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Tim Cook closed yesterday’s Apple event with these words:
From everything we’ve shared with you, you can see how important these services are for us and for all the ways they extend the experiences of our customers even further. They entertain, inspire, inform, and enrich our lives. Because at Apple, the customer is, and always will be, at the center of everything that we do.
It’s a short statement, but a useful way to think about the event specifically, and the state of Apple generally.
From Everything We’ve Shared With You
Frankly, not much; there were far more announcements that were coming in the summer or fall than were ready today or in the next couple of weeks:
- Today: Apple News+
- May: Apple TV Channels
- Summer: Apple Card
- Fall: Apple Arcade, Apple TV+
Just as disconcerting was the lack of pricing information: Apple News+ is $9.99, and the Apple Card has no fees…and that’s all we know.
This raises the question of what the point of having this presentation now was. In an interview on the Accidental Tech Podcast about Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller said:
We think about the audience for the keynote at WWDC as really three unique audiences. And the opening keynote is different than the rest of the week’s events and activities. That opening audience is developers, it’s customers, and of course it’s the press. Three unique audiences…
Of course this event was considerably different than WWDC, and so was the intended audience. Developers for the most part are out (although Apple Arcade is of interest), and while these services are certainly meant to be consumed by customers, the fact that most won’t launch for a while dulls the benefits Apple will gain from press coverage.
That leaves an unmentioned fourth audience: Wall Street. To that end, perhaps the more relevant comment from an Apple executive came in Tim Cook’s January Letter to Investors revising Apple’s guidance for 1Q2019:
We can’t change macroeconomic conditions, but we are undertaking and accelerating other initiatives to improve our results.
At the time Cook only mentioned improving the iPhone trade-in process, but it certainly seems possible that announcing so many new services so far ahead of their launch was an attempt to deliver on that promise ahead of the company’s next earnings call.1
How Important These Services Are for Us
That is why I thought Cook’s most telling phrase was “How Important These Services Are For Us”; if Cook wanted to signify how importantly Apple was taking its efforts in developing these services, “to us” would have been a more natural turn of phrase. And, while I grant that is probably what Cook meant, the preposition change, in my estimation, gets at the heart of the matter: the iPhone isn’t going anywhere — Apple is very much not doomed — but it is no longer growing, leaving Apple no choice but to look elsewhere.
There are, broadly speaking, three ways that already big companies like Apple, cash cows like the iPhone in hand, can achieve growth:
Create New Products: This is the most obvious path, and also the most difficult. Creating products that resonate is really hard.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Apple from trying, and frankly, the company is doing quite well: the Apple Watch is a hit, AirPods are becoming a cultural phenomena (and the potential foundation for audio-based augmented reality), and the company is well-placed to compete in the visual-based augmented reality space. The HomePod is a bit of a dud, but to management’s credit the company appears to have already moved on. All of these successful products fit Apple’s DNA of personal computing, and are the most encouraging signals that Apple will be fine.
The problem, though, is that there will never be a product like the iPhone again; Apple may have found its product future (good for developers and customers), but its financial future is less certain (not so good for Wall Street).
Extend Integration: Apple is, famously, vertically integrated; the company writes the software that differentiates the iPhones that it manufactures and sells for a profit. That does not mean, though, that the entire iPhone experience is integrated — there are significant amounts of modularity. For example, Apple sources nearly all iPhone components from 3rd-party suppliers (Samsung, to take a counter example, manufactures more of its own components), and of course the vast majority of apps that are used on iPhones are made by 3rd-parties as well.
However, Apple can and has extended its integration into areas that were previously modular. On the component side, Apple started selling devices with processors it designed for its exclusive use in 2010, very successfully increasing iPhone differentiation in terms of performance. And, on the App side, Apple from the beginning of the App Store integrated forward into payments, and has extended that integration through App Store rules. I illustrated these integrations in a 2015 article entitled Apple’s New Market:
Apple has also integrated Services like iCloud backup, Siri, and Photo Stream; those services, though, have been more akin to Apple’s integration into processors in that said services are meant to differentiate iPhones, not be revenue drivers in their own right.
Yesterday’s announcements were an important departure from that strategy in two respects. First, services like Apple Card, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+ (I will get into the details of these services later on) extend Apple’s integration forward with the goal of driving new revenue.
- Previously credit cards in Apple Pay were fully modularized; Apple Card relies heavily on its integration with Apple Wallet to differentiate itself
Previously games in the App Store were sold individually; Apple Arcade relies on Apple’s control of the App Store (and the fact the company does not need to pay itself 30%) to create a new bundle
Previously news and magazine apps could be subscribed to individually; Apple News+ relies on Apple’s control of the App Store (and the fact the company does not need to pay itself 30%) to create a new bundle
Secondly, Apple also announced at least one service — Apple TV+ — that…well, it’s not quite clear to what extent it is an extension as opposed to a new product entirely. But, before I explore the implications of that distinction, it’s worth calling out the last avenue for growth:
Acquisitions: This is, by definition, the most expensive way to acquire growth. It is also often the one that makes the most sense for cash-generating behemoths like Apple — and exploring the prospects of Apple TV+ show why.
Extend the Experiences of our Customers
The Apple TV portion of yesterday’s announcement actually had two parts: the Apple TV+ streaming service, which I will get to in a moment, and Apple TV Channels. The latter is a service akin to Amazon Channels or the Roku Channel Store; customers can subscribe to a la carte “channels” like HBO or Showtime, the content of which will be incorporated into the Apple TV app.
If this sounds familiar it is because this is Apple’s second version of this concept (this time Apple hosts the streams and controls the player, as opposed to relying on 3rd-party apps); the first version was announced in October, 2016, and then, as is the case now, Netflix, whose management claims it accounts for 10% of all TV time in the US, was not included. I explained why at the time:
Apple’s desire to be “the one place to access all of your television” implies the demotion of Netflix to just another content provider, right alongside its rival HBO and the far more desperate networks who lack any sort of customer relationship at all. It is directly counter to the strategy that has gotten Netflix this far — owning the customer relationship by delivering a superior customer experience — and while Apple may wish to pursue the same strategy, the company has no leverage to do so. Not only is the Apple TV just another black box that connects to your TV (that is also the most expensive), it also, conveniently for Netflix, has a (relatively) open app platform: Netflix can deliver their content on their terms on Apple’s hardware, and there isn’t much Apple can do about it.
That article, by the way, was entitled Apple Should Buy Netflix: I argued that iPhone growth was on the verge of slowing, that Apple needed a new growth driver to give the company space to create new products, and that the company was uniquely suited to provide Netflix’s biggest need — cash — which actually wasn’t doing Apple itself much good:
Apple is at its best when it is creating new products that are the best they can possibly be; it is a capability that is rather independent from Apple’s biggest strategic assets: its dedicated user base and massive cash pile.
Instead Apple has decided to compete with Netflix, at least to an extent, using those strategic assets: the company is spending some billions of dollars to create original content that will be available on all Apple devices. Notably, though, Apple TV+ content will be available on other devices as well, including Amazon and Roku’s TV boxes and smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio.
It appears that Apple is attempting to thread the finest of needles: by not having players available on Android, Windows, or the web, Apple TV+ acts as another extension of Apple’s integrated model, differentiating Apple’s hardware in the process. The problem, though, is that creating or acquiring content is a fixed cost: that means that the economically optimal approach is to make that content available as widely as possible, increasing leverage on those fixed costs. Thus the partnerships with Amazon, Roku, and smart TV manufacturers.
Unfortunately for Apple, I’m not sure that this exclusion is sustainable when it comes to competing with Netflix. As demonstrated by the parade of celebrities during the second half of yesterday’s event, Hollywood is driven first-and-foremost by cash. Whoever pays more for a show gets that show, even if — as Netflix continues to demonstrate — the entity making the payment is in the process of upending the entire TV value chain.
To that end, Apple certainly has the cash to compete with Netflix on a show-by-show basis (thanks to the still fabulously popular and profitable iPhone in particular); what is critical to understand, though, is that outbidding Netflix for a show basically guarantees that said show will lose money for Apple, at least for the next few years, thanks to Netflix’s huge subscriber base.
The challenge for Apple goes back to the leverage point I mentioned above. Consider a drastically simplified example:
- Assume Netflix has 200 subscribers who pay $10 each
- Assume Apple has 50 subscribers who pay $10 each
Netflix’s break-even point for a show is $2,000 (200 x $10); sure, Apple could outbid Netflix and pay $2001, but that means a loss of $1501 ($2001 – (50 x $10)). Is Apple willing to stomach the years of losses necessary to increases its subscriber base to a level where it can profitably compete with Netflix for shows? And, as a short-term concern, can Apple really afford to ignore billions of Android and Windows devices?
Indeed, this is precisely why I argued that Apple should simply acquire Netflix back when the company was worth <$50 billion (the price tag is quite a bit more unrealistic now);2 truly competing in the streaming video space, with its horizontal model that works orthogonally to Apple’s core vertical business model, means that the only real advantages Apple has are the default apps on the iPhone and a huge amount of cash, and those advantages could be applied to an acquired Netflix far more efficiently than they could to a brand new streaming service — like Apple TV+.
That, though, takes me back to the needle Apple appears to be trying to thread: the only way that Apple TV+ makes sense strategically is not as a new product with a new business model, but rather as another extension of Apple’s integration, i.e. a way to not simply sell new iPhones but also Apple’s TV app generally, including the commissions Apple will collect from Apple TV channels.
In short, Apple may increasingly be a services company in terms of the recurring revenue it earns, but its strategy is still very much rooted in a product world where differentiation comes from vertical integration.
Entertain, Inspire, Inform, and Enrich
A few additional notes about the other services Apple announced:
Apple Card: This makes a ton of sense: Apple is uniquely placed to differentiate a credit card thanks to Apple Wallet and Apple Pay (a numberless card is particularly neat, and only possible because of the Apple Wallet integration); the rewards and interest rates are very average (in-line with the Amazon Rewards Visa but inferior to the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa) but, in true Apple fashion, the card is much cooler looking. Also, don’t be surprised that Apple is partnering with Goldman Sachs: the company (rightly) wants nothing to do with the regulations entailed by being a bank, even if it means sharing those lucrative transaction fees.
Apple Arcade: This will hurt the up-front purchase game market, at least what little is left of it. The most reliable way to make money in the App Store is with either a free-to-play model (where you have to buy in-app purchases to progress) or a free-to-win model (where in-app purchases are largely aesthetic, a la Fortnite). Games that support neither are left trying to adapt Apple’s in-app purchase mechanism to support trials (i.e. download the game for free, make two levels free, and make an in-app purchase to unlock the rest) and praying their game will be featured in the App Store so that they can recoup their costs.
Apple Arcade is a very different model: first, Apple is paying up-front for exclusivity — already a more sustainable model for game developers — and second, subscribers (i.e. people who are generally willing to try and buy new games regularly) will surely look to try other Apple Arcade games before they bother downloading new ones, making things tough for anyone not a part of the bundle. Again, though, it is not as if the current situation is great for traditional games that you pay once for anyways; there is a decent chance this is a more sustainable model for everyone (and, of course, a nice revenue stream for Apple).
Apple News+: This slide transition neatly encapsulates both the devastation wracked on the media by the Internet as well as why Apple can take 50% of every Apple News+ subscription:
The vast majority of media is completely commoditized and, in a world of zero marginal costs, happy to accept whatever pennies Apple is willing to throw their way. What is more noteworthy are the publications that aren’t there, particularly newspapers that have managed to develop direct connections with customers based on subscriptions (and one that is — the Wall Street Journal — is severely limited in discoverability and availability). This is exactly the right decision for them, as I explained last month in The Cost of Apple News.
The Customer Is At the Center
That leaves Cook’s final line: At Apple, the customer is, and always will be, at the center of everything that we do.
Frankly, with the possible exception of Apple Arcade, it is hard to see this sentiment in yesterday’s announcements; I’m not saying any of these services are customer hostile, but most of them are imitations of what other companies are already doing, the revenues of which Apple wants a cut of. And that’s okay: a growing Apple is better placed to build the next great product that changes customers’ lives. Still, I can’t help but think of a famous Steve Jobs quote:
I want to put a ding in the universe. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Yesterday didn’t have many dings, and fair bit of other people’s business models. Only time will tell if the diversion from what the company does best leaves Apple trapped.
I wrote a follow-up to this article in this Daily Update.
I did write a year later that Apple should no longer buy Netflix, but not because I thought my reasoning had been wrong; rather, Netflix’s market cap had increased by 77%. Frankly, I probably withdrew my recommendation too soon — Netflix’s market cap has doubled again since then ↩


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After creating a whirlwind of claims about the world s cheapest smartphone – the Freedom 251 – Ringing Bells suddenly went out of picture when the time came for the delivery of the devices. People made bookings, but there was no news of the deliveries. Consequently, company managing director, Mohit Goel was arrested and jailed for six months for failing to deliver the phones to the customers. However, Goel has now been released and once again claims that he can deliver the Freedom 251 within the next four months. Also Read - Apex Legends Mobile now available for pre-registration on Android: How to pre-registerAlso Read - You can soon transfer WhatsApp chats between Android and iPhone: Report
My vendors didn t deliver on time and I failed. Our company s President Ashok Chadda is still languishing in jail. I need one opportunity to come back clean and provide people handsets by March-April next year, Goel told IANS, adding that he is not planning anything else at the moment but to focus on his Freedom 251 dream. Also Read - Tech tips: How to find your lost Android phone or wipe it remotely
BGR India has reached out to the company, and awaits a response.
Goel says that he can still make the delivery of the phone possible by March-April 2018, if the government offers him enough support. He complains that the government did not come to his support despite his commitment to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start-up India’ initiative by providing every single Indian citizen with a smartphone.
The big players today have adopted my model and are now giving smartphones for as little as Rs 1,300, like Karbonn. The Jio model for paying Rs 1,500 in advance for a smartphone is similar. They have deep pockets so they can afford but why don t people ask them how they are making smartphones so cheap? Goel says.
This Sunday, two people have been arrested for allegedly cheating Ringing Bells. According to a complaint filed by Mohit Goel, the accused had struck a deal with him for supplying economical mobile phone sets, and they failed to deliver even after the company paid them the advance.
The accused Vikas Sharma, 35, and Jeetu, 40, both residents of Delhi, who allegedly took nearly Rs 3.5 crore from Ringing Bells for delivering handsets, were sent to Dasna jail, Noida s Superintendent of Police, City, Arun Kumar Singh told IANS.
I paid the duo nearly Rs 3.5 crore and, in return, they cheated me. They siphoned off the money and did not deliver any phone. In February this year, some distributors filed a case against me and I was jailed for six months. Now with the fresh arrests, people will come to know why I failed to deliver on my promise, Goel claims.

domain: news


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Caleb Vierkant/ Wrangell Sentinel
The Wrangell Salvation Army's food pantry. Lt. Jon Tollerud said that the pantry has been kept full thanks to local donations and the support of Wrangell's grocery stores.
P.O. Box 798Wrangell, AK 99929Ph: (907) 874-2301
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Hotel reservation startup, Hotels.ng, has secured an investment of $1.2 million from international investors EchoVC and Omidyar Network.
This is the startup’s first investment funding round, following a 2013 seed investment of $225,000 from Jason Njoku’s Spark.ng.
Started in 2012, Hotels.ng now covers over 7,000 hotels across 21 regions in Nigeria, with over a million hotel searches on the platform to date.
“We’re forging ahead into relatively uncharted territory; eCommerce in Africa is a massive market to conquer, but there are no hard and fast prototypes from which to follow”, says Mark Essien, Founder & CEO of Hotels.ng, in a statement to Techpoint. “We cannot simply replicate Western models here, we have to build our own blueprints from scratch, which takes significant investment, both in terms of time and money”
Mark Essien, Founder & CEO, Hotels.ng
With this latest investment, Essien looks to consolidate Hotels.ng’s position as the leading online hotels booking service in Nigeria. They also have their eyes set on expanding into other African markets, such as Ghana and Francophone West Africa.
FCMB, via Passion Incubator‘s Collaborate.ng platform, is seeking an innovative payroll management solution for SMEs and MSMEs in order to position them for access to bank financing and government-led capital assistance programmes. Startups/businesses in Nigeria should apply here.
Techpoint is conducting research on mobile app usage for everyday internet needs in Nigeria. Please take out time to fill in this anonymous survey. Thank you.
Nigerian startups raised $35.5 million in Q3 2018, 52% less than in Q2. Find out more in the Nigerian Startup Funding report. Download.


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'Sense of vibrancy' as coast reports busy week after lockdown eases
- Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
Shops and restaurants on the east Suffolk coast are feeling "really positive" about their recovery from the Covid lockdown after the first week of eased restrictions.
As part of the government's roadmap out of lockdown, non-essential retailers, pubs, restaurants and hair salons were permitted to reopen for the first time in months last Monday.
Holiday lets on the coast reported a surge in bookings ahead of the reopening as many tourists embraced a 'staycation', with foreign travel likely to be restricted for most of the year.
Businesses in east Suffolk, many of which rely on tourism trade, have benefitted from high levels of footfall in resorts over the last seven days.
Helen Greengrass, change director of Felixstowe Forward, urged people to support independent traders as they bid to recover from the lockdown.
She said: "It has been fairly measured. The town was very busy when we reopened.
"There has been a cautious return to the town centre. The shops are feeling delighted to be back open - they were very busy.
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"It was probably a touch quieter than it was before lockdown, but people are optimistic.
"Certainly, there is a sense of vibrancy and joy. There's a hope that this is now behind us.
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- 3 Man in 20s dies in collision between lorry and pedestrian on A14
- 4 A weekend of potential departures as Town finish up their disappointing season
- 5 See inside beautiful stately home near Ipswich - for one day only
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"Our message to everyone would be to get back and support your independent shops and restaurants."
Southwold town development manager Hannah Wright said: "It was super busy - everyone was so excited to be open. All the businesses, even the national chains, were really happy to be back at work.
"There was definitely a lot of footfall. I think everyone just wanted to get out.
"All the holiday lets were pretty much full and we had families around.
"The businesses are feeling really positive. They are doing all they can to keep customers safe."
Susie Medland, who manages the Munchies cafe in Aldeburgh's High Street, said fellow business owners had a strong first week back.
She said: "Aldeburgh was buzzing at the weekend - it was insane. The beach was rammed.
"Today the high street is peaceful, but the kids have gone back to school.
"I think everyone is really happy to be open. There's an upbeat mood."


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The publication further mentions that the iWatch will be deeply integrated with Apple’s Health app, as well as HomeKit home automation platform. Both the features will be released along with iOS 8 later this year.
There have been numerous contradicting rumors regarding the iWatch’s launch date. A number of market analysts claimed that the smartwatch was delayed due to production issues. Apple commentator John Gruber, on the other hand, recently hinted that the iWatch could be unveiled on September 9, but later denied having any idea of Apple’s plans.
From what we have heard so far, the Apple iWatch could be available in three variants — one with 1.6-inch display, and two variants with 1.8-inch displays. They will boast a flexible AMOLED display and will be loaded with sensors, with the top-of-the-line iWatch likely to cost above $1,000.


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Summary… * Machine-Made
#Uber, the technology company (which, because of its ride-hailing app, functions a lot like a transportation company) launched #Uber Freight on Monday night.
Fortunately, we already know a little about #Uber’s freight launch, because its first autonomous truck delivered a load of cargo in October.
The first day #Uber tested self-driving cars in San Francisco, people filmed those same cars running red lights.
In the immediate future, autonomous trucks will need human drivers and human engineers to design them—both growth opportunities.
Autonomous trucking promises safety and efficiency even as it threatens jobs and the existing economies built around shipping.
Opinion… * Man-Made
Source: Popular Science


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Motorola still hasn't shown off its next flagship, the Moto X, but the Android phone's front and back panels appear to have surfaced in a good ol' fashioned leak anyway.
Shots of the Moto X's detached face and backside appeared on G for Games, which hollered out that the Moto X is "a new concept" for a smartphone.
The Moto X is expected to kickstart a new era for Motorola under Google with unprecedented levels of customization, though so far we've only heard word of cosmetic customization and not the ability to mix and match internal specs or software.
Those looking for it on Thursday may be disappointed however, as AllThingsD reported an event being held by Motorola adviser Guy Kawasaki that day is a private affair and not meant to herald the debut of the new flagship.
Have it your way
The Moto X has been called "the first smartphone you can design yourself," though again it's not yet confirmed just what that means.
Kawasaki previously suggested that you can customize the Moto X like a classic Porsche, and a pouring of information from last week suggested consumers will be able to choose from a palate of colors as well as have engravings carved on the back.
The panels shown off in these leaks are reportedly all for the Moto X, despite the two front panels - white and black - looking somewhat different. The logo appears on the black one, for example, but not on the white.
The back panel (below) appears to be made of a soft, rubbery material, though that may turn out to be a customizable feature of the Moto X.
Image credit: G for Games
If there's one thing that's not customizable on the Moto X, it may be the device's specs; a previous leak suggested that it will sport a 1.7GHz dual core MSM8960 Pro chip, a 720p display, 2GB of memory, 16GB of storage, 10- and 2-megapixel back and front cameras, and Android 4.2.2.
The Moto X was previously referred to as the Motorola X Phone, but Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside revealed its real name in May.
That's when he called it Motorola's next "hero" phone, adding to the belief that the Moto X will be a major milestone for the company and its Google overlords.
- Customizable Moto X not your thing? Another recent Motorola leak suggests the Droid brand may live on!
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Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.
Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.


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The future — with artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and all — will affect business sooner than we think, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman says.
But it might not always be the way we expect.
Hoffman joined other innovators and executives from Chicago and beyond at the Economist’s Innovation Forum on Thursday to explore how topics like automation and cybersecurity could affect their companies. The forum drew more than 250 attendees to the Four Seasons Chicago.
Hoffman said he wasn’t concerned about artificial intelligence or automation replacing too many jobs with robots. He gave the example of mobile apps that diagnose whether a skin lesion is cancerous.
“Does that mean doctors are all going to go away? Not necessarily,” he said.
Instead of taking the place of doctors, such an app might serve as a crosscheck for a doctor’s instinct, he said. “That allows doctors to focus on a lot of other things, or have higher touch with their patients and so forth. It doesn’t mean we’re going to have all robot doctors.”
Though driverless cars will undoubtedly replace the jobs of taxi drivers, many advancements will change the nature of jobs rather than replace them, Hoffman said.
“If you actually look at most of these technological developments, they tend to be oriented toward how ... you amplify productivity for individuals," he said.
Later in the morning, Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Deerfield-based snack giant Mondelez International, said big companies have it wrong when they think of innovation as something that happens in a vacuum. Mondelez owns brands Oreo and Cadbury.
"In the past we would have been guilty of this," she said. "There's always been a debate — particularly in packaged goods — about whether or not there ought to be a separate innovation group that understands the disciplines of introducing a new product. ... There's real value in it being integrated."
She established global integration teams at the company to quickly distribute ideas from one part of the world to another.
"It allows us to understand a variety of cultures. It allows us to move much faster," she said.
The strategy resulted in a successful launch of the Oreo brand in China, after a previous failure that didn't take into account the desire in that market for a thinner cookie and smaller packaging, she said.
Mondelez is even allowing the recently purchased Enjoy Life Foods, an allergen-free food-maker based in Schiller Park, to operate as a stand-alone company, figuring the larger entity can learn from the startup.
"Because they're small, they can test and fail a lot faster than typically our guys do," she said. "And I think they learn a lot from us in terms of food safety and guardrails."
In a panel about creating power partnerships, executives discussed how collaboration with other organizations can boost efficiency and spur growth on both sides. Brad Keywell ⇒, CEO and co-founder of Uptake Technologies, said partnerships have been crucial for his predictive analytics company.
“The opportunity to effect change and at the same time build a company with speed is one we could take on independently, and try to disrupt from the outside — which is more our method of building,” Keywell said. Instead, “we’ve really created a model I’d refer to as collaborative disruption, versus blunt disruption. Collaboration allows us to really do what we’re built to do, which is create value and solve big problems.”
Keywell touched on Uptake’s collaboration with Caterpillar to take on fuel optimization and predictive maintenance. He said while Uptake brings speed, technology and talent, Caterpillar brings industry expertise, insights and data — which allow both companies to solve problems in a smarter way.
John Flavin ⇒, executive director of the Chicago Innovation Exchange, said companies are more likely to take an open source approach than in the past, sourcing ideas from different places. The CIE, for instance, connects large companies with ideas from the academic and entrepreneurial communities.
“To compete, we need to be able to move at that scale and that speed,” Flavin said.
In a session on the “Rethinking the Global Supply Chain,” Joshua Claman, chief business officer at 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, said technology has changed design because engineering students are no longer constrained by the kinds of parts they can make.
"I think today, they are realizing they can make it as complex as necessary,” he said. “You can print parts that previously were inconceivable.”
Nicole DeHoratius, adjunct professor at the Booth School of Business, said the availability of 3D-printed parts means companies using that technology can be more responsive than those reliant on overseas manufacturers.
"We're likely to bring some things closer to home and shorten out lead times," she said.
And later, panelists in a session on cybersecurity agreed that a 100-percent unhackable company is unrealistic.
"I don't believe there is such a thing as 100 percent secure. I don't think that exists," said Jay Kaplan, chief executive at security firm Synack. "Everybody's vulnerable. Whether you're one of the largest companies or a small startup … you're going to be the next headline eventually."
And companies shouldn't rely on passwords for security, he said, urging a second form of authentication — which can include biometrics like a fingerprint or eye iris scan. "Passwords make no sense to me," he said. "I can't believe passwords are something that still exist."
Jamil Farshchi, chief information security officer at The Home Depot, suggested focusing protection efforts on the company's most sensitive information.
"Just assume you're breached," he said. "Looking through that lens will put you in a much better position against the attack."


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Living in Dubai can be an expensive affair for some. However, consumers across the UAE can breathe a sigh of relief as it is expected that most popular items in the supermarkets might see a discount of 50%. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Well, if you are also curious about this possible development, then read on as we tell you all about it.
50% Discounts At Supermarkets?
As mentioned above, grocery essentials in the UAE might soon become more affordable. In fact, Carrefour has already announced a massive six-week sale wherein 6000 products have been discounted. Now, other supermarkets might also join this bandwagon of discounts.
Yes, if this happens, then you might be able to get your hands on the most popular items for a 50% discount at supermarkets! This is brilliant news for anyone living in Dubai, especially with the holy month of Ramadan 2023 just days away. The reason for this possible development has been attributed to the fall in shipping costs, especially over the last two months.
Reduced Freight Costs Amongst Other Reason For The Expected Development
UAE-based food importers have been paying less for the last two months and business leaders expect that this may soon be passed on to the customers. With the freight costs dropped, the strong dollar makes import cheaper and low fuel cost is also expected to benefit the UAE residents. Although it is worth noting that there is nothing certain.
But, having said that if the shipping and wheat costs continue to fall, it makes sense that they might be reduced costs for consumers as well. This might just be something brilliant as you can indulge in some retail therapy during the festive season!
So, be on the lookout for any massive discounts that might come your way in the following days, as the first signs might just reflect on the weekly grocery runs on essentials.
Cover Image Courtesy: Pexels


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China passed a new law to regulate cryptography on Saturday at the closing meeting of a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), according to state-run media Xinhua Net.
Why it matters: Chinese authorities expect the newly approved law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, to facilitate the development of cryptography in the country and enhance the security of information in cyberspace.
- The approval of the new law comes on the heels of President Xi Jinping’s call on Thursday for more research and investment into the development of blockchain technology.
- The central bank said last month that no official timetable has been set for the launch of the digital currency. However, the new cryptography law will help lay the “political and legal foundation for the upcoming digital renminbi,” according to Dovey Wan, founding partner of Primitive Ventures.
Details: According to the National People’s Congress Constitution and Law Committee, the law is “necessary for regulating the utilization and management of cryptography, facilitating the development of the cryptography business, and ensuring the security of cyberspace and information.”
- The new law encourages and supports the research and application of cryptography and aims to protect the intellectual property rights in the sector.
- The law categorizes the technology into core, common, and commercial cryptography.
- Core and common crytography are strictly managed by authorities. It stipulates that the state’s confidential information must use core and common cryptography for encrypted data protection and security certification.
- Commercial cryptography, on the other hand, is for the protection of information not considered state secrets. It can be used by businesses and individuals to enhance the security of information sent into cyberspace.
- The law also specifically highlights legal liabilities for misconduct involving cryptography technology. For example, those who discover vulnerabilities in core and common cryptography but fail to respond or report it to authorities in a timely manner will face legal consequences. In addition, individuals involved in commercial activities relating to unauthorized cryptography products and services will also face consequences.
Context: China is embracing blockchain and cryptography technologies as it paves the way for its digital currency rollout.
- The Chinese central bank’s digital currency has been in the works for the past five years. Blockchain and cryptography will likely be crucial to the development of the architecture of the planned digital currency. Facebook’s announcement of its own cryptocurrency project Libra in June prompted the central bank to ramp up the development of its own digital currency.
- Earlier this year at the Two Sessions, a major event on the country’s political calendar, blockchain- and cryptocurrency-related topics were featured more than previous years.
- On Feb. 15, draft regulations for blockchain-based services released by China’s Cyberspace Affairs Commission (CAC) came into effect. It aims to promote “orderly development” and requires companies to implement real-name registration, maintain correspondence with authorities, and provide relevant information as requested.
- China’s country’s cyberspace watchdog last week released a second batch of 309 approved blockchain projects, comprising companies in the financial services, healthcare, auto manufacturing, e-commerce, and logistics sectors.
- While cryptocurrency is still outlawed in the country, Xi’s remarks on Thursday supporting blockchain technology has generated interest. The search for keywords related to the technology spiked on search engine Baidu and social media the following day.


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Display of future smartphones can be “self-healing”, means they can heal itself if they are met with scratches. Such displays are coming within 5 years, says analyst firm CCS Insight.
Innovations in science & technology has enabled stuffs which was once impossible to happen now. It happens profoundly in the smartphone domain, as users anticipate something new, when they shop phones. In today’s world, features and specifications are fully loaded even in budget-level smartphones. This is because of the innovation of one company, which pushes the whole sector to adhere to it, to grab that segment of customers. Like Oppo & Vivo came and enhanced the camera quality even in budget smartphones.
Companies are constantly pushing what they can do with smartphones, and this analyst firm – CCS Insight, says that smartphones will have “self-healing” displays in just 5 years.
Self-healing displays in Smartphones
Though the concept itself seems to be a fantasy or science fiction kind-of thing, “it can be done,” Wood, an analyst from CCS Insight told to CNBC.
While answering for the top tech predictions for 2024 and beyond, the analyst said that smartphone makers may begin producing phones with self-healing displays within five years. By incorporating a ‘nano-coating’ on the surface of the display that, if scratched, creates a new material that reacts when exposed to air and fills the scratch & makes it disappear.
Five years ago, most of the people might not had believed if someone said that a smartphone can be fully-charged in 5 minutes. But now Redmi Note 12 Pro+ can. Similarly, self-healing displays might really happen in future. But the real and biggest challenge is setting the expectations clearly regarding it.
Self-healing displays doesn’t mean a magical display that would fix itself, no matter how hard you treat your smartphone. Rather, it’s about technology that can make minimal repairs to the surface of its own accord. So, you can’t claim that self-healing capability doesn’t work for your broken display, after drastically dropping it on ground.
Innovations like this is not new
The idea of self-healing display is not a recently emerged one, but which is in market, since 2013, when LG, South-Korean electronics giant, launched a self-healing tech in its smartphones in the year. In its smartphone called G Flex, it featured a vertically curved screen and a self-healing coating on the back cover. It didn’t explain how exactly the technology worked at the time.
Further, in 2017, Motorola filed a patent for a screen made form a “shape memory polymer” which, when cracked, repairs itself. This is nothing but SMA, which when heated, it returns to its original state.
Indeed, Apple secured a patent in 2020 for its foldable iPhone, which says that a display cover for the iPhone would fix itself when damaged.
While firms still struggle to deliver a perfect smartphone, with no heating and other issues, self-healing displays being commercially successful has lot of complications inscribed into it. Starting from R&D, to pulling the smartphone within the consumable price, and also to ensure consumers that they are properly informed about what level of damage in the display can be fixed, it has to go through a series of hurdles, before hitting the market.
Tech enthusiasts or influencers in YouTube and Instagram might take this as granted and could do all the extravaganza stuffs to the display, which might not accord for what the self-healing concept is.
Jokes apart, future smartphones might do wonders, pushing the limits just to show that we are capable of doing that.
What science fiction-like stuff do you want in smartphones in future? Mention in the comments below..
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Whisky tots up victory
In 1986, to mark the 20th anniversary of Botswana’s independence, a special edition decanter of 12-year-old blended Dimple Scotch whisky was released by John Haig & Co — now part of Diageo — called Botswana 20.
Almost 30 years later, the Scotch whisky industry has struck a blow against counterfeiters in Africa after Bostwana became the continent’s first country to grant the spirit protected status.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) hailed a “legal breakthrough” after its application for Scotch whisky to be recognised as a “geographical indication” — or GI — was recognised by Botswana.
Scotch, which must be made in Scotland from water, cereals and yeast and matured for at least three years, is legally recognised in more than 70 countries around the world,


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INNOVATION FORUM OF HYSEA is celebrating the month of August as Innovation & Entrepreneurship month. Among other activities during the month, the focus will be on inviting innovators / entrepreneurs who have avoided the beaten path and created exciting new organizations and launched innovative products / platforms. The forum believes that the insights shared by these innovators will be a huge motivation and learning for the IT/ITeS audience of Hyderabad.).
The first webinar in this series is with Mr. Sudhakar Reddy, Founder, Abhibus.com on Wednesday, 5th August 2020 at 4pm.


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‘Serenade of the Seas’ arrival restarts Subic cruise tourism program
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — The arrival here of GTS Serenade of the Seas, a 12-decker cruise liner operated by Royal Caribbean International, is expected to resurrect Subic’s cruise tourism program, which had gained momentum before being halted by the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said seven more cruise ships have been booked so far for this year to jumpstart the program.
Aliño, who was into maritime business prior to his appointment to the SBMA last January, said cruise tourism “is one target industry that we continue to develop and sustain in order to create more jobs and economic opportunities here and around the free port zone.”
According to Aliño, Subic Bay should be a natural cruise ship destination due of its deep harbor and the local shore experience available to cruise line passengers.
The 293-meter Serenade of the Seas operated by Royal Caribbean International made its maiden call here Monday morning with 1,371 guests and 819 crew members on board.
SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations Ronnie Yambao said among the Subic attractions popular to cruise passengers are beach resorts and theme parks like Ocean Adventure, jungle survival demonstration by Ayta natives, and visits to out-of-town sites like Bataan’s Las Casas de Acuzar heritage resort.
Yambao recalled that the SBMA had successfully launched a cruise ship program in 2018, and enjoyed two years of industry growth before it was abruptly cut off by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Last year, six arrivals were recorded here by MV Blue Dream Star, a vessel operated by Blue Dream Cruises China, bringing in a total of 3,927 tourists over a two-month period.
Yambao said that aside from Serenade of the Seas, six more cruise arrivals had been booked so far by the SBMA for this year: MV Mediterranea on April 16; MV Resorts World One, May 8, June 5, July 31, August 28, and September 25; and MV Costa Serena, November 13.


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5 Min Read
* Q4 adj EPS $0.43 matches Wall St view
* To launch new brand in fall 2010
* Shares fall as much as 7.2 pct (Adds analysts' comments, updates share activity)
By Ben Klayman
CHICAGO, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. leather goods company Coach Inc (COH.N) reported lower quarterly profit on Tuesday, matching expectations, but shares fell as much as 7.2 percent as investors worried about increased investments, including the launch next year of a new brand by its creative director Reed Krakoff.
Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian Sozzi also cited a lack of a fiscal 2010 forecast and weaker-than-expected gross profit margins for the shares' decline.
"With increased investment spending in China, sales volatility here at home, lower-price points within the overall assortment and increased factory channel sales mix, it appears returns will take a hit," he said. "The gross margin really missed consensus by a wide margin."
Barclays Capital analyst Robert Drbul said some investors were taking profits after a sizable run-up in the shares heading into the earnings report.
Coach, which makes high-end handbags and other accessories, said in April that sales at its North American stores had begun to stabilize. The comment was rare good news for luxury goods makers, whose sales and profits have plunged as consumers cut back in the recession.
Chief Executive Lew Frankfort said the trend was continuing, citing improvements in Coach's full-price business in North America and Japan in July.
"It's early days for our new quarter, but four weeks into it, we definitely see a sequential improvement in traffic," he said in a telephone interview.
Frankfort said the economy is still clearly in a severe recession and consumers will be extremely cautious for the rest of the year, but added that Coach will outperform other brands as it ramps up its new, and very popular, Poppy line of less expensive bags.
Net income fell to $145.8 million, or 45 cents a share, in the fourth quarter ended June 27, from $213.5 million, or 62 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time items, profit was 43 cents a share, matching what analysts polled by Reuters Estimates had expected.
Sales slipped less than 1 percent to $777.7 million. North American same-store sales fell 6.1 percent in the quarter -- worse than the 4.2 percent decline in the third quarter.
Needham & CO analyst Christine Chen said she thought the market was reacting to the worse same-store sales number, but they were looking at the wrong thing. "They said July trends have improved due to Poppy," she said. "Investors should be a little more forward-looking."
Coach operates factory stores where prices are lower, but its full-priced stores have avoided discounts in a strategy that has preserved the status of its brand but hurt sales.
To appeal to more cost-conscious shoppers, Coach is introducing more bags in the $200 to $300 range, and has said the move should reduce overall prices by 10 to 15 percent.
In June, Coach launched the Poppy line, which feature bright youthful colors and graphic prints. The average price of a Poppy bag is $260, about 20 percent less than the usual Coach purse. It said there has been a strong initial response to the fall collections, especially Poppy.
"Poppy is blowing out," Frankfort said.
Coach will open Poppy stores in Japan and possibly the United States at some point, Frankfort said on a conference call, adding it is also developing a few stand-alone men's shops in Japan.
The company also announced a new stand-alone brand, Reed Krakoff -- named for the creative force responsible for turning around the once-staid leather goods maker -- it will launch in the fall of 2010.
The new brand will initially be offered in a small number of stand-alone stores in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, as well as in limited distribution in specialty stores, Frankfort said. It may eventually expand into men's categories.
Coach also accelerated plans for China, where same-store sales grew at a double-digit rate in the quarter, saying it now expects to open about 15 new stores, up from about 10 previously targeted. Over the next five years, it expects to open at least 50 stores in China.
Shares of Coach fell as low as $26.37, before curtailing its losses to trade down 87 cents, or 3.06 percent, at $27.56 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. (Additional reporting by Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Jeffrey Benkoe and Bernard Orr)


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Swedish auto maker SAAB has been declared bankrupt. SAAB's US dealers have been advised that warranties will no longer be honored, and all remaining new cars will be sold "as is." Current SAAB owners are basically screwed.
According to a leaked memo to Saab dealers obtained by Autoblog, the bankrupt automaker is ceasing all warranty coverage on its vehicles in North America.
The memo was sent out Monday following a Swedish court's approval of Saab's bankruptcy petition and – as we suspected – all new vehicles will be sold "as is."
Sweden's only other auto manufacturer, Volvo, beloved of bumper sticker leftists, is now actually Chinese owned.


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(WHDH) — From spin cycle to permanent press, like most of us, Ronny Doyle has done countless loads of laundry over the years.
But this past December, his washer/dryer combo went belly up.
“I didn’t know if I could fix it and it was an older machine, so I figured I’d replace it,” said Doyle.
Doyle needed a stackable machine to fit into the small space. In search of a deal, he went online and found a local appliance shop.
“They said they had that size and said I could order it and have it in a week,” Doyle explained.
The price was right. Doyle used his credit card and paid for the machine.
“They took out $2,600 and emailed me an invoice that said paid in full,” Doyle said.
Then he waited.
“Three days later the sales person called me up and said the machine wouldn’t be in in a week, it would be three weeks,” Doyle recalled. “I said, ‘that’s OK, I’ll still have time to get it in.’ Then he turned around and said it may be six weeks.”
The very next day, he got another phone call, this time from the company’s owner.
“And he said we made a mistake on the price,” Doyle said.
The owner was going to talk to the manufacturer to try and get a good price, Doyle said, but that the machine costs about $1,500 dollars more than what they charged him
“I said, ‘well I paid you in full. I don’t know what to tell you,” Doyle said.
He never heard back from the owner and said he couldn’t get answers when he called the store.
Doyle contacted Solve It 7 and we went to our legal expert.
“Bob, is a purchase receipt considered a contract?” 7’s Kris Anderson asked.
“Yes, the price is set,” Bob Harnais of the New England Bar Association said. “The price you pay is the price you’re going to get it at. You can’t change it around.”
We called the appliance company and the salesperson explained that there was indeed a pricing error, but that the company was going to honor the deal. There was just a delay getting the machine.
He assured us Doyle would get his washer/dryer combo the following week.
“They’ve said this to me many times, ‘It’s gonna come in, It’s gonna come in,’ and you know, here I am, it finally did,” Doyle exclaimed.
Solve It 7 helped wash his problems away.
“I feel Solve It 7 is very powerful. I’m thankful for them to do this for me, otherwise I still wouldn’t have a machine,” Doyle said.
If you have a problem you need solved, send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org or give us a call at 617-367-7777.
(Copyright (c) 2022 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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Thus far in our "Powering the holidays" series, we've looked at companies providing the speed, data, monitoring and privacy protection that enable e-commerce businesses to thrive at the busiest time of the year.
Even if merchants somehow master all of that, none of it matters much if deliveries show up after Christmas. All of their hard work can be easily overshadowed by grumpy consumers, especially if the malcontents take to public forums to express their frustrations.
For Poshmark—an online retailer that lets people shop from each other's closets—straightening out its shipping system ahead of this holiday season was doubly critical. Not only did the company need to ensure the timely arrival of packages, but it had to do so without going broke. Poshmark is among the rapidly growing marketplace retailers, meaning the company itself doesn't have merchandise, but instead facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers.
The company lets women turn their closets into storefronts, selling their denim pants, vintage dresses and leather heels to second-hand shoppers.
Manish Chandra, who started the Menlo Park, California-based company in 2011, knew he'd tapped into a market opportunity by looking at the sales trajectory in the first couple of years in business. The company grew 10-fold last year.
Still, sending all that stuff was a massive headache. Any deliveries up to two pounds were covered in the $6.99 shipping fee that was charged to buyers, but for packages that weighed more, sellers would have to cover the added cost and deal with the added hassle.
So Chandra came up with a customized solution and got the United States Postal Service on board. It's called PoshPost and was introduced in March.
Since 99 percent of the 1.5 million Poshmark packages shipped last year weighed less than five pounds, he worked with the postal service to get a flat rate of $4.99 for any package up to that weight, with all of it going through priority (2-3 day) mail, anywhere in the U.S.
"Anything that sellers ship, except in extreme cases, will be a no-brainer," Chandra said. PoshPost allowed Chandra to establish a predictable and profitable business model. "For smaller packages, we're overpaying. For larger packages, we're saving," he said.
The buyer pays the shipping fee along with the price of the item to Poshmark, which then remits payment to the seller, minus the 20 percent the company keeps of every transaction. That cost includes all payment processing and administrative fees. Any time a sale is made, Poshmark immediately emails a pre-paid label to the seller.
For Evelyn Jimenez in Orange County, California, PoshPost has been a huge saver of time and money. The 30-year-old full-time student buys clothes in bulk at wholesale and sells them on Poshmark at retail prices.
"I can now bundle two pairs of shoes, and it will be less than five pounds, so I don't have to pay the difference," Jimenez said.
Plus, prior to the new service, she'd have to go to the post office for heavy items. "I'd have 10 boxes to ship and that takes a lot of time. People get mad sometimes when you're holding back the line." Now, she said, "I just leave it all outside and the postman picks it up the next day."
Chandra expects the holiday period to account for about one-third of Poshmark's business this year and projects that problem packages and returns will be way down, because shippers have much more flexibility and clarity.
Adapting to the changing landscape of e-commerce is critical to USPS, which has suffered losses in 21 of the past 23 quarters. Since 2007, when first-class mail revenue peaked, sales have dropped 27 percent as volume declined 32 percent, according to the postal service's 2013 annual report.
Part of righting the ship is making it easier and more efficient for companies to ship, and equally important is creating a more reliable delivery service. To that end, USPS is delivering seven days a week heading into the holidays in the 5,000 to 7,000 most densely populated zip codes, said Nagisa Manabe, chief marketing and sales officer at the postal service. In some areas, deliveries will be made twice a day.
"E-commerce is exploding, and so all of us are doing our best to upgrade our services so they meet the needs of today's customer," said Manabe, who's based in Washington, DC.
That includes improving its technology for postal workers, with more advanced handheld devices that notify senders of delivery, have location awareness with GPS and Wi-Fi and advanced scanning capabilities. The postal service has also upgraded its call center and is using new routing technology to better predict what neighborhoods will see holiday delivery surges.
Poshmark is big enough to work directly with the postal service, but many companies don't have the resources. Or they'd prefer just to outsource the tedious process. That's where EasyPost comes into play.
Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, EasyPost's software lets e-commerce companies offload shipping. Apparel company Teespring and women's marketplace Vinted are among the hundreds of companies that have turned to EasyPost to quickly put in place a delivery system, whether they ship via USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL or others.
Electronically integrating with any one of those services can take months, but EasyPost founder and CEO Jarrett Streebin says his customers can be up and running in hours.
They upload their account information to EasyPost and then pay 5 cents per package (monthly subscriptions are also available), which includes the shipping label and all the logistics and tracking. At a time when consumers expect everything to be as quick and easy as Amazon.com, smaller players need all the help they can get.
"We allow them to automate almost all their shipping infrastructure," said Streebin, whose 12-person start-up has raised capital from investors including Google Ventures. "We help companies ship like Amazon."


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Galaxy S20 Ultra With Exynos 990 Suffers From Autofocus, Overheating and Other Problems – Acceptable for a $1400 Handset?
Samsung’s problems with its Exynos 990 are not unfounded and continue to be shared in the negative spotlight. Recently, Samsung’s Exynos team was humiliated for reportedly selling Snapdragon 865 versions of the Galaxy S20 series in the company’s home market of South Korea, a region where Exynos-only variants are sold. They had their reasons for doing so, as one Galaxy S20 Ultra owner points out that a flagship which costs $1400 can exhibit so many problems, making this behavior of Samsung completely unacceptable.
Galaxy S20 Ultra Owner Shows the Abysmal Camera Autofocus Quality Being Shown by the Flagship
Dawood, or Pegasaie as shown by his Twitter handle, is probably livid at the fact that he shelled $1400 for the Galaxy S20 Ultra and got something close to a lemon instead of a mobile computing marvel. While showcasing one of the biggest issues with the Exynos 990 version of the flagship in a short video clip, he also claims that there are other problems plaguing the Galaxy S20 Ultra. However, let us talk about the issue shown in the vide.
As you can see below, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has difficulty focusing on the subject at hand. According to previous reports, this issue occurs with the Exynos 990 version of the flagship, and not with the Snapdragon 865 variant, and if you’re experiencing the same problem, do let us know. It’s also not confirmed if the problem can be remedied with a firmware update but we share Dawood’s thoughts on how this isn’t supposed to happen with a $1400 smartphone.
Seriously the Exynos variant has disappointed me soo much Poor battery life poor performance heats like hell. This is really a sh*t of a phone with that crappy $1400 price tag. Never Samsung again. pic.twitter.com/tmVpfOJdEg
— Dawood (@pegasaie) April 9, 2020
What’s more is that the Galaxy S20 Ultra armed with Samsung’s homegrown SoC is exhibiting performance, overheating and battery life problems, according to Dawood. For the time being, we believe Samsung should come out with an explanation on why it expects customers to pay a price equivalent to a gaming laptop or desktop computer for a smartphone and still face such issues?
At the most, customers can be warned to stay away from Exynos 990 versions of the Galaxy S20 lineup and hope that Samsung’s rumored Exynos 1000 development on the 5nm technology yields much better results than what we’re seeing at the moment.
After all, the Snapdragon 875 will need some competition later in the year and hopefully, Samsung would have learned it lesson by now.
News Source: Twitter (Pegasaie)


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Glamorous swimming pools are a bit of a trend in New York City, and to keep up the Parks Department has decided to give five of its outdoor pools a makeover.
New York City’s outdoor public pools reopen for Summer 2018 on June 27, and while you have your pick of 53 public pools across the five boroughs, only five of them are Cool Pools.
What exactly makes a pool cool? The Parks Department has renovated one pool in each of the five boroughs with a colorful new paint job, added furniture like lounge chairs and cabana-style shade structures, and brought in new plants and trees around the pool area. Coppertone and BrightGuard also contributed free sunscreen dispensers.
The program is being launched at five intermediate-sized pools, none of which has had a major renovation since they were built in the 1970s:
“With the first heat wave of the summer on our horizon, the grand opening of the newly renovated Fisher Pool couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Council Member Francisco Moya at the uneviling of East Elmhurst’s Fisher Pool. “This city can be frenetic and overwhelming, so we need places like this where we can come, relax, and get a nice base tan for the start of summer!”
Cool Pools also offer Learn to Swim classes for kids Monday through Friday from 7:45-10:45 a.m., and confident swimmers can join the Tuesday/Thursday swim team from 8-8:45 a.m. Additional evening fitness courses are available at all five pools; check each pool for dates and times.
Alas, the usual NYC public pool rules apply even to cool kids: You must have a swimsuit, and no shirts with colors are allowed. Bring your own lock to store valuables. What’s not allowed at public pools: food, glass bottles, electronic devices and newspapers.
We know what you’re thinking: Are public pools safe? The city’s public pools close down for an hour each day between 3 and 4 p.m. for cleaning — we even tested the water at several locations and found them to be more or less within the recommended guidelines for safe swimming, so splash away.
New York City public pools are open every day from June 27 to Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Mini pools close on Labor Day.


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The global economy is entering unchartered territory and several of the world’s most successful investors painted a gloomy picture of the United States economy and stock market at the Delivering Alpha conference yesterday.
Although these investors shared a common outlook and perspective, they overlooked a number of bright spots and opportunities within the economy and stock market, specifically in the cannabis industry.
Entering the First Inning of a Multi-Decade Growth Cycle
The state of the global economy has caused world-renowned investors and economists to expect a recession within the next year. At the same time, an increased amount of capital continues to enter the cannabis industry. This level of capital entering the industry is not only larger but smarter too; these investors and firms are long-term holders who see the bigger picture.
We believe the cannabis industry just entered the first inning of what will be a multi-decade growth cycle. The last time investors had this type of opportunity was during the tech boom which created countless millionaires.
Although the cannabis sector offers investors a lot of opportunity, it presents even more risk and one must be cautious before entering this market. We want to help investors focus on the top investment opportunities within the cannabis sector and have highlighted recent developments at companies that are attractive long-term investments in the paragraphs below.
Cannabis Company Developments
Kush Bottles (KSHB) reported one of the most significant developments in the cannabis industry earlier this week after Cowen and Company initiated coverage on the company with a Buy rating and a $3 price target . The analyst covering KSHB believes that the company offers unique exposure to the emerging cannabis industry.
Kush Bottles is the exclusive distributor of The Satchel, a premier child resistant cloth bag developed by American Cannabis Company (AMMJ). The company also offers several child resistant and non-child resistant exit bag solutions, all of which are fully customizable, allowing Kush Bottles’ customers the opportunity to creatively market and brand themselves. We find this aspect of its offering significant as companies compete to become a recognized brand among consumers.
- We are favorable on Kush Bottles’ focus on providing exit bag products that are in compliance with regulations. During August, we recommended KSHB at $1.36 and we remain favorable on the shares at current levels as we continue to view Kush Bottles as one of the top long-term investments in the cannabis industry.
GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) has fallen more than 10% from its highs since it reported that it was working with Morgan Stanley after other drug makers approached it to express interest in an acquisition.
Prior to the Morgan Stanley announcement, GWPH was trading in the low-to-mid-to-high $80s since early August. We remain very favorable on the shares and continue to monitor GWPH for a bottom as the market continues to doubt the acquisition rumors.
- We continue to remain favorable on GWPH and will add to our position on further weakness due to: 1) it being the only pure-play cannabis biotech investment opportunity, 2) its continued success with its Epidiolex product, 3) its deep pipeline of products that will provide GW with catalysts for years to come, and 4) it is trading below the average Wall Street price target.
Earlier this week, MassRoots (MSRT) announced that it entered into a strategic partnership with Headset, Inc., a leading business intelligence platform for cannabis-related businesses. The purpose of the partnership is to expand the functionality and utility of the MassRoots and Headset platforms.
Headset’s base-level intelligence dashboard and menu management software will integrate with MassRoots for Business. Headset’s standardized database of products and strains will also serve as a foundation for MassRoots’ product review system, which is scheduled to be released in October.
- We are excited about this partnership for a number of reasons, specifically the founders’ background and track record. Headset was founded by the founders of Leafly and we expect to see constant improvements and upgrades to the MassRoots platform as this relationship continues to develop and mature.
Yesterday, American Cannabis Company, Inc. (AMMJ) announced that it has generated more than $53,000 in revenue from SoHum Living Soils during the third quarter. SoHum is a proprietary growing solution that provides plants with the necessary nutrients to optimize the plant’s growth potential.
American Cannabis Company is led by a management team that continues to execute as the company has been awarded 13 licenses in 7 states. The company has built 560,000 square feet of cultivation space, produced 46 tons of SoHum Living Soil, sold 888,000 units of the Satchel, and has seen 98% growth over the last two years.
- We are favorable on American Cannabis Company because the company has a consulting business that continues to grow as it increases market share across the country. AMMJ supports its the growth of its consulting business through the sale of products like the Satchel and SoHum, which differs from other companies who support growth through the sale of stock and warrants.


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When it comes to trends for bridesmaids and groomsmen – from clothing to their roles during and leading up to a couple’s wedding day – flexibility is the new name of the game. While some couples still opt for more traditional aesthetics and roles for their wedding parties, others are opting for more relaxed, personalized touches and involvement from their entourages.
“Just in general, everything is a lot more flexible now,” Camille Simmons, owner of Long Beach events planning shop Planning Pretty, told the Business Journal. “There used to be some strict traditions, and some people don’t want to follow strict traditions and roles of bridesmaids and groomsmen.”
Camille Simmons, owner of Planning Pretty at 2742 E. Broadway, said that bridesmaids often each take on a responsibility when planning a bride’s bachelorette or bridal party. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)
Perhaps one of the most noticeable ways tradition is increasingly being eschewed is through co-ed wedding parties. Traditionally, women are bridesmaids and men are groomsmen, but according to events professionals, that is changing.
“I know many brides have a man of honor instead of, you know, the traditional [maid of honor],” Lisa Lyons-Gentile, senior catering sales executive at the Renaissance Long Beach, said. “So people are a little bit more again relaxed, a little bit more inclusive. I know they are even doing co-ed bachelor or bachelorette parties or trips,” she added.
Simmons pointed out that bachelor and bachelorette parties, which are typically planned by wedding party members, are increasingly becoming more laid back. “It’s not just your typical Vegas weekend anymore,” she said. “Especially in Southern California, a lot of people go off to Palm Springs now to relax. . . . Or people go to San Diego or Santa Barbara.”
Simmons noted that bridesmaids and groomsmen are more frequently taking on bigger duties during the wedding ceremony, such as reading passages during the ceremony or event officiating it. “I had a wedding in the fall, and one of the bridesmaids was the officiant,” she said.
“I think it’s good to find out what people want to offer, what they feel like they could contribute and where their strengths are, and then include them,” Simmons said. If a bridesmaid or groomsman is a videographer, photographer, singer or has some other useful skill, they might be willing to contribute their talent to the wedding, she explained. “It is just important to have a conversation with them to find everybody’s comfort level.”
Daisy Prestwood, catering sales manager at the Long Beach Marriott, noted that wedding party members occasionally lead an icebreaker activity at the reception. “They are questioning the bride and groom on what their likes and dislikes are,” she said, explaining that this trending game is a funny way for guests to see how compatible the couple is.
While the wedding party typically enters the reception with a playful dance, some are getting more creative, according to Ivy Jacobson, digital editor of the wedding magazine and planning service The Knot.
“If they are into sports, they can do like kind of an NBA lineup style, introducing each wedding party member with an interesting fact about them and having the DJ do it so they feel like they are at an NBA game,” Jacobson said. “People are doing balloon and confetti and rose petal drops to give it like an extra effect when they come in. And some people even do kind of a silhouette screen where they can do a pose behind it beforehand and then get revealed to the crowd.”
When it comes to asking friends or family members to be members of the wedding party, brides and grooms are increasingly gifting boxes of goodies through online subscription services with an accompanying note, according to Jacobson.
“A lot of brides are using subscription services that have like a little box already put together with maybe a mini bottle of wine, a wine glass, a piece of jewelry and a little card in there that says, ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’” Jacobson said. “Other brides do it in fun Instagrammable ways. Like, we have seen some brides put the note inside a balloon with confetti so they have to pop it to read the note, which is really cute to capture for social media.”
Yet, Jacobson said, “There is still nothing like a handwritten note explaining how much their friendship means and detailing why they want them to be a bridesmaid. That will always be in style.”
More relaxed, personalized looks are becoming more frequent when it comes to wedding party fashions. “A lot of people still do matching bridesmaids dresses, but we are seeing a huge spike in mismatched dresses,” Jacobson said. “The bride could say, ‘I want everyone in blue, but I don’t care what color blue.’” The cut of the dresses is also often mismatched. “They kind of want everyone to embrace that personalized feel and wear something they feel good in,” she explained.
Lyons-Gentile said she has recently noticed a trend of two-piece bridesmaids’ outfits. “They are kind of like a beautiful formal skirt. And the upper part is more like a very dressy top,” she said.
Traditional black suits for groomsmen are now more often being cast aside for other hues like gray or navy, according to Lyons-Gentile. “Textures are really big in men’s attire. They are wearing tweed,” she said. Formal shoes are occasionally swapped out for tennis shoes on the groom’s side of the wedding party, according to Prestwood.
It is typically the responsibility of the wedding party to purchase their own outfits, and there are many other costs involved in participating in a wedding as well, as Jacobson pointed out. The Knot’s 2016 Real Weddings Study found that the average amount spent on accommodations, a wedding gift, travel, attire, accessories and footwear combined is $1,154.
“I think it’s really courteous to give your wedding party your expectations from the beginning so . . . if they are going to face a financial hardship, they know from the beginning and they can decide whether they proceed or not,” Jacobson said. “Having all information upfront is a really courteous thing to do for your wedding party because they have lives and budgets of their own, too.”


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- Articles tagged "ultrabook"
We've previously had a detailed hands-on with the MSI GS30 2M Shadow notebook and its dock. In light of MSI's recent reveal of the machine at CES 2015, we now have the performance numbers to go along with our earlier article. Find out if this unique proposition can deliver!
Fujitsu recently revealed their new range of touch-enabled business-class products that combine enterprise features like security, with user-friendly design. Hop in and find what they've in store for 2014.
HP has just provided us with a special preview of their latest products that will be launched closer to the year-end holiday season, which includes a new Windows hybrid notebook, an Ultrabook, a desktop AIO and an Android tablet. Here's our first impressions of them.
Sony has just unveiled a 11-inch tablet with Ultrabook-like components, similar to Microsoft's own Surface Pro tablet, but a lot sleeker. The Vaio Tap 11 has a dual-core Intel Core processor, as well as a digitizer (N-trig technology) that lets you draw or write on the tablet. Check out our brief experience with it.
Check out Sony's new mainstream laptop, the VAIO Fit. The VAIO Fit is available in Singapore only in a 15-inch form factor, but with two distinct variants in the form of the Fit 15 and the Fit 15E.
We go hands-on with Sony's super-slim and ultra-light touchscreen-enabled VAIO Pro Ultrabook, which come in both 11-inch and 13-inch variants.
We go hands-on with Sony's newest convertible laptop computer, the VAIO Duo 13, featuring an improved Surf Slider hinge design as well as more powerful guts thanks to Intel's fourth-generation Core technologies.
Lenovo has just announced the availability of some new touch devices in Singapore. Some of these touch devices are already available, while others like the 27-inch IdeaCentre Horizon AIO, 11.6-inch IdeaPad Yoga 11S, and ThinkPad Helix will be available at the upcoming PC Show 2013.
The new Windows 8 OS is sort of an enigma to some users, with its colorful smart tiles and dual environments. With plenty of new features and even a Windows 8 Store full of apps, we collaborated with Microsoft to bring forth a PlayTest event in an effort to provide usage guidance, tips and tricks to first timers, hands-on with the latest Windows 8 devices and have their queries of the new OS answered.
Of all of Acer's strengths as a PC manufacturer, design hasn't always stood out as one of them. However all that is set to change with its new line-up of Windows 8 products. We take a closer look at what you can expect in retail stores from this weekend.
- Uninstalling the Facebook app can save up to 20% of battery life on your phone
- Samsung's future wearables can recognize users by their veins
- First image of the HTC One M10 leaks out!
- The Sony A6300 is the company's newest flagship APS-C interchangeable mirrorless camera
- This is why you shouldn't get a third party vendor to fix your Touch ID button
- It's official - Mozilla will end support for Firefox OS in May
- Apple iPhone 5se to have a hot pink color option?
- Singtel offering free unlimited mobile data and Singtel TV previews this Chinese New Year


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Former Salesforce execs launch marketing data operating system
California-based martech company Habu has launched a marketing data system after closing a Series A funding round with $15 million.
The company aims to help marketers build strong foundational data while delivering cross-channel personalisation and automated privacy control. Habu was founded by former Salesforce executives, and helps marketers with common challenges, including automated insights, first-party data growth, interoperable tech and omnichannel orchestration.
Habu plans to use the funding to hire experienced engineers and martech sales executives. The company currently employs 35 employees between San Francisco, Boston, and New York; and the team aims to double by the end of the year.
Matt Kilmartin, formerly CCO of Salesforce’s Consumer Engagement Platform said: “I’ve talked to hundreds of CMOs about their marketing data challenges, and they’re all confronting the same dilemma: the privacy-personalization paradox. “CMOs are under pressure to improve customer engagement, but they’re hampered by new market realities and rules. Habu resolves the privacy-personalization paradox with automated privacy controls, personalization at scale, and first-party data growth options.”


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India will impose a 40 percent tariff on imports of solar panels from April next year to reduce reliance on overseas supplies and encourage domestic manufacturing of the devices, the Renewable Energy Ministry said.
The Treasury Department has approved the proposal, which also includes a 25 percent tariff on imports of solar cells, the ministry said in a note posted on its website. There was no mention of how long the taxes will apply.
India first proposed taxes on imports of solar power systems in the middle of last year after virus disrupted the supply chain and deadly border skirmishes with China, which supplies nearly 80 percent of India's modules.
“The prices are too high and add to the cost of solar energy for distribution companies and consumers alike,” said Pinaki Bhattacharyya, country director for India at renewable energy producer Amp Energy. “The government should have given direct subsidies to manufacturers to help them expand their capacities, and that would have been beneficial to the sector.”
As part of its strategy to move to cleaner energy sources, India plans to increase its renewable energy capacity five-fold to 450 gigawatts by 2030. According to the ministry, around 280 gigawatts of this will come from solar energy. The government sees the domestic solar industry as critical to achieving this goal, while the tax plan is also part of a larger undertaking to create jobs and revitalize a pandemic-ravaged economy.
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- 1 min read
Truecaller hits 100M daily active users across the world
Caller ID app Truecaller has reached over 100 million active users who use the app on a daily basis.
"There are only a handful of mobile-only services that impact as many users each and every day and we are humbled to be able to join this exclusive group," Alan Mamedi, CEO, and Co-founder of Truecaller wrote in a blog post.
Launched in 2009 as a Caller ID and spam blocking app, Truecaller has evolved into a full-fledged communications platform with calling, texting, flash Messages and payment services through Truecaller Pay.
In January, it also launched 'Truecaller Backup' feature for Android that allows users to backup and restore their contacts, call history, block list, and settings to Google Drive.
"We could never have predicted that Truecaller would become a resource for women's safety in many countries; or that it would be used for e-commerce and courier services around the globe to facilitate the difficult last mile of delivery, or allow more people to experience a data-only product in offline mode," Mamedi added.
In India, Truecaller is integrating payments as a core part of its offering, co-founder Nami Zarringhalam told ET earlier this month.
The new version of the app is expected to have dedicated tabs for banking and payments respectively. The banking tab will have features like Send and request money, scan and pay among others.
It will also allow users to transfer money between their own accounts and pay to any mobile number connected to the UPI system, thereby skipping the need for them to remember the recipient's virtual payment address (VPA). The Payments tab will offer the ability for users to pay utility bills, recharges and bookings among others.
Also read: Collecting data just to sell it is irresponsible: Truecaller co-founder Nami Zarringhalam


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Nashville residents will now be able to buy beer two hours earlier on Sundays.
Metro Council approved a bill on Tuesday night that allows grocery stores and markets to sell beer starting at 10 a.m.
Councilman Buddy Baker, one of the sponsors of the amendment, said previously that the legislation puts grocery stores on a more level playing field with restaurants and sporting venues that sell beer at 10 a.m. on Sundays.
Metro Council also passed an expansion of the backyard chickens ordinance Tuesday night. The new version allows homeowners in Davidson County to have hens as long as they pay $25 for a permit. Roosters are not allowed.
Metro's decision expands an ordinance passed in 2012 that came with a two-year expiration.
The approved legislation applies in all Metro districts, including the eight districts which opted out of the 2012 chicken ordinance.
Copyright 2014 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Metro Council approves moving Sunday beer sales up to 10 a.m.More>>
Tuesday, September 2 2014 8:44 PM EDT2014-09-03 00:44:29 GMT
The World Food Program says it provided food to a record 4.1 million people inside Syria last month.More >
Islamic State extremists released a video Tuesday purportedly showing the beheading of a second American journalist, Steven Sotloff, and warning President Barack Obama that as long as U.S. airstrikes against the militant...More >
Tuesday, September 2 2014 4:42 PM EDT2014-09-02 20:42:09 GMT
Canadian police say pop star Justin Bieber has been charged with dangerous driving and assault after a collision between a minivan and an ATV led to a physical altercation in southwestern Ontario.More >
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber faces new charges after he was arrested for dangerous driving and assault following a collision between a minivan and an ATV that led to a physical altercation involving a photographer, his...More >


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Why the Indian beauty shopper has become a darling of brands
The Indian beauty and personal care market is growing at a steady pace and is expected to reach a whopping $33.33 billion by the year 2027, according to the latest Statista findings. Over the past five years, more than 20 leading international beauty and skincare brands have entered the Indian market, both online and offline. Some of the brands that have gained popularity among Indian consumers are Charlotte Tilbury, Lancôme, Too Faced, Huda Beauty, Pat McGrath, and even Zara which recently launched a collection of lipsticks, lip oils, nail paints and eye shadows.
Online marketplaces like Nykaa and Sephora are also contributing to the growth of the Indian beauty market. The presence of more brands and products has increased the competition among the brands and has given consumers a wide range to choose from. Along with the international brands, there is also a simultaneous growth of homegrown brands like Juicy Chemistry, Neemli Naturals, and Mamaearth that offer quality products at more affordable prices.
What has led to this increase in demand for beauty products? One reason is the growing spending power of consumers, their desire to experiment and the exposure to different brands via social media. The presence of more luxury brands like Lancome has also helped to cultivate an appetite for luxury beauty products in the Indian market.
Eva Lopez, the head of Zara Beauty, stated that their products are compatible with everyone, which she feels will be the brand’s main strength, along with great pricing. For example, their foundations come in 51 shades. As a brand, they also encourage consumers to experiment with an array of styles, textures, and colors while embracing bold colors that suit the upcoming seasons and future fashion trends. Brands will have to continue to keep themselves updated to attract more shoppers.
The increased appetite for beauty products has intensified the competition among the brands, pushing them to try different ways to attract customers. Consumers have become very demanding, and they are not very loyal either. They are butterfly consumers, and their routine evolves every day. Today, it’s a five-step skincare routine, tomorrow it’s about the mask, and the next day it is about layering serums.
It is interesting to note that India is ranked fourth globally for generating the highest revenue from the beauty and personal care market in 2021. This shows that the Indian beauty shopper has become a darling of brands, both homegrown and international. With the growing demand and the increased competition, it is great to see how brands are innovating to cater to the evolving needs of the Indian Beauty Shopper.


text: Citi downgraded shares of FedEx to neutral from buy, saying that near-term challenges are dampening a compelling long-term story for the company. “We continue to see lots of potential for cost takeout and streamlining in the business, consistent with the company’s 3-year plan laid out in June for $2b+ in cost takeout. However, we are concerned that macro headwinds in the near-term are going to be more impactful to shares pressuring earnings growth potential in F2023,” analyst Christian Wetherbee wrote in a Tuesday note. “In other words, we like the 3-year outlook, but the next 3 quarters are likely to be challenging,” he added. The downgrade comes amid broader challenges to the freight industry as FedEx and its peers appear to lose steam heading into peak season for transport. Wetherbee lowered his fiscal 2023 earnings per share forecast on FedEx to $21 from $22.50. “Our checks suggest peak TL freight is not materializing and the pace of imports is slowing into what should be a strong seasonal period. TL spot rates have also taken a recent leg lower and while rail carloads are holding steady, there is little evidence of improvement and we see risk to 4Q estimates building,” read the note. The analyst lowered his price target by roughly 16%, to $225 from $270. The new price target is about 8% above where shares closed Friday. Shares are down 1.7% in Tuesday premarket trading. Shares of FedEx are down 19.3% in 2022, and 22.3% off their 52-week high, as the company contended with supply chain issues. The analyst expects slower volume ahead for FedEx. —CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.


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Coming exclusively for PS2, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria will be released across Europe on September 7.
Billed as a "state-of-the-art RPG" and developed by tri-Ace 9famed for the Star Ocean series) the game features an innovative approach to combat that allows you to team-up and co-ordinate your attacks with a friend.
Story-wise it follows princess Alicia who's been possessed by the battle maiden Silmeria. She's then caught up in a "dramatic" battle being fought by the Norse gods.
John Yamamoto, president Square Enix, said, "tri-Ace has created a stunning game featuring spectacular graphics, exciting gameplay and a gripping story of high drama. We're very excited to be bringing Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria to Europe and hope fans enjoy the action that awaits them."


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The convenience store specialist, which has 2,800 food shops in the UK, accidentally double charged customers who paid by plastic on Tuesday, July 7.
Sources indicated to The Telegraph that although it is impossible to tell how customers may have been overcharged, the number could run into “the hundreds of thousands.”
It comes amidst a bitter price war in the supermarket sector, as Co-op and its rivals attempt to add sales amid competition from discounters and online rivals.
Some Co-op customers took to Twitter to complain about the problem, suggesting refunds have still not been made.
A spokesman for Co-operative Food admitted: “Due to a processing error customers who shopped with us or used a petrol filling station on 7 July using a credit or debit card were charged twice.
“We would like to apologise to all those affected, and reassure customers that refunds will be made directly in to their accounts within 24 hours.
“We will also reimburse any customers who have incurred bank charges as a result of this error. These customers should contact our customer careline.”
It is the latest blunder for the Co-op, whose problems began in 2013 with the emergence of a £1.5bn black hole at its banking arm.
It later emerged that the Rev. Paul Flowers, the former chairman of its bank, had been caught buying class A drugs, which triggered a major overhaul of the mutual’s corporate governance structure.
The business is now chaired by former Asda boss Allan Leighton, and run by former Wm Morrison finance director Richard Pennycook.
The Co-op sold a number of businesses in order to bolster its balance sheet, and has reduced it stake in the bank to 20pc through a debt-for-equity restructuring and further equity placings.
The food retail business is however one of the Co-operative Group’s strongest divisions, led by chief executive Steve Murrells.
Mr Murrells is aiming to turn Co-op Food in to ‘the number one convenience retailer in the UK,’ by closing down or selling larger stores, refitting existing stores, and opening new branches.
He aims to have 3,000 stores by the end of 2017, and in the last 12 months has completed 500 refits.


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In a bid to counter the rising tide of AI-generated scams and disinformation, McAfee Corp. has unveiled its cutting-edge Deepfake Audio Detection technology, named Project Mockingbird, at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024. With an emphasis on empowering consumers to discern between genuine and fabricated content, this proprietary AI-powered innovation boasts a remarkable accuracy rate of over 90%.
Project Mockingbird, which takes its name from the mimicking nature of Mockingbirds, is designed to combat the escalating threat of cybercriminals employing advanced Generative AI tools to create convincing scams. These scams range from voice cloning to impersonate family members in distress to manipulating authentic videos, known as “cheapfakes,” by splicing in fake audio to alter the narrative.
Steve Grobman, Chief Technology Officer at McAfee, highlighted the importance of providing consumers with a tool that operates at more than 90% accuracy, drawing a parallel with a weather forecast indicating a probability of rain. This technology aims to equip users with insights to make informed decisions about the authenticity of online content.
The unveiling comes at a time when deepfake-related concerns are at an all-time high, with 84% of Americans expressing worries about the impact of deepfakes in 2024. According to McAfee’s December 2023 Deepfakes Survey, 68% of Americans are more concerned about deepfakes compared to a year ago, and over a third have encountered deepfake scams.
The multifaceted concerns include fears of deepfakes influencing elections (52%), undermining media trust (48%), impersonating public figures (49%), and facilitating cyberbullying (44%). Additionally, worries about AI-driven scams and the creation of sexually explicit content using deepfakes are also prevalent among Americans.
Project Mockingbird leverages a combination of AI-powered contextual, behavioral, and categorical detection models, enabling it to identify AI-generated audio in videos with a 90% accuracy rate. This advanced technology intends to safeguard users from malicious content, such as “cheapfakes” or deepfakes, offering unparalleled protection capabilities.
McAfee, with its rich history of AI innovation, continues to focus on developing a comprehensive portfolio of AI models that serve multiple use cases, reinforcing its commitment to protecting users’ digital lives. Project Mockingbird is a testament to McAfee’s dedication to staying ahead of evolving cyber threats and providing consumers with the clarity and confidence needed to navigate the intricacies of the AI-driven world.
As McAfee’s Project Mockingbird remains in development, it represents a pivotal step in addressing the challenges posed by deepfake technology and reinforcing trust in the authenticity of digital content. To learn more about Project Mockingbird and McAfee’s Deepfake Audio Detection Technology, interested parties can request a demo or additional information by reaching out to email@example.com.