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Why Netflix Investors Shouldn't Fear Marco Polo Or Future Original Content
- NFLX investors remain fearful of its rising content obligations, including the money it has spent on new series Marco Polo.
- With plans for 20 new series a year, NFLX content costs are sure to keep rising.
- However, the company's emphasis on technology will result in a positive return in exchange for high content costs.
- NFLX has fallen 30% in the last three months on fears of slowing sub growth and higher content expenses.
- Yet, based on GoPro's media assets and YouTube's valuation, NFLX shares have fallen to a desirable range.
- The fears associated with NFLX are overstated.
Netflix Headed To 18 Million International Subscribers, International Profits Remain Nonexistent
- Approximately 91% of total international subscribers were paid ones which suggests that the total count could reach 18.7 million by the end of this year.
- We estimate the international streaming business constitutes roughly 20% to Netflix's value.
- Subscriber growth in international markets will remain strong in coming quarters, but the segment still lags far behind the U.S. in terms of profit contribution.
- At the end of the year, tax-loss harvesting is a major issue affecting investment securities that are down in a majority of the year's trading days.
- To measure the risk of such securities, a new algorithm called the current underwater position, or CUP, is presented.
- Using the CUP, investors can rank the risk of securities as both stand-alone and intra-industry risks. Netflix is used as a strong short-er bear case.
Netflix Notches Another First By Acquiring 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' From NBC
- Netflix has added ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ to its roster from NBC which had the series as a midseason replacement for 2015.
- ‘Schmidt’ comes from ’30 Rock’s’ Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, which gives the show a pedigree many are surprised NBC passed up.
- Comedies in general are hard to launch for the major networks and Netflix’s acquisition here will have a ripple effect throughout the entire industry.
- But I'm still buying a small batch to dollar cost average down.
- The fundamentals look very expensive but this is an earnings growth story.
- The company continues to expand globally and will soon realize returns on their investments.
Future Netflix Pricing Moves Hold Key To Investor Decisions
- Netflix erroneously blamed pricing for its lower-than-expected subscriber growth, leading to a 25% drop in share price.
- Consumer research suggests Netflix could have successfully upped its monthly price to at least $8.99 and even $9.99 for both existing and new subscribers, significantly impacting profitability.
- More aggressive pricing could double near-term profitability.
- Netflix analysts and investors should encourage company management to give added focus to the pricing function and consider broader and steeper price increases.
- On a sales multiple basis, Netflix is reasonably priced when compared to other large-scale online media names.
- International subscriber growth, along with domestic price increases, will drive the bulk of the revenue growth going forward.
- Domestic subscriber growth will likely slow to a 10% CAGR, but pricing increases will drive sales growth.
- When combining international revenue at $15 billion and domestic at $10 billion, I estimate Netflix may grow revenue to $25 billion by 2019.
Netflix Off-Balance Sheet Obligations: Concerns Are Way Overblown
- Netflix's off-balance sheet obligations are actually future costs of revenue.
- There's a legitimate reason why they're off the balance sheet to begin with.
- Netflix has plenty of financial flexibility even if it overbids on content in certain years.
- NFLX is not suitable for Defensive Investors or Enterprising Investors following the ModernGraham approach.
- According to the ModernGraham valuation model, the company is significantly overvalued at the present time.
- The market is implying 74.66% earnings growth over the next 7-10 years, which is extremely high compared to the rate the company has seen in recent years.
- Netflix’s programming costs could be growing faster than its revenues.
- Netflix has already agreed to pay $2 million an episode for the NBC series The Blacklist.
- Companies with deeper pockets and leverage could create a bidding war for programming that Netflix can't win.
- Just because a stock falls in price doesn't mean its shares are cheaper.
- The relationship between net income and cash flow is paramount in assessing earnings quality.
- Let's tie these two concepts together with respect to Netflix and address its valuation.
- As Netflix continues to rapidly burn through cash, it will be forced to raise more by selling stock or borrowing. Either of these events is bad for shareholders.
- The company will eventually dig itself into a debt-hole that it cannot climb out of; bankruptcy is a definite possibility within a few years if this continues.
- Increasing competition, exponentially rising content costs, and non-existent customer loyalty and stickiness will limit Netflix’s growth potential.
- The safest and most profitable way to bet against Netflix is via out-of-the-money puts, which could increase in value by over 1,000% when the financial collapse occurs.
- NFLX has fundamental concerns.
- Those will likely impact the stock in the quarters that follow.
- But the stock also is bouncing off of longer term support.
Sep. 22, 2013, 2:26 PM
- As cord-cutting slowly but steadily gains momentum, pay-TV providers are trying to strike more expansive on-demand (VOD) streaming deals to counter Netflix's (NFLX) rise.
- Whereas VOD services have typically offered 4 or 5 shows on a rolling basis, providers now want to offer every episode all season.
- The WSJ reports Comcast (CMCSA) has reached a broader on-demand deal with Fox (FOX, FOXA) that will include mobile viewing. Fox and (Comcast-owned) NBCUniversal are said to be more open to such deals than Disney and CBS.
- VOD services provide access to shows before Netflix does, but also include ads, often disable fast-forwarding, and usually don't cover back seasons.
- Netflix is telling media companies it won't pay as much for content licensed in bigger VOD deals. Content chief Ted Sarandos: "The less exploited shows are through on-demand services, the more valuable they are to us."
- Rentrak estimates free VOD viewing rose over 40% in 2012. Pay-TV infrastructure vendors such as Arris (ARRS), SeaChange (SEAC - previous), and Harmonic (HLIT) benefit from rising demand.
- Previous: Netflix changing Hollywood's investment habits, wants more exclusive deals
Sep. 20, 2013, 11:47 AM
- The Globe and Mail reports a survey March-April survey from research firm MTM indicated 25% of English-speaking Canadians had signed up for Netflix (NFLX +2.9%), up from 13% a year earlier.
- Moreover, 84% of polled Netflix users said they streamed at least one movie/TV show from the service every week. 37% of polled households with kids under 12 had a subscription, as did 1/3 of those with teens.
- Netflix had 610K international net subscriber adds in Q2, leading its international base to grow to 7.75M subs. 550K-1.25M international net adds are expected in Q3.
- Shares are making new highs once again.
Sep. 18, 2013, 11:20 AM
- DirecTV (DTV -1.1%) and Dish Network (DISH +1.1%) are more at risk than cable operators (TWC, CHTR, CVC) from a new generation of consumers unwilling to pay premium prices for TV packages, according to analysts.
- Pay-TV providers aren't the only group keeping an eye on the so-called "cord nevers" as broadcasters (DIS, CMCSA, FOXA, CBS, SBGI, BLC, NXST) weigh how long the current TV content model can stay locked in place.
- The bundling approach to cable/satellite packages helps broadcasters reap lucrative content deals.
- The outlook: "The revolution will take a long time," notes one grounded industry insider, but Internet TV (SNE, NFLX, AMZN) players could try to accelerate the shake-up through innovation.
Sep. 17, 2013, 10:04 AM| 4 Comments
Sep. 12, 2013, 10:05 AM
- Zynga (ZNGA +2.5%) has been upgraded to Equal Weight by Evercore. The firm had been bearish on Zynga for some time.
- Netflix (NFLX -1.6%) has been cut to Equal Weight by Morgan Stanley. BTIG downgraded shares yesterday.
- Symantec (SYMC -0.5%) has also been cut to Equal Weight by MS.
- Cognex (CGNX -0.9%) has been cut to Neutral by Citi. Piper upgraded shares yesterday.
- Polycom (PLCM +1.1%) has been upgraded to Outperform by Raymond James a day after the company announced a $400M buyback.
- Constant Contact (CTCT +2.5%) has been upgraded to Buy by Janney.
- ASML (ASML +3.8%) has been started at Conviction Buy by Goldman. Peer ASM International (ASMI +2.5%) has been upgraded to Buy.
Sep. 11, 2013, 11:58 AM
- Previously trading near breakeven, Netflix (NFLX -2.8%) has sold off in mid-day trading thanks to the downgrade.
- BTIG's Richard Greenfield launched coverage on Netflix with a Buy and $250 PT on April 15, when shares were trading at $173. With shares now above $300, he isn't as keen about the streaming giant's valuation.
- In July, Greenfield co-hosted Netflix's post-earnings moderated live video talk. Will Netflix bring him back for a Q3 talk?
Sep. 11, 2013, 10:48 AM
- A new Netflix (NFLX -0.5%) deal that will see the streaming service integrated into Virgin Media's (VMED) set-top boxes could have broad implications across the media landscape, according to analysts.
- Pay TV operators are slowly warming up to the idea of letting Netflix inside of their programming guides, instead of closing them out as a competitor.
- Though the financial benefits might be slow to be realized, the shift of the perception of Netflix is a long-term positive.
Sep. 11, 2013, 7:18 AM
Sep. 10, 2013, 7:25 AM
- Virgin Media (VMED) announces it will make Netflix (NFLX) available to its customers through their set-top boxes.
- The development will mark the first time a major Pay-TV operator embeds Netflix within its programming menu.
- Details of any financial arrangement between the two company weren't released.
Sep. 9, 2013, 2:22 PM
- Fresh off abandoning a doomed Dell proxy fight, Carl Icahn states on CNBC (video) he still hasn't sold any Netflix (NFLX +1.2%) shares. Netflix, which made new highs on Friday, is up over 4x since Icahn disclosed a position in the streaming giant last fall.
- Icahn refused to comment on whether he'd like Apple to acquire Nuance (NUAN +1.3%) (Apple might not care much for his advice regardless), but did take the occasion to declare the voice recognition software/services firm (16.9% stake) has a lot of upside thanks to its healthcare exposure.
- Nuance shares have ticked higher thanks to Icahn's comments. The company's healthcare ops (55% of op. profit) have been performing better than its flashier mobile/consumer ops, which are contending with soft PC sales and a transition to subscription/cloud services revenue streams. There's some speculation Icahn will call for a breakup of Nuance along business lines.
- More on Icahn/Netflix
- More on Icahn/Nuance
Sep. 5, 2013, 12:24 PM
- MS estimates there are 79M broadband-using households in the U.S., and predicts there will be 89M by 2017. Meanwhile, the firm believes 45M-60M U.S. households have "devices capable of bringing Netflix (NFLX +1.3%) to TVs," and expects that number to "converge with broadband households" in time.
- Analyst Scott Devitt has slightly raised his domestic streaming sub forecasts out of a belief a greater number of broadband-connected households will sign up in the next 3-4 years.
- Netflix has again made new 52-week highs, and is up 220% YTD.
Sep. 3, 2013, 6:15 PM
- On Oct. 14, Netflix (NFLX) will begin streaming a 70-minute comedy special featuring content from a Sydney, Australia show given by Russell Peters during his "Notorious" world tour, as well as a 4-part documentary about the tour called Russell Peters vs. the World. (PR)
- Reed Hastings mentioned in Netflix's Q2 shareholder letter the streaming giant plans to add documentaries and stand-up comedy shows to its arsenal of original content.
- Other recent content deals: Weinstein Co., Scholastic
Aug. 26, 2013, 2:32 PM
- Short Hills Capital's Stephen Weiss: "You take a look at Tesla. You take a look at Netflix. You take a look at Green Mountain Coffee. If you've got momentum, you're going to go a lot higher." Words of wisdom, or a reason for bulls to be cautious?
- Facebook (FB +2.3%) is adding to the gains it saw on Friday following positive numbers from comScore and ITG Research.
- Netflix (NFLX +3%) has been lifted lately by strong ratings for Breaking Bad (first-run U.K./Ireland rights), and a major deal with The Weinstein Co.
- There are also rumors Microsoft might try to buy Netflix to make (ex-board member) Reed Hastings Steve Ballmer's replacement, but the notion Microsoft will acquire a $16.9B company (a buyout premium could make it $20B+) just to get a new CEO should probably be taken with a spoonful of salt.
Aug. 21, 2013, 10:12 AM
- Netflix (NFLX -1.3%) is replacing its traditional Instant Queue with My List, a scrolling list of user-selected titles that appears near the top of Netflix's cover image-heavy home page.
- Whereas the contents of an Instant Queue are manually sorted by users, videos added to My List are sorted by an algorithm that guesses what content a user is mostly likely to watch.
- The feature is being rolled out to both U.S. and international users. The latter group hasn't had Instant Queues to work with, and instead has been completely dependent on the personalized recommendations delivered on Netflix's home page.
- Netflix recently added support for multiple user profiles per account.
Aug. 21, 2013, 9:32 AM
- AIG remains the "king of the hedge fund castle" writes ValueWalk, as Goldman's latest Hedge Fund Monitor shows 69 funds have the stock in their top 10 holdings as of June 30, ahead of #2 Google (GOOG) at 65 and #3 Apple (AAPL) at 50. The percent of equity cap owned by hedge funds is 14% for AIG, as opposed to negligible amounts for both Google and Apple.
- Based on percent of equity cap owned by hedge funds, Charter Communications (CHTR) is the #1 hedge fund hotel at 37%. Among S&P 500 stocks, J.C. Penney at 36%, Constellation Brands (STZ) at 30% and H&R Block (HRB) at 26% lead the way. The average for the entire S&P 500 is 5%.
- Goldman's basket of 20 "Most concentrated" hedge fund stocks has outperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 1200 bps YTD. Since 2001, the strategy has outperformed the S&P 69% of the time and by an average of 263 bps per quarter. In addition to the earlier-mentioned names there's: AN, VRSN, FDO, THC, CBG, GT, NFLX, TRIP, LYB, WPX, MSI, BEAM, DLTR, ZTS, WYN, LM, ETFC.
Aug. 20, 2013, 11:20 AM
- ITG estimates Netlfix (NFLX +2.7%) Q3 domestic revenue is tracking towards $917M-$922M, favorable to a $918M consensus. Domestic streaming revenue is said to be tracking towards $699M, in-line with consensus; this suggests upside is provided by Netflix's declining DVD business.
- Shares are rallying towards their 52-week high of $270.31, thanks largely to the Weinstein deal announcement. In addition to trumpeting the deal's importance, Weinstein says it's "discussing ways to reinvent the pay TV experience so that [Netflix's] audience can get even more for their money."
NFLX vs. ETF Alternatives
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Greek manufacturing activity fell in October, with a renewed decline in orders as a resurgence of COVID-19 crimped demand, a survey showed on Monday.
IHS Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing, which accounts for about 10% of the Greek economy, fell to 48.7 in October from 50.0 in September.
“The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic weighed once again on client demand in October, dragging the manufacturing sector back into contraction,” said IHS Markit economist Sian Jones.
Respondents noted that the decrease in new orders in the important food and beverage sector dampened overall production, Jones added.
October data signalled a renewed contraction in production across the Greek manufacturing sector. Anecdotal evidence suggested that a resurgence in virus cases had dampened demand and reduced new order inflows.
The decline was modest overall and the fastest since May, IHS Markit said.
In line with a drop in total sales, new export orders fell for the eighth successive month in October. Manufacturers noted that the drop was due to weak demand from key export partners, especially those in Europe where COVID-19 cases are rising again.
Input costs rose for the fourth month running, often linked to greater raw material costs following supply shortages, while output prices dropped for the eighth straight month.
The reduction in output prices, IHS Markit said, reportedly stemmed from greater competitive pressures as firms sought to boost sales by offering discounts. Although softer than that seen in September, the rate of decline was solid overall.
There was a fractional drop in employment following two months of expansion in August and September, often linked to lower production requirements and voluntary redundancies.
Nonetheless, Jones said manufacturers were upbeat regarding the outlook for output over the next year.
“Although positive expectations were largely driven by hopes of an end to the pandemic, our latest forecast for annual industrial production foresees a modest rise of 2.1% in 2021. As the sector is expected to contract by 4.6% throughout 2020, the recovery to pre-pandemic levels may be drawn out.”

domain: news


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Litarion signs MOU to Deliver Li-ion Cells for Electric Buses
Electrovaya Inc. announced that its fully-owned subsidiary Litarion GmbH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading European battery OEM who designs and integrates battery systems for e-mobility applications especially Electric buses. Electrovaya will provide its cells with unparalleled safety and cycle life performance to the OEM. The OEM will assemble the cells into electric bus batteries.
Deliveries start in Q4, CY 2016 and then grow quickly into 2017. The MoU also sets out the specific cell pricing and specific cells sizes and energy capacity to be delivered to the OEM. This MOU envisages production demand around Euro 11 million (US $12 million, Cdn $16 million) in 2017 and growing exponentially thereafter into the fast growing electric bus market in Europe and Asia, a new market segment for Electrovaya
Typical electric bus batteries could be as large as 300 kWh per bus and a recent market analyst estimates that the electric bus market will require about $32 Billion of lithium ion batteries in the next 10 years.
Electrovayaâ€™s technology and products are uniquely suited to this electric mobility market as two of the critical performance parameters are highest cycle life and highest safety, both uniquely available from Electrovaya.
â€œWe are pleased with this MoU, as this was achieved through intensive testing and validation against intense global competitionâ€, said Fritz Mueller, Head of European Sales. â€œWe believe, we will become a major supplier of Lithium ion cells and batteries to this emerging electric bus industrial sectorâ€, said Mr. Mueller. â€œOur OEM partner has production facilities in both China and Europe and capable of driving massive sales.â€


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Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets on recall
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
McNeil Consumer Healthcare expands a voluntary recall of its arthritis analgesic from five lots to all available lots following consumer reports of a moldy odor associated with the product. The Johnson & Johnson unit and FDA said Dec. 18 certain lots of the Tylenol Arthritis Pain product in 100-count bottles had traces of a chemical from treated wooden pallets, though all adverse events associated with the resulting odor have been temporary and non-serious. McNeil said it plans to move production to a new facility and reintroduce the product
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It goes without saying that car enthusiasts get more excited about new vehicle models than moaning about the need for an auto accident attorney, which is why the 2012 North American Auto Show in Detroit was an event well worth the anticipation. With confirmation that Acura would be showcasing the next generation of the NSX concept, the anticipatory spec-talk began to grow and is not expected to stop anytime soon.
The new Honda concept, which will hold on to its 2-door coupe foundation, as well as its mid-engine and rear-wheel drive, will sport a V6 engine, a new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (super handling all wheel drive) technology, dual-clutch transmission, Variable Valve Driving and Lift Electronic Control.
But we’ll have to wait to drive it until 2015, when Honda expects the release to make a considerable splash in the luxury market, as announcement of a successor to the NSX model has been expected for years. Now a new form of anticipation can begin as we await the chance to get a glimpse of the car’s dynamic technology and lightweight materials. The vehicle’s 2 Electric Motor Drive Unit has a unique torque system that can create negative or positive front wheel torque. This innovation, facilitated by the duel-clutch will enable incredible acceleration while keeping the car efficient and luxurious. Acura will also be utilizing the newest generation of their VTEC 3.5-liter V6.
Meanwhile, the exterior specs for the vehicle, which will assuredly change over the next couple years, are currently listed as 170+ inches in length, 74+ inches in width, 45+ inches in height, and a 101+ inch wheelbase. This expands upon the second generation NSX in every category. As far as the actual materials of the car, we know that Acura’s mission statement boasts a preponderance of lightweight materials, although it’s unknown at this point whether that will entail an all-aluminum infrastructure like the original first generation design.
Details about the strength of the engine and the electric motors have not been released yet, although we can expect them to be geared towards a balance between efficiency, fuel economy, and power. The engineering team is being managed by Honda R&D, which will manufacture the car at a facility in Ohio. Acura, which has been struggling in sales against rival luxury brands BMW and Mercedes (garnering under 100,000 units to their respective 250,000 each) is planning on using the next generation of the NSX to catapult the brand back to the stature it carried during the golden years of the Legend and the Integra.Related search terms: acura nsx 2012, 2012 acura nsx, new luxury cars 2013


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Throughout the three quarters of 2022, Ukraine exported to EU member states more products than it did in the same period of 2021. That’s according to the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Ukrinform reports.
"Today, trade between Ukraine and the European Union has actually been restored. In August, exports to the EU made up 90% of the level of exports recorded in August 2021. And over the three quarters of 2022, despite the war, we exported to the EU even several percent more than in the I-III quarters of 2021," said Deputy Minister of Economy, Ukraine’s Trade Representative Taras Kachka.
The Ministry of Economy notes that a number of steps taken by EU member states and the Government of Ukraine contributed to the trading efforts of Ukrainian exporters. In particular, the abolition of quotas and customs duties by the European Union simplified the export of agricultural products. The "solidarity lines" initiated by the European Commission for Ukraine and the strengthening of the customs infrastructure capacities have greatly contributed to trade revival.
According to the trade envoy, "customs visa-free regime" will be launched on October 1, when the Convention on a common transit procedure and the Convention on the simplification of formalities in trade in goods will enter into force for Ukraine. That will allow goods to be transported across the EU and Ukraine borders even faster.
At the same time, Kachka notes, the general level of Ukrainian exports has dropped almost in half against the pre-war levels.
"While in January-February, Ukraine monthly exported goods worth some US$6 billion or more, now we are only reaching the level of $3.4 billion – we are expected to reach this figure in September," noted the deputy minister.
Exports to North Africa and Asia decreased the most. And now it is being restored only in the context of the grain initiative and the reopening of ports. Trade with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus has also been fully suspended.
As reported earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution banning all exports to Russia, Ukrinform reports.
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and we’ve been invited to present at the Global Festival of Media FOMG in Rome on May 10th!
We’re reliably informed that the only way to be named as one of the emerge hottest start-ups is to be nominated – so no entry forms, no pitching – just being ‘a bit of al-right’ in the eyes of a very special panel of people across the world who nominate and select the emerge winners – this panel includes leading global marketing directors, VCs, agencies and entrepreneurs. By being selected by the panel, and have joined what FOM call a ‘roll of honour’ of key technology organisations. We have been invited to attend the Global Festival of Media in Rome, and will present in front of hundreds of senior decision-makers in global media and marketing, so many more brands will get to hear about the magic of Openr.
We will join twenty-five other start-ups in this year’s emerge programme at the Festival, including established high-flyers like Sales Gossip and Appear Here. We will all be showcased at the Festival’s ‘emergeZone, where last year amazing businesses like mobile augmented reality platform Blippar could be found; and speakers at the event include Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP and Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter!
We very much look forward to meeting brands like Apple, Coca-Cola, Expedia, Honda, Ikea, Procter & Gamble, Red Bull and Johnson & Johnson who are all attending FOMG, and watch this space for photos and news from the event.
Check out the infographic below for all the start-ups named for emerge 2015:
Written by Christina, co-founder of Openr
Openr is a social-sharing marketing tool, used by thousands of digital marketers to drive real results from the content they share on social. If you fancy more traffic, more sales, and more leads from all the content that you’re already sharing on social sign up for a free trial


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The Tata Motors Group, which includes Jaguar Land Rover, posted global wholesales of 95,081 units in December 2016, up 4% increase year-on-year (YoY).
The Group’s cumulative wholesales for the fiscal stood at 822,807 units, up 9% over FY15-16.
The global wholesales of all Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in December 2016 were 30,879 units, down 5% compared to December 2015. The cumulative commercial vehicles wholesales for the fiscal were 284,681 units, up 4% YoY.
The global wholesales of all passenger vehicles last month stood at 64,202 units, higher by 8% compared to December 2015. The cumulative passenger vehicle wholesales for the fiscal were 538,126 vehicles, up 6% over FY15-16.
Meanwhile, global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover stood at 53,063 vehicles (includes CJLR wholesales of 8,184 vehicles). Jaguar wholesales for the month were 15,879 vehicles and cumulative wholesales were 126,661 vehicles; while Land Rover wholesales for the month were 37,184 vehicles and its cumulative wholesales stood at 295,633 units. Cumulative wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover for the fiscal were 422,294 vehicles.
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Uncertainty over whether new SEZs will be eligible for tax exemptions-which are proposed to be confined to existing units in the latest draft of the Direct Taxes Code Bill-have dampened interest in the tax-free enclaves
New Delhi: The government has given more time to as many as 37 special economic zone (SEZ) developers, including Navi Mumbai SEZ, DLF Commercial Developers and Tata Consultancy Services, to execute their projects, reports PTI.
At a meeting on 19th September, the Board of Approval (BoA) headed by commerce secretary Rahul Khullar also allowed five SEZ developers to surrender their projects. The BoA is a 19-member inter-ministerial body that deals with Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and related issues.
However, the developers surrendering their projects have to obtain a certificate from the respective Development Commissioners that "they have refunded all the tax/duty benefits availed under SEZ Act/Rules," a senior commerce ministry official said.
SEZ developers, including Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Benchmark Realty, had approached the BoA to surrender their projects.
According to an industry expert, uncertainty over whether new SEZs will be eligible for tax exemptions-which are proposed to be confined to existing units in the latest draft of the Direct Taxes Code Bill-has dampened interest in the tax-free enclaves.
Other developers that got more time to execute their projects include Raheja SEZ, Parsvnath SEZ and Wockhardt Infrastructure Development.
It has deferred the extension of two applications-Peninsula Pharma Research Centre and Meditab Specialties-as the issues were sub-judice before the apex court.
The BoA also approved three new proposals, including one for setting up a sector-specific SEZ for the petroleum and oil and gas industry in Visakhapatnam.
Regarding the revision of guidelines for power generation, transmission and distribution in SEZs, the board gave two weeks' time to the Department of Revenue for its comments.
Under the SEZ Act, SEZ units get 100% tax exemption on profits earned in the first five years of operation, a 50% exemption for the next five years and another 50% exemption on re-invested profits in the following five years.
SEZ developers, on the other hand, get 100% tax exemption on profits for 10 years, which they can choose to invoke within the first 15 years of operation.
Merchandise exports from the 143 operational SEZs in the country totalled Rs72,255 crore in the April-June period, an increase of 23% over the same period last year.
Law minister Salman Khurshid assured UK's Secretary of State for Justice Kenneth Clarke that New Delhi will put the issue on fast track and give decisions quickly. UK is one of the several countries pressing for entry of their legal firms in India
New Delhi: Indicating that the government will soon take a decision on the issue of allowing foreign law firms to operate in India, law minister Salman Khurshid today said the concerns of the Bar will be addressed before taking a final call, reports PTI.
Perhaps in his first public remarks on the issue after he assumed charge of law minister in July this year, Mr Khurshid said there were 'some concerns' which needed to be addressed before taking a decision.
"Of course there are some issues that have to be addressed. There are some perceptions that are to be addressed more than the issues. There are some concerns that are to be addressed," he said addressing a seminar on UK-India cooperation on emerging legal issues here.
Mr Khurshid assured UK's Secretary of State for Justice Kenneth Clarke-present on the occasion-that New Delhi will "put your issues on the fast track" and give decisions quickly and "decisions which have quality".
He said two of his predecessors HR Bhardwaj and M Veerappa Moily have already delved on the issue in great detail.
UK is one of the several countries pressing for entry of their legal firms in India.
The minister said the government and the Bar were equally committed "to enhance the level of our cooperation and contribution in the most meaningful way for advancement of legal services in our two countries."
Besides some ongoing court cases on the issue, the Indian legal fraternity led by the Bar Council of India is opposed to the proposed move, fearing that they would not be able to compete with their foreign counterparts.
RMP Infotec promises income, real-estate grants and car loans for selling product kits and binary income for referrals, typical traits of MLM schemes. Now will this scheme be stopped in time?
Speak Asia, a Singapore-based multi-level marketing (MLM) company made national headlines after it duped several people by promising easy income, merely for filling surveys. Despite this, many such companies continue to flourish; targeting gullible investors as regulators seems to be cocooned in a bubble.
One such company is RMP Infotec. Its business model is typical of any MLM company. It promises huge returns on buying its product kit and becoming a distributor by introducing two more investors to buy the same kits. The company is registered in Chennai and claims income on selling product kits and promises binary income.
The product kit costs between Rs6,990 to Rs48,000. The products range from energy-savers, vacuum cleaners and microwaves—to clothes and laptops. For instance, a kit named 'RMPEnergx+SuitLenght+Bio Energiser' includes a single-phase energy saver, premium length suit and a 'nano' health card. Surprisingly, its most expensive product is rated at Rs48,000, named as 'RMP Green City'—this claims that a plot of 1,200 square feet at Kancheepuram (known for its fabulous temples) near Chennai, will be registered in your name. Further, it promises referral income of Rs48,000 after registration of the plot.
A distributor has to introduce two people directly in his first level. If any one of these two also sells one kit, then the original distributor is eligible for an incentive. The commission is calculated on a pair value (PV) binary basis. In this case, the distributor should have at least 150PV in the structure, with a minimum of 50PV on both sides. Thereafter, every package sale of a binary pair will receive 100PV (1PV=Rs10). The maximum payout per week for a distributor will be 13,000PV (130 pairs). The sales close by the midnight of every Friday. It is important to mention that there is 'trimming' applicable if necessary, to the returns. This 'trimming' obviously refers to a cap on the returns that a participant in this scheme can make.
Experts say that the company's business is nothing more than an MLM model which is unsustainable and is bound to fail. Interestingly, the 'Customer Care' icon at http://rmpinfotec.biz/Policy/policy.aspx (where the company tries to explain its business 'model'), is not working.
The company also claims to be into e-commerce, with various products sold at discounted rates. Here, each distributor is eligible for individual PV and up-line PV if the products are purchased. According to RMP, if a distributor achieves three continuous ceilings, he/she is eligible for a car loan of Rs1,00,000 as per company norms.
In fact, there are complaints against the company on consumer discussion forums on the Internet. "I have purchased an RMP Infotec product through my friend. It's (an) MLM type scheme and I have been cheated by it. I have purchased a water purifier and suit-length, etc., in 2009. But till date I just keep following up with them and nobody (from the company) reverts on the issue," reads a complaint on www.consumercomplaints.in.
Another complaint says, "I had also applied for an RMP Nagar plot in Mangao (Maharashtra). Till now, I have not got possession and a registration letter from RMP Infotec. I had tried many times to contact it regarding this issue, but RMP does not give any positive reply to me, all the time." This complainant also says that whenever he tries calling the company, he gets an answer saying that the person he has contacted is not the right person, among other issues.
It is high time such companies are made to stop their activities-before the whole issue blows up once again, like the Speak Asia affair. Moneylife has been constantly arguing that there should be an outright ban on MLM or pyramid schemes, as a number of countries have done, but the powers-that-be don't seem to be interested in taking any action.


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Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said on Tuesday that the Philippines is ready to allow international travel to fully vaccinated tourists from visa-free countries on Wednesday (February 10).
“For Philippine tourism, these are exciting times. We’ve been prepared since 2020, and now that new COVID cases are declining, the Department of Tourism (DOT) can move forward with our plans and strategies for the full recovery of the Philippine tourism industry. “Those of you who follow happenings in the travel and tourism sector know that we will begin the next chapter in the path to recovery tomorrow, February 10,” the tourism head remarked as she chaired the Kapihan Sa Manila Bay virtual meeting with other major tourism players on Tuesday
The DOT’s request to accept fully vaccinated visitors from the 157 countries with visa-free agreements with the Philippines was recently approved by the IATF-EID. To help the highly wounded industry recover, the task group also eliminated the colour-coded classification system of countries depending on their COVID-19 status.
Allowing international travellers to enter the country is a welcome development that will increase growth in the travel and tourism sector, restore lost jobs, and generate much-needed revenue for tourism-related enterprises and communities. Other benefits are felt throughout the tourism value chain.
Fully vaccinated locals and foreign tourists are exempt from the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) 5,000-passenger arrivals cap and its One-Stop-Shop program, according to the tourism chief (OSS).
Meanwhile, as of February 7, the DOT-National Capital Region (DOT-NCR) reported a 68 per cent occupancy rate, or 37,348 rooms, in Quarantine facilities, which include 418 hotels with a total of 55,150 rooms. These hotels cater to unvaccinated tourists who have completed their quarantine, long-stay guests, OFWs preparing to leave, and BPO staff.
Seventy-six quarantine hotels have signed a letter of intent to convert to ordinary hotels and cater to leisure travellers.
As of February 4, 92.51 per cent of tourist workers, or 317, 892 out of 349-534, have had COVID-19 vaccinations. According to Puyat, Aurora, Baguio City, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa City, Camiguin Island, Palawan towns Coron, and El Nido have a 100% immunization rate among their tourism workers. According to Puyat, the DOT offices are also assisting in distributing booster shots to qualifying tourism workers.
The NCR has the highest coverage for tourist workers, with 99.91 per cent.
Puyat also announced that she would join members of the IATF-EID at the launch of the Resbakuna KIDS Boracay Island on February 11


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Digital albums 'getting cheaper'
The price of digital albums is "in sharp decline" but the format's taking a larger slice of the album market.
The average price has come down in the last 12 months to £7.05, according to the Official Charts Company.
"As a result of that there's a bit of a land-grab going on between retailers," says managing director Martin Talbot.
"Sometimes a retailer will take a hit on a product because it's high profile, it'll bring people into store and help them gain a benefit over competitors."
On first glance this sounds like a win-win situation for music fans.
"For the business - it's tougher," explains Talbot. "It changes peoples' perceptions of the value of the product that you're buying.
"If you bought your last seven or eight albums for a fiver you might think twice about going and spending seven or eight pounds on the next one."
One independent record company said on hearing that a new release album from one of their artists could be sold for $3.99 [£2.49] in the US last month, "the work that our artists produce is worth more than a cost of a latte."
"We value the skill, love and time they've put into making their records," they added in an open email.
It was a statement which has opened a debate within the music industry, and raises question like, 'How cheap is too cheap?' and 'Who is losing out here, artist, label, retailer?'
A quick online search shows that some websites are selling new release MP3 albums for as little as £2.99 - a marked change from the £7 or £8 music fans are used to.
'Making a loss'
Indeed, there are rules which surround the price of new release music in order for it to be chart eligible. According to the OCC the minimum dealer price of a new release digital album is £3.75.
With nearly 70 legal online music services in the UK now competing some are now offering albums at rock bottom prices to wrestle customers from market leaders iTunes.
Mflow, who launched in April, are one such service who has offered new release albums from Katy Perry, Brandon Flowers and Manic Street Preachers for £2.99.
"These are promotional prices so we will do one or two albums at that price a week at most," says commercial director Tony Byrne. "We do take a hit and make a loss on this - this is purely a promotion whilst we're trying to gain and grow customers."
Asked whether if the service priced all of their products these keenly it'd be sustainable he said, "Absolutely not."
He added: "We're not setting ourselves up as a discount shop - that's not what we are."
Another UK service pricing new release MP3 albums at a "very competitive" price is Amazon.
They've recently featured artists such as Robbie Williams, Tinie Tempah and Mark Ronson in their 'MP3 album of the week' promotion priced at £3.99.
Julian Monaghan, head of buying for MP3 and music at the company, confirms that they make the decision of which album to promote at that cost.
"It's been really good at bringing in a lot of new customers," he says.
"If you're selling more records that can only be a good thing for the customer and the artist.
"We don't think the artists are [losing out] because we're selling more of their records."
What then the impact on artists and record labels? Financially, nothing.
If a retailer chooses to buy a new release album at the wholesale price and shrink their profits by selling it cheaply then it is their decision.
But it does open a debate about the value of music and whether artists feel comfortable seeing their creations priced as cheaply "as a latte" without their say-so.
"Music is not only cheap literally but also cheap figuratively," says Cee Lo Green, citing a broader dip in quality.
"The quality of the content is down as well - it's logical to charge less for it."
Tinie Tempah's debut album Disc-Overy was selected as Amazon's 'MP3 album of the week' earlier this month; he says he doesn't think about the price tag placed on his music.
"I'm very aware that music has become a very accessible thing," says Tempah. "We're in a generation where even if you don't want to buy music you can listen to it every single day, an unlimited amount of times for absolutely nothing.
"I'm all about moving with the times."
Jason Derulo can see both sides of the argument.
"Am I surprised? I can't say I'm surprised because of the state of the music industry. It's definitely something that is not cool.
"But maybe the fact that prices are being slashed maybe means music will get to more people. Maybe it's not such a bad thing."
Wiley from chart-topping rap collective Roll Deep represents how a lot of artists feel.
"It's mad, but it is what it is. Yesterday was yesterday. £16.99 for albums? Those days are over."


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7/11/14 12:09 PM
Depending upon whom you believe, the tablet magazine had one of the shortest product lifespans in publishing history (abetted by more than a modicum of incompetence on the part of tablet magazine editors), or its [...]
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As wonderful as our technology-ruled world is, the Internet and digital age are slowly suffocating a number of industries. Read [...]
2/1/13 11:36 AM
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- The Information, Communications and Culture Ministry is prepared to assist local book producers, publishers and writers publish high quality titles for the foreign market, Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais [...]
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released an industry traffic forecast showing that airlines expect to welcome some 3.6 billion passengers in 2016. That’s about 800 million more than the 2.8 billion passengers carried by [...]
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Welcome to our new e-commerce website.
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This is the latest image of the Suzuki R3 concept car, which is being shown at the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi. The R3 Concept is a compact MPV that can seat six people in three rows and has been designed as an example of a vehicle that could cater for India’s rapidly changing car market and where consumer lifestyles are quickly evolving.
R3 combines compact dimensions and stylish profiling with four wide opening doors without a central B pillar, allowing easy access for all occupants.
I think it’s actually quite an attractive little thing – though whether those suicide doors actually stay for the finished model only time will tell. The R3 has been designed at Maruti Suzuki India’s Research and Development department, so it may well be that it never reaches these shores. Import anyone? You’d probably be the only person in the country with one!


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Webrooming: New Trend or Old News?
Last year blogs were touting showrooming as the latest digital trend in the retail space whilst this year much talk has turned to webrooming and the impact of this trend...
Understanding the role of tablet devices
Australians appetite for technology has been unabated in recent years despite soft economic conditions with tablets becoming the object of affection. Read Full Article >


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The completion of the Nokia Devices and Services business acquisition April 25 will enable Microsoft to accelerate its share of smartphones and feature phones in developed and emerging markets, and increase its role as a devices and services company.
“The opportunity for Microsoft to be both a devices and services company, so that it can deliver the complete proposition to its consumers, is at the heart of this,” Stephen Elop, former Nokia CEO and now executive vice president of the Devices Group at Microsoft, said recently.
The work between the two companies has resulted in many successful devices, including the Lumia line of smartphones, a family of beautiful and easy-to-use devices that has won praise across the industry and from reviewers.
With the deal closed, Microsoft acquires Nokia’s smartphone and mobile phone businesses, its design team, most of its manufacturing and assembly facilities and operations, and sales and marketing support. Microsoft will leverage Nokia’s extensive experience in delivering award-winning Windows Phone devices that are well designed, secure and easy for consumers and businesses alike to use.
The acquisition also brings key capabilities around supply chain, distribution, operational processes and systems and skill in managing hardware margins to Microsoft. The unified company will benefit from speedier execution and best-in-class business operations.
“Nokia certainly has a tremendous depth of experience in the design, the manufacturing and delivery of devices,” Elop said. “Nokia over the years has literally delivered billions of devices. Just in the last year alone, some hundreds of millions.”
A shared vision
When Microsoft and Nokia started working together as partners in February 2011, the companies combined the best of their considerable engineering, design and software strengths. They looked to create something very different than what already existed from the competition and what either company had done before.
The shared vision: Simplicity and elegance in design and use.
Stuart Ashmun, the device design general manager for the Device Group at Microsoft, said “We think about size and weight and ergonomics and the craftsmanship” of a phone, as does Nokia. “How does it feel in your hand? How robust is it? There are thousands of considerations that go into these products that are not apparent or visually identifiable to the end customer. This is another area where we’re finding that there’s a lot of commonality in the approach.”
Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia has brought many successful smartphones to life at a range of prices and with industry-leading features, including Windows Phone devices like the Lumia 520 (named in February as the “Best Low Cost Smartphone” at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona), the Lumia 920, the Lumia 1020 with its groundbreaking 41-megapixel camera and the Lumia 1520 with its 6-inch screen and 1080p full HD display. The Lumia lineup was also among the first smartphones to be offered in a range of colors.
The road ahead
The partnership that brought Microsoft and Nokia together in the first place will be even stronger with the acquisition.
“The real value from this integration is bringing two globally sized capabilities in organizations together under one roof, really intimately and much more efficiently,” said Tom Gibbons, Microsoft corporate vice president who is responsible for the Nokia integration.
“We have been planning for that, we have been learning about how each other does it, we have been going through and assessing who has the best tools for which part of the business and then how do we put those together so we take the best of both worlds, and now we get to start acting on it,” Gibbons said.
“We feel very excited that on Day One, the team will have an already established joint operating plan,” he said. “Customers should see a bunch of great end-to-end experiences that really empower them to have very enjoyable, very comprehensive solutions to things that they want to get done, whether you’re talking about smartphones or feature phones. The feature phone product family coming to Microsoft will start to have more of the Microsoft services shipped on those phones right out of the gate.”
In a February report about worldwide smartphone growth, research firm IDC said that Windows Phone “stands to grow the fastest among the leading smartphone operating systems.”
Elop identifies opportunities for Windows Phone to grow in emerging markets around the world, areas where Microsoft’s footprint is smaller than it is in developed nations.
“The vast majority of people do not have, nor will they ever have a personal computer,” Elop said. “They haven’t been exposed to Windows or Office, or anything like that, and in their lives it’s unlikely that they will. And yet through the mobile phone business we have an opportunity to introduce what we like to call the next billion people, the next billion people to connect to the Internet, to Microsoft, because they’ll have an opportunity perhaps to have a first Skype experience, or a first experience with Bing, as an example. And so there are literally billions of people who can be exposed to Microsoft for the very first time.”
As Nokia becomes part of Microsoft, “We have to not only evolve to fit into Microsoft in general, but into an evolving Microsoft,” he said.
Employees of Nokia’s Devices and Services business are “very excited to be joining Microsoft,” Elop said. “And we look forward to bringing our skills and experiences to Microsoft to do our very best to light up the Microsoft experiences for people all over the world.”


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The agenda is being readied for us to morph into a brand new world reserve foreign money system and order, a technocratic cashless society based mostly possible on…
by Josh Sigurdson by way of World Various Media
Josh Sigurdson reviews on the information of two detrimental quarters of GDP which formally means the USA is in a recession.
After all, the recession in 2008 by no means ended and was merely papered over. However that didn’t cease the federal government and Federal Reserve from declaring a affluent economic system for the previous decade and a half.
In truth, Jerome Powell mentioned simply yesterday that the economic system is doing nicely. Actually?!
Because the economic system and the markets collapse, the Nice Reset agenda is being laid out earlier than us and readied for us to morph into a brand new world reserve foreign money system and order, a technocratic cashless society based mostly possible on the SDR on the IMF or an identical CBDC from the BRICS coalition.
Keep tuned as we proceed to cowl this madness!
FULL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS HERE


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A clean technology firm that has developed a system that spreads a carpet of microbubbles between a ship's hull and the water to reduce drag and enhance fuel efficiency has landed a $1.23 million deal with Carnival Cruises.
Silverstream Technologies' innovative system, which pumps tiny bubbles through vents on a boat's hull to reduce friction between the vessel and the water, reduces fuel consumption by between 5 to 12 percent, according to the Department of International Trade (DoIT).
Minister for Exports Graham Stuart recently touted the technology as the "perfect example" of how maritime businesses can leverage new technology to slash their carbon footprint.
The deal with the U.S. cruise giant is the latest in a string of contracts secured by Silverstream Technologies, following agreements with Grimaldi Group, oil giant Shell's shipping division and Lloyd's Register.
We want to become a standard on new build vessels in the industry and to be the ‘new normal' for sustainable shipping.
The DoIT, trade advisor for the London-based cleantech firm, said that it expected the company's overall turnover to double by the end of the year, due to the pipeline of deals in Europe and Asia.
Noah Silberschmidt, Silverstream Technologies founder and chief executive, wants the microbubble technology to establish a greener global shipping standard.
"Shipping is one of the hard to decarbonize global industries, so we have spent the last few years independently testing our system to support our claims," he said. "We want to become a standard on new build vessels in the industry and to be the ‘new normal' for sustainable shipping."
The carbon-intensive maritime sector, which facilitates 95 percent of all of the U.K. trade, has a long way to go before it reaches its net-zero emissions target by mid-century.
But Stuart said that companies such as Silverstream would contribute to the country's reaching its zero-carbon goal. "The U.K. is a global leader in green transport solutions and the perfect place for companies like Silverstream to go global and contribute to our net-zero 2050 ambition," he said.
Harry Thechari, chair of Maritime UK, echoed the minister's sentiment. "Silverstream Technologies shows that innovative solutions are being found to help the maritime sector reach its net-zero carbon emissions challenge — and then be exported around the world. With 90 percent of all global trade moving by ship, the market opportunity is vast," he said. "By developing cutting-edge green technologies, our businesses are delivering sustainable solutions and real economic and societal benefits."


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I’m going to try my best not to rant on how sickened I am by all the innocent dead bodies that have been blown up, found under crushed buildings,or shot dead in Gaza. The last time Israel wanted to teach Gaza a ‘lesson’ with their illegal use of Phosphorus, I thought nothing could beat how devastating and merciless that was to the Palestinians, but I was so wrong. They’ve outdone themselves again. Yaay, Israel you’re doing such an amazing job on your stance against the alleged ‘terrorists’. You’ve fired across more than a 1100 bombs in a span of 5 days, for the alleged deaths of 3 Israeli teens that BTW Hamas said they were not responsible for !!! How do we know this wasn’t another tactic from your end to once again crush the spirit of the Palestinians ? Israel has just grown double its size drastically in the last 10 years or less. I mean, with this rate will there even be a Palestine in the next 5 years ?
It’s pathetic and sad enough that none of the Arab countries have condemned this Holocaust against the Palestinians. But, instead of going on about how useless politicians and governing bodies are against such Tyrants, I totally believe we can make a difference. How ? Spend your well earned money wisely ! You have the power as the buyer to influence Brands and Corporations that support and fund the Israeli Army. I remember in the UAE, when there were verbal attacks against the Prophet Muhammed PBUH in Denmark, all Danish products were shelved from Supermarkets. Imagine if all Muslim nations followed that principle ! That would crush an entire economy. Right Now, Israel’s biggest allies are the US, UK, and Canada. Just as an example, the streets of London are jam packed with Arabs particularly from the GCC during Summer time. If Muslims, were to put their foot down and decide against travelling to the UK for this Eid, can you imagine the impact that would have on the UK’s economy ? Currently Arabs are the biggest spenders,some even bringing their luxury cars on their trips to London. So it’s a no brainer that the effect on the UK market would be highly impactful.
My FB feeds have been blowing up with images of dead bodies pulled out from rubble, videos of fathers losing their sons, children and women screaming in fear, and yes it only takes a second to pass these videos around, but there needs to be some serious change !
As women, we control our households. WE are the CEO’s of our homes and our families. The decision on where and how to spend your money on household goods is usually left entirely to women. Please take a few extra seconds to look at the labels of goods that you are purchasing. Recently in Tesco’s in the UK, goods such as Olives and dates were being sold from the West Bank. The West Bank are basically illegal Israeli settlements. These are not Palestinian goods and they are not from Palestinian lands ! Therefore purchasing these goods mean that you are directly giving money to the very people that kicked Palestinians out of their homes ! Marks&Spencers stocks Israeli grapes, lychees, figs, plums, dates, fresh herbs, sweet potatoes, potatoes (Maris Piper, Desiree, Jacket, Marfona, and King Edward). Many of these products are imported through Carmel-Agrexco, a company part-owned by the Israeli state. Sainsbury’s stocks Hadiklaim dates labelled ‘Made in West Bank’ and products from Soda Club, which has an office based in the settlement of Ma’leh Adumin.
It’s a well known fact that Howard Shultz, the chairman of Starbucks, is an active Zionist. Starbucks has entered into joint business ventures with Israel and Israeli companies in the past and the company is held in high esteem by Zionist groups, that, together with the company’s record on other issues such as union-busting, it’s enough to consider buying your coffee somewhere else.
Halilit is Israel’s largest manufacturer of Musical toys and instruments and most of their customers include Disney, Toys R Us, Early Learning and Gymboree. Their customer base ranges from independent shops to familiar retailers such as Mothercare, Early Learning Centre, Toys R Us and Boots. Their main company Interstar has their main headquarters on Illegal Settlements.
Findings by the Israeli Union of Industrialists have revealed that due to previous attacks on Gaza, one in five Israeli exporters are having difficulty selling abroad due to the boycott. In fact, a lot of them now resort to falsifying the country of origin on Israeli goods. There’s also been international pressure on Israeli goods with certain distributors cancelling their orders with Israeli companies.
Please take time to think about this. Yes we’re praying and making dua for our Brothers and Sisters in Palestine but where you put your money makes a huge difference. Think twice before getting that Frap, sipping that coke, getting that MAC lipstick. These companies help to support and fund the Israeli Govt in their airstrikes, ground operation, and bombings towards innocent civilians. These are the same companies that encourage illegal settlement. Take away their power from them ! You can make a difference.
I saved the best for last. I know this includes some of your fav cosmetic brands, including mine. I mean, honestly I love Kiehl’s, but I had no idea they supported Israel. Seeing human lives being wrecked and killed doesn’t make my facial oil worth it by any means.


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- Uber reports third-quarter results after market close on Monday, November 4.
- After Lyft's rosy results, Wall Street is expecting that Uber will have a similarly strong quarter as the competitive landscape cools for both ride-sharing companies
- Still, analysts caution investors that Uber's post-initial public offering lockup period expires November 6, which could lead to further stock-price volatility.
- Here's what six analysts said about Uber before earnings.
- Watch Uber trade live on Markets Insider.
After Lyft's rosy results, Wall Street is expecting that Uber will show a similarly strong quarter as the competitive landscape cools down for both ride-sharing companies.
"In the US, we believe competitive intensity is easing somewhat, evidenced by Lyft's recent proclamation of sooner than expected profitability, with less coupons and discounting as a driver," wrote Youssef Squali, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, in a recent note.
In addition, ride fees are set to generally increase going forward, meaning that ridesharing can be a growing and profitable business, wrote Tom White from D.A. Davidson.
This should offer a boost to Uber's revenue, which analysts estimate will be $3.9 billion in the quarter, and may also lead to a smaller loss on the bottom line. Analysts are expecting a loss of $1.5 billion, much less than the $5.2 billion loss Uber reported in the second quarter.
Reporting a smaller loss would help show analysts and investors that the company is on a path to profitability, especially after Lyft's recent announcement that it would become profitable in the fourth quarter of 2021, one year sooner than Wall Street had expected.
Uber has been less specific about when it will be profitable, but has said that it plans to reach the milestone before 2022, according to Bloomberg.
Analysts will also be watching shares as Uber's post-initial public offering lockup expiration date approaches. Its lockup ends November 6, two days after its earnings release, meaning that 763 million shares could become eligible to trade when the period expires. RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney estimates as many as 1.68 billion Uber shares could become available after the lockup. This could lead to furtherin share price.
Even though Uber has underperformed in the market since its IPO, Wall Street remains largely bullish on the company. Uber has 26 "buy" ratings, 12 "hold" ratings, and only one "sell" rating, according to Bloomberg data.
Here's what analysts are saying about Uber before it reports earnings:
1. Bank of America Merrill Lynch: "Uber will benefit from decreasing competitive intensity in U.S. ridesharing"
Price target: $44 from $53
"We continue to believe Uber will benefit from decreasing competitive intensity in U.S. ridesharing in 2H'19. A key question for the stock over the next 6 months is if the street will give the company credit for improving rides profitability, and see eats and freight as good investments (despite expected deceleration)," wrote Justin Post of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a Tuesday note.
He continued: "While industry risks have grown, we continue to assume Uber's net rev. can reaccelerate, with contribution margins also increasing on lower excess driver incentives."
2. D.A. Davidson: "We believe UBER/LYFT can be 'surgical' in their pricing"
Price target: $44
"The bottom line is that Ridesharing prices for consumers look set to generally increase going forward (let's set aside the longer-term potential around robo-taxis)," wrote Tom White at D.A. Davidson in a note October 24.
He continued: "Near-term we believe UBER/LYFT can be 'surgical' in their pricing optimizations, but, if driver-related expenses and congestion/regulatory fees and taxes continue to rise across UBER/LYFT's various markets (a safe bet we think), we'd expect long-term ride volume to be negatively impacted as certain consumer 'use cases' for taking an UBER/LYFT will no longer make sense."
3. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey: "We view Uber as a generational company compounding at scale"
Price target: $56
"We believe Uber's decision to more meaningfully integrate Rides and Eats could have a positive impact on key metrics in 4Q/2020. We maintain a BUY rating as we view UBER as a generational company compounding at scale, taking advantage of a massively inefficient transportation market," wrote Youssef Squali of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in a note Monday.
"Additionally, share of app downloads in the U.S. among Uber and Lyft appears to have stabilized in recent quarters, according to Sensor Tower."
"We estimate that the total headcount reduction (~1,200 total, ~815 in the U.S., since end of July) represent ~$140M in annualized savings, or ~1% of 2020E revenues. We view the move positively as it demonstrates management's intent to stay operationally fit as it grows."
4. RBC Capital Markets: "The controversy is around profit potential"
Price target: $62
"We believe investors largely agree that Uber faces very large TAMs, has a leading competitive position, and benefits from an experienced management team. The controversy is around profit potential, heightened by the largest loss profile of almost any IPO (~$4B EBITDA loss in FY19E)," wrote Mark Mahaney of RBC Capital Markets in a note Friday.
He continued: "But, over the past 3 years, we have seen each of Uber's four opex lines (Ops & Support, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and G&A) decline as a percentage of Revenue (from 99% in FY16 to 66% in FY18), and we have seen Driver & Rider Subsidies as a percentage of bookings come down materially (from 13% in FY16 to 9% in FY18)."
Regarding the lockup, Mahaney wrote: "We remind investors that Uber's IPO lockup expires on November 6, 2019, when we believe ~1,682.5MM shares will become eligible for sale in the public market. We would also note that concurrent with the IPO, PayPal purchased $500MM of Uber's common stock in a private placement, amounting to ~11.11MM shares at $45 each. The private placement shares are subject to a lockup period that will expire on February 4, 2020."
5. Raymond James: "Uber should trade near Internet marketplace peers"
Price target: $54
"Lyft's results indicated healthy market trends, as evidenced by less couponing and balanced Active Rider and Revenue per Active Rider growth. Our sense is LatAm remains stable, while Europe experienced some softness from new competitors. Healthier trends in the U.S should mitigate Europe pressure," wrote Justin Patterson of Raymond James in a Thursday note.
In food delivery, "U.S. challenges appear unique to GrubHub. International remains competitive (particularly India). We expect Uber is evaluating markets, and is more focused on profitable growth, which may create softer bookings but stronger profit."
"Given potential for gross profit growth to accelerate to 30%+ in 2020E-2021E, we believe Uber should trade near Internet marketplace peers. Our Outperform rating (vs. Strong Buy) reflectsassociated with loss generating assets."
Wedbush: "This will be a long and winding road for Uber"
Price Target: $58
"Uber will be reporting results a few days before the official lockup period begins on Wednesday, in which over $20 billion more of stock (763 million shares) hits the market and could cause an avalanche of selling as early investors and insiders hit the bid, which remains a major Street worry around near-term pressure," wrote Daniel Ives in a note Friday.
He continued: "While Lyft has now given targets on profitability, Uber remains mum with hopes the company will give some more color around its bottom line strategy on its conference call Monday night. In terms of the quarter, we expect Uber to beat expectations with our/consensus revenue of $3.85B (+31% y-y)/$3.7B (+26%) and adj. EBITDA of ($730)mm/($818)mm."
"To this point, this will be a long and winding road for Uber to prove to the Street its ability to monetize a massive installed base of ~100mm and growing although the lack of profitability even with binoculars remains a negative focus for bears, which is an overhang on valuation."
Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Uber.


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(JTA) — As a child in Israel, Amir Nathan dined at Sami VeSusu, an innovative restaurant in Beersheba named after a popular children’s television show from the 1960s and ’70s.
So when it came time for Nathan, now a restaurateur in New York City, to name his latest venture, he replicated the name — and an atypical approach to serving food.
Sami and Susu opened two weeks ago as a takeout and delivery service operating out of a Brooklyn bar. Nathan and his executive chef and business partner, Jordan Anderson, sling Jewish-influenced Mediterranean food in a model designed to keep locals well-fed even as the coronavirus pandemic seems likely to make traditional restaurant dining impossible for some time.
The menu in some ways is an homage to the restaurant’s television namesake. The show, which has been called an “Arabic cross between ‘Mr. Rogers’ and ‘Sesame Street,’” involved both Arab and Israeli actors and was broadcast in Arabic with Hebrew subtitles. It was popular among both Arabs and Jews, and Nathan — an outspoken critic of the current Israeli government — says it is a time capsule from an era when Israelis and Palestinians were much more hopeful about peace than they are now.
“The Ottoman Empire cuisine that we worked with, it spread through the entire Middle East. Some of our recipes are also from Lebanon, from Palestine — so the food itself symbolizes unity. I wanted to have a name that kind of symbolizes the idea,” Nathan told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. (He’s not the first in the U.S. to have the idea: A kosher restaurant by the same name in Miami closed late last year.)
Sami and Susu is a far cry from the Israeli restaurant Nathan opened in New York five years ago, well into the decade-long Israeli food boom resonating across the U.S. Timna was popular and well reviewed, if a bit over the top. A New York Times article described some of its elaborate dishes: “cured tuna is laid over black-quinoa tabbouleh,” and “quenelles of steak tartare, separated by tiny wobbles of eggplant purée.”
It closed four years later, in early 2019. Nathan explained that even in years before the coronavirus pandemic, many New York restaurants that seemed to be performing well on the outside were actually straining under a precarious labor-cost-to-revenue-ratio and rising urban rents. Now COVID-19 has derailed all of them, shrinking their dining rooms to sidewalks for now, and forcing them to adapt their menus for the world of takeout and delivery.
As the renowned chef Gabrielle Hamilton put it in a New York Times Magazine essay about her New York restaurant Prune: “Does the world need it anymore?” Her thesis: The upscale restaurant as we know it, especially in New York City (Israeli and other Jewish ones included) could be a thing of the past.
With that in mind, Nathan developed a model that could be the restaurant of the future: There are no traditional restaurant accoutrements, like menus or indoor tables or silverware. Even patrons who sit at outdoor tables with drinks from the bar have to order Sami and Susu food on their phones to have it delivered from inside. There is also plenty of longer distance ordering happening though, through services like Seamless, GrubHub and Caviar.
The food is influenced by what Ladino-speaking Jewish communities in Spain, Turkey, Greece, Italy and North Africa ate after the Spanish Inquisition, during the time of the Ottoman Empire. Half of Nathan’s family are Turkish Jews, and he developed the Sami and Susu culinary framework from books on Sephardic culinary history.
But Anderson brought along some of his American Askenazi Jewish mother’s recipes and blended them into the idea. The result is a menu that includes bourekas, pita sandwiches, stuffed peppers, tabbouleh with corn, baba ganoush and harissa-spiced carrots — but also cauliflower rubbed with pastrami seasoning, as well as a matzah ball soup that the pair refer to as a kind of Jewish ramen because of its rich broth and inclusion of yakisoba noodles.
Anderson’s mom used to put Polish kluski noodles, akin to egg noodles, in her soup. He said he took his mom’s recipe and tried to intensify the flavors.
“I told Amir that the other night, instead of having a beer, I drank a pint of the soup. It was awesome,” Anderson said. “At 10 o’clock it was so comforting. Then I just went to bed.”
Eventually Nathan, 34, and Anderson, 28, want to have their own brick-and-mortar space, which they envision as a store, takeout counter and casual cafe spot where a few customers can sit and eat or drink a glass of wine. But the current reality has refined their takeout business model and influenced the menu — every decision they make about what to include is based on whether it can survive at least 45 minutes of transit time.
“Amir and I always say, ‘Is it gonna be hot when it gets there? Is the bread gonna be too mushy?’” Anderson said. “If I serve this pita in a menu, I would add more of the sauce to it, whereas I now say ‘OK, this is gonna be 45 minutes and this bread is gonna take a lot of the sauce in, so let’s kick it down a little.’”
They also have pivoted away from the more specific highbrow concept that Nathan had originally imagined (he calls it “geeky”) to thinking about what people want to eat right now. That includes Jewish and Middle Eastern comfort food, and preferably comfort food that can be taken to a socially distanced picnic, last in a fridge for days and taste good after being reheated in a microwave.
“You cook food for your whole career that you don’t cook at home for yourself,” Anderson said. “You cook this really beautiful food for strangers in a restaurant who are paying an exorbitant amount of money for it, and you know there definitely is some incentive to do it, you love it, and you’re kind of told to want to do that.
“But at the same time, you go home at midnight and that’s not what you want to eat, that’s not what you want to cook,” Anderson said. “No one’s gonna go home and say ‘I wanna whip up some Bernardin food right now.’”
Anderson, who is from Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, wasn’t sure he would stay a chef after the pandemic hit and nearly obliterated the service industry. He also never imagined himself cooking this type of food.
“I didn’t think I would be cooking stuffed peppers or matzah ball soup, but in a weird way it kind of feels right,” he said. “After cooking French and Italian food, all these types of food, it’s kind of a breath of fresh air to cook some home company food. It kind of feels like I’m cooking at home.”


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Curved Phones Are No Gimmick
The top-to-bottom curve on the LG G Flex means less glare when watching movies in landscape mode.
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If you compare the phone in your pocket to the model before it, you probably won’t find a lot of change. Maybe a faster processor and a bigger screen, but those are small potatoes. The last time phones underwent any big hardware shift was when manufacturers began swapping dim LCD screens for bright OLEDs a few years ago. This year, another big change is in the works: phones with curved screens. Samsung’s Galaxy Round bends in from the sides, and LG’s G Flex bows inward from the top and bottom. Apple has also filed a patent for a curved battery, a critical component for a contoured phone.
At first glance, curved OLED screens could appear to be just a marketing stunt. But according to Raymond Soneira, an analyst who specializes in screens and the founder of DisplayMate Technologies, a concave screen subtly magnifies a user’s face, which helps block light pollution and reduces glare. With less interference from ambient light, screens are easier to read, and users won’t feel the need to crank up the brightness and drain their batteries.
Curves are also one step forward in the march toward fully flexible displays. LG engineers built the G Flex’s OLED with plastic instead of hardened glass and used a battery assembled in stacks. The design changes allow the phone to bend slightly when pressed. According to Stephen Forrest, a researcher who runs an OLED research lab at the University of Michigan, developers are well on their way to creating moldable, virtually unbreakable screens that roll up as easily as newspapers or magazines. A few product generations from now, static, inflexible screens may seem as outdated as flip phones.
This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Popular Science.


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Nanjing MG announces UK Dealers – all two of them.
Published July 3, 2007
Nanjing MG Press Release:
NAC MG (UK) has announced that it has appointed Luffield Cars and the Merritts Motor Group as the UKs first official MG franchise dealers since NAC bought the company two years ago. This represents a significant step towards the commercial re-launch of the historic brand and it is anticipated that the MG retail network will expand to around 80 dealers nationwide.
The new MG TF 2-seater sportscar which recently made its public debut, will be sold from the Luffield Cars premises in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and two of the Merritts Motor Groups Buckinghamshire-based premises in Amersham and Aylesbury. Each will have dedicated showroom space adhering to the MGs new corporate identity guidelines which will house MG sales personnel, and a service technician.
Delighted at the unveiling of the new MG franchise dealers, Stephen Cox, Sales and Franchising Manager for NAC MG (UK) explains: We are very pleased to welcome two very highly-experienced and well-renowned retail groups to the MG network. This is another indication of the very bright future that the brand can look forward to.
David Wood, General Manager for Luffield Cars, which was previously a recognised MG X-Power specialist and still a popular MG service centre in the UK comments: We feel very privileged to have been chosen as one of the founding retailers of the new MG franchise network. We are fully committed towards the development of the business and we consider the future of MG cars to be extremely exciting. We look forward to continuing to provide customers with the highest quality service, products and after-care.
Kevin Badrick, General Manager for Merritts, a former MG Rover retailer for 10 years, states: We are very excited to once again be associated with an iconic name which boasts such a rich heritage, and to be the one of the first confirmed franchised dealers is very special. Im sure that the strength of the MG marque, its fantastic new products and our commitment and experience with the brand and to our customers, will prove to be an offer too good to refuse.
Only two so far MG? Come on, you must have dozens of former Rover-MG dealers dying to sign up!! Roewe will have a European wide range of dealers before youve got ten together at this rate. When are the Chinese dealers being announced so we can at least go and have a look!


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The war in Ukraine has altered the lives of millions. And has sent prices for goods like oil and natural gas skyrocketing around the world. But the worst may be yet to come. Could the war prevent Ukraine from harvesting food this year? How important are Ukraine and Russia to the global food supply? And how could this lead to further social unrest?
Ukraine has been called the breadbasket of the world. Together with Russia, the two nations account for about 30% of global wheat exports. Not only that, but 12% of all the calories consumed around the world. Yet, since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February, both countries have been effectively cut off from exporting food.
Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes or join in the defense effort. The conflict has also physically disrupted many of the country’s essential fuel supply and trade routes. And Russia? Russia’s under heavy economic sanctions that make exporting food enormously difficult. So with the timeline to de-escalation still unclear, could the world be on the verge of global hunger?
Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower seeds. And this year, Ukrainian harvests are estimated to be down about 30%. And right away, this would cause a ripple effect around the world. Some places would be more directly affected by this than others. Particularly countries in Northern Africa and Central Asia. If you live in Armenia, Mongolia or Eritrea, you could see your wheat supply completely cut off.
And finding another source wouldn’t be so easy. You’d now be forced to compete with more economically powerful nations that can afford to pay higher prices. Turkey, Iran and Bangladesh import over 60% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. And Egypt depends on these countries for a staggering 80% of its supply.
The price of wheat is already up 69% within the last year. And with an ongoing effect on the supply chain, those prices could continue to climb. The longer the war continues, the more serious this wheat situation gets. These higher prices wouldn’t be limited to just wheat. Livestock around the world consumes a lot of grain. Animal feed prices would skyrocket. And because of that, meat all over the world would start getting pricey too.
And it gets worse. Russia and Belarus are two of the largest exporters of potash, which is an important ingredient in fertilizers. Now both of those countries are under sanctions. Russia for starting the war, and Belarus for supporting Russia’s aggression against a sovereign country. All this means that Brazil, which depends on these two countries for about half of its potash supply, would have to cough up more cash too.
So you’d start to see the price of your favorite coffee, soy and beef products climbing higher and higher. Disruption to the fertilizer trade would have enormous effects beyond just rising costs. This could seriously threaten the global food system. Farmers all around the world depend on fertilizers to grow their food. Without it, you’d see massive declines in food production of all kinds. And with that, we’d now be in really dangerous territory.
Countries would begin to limit their food exports in favor of making sure there is enough supply to feed their own citizens. In many places, there simply wouldn’t be enough money or supply to guarantee this. For potentially millions of people, bread being expensive would no longer be the core issue. Now they might not have any bread at all.
That could lead to social and political upheavals. Many countries subsidize bread costs to avoid this very circumstance. Riots would break out and many governments would violently crack down on their own people to maintain order. And organizations that normally rush to aid in these moments would be in trouble too.
Before the war, the United Nations World Food Programme relied on Ukraine for half of its grain supply to feed starving people around the world. Now, around 45% of Ukrainians are worried about finding enough food for themselves. In times of stability, having such an interconnected global economy can provide people with so many things.
But when something like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupts that, it reveals how fragile this system is. Our food supply chains could be damaged for years to come. And things could still get worse. Like if Russia launches a nuke.
- “What Is Happening in Ukraine and Why Is Russia Invading?”. James Hookway and Yaroslav Trofimov. 2022. wsj.com.
- “Ukraine War Threatens To Cause A Global Food Crisis”. Jack Nicas. 2022. nytimes.com.
- “Russia Ukraine is Causing a Global Food Crisis – TLDR News”. TLDR News Global. 2022.
- “Video shows Europe’s largest food warehouse on fire after ‘deliberate’ Russian attack”. Hannah Brown. 2022. euronews.com.
- “War In Ukraine Could Plunge World Into Food Shortages”. Joel K. Bourne, JR. 2022. nationalgeographic.com.


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As consumers continue to accept financial technology services, some remain concerned about the security of using such technologies.
The number and accessibility of technology services that allow consumers to interact with, receive and manage their finances is on the rise, and they are changing the way consumers make purchases and financial decisions.
As FinTech* services become more accessible in the U.S., new research from Mintel has revealed that 28% of Americans view mobile payment as the payment method of the future. What’s more, two in five (40%) consumers are already using/interested in using mobile payment technology, including 56% of Millennials (age 22-39). In addition, one in five (18%) consumers overall would use mobile payments if more stores accepted it.
Mintel research reveals that engaging with financial services via mobile devices is becoming more and more commonplace, as one third (34%) of consumers with a bank account interact with financial services companies via mobile websites/apps, including the majority (55%) of Millennials. Another third (33%) of consumers wish that there were more alternatives to traditional banks, along with well over half (54%) of Millennials.
However, usage and adoption of other FinTech services** has yet to catch up with that of mobile payments. Despite the fact that one quarter (23%) of consumers are interested in using software or technology to help them make better financial decisions, just one in 10 have used a robo-advisor or a money management app (12% respectively). In fact, the majority (55%) of Americans have not even heard of robo-advisors and two in five (39%) have not heard of money management apps.
“While overall adoption of FinTech services remains low among Americans, our research shows that consumers are interested in the potential for using services like mobile payments in the future,” said Bryant Harland, senior technology analyst at Mintel. “FinTech operators benefit from high consumer interest in mobile engagement in other areas of their lives, as well as the fact that many are looking for alternatives to traditional banks, especially younger consumers. However, FinTech operators are faced with the two-part challenge of increasing awareness and adoption. In addition to having the right infrastructure available, it is necessary to clearly communicate to consumers exactly how and where FinTech services can be used.”
Despite growing interest and adoption of mobile payment technology, which leads that of overall FinTech offerings, consumers do have their concerns, especially surrounding security: one in five (18%) consumers agree that using mobile payment technology to pay for products/services is less secure than using traditional payment methods.
What’s more, increasing consumer awareness and usage of FinTech services may prove to be a challenge as traditional financial services providers are viewed favorably: three in five (58%) consumers agree that it is generally easy to interact with their financial services providers. Another two thirds (65%) trust banks’ ability to protect their customers’ money, while 64% trust credit card companies to protect consumers against fraudulent purchases. Mintel research indicates that some Americans may be set in their financial ways as seven in 10 (69%) consumers are completely satisfied with their current financial services providers.
“Although there were concerns early on that FinTech startups would overthrow traditional banks, we are seeing that new technologies are opening the doors for both FinTech and traditional financial services providers to meet the ever-increasing digital needs of consumers,” added Lily Harder, vice president of research for Mintel Comperemedia. “Security and trust are critical for new FinTech entrants to compete against traditional players who have leveraged quick, effective responses to data breaches as opportunities to build trust with consumers. And while digital is the critical component for consumer adoption, incorporating a human element will appeal to consumers who are reluctant to completely rely on technology or are hesitant to leave their current provider.”
One clear way FinTech services can increase adoption is by educating consumers on how to manage their finances. Indeed, two in five (38%) consumers wish that financial companies would advise them on how to better handle their money, including two thirds (66%) of Millennials. Further, 32% of consumers are interested in financial investing, but do not know how to get started.
“Many FinTech companies already appeal to consumers by focusing on streamlining services and saving consumers time. What’s lacking is a focus on user experience from start to finish. By educating consumers on how to make smarter decisions with their money, FinTech operators can highlight the differentiating value they provide from traditional players in the industry,” concluded Harland.
*FinTech includes any service or technology that has altered the way consumers interact with, receive or manage their finances. Mintel research focuses on the following four categories of FinTech: user experience, alternate lending, alternate payment and security.
**Mintel surveyed consumers on the following FinTech services: mobile payment, cryptocurrency, robo-advisor, peer-to-peer lending and money management mobile app.


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Development of EA UFC and necessary tools
News that Electronic Arts will be using a top of the range fight team to build the new UFC is a welcome sign for fans wondering about the future of this franchise, and this team will involve general manager Dean Richards and creative director Brian Hayes who led gameplay design on Fight Night Round 4 and Fight Night Champion.
EA Tiburon made EA Sports MMA, which was a decent contender to THQ’s best-selling UFC series, and now that Electronic Arts has signed the official UFC license, we can expect a fresh approach to the franchise. Commenting on the tools to make this a big hit Eurogamer mentions the excitement that revolves around the team since the announcement, and their aim to bring the UFC video game experience to new heights.
The tools to create a great game will be relative to the Fight Night Total Punch Control mechanic that uses the right thumbstick to aim and throw punches, and with FN Round 4 and FN Champion the development of these titles are evident adding lavish visuals and bone-crunching brutality along with deep multiplayer integration and even a story mode. Some may feel that if development on the next UFC game has just started then this title could end up on next-generation consoles as well as current ones.
Planet PlayStation are under the impression that this will be the best sim sports fighter ever and this could be down to the success of Fight Night, as EA has revolutionized many things in sports gaming and Total Punch Control is one of the main improvements along with full-on physics, amazing presentation, and fully featured game modes on and offline. Boxing fans also seemed impressed with these features and now UFC enthusiasts will get the opportunity to embrace that feeling of control including stability online.
Last month we looked at this game touted to play much like EA’s MMA and with the background of this adding to the progress from the Fight Night series the new UFC title looks set to be a knockout. Do you think EA will do a great job with the Ultimate Fight Championships? What else do you think they should introduce to put their own stamp on it?


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At some point in the not-too-distant future, Apple will introduce an iPhone with a USB Type-C connection. A new European Union (EU) rule requires all smartphone manufacturers to equip their devices with a standardized USB Type-C connection by 2024.
On Tuesday, Apple confirmed rumours that it would soon replace the iPhone’s main cord, but it did not provide any specifics. Executives have said that all future smartphones would be compatible with a standard USB-C charging cable by the year 2024, as required by new European Union regulations.
At WSJ Tech Live Conference, Apple officials were less than thrilled while addressing the new regulations. Apple originally thought it had solved with EU authorities by including a chord with its iPhones hooked into USB-C on one side and its exclusive lightning wire on the other.
Now, one significant smartphone model does not have a USB Type-C connector: Apple’s iPhone. Even though Apple has explained, the corporation must comply with the decision if it wants to continue selling iPhones in Europe beyond 2024. The US tech giant is ready to make a move to USB Type-C.
In response to customer demand and regulatory pressure, Apple has switched the iPhone’s charger from the lightning port to USB-C. Pressure on the technology company to make the changeover was amplified earlier this month when the European Parliament approved a law requiring phone manufacturers to embrace USB-C ports by 2024.
What Apple Executives Think About USB Type-C Chargers
According to Joswiak, the corporation will follow this legislation as it does all others. As for when the iPhone would receive the new charger to replace Lightning, he wouldn’t say. His remarks were given during a Wall Street Journal conference. He recalled that ten years ago, European authorities wanted Apple to use Micro-USB rather than the proprietary connector used by Apple. Thus, he argued that Apple and the EU had conflicted chargers for that long. He said that if the iPhone had used the older charging method, neither Lightning nor USB-C could have been developed.
Bloomberg News that Apple is preparing to use USB-C in the iPhone next year. In 2024, the legislation will be enforced. Apple has already switched from Lightning and other ports to USB-C for its Macs, many iPads, and accessories.
“… we’ve come to a better place: a power adapter with a detachable cable. Everything becomes USB-A or USB-C, and you choose the right cable for your device. It allows more than a billion people to have that (lightning) connector and be able to use what they already have and not be disturbed and cause a lot of e-waste,”said Joswiak
Joswiak’s response made it clear that Apple is unhappy about being forced to switch to USB Type-C for the iPhone. The Apple executive recalled how the EU once wanted Apple to adopt micro-USB as a common connector. Joswiak stated that had Apple done so, neither Lightning nor USB Type-C would have been invented. The Apple marketing lead said switching from Lightning to USB-C would cause lots of e-waste.
However, Apple is under no obligation to provide support for the USB Type-C connection in all iPhone models introduced in 2024 or later. Joswiak declined to say whether or not the connection will be included in iPhones sold in markets outside the European Union. Whether or whether iPhones sold elsewhere than Europe will have a USB Type-C connector is unclear from Joswiak’s statement.
It is nonetheless an unusually public admission of concern from the world’s most valuable firm over its goods’ long-term viability and, in particular, the impact of new government regulations on the company’s bottom line. Although Apple’s billions of dollars in revenues haven’t come from selling $19 lightning cables individually, its ability to protect its technology has allowed it to build a branded ecosystem of accessories designed particularly for its products.