good. According to reports, the area’s residents reported a foul smell from the factory since December last year, which they eventually found to be coming from the facility’s water discharge.
After investigations, the spilled water was found to have surpassed the legal limits of acidity and alkalinity balance, color and suspended solids, Reuters noted in a report last month. The factory was fined $30,000 as a result.
But the pollution seems to have persisted, and so have the villagers.
Pacific Holdings said in a statement Tuesday, “As of today, the gateway of the company’s factory in Vietnam is still blocked by the villagers. The representatives from People’s Committee of Kim Thanh District, District Police, Village People’s Committee and Lai Vu Industrial Park One Member Limited Liability Company have announced the official requests to the villagers to clear the blockage. We are still waiting for the government’s action to clear the blockage,” Ecotextile reported.
Uniqlo has since pulled its production from the factory that it was indirectly sourcing fabric from, spokesperson Aldo Liguori said, telling Reuters, “Fast Retailing is serious about running an ethical, sustainable business, and operates all supplier relationships under a strict code of conduct.”
Fast Retailing said it looked into the steps Pacific Crystal took to remedy things following the polluted water spill and that the issue villagers have with the factory could be over the initial terms surrounding the sale of the land, though villagers have argued that the issues are entirely separate and that this round-the-clock blockade is solely about pollution.
With workers barricading the factory, Pacific Crystal has been out of production, which has tied up brands’ orders, causing deliveries to run late and posing what the company has called a “significant financial impact.”
There seems to so far have been little headway in finding a resolution, but the Pacific Holdings statement continued on to say, “We will closely monitor the situation and will make further announcements in relation to any new decisions or developments regarding this matter.”


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PAIN relief brand Nurofen has been ordered by Australia's drug watchdog to pull advertisements that claim "targeted relief".
Mumbrella reports the Reckitt Benckiser brand was brought before the complaints resolution panel of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) over claims in advertisements, made by Havas Worldwide, that Nurofen targets the source or cause of pain.
These claims have been disputed by medical experts, who say the painkiller cannot target specific areas of pain or types of pain.
The TGA upheld the complaint and has ordered the drug company to withdraw "any representations that the advertised products target the source of pain or cause of pain", according to Mumbrella.
In a statement, Reckitt Benckiser said it was discussing the ruling with the regulator.
"Reckitt Benckiser takes consumers' health and safety seriously, and is committed to developing high quality, safe and effective products consumers can use with confidence," the company said.


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As a walk-in living magazine the imm cologne shows from 14th to 20th January how the world will be living tomorrow. From Friday, 18th to Sunday, 20th January the international interior fair is also open for private visitors.
What is the fascination with the Bauhaus style? Visitors to the special exhibition “100 years of Bauhaus – work in progress” at imm cologne 2019 can discover answers to this very question.
Birkenstock will whisk visitors away to a product world that makes the brand tangible across an exhibition space of more than 500 square metres. The beds will be staged in natural settings – in a forest, on water and in a green space.
Idyllic surroundings and being close to nature are also high on their must-haves, even in an urban environment. So it’s no wonder that the country house style is making inroads into our city homes again - but with elements for a modern take.
In the latest designs, the cool, flat accessories are more than simply mirrors: they are a colourful eye-catcher, a sculptural ornament and an artistic element on the wall, the floor or the table.
For the first time this year, the Pure Talents Contest also includes a category for kitchen products. With 926 products submitted, this means a lot of work for the international jury of designers and industry experts.
Heat is more than just a lamp – it is also a social project. Heat is produced in partnership with a development agency that gives asylum seekers and migrants the chance to gain training and find work by producing the lamps.
In 2019, hall 11 will be transformed into Pure Atmospheres as part of the development of the Pure design segment. The name underscores the nature of the presentations in Hall 11, which is shaped by holistic interior concepts.
In 1951, Danish architect and designer Ib Kofod-Larsen presented with his Knitting Chair a remarkable new chair design of Danish Modernism. Now the Danish design brand Menu expanded its collection about this classic.


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Blog: Lidl to up expansion rate in UK
Katy Askew | 2 December 2013
News that Lidl wants to more than double its number of stores in the UK within the next three years could signal competition is heating up further still in what is already a hotly-contested market.
The retailer has 600 UK stores, commanding a 3% market share. It is eyeing taking that network to at least 1,200 outlets, Ronny Gottschlich, MD of the German grocer's UK arm, said at the weekend.
The chain plans to step up the rate of store openings and increase the pressure it is putting on the "big four" - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Gottschlich said Lidl expects to spend around GBP170m in the UK this year. Annual investment is likely to rise to GBP300m within two years as Lidl accelerates from opening 15 to 20 stores per year to at least 30 to 40 stores.
"There are no restrictions to the openings we can do in a year. The funding is there," he said.
The bulk of that spend will be on store openings, but the group is also planning to introduce in-store bakeries at its existing locations in order to increase its mainstream appeal.
Here in lies the key to Lidl's success in the UK. The retailer has gone from being viewed as a bargain basement outlet pedalling a random assortment of products shipped in from Europe to a supermarket operator with mainstream - albeit still value - appeal.
Lidl has adjusted its ranging strategy and increased its focus on fresh products, including significant investments in expanding its meat and poultry offering.
And it is that kind of investment that has helped Lidl grow its share of the UK market. It accounts for 3% of sales, low compared to the likes of Tesco and Asda, but its double-digit growth rate will be causing furrowed brows at its larger rivals.
Since Theresa May took over as UK Prime Minister in the wake of the country's referendum vote to quit the European Union, she and her ministers have been at pains not to divulge their negotiating posi...
Greenpeace's long-running campaign against UK tuna brand John West, owned by seafood giant Thai Union, is now directing its fire against Sainsbury's....
The Obama administration appears to have conceded the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will not be pushed through in the lame-duck session of Congress before Donald Trump is inaugur...
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Although not the first game-based anime to ever air, it is impressive to see an MMORPG-based game getting an anime adaptation. Sega has released a website, making the announcement to the public that this anime has begun production to commemorate PSO franchise’s 15th year anniversary as the eighth ever project.
The announcement was made in Okinawa on July 12, 2015 at an offline event. The story would be completely original, set in the future earth visualised by the imaginations of the game’s players.
Sega released the free-to-play Phantasy Star Online 2 role-playing game for Windows PC in Japan in 2012, followed by a PlayStation Vita release in 2013, and an Android and iOS release in April and May 2014, respectively


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Crowdfunding has become a global fundraising phenomenon over the last half decade, and increasingly, the trend holds true in Africa. In fact, crowdfunding holds a special role in Africa – with the potential to solve the continent’s lack of access to finance challenges. Africa’s startup ecosystem has, of course, responded, with crowdfunding platforms catering to every niche springing up.
In the Cameroonian business landscape however, this phenomenon is still dragging although it is steadily gaining traction. In 2015, the African crowdfunding market amounted to about $70 million, accounting for less than one percent of the global crowdfunding market. However, a 2013 World Bank report estimated that by 2025, crowdfunding will be a $96 billion industry growing at a rate of 300% per year.
The big question is “where does Cameroon stand in this equation?”
While the fight to transform small businesses and entrepreneurship in Cameroon is on-going there are important challenges and regulatory barriers that need to be better understood and addressed as far as the phenomenon of crowdfunding and its potential to boost small businesses financially is concerned.
Crowdfunding platforms are structured in such a way that an entrepreneur will post a business pitch to a website, including a fundraising target that the entrepreneur hopes to reach.
Frequently, funders are members of the entrepreneur’s social network, but in many cases funders may be the general public or institutional investors looking for small businesses to support.
Much crowdfunding activity in Africa is donation-based, but there has been some significant early activity around equity-based and debt-based platforms in South Africa, Kenya and Ghana. The entrepreneur therefore needs to determine or define the terms on which donations are made.
In Cameroon, crowdfunding companies are still yet to see the light of the day. Although you can count the number of the existing ones already operating in the country, much awareness needs to be created as this form of financial service is still new to the general public.
There are so many opportunities for Entrepreneurs who will embrace the business of crowdfunding. The most salient being that crowdfunding creates more avenues for businesses to access capital.
Traditionally, entrepreneurs—when they can—either borrow at fixed rates from banks or seek investment from established business communities. However, in Cameroon, access to credit is often constrained: Banks are highly risk-averse, and would-be borrowers are often too small-scale, or lack the credit history and other data, to qualify for bank loans. Crowdfunding enables entrepreneurs to appeal directly to supporters or potential customers without onerous inquiries into their creditworthiness, business histories or incomes.
Investors and entrepreneurs who use crowdfunding platforms are operating in an unregulated space. This raises two issues. First, the absence of regulation means an absence of adequate investor protections. Without laws to protect privacy and ensure that contributors have opportunities for legal redress, investors may not sufficiently trust an entrepreneur to fund his or her venture.
Secondly, the lack of clarity about the legal status of crowdfunding organizations risks causing a chilling effect for international investors. In order to encourage more crowdfunding, governments need to mitigate concerns about money laundering and fraud. Moreover, most equity or debt crowdfunding organizations in Cameroon are not licensed as financial services companies. As a result, some investors are concerned that they are running afoul of laws when making contributions. Regardless of whether a given crowdfunding platform, company or investor is actually breaching any laws, there is widespread investor concern about either being defrauded or inadvertently breaking the law. Crowdfunding platforms can do relatively little on their own to dispel these concerns; the government would benefit from enacting clear laws on crowdfunding so that investors can achieve clarity on how to make contributions legally.


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The summer 2018 anime season is fast approaching, and you'll be seeing plenty of additions to Crunchyroll's simulcast lineup. Consider this post your one-stop, regularly-updated destination for all things summer, so let's take a look at some of the series we can look forward to so far.
The official YouTube channel for Toei Animation's PreCure franchise has started streaming dance choreography videos for the five character songs for the ongoing 15th TV series Hugtto! PreCure, performed by none other than its five PreCure girls: Cure Yell, Cure Ange, Cure Etoile, Cure Macherie, and Cure Amour. Learn the cute dances with them after the jump!
Kadokawa Games held a grand appreciation event for tactical RPG God Wars, which pretty much seems like the perfect opportunity to announce a sequel. That's exactly what happened, with more information and an official press release to follow for God Wars 2. Read on for more.
Voice actor Mamoru Miyano recently celebrated a decade in the industry with a multi-stop anniversary tour. And those who missed it can watch it this September on WOWOW! Get more info after the jump.
Who's next to go turbo into the world of Granblue Fantasy? The girls of Aqours! The Love Live! Sunshine!! collaboration was announced on a recent broadcast for the game, among other exciting news bits. Get the lowdown after the jump!
Wake Up, Girls! may be on the way to disbanding, but it's still got a few more live shows before then. Next up, the seven-member group will be taking on this summer's ANISAMA, taking the stage with fellow anison greats. Hit the jump for the latest!
Ready for another round of B-PROJECT? The cross-media idol series has just announced that its anime adaptation will be back for a second season next year! Check out the first key visual from the upcoming season after the jump.
Looking for a one-of-a-kind way to declare your video game love? Megaman and Street Fighter are celebrating their 30th anniversaries with solid gold medals and ingots. The limited-run items won't be around for long, so check them out while you can after the jump!
Sega shared a new promotional video for the upcoming re-release of Shenmue I & II, which is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 21. Watch as Adam Koralik and Imran Yusuf retrace Ryo Hazuki's footsteps throughout Dobuita Street after the jump.
A group of college students is looking to produce a 15-minute OVA and enter the world of anime production. Can they do it? Well... that's partly up to us! Check them out and get their crowdfunding link after the jump.
SuperGroupies is back again, this time with something for Kemono Friends fans! Check out their new line of backpacks, smartphone cases, sneakers, and... lingerie? Yep, you heard right. Hit the jump to see the new products.
What's Shinpachi without his glasses? Contact lens brand Menicon aims to find out in its new campaign! Check out the bespectacled character and the rest of the Gintama guys in the new collab after the jump.
Legendary anime and manga artist Haruhiko Mikimoto is taking his show on the road this summer! Fans across Japan can check out his work at an exclusive touring exhibit, and see him color one of his amazing creations live. Find out more after the jump!
Isetan Shinjuku is celebrating the legend that is Lupin III with a summer festival! Get food, merch, photo ops, and more at the week-long event, which will also include a performance from Yuji Ohno. Check out a preview of the event after the jump.
In a move that has got fans' hearts a-flutter, Studio Chizu (The Boy and the Beast, Wolf Children, MIRAI) recently published a mysterious countdown website that references words and images from the 2006 film, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Hit the jump to learn more.
A few days ago Square Enix confirmed the latest Dissidia Final Fantasy character as Rinoa Heartilly from Final Fantasy VIII. Famitsu followed up shortly after with a longer gameplay video, so see more of how she plays after the jump.


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Michael is Managing Director of Bridge Cheese. Bridge Cheese products range from grated cheese found in retail sandwiches to string cheese used in stuffedcrust pizzas sold by takeaway giants across the UK.
By Michael Harte
Sep 16 2020 01:42PM
Food Business News - One of the Midlands fastest growing food industry companies today backed a national report which says the sector should look to new overseas markets for growth post-pandemic.
Business News, Events, Jobs and Courses


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Worldless, a 2D strategy platformer with turn-based combat from developer Noname Studios and publishers Coatsink and Thunderful, will now launch on November 21st, 2023. It was originally expected to launch in the first week of October.
The devs have explained in a new Twitter post that they delayed the game in order to avoid the cramped month of large releases. They specifically mention the competition of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Forza and Spider-Man 2, which have been pushing out many other titles.
Worldless will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. Here’s the full statement from today’s Twitter post:
Worldless made quite the impression during last July’s ID@Xbox demo fest, but it remains a relatively small game. Although many games might be using the busy month of October to gain some polishing time, it was likely a legitimate concern for Worldless. It’s a smart move for smaller titles to let these juggernaut AAA releases battle it out.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks like a remarkable return to basics for the franchise for those who didn’t care for Odyssey or Valhalla, featuring a gorgeous 9th century Baghdad and returning character Basim. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 speaks for itself, building extraordinary hype and even getting its own PlayStation 5 console edition.
Worldless has some beautifully abstract and inventive imagery, and the narrative will have players crossing between physical and astral planes. Together, they create a real sense of arthouse mystery, but the gameplay still looks very entertaining and friendly.
Combining familiar platforming mechanics with turn-based combat is pretty odd, but they don’t seem to cause too much friction in the existing gameplay trailers. There will surely be at least one more trailer to rebuild hype ahead of the new release date.
You can read more about Worldless, Thunderful Games, and other upcoming platformers by checking out the rest of our news section.


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Akimasa Egawa, a senior official from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, told industry representatives that the ministry would continue testing HDTV, which provides pictures of startling clarity, and would proceed with full broadcasting once the trials were over.
Mr Egawa said Japan would ultimately adopt a digital television system, following the lead of the United States and, more recently, Europe - HDTV at present is analogue. On Tuesday, Mr Egawa had caused an outcry by saying the ministry would decide by the summer whether to replace the current HDTV system - developed over three decades - with a digital system.
His remarks caused little surprise in Europe or America, where analogue television is increasingly regarded as obsolete. But they drew instant opposition from the public network Japan Broadasting Corp (NHK), which developed the analogue system now in use in Japan.
Mr Egawa was also attacked by the Electronics Industry Association of Japan, which said he would cause confusion in the marketplace and claimed that digital television was still a long way away.
But yesterday Tadahiro Sekimoto, chairman of the EIAJ and of NEC, the electronics group, said Mr Egawa had assured him of continued support for the existing analogue standard, known as MUSE.
'The public has been misled by press reports to believe that MUSE will be abandoned,' Mr Sekimoto said. 'It is regrettable that a small misunderstanding has threatened to crush what we have built up.'
HDTV has until recently been seen by many electronics firms, including Philips of the Netherlands and Thomson of France, as the key to future domination of the consumer electronics industry. Japan rocketed ahead with the development but the US authorities decided to leapfrog to digital television technology.
Last year the European Union also decided to pursue digital television after years of arguments over analogue HDTV formats and investments by industry and governments totalling hundreds of millions of pounds.
Digital television offers several advantages by allowing information to be broken up and manipulated, with video, text and sound transmitted as a series of bits of information. The technology lends itself to integration with computers and fits with the move towards interactive television and multimedia systems.
Critics of analogue HDTV say it is not what the consumers want and point out that the sets cost several thousand pounds.
A spokesman for NTL, formerly the engineering division of the old Independent Broadcasting Authority, said: 'Japan was way ahead of the game but it was a technology- led thing and the world is now consumer-led.
'In a sense they started too early. HDTV is not wanted yet. People want more choice and a multiplicity of channels, not just a few channels with a better picture.'Reuse content


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Thursday 29th March 2018
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The New Zealand-grown kiwifruit crop is expected to be about 20 million trays or 70,000 tonnes higher than it was last year, Zespri Group, the country's statutory kiwifruit exporter, said in a release.
In 2017, 123 million trays of New Zealand fruit – or more than 430,000 tonnes – were sold, Zespri said. An additional 14 million trays of fruit were grown offshore. The Mount Maunganui-based company said it will announce the current season’s sales figures in May but sales will certainly exceed $2 billion and are expected to grow in the 2018/19 season.
Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson said the company’s two biggest markets, Japan and China, are forecast to grow strongly. Zespri is also looking for solid growth across the rest of Asia as well as Europe and North America, where supply did not meet demand last year.
“Demand for safe, healthy fruit continues to grow exponentially in China, in terms of both volume and value. However, our Japanese market is going great guns as well – we’ve seen a 30 percent sales growth there over the past four years," he said.
Nationwide, the industry employs about 18,000 people and New Zealand’s 2,500 kiwifruit growers collectively own about 13,500 hectares of orchard.
Kiwifruit is New Zealand's fastest-growing horticultural export and the Ministry for Primary Industries is forecasting more growth in the next two years, with exports to reach $1.8 billion in 2019. Zespri is aiming for $4.5 billion of global sales by 2025.
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Telstra to join Southern Cross Cable, diluting Spark shareholding
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Credit unions seek scale and profitability in five-way merger
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MBIE involvement in spying on political parties an 'affront to democracy': SSC
NZ business confidence gets a pre-Christmas lift
Aged care, tourism first in line for temporary migrant sector agreements
Moody's puts its stamp of approval on the government's finances
RBNZ chief economist McDermott leaving central bank to join Motu


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Ola’s chief money handler Swayam Saurabh associate degreed chief operating officer Gaurav Porwal square measure exiting the company whereas the SoftBank-backed company is progressing to select AN initial public providing.
In an indoor email sent to the workers recently, Bhavish Aggarwal same he was making changes to the organisation with Vinay A Bhopatkar taking any responsibilities for the driving force and supply system of the company’s quality platform. Anshul Khandelwal, United Nations agency leads promoting, will face up to the additional responsibility of drive revenue.
“Gaurav (Porwal), United Nations agency has run the standard business for the last year and designed a sturdy foundation throughout troublesome times, ar deed paper to pursue totally different interests,” said Aggarwal.
Arun Kumar G R, Ola’s cluster business executive will still run the finance perform across the cluster, and each one the key finance leaders at paper will presently report on to him. “Swayam Saurabh ar moving on to pursue totally different opportunities in amount of your time. i would like him absolutely the best for his next endeavour,” said Aggarwal.
Aggarwal jointly same Arun Sirdeshmukh will still be the chief operational officer, Ola Cars, the firm’s vehicle commerce business.
While Saurabh had joined paper this year, Porwal joined the company in 2019. Early this year, Porwal took over as a result of the COO once Pranay Jivrajka, a begin partner of paper, quit the ride-hailing company to launch his own startup. Another paper government Puneet Bhirani left the company in April this year to affix Byju’s.
There ar totally different high-profile exits from paper recently. Ankit Jain, the co-founder of paper electrical had exited last year in conjunction with Anand monarch, another co-founder of paper electrical. Ola’s Australian administrator Simon Smith, United Nations agency had joined the firm in 2018, left in New Style calendar month 2020. Nitin Gupta, chief operational officer of paper cash Services, and Sanjay Bhan, chief business officer, quit last year.


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The ride-on toy can tip forward when a young child is riding it
It's cute, cuddly -- and may be dangerous.
That's why Huffy Corporation of Miamisburg, Ohio, is recalling 28,550 Blue's Clues Foot to Floor ride-on toys.
The toy can tip forward when a young child is riding it, posing a fall and injury hazard.
The company says it's received 19 reports of children falling forward while they were riding the toy, resulting in 18 facial injuries.
This recall involves Blue's Clues foot to floor ride-on toys made with plush light blue fabric with...


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SoftBank plans to invest up to $10 billion in Uber. It would be the largest-ever purchase of existing stock in a Silicon Valley startup.
But there’s no guarantee that it’ll get done, given how complex and massive this transaction is proving to be. If successful, the deal will both reshape how Uber is structured and be the biggest sign yet that the Japanese conglomerate has reshaped Silicon Valley finance in 2017.
Here's how these deals typically unfold, and how the whole shebang could still fail.
Broadcasting the deal
SoftBank agreed this week to buy shares of Uber, most of them from current investors, and a smaller amount of new shares the company plans to issue.
Since SoftBank is buying shares from existing investors, it needs to broadcast that it is on the market through newspaper ads — and will soon do so, as Recode first reported. It’s perhaps an anachronistic formality, but one that is meant to make sure all existing shareholders are given equal information about the sale process.
The share price will value initially Uber at around $50 billion, we've reported. That may sound like a large haircut for a company that was last valued by private investors at $68 billion, but the 26 percent savings is a within-the-ballpark discount for a deal of this type.
To be clear, despite Uber being private, the process here is still regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in this case, the deal would fall under what might be called an “SEC-lite” offering — subject to some, but not all, SEC regulations explained attorney Jeffrey Selman, who has extensive experience in preparing these offerings. Selman said he typically recommends that private companies prepare documents similar to those that a public company would.
Once the tender is launched, shareholders would have somewhere around 20 to 30 business days to mull over whether they want to sell their positions. Remember that while Uber has big venture capital investors, it also doled out options to employees, and for some individuals, this is a chance to realize and cash in on an historic investment that could turn them into millionaires (or, for some institutional investors, billionaires!).
Selling the shares
Here's where things get tricky. SoftBank is eyeing a minimum of a 14 percent ownership stake. If SoftBank’s offer doesn’t elicit enough sellers to amass that stake, then the tender offer fails and there's no transaction. By the way, that means that the proposed governance changes, which reduces voting rights of early investors and founders — including and especially former CEO Travis Kalanick — falls through, too, and we're back to square one.
In recent months, several investors have balked at offers lower than the $50 billion valuation SoftBank is offering — some buyers are still holding out hope that it will drop. But the valuation at sale could be considered a clear uptick from the $40 billion to $45 billion initially proffered.
A lot of the attention will now focus on some of the biggest shareholders of Uber, such as Menlo Ventures, Lowercase Capital and Google Ventures. And, of course, on Benchmark Capital, the venture firm that seems placated by the governance changes that restrict Kalanick, and could now be comfortable with selling some of its holdings. Benchmark wanted to limit Kalanick’s power, and was therefore reluctant to sell any of its position, but now the aggressive CEO may now be constrained by the reforms to Uber’s board.
Another group of potential sellers: Early employees, who are fully vested at Uber but have options that can be costly to exercise. Employees typically have to front cash in order to make use of their options, and then might have to pay hefty taxes on it — which could lead to a wash, at least on their initial stock sales, explained Larry Albukerk, who runs a secondary market liquidity provider called EB Exchange. (Here’s more on that from The Information.)
Not every employee will be able to participate in the tender offer. Employees who arrived after around November 2014 instead received restricted stock units, or RSUs — common stock that eventually vests, but that the company can buy back. Uber employees that hold RSU are free from the fees that hit their colleagues when they exercise their options — but RSU-holders are not eligible to sell their positions in this SoftBank deal.
What if SoftBank doesn’t find enough sellers?
Presumably SoftBank would be prepared to raise the price and try the process again, gradually increasing its purchase price until dollar signs flash in the eyes of an eager venture capitalist. But that means preparing new tender documents.
A company could also extend the life of the tender process beyond 30 days to negotiate and find more sellers, said Selman. At the same time, SoftBank could lower its threshold and agree to take a lower stake in the company, meaning not as many sellers are needed.
But Uber could also find more sellers than it needs. In an oversubscribed tender, Selman said, there could be an across-the-board cut in the amount that each shareholder is allowed to sell.
Johana Bhuiyan contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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- Cisco: notorious hackers using Linux cloak earn $30m a year
- Digital Guardian buys Code Green to gain data-loss prevention tech
- Cisco disrupts $60M ransomware biz
- John McAfee, security software pioneer, talks to CSO about his bid for the White House
- The Kuna smart porch light pulls double duty as a Wi-Fi security camera
consumerization of IT - News, Features, and Slideshows
consumerization of IT in pictures
Businesses should brace themselves to deal with a wave of wearables in the workplace, with people almost certain to use the Apple Watch for work tasks according to Telsyte analyst Rodney Gedda.
BARCELONA: With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung is making a concerted effort to attract workers as potential buyers and to win the hearts of IT managers who have to wrangle with enterprise smartphone security and management.
Google is working to push more Android-based devices into the enterprise.
Stand aside, consumers – the enterprise will drive growth of drones, wearable devices and 3D printing in 2015, according to Deloitte.
Bring your own device (BYOD) has become an accepted practice in business. Gartner predicts that by 2017, half of all employers will require workers to supply their own devices for work. Yet there are mixed reports about whether BYOD actually saves businesses money.
<em>(First in an occasional series about technology and the law.)</em>
The use of 3D printing for finished goods is about to disrupt manufacturing and supply chains in a big way. Here's why, and here's how IT will be critical to that transition.
Getting employees to take security seriously can be a game that everyone wins.
The Internet of Things is producing a lot of interesting consumer products that have the potential to lead to important enterprise tools. Here is a basic overview of the concept, together with examples of available products and what they offer.
National correspondent Julia King reports the mood is feisty at this year's CITE Conference & Expo.
- Greens call for Trans-Pacific Partnership assessment
- 8 tech startups ink $400K in new contracts
- EU Safe Harbor ruling could have bearing on Microsoft email dispute
- IPsoft's 'Amelia' virtual assistant just got a whole lot more human
- Clothing retailer Uniqlo uses brain waves to match customers with t-shirts
- UNIQLO uses neuroscience to match your T-shirt to your mood
- How Citrix is driving customer conversions with a new startup technology
- Research: High social media usage set to change brand engagement strategy
- How Ticketek is using a DMP to not only target audiences, but pivot its business
- Embracing digital transformation in the finance sector


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Other growing international locations, corresponding to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, have supported this stand. Under joint initiative on e-commerce, 89 members of the WTO are deliberating on topics corresponding to tariffs, customs clearance, paperless trading, on-line privacy, and cybersecurity. At current, the WTO members are holding two-pronged e-commerce negotiations (joint initiative and e-commerce moratorium) but the crypto foreign money so far just isn’t a half of any of the talks.
Benefits, advantages, and how to choose the best nation optionIndians accounted for 9.4% of global applicants for golden passports in 2022, providing citizenship by way of investments. Golden passports provide advantages such as diversification of business pursuits, global funding prospects, and an expanded business network. They also provide tax planning alternatives and function a safety internet in instances of financial instability. One should conduct market analysis first and then develop a marketing strategy. The subsequent step should be to seek capital or other funding and select a location and business structure. It is also necessary to pick the best name, full the registration course of, and get the tax documents and essential permits.
We could receive fee from third events for publishing this content or whenever you make a purchase through the links on our websites. Bank of America Economist Micaela Fuchila reveals what’s driving greater cost of living…. Fuel gross sales and earnings have risen for Australian gasoline firm Ampol Group, which owns Z Energy and Caltex in New Zealand. Defaults in banks’ agricultural lending portfolios are low however might speed up if there’s a prolonged period of excessive costs and low costs, the financial institution says.
It is essential for producing the wind generators and electrical vehicles needed for the vitality transition, and for armaments at a time of rising navy spending. Around 340,000 folks in Britain and throughout the European Union have jobs related to the steel business. But these massive buildings may be gone in a number of years or even months if the plant’s owners, Tata Steel, and the British government have their means. Their plan might turn this Port Talbot facility into one of Europe’s most sweeping efforts to slash greenhouse-gas emissions in heavy industry.
It received new business from rivals, and benefited from what it referred to as “rapid growth” within the trade in secondhand items through its partnerships with secondhand marketplaces Vinted and eBay in addition to video sharing site TikTok. The company said its revenue figure was “a reasonable performance within the context of difficult trading conditions” but it skipped paying a dividend, after handing investors £150m a year before. The supply company Evri, previously generally Business News known as Hermes, paid more than £8m in back pensions funds for more than 6,000 of its drivers final year after strain from the retirement financial savings watchdog and the GMB union. In Port Talbot, a metropolis of about 35,000 folks, residents have already seen companies go away, including the lack of a Ford engine plant in close by Bridgend in 2020. The British authorities stated last month that the plan with Tata had the “potential to safeguard over 5,000 jobs” throughout Britain.


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Tech Industry China plans crackdown on ride-hailing companies after customer deaths The move comes after two female passengers were allegedly killed by drivers for Didi Chuxing. by Marrian Zhou August 31, 2018 3:16 PM PDT A driver using the Chinese ride-hailing app Didi. Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images China will inspect all ride-hailing services operating
Cameras Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless and more expected Sept. 5, reportedly Is the wait finally over? by Lori Grunin August 31, 2018 10:29 AM PDT Canon has had a pretty good clampdown on the rumor mill for its upcoming announcement compared to other manufacturers, but the information about the products might be launching next
Internet Services Walmart.com won’t sell certain items if you live too far away, report says The retail giant is telling customers items are out of stock to avoid expensive shipping costs, according to The Wall Street Journal. by Marrian Zhou August 31, 2018 11:31 AM PDT Laundry detergent on display at a Walmart store. John
Phones Sprint’s new Unlimited Premium plan adds Amazon Prime and more The plan costs $90 a month. by Abrar Al-Heeti August 31, 2018 2:31 PM PDT Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images Sprint launched a new unlimited plan Friday called Unlimited Premium that includes Amazon Prime, Hulu, TIDAL, Lookout Premium Plus and a 50GB LTE mobile hotspot.
Phones Watch Red’s ‘holographic’ Hydrogen One phone get first video unboxing It looks seriously slick. by Sean Hollister August 31, 2018 1:11 PM PDT Nobody’s made a phone quite like the Red Hydrogen One before — a $1,200 handset with modular parts (bolt-on batteries and swappable cameras), a rugged build with scalloped edges and squared-off
Phones Motorola One and One Power look like iPhone X copycats, but cost much less Plus, they run Android One and will get Android 9 Pie soon after their release. by Gordon Gottsegen August 31, 2018 1:41 PM PDT That’s not the iPhone X, it’s the Motorola One Power. Motorola Looks like Lenovo hopped on
Sci-Tech This Venus flytrap-like robot mouth could help the Army retrieve drones fast It’s designed to make collecting drones of all sizes much easier. by Abrar Al-Heeti August 31, 2018 1:32 PM PDT Screenshot by Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET A new drone-retrieval system could make it easier for Army units to collect their drones after a mission.
Prev Next Prev Next The more premium Botvac D6 Connected is front and center. Behind it sits the Botvac D4 Connected, a robot vacuum with a lower price and smaller feature set. Published:August 31, 2018Caption:Brian BennettPhoto:Chris Monroe/CNETRead the article 1 of 9 On the top surface of the Botvac D6 Connected is an attractive brushed
Gadgets Step aside, Super Soaker, the Spyra One shoots water bullets Water guns could use an upgrade. by Gordon Gottsegen August 31, 2018 12:40 PM PDT If you were a kid in the ’90s you probably remember the reign of the Super Soaker. The plastic neon water guns would bring incredible joy (or fear, depending


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WELCOME TO The advertising REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Pinterest | June 03, 2022
Pinterest ads now extend to Japan. It makes Japan the 31st ad market for Pinterest ads and the third in the Asia-Pacific region after Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, the platform’s partnership with Shopify will also extend to Japan. It will help Japanese merchants add product catalogs to Pinterest and run shopping ads.
In a blog post, Pinterest country manager for Japan, Kei Narita, said that 8.7 million people in Japan use Pinterest every month and two out of five ...
IAB | November 02, 2020
News has always played a critical role in the lives of consumers. In 2020, the importance of timely, trusted news was amplified as everyone sought updates related to the global pandemic, social injustice, economic uncertainty, and the impending Presidential Election. However, while news outlets experienced record viewership, readership, and listenership, advertising dollars had not increased in a commensurate way. In fact, some brands had backed away from advertising on these platfor...
AT&T | December 22, 2021
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has agreed to sell its global programmatic advertising marketplace, Xandr Inc., to Microsoft.1 The agreement builds on a decade-long relationship between Xandr, including its predecessor companies, and Microsoft for delivering global digital media solutions for advertisers.
As the digital landscape evolves in a post-cookie world, Microsoft and Xandr can shape the digital ad marketplace of the future. Xandr's technology strategically complements Microsoft...
DECK 7 | January 13, 2020
DECK 7 is proud to present an exciting interview with the Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus, Sangram Vajre. He is an author, keynote speaker, 3x CMO, host of the daily #FlipMyFunnel podcast, entrepreneur and category maker. Sangram has been a driving force behind the success of Terminus and building the ABM subcategory of marketing technology. Before co-founding Terminus, Sangram was Head of Marketing at Pardot through its acquisition by ExactTarget and then Salesforce. A contributin...
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With networks and network access now more vital than ever, cybersecurity firms like Palo Alto Networks (PANW) take on a whole new life. Palo Alto Networks announced its earnings after Monday’s closing bell, and the news made it clear just how valuable cybersecurity tools are to businesses throughout the spectrum.
Palo Alto Networks’ earnings report featured a string of wins. Earnings came in at $2.39 per diluted share. That was well ahead of TipRanks’ projections, which looked for a figure of $2.28 per share. Revenue featured an even better performance. The company posted fourth-quarter revenue of $1.6 billion, which was up 27% from this time last year.
It’s hard not to like Palo Alto Networks. The company has a broad array of solutions available in a field that’s still enjoying a renaissance, even in a post-COVID era where remote work is starting to decline in popularity. I’m bullish because this is a company that’s likely to survive any economic downturn.
The last 12 months for Palo Alto Networks shares are up overall, though not as up as they once were. The company climbed but faced volatility all along the way until it briefly touched its 52-week high up around $640. Now, the stock sits at around $508.
Is Palo Alto Networks a Good Stock to Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, Palo Alto Networks has a Strong Buy consensus rating. That’s based on 10 Buys assigned in the past three months. The average Palo Alto Networks price target of $657.50 implies 29.4% upside potential.
Analyst price targets range from a low of $517 per share to a high of $823 per share.
Flawless Smart Score, Yet, Insiders are Selling
Interestingly, Palo Alto Networks is facing some real splits in its investor sentiment figures. Palo Alto Networks currently has a ‘Perfect 10’ Smart Score on TipRanks. That’s the highest level possible. Palo Alto Networks, therefore, is one of the most likely stocks to outperform the broader market, according to this metric.
Yet, even as Palo Alto enjoys such a high rank, its own insiders aren’t so sure. Insider trading at Palo Alto Networks is strongly Sell-weighted. In fact, no insider has made an Informative Buy so far this year. It’s been over eight months since any buying has been seen at all.
Insiders actually sold $477,000 worth of shares just this month. Granted, that’s less than a thousand shares at current values. Nonetheless, it’s something worth considering.
Right Place, Right Time, Right Arsenal of Solutions
Cybersecurity spent most of the 2010s era as a growing concern, with businesses ramping up their spending therein as more shoppers and customers turned to online solutions. However, it was in 2020 that cybersecurity truly exploded (amid lockdowns). Online businesses needed to protect themselves and their customers. Their customers needed to protect themselves as well. Palo Alto Networks handily stepped in, ready to take on a range of threats.
Even a cursory look at the company’s “Solutions” page will show a dizzying array of options for businesses concerned about everything from malware to ransomware readiness and beyond.
What’s more, it’s not like any of these solutions are mere “nice to haves.” They’re vital, important solutions that will actively save money – just ask anyone who’s recovered from a ransomware attack.
Cloud Ally recently posted a study on the impact of ransomware. Just the monetary costs alone for ransomware are on the rise. The average cost is now between $570,000 and $812,360 per attack.
Attacks also cause downtime, which of course, varies from business to business. Back in mid-2021, 98% of businesses in one study said that one hour of unplanned downtime cost them over $100,000.
That also doesn’t factor in the damage to your business’s brand and reputation from the downtime. Ditto the costs of insurance, which go up with each attack.
Those figures demonstrate why Palo Alto and its contemporaries will likely have a market for as long as businesses exist. That puts Palo Alto in a great position, going forward.
Even with a recession likely in play, businesses will still need to protect themselves. The only real risk to Palo Alto is that businesses start running without ransomware or other protections because they’re simply unaffordable.
It really doesn’t matter how much downtime costs a business when it doesn’t have the money to pay for its own protection anyway. As more businesses close outright, that will be fewer potential customers for Palo Alto.
Also, expansion efforts at its current customer base will dwindle. That’s going to put the company in a hard spot, but no less hard than that of its customers.
Conclusion: PANW’s Recession-Resilient Business is Attractive
Palo Alto will not get out of a recession unscathed. However, it’s likely to be one of the last expenses cut and one of the companies best placed to survive. If a company is operating, then it’s likely going to turn to Palo Alto to protect itself and actually continue operating.
The sheer diversity of its lineup of solutions doesn’t hurt either. It can take on just about any cybersecurity threat, and given how many of those we’ve already seen, that should make Palo Alto popular.
Palo Alto stock still has plenty of upside potential left. If you’re ready to take on a big enterprise that’s likely to survive a recession, Palo Alto Networks is worth a second look, and that’s the biggest reason why I’m bullish.


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Two years ago, in December, Apple debuted AirPods to mixed reviews. In time, fans warmed up to the idea to the point where, this year, Apple is thinking of launching a second generation with important improvements. Rumor is one of them will be Siri support, tap-free #objectmagic
According to Bloomberg, the Cupertino giant is working on fitting a new wireless chip on the 2nd-gen wireless earphones and enhanced Siri support. What does it mean? Well, if AirPods launched with the ability to summon Siri with a double-tap, now Apple might consider bypassing that step and using voice recognition to activate the smart assistant with a “Hey Siri”.
Presumably, the digital assistant would then control the music and read messages (plus access other features) instantly, upon voice command.
Besides this improvement, Tim Cook and the team are considering full-on water resistance for the next AirPods model. Granted, the current earbuds can be used when it rains or snows, but they are not rated accordingly. That said, we’ll have to wait more than a couple of months to see this feature in the wild.
In 2018, Apple will probably bring just a wireless charging AirPods case and AirPods 2 with “Hey Siri” functionality. The accessory will accompany the AirPower charging mat you’ve seen in the store since late fall.
Meanwhile, Apple is having quite a few problems with pesky drones – have you seen this quadcopter crash into the new headquarters’ solar roof?