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Almost 6,000 people have signed a petition against plans to turf out two independent shops to make way for an expansion of the Co-op supermarket next door.
The Seven Cellars wine merchant and Latina delicatessen on Dyke Road say the Co-op has already sent in architects and surveyors to measure up their shops.
Their landlord sold up to the supermarket chain in November – at around the same time plans by a separate company to put a three storey residential extension over the shops, which date from 1841.
Louise Oliver, who owns Seven Cellars, said: “There’s no appetite for a bigger Co-op in the Dials.
“What they’re hoping to do is to get us out of our shops with no compensation. They’ve told us they would prefer us to just get statutory compensation, which wouldn’t give us enough money to relocate – or even cover redundancy payments if it puts us out of business.
“But this is not about money because we don’t want to leave.
“It’s hard to find somewhere to move to because the Dials is busy and well supported so not a lot of people come and go.
“When you find somewhere you are lucky and you stay.
“The Co-op claims to be ethical, but they’re just as ruthless as any Tesco or Asda. There’s no such thing as them being nice.
“We didn’t even get a letter from them introducing themselves as our new landlords – just something telling us which bank account to pay our rent to.
“The at Christmas, their architects and structural engineers came in and we picking around, making detailed notes and measurements.
“We are stuck, not being able to move and find somewhere else, but also knowing that the sword of Damocles is hanging over us.”
However, a spokesman for the Co-op said it would allow them to stay until the end of their current ten-year leases.
A spokesman for Co-op, said: “Co-op is committed to serving and supporting the local community, including popular local independent businesses.
“We have had discussions with our neighbours who have leases in place which run until late 2025, and these will be honoured.
“At this stage we do not have any confirmed plans to extend our Co-op store.”
A few years ago, another independent trader in Brighton was almost evicted to make way for the expansion of another Co-op store.
The supermarket chain approached the landlord of the shop, which has asked not to be named, in February 2020, but the landlord gave the trader the option of staying – with an increased rent.
In 2019, the Co-op was given planning permission to expand its store in St George’s Road, into a unit which had been empty since 2017.
The restaurant 24 St George’s closed, blaming Brexit and Southern Rail delays. Owner Jamie Everton-Jones said he had been aware the Co-op wanted to expand, but this was not a factor in his decision.
The store has yet to expand.
The shops around this border of Hove and Brighton are a delight. The Co-Ops are big enough as they are. The problem for small shops, independently run, is that they are at the mercy of remote freeholders (often living abroad).
There’s another Co-Op not very far away, along Dyke Road. An extension to the one in the article is not needed, but the preservation of the independent shops in the area is.
Why on earth would any local resident either want, or feel the need for a larger Co-Op when there is one less than a couple of minutes away? The current smaller one underwent weeks of refurbishment and looks just as bland as it was before. The Co-Operative lists ‘Concern for the Community’ as one of their underpinning values on their website. Evicting smaller independent businesses to expand needlessly and ruining the sense of ‘village’ community would sit at odds with that value. We can’t let this happen.


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Telus has added two new handsets to its Android lineup, namely the LG Shine Plus (Ally) and the Samsung Galaxy Apollo. Both devices run Android 2.1.The LG Shine Plus has a 3.2" WVGA touchscreen display, full QWERTY keyboard, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, 5Mpix autofocus camera, and MicroSD card support. It is available online for $69.
LG has announced the upcoming release of an Android 2.2 upgrade for Verizon's Ally. Unfortunately, they didn't give any certain dates or even time windows, so it's unclear whether the update will be released this year.

domain: news


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Called the Atalanta Sports Tourer, the car was first shown to the public on March 5, 1937. But despite its aged design, the modern Sports Tourer has been modernized--a bit.
While the car keeps its tall, narrow tires for ride comfort and driver feel, says Atalanta, the majority of the components that make up the car are new, with 85 percent being unique to the Atalanta. It's not clear which components are shared, or what they're shared with.
The body itself is still hand-formed aluminum over an ash (wood) coach-built frame.
"Our aim at Atalanta Motors is to reproduce the positive and enjoyable characteristics of vintage motoring in a reliable and usable manner that is relevant to today’s driving environment." said Martyn Corfield, one of the men behind Atalanta's revival. "Atalanta is about style, innovation and performance."
While we'd hardly call wood-framed sports cars designed 75 years ago innovative, we do like what Corfield and restorer Trevor Farrington have produced.
Just seven of the original Atalantas remain today, and only four of those are still running. The new model is being built on a commission basis, each tailored to the buyer's specifications.


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Chrysler's refusal to recall nearly 2.7 million 2002-2007 Jeep Libertys and 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees is not affecting resale values of pre-owned Jeeps, including those covered in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's requested recall over an unproven fire hazard. According to an article by Arlena Sawyers in Monday's print edition of Automotive News, neither wholesale nor retail prices have shown any unusual downward trend, despite the media attention showered on the dispute. In fact, the average wholesale price of a 2004 two-wheel-drive Grand Cherokee, which had recently increased by $150, remain unchanged. The major factor cited is the age of the vehicles involved: the Grand Cherokees under federal scrutiny are from nine to twenty years old and the newest Liberty is from six model years ago. Most new car dealers don't stock pre-owned vehicles more that four to five model years old and most financial institutions won't finance..
View the original, full post


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'I visited new Covent Garden eco-conscious eatery Rucola and found tasty planet-first food' - review
and live on Freeview channel 276
The new Covent Garden eatery - on the fifth floor of the social-change-focused private members club The Conduit - has its heart a commitment to "putting the planet first".
By offering a 'plant-forward menu' (meaning it uses less animal protein) - practising zero waste, and aiming for net carbon neutrality, the restaurant wants to highlight how sustainably made food can be delicious and good for the planet at the same time.
Ahead of its opening night, Rucola invited us down to try the dishes, which included everything from fish stew to handmade pasta and black peppercorn ice cream.
As well as offering a preview of what to expect from the new spot's food selection, the tasting plates showed off the sourced ingredients provided by Rucola's supply partners.
Vegetables were sourced via Angry Monk, which rescues produce that would otherwise go to landfill, while spices come from The Ujamaa Spice Company, which is working to bring Fairtrade standards to the spice industry.
Beyond its delicious Italian-style dishes, Rucola offers London diners a look at the capital from its rooftop. While the spot was covered with an all-seasons style pergola during my visit, when the capital warms up a bit, visitors will be able to see panoramic views across London's skyline.
Rucola, Covent Garden - how to book
The London Rucola will open its doors in Covent Garden on Friday March 15 and Conduit members and non-members can book
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to members from Monday to Saturday, non-members will be able to dine at the Rucola for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays and lunch and dinner on Saturdays. Foodies can book a visit via the restaurant's opening on the Rucola website.
Address: 6 Langley St, London, WC2H 9JA
Nearest station: Covent Garden


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More inflation is coming and that could hurt your portfolio – at least in the short term.
Inflation was a buzzword year-round as supply chain problems and additional savings by US consumers drove up prices for goods from homes to cars to bacon. Consumer prices rose 6.8% year over year in November, the fastest price increase since 1982.
So far, rising prices have done little to suppress a sharp rally in the stock market, with the S&P 500 forecasting gains of nearly 24%. That doesn’t mean market participants aren’t worried, however, especially since the Federal Reserve has announced plans to hike rates three times in 2022 to contain price hikes.
The biggest risk to the market, according to a monthly Bank of America survey of fund managers, is an over-aggressive rate hike strategy by central banks, followed by inflation. Meanwhile, 25% of Americans say rising inflation is the single biggest risk to their retirement savings, a percentage that has more than doubled since 2020, according to an annual study by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.
How worried do you need to be about inflation and the Fed’s response to it? Not much. In the short term, there is likely to be more market volatility and stock prices could plummet as borrowing costs have risen and companies may have to bear the higher cost of raw materials or labor before they can pass price increases on to their customers.
Over time, however, the impact becomes less apparent as stocks offer “pretty good hedge” against higher inflation, notes Ross Mayfield, an investment strategy analyst at Baird. “In general, the stock market has done quite well over the past 40 to 50 years during periods of higher inflation.”
A notable exception was the 1970s, when stocks fell into a bear market during a period of stagflation (persistently high inflation combined with high unemployment). And since inflation hasn’t been a concern for investors in recent years, some market watchers have pointed to the 1970s as a warning – a comparison Mayfield believes is unjustified.
“The economic backdrop is really very different today,” notes Mayfield, adding that the job market is “as strong as we have seen it in decades.” As a result, if companies raise prices now, consumers can, by and large, “digest” those price increases in order to maintain their spending. “There is no need to fear inflation.”
How inflation affects companies
Headline inflation hides some of the big differences in price increases (or even decreases) across industries. Just as it is important for consumers to calculate a “personal” rate of inflation, investors should consider how higher inflation could affect the stocks in your portfolio.
Companies that buy raw materials will feel the higher raw material prices immediately, while companies that sell manufactured goods or provide services may have a delayed effect of the rising costs of transporting items and paying workers. During times of high inflation and high interest rates, investors tend to prefer value stocks – including those in the basic materials, industrial, financial, energy and consumer staples sectors, Mayfield notes. Some growth stocks, including tech companies, have also performed well over similar time frames because of the ability to pass price increases on to an entrenched customer base, he adds.
While some investors may seek to change their portfolios to capture the different effects of higher inflation, it can also be argued that they should focus on diversifying their portfolio. “It’s important to really get your exposure across stocks, bonds and real assets,” advises Eric Freedman, US Bank’s chief investment officer.
It is also very important to stay invested in the market even as stock prices become more volatile as market participants try to understand higher inflation and what the Fed is doing to raise interest rates. Freedman and his colleagues predict that the S&P 500 will end the year at 5,060 points – up almost 9% from its current level.
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Arguments for ignoring inflation altogether
Just as the market seems to have wiped inflation worries away this year, there are reasons for investors to do the same. That’s because higher inflation is a factor in both supply and demand problems that are inextricably linked to the pandemic; The supply chain problems are partly to blame, while demand has increased in part due to stimulus checks to Americans.
“It’s hard to separate traditional inflationary pressures from cause and effect of pandemic problems,” Mayfield says. This dynamic has also challenged central bankers, who initially described inflation as “transitory” and have more recently changed their strategy.
With uncertainty surrounding the pandemic still high, volatility is likely to continue as investors see higher inflation and higher interest rates ahead. Even so, stocks continue to offer the best return for investors – and Mayfield points out that large-scale portfolio changes are not warranted for long-term investors.
“Take a long-term perspective,” Freedman adds. “Have a plan and have the opportunity to reconsider that plan if the facts change.”
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Industry leaders in the electronic goods field could soon be upping their claims to buy gold, after a reported research breakthrough involving the metal.
Researchers in Australia and Korea have employed stacked layers of gold nanoparticles to raise the capacity of the storage density of flash memory, according to Chemistry World.
The reported discovery could be highly significant both for gold prices and for technological products, with flash memories found in abundant electronic products, from USB sticks to memory cards for digital cameras.
These devices normally contain a single layer of devices to trap electric charge and encode digital information, but the multiple stacked gold layers could act as a higher capacity trapping device, when deployed in alternating layers with an insulating polymer.
A further industrial demand for gold to add to its existing electronics uses, as well as demand emerging from the dental industry, and in greater quantity still, from gold jewelry manufacturers.
Jang-Sik Lee, researcher at Kookmin University in Seoul, told Chemistry World: "By using this method, we can increase the memory density by about 3.6 times in comparison to the single layered devices."


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Databricks, a leader in Data and AI solutions, has launched DBRX, a groundbreaking large language model (LLM) that sets a new standard in the open-source model landscape. DBRX surpasses established models on industry benchmarks, democratizing the training and customization of high-performing LLMs for enterprises worldwide.
“At Databricks, our vision has always been to democratize data and AI. We’re doing that by delivering data intelligence to every enterprise — helping them understand and use their private data to build their own AI systems. DBRX is the result of that aim,” said Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO at Databricks.
“We’re excited about DBRX for three key reasons: first, it beats open source models on state-of-the-art industry benchmarks. Second, it beats GPT-3.5 on most benchmarks, which should accelerate the trend we’re seeing across our customer base as organizations replace proprietary models with open source models. Finally, DBRX uses a mixture-of-experts architecture, making the model extremely fast in terms of tokens per second, as well as being cost effective to serve. All in all, DBRX is setting a new standard for open source LLMs — it gives enterprises a platform to build customized reasoning capabilities based on their own data.”
Revolutionizing AI with DBRX
DBRX marks a significant leap in democratizing data and AI, aligning with Databricks’ vision to empower enterprises with data intelligence.
Benchmark Performance and Efficiency
DBRX outperforms established open-source LLMs across key benchmarks, including language understanding, programming, and mathematics. Additionally, it exhibits superior performance compared to GPT-3.5, demonstrating its prowess in diverse domains.
“DBRX surpasses open source models across industry benchmarks,” highlighted Ghodsi.
Industry Recognition and Collaboration
Industry leaders and partners have expressed enthusiasm for DBRX’s transformative potential:
“At Accenture, we are at the forefront of implementing generative AI solutions — using advanced techniques to tailor open source models to our client’s unique needs with our foundation model customization services,” said Lan Guan, Chief AI Officer at Accenture. “The availability of more sophisticated open source models can provide new opportunities to drive meaningful results for our clients in every part of the enterprise.”
Availability and Future Prospects
DBRX is freely available on GitHub and Hugging Face for both research and commercial use. Enterprises can leverage DBRX on the Databricks Platform, AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, facilitating seamless integration into existing infrastructures.
Databricks is the leading Data and AI company trusted by over 10,000 organizations worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in San Francisco, Databricks is committed to unifying and democratizing data, analytics, and AI to drive transformative business outcomes.


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City Magazine April 2006
April's issue of City Magazine features our Rubber-Dipped Chandelier created by Tobias Wong. It will be officially unveiled when Citizen:CITIZEN makes it's grand debut at the International Comtemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF).
March 31, 2006 in Citizen-Citizen, City Magazine, Rubber dipped chandelier, Tobias Wong | Permalink
City December 2005
FredriksonStallard's scaffold plate as featured in City Magazine December 2005.
December 1, 2005 in City Magazine, FredriksonStallard, Home Accessories | Permalink


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A 41-year-old man was arrested inside a Mansfield Township department store as he tried to leave with more than $625 worth of clothes and cologne, authorities say.
Anthony Donovan, of the 1400 block of Route 57 in the township, allegedly used a multi-tool on Friday to remove security devices from several pieces of merchandise inside Kohl's, hiding the goods inside plastic bags he had brought with him, court records say.
Township police said they responded at 11:30 a.m. after reports of a shoplifter currently in the store. An officer and store security stopped Donovan as he attempted to leave, police said.
Inside the plastic bags, authorities found 15 articles of clothing as well as a bottle of men's fragrance. The merchandise was valued at $627, court records say.
Donovan was charged with shoplifting, criminal mischief and possession of burglar tools. He was sent to the Warren County jail in lieu of $3,500 bail, police said.
He made his first appearance Monday in New Jersey Superior Court in Belvidere to answer to the charges. It was not immediately clear if he had been released from the jail.


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A lot of Android enthusiasts have always openly talked about what it would be like if Google bought T-Mobile or another carrier, but it’s been a year or so since people pondered what it would be like for them to buy an OEM. Well today that has happened.
Google and Motorola have sent out a combined press release today announcing that Google has entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40 per share in cash which is about $12.5 billion dollars. The transaction was unanimously approved by both companies Board of Directors.
According to Google this will supercharge the Android ecosystem and enhance competition in mobile computing. Google partnered with Motorola for the launch of the Motorola Droid which brought Android to Verizon Wireless the largest carrier in the United States. The Motorola Droid sold very well and gave Android a big boost from Big Red. Google also partnered with Motorola for the release of the first Android Honeycomb device, the Motorola Xoom. Unfortunately the Xoom didn’t fare as well.
More after the break
Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”
A little over a year ago when there was speculation that Google would purchase an OEM the OEM in question was HTC.


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SAP has created a new end-to-end growth area focused on AI, overseeing the entire value chain for SAP Business AI, from product development and research through to customer implementation.
The new unit will fall under the leadership of Dr. Philipp Herzig in the newly created role of chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO). In this new role, effective January 2024, Herzig reports directly to CEO Christian Klein.
Herzig’s team will collaborate with innovators across SAP to infuse artificial intelligence into every part of the company’s portfolio.
With this new setup, SAP aims to further accelerate the pace at which customers can benefit from groundbreaking business AI solutions and services. The newly established division also underscores the central importance of business AI as a strategic driver for SAP’s ongoing growth.
Herzig’s team consists of strong leaders, including Walter Sun, who continues to lead all product engineering efforts on business AI, as the global head of AI. Sun moved from Microsoft to SAP in September 2023.
“SAP’s increased focus on business AI marks the start of a completely new generation of enterprise innovation, and I’m honored to have the chance to help customers make the most of this unprecedented opportunity,” said Herzig. “I look forward to working with our team, as well as our ecosystem of customers and partners, to drive the development and delivery of relevant, reliable, responsible business AI that fundamentally changes the way business runs.”
For more information about this news, visit www.sap.com.


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It is already a fact Libra from Facebook will be launched in the month of January as a stablecoin in dollars. Mark Zukenberg’s company was in the eye of the storm because of some irregularities in their platform, regarding the information they give about users. Apart from this, the regulatory body of the Swiss markets is waiting for the approval of the Libra project to be definitively launched in the market as a stablecoin that, at first, will only be anchored to the dollar.
The Libra association based in Geneva has declared that with the passage of time the range will be opened up to other fiduciary currencies, the pound, the euro and the yuan will be added. For the time being this will open up a large market in different continents. It will open the possibility for many people to log in and pay through Messenger, Whatsapp and Instagram products and services.
We will see if in a first moment of throwing the stablecoin Libra they will also throw the Calibra wallet to be able to use the currency or if there will be an extension in the Facebook products to be able to pay with Libra.
This change of perspective in the Facebook ecosystem will bring different people into the world of cryptocurrencies and that can also attract them to the market so it can be very positive for the cryptoeconomy. Last year Facebook made an attempt to launch Libra. But regulators and central banks around the world began to express concerns about a possible disruption of financial stability and an erosion of overall power over money.
Let’s wait until January, very soon, to see the repercussions that this new factor will have in the world of stablecoins that are presented as an alternative to the great fluctuations in the price of bitcoin.


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Thousands of Townsville homes impacted by flood waters are starting to fill with donations from GIVIT.org.au
The charity website has been connecting donated goods to where they are needed most in our city.
Some families were lucky enough to receive goods within 2 weeks of the monster monsoon, while others are still waiting to receive their requested items.
GIVIT have announced that the most requested items in the wake of the floods are:
Locals who have asked for essential items like beds, fridges, linen and washing machines are being processed as a priority.
The GIVIT purchasing team are using monetary donations to purchase essential items for those in need.
Requests for additional items like gaming consoles, and push bikes will not be purchased using the donated money, however if a member of the public donates an item, it will be passed onto a requestee.
If you'd like to add to the millions already donated, visit the GIVIT website.


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Microsoft's gutsy gamble doesn't appear to be paying off.
The software giant's last-minute decision to push its Surface tablet into third-party retailers just days before the holiday shopping season came to a close has backfired.
In an analyst report earlier this week, R.W. Baird's William Power concludes that Microsoft's tablet has been a dud.
After speaking to reps at Best Buy and Staples -- the two most prominent chains that began stocking the Windows RT-fueled device two weeks ago -- Power concludes that the buzz just wasn't there.
Apple's iPad remains the top choice, and that's not necessarily a shocker. Power also reports that Amazon's Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Tab were popular alternatives. However, he describes the reps at Best Buy and Staples labeling demand merely "modest" for the Surface. All of the stores checked had not run out of Surface tablets.
This is the worst thing that could happen to Microsoft, which had limited the sale of Surface since October's launch to its own online store and the roughly 70 Microsoft stand-alone and holiday stores around the country.
"Expanding its reach is dangerous," I wrote about Microsoft's strategy when it was announced two weeks ago:
If Surface isn't selling at one of its pop-up kiosks, no one knows. If consumers see the Surface and choose cheaper Android tablets or the iPad's richer ecosystem at the local Best Buy, Microsoft will be exposed. This is exactly what doomed the webOS TouchPad and the BlackBerry PlayBook, as both tablets quickly saw their selling prices cut by more than half in the clearance bin.
The TouchPad died after flopping at the retail level, though BlackBerry's PlayBook lives on. Research In Motion has a 4G model "coming soon" as it gears up for next month's anticipated update of its BlackBerry mobile operating system, but the RIM tablets on the market now are marked down to half of their original prices. Is this what Microsoft wants? Now that it has been exposed through channels where it can't silence the soft sell-through numbers, Microsoft may have little choice but to cut prices ahead of the next month's rollout of the higher-priced Surface Pro tablets that do more than just play nice with Microsoft Office and run RT apps.
Mr. Softy's in a pickle, though. If it slashes Surface prices -- something that is no doubt necessary at this point as analysts slash their Surface unit sale projections -- it will upset the hardware partners putting out Windows RT tablets. It's a lose-lose situation, and it may be what prevents the Surface Pro tablet from being the game-changer that it could have been.
It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In this brand-new premium report on Microsoft, our analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, the challenges are many. He's also providing regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.
The article This Was Never Going to Be an Apple Killer Anyway originally appeared on Fool.com.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Aristotle Munarriz has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Microsoft, and Staples. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Several rumours are going around about the fresh release of a new iMac Pro 2022 at Apple, and the release of the product might be sooner than you think.
The optimistic news comes with the courtesy of Bloomberg Mark Gurman, a proven Apple insider. He believes that Apple will ship a new “iMac Pro” in 2022 with a much larger screen than the 24-inch iMac Apple launched in 2021.
The much-hyped discussion stemmed from Twitter when Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) CEO Ross Young took to Twitter to claim that Apple has a new 27-inch iMac that is due out early in 2022, potentially with a tiny-LED display.
Thanks to its big, beautiful display and graphical muscle under the hood, the 27-inch iMac has long been one of the best computers that encompass what you can buy. The promise of a revamped model of the device shipping in 2022 has made us eager about the future of the Mac desktop.
iMac Pro 2022 Release Date
We’re still waiting for Apple to officially confirm plans to ship an iMac in 2022. Once we know about it, we’ll have a much clearer picture of when it’s due out and how much you should expect to pay.
iMac Pro 2022 Price
As far as the pricing is concerned, we do not expect the 2022 iMac to be any cheaper than the current 27-inch iMac, which has a starting price of $1,799. We expect its successor to pack more robust components, including an under-the-hood advancement from Intel chips to Apple silicon, so it’s a safe bet we’re glancing at a starting price of around $2,000 for this newly released 27-inch iMac 2022.
Here’s everything we know so far about the potential 27-inch iMac Pro 2022 to be released soon
iMac Pro 2022 Display
Previously, we heard several tantalizing rumours that Apple was developing a 27-inch iMac Pro for 2022 that had the same remarkable mini-LED displays as its 2021 iPad Pro, MacBook Pros, and 24-inch iMac, along with other notable iOS devices in line.
Design and features
As of now, we have not heard much about significant changes and switches that we can expect in the design of an iMac Pro 2022. Since we anticipate it to be a renewed version of the 27-inch iMac, it seems highly likely that the iMac Pro 2022 will have the same 27-inch display as its predecessor. The screen’s bezels might be slimmer, with less of a bottom on display, which would bring it into line with the updated and revamped design of Apple’s 24-inch iMac 2021.
The company has yet to confirm the specifications and unique features for a probable iMac Pro 2022, so we can only make informed guesses about what such a Mac might be packing under its grand release. It’s safe to say that it will be powered by the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, which Apple revealed near the end of last year. They are outstanding machines, blowing away the lion’s share of Windows laptops in our lab tests, so putting the power of those chips in a big new 27-inch iMac seems like a brilliant move on Apple’s part.
iMac Pro 2022 Camera specifications
We currently did not receive any update about the camera you should expect from a new 27-inch iMac Pro. We have every reason to believe it will be just as good as the camera on the 24-inch iMac 2021, and that’s a good quality camera.
It’s a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and it captures clear, pristine, accurate images and video. We undoubtedly hope to see similar functionality on a future 27-inch iMac Pro 2022.
Apple has left all users looking forward to the grand unveiling of the iMac Pro in 2022. The wait gets more exciting with several outstanding features like a ginormous display and HD Camera quality far superior to other models.


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Facebook's 200 million user community is a tantalizing customer pool, and many banks have been quick to jump into the social networking community by setting up their own Facebook pages. But despite its vast size and exponential growth, banks are finding that Facebook does not translate easily into a marketing platform. Many argue that it may never. "I'm not aware of any bank that's been successful with Facebook," says Jacob Jegher, a senior analyst at Celent. "People don't log onto Facebook for banking, but for friends. I just don't think that Facebook will drive business profitability." At best, Jegher says, it's "experimental marketing," but not a viable business strategy. "There are better ways to build and solidify customer relationships."
Ron Shevlin, a senior analyst at Aite, says that the focus on Facebook is a case of the tail wagging the dog. "Banks need to start with their strategic direction, not the channel. Banks do not need a social media strategy, they need a business strategy."
Banks haven't helped their cause by putting up static Facebook pages without transactional capability. The pages often redirect people to a bank's Web site for even the most basic product information, which analysts say is antithetical to the social networking premise. "In the mind of the consumer that is not helpful. Facebook needs to be a real outpost of the bank; it needs to be tied to products and service," says Andy Schmidt, the research director for global payments at TowerGroup. "Banks need to provide a reason to show up and stay, and banks haven't done that yet."
That's a tall order, analysts say, and it may never happen. Tapping Facebook will require banks to master a tricky mix of entertainment, sales and information - while maintaining the highest level of security. Yet Facebook has been inconsistent with its privacy and personal data policies. There are also scalability issues, integration issues and audit and compliance issues that banks must tackle before Facebook can become a true outpost. "Overall, there are pretty significant barriers to a quick and cost effective deployment," says Emmett Higdon, a senior analyst at Forrester. "Social media tools are not business grade."
There's also a lack of data to support a business case for Facebook. Jegher says he hasn't seen any data on "stickiness," whether the "friends" on a Facebook page ever come back. What's more, says Shevlin, the numbers that are available can be misleading. He recalls when Washington Mutual put up its Facebook page in 2008 and proudly announced that it had 250 to 300 fans in the first 24 hours. But he did a little digging and quickly found that at least two-thirds of those fans were connected to the Web design team.
One application that does allow financial institutions transactional capability on Facebook is Fiserv's MyMoney, which is now only available to credit unions, though Fiserv plans to offer the product to banks in the coming months. (See sidebar) Facebook users download the application, which helps them find and join a credit union, check balances, view account histories and make transfers. So far, there are 16 MyMoney clients and 2,870 Facebook users who have added the application. Another 32 credit unions have signed up and should go live later this year.
Kirsten Gardner, product marketing manager for credit union solutions, says MyMoney uses 128-bit encryption to keep data secure and has a viral marketing aspect. When members add MyMoney to their Facebook profiles, the application notifies their Facebook friends and invites them to add MyMoney as well. Fiserv is also contemplating additional functions, such as person-to-person payments, which could allow Facebook users to pay back a friend for tickets to a concert, or split last night's dinner.


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A job listing might make the fans of the Metroid series happy: Metroid Prime 4, which was announced several years ago, might be wrapping up development shortly.
Nintendo‘s careers website has a job listing for a product tester for Retro Studios. We know about them that the Metroid Prime series’ (which launched on the Nintendo GameCube, significantly changing the gameplay by making it a first-person perspective series, unlike previous adventures of Samus) new game is being developed over there. And don’t forget: Metroid Prime 4 was announced at E3 in 2017. Since then, three years have passed, and in early 2019, Nintendo announced that they got the Bandai Namco connections, restarting the development with Retro Studios. And they were the developers of the original trilogy, meaning „they brought Samus home,”
„Develop and execute test plans to confirm developer requirements and discover defects in pre-released software,” the job listing says. The key part of it is pre-released software. Since we have no clue what else Retro might be doing, we suspect that it is a hint at Metroid Prime 4. However, we recall that Retro was looking for a lead producer in August, meaning the game’s development might still be somewhat patch.
But, good people can improve the game’s development, and perhaps this is why they hired people who previously worked on the Grand Theft Auto series. Also, let’s not forget that Nintendo is a company that delays its games to have a high-quality title when they feel it is ready to do so. This is why they tend to keep games’ release dates revealed close to arrival, not to mention how they like to sneak release titles via the eShop during Nintendo Direct broadcasts.
We should be patient about Metroid Prime 4, though. It might need another year.
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And they are calling on the UK Government to commit to keeping the CE mark as it prepares to leave the EU.
TechUK’s director of market engagement, Paul Hide, writes:
“Keeping CE marking shows businesses that the UK is serious about avoiding a cliff edge and not creating barriers for trade as we prepare to leave the EU.”
CE marking, or the Declaration of Conformity, allows products to flow freely across Europe and shows goods meet safety, quality and environmental laws.
According to a paper “CE marking: Good for Business and Consumers” published by 16 trade associations covering a wide variety of manufacturers of tech products, toys, homeware and industrial machines, a worst-case scenario would see a UK-only marketing scheme or kite mark introduced.
Businesses fear that this will stymie exports by introducing unnecessary additional costs and delay time to market.
“Without CE marking products would cost more and take longer to come out. UK manufacturers will need to comply with it anyway if they want to export. CE marking is followed by a large number of non-EU countries and we should confirm plans to retain it immediately.”


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GUNTAS x NEW BALANCE /SS18 CAPSULE6 février 2018
Following a striking debut presentation at the SS18 Men’s PFW, Milan-based Turkish label GUNTAS releases the result of its collaboration with New Balance, started in July with a presentation at the footwear brand’s flagship store in Milan for the 574 Sport launch event.
With the deconstruction of classic sportswear garments and the inclusion of zips and intensive stitching, designer Zeynep Guntas attempts to reinterpret and highlight the iconic New Balance logo.
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Best Buy’s latest Apple iPhone 12 Mini deals have just been updated to include a nifty little $50 rebate for activation – a small bonus that we’re sure is there to help tempt customers to consider this smaller flagship from Apple.
So far, iPhone 12 Mini deals have generally followed the same sort of template as those offered on the standard iPhone and iPhone 12 Pro models. These have traditionally been good for trade-ins and such, but haven’t given users much incentive to opt for the smaller device at all unless you’re a real fan of smaller devices.
This $50 rebate means that this iPhone 12 Mini deal at Best Buy is now coming in at, on average, $150 cheaper than the standard iPhone 12 model. Of course, this isn’t the first iPhone 12 Mini specific deal we’ve seen over the past few months (the Mint Mobile all-inclusive bundle for $60 a month comes to mind), but it could just be the start of a new round of Mini-specific deals at the bigger retailers and carriers.
Will this latest iPhone 12 Mini deal be enough to persuade more customers to go with the smaller device? It’s more of a nifty bonus in our eyes but a welcome addition to a trade-in rebate that can easily cover the entire cost of this device when put together.
Outside the US? See the best iPhone deals in your region just below.
Apple iPhone 12 Mini deals at Best Buy
Apple iPhone 12 Mini: $50 activation rebate plus trade-in at Best Buy
You can now save up to $880 in total with the combination of a new $50 activation rebate and a trade-in on the iPhone 12 Mini at Best Buy this week. While that activation rebate isn’t huge, when combined with an eligible trade-in you’re looking to easily cover the cost of the entire device here. Note: maximum trade-in savings differ from carrier to carrier (listed just below).


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Changes in customer demand for grocery delivery is the reason the Giant Co. is closing its Milford warehouse, a company spokesman said.
Giant, which operates six grocery stores in Delaware, will be closing Milford site, which was opened to guarantee grocery delivery in three hours, starting Oct. 21.
“Our ambition is to meet the changing needs of our customers who are increasingly looking for faster delivery, more delivery time slots and a broader assortment, and we are adapting to better serve these needs,” spokemans Jonathan Arons told Delaware LIVE.
Milford joins two other sites — one in Hanover, Maryland, and one in Manassas, Virginia, that will be closed.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and all the ways they want to shop,” Arons said. “We will provide updates over the next several weeks with respect to the localized delivery options that will best serve our customers going forward. ”
The chain intends to meet all the needs all of its customers in store and online for delivery or pick up, he said.
RELATED STORY: Giant to close grocery delivery warehouse in Milford
Arons declined to comment on whether retail theft played any role in the decision, limiting his comments to a statement he read.
WTOP, a Washington, D.C., radio station reported this week that operating costs were another reason given for the closures.
Betsy Price is a Wilmington freelance writer who has 40 years of experience, including 15 at The News Journal in Delaware.
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During January-March, weakened domestic demand shaved 0.8 percentage point off Japan's quarterly growth, the GDP data showed. Consumer spending dropped 0.6% on quarter, and business investment also fell 0.9% on quarter.
A government official said falls in spending on cars and services in the quarter, contributed to the decline in consumption for the period.
Sentiment among Japanese consumers also plunged in the aftermath of the disaster, leading to less spending on luxury items and travel.
Japan's latest downturn has pressured the country's authorities into boosting government spending and taking more monetary policy steps. A ¥4 trillion yen extra budget to finance initial reconstruction efforts was enacted earlier this month.
Government spending rose 1.0% in January-March amid disaster-relief efforts, its strongest gain in three quarters, but was not enough to offset weakness in private sector demand.
Exports, meanwhile, rose 0.7% for the first gain in two quarters, the data showed, confounding expectations for a on-quarter decrease. Imports increased 2%, growing for the first time in two quarters amid high global oil prices.


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Aside from the new Galaxy S10s. Samsung has announced its widely anticipated foldable phone in the name of Galaxy Fold – and we’re actually getting excited.
Being rumored for many years, Samsung has now finally demonstrated a market-viable foldable phone. According to the South Korean company, they have invented a smooth hinge system in order to achieve an un-noticeable hinge between the middle. The main 7.3-inch display (when the phone was unfolded) runs at a resolution of 1536 x 2152 px, and when folded, scales down to 4.6-inch, which effectively translates to 840 x 1960 px.
They built two batteries that fits on each side of the device, combining them into a single power source that enable them to power the Galaxy Fold.
In terms of specifications, the 7nm chipset hasn’t been specified yet but what we know is that it comes in 512GB of storage in the eUFS 3.0 standard, and comes in four colors, namely Cosmos Black, Space Silver, Martian Green and Astro Blue.
There’s also six cameras on the device, three on the back, two on the inside, and one in the front.
Samsung had also demonstrated the Fold’s capability, including app continuity that expands the screen of the app from one to another, letting you to use apps the way you want, three-app multi-tasking and seamless integration of the usual apps that we are used to, making new possibilities on using our casual Android apps.
Unfortunately, new concepts come in expensive prices, and we’re not surprised enough that the Galaxy Fold is priced at $1,980, available starting April 26th and comes in LTE and 5G variants.


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Montreal-based national carrier Bell reported 50,204 new postpaid wireless net additions in Q1 2019, a decline from 68,487 that was reported in the same period the previous year.
In its quarterly earnings report that was released on May 2nd, the carrier said the 7.7 percent decrease in net additions was “mainly to fewer customer additions from our long-term mobile services contract with Shared Services Canada as the migration process nears completion.” Bell also said in the previous year postpaid net and gross additions “benefitted from aggressive holiday promotions that carried over into Q1 2018.”
The carrier reported that prepaid net losses improved by 50.6 percent to 11,922 from 24,110 that was reported in Q1 2018, a 56.2 percent increase in gross additions.
Bell said this was “driven by continued strong demand for our low-cost Lucky Mobile prepaid service.”
The report noted Bell’s exclusive partnership with Dollarama to sell Lucky Mobile SIM cards for $4 CAD. Beginning May 1st, all existing 1,200 Dollarama stores will begin selling the cards.
The company expects to grow the prepaid market more, according to two Bell representatives that spoke to MobileSyrup exclusively when the deal was announced. Dollarama will also sell SIM cards from Bell’s flanker brand Virgin Mobile, as well.
Currently, these SIM cards are sold at various retailers for $10. When asked why Bell was knocking down the price of SIM cards, one of the representatives said: “Dollarama has a mandate overall that nothing will be sold over $4 CAD so from a partner perspective, if we want to do business with them we had to live within that realm.”
Bell now has 9,480,835 total prepaid and postpaid wireless customers, a 3.1 percent increase compared to the same period a year ago, the report said.
Postpaid churn for Q1 2019 improved 0.06 percentage points to 1.07 percent, the report said. This is an improvement from the 1.26 percent rate that the carrier reported in Q4 2018.
Churn represents the rate at which subscribers left Bell for one of the company’s competitors.
The average billing per user increased by 1.2 percent to $67.35, which Bell said was because of “more customers moving to higher-value monthly plans with larger data allotments, the flow-through of price changes and subscriber adjustments made at the beginning of the quarter.”
The company’s total operating revenue for its wireless division increased by 4.5 percent to $2.12 million. Bell said this increase was mainly because of a “healthy year-over-year subscriber base growth.”
Total operating revenue totalled to $5.73 billion, a 2.6 percent increase compared to the $5.59 billion that was reported in the same period a year ago.
Bell’s net earnings totalled to $791 million, an 11.6 percent increase compared to $709 million that was reported in the same period a year ago.
“The strength of Bell’s industry-leading broadband networks delivered leading customer additions in broadband Internet, TV and postpaid wireless, and higher customer satisfaction reflected in improved churn performance across our operating segments in Q1. A strong start to the year, and the Bell team will continue to lead the way in network, service and content innovation in 2019, including the ongoing expansion of our broadband services into rural Canada and preparation for the introduction of 5G wireless,” Bell’s CEO George Cope said in a press release.


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Following the meeting between President Barack Obama and President Felipe Calderon within the framework of the G-20 Summit, held in Los Cabos last June, TPP participating countries extended an invitation to Mexico to join the Agreement. This membership will allow Mexico to fully participate in the negotiations and ensure that its interests are being considered in the discussions.
The 15th round of negotiations will be held from December 3rd to 12th in Auckland, New Zealand. Previously, Mexico will host an inter-sessional meeting, which is expected to take place in November with the participation of all TPP members.
The TPP is currently the most relevant and ambitious plurilateral trade negotiation due to the wide range of topics and disciplines included as well as the number of participating countries. In 2011, the TPP countries accounted for 18% and 15% of the world’s imports and exports, respectively, as well as 26% of the global GDP.
For Mexico, the TPP has a strategic value since it represents a platform to enhance trade integration in the Asia-Pacific region. It gives Mexico the opportunity to continue diversifying its exports and strengthen global supply chains with the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific which is currently the world's most dynamic region.
Source: NAFTA Works
As a part of our ongoing effort to improve the value proposition for dealer members, the NAEDA Board of Directors recently decided to put Equipment Dealer magazine on a two- to three month hiatus while we work to expand the content and enhance the delivery of the publication. The “new and improved” magazine is a significant part of the associations’ ongoing communications initiative, which addresses our entire messaging platform – magazine, e-newsletter, web site, email and other key components.
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It turns out the more affordable 6.1-inch iPhone that Apple has planned for 2018 won’t quite be the iPhone X lookalike we were expecting.
The brand new handset will certainly borrow a lot of the iPhone X’s design traits, but according to new screen protectors, its LCD display won’t be truly edge-to-edge.
Its edge-to-edge Super Retina HD display with incredibly slim bezels is what makes the iPhone X Apple’s prettiest smartphone yet. And we can expect the 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus — also scheduled to arrive this fall — to offer the same.
Unfortunately for those with a tighter budget, the cheaper 6.1-inch iPhone could have a thicker border around its edges.
Screen protectors reveal 2018 iPhone secrets
It is believed that the LCD display Apple will use in the 6.1-inch iPhone will allow for bezels as slim as 2mm. That sounds like nothing, but when you see them alongside the even slimmer bezels of its siblings, there’s a noticable difference.
The photo of new screen protectors above, published by reliable leaker Benjamin Geskin, shows the border surrounding the 6.1-inch iPhone’s screen is slightly thicker, leaving a little less room for its display. And yet, its notch doesn’t appear to be any smaller.
This probably won’t be a deal-breaker for those who are already planning to purchase Apple’s more affordable iPhone this fall. You probably won’t even notice it if you don’t place the device alongside a pricier handset. But it is another win for OLED displays.
It’s thought the 6.1-inch iPhone will cost around $700, which will make it $300 cheaper than the slightly smaller iPhone X. It is expected to offer Face ID, but will lose out on other features, such as 3D Touch and a secondary rear-facing camera.


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The main global manufacturer of processors for mobile devices – the American company Qualcomm – presented its next top-end solution, which is guaranteed to become the basis of the vast majority of flagship smartphones in 2021 – Snapdragon 888.
Immediately, we note that the configuration of the chip’s processor cores remains a mystery, but the developer told many other things that are no less interesting. For example, the Snapdragon 888 received an integrated third-generation 5G modem Snapdragon X60, which supports fifth-generation networks, both millimeter-wave and below 6 GHz (Sub-6), in all major frequency bands around the world.
There is also a new engine for artificial intelligence tasks – the sixth generation Qualcomm AI Engine with a completely redesigned Qualcomm Hexagon coprocessor. It promises a significant jump in performance over the current Snapdragon 865 – up to 26 TOPS instead of the previous 15 TOPS.
And the Spectra’s built-in signal processor is capable of processing up to 2.7 gigapixels per second, which is roughly equal to 120 photos with a resolution of 12 megapixels. This is 35% faster than the current generation.
In the meantime, Amazfit has introduced the affordable GTS 2 Mini smartwatch.


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Big ticket items are the first to suffer when consumers tighten their purse strings.
And there are few big ticket items bigger than recreational vehicles (RVs)… That’s truer than beyond the price tag.
Year-to-date, total RV shipments have plummeted 49.2%. And in June, RV shipments fell more than 46% year-over-year.
Companies, like Winnebago (WGO) and Thor Industries (THO) are feeling the brunt.
On June 21, Winnebago reported revenue tumbled 38.2% to $900.8 million. Its towable segment suffered the most, collapsing 52.4%.
On June 6, Thor Industries released similarly dismal results. Third quarter revenue tanked 37.1% to $2.93 billion. And once again, North American towables were torched, sliding 57.4%.
RVs sales are not only seeing sharp drops from 2022… or even 2021. They’re on pace for the lowest levels since 2015. And the last time RV sales witnessed such a steep decline was during the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009. This is one sector where a recession is already here.


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“Although powder coatings, as with many products, have not had quite the level of expansion that anyone would love to see, with the economy still in a slow growth mode, the growth in powder has been faster than that of the economy,” said Ron McMahon, marketing director powder coatings, Sherwin-Williams. “It continues to gain acceptance as a viable technology among finishers and their customers.”
“Powder coatings markets performed in a similar fashion to other paint and coatings markets and were impacted by the overall economic slowdown in the past,” said John Wolff, AkzoNobel’s general manager for Powder Coatings. “We are very pleased to now see the European market stabilizing, with some remaining volatility. We also see North America on a recovery path and China is coming back, as well. As a global market leader in powder coatings we believe that we are best positioned to benefit from the positive dynamics in these markets. At the same time, we are making very good progress in improving our operational efficiency in Europe and some of the other mature markets.”
Stricter environmental regulations in the paint and coatings industry have certainly given powder coatings a boost as there are several advantages to the powder coating process, the main one being that it does not require solvents, and only minor amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released during the cure.
“VOC and solvent-free technologies like powder are advancing and benefiting from stricter environmental legislation,” said Wolff. “It is, for example, easier for an applicator to get a license for powder due to its lower impact on the environment. This applies to the entire supply chain. We have and will continue to invest in powder coatings as we see it as a more sustainable alternative to liquids. As well as being free from solvents, powder coatings are easy to use – straight from the box. They are also recyclable and easy and safe to dispose of. This is in line with AkzoNobel’s ambitious sustainability targets.”
According to McMahon, although environmental regulations were the primary driver for many years and remain a key driver, there other factors contributing to powder’s growth. “Although regulations remain a consideration, powder coating usage over the past several years has really been driven by the overall advantages powder offers to finishers and the benefits powder can provide customers, he said. “These include the fact that powder can be applied as a primer-less finish (direct to metal); powder is efficient in that 95-98 percent of the coating can be used with a properly designed and maintained reclamation system; powder is easy to apply and powder produces a durable, high quality finish.
Powder coatings have seen growth in a number of regions. As expected Asia continues to be a growth engine, however, McMahon said that Sherwin-Williams is seeing growth beyond China in places such as Thailand, Indonesia and India. “Eastern Europe is also growing, especially Poland,” he added. “We have seen significant growth in places such as Brazil and Turkey.”
AkzoNobel has recently invested in new powder coatings factories in Chengdu in Western China and in Dubai in the Middle East to support the growing demand in these regions. “While we invest in high growth markets; we continue to consolidate our manufacturing footprint in mature markets to improve our efficiency and to adapt our production to the regional demand,” Wolff added.
In September, AkzoNobel announced plans to expand its powder coatings manufacturing facility in Chengdu, China. This production site is scheduled to be operational in late 2014. Located in the Chengdu Economic and Technology Development Zone, the site occupies an area of 18,000 square meters and has more than 10,000 ton capacity per annum.
In November, AkzoNobel announced plans to invest more than €1million in the UK, to build a new Powder Coatings Pilot Plant at its Felling site in the UK. The function of this pilot line is to replicate the company’s manufacturing system, enabling new powder coatings to be produced in a way that fully mimics full-scale production.
Sherwin-Williams continues to offer OEMs and finishers a variety of powder coatings. The company is constantly working to improve durability and lower cure temperature. “Sherwin-Williams continues to push the envelope as a leader in powder coatings,” McMahon said. “We have a broad offering of powder technologies, as well as unique service offerings like our two-day RAL program launched across most of the U.S. and Canada that guarantees delivery within two days after an order is placed for the top RAL colors. Low cure temperature coatings are desirable, and we also have introduced products that take advantage of low cure chemistry.”
AkzoNobel has launched several new products. They include a new heat-reflective range of powder coatings – Interpon D2525 Eternity. The collection is designed to reduce the heat within buildings and to reduce the urban heat island effect.
AkzoNobel has added a new generation of its Interpon Collection Anodic Range featuring matt and metallic powder coating finishes in popular anodizing shades. The collection offers a sustainable and aesthetic alternative to anodized aluminum, due to its environmental credentials and smooth metallic finish. The Anodic collection differs from traditional anodizing in its improved color consistency and versatility, according to the company.
AkzoNobel also recently launched a new Interpon F 2014 trend range, designed for the furniture market, which offers protective, durable and design driven powder coatings. Created with the tough performance requirements and aesthetic qualities demanded specifically by the furniture industry, the Interpon F range offers a sustainable, quality coating alternative – with increased scratch resistance and hardness as standard for the interior and exterior furniture markets.
Lastly, AkzoNobel launched collection Futura 2014 - 2017, featuring 55 special effect coatings. According to the company, it is a durable range of powder coatings intended for use on architectural aluminum and galvanized steel. It delivers long-term performance, superior gloss retention, maximum film integrity and resistance to color change. The result is a long life high durability surface that retains its appearance and requires minimal maintenance for many years.
AkzoNobel Powder Coatings has ambitious plans for the future. “Further to offering productivity and efficiency increases through lower cure temperatures, we are constantly working on improving the eco-efficiency of our products to the benefit of our customers,” said Wolff. “Our products offer our customers sometimes the opportunity to replace precious materials in their buildings and applications, due to the sophisticated look our powder products create, thereby creating substantial cost savings and contributing further to the sustainability agenda of our customers.”
As part of AkzoNobel’s sustainability agenda, the company is working on a further reduction of cure temperatures for powder coatings. This will also have significant benefits for customers, as lower temperatures will ultimately result in lower energy usage and this higher and more cost efficient productivity.
“We will shortly be launching our new Interpon Align powder coatings system,” Wolff said. “Utilizing dry-on-dry coating technology, Interpon Align delivers superior edge coverage and corrosion performance, while eliminating one full cure cycle. The result is improved productivity, lower energy consumption, shortened coating cycle time, and reduced capital investment. Furthermore, we are constantly looking into new colors and effects for the furniture and architectural market.”
Additionally, powder coating performance remains a key target for AkzoNobel. “We have launched a series of products under the Steelplex brand in Australia looking at a combination of corrosion resistance and UV resistance,” Wolff said. “We are working on products to improve corrosion resistance in the alloy wheel market while focusing on emerging markets we are looking at high performance products that can be applied over ‘poorer’ surface treatments.”


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Mountain View, California is the location for the 2017 Annual Developer’s Conference hosted by Google, the world’s largest multi-tech and search engine oriented organization. The Googleplex, which was built in 1996, is the home of innovators and free-thinkers who focus on enterprises such as cloud computing, advertising technologies, Internet analytics, and the development of Web operating systems.
This May, the agenda is centered around discussing and inviting new concepts on the new Android O, artificial intelligence, the new version of the iOS Assistant and more. Google has billions of loyal followers, but in 2017, they set their focus on the next billion users coming online and discovering Google; the tech-giant is super-focused on these next users.
Google is eagerly looking forward to unveiling a new series of software features and updates that offer new users easier accessibility. They also included renovations to several subcategories of Google including Google Home, Google Photos, YouTube, Gmail, Android OS, and ways to optimize a present device’s performance without purchasing a new product.
The Android Go, a simpler version of Android O, has only one gigabyte of memory and will be introduced for entry-level devices. The experts also introduced Lens, a new photographic feature for the phone.
Google Assistant was not forgotten, and it also is experiencing improvements as it appears in iOS. Now, the user will be able to type in addition to speaking, and this will be assimilated into several Google products.
One of the most significant new features is for the job hunter on Google search. When pertinent job information is entered for a job hunt, the search engine will now pull from Career Builder, Monster, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn, so users will find jobs directed to their specific location and experience.
This incredible, innovative, group continues to create state-of-the-art products for the Internet world, and GooglePlex is the spectacular location to encourage that. On the property are fitness and wellness centers, cooking classes, cafes and bike riding across the campus. This is the environment where free-thinking lives.


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The payments industry has seen an encouraging increase in opportunities for merchants to capitalise on. This has been evidenced by an average transaction value of slightly less than R3 000 per user in the South African digital commerce market for 2018 and estimates that the global market will grow at 13.9 percent through 2022. But to do so, merchants require access to secure, efficient, and user-friendly payment systems.
According to the World Payments Report 2018 from Capgemini and BNP Paribas, developing markets are driving the boom in digital payments. It is estimated that by 2021, these markets will account for half of all non-cash transactions worldwide. Considering that approximately 90 percent of South African informal enterprises run as cash-only businesses, there is some work still to be done.
Even though there is strong customer interest to pay by card, a Mastercard study has found that many local small traders are not offering card or mobile acceptance. The study cites the perceived costs of accepting these digital payment solutions, a lack of banking facilities, and a lack of knowledge about alternative payment solutions as the main reasons for this lag in adoption.
Much like the promise of the paperless office, the cashless economy is viewed by many as a pipedream. Yet, there is substantial evidence that this pipedream will actually come to fruition. According to a UN article, more than 500 million Africans currently use mobile phones, with 84 million having active mobile money accounts. Part of the attraction of mobile money solutions (especially as payment forms) is that they are generally easy to use, and funds are cleared immediately, often bypassing the need for a bank or other financial institution.
Needless to say, merchants (whether online or brick-and-mortar-based) are looking for more effective ways of empowering their customers in this digital and mobile-led world. Up to a few years ago, inter-bank payments were cumbersome to do and the long clearance time before funds were available limited sales.
But thanks to the arrival of alternative payment environments like i-Pay, processing times have dropped to seconds (instead of minutes), funds are immediately available, and customer drop-offs have decreased significantly.
Digital gateways like i-Pay are democratising ecommerce and laying the foundation for a cashless environment that will not only be reliant on the adoption of mobile money solutions. Instead, all these various offerings combine to present consumers and merchants with options beyond the traditional, opening up new customers bases for merchants and giving cardless consumers access to online channels they previously couldn’t purchase from. For instance, i-Pay customers in the food delivery vertical are seeing average monthly growth of 53% in i-Pay transactions and sports betting providers average monthly growth of 10% over 2 years. Current forecasts predict that between 15-20% of online purchases in 2018 will be fulfilled via i-Pay or similar services.
This is not to say that adoption won’t be without its challenges. Much work still needs to be done on merchant education and increasing awareness from consumers on Instant EFT options. However, the increased security these provide, not to mention how transactions are completed virtually instantaneously with no need to send a proof of payment, make for compelling reasons to embrace it more wholeheartedly.
Given the complexities of the regulatory environment, especially when it comes to the storing of sensitive personal information (like bank account details), a solution like i-Pay does not keep any of the financial information. It merely acts as a gateway to deliver payments more efficiently. With this in mind, merchants can sell more products and consumers are not as reliant on cash or cards as before.
We are entering exciting times for digital payments and i-Pay is more than ready (and able) to capitalise on these opportunities.


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Uh-oh: DICE just announced that the second Battlefield: Bad Company 2 map pack is due March 30th – the same day as the Modern Warfare 2 “mapathy” pack will go up for sale.
Yesterday, a teaser site proclaimed that Infinity Ward’s cure for Modern Warfare 2 “mapathy” was on the way, scheduled to go live on March 30th. This, of course, was the long-awaited MewTwo map pack that we knew was in the works, despite the recent shenanigans at the Call of Duty developer.
But EA and DICE aren’t planning on letting Infinity Ward take the wind out of their rather full sails just yet. In a post on the Battlefield blog titled, “How to avoid “mapathy” without paying,” series Executive Producer KM Troedsson said that the new BBC2 map pack would also be hitting on March 30th, only it would be free for VIP members (aka, people who bought the game new, in accordance with EA’s new “Project Ten Dollar” policy).
“This is why these map packs are available at no extra cost, contradicting the industry standard and what our direct competitors are doing. Of course, it also helps avoid segmenting the community, making sure everyone can play together having the same maps available,” said Troedsson, though he also admitted that the game would have paid DLC available at some point in the future – but these map packs wouldn’t be it.
From what I can understand, however, these aren’t new maps per se – just new gametypes unlocked on ones that already exist. The Conquest mode will be added to Arica Harbor, where collateral damage “is of no consequence,” and Laguna Presa will be getting the Rush gametype.
This isn’t the first time that DICE has taken potshots at its main competitor in Infinity Ward and Call of Duty (see also: fiasco, dedicated servers), but it’s interesting to see that the studio isn’t letting up.
MewTwo versus the Beeb. Who will win?


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Every year, more cannabis industry deals get done at MJBizCon than any other event by far! Pope is extremely excited to be back in person at MJBizCon. This year we are pleased to announce our newProPass 600 CANNASTILL, on display at the show. Visit our booth C2838 to see the new ProPass 6″ Wiped-Film Still and other products. We are also running a sale in conjunction with the show that will begin in October and run through the end of the year. To learn more about the sale click here.
Equipment featured at the show:
NEW Pope ProPass 600 Stainless Steel Canna Still
2” standard glass wiped-film canna still
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From a global perspective, conditions and prospects for the remainder of the year appear largely positive. In Q1, confidence grew across Western Europe, economic recovery in Latin America looks promising in key markets, FMCG sales in North America performed well, and growing disposable incomes across Asia-Pacific are having an effect beyond the immediate region.
Thanks to the faster pace of opening-up and dual credit policy, the new energy market is entering a new era. Instead of being driven by favorable policies such as subsidies or license plates, its development model is shifting from policy orientation to market orientation with dramatic changes in its market structure and demands. In the future, competitiveness of products will be the key to capturing market share.
There has never been a more dynamic and challenging time to be a marketer. Since the advent of the internet, fueled by available high-speed access and ignited by the proliferation of powerful new devices, marketers have more access to consumers than ever before.
Regardless of whether you call it football or soccer, it’s a sport with massive global appeal and fan interest. In fact, more than 40% of people 16 or older in major population centers around the world consider themselves interested or very interested in following football, more so than any other sport.
The global reach of football, or soccer, is unequalled among sports in terms of value to media and sponsors. With the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 upon us, Nielsen offers a snapshot of the vast collection of data and insights surrounding the world’s most popular sport.
The DMP serves as the nervous system for your organization’s digital ecosystem helping you unify, make sense of and unlock the value of disparate streams of data, uncover and build valuable consumer audiences, and reach those high-value audiences with personalized messaging in real-time across the digital ad ecosystem.
Today, access to information is unprecedented, consumers are empowered to make smarter buying decisions and marketers have amassed immense quantities of data about consumers. Technology has transformed many industries permanently, but perhaps none as much as marketing.
We expect lifestyle, the “little and often” trend, technology and location to be four of the key influencers on shopper’s behaviour in 2018, which, if executed well, will be true foot traffic drivers for c-store retailers.
With digital now a critical channel for brands, it’s no surprise that they’re actively looking to better understand and measure returns in the space. They’re also actively looking to social media and sponsorships as a way to amplify their digital returns.
Now in place, the minimum pricing of alcohol regulation in Scotland means that a single unit of alcohol cannot be sold for less than 50p. And as a result, the stronger the drink, the more expensive it will be. So what effect might that have on consumption?
We are at a time of unprecedented commercial opportunity in global sports. Barriers to entry have never been lower. More markets around the world than ever before are receptive to the power of sports. It’s never been easier to reach millions—even billions—of fans.
When it comes to growth, it’s hard to ignore what we’re seeing in emerging markets. In fact, they’re currently generating two-to four-times the FMCG growth of developed markets. But just because the big picture boasts big opportunity doesn’t mean capitalizing on the right opportunities is easy.
2017 was a good year for global consumers, with consumer confidence ending the year at a near-record level. Notably, 51 markets finished the year with higher confidence than they did in 2016, and the gains were bigger than 2 points in 46 markets.
More than any other consumer industry, beauty and personal care are driven by trends. New trending ingredients, formulations, colors and brands come around every season. Walk into your average retail store and you’ll see this reflected on shelves.
While sales of fast-moving consumer goods in some traditionally successful markets like the U.S. saw signs of softness in early 2017, opportunities for growth are still readily available if you know where to look.
For a decade, emerging markets have ignited the global economy, contributing more than 80% to its economic expansion. Today, these markets consistently perform a remarkable three to four times better than their developed market counterparts in the FMCG industry.
Compared with the everyday consumer products we buy frequently, like paper towels and boxed cereal, durables have a much longer shelf life. Items like electric razors, coffee makers and irons fall into this category, and they play key roles in the everyday lives of consumers—yet in much different ways than fast-moving consumer goods do.
In the face of rapidly evolving business and economic landscapes around the world, the importance of organizational intelligence and foresight thinking as a tool to unearth early indicators of change and unlock growth has never been greater.
What do dental chews for pets, adult incontinence undergarments and sweetened light beer have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. A closer look, however, reveals that each solved a specific "job to be done."
China’s e-commerce market continues to see high double-digit growth year on year. The Double 11 event on 11 November 2017 – also known as Singles’ Day, when single people in China celebrate, and which has become a popular shopping holiday – was a clear example of how China’s consumption-led economy is evolving digitally. Online marketplace Alibaba saw sales growth of 39% in comparison with the event in 2016, suggesting that Chinese consumers are confident in their spending and that consumption will continue to rise.
The esports industry is growing quickly, with new leagues, teams and distribution channels. And this growth is attracting new high-profile esports investment from brands, media organizations and traditional sports rightsholders.
While gaming across Asia remains serious business, followership, engagement and the most popular titles vary greatly market by market. What is an established pastime in South Korea remains a relatively new yet fast-growing phenomenon in Japan.
The “input button,” an often misunderstood piece of remote control real estate, unlocks a wide range of content for consumers with an array of devices, and it’s no longer invisible to audience measurement.
The world is changing. Fast. The way we work. The way we travel. The way we watch videos and shows. The way we simply interact with each other. And because the pace of change is happening so incredibly fast, it can be hard to understand what, and just how much, change has happened over a week, month or year.
As marketers seek greater accountability in today’s increasingly omnichannel shopper landscape, demand for outcome-based ROI measurement has become more important than ever across the media, retail and FMCG industries.
Backed by rising consumer confidence and optimism, many of the world’s economies are experiencing degrees of positive momentum. In some cases, that momentum is strong; in others, it’s subtle, but still worth noting.
When identifying how valuable sponsorships and brand activation can be in esports, it’s worth exploring the issue from the perspectives of the many stakeholders involved: leagues, franchisees and teams.
Neuroscience shows us that, when used correctly, music can put viewers and listeners in a more positive mood, leading to a greater reliance on intuition and a reduction in both critical thought and focus on detail.
We’ve been talking about health and wellness for years. There are two critical forces at play that are shifting this topic from niche to mainstream: increasingly complex needs and massive digital engagement.
China’s “Single’s Day” (aso know as “Double 11 Day”) has become a well-known online shopping carnival. However, in recent years, “Single’s Day” is not only an online shopping holiday but also a famous offline event which attracts physical store retailers’ attention and offers discounts and promotions for consumers.
In recent years, a variety of e-commerce shopping festivals have become popular and how many times do online consumers buying a lot? Global leading information and measurement company Nielsen found that, among all kinds of e-commerce sales, the “Double 11” shopping festival is still the most popular one.
Global FMCG retail is pegged at $4 trillion today, growing at a rate of just 4%, with signs of continuing sluggish performance in developed markets. On the other hand, total retail e-commerce is predicted to grow by 20% (combined annual growth rate) to become a $4 trillion market by 2020.
As the e-commerce channel expands, the future success of brands will be significantly affected by how successful they are online. As increasingly time poor consumers seek convenience and on-the-go purchases, online sales of FMCG will gain more importance.
We’ve gotten used to emphasizing the divide between digital and physical, but it’s quickly disappearing: when digital data about the physical world is comprehensive, real-time and freely available, the physical and digital augment each other.
When testing innovations, it’s risky to ask consumers to compare a new concept against an actual product that they currently purchase. This unbalances the entire evaluation by setting up an unfair comparison.
Beyond in-store clinics and the traditional health care aisle of the store, a handful of departments should be top of mind for drug store retailers where more multicultural dollars are spent in comparison to non-Hispanic whites.
Africa’s vast potential is the stuff of investors’ dreams, but capitalizing on that opportunity is less about identifying or quantifying prospects and more about execution stemming from knowledge, insights and data to enable on-the-ground success.
Backed by improving global consumer confidence, many regions are seeing improved conditions for businesses and the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Here, we’ll look at trends in a few select countries.
For a long time, no one outside IT showed much interest in APIs, but MIT research shows that the most successful digital companies make above-average investments in APIs; these companies know that APIs are fundamental to their strategic success. Why do they think that?
With the advancements in big data, advertisers know more about consumers than ever before. And yet, they’re still challenged with how to drive the greatest return for their marketing budgets. And we all know what happens when executives don’t see the ROI they’re expecting—they cut budgets.
In contrast to the ongoing market challenges facing global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers and retailers, consumers are in better spirits than they were at the end of 2016. In fact, global consumer confidence has risen three index points since the close of last year.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last couple of years, you’re seeing the FMCG industry transform right in front of our eyes. That’s scary, but equally exciting. So here are three things big FMCG marketers need to do to win as the industry evolves.
Has the traditional planning process become obsolete? Many signs within the industry point to “yes.” So in order to succeed today, companies need to move to a new form of adaptive planning that is responsive to continuous market change.
Your kid tore his favorite pair of jeans and you need to know if your local store will be open after work so you can pick up a replacement pair. If only you had a personal shopper who could find out what time the store closes.
FMCG success today is now dependent on quality product images, solid SEO and prominent placement on e-tailer websites—far more so than simply having an abundant quantity or variety on the shelf at the local store.
As one of the world’s most well known bicycle races kicks off this weekend, a recent study by Nielsen Sports has tracked the growing interest of cycling around the world, most notably in the Asian region.
While unexpected by many, the Amazon-Whole Foods linkage highlights just how profoundly consumer expectations are changing with regard to food and beverage shopping—and will continue to do so moving forward.
Unbeknownst to most consumers, tremendous thought goes into developing even the most commonplace products. As a result, product development in the FMCG industry is anything but fast-moving. But what if algorithms could help streamline the process and the outcomes?
Global sports are thriving, but media consumption is changing before our eyes. And as the media world grapples with these issues, so too must the sports industry. But these challenges aren’t the only obstacles facing the sports realm.
Measuring an ad’s ability to communicate trust is a tricky business: perceptions of trust can be non-conscious, formed almost immediately and biased by subtle factors. Given these nuances, explicit research methods aren’t sufficient.
As retailers ramp up their health and wellness offerings, and the lines between channels blurs, it’s interesting to think about the role that drug stores will play in an increasingly crowded, wellness-oriented marketplace.
The popularity of clean energy vehicles among Chinese consumers is rising, with 27% of car-buyers willing to consider purchasing Blade Electric Vehicles (BEV), and 25% interested in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
Compared to their counterparts in other markets, Hong Kong consumers are relatively less likely to engage in online shopping, simply because of the close proximity and convenience of nearby physical stores. A growing reliance on the internet and mobile tech, however, are opening the doors to change.
It’s no surprise that more and more items are being outfitted with built-in connectivity. Consumers’ adoption of internet-enabled devices isn’t a given, however, and it’s worth exploring why acceptance has been so fragmented across categories—as well as what the industry can do to accelerate usage.
How many things can you say for certain that you're paying attention to, or even seeing, at any given moment? Our brains just aren’t good at recalling the kinds of details marketers need to evaluate their efforts in a complex world. That’s where the right neuroscience tools can help.
China, with its huge population and increasing affluence, is a very lucrative market for companies and brands in the Pacific. The Demand Institute, projects that consumers in China will spend $56 trillion over the next decade, with a largely young, affluent, connected consumer base with disposable incomes leading the charge.
In terms of golf’s global appeal, few markets rank higher than South Korea. Insights from Nielsen Sports show that 35% of people in the country are interested in golf, which puts it ahead of markets like the U.S. and Europe as the sport’s most interested population.
Companies striving for “leaner, bigger, better” innovations require realistic marketing inputs and an accurate forecast to identify their most promising initiatives. Proving that “consumers love it” without a realistic volumetric assessment simply isn’t enough.
With global sponsorship spend forecast to reach over $62 billion in 2017 and global media rights spend expected to hit $45 billion, the top-line metrics remain positive. This report detail what we regard as the 10 major commercial trends in sports.
After experiencing three consecutive quarters of stability, the Chinese Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) rose from 106 in the third quarter of 2016 to 108 in the fourth, according to the latest Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index survey.
Global consumer confidence increased modestly in 2016, a time of great political and economic change around the world, rising three points between the first and fourth quarters to 101. Confidence scores finished the year more strongly than they began in every region except Africa/Middle East.
Unconstrained by physical walls, e-commerce retailers offer a huge inventory of products in endless aisles. Unfortunately, our physical world product coding processes can’t scale to e-commerce: they’re too costly and too slow.
The premium sector is growing globally, and as it turns out, it isn’t ritzy categories like diamonds and champagne that are topping the charts. Rather, global consumers are most often willing to trade up for everyday consumables.
In the coming decades, machine learning will transform work as we know it. And unlike previous revolutions, which primarily affected blue-collar workers, the smart machine revolution has white-collar workers in its sights.
Around the world, consumers are looking for a taste of the good life. And it’s not just those who are wealthy. Sales of products in the “premium” tier are growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the growth of the premium sector in many markets is outpacing total growth for many fast-moving consumer goods categories.
This study identifies the attributes consumers are looking for in premium product offerings, and reveals the underlying sentiment behind the reasons for purchase. We explore what “premium” means to consumers, and we identify the categories for which they’re most willing to pay a higher price.
Consumers are faced with a dizzying array of retailers vying for their attention, and a retail loyalty program can be a determining factor for where they decide to shop. In fact, 72% of global respondents agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.
When it comes to the most-valued loyalty-program benefits, monetary incentives top the list in every region. However, creating meaningful differentiation requires offering more than generic deals, and thinking beyond monetary perks can help brands stand out.
Most new product launches are “small” or “sustaining” innovations, which include the many, many brand extensions that large companies launch year after year. These launches are absolutely essential for growing existing brands and defending shelf space.
Global consumers, by and large, have more shopping choices at their disposal than ever before. For retailers, differentiating your brand in such a crowded space is critical. A retail loyalty program can be an effective way to create competitive advantage by reducing customers’ likelihood to switch stores.
Done well, loyalty programs can help drive more frequent visits and heavier purchasing. More than seven in 10 global respondents (72%) agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.
While the third quarter of 2016 saw considerable economic diversity across the markets measured by Nielsen’s Global Survey, consumer confidence in the U.S. remained on solid footing with a score of 106, despite a decline of seven points from the second quarter.
Third-quarter 2016 global consumer confidence remained stable at 99, up one point from the second quarter and unchanged from third-quarter 2015. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.
Third-quarter global consumer confidence increased one point from the second quarter to 99. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.
Most of the customer data companies gather about innovation is structured to show correlations rather than causations. Yet after decades of watching great companies do poorly at innovation, we’ve come to the conclusion that the focus on correlation is taking firms in the wrong direction.
What causes a consumer to pull a product into their lives? Simply put, we bring a product into our lives because it meets a need or desire. That’s the crux of Jobs Theory: doing a job that needs to be done.


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Stellar Development Foundation, the non-profit organization driving stellar network has just announced that the Samsung Blockchain Keystore will be adding support for Stellar. In doing so, Stellar investors will have the ability to securely store private keys on various Samsung Galaxy models.
Stellar Expands Blockchain Ecosystem
According to a recent announcement, the Stellar Blockchain is now accessible on various Samsung Galaxy models. With the alliance between Samsung and the Stellar Development Foundation, Stellar has been integrated into the Samsung Blockchain Keystore. With the integration, Stellar developers can now expand their reach by creating blockchain applications and services for people that own Galaxy phones. On various Galaxy smartphones, Stellar users will also have the ability to securely manage their private keys. Four Stellar ecosystem partners have pledged to be involved in the integration. Partners who plan to adopt the necessary SDKs to make their applications accessible in the Keystore include DSTOQ, SatoshiPay, Litemint, and Nodle. In addition to Ethereum, TRON, Bitcoin, and Klaytn, Stellar now becomes the fifth digital asset added to the Samsung Keystore.
Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Fund stated that:
“Stellar’s integration into the Samsung Blockchain Keystore is a significant step for our network and the incredible ecosystem of applications built on this platform. Samsung provides a key management solution that is user-friendly and drives greater adoption of blockchain technology. With this integration, we’ve opened up to a new network of users that can benefit from the combined innovation of Stellar and Samsung. It’s just the beginning as we work together to empower more developers and users to leverage blockchain and the capabilities presented by this integration.”
Samsung Blockchain Keystore
Galaxy Smartphones have specialized built in wallets that will now allow Stellar users to securely store their private keys. This means that users can sign transactions on compatible Stellar decentralized applications and crypto wallets. The Samsung Blockchain Keystore offers “vaultlike security” for managing digital keys. The infrastructure creates an environment where private key information is never stored on a device or the external cloud. In an environment where users value privacy, the Keystore has revolutionized the way information is protected from malware, breaches, and other threats. The Keystore is only supported by Samsung Galaxy phones. These devices include the Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy S10 series, and the flip/fold phones.
More On Stellar And Stellar Development Foundation
Stellar ( XLM ) strives to connect financial infrastructure by leveraging a decentralized and fast payment protocol. Native Digital asset, XLM powers the Stellar network, and facilitates cross border transactions between any currency pairs. Stellar now services 4M+ accounts, including financial institutions worldwide that issue assets and settle payments.
The Stellar Development Foundation operates in a non-profit capacity and fuels the growth and development behind Stellar. The Foundation was founded in 2014 and supports the codebase, Stellar communities, and also works with regulators and institutions to push global adoption.
Image Source: Shutterstock


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World’s richest man, Elon Musk also famous for his dank memes on Twitter has made a major announcement through his recent tweet.
Tesla, a car that runs on clean energy soon, can be bought using Bitcoins. This makes Tesla one of the earliest companies to accept crypto as payment. Tesla currently holds Bitcoin worth $1.5 Billion which it invested last month.
This tweet by the Tesla owner has helped Bitcoin rise over $55,000. In the last few days, BTC had lost some ground after seeing a seismic rise in 2021.
Some experts have gone as far as calling this “the Biggest News” in the history of bitcoin. Given the magnitude of the tweet by Elon Musk, BTC should see a massive pump in its prices. Although, some investors have feared there might be a dump soon after.
Currently, Tesla can be only bought through Bitcoins in the US, but Elon has announced that soon he will make his service available all over the world.
This news will definitely attract new investors to Bitcoin. Elon Musk has likely started a chain of events by this move. You can expect other Big Bulls of the market to start accepting Bitcoin as a payment very soon. Elon Musk already has contributed plenty to Bitcoin’s rise with the crypto seeing a rise of over 700% in the last year through his tweets and holdings.
As companies start holding BTC in their assets, the supply of the coin will likely reduce to the general public. Leading to a shortage of supply & a rise in demand. The price of BTC is likely to shoot up even more. There’s no doubt about that.
Bitcoin can make its investors financially free. Thus, I would not suggest anybody loosen their grips on their coins for any offers you get. The longer you hold it, the more value you will make out of it. A Tesla in return for BTC is a lucrative offer, no doubt. But don’t lose the chance to be financially free in the future. Also, the right time to buy some is now.