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The Secret is Out – Montana Has Been Discovered
The success of every Montana business can be traced back to the exceptionally talented, creative and loyal workforce you will find in every corner of the state.
While Montana has long been known for its scenic beauty, rugged landscape and its history of extractive industries and productive agriculture, the Montana story has quickly evolved to include new and expanding industries that are accelerating the state’s innovation economy and leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit that will define Montana’s future. With the fifth-best business tax climate in the nation, the state is seeing a rapid influx of businesses from the coasts, as well as home-grown ventures. Montana has indeed been discovered, and businesses in the state are enjoying substantial economic and quality of life advantages over their rivals.
Montana’s flourishing high-tech sector has been growing rapidly and that pace is accelerating – now expanding nine times faster than the statewide economy, and generating $1.7 billion in revenues. High-tech firms have experienced 18 percent overall growth in the past year, and pay on average more than twice Montana’s median income. While many of these firms are homegrown, the number of tech sector companies relocating to Montana is also expanding as these firms seek a high quality of life for their employees and a soft landing for growing their business.
The Montana Governor’s Office of Economic Development – Choose Montana


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Marchex (NASDAQ: MCHX), the award-winning AI-powered conversation intelligence company that helps businesses turn strategic insights into the actions that drive their most valued sales outcomes, today announced that it has received APPEALIE’s 2022 SaaS Customer Success Award as part of the 2022 APPEALIE SaaS Awards.
Marchex received the award for the use of its conversation intelligence capabilities to go “above and beyond” in helping a national computer repair and support services company that relies heavily on phone calls to land new customers and drive new business in a competitively accelerating space. The company’s conversation intelligence platform, a multichannel suite of products that uses Marchex’s powerful artificial intelligence technology, empowers sales teams to improve sales outcomes while delivering better buying experiences. The SaaS Customer Success Award category winners were selected from entrants who are able to demonstrate the best customer success stories and outcomes. This is the second consecutive APPEALIE award for Marchex, as the company received the Overall SaaS Award in the Analytics + Business Intelligence Category of the 2021 awards.
By analyzing the content of voice and text conversations, Marchex conversation intelligence helps its business customers turn strategic insights into the actions that win more business. The Marchex customer featured in the SaaS Customer Success Award was able to obtain actionable conversation insights processed by Marchex’s conversation intelligence that identified time sensitive missed sales opportunities that the customer was able to rescue, resulting in more than a 3,000% monthly ROI, and overall improved call handling performance results. Key end-users who interact with Marchex’s solutions include brand managers, general managers, sales managers, marketing managers and sales representatives. Marchex is the trusted conversation intelligence partner for market-leading companies in critical industries, including automotive manufacturing, automotive services, home services, healthcare, real estate, and senior living, comprising many of the world’s most innovative and successful brands.
“Receiving a customer success award is particularly gratifying for Marchex, as we have placed the highest priority on helping our business customers solve their mission-critical business problems along the customer journey that ultimately lead to increased sales,” said Ryan Polley, Marchex Chief Operating Officer. “We developed our conversation intelligence platform specifically for this purpose by helping customers increase sales efficiency, boost sellers’ productivity, prioritize leads, and rescue lost sales. We are committed to continue leading the industry on the innovation front, while retaining the core focus on helping our customers thrive.”

domain: news


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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Plastic straws will soon be history at McDonald's in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The fast-food chain says restaurants there will switch to paper straws, starting in September.
The changeover to paper straws is expected to be complete next year.
McDonald's says most customers supported the move, as support grows for the fight against plastic pollution.
for more features.


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The Wesley Hotel, UK
Aqueous ozone is easier to use and staff has seen a reduction in skin irritations previously caused by the chemicals being used. — Read full story here
QHotels, Four and Five Star Hotel Group, UK
We’re achieving impressive cleaning results as well as cost savings, when compared to our previous use of chemicals. By using aqueous ozone, we quickly noted a dramatic decline in spend on chemicals as well as a reduction in time spent cleaning. — Read full story here


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Mohawk Industries, Inc. (MHK) Given a $300.00 Price Target by Nomura Analysts
A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on MHK. MKM Partners reiterated a buy rating and set a $286.00 target price (up previously from $255.00) on shares of Mohawk Industries in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. SunTrust Banks, Inc. reiterated a buy rating and set a $275.00 target price on shares of Mohawk Industries in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a buy rating and set a $291.00 target price on shares of Mohawk Industries in a report on Monday, July 31st. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Mohawk Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, Instinet reiterated a buy rating and set a $288.00 target price (up previously from $280.00) on shares of Mohawk Industries in a report on Saturday, September 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Mohawk Industries has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $279.15.
Shares of Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK) opened at 262.96 on Friday. Mohawk Industries has a 52 week low of $175.52 and a 52 week high of $268.46. The firm’s market cap is $19.55 billion. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $256.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $245.87.
Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The company reported $3.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.74 by $0.01. Mohawk Industries had a return on equity of 16.03% and a net margin of 10.37%. The firm had revenue of $2.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.50 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Mohawk Industries will post $13.49 earnings per share for the current year.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: This article was first published by TheOlympiaReport and is the sole property of of TheOlympiaReport. If you are viewing this article on another domain, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of international copyright laws. The original version of this article can be accessed at https://theolympiareport.com/2017/10/31/mohawk-industries-inc-mhk-given-a-300-00-price-target-by-nomura-analysts.html.
In related news, Chairman Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum sold 19,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.95, for a total value of $5,022,515.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 21,396 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,454,910.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Rodney David Patton sold 137 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.78, for a total value of $33,808.86. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 6,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,708,704.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 17.00% of the company’s stock.
Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sun Life Financial INC grew its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 5,675.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sun Life Financial INC now owns 462 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,000 after buying an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. First Personal Financial Services grew its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 568 shares of the company’s stock worth $137,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 18.6% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 625 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Mohawk Industries in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $160,000. Finally, Bridgewater Wealth & Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mohawk Industries in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Institutional investors own 76.91% of the company’s stock.
Mohawk Industries Company Profile
Mohawk Industries, Inc is a flooring manufacturer that creates products for residential and commercial spaces around the world. The Company’ segments include Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA) and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). Its manufacturing and distribution processes provide carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, luxury vinyl tile and vinyl flooring.
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Third bid by Dutch luxury carmaker Spyker will be submitted before a January 7 deadline set by GM.
GM may just get to sell Saab afterall.
According to the Swedish business daily Dagens Industri, Dutch boutique automaker Spyker has devised yet another bid to buy the troubled brand from General Motors. This is the third bid Spyker has put forward for a purchase of Saab. GM rejected the two previous offers because it did not like the terms of the deal.
In an interview with Reuters, Spyker CEO Victor Muller said that the bid would be submitted before a January 7 deadline set by GM. "We have gotten time for a final offer. Nothing has been rejected," Muller said.
If the deal goes through, Spyker says it plans to rebuild the Saab brand around the 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4X models, as well as introducing an entry-level 9-1 model. According to Muller, Saab would remain based in Trollhattan, Sweden and would retain many of its production ties with GM. GM would also continue to produce engines for Saab.
Muller said the Trollhattan plant will continue to produce most Saab models, including the new 9-5 set for launch this spring and a 9-3 scheduled for introduction in 2012. The 9-4X crossover, which will be produced by GM at its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, is set to debut later this year or in early 2011.
But Spyker still needs to come up with the money to buy Saab. Spyker's bid is backed by Russian and Arab investors but the Dutch carmaker itself is a loss-making enterprise, having made only 43 cars in 2008.
The Saab brand is also losing sales rapidly. It sold over 93,000 units in 2008 but for 2009 that number will be closer to 60,000.


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As we know that Apple Inc. is planning to bring out a launch of new series of iPhone coming this year or in the beginning of next year. YES! IPhone 6 is on its way to appear in the market soon. We have been hearing a lot of rumors and confirmed news regarding the new iPhone 6. It is heard to be a sleek phone getting thinner in the middle and most likely will have the new OS as well which is iOS 7. iPhone has been a great success for Apple because since it has launched the first iPhone that’s when actually Apple Inc. was recognized across the world and since then people who are loyal to the brand are sticking to iPhone series until now.
IPhone display touch has been extremely smooth and people who get used to it are addicted because of the convenience level it provides them which makes them think that no other device would be able to perform as best as iPhone. Recently we have heard a rumor about iPhone 6 display touch that there may be the tactile display touch of the coming iPhone. Since Samsung and LG already have used the flexible displays for their users, Apple is also considering this time to use this tactic on iPhone which may prove to be a success for them. Apple is considering flexible displays at least from a technology and patent perspective. It is going to use flexible display to add another dimension to touch making the touchscreen more tactile so you can push into the screen.
Apple mentioned in the patent that the screen of Apple iPhone is not supposedly meant to bend or move around over all. Parts of screen which are not supposed to be touch would be rigid and the part which gets the touch would be bendable only. It is also considering another Z dimension so the screen can move inward. It will allow the users to have a tactile response when they are typing on the touch screen. Touch screens will also have a control on how long and how firm do you press on the touchscreen. This would allow you have a touch freely iOS on the device which will be appearing on the touchscreen of iPhone 6.
It is also thinking to shift from the LCD screen to OLED screen. Currently iPhone is running on the LCD screen but OLED screen are suitable because they are more suitable for flexible display as for the thinner phone which is iPhone 6 going to be. If compared with Samsung, currently it is using the AMOLED display which is the largest supplier as for the Galaxy S series. The upside of iPhone 6 would be a power management, dark blacks and higher contrast as per the display.
These are some of the rumors which are collected from us for iPhone 6 and will be most likely appearing on the phones display which will be different this time. It is considered that this time iPhone 6 will be the most different iPhone and would have the latest iOS in it as well.
Keep a track on the news and make sure you upgrade your phone to iPhone 6 as it launches soon.


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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012
COPPS COLISEUM - HAMILTON
Doors: 7:00PM Show: 8:00PM
Tickets on sale Friday, August 17, 2012 @ 10:00am
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Copps Coliseum Box Office
Charge by phone at 1-855-985-5000
Tickets (incl. GST) $67.50 & $115.00; Reserved Seating
(plus FMF and service charges)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced sixteen additional dates in the U.S. and Canada for the fall leg of the 'Wrecking Ball' World Tour, which will kick off August 14 at Boston's Fenway Park.
The tour closes out an 11-week European run this week that has included three of the longest shows of Springsteen's career and garnered universal acclaim, being called "gigantic" (Rolling Stone), "thrilling" (The Atlantic) and "the stuff of legend" (Irish Independent). Tickets are currently available for previously announced shows in Moncton, NB (Aug 26); Vernon Downs, NY (Aug 29); Philadelphia, PA (Sept 3); and East Rutherford, NJ (Sept 19).
Springsteen is the subject of a 19-page profile in this week's New Yorker by editor David Remnick. Remnick sheds light on Springsteen's approach to recording and touring in 2012, link here: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/07/30/120730fa_fact_remnick.
Read more reviews from Europe here:
"Springsteen has the gift to conjure powerful, intimate moments on a grand scale" The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jul/15/hard-rock-calling-review)
"The E Street Band reclaim their title as the greatest live act in the world." - Evening Herald (http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/brilliant-boss-was-born-to-run-on-3172780.html)
Bruce Springsteen's 'Wrecking Ball' (Columbia) was released in March 2012 and debuted at #1 in the U.S. and 15 other countries.
Live Nation – Canada
For more show information please contact:
Erin Smyth - 416-260-4226
For venue information please contact:
Alipa Patel - 905 546 2566
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five ecommerce sites, with almost 27 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.
Media release by our friends at :


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TOKYO (CBS.MW) -- Intel's disappointing business outlook knocked the shares of the U.S. chip giant's Asian peers on Friday, triggering hefty losses in stock indexes across the region.
Japan's Nikkei Average sank 1.2 percent as investors sold major chip names such as Hitachi and Toshiba.
Declines in makers such as Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing pulled down South Korea's Kospi Index by 1.8 percent to 795.16 and Taiwan's Weighted Index by 2.3 percent to 5,499.78.
Ignored in the downdraft: the Semiconductor Industry Association's midyear forecast that the worldwide semiconductor market is expected to grow 3.1 percent this year, rebounding from a 32 percent plunge in 2001.
Asia-Pacific sales are expected to grow 27 percent to $51 billion in 2002 to lead the recovery, the SIA said.
Japan GDP expands 1.4% in Q1
Japan's economy grew a stronger-than-expected 1.4 percent in the first quarter (see full story). Although that growth is the fastest in two years, several economists predict that the world's No. 2 economy cannot maintain that rate of expansion.
"It's a very gradual recovery but we can say that Japan's economy has hit the bottom and is on a recovery track," said Akihiko Suzuki, a chief economist from UFJ Research Institute.
The Nikkei lost 173.27 points to 11,401.67, after having fallen as low as 11,365.61 earlier in the day. The broader TOPIX dropped 0.6 percent to 1,101.87.
The dollar firmed against the yen on concerns that a recovery in Japan's economy might not be as strong as hoped. Late afternoon, the dollar fetched 124.30 yen, up from 124.10 yen in New York late Thursday.
Toshiba (6502), Japan's biggest chipmaker, fell 0.8 percent to 512 yen. Hitachi HIT, +0.37% (6501) lost 2.2 percent to 863 yen. Tokyo Electron (8035), the country's biggest manufacturer of chip equipment, dived 4.3 percent to 8,030 yen.
Technology and telecom heavyweights also lost ground after the Nasdaq dropped 2.5 percent. Sony SNE, -1.70% (6758) fell 0.9 percent to 6,910 yen, and Canon CAJ, -0.74% (7751) shed 0.8 percent to 4,760 yen.
NTT DoCoMo DCM, +0.00% (9437) fell 1.5 percent to 321,000 yen, the most actively traded issue on the first section of the Tokyo bourse. Customers for DoCoMo's cell phone services were unable to make calls starting around noon for about two hours.
The surge in traffic, caused by callers seeking to buy unsold tickets to this weekend's first-round World Cup match between Japan and Russia -- led DoCoMo to temporarily place nationwide restrictions on calls.
Shares of SK Telecom SKM, -1.70%, South Korea's top mobile carrier, fell 3.3 percent to 261,000 won. Fixed-line carrier KT Corp. told Reuters on Friday it might sell a 2 to 3 percent stake in SK Telecom in the market if share-swap talks with the company fail. Shares of KT KTC, -1.06% fell 1.5 percent to 52,500 won.
Hynix Semiconductor HXSDY plunged 14.3 percent to 390 won. Kookmin Bank KKBKY and other lenders, which late last week became Hynix's biggest shareholders by converting much of their Hynix debt exposure into equity share, today became eligible to sell their stakes in the ailing chipmaker.
Samsung Electronics SSNJF lost 2.3 percent to 347,500 won. But shares found some support after Merrill Lynch analyst Joseph Osha kept "strong buy" ratings on the company, along with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and United Microelectronics and STMicroelectronics STM, -5.10%.
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index declined 0.4 percent to 1,646.19 points. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing CHRT, +0.00% tumbled 4.9 percent to S$3.86 and was the most actively traded stock.
HK exporters sag
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 96.06 points, or 0.84 percent, to 11,284.71. Worsening fears over the U.S. economy hurt exporters' shares.
But conglomerate First Pacific (0142) jumped 1.8 percent to HK$1.69, adding to the previous day's 11-percent gain.
Investors continued to buy the shares after the company on Wednesday announced to sell its stakes in Philippine Long Distance Telephone and a unit of Metro Pacific to Philippine tycoon John Gokongwei.
In Manila, PLDT shares PHI, -1.20% tumbled 5.6 percent to 422.50 pesos, dragging down the benchmark PSE Composite by 2.13 percent to 1,274.87, near a five-month low.
News Corp. tumbles
Australia's All Ordinaries Index was down 0.1 percent at 3,295.70. The local stock market will be closed on Monday in observance of the Queen Elizabeth II's birthday.
News Corp NWS, -3.59% sank 1.7 percent to A$12.25. Speculation is growing that the company might soon buy Vivendi Universal's Italian pay-TV venture despite likely heavy losses.
Telstra TLS, -0.29% fell to its lowest level in four and a half years, down 1.5 percent to A$4.55.
New Zealand's NZSE-40 closed up 0.1 percent at 2,117.62.


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"If print is dying, brands haven’t gotten the message.
This trend isn’t isolated to any one industry.
As you’ll see from our list below, everyone from big-name startups to iconic fashion brands to global airlines are launching ambitious print mags. Let’s take a look at the seven best."
Nieman with a great piece on the value of slow journalism in the age of instant information.
"While Apple's entrance into music streaming may initially have appeared little more than a me-too move, it could well prove to be far more than that, writes Mel Exon."


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2017 is a great year so far! For the second time in a row, we have made it to the finals of the European Search Awards! With a campaign in SEO and PPC, Peak Ace was shortlisted for five different categories!
We are delighted at such incredible news and are absolutely looking forward to the award ceremony on April 27th in Krakow. We are very happy with this result and would like to thank our clients MediDate and Airbnb for the wonderful cooperation.
Our nominated campaigns
With our SEO campaign “NipTuck surgeries reinvented” for MediDate we were able to secure a spot among the top ten nominees for Best SEO campaign, which is great as we are currently holding this title and naturally would like to be able to defend it.
Our campaign for Airbnb – “Scaling a Unicorn” – actually turned out to be one! With it, we were shortlisted in four different categories. The judges nominated us for the Travel & Leisure segment, as well as the Pan-European segment, for Best PPC campaign and in the field of innovation. We are very happy about this, as it reflects our values and strengths – Peak Ace is a data-driven, innovative agency with an international team of PPC experts.
European Search Awards
For the sixth time, the European Search Awards are presenting the best campaigns, software tools, and agencies in PPC, SEO and Content Marketing in Europe. As in the past, the international expert jury panel did great work in screening several hundred submissions in each of the 29 categories. The award ceremony will be held in Krakow and we are looking forward to getting to know all fellow finalists and their exciting campaigns in April! Until then: Trzymajcie nam kciuki!


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Multiple stories over the weekend spoke of the challenges facing states in the wake of recreational marijuana legalization in both Colorado and Washington.
The New York Times printed a story on the rise of edibles. Sure, before Colorado’s legalization for recreational use, you had the random story of pot brownies. Funny? Definitely, but it also had unintended consequences.
Today, commercialism has taken hold of the industry. Why sell just the buds when you can sell the entire plant? Extract the THC and infuse the butter in a variety of products.
What type of edibles are we talking about? Pot brownies. Cookies. Lollipops and Marshmallows. Critics will scream the movement is targeting kids. Yeah, because adults don’t eat junk food.
People don’t like to smoke. Consuming the product lowers the barrier for both medical and recreational use of marijuana. What better way than to make them into a snack.
Who is going to buy the marijuana-infused kale salad? It’s a joke California…
Demand is pushing the dispensaries to become innovative. That means everything from Mondo’s sugar-free vegan bars to the white chocolate peppermint squares.
It’s hilarious there’s a market for sugar-free vegan bars. Really? You’re consuming marijuana, and you’re worried about the ingredients. Last time I checked Pop Tarts are not vegan-friendly. Maybe Kellogg’s has changed its product line.
Law Enforcement and Edible Marijuana
Here in Alabama, thanks to a general lack of things to do, law enforcement has set up a variety of task forces to combat mail order marijuana.
In the past year, the popularity has grown as people’s medical and general curiosity has brought them to the Internet. Back in February, the postal service flagged a package leading to a seizure of 87 pounds of smokable marijuana and 50 packs of marijuana candies.
What genius thought it was smart to ship nearly 100 pounds of marijuana in one box? Don’t you read the Internet?
Not that I would Google it…
Congress Created DC’s Blackmarket
Earlier this year, DC finally legalized the use of marijuana. There were some caveats. One, you couldn’t buy it. It had to be ‘donated or gifted’ to you. Growing your own was restricted to three plants.
Legal demand, but zero supply. Enter the law of unintended consequences from Congress. After legalization, Congress moved to bar the city from creating a controlled marketplace.
Now, those same lawmakers are blaming city officials for the rise of the black market. How brazen are some of the black market dealers? Samples.
The Washington Post reported on a dealer that goes to upscale areas to pick up prospective clients. A sample bag is ‘donated’ along with a business card. Welcome to your client list thanks to what the dealers are calling the 2015 Dealer Protection Act.
OK, even if you are anti-marijuana, it’s hilarious.
Marijuana Moving Forward
What happens now? People are mail ordering marijuana across the United States. Laws are being blurred. We see the news out of Colorado and equate it with our states. Yay, smoking weed is legal. Wait. No, it’s not.
In the digital age of perception quickly makes way for reality. It’s time for policymakers to act. The war on drugs? Abject failure by any measurement.
The prison system is overrun with minor drug offenders serving absurd sentences.
Marijuana’s tipping point is here. Legalize, regulate and tax. It’s going to happen. States need the revenue. Citizens are shrugging at the laws. And, there are tangible health benefits being discovered.
The United States hasn’t fallen apart over alcohol and tobacco being legal. I’m sure we can make it through marijuana becoming legal.
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Coronavirus affecting EU trade in pigs
19th Mar 2020 / By Alistair Driver
The coronavirus outbreak is having an unsettling impact the market for slaughter pigs across Europe due to the closure of borders, a big drop off in food service demand and the cancellation of events.
Citing a report by AMI, an agricultural market information company in Germany, AHDB analyst Duncan Wyatt said: "Many borders are closed, as are restaurants, and major events are cancelled.
"Across Europe, companies slaughtering pigs are therefore extremely cautious. Farmers are trying to market their existing slaughter pigs as quickly as possible, resulting in pressure on prices."
In Italy, in particular, where coronavirus has hit hardest, slaughter companies and meat processors have significantly reduced their production.
"Farmers are finding it hard to market remaining pigs and transportation is sometimes difficult. Price falls are expected. However, the industry is still operating," Mr Wyatt said.
According to Italian farming union, Coldiretti, from a legal point of view, goods are supposed to move normally. There are border checks that can slow down trade, but they are not stopping the free movement of goods, only people.
Another issue Italy is experiencing is with labour. As with many European countries, Italy relies on labour from other countries, meaning the restriction on the movement of people is causing shortages.
"Although the restrictions introduced do not prohibit travel for work reasons, movements allowed into the country have to be accompanied by a self-declaration form. However, there is apparently a strong risk of a labour shortage as increasingly people are refusing to work due to fear of possible infection from other people," Mr Wyatt said.
"Some hauliers are also understandably concerned about the health of their drivers, and the likelihood that they might be quarantined, which can also restrict trade."
Although there are some difficulties, feed companies are ensuring necessary supplies to farmers to safeguard the health and welfare of their animals, and to maintain the production level on farms.
However, there are already signs of difficulty in the handling of goods, both raw materials and finished products, Mr Wyatt added.
A general fund of 25 billion euros has been outlined in Italy for the upcoming months, but there are not sector specific details. At the moment, the only measures seem to be the suspension of deadlines for compliance, payment of taxes and social security, and welfare contributions.


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Rajasthan BSNL has offered roaming free services anywhere in the country for its pre-paid mobile customers on a special tariff voucher (STV).
Customers will be able to access Facebook in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) estimates some 700 million Indians were still outside the banking system due to limited access in rural regions.
In an innovative move, British banks may soon allow customers to pay cheques into their account by taking photos on their smartphones.
With an increasing demand, various brands have also come into the foray and launched showrooms of second-hand luxury cars in the city.
Revenue Department today said service tax will not be levied on sub-brokers providing services to member of a commodity exchange during September, 2004 and June, 2012.
HP's India unit has approached the Customs Tribunal for an early hearing and extension of the stay on a case of the alleged $386 million duty evasion.
SBI has sent out emails to prospective customers where it is marketing a balance transfer scheme in addition to selling fresh loans.
Vodafone India today launched talk time transfer service from post-paid customers to pre-paid customers
Mobile recharges worth more than Rs 20 for pre-paid customers will go up by Re 1.


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I can announce that Big Ant CEO Ross Symons has confirmed that there’ll be a new Ashes game released this summer… yes!!!!!
The game will be released on console and will include the ability to upload photos of players!
Big Ant advise that they’ve been working on the game since the last one (A whole two years!) and that the game will have extreme added depth. Symons advises that it’ll be “… the biggest update in cricket games since Don Bradman 14…”.
England and Australia will be fully licensed and the players have already been photographed.
Big Ant are also making a licensed Big Bash League game.


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[LONDON] Within days of a cyberattack, warehouses of the snack foods company Mondelez International filled with a backlog of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers.
Mondelez, owner of dozens of well-known food brands such as Cadbury chocolate and Philadelphia cream cheese, was one of the hundreds of companies struck by the NotPetya cyberstrike in 2017. Laptops froze suddenly as Mondelez employees worked at their desks. Email was unavailable, as was access to files on the corporate network. Logistics software that orchestrates deliveries and tracks invoices crashed.
Even with teams working around the clock, it was weeks before Mondelez recovered. Once the lost orders were tallied and the computer equipment was replaced, its financial hit was more than US$100 million, according to court documents.
After the ordeal, executives at the company took some solace in knowing that insurance would help cover the costs. Or so they thought.


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There’s a new space race and it’s not aimed at Mars or the Moon - but Britain’s remotest dwellings, according to satellite entrepreneur Andrew Walwyn.
The founder and boss of Europasat, a company that beams internet to rural areas, has fired the starting gun on a sprint to connect the final 5pc of the population living in so-called broadband “blackspots”.
Among these areas with little or no internet connection, 300,000 are situated in rural outposts so remote that they are only suitable to receive satellite internet.
Several companies have already woken up to the dilemma facing countryside cottages for which traditional methods of internet connectivity, such as laying cables in the ground, are too expensive and impractical.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will launch a satellite over Africa later this year as part of his controversial “Free Basics” project to roll out internet in the world’s poorest regions, although the scheme suffered a setback in India where local regulators banned the campaign.
Europasat has, for its part, caught the attention of property mogul Nick Candy, who is a 10pc shareholder in its holding firm Satellite Solutions Worldwide, and already provides satellite internet 12,500 homes in the UK and Ireland.
Europasat sells internet bundles in Britain’s worst-served areas, buying capacity from the three biggest satellite owners – Eutelset, Astra and Avanti.
It counts the adventurer Bear Grylls among its customers, whose remote island off the Llyn Peninsula in Wales gets a superfast connection, as well as the rural outposts of big organisations like the BBC and NHS.
Europasat now plans to double in size using a £10m Government grant geared at giving 28,000 more properties satellite broadband. The aim is to reach 50,000 homes that would otherwise be impossible to connect to the underground network of cables that reach most of Britain’s homes.
“Lots of people are still suffering,” said Mr Walwyn, who set up the company in 2008 with friend and mathematician Simon Clifton, who is the company’s technology boss. “We’re pushing the government hard for broadband for all.”
It comes as ministers are hoping to roll out “superfast internet” – which it defines at around 24 megabit per second speeds – to 95pc of the nation by the end of next year.
The move is part of a six-year £1.7bn project aimed at extending superfast internet in hard-to-reach areas, although this still leaves around 1m properties without access to superfast speeds.
People living and working in isolated areas are most likely to miss out on taxpayer-funded broadband, according to Ed Vaizey, the digital minister.
Mr Vaizey has suggested limiting the amount of public funding available on hard-to-reach properties, where it would cost “thousands of pounds” to the taxpayer to do so, backtracking on a long-standing promise that gives everyone a right to a broadband connection.
The biggest infrastructure owners – BT and Virgin Media – argue it is not commercially viable to connect remote homes. It can cost up to £10,000 to dig trenches and lay broadband cables to the most remote properties in Britain.
Now, the subsidy scheme known as “Broadband Delivery UK” (BDUK) has been trialling alternatives to cable connections, including satellite technology, in a new phase of the project made possible after the costs came in £129m lower than expected.
“This has been obvious for years,” said Mr Walwyn, who set up his satellite business out of frustration that his Oxfordshire farmhouse didn’t have any broadband, leaving a career in sales that began on the shop floor of Carphone Warehouse.
“People have got to realise if you are 4km away from your local BT exchange, it could cost thousands of pounds to connect you,” he said. “But the old message is changing.”
Since it began in 2010 BDUK has invested vast amounts in BT Openreach’s vast network of copper and fibre cables. In a review of the scheme, the National Audit Office warned that it has reinforced BT’s “already strong position in the wholesale market” for broadband infrastructure.
“BT’s assets and infrastructure are likely to have benefited from approximately £1.7bn of public sector investment,” they said, yet the final 5pc of homes elude them.
“Things have moved on incredibly quickly,” said Mr Walwyn. “It’s like the mobile phone market – we’ve gone from clunky old Nokias to smartphones in a few years.”
Under the new satellite scheme launching this June, the government pays £350 for a householder to install a dish that will deliver speeds of up to 30 megabits per second. Once they have the dish, customers pay around £40 a month and buy their internet from a broadband firm as usual.
The grants scheme was officially launched in late 2015 but with a far less ambitious commitment to give homes 2Mbps. This is a lifeline compared with having no connection at all, but still struggles with anything more than checking emails and basic web browsing.
Before now, BT has dominated the satellite scheme, despite not owning any satellites. It acted as a middleman between companies – like Europasat – and satellite owners.
BT, which bulk-buys data from satellites, would sell this to private companies which sell internet packages to households. These companies pay a share of their income to BT. Now, householders can buy a broadband package from specialist satellite providers, whether they are Europasat smaller companies such as Bentley Walker, Tooway and Avonline.
“The red tape was quite hard,” said Mr Walwyn. “They were an extra layer in the process and now they’ve been removed.”
Satellite builder Avanti, which is providing the technology behind the 30 megabit boost, said it’s now possible to connect a property in two weeks under the new scheme.
“It’s a shame we waited this long because we knew rural areas needed this support,” said banker-turned-telecoms entrepreneur David Williams, who co-founded the company in 2007.
“It’s not economically viable to push fibre into most rural parts of the country,” he said. “The fibre roll-out has gone as far as it’s likely to go.”
Avanti, owns three satellites that beam internet across swathes of the Middle East and Africa – as well as the British countryside. The satellite builder, which listed on Aim, has been growing sales year-on-year to £60m in the 12 months to June 30 2015 and already caught the attention of BDUK earlier this year.
“We’ve been piloting the 30Mbps in 1,000 homes across England to see if we could stage a wider roll-out, and it’s worked beautifully,” said Mr Williams.
Avanti now plans to launch two more satellites in its orbit over the next two years, which will provide broadband and mobile services. It is also pushing into mobile data, having struck a £20m contract with mobile giant EE to boost its 4G services in remote areas.
Not every property is covered by BDUK’s scheme, however, which is being rolled out area-by-area and administered by local councils. Europasat says around a quarter of its satellite services installed without any public investment, as the costs of superfast satellite services has come down.
One business to dish out for its own satellite is Planters, a group of garden centres and greetings cards shops based across Derbyshire and Staffordshire that has began installing Europasat dishes last month.
Group manager Dave Mann said the business recently invested £1.2m in building new restaurants in its Tamworth and Bretby garden centres - but that with an internet connection of just 1 Mbps, they could barely access company emails.
“We made a nine-minute promotional video that took nine hours to upload to Facebook,” he said. “And when you open a restaurant the diners expect to be able to access some Wi-Fi.”
Mr Mann tried to apply for local council funding to get a fibre connection, but said that six months down the line the application had gone nowhere. “Meanwhile, we were unable to advertise the business on social media or update our website – which is crucial for a rural business,” he said.
But a new satellite dish installed last month now gives them 17Mbps speeds. This is still below the Government’s “superfast” standard but a dramatic improvement for businesses like Mr Mann’s. “Now all we need is for the weather to improve so people will get their gardening gloves one,” he said.


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T&T needs to think global, especially at a time where the end consumer is going to want the smallest detail of their end product available at their fingertips.
Social media and direct market connectivity, online trading, instant storytelling, mixed with the ability to send your products by courier services. That is where demand is going. International chocolate companies have reported that online sales have increased to become 30 per cent of their revenue. We believe Trinidad is going that way too.
In sustainable practices, in particular, Africa could learn a great deal. We are imparting experiences for shared learning through the International Trade Centre in Geneva.


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Ingressive Capital, an African venture capital(VC), has announced the launch of online application for early stage founders based in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the VC, founders who apply 'will get a response in 30 days or less' and possibility of investments between $50,000 and $100,000
Maya Horgan Famodu, a partner at Ingressive Capital says;
“Fundraising is difficult. We want to help the best and the brightest founders across Africa stay focused and keep building. We’re looking for great ideas built by solid teams. No matter where you are in Sub-Saharan Africa, apply. We’re looking for the best of the best, irrespective of who you know or where you’re based.”
Ingressive says it is 'sector agnostic', founders just have to be focused on a scalable market.
In addition, they must also have launched and have initial traction, have a clear business model, be a high growth technology business targeting a scalable market, have team that is bright, hungry and knows the market better than anyone else and are an early stage startup.
Interested startups can apply through the Ingressive Capital website.


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A new Medabots game was announced in the form of Medabots Classics, an upcoming set of the first five entries in the Medabots series with various improvements. [Thanks, Ryokutya2089.]
Details from this week’s issue of Famitsu are still light, but the early info says that it’ll be a set featuring the first five Medabots game with improved systems and various other evolutions.
Similar to what we’ve seen from previous Medabots games, it’ll come available in Kabuto and Kuwagata versions, and will cost 4,800 yen.
Medabots Classics is in development for Nintendo 3DS.


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Written by Jitendra Parashar at The Motley Fool Canada
Fintech is fast changing the way we handle money and do banking transactions, making it one of the fastest-growing areas that benefits from new tech like smartphone apps and online security. Fintech is expected to grow even faster in the future with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as these new technologies could make the fintech space more secure and expand its reach to people who might not have had easy access to a range of financial services before.
Given that, it makes sense for investors to consider investing in some quality Canadian fintech stocks, as they can help investors get some outstanding returns on their investments in the long run.
In this article, I’ll highlight two top fintech stocks you can buy on the TSX today to hold for years to come.
Nuvei (TSX:NVEI) could be one of the best stocks to consider on the TSX today for investors seeking to benefit from the upcoming fintech boom. This Montréal headquartered company primarily focuses on providing electronic payment technology solutions to merchants across the globe. NVEI stock currently has a market cap of $3.7 billion, as it trades at $27.11 per share after losing nearly 21% of its value so far in 2023.
In the two years between 2020 and 2022, Nuvei’s total revenue jumped 125% from US$375 million to US$843.3 billion, as the demand for its services remained firm in the post-pandemic era. With this, the company’s adjusted annual earnings also soared 121% from US$0.83 per share in 2020 to US$1.86 per share in 2022.
While in the first three quarters of 2023, the fintech firm’s revenue has grown positively by 39.4% YoY (year over year), negative factors, including rising net finance cost and currency headwinds, drove its earnings down by about 13% YoY during the same period. Although the ongoing macroeconomic challenges have hampered Nuvei’s financial growth in recent quarters, the gradually improving economic environment is likely to accelerate its financial growth in the coming years, making this fintech stock very attractive to buy on the dip.
Mogo (TSX:MOGO) is another top TSX fintech stock you can consider buying on the dip today. This Vancouver-headquartered company is known for providing its consumers with a variety of digital finance services, including credit cards, personal loans, and credit score monitoring. It currently has a market cap of around $40 million as MOGO stock trades at $1.61 per share after sliding by 28.4% year to date.
In the two years between 2020 and 2022, Mogo’s revenue grew positively by about 56% to $68.9 million. As the ongoing macroeconomic concerns continue to hurt businesses across the globe, small companies like Mogo need to take proactive steps to strengthen their financial position to help them navigate the period of economic uncertainty. And this is exactly what Mogo seems to be doing of late. In the last year, the company has taken some tough decisions to trim its focus on sub-scale and unprofitable products.
While these strategic decisions are affecting its financial growth in the ongoing year, they might pay off well in the long run by strengthening its balance sheet and steering it faster toward sustainable profitability. Considering that, Mogo could be an attractive fintech stock to buy on the TSX today, especially after its recent big losses.
Before you consider Mogo Inc., you'll want to hear this.
Our market-beating analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy in November 2023... and Mogo Inc. wasn't on the list.
The online investing service they've run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada, is beating the TSX by 24 percentage points. And right now, they think there are 5 stocks that are better buys.
See the 5 Stocks * Returns as of 11/14/23


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Red Cross Zine Event
As part of the artist dis-placement residency (at ZK/U) by Jan van Esch at the Red Cross there will be a presentation of his ‘Red Cross Zine’ and the launch of the website drawnclothes.de
Drawnclothes.de: Online sales of selected second hand clothes with original drawing from artists in support of the Red Cross early born program
Klausener Platz 9
Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, Part of the project Artecitya.


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Published on January 30th, 2023 | by Subhash Nair0
New Lithium-Ion Battery Pushes Past 560Wh/kg Threshold
The Helmholtz Institute Ulm has created a new lithium-ion battery that’s more energy dense and stable.
Lithium-ion batteries have been a game-changer for the world, powering our portable electronics and electric vehicles, but they’ve also had their shortcomings like short-circuiting and limited ranges for EVs. With the increasing demand for better, lighter, and longer-lasting battery solutions, researchers have been on a quest to find the holy grail of batteries. And now, a team of scientists in Germany may have finally found it according to Interesting Engineering.
The Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has discovered a lithium-metal battery with a groundbreaking energy density of 560-Wh/kg, which is not only incredibly stable but also has the potential to revolutionize the industry. In the past, lithium-metal batteries were known for their instability, with instances of batteries exploding, making them far too dangerous for commercial use. But the team at HIU has overcome these hurdles and found a combination of cobalt-poor, nickel-rich layered cathode (NCM88) and a commercially available organic LP30 electrolyte that work together to enable high energy storage per mass and stability over many cycles.
The energy density of this new battery is above the 500-Wh/kg threshold that is considered the standard for next-gen EVs, and well above the 250-300-Wh/kg energy density of regular lithium-ion batteries. After 1,000 cycles, the new lithium-metal battery retained 88% of its initial storage capacity and had an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.94%, which is the ratio between discharge and charge capacity.
While more research and adaptation are needed before this battery is viable in the real world, it’s a giant step forward. This new discovery, alongside the recent development of a stable, solid-state, lithium-metal battery by Harvard University researchers, is a testament to the leaps and bounds we’re making towards better battery life, weight, and storage.
There’s almost no doubt that the automotive industry is paying close attention to the developments at HIU. Batteries are the most expensive and important part of any electric vehicle. Some companies, like BYD build their own ‘Blade‘ battery which has been engineered to overcome many of the safety issues associated with typical lithium batteries, but still doesn’t have revolutionary levels of energy density.


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Florida school district Miami-Dade County Public Schools is starting the new school year with more vegan options at its 392 schools. “This year, we’re gonna be introducing a new plant-based vegan chili, cilantro, and a chipotle brown rice,” Penny Parham, the district’s food and nutrition officer, said. Parham also revealed that the district will provide free breakfast, which includes an increased number of locally sourced fruit and vegetables, each day of the week in its effort to keep students energized. Parham urged parents to teach children about good nutrition at home so that they make healthy choices while at school. At the beginning of the year, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) introduced vegan lunch options to 35 of its schools and has received overwhelmingly positive responses from students. “They are asking for vegan now,” LAUSD Food Services Director Joseph Vaughn said. “Students are paying more attention to what they eat.”
Love the plant-based lifestyle as much as we do? Get the BEST vegan recipes, travel, celebrity interviews, product picks, and so much more inside every issue of VegNews Magazine. Find out why VegNews is the world’s #1 plant-based magazine by subscribing today!


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On June 16, 2023, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters published a press release stating, “UPS Teamsters have voted by an overwhelming 97 percent to authorize a strike, giving the union maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table.”
Negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters began on April 17 and may last until July 31, when the union’s National Master Agreement will expire. Whether we’ll see a nationwide disruption to parcel delivery beginning August 1 depends on what happens over the next several weeks.
In today’s blog, we’ll talk about the potential UPS Teamsters strike, the possible ramifications for business owners, and how to ensure your company isn’t affected if the strike moves forward.
The Teamsters are America’s largest and most diverse union, representing 1.2 million workers between the USA and Canada. What began as a union championing freight drivers and warehouse workers has expanded across the spectrum to support workers in all industries.
As we mentioned in a previous blog post, the Teamsters are working on behalf of 340,000 UPS employees, demanding that the carrier:
This strike is set to happen on August 1 if a deal isn’t reached by July 31, with Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien saying, “The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”
However, unions often use strike votes as a leveraging tactic in negotiations. In most cases, those negotiations end without a strike.
The Teamsters are determined to secure a 5-year contract for its union members, reflecting their dedication and hard work through monetary compensation and improved working conditions. Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman said, “Our members are the backbone of UPS, and they are the reason this corporation hauled in more than $100 billion in revenue just last year. It’s time for UPS to pay up.”
If they don’t pay up, businesses may not receive necessary deliveries, and we may start seeing empty store shelves.
If this strike moves forward, it will be the biggest single-employer strike in our nation’s history. A long-term UPS strike could impact the country’s supply chain despite alternative shipping options.
UPS CEO Carol Tomé’s optimism on the Q4 2022 earnings call “that a win win win is very achievable, because we are not far apart on the issues” gives us hope that a deal will be reached before the July 31 deadline. However, preparing for the worst-case scenario’s always a good idea.
If you have been considering switching from UPS, now is an excellent time to evaluate other options. Our team has more than three decades of experience negotiating, structuring, and evaluating your contract continually, typically resulting in a 20-30% reduction in shipping costs.
Get a full-scale analysis of your business and ShipRX exclusive recommended solutions to increase your profits.
Fill out the form below, and we’ll call you within 24 hours. In a rush? Call now (844) 774-4779


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By Sruthi Shankar and Ambar Warrick
(Reuters) -European stocks ended higher on Monday after the European Commission outlined plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on tourism, while strong factory and retails sales data and a robust corporate earnings season added to the optimism.
The euro zone stocks index, which consists of markets in continental Europe, ended 0.6% higher, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index added 0.6%.
European travel and leisure stocks rose 0.2% after the European Commission recommended letting foreign travellers from more countries enter the bloc, hoping to boost the stricken tourism industry this summer.
But gains in the travel sector were limited due to a holiday in UK markets, given that British stocks make up the bulk of the sector. The UK holiday also kept trading volumes thin across European markets.
Still, bourses in Italy, Germany and Spain marked strong gains after a survey showed euro zone factory activity growth reached a record high last month, while German retail sales posted their biggest year-on-year increase in March since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 infections are stabilizing in Germany and the Netherlands, are on a downtrend in France and Italy, and appear to be under control in Spain,” analysts at BCA Research wrote in a note.
“Meanwhile, vaccinations are gathering pace across the euro area. This will allow authorities to ease restrictions and economic activity to accelerate.”
Europe’s benchmark STOXX 600 had ended April with a 1.8% rise, and just below its all-time high as a pick-up in European vaccination drive and solid earnings reports boosted hopes of a strong economic recovery.
Nearly half of the STOXX 600 companies have reported so far, and 75% have topped profit estimates, as per Refinitiv IBES data. Normally, 51% beat earnings expectations.
German health technology company Siemens Healthineers rose 2% after it raised its full-year sales and profit forecast.
German airlines Lufthansa rose 2.6% following plans to offer flights to more than 100 holiday destination, Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told a German newspaper.
Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa fell 3.9% after it warned it could earn less this year than previously expected.
Dutch telecommunications company KPN NV fell 2.6% after it rejected unsolicited takeover offers from a private equity consortium comprising EQT AB and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and another from KKR.
(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)


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What is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ?
The car world is abuzz with news of the new Aventador SVJ. What is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ? It’s a new performance version of the iconic Italian supercar. That’s right, it’s a performance version of a car that already has performance in its marrow. Let’s explore all that we know about this car including what record it broke.
Did the Aventador SVJ break a Nürburgring record?
The Nürburgring is a strenuous track that stretches out over nearly 13 miles and features over 150 turns. For decades, it has been a proving ground for both race cars and production cars alike, and the battle for fastest production car will always occur at this track.
Every year, production cars from manufacturers the world over descend on the Nürburgring in pursuit of the perfect lap and their spot on the leaderboards. Since September 20, 2017, the track record for production cars was held by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS at 6:47.25, but now that has all changed. On July 26, 2018, The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, still in press paint, shattered the previous record with an official time of 6:44.97.
Is the Aventador SVJ the fastest Lamborghini?
Given the results at the Nürburgring, the Aventador SVJ will most certainly be the fastest Lamborghini at least around a track.
Read More: What is the significance of the Nürburgring?
We do not have acceleration times or a top speed, but at least the former is destined to be quite impressive given that lap time.
What does SVJ stand for?
Not too long ago we wrote a post about the history of Jota. In that post, we mentioned that the Jota name may be coming back in the form of an Aventador. Our prediction turned out to be correct! SVJ stands for Super Veloce Jota, or simply Super Fast Jota. The word Jota has a complex lineage which we thoroughly explored in that previous post.
When will the Aventador SVJ be unveiled?
Unfortunately, Lamborghini has not unveiled all the specs for the Aventador SVJ yet. We know it has impressive aerodynamics and an improved power-to-weight ratio of 1.98 kg/hp, and we know what it will look like, albeit in press paint, but more info is soon to come. The Lamborghini will reveal the Aventador SVJ in late summer of 2018.


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Yahoo’s shares fell 7.5 percent as the company’s declining revenue tempered investor confidence in CEO Marissa Mayer’s turnaround efforts
Yahoo on Tuesday reported that its quarterly profit jumped at the end of last year, but revenues sank in a troubling sign for the struggling Internet pioneer.
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is cutting loose her top lieutenant in a possible sign that the Internet company’s efforts to revive its long-slumping advertising sales aren’t paying off
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer unveiled a handful of new products, including a competitor to Google’s predictive search technology for smartphones
President Barack Obama will meet Tuesday with executives from leading technology companies, including Google, Twitter and Apple
An outage at Yahoo Mail hit its fourth day on Thursday, prompting thousands of furious users to ratchet up their criticism on social media
Katie Couric is joining Yahoo to anchor a news program for the Internet company as it tries to expand its audience and sell more advertising.
Yahoo is expanding its efforts to protect its users’ online activities from prying eyes
The union representing German journalists advised its members to stop using Google and Yahoo because of reported snooping by U.S. and British intelligence.


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Discover more from Twelve Thirty Six
The week Coach’s Corner lasted eight days
Just two or three of them left to go
“Epstein didn’t kill himself” was on one of the signs protesting Don Cherry’s dismissal at Rogers headquarters, a scene involving about 20 participants and an estimated 1:1 ratio of protestors to media. No word on who or what fills in this Saturday night. Joe Warmington says they should just bring Cherry back.
The new meta-Grapes debate
Jessica Allen clarified her comments about parents of peers who’d spend $5,000 a year on minor hockey, which became the stuff of backlash. The hashtag #FireJessAllen trended on Twitter as symbolic retribution. (The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is overloaded with complaints about her, too.)
Cannabis Council of Canada wants Doug Ford to bring on more stores. Weed producers wrote an open letter about the dearth of legal retailers in Ontario—currently 24, compared to 324 in Alberta. Meanwhile, the prospect of a Tokyo Smoke store at Yonge and Bloor is foreshadowed by a cannabis accessories pop-up at Holt Renfrew.
Correcting a C.K. consent claim
Mark Breslin took a victory lap for booking Louis C.K. in Toronto, in a column for The Canadian Jewish News. The Yuk Yuk’s owner’s insouciant view garnered an incensed reaction from Julia Wolov, one of the women C.K. admitted to masturbating in front of:
Cineplex sees decline in the amount of popcorn being sold. Concession revenues per movie patron broke the $5 barrier five years ago, and reached a height of $7.04 halfway through 2019. The latest quarterly results show that the number fell to $6.68.
Pasqually P. Pieplate, R.I.P.
Chuck E. Cheese entered Canada in 1983, and earned a rave review in the Toronto Star, particularly for the pizza whose slices the chain recently denied recycling. That first Toronto location is still there, but the robot mascots are now entirely gone everywhere:


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Sony is preparing a portable console and it is not a new Vita
SONY IS REALLY PREPARING A PORTABLE CONSOLE, BUT THIS IS NOT A NEW VITA
At the beginning of this month, a well-known journalist and insider Tom Henderson (Tom Henderson) wrote on his social networks that Sony is actively working on the development of an unannounced portable gaming device, which should be presented before the presentation of an improved version of the PlayStation 5 game console. the message was written on April 1, many users took it as a joke, but the journalist soon added that the information was reliable and its publication had nothing to do with April Fool’s Day.
Accordingly, gamers decided that Sony was preparing a new generation of PS Vita, which, of course, made many fans of the cult pocket set-top box very happy.
The hype around this issue has grown to unprecedented proportions on the Internet, but another well-known journalist Jeff Grubb (Jeff Grubb) cooled the ardor of loyal fans of Sony. He stated that the audience should lower their expectations for the Japanese giant’s new portable console, as the company is not actually creating a new PS Vita, but a completely different type of device.
“I’m driving to Super Nintendo World and seeing reports of a potential Vita 2. Please lower your expectations because I’ve only heard about a portable cloud streaming device,” Jeff Grubb posted on social media.
This means that there is no competition with Steam Deck or ASUS’ new portable console at the moment. Sony is working on a device for streaming video games – from the cloud or, which is much more likely, from the same PlayStation 5.
And if the insider information is really true, then the new device should be presented at the next major Sony presentation, which is planned, but does not yet have an exact dates. Most likely, this will happen before the end of June this year, but dates are often shifted in the gaming industry.


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PredictSpring is pleased to announce an expanded partnership with Adyen, the global payments platform of choice for many of the world’s leading companies.
“Our Modern POS platform integrated with Adyen’s latest payment technologies enables fast, efficient and seamless global transactions for our retailers across all channels, anywhere in the world.” explains PredictSpring Founder and CEO, Nitin Mangtani.
“Adyen allows retailers to offer a unified commerce experience across regions, channels, and preferred payment methods, which is key in creating the best shopping experiences,” said Kamran Zaki, COO at Adyen. “From easier returns to customer loyalty enhancements, we are excited to partner with PredictSpring to enable frictionless payments and improve customer experiences.”
PredictSpring’s expanded collaboration with Adyen enables brands and retailers using the PredictSpring Modern POS platform to now benefit from the following capabilities:
This partnership, between the leaders in Modern POS and global payments, allows brands and retailers to offer their customers a more frictionless and enjoyable checkout experience, helping retailers grow their businesses.
PredictSpring Founder and CEO, Nitin Mangtani says "Expanding our already successful partnership with Adyen allows us to provide brands and retailers with next-level, innovative payment solutions to improve the customer journey and drive sales.”
Plan ahead with the rest of our tips on mobile retail shopping strategies and you’ll be well prepared this holiday season.
PredictSpring are optimistic about what lies ahead for our industry, which is why we have summarized the five technologies that retailers should really be focusing on this year.
When it comes to apparel and accessories, customers are no longer content with a standard shopping experience. But, with new technology, brands can completely transform their entire retail experience.
The evolution of mobile technology means modern beauty brands can now harness the power of innovation and adopt retail solutions that meet and surpass consumer expectations.
Brick and mortar is here to stay. Although consumers are using multiple channels to carry out product research, the physical store remains the first choice for finalizing home furnishing purchases.
The PredictSpring modern POS offers Telcos retailers an opportunity to set a new standard in the fast moving, digital-first world.
While wineries used to be built entirely around in-store tastings, it’s time for brands to step up the entire customer experience, both instore and online, with a forward-thinking retail solution.


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SAGICOR Financial Company Limited (SFC) will be launching a fully digital commercial bank come this June/July through an entity called Sagicor Bank (Barbados) Limited (SBB).
SBB was incorporated in April 2021 and became a wholly owned subsidiary of SFC in November 2021. It will be headquartered in Barbados and forms part of SFC's goal to create an integrated financial services company in the Caribbean. SFC also has a wholly owned subsidiary called Sagicor Special Opportunity Funds which was formed in 2020 but is not yet operational. The financial conglomerate has a 49.11 per cent controlling interest in Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited (SJ), along with its wholly owned subsidiaries of Sagicor Life USA and Sagicor Life in Barbados (SLB).
“Sagicor has operated in the Caribbean for over one hundred and eighty years. We have prospered by listening to our customers. They have spoken clearly: 'Banking has to change.' We plan to launch a bank that allows people to bank the way they want rather than be encumbered by the excessive process, delays and cost that characterise the current banking system,” said SFC Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dodridge Miller in the release.
When the Jamaica Observer reached out to executive vice-president of investor relations at SFC, Samantha Cheung for additional details, she explained that the queries would be sent to the relevant persons. With SBB being a fully digital bank, it could be classified as a neobank. Neobanks are financial institutions that give customers a cheaper alternative to traditional banks. They can be thought of as digital banks, thus having no physical branches, and offering services that traditional banks don't.
This query comes as the release stated that the development of the bank took two years to meet the needs of the Caribbean consumers and businesses, with a focus on employing the latest mobile, digital technology to provide low-cost and innovative products. There are currently six licensed commercial banks in Barbados, with Scotiabank and First Caribbean International Bank Limited (FCIB) reducing their physical footprint across the Caribbean.
The move by SFC to launch SBB comes as WiPay Caribbean launches its neobank, called Colour Bank, next Thursday out of Miami. WiPay is a fintech company focused on payment processing in the region and which has been launching various products to meet gaps in the speed and processing of payments in the region.
As part of its development to lead a digital bank, SFC has recruited FCIB's Deputy Chief Information Officer George Thomas to lead SBB as its CEO. Apart from his 30 years in technology and 20 years as an executive, Thomas is currently an advisor to the Barbados Ministry of Innovation and Smart Technology and is the co-chair of the Technology Working Group National Digital ID. He has also done work in the Middle East, Africa and United States through the implementation of enabling technologies and enterprising systems.
“The bank is the first to be built completely from a customer's perspective. We will use technology to systematically re-imagine the banking experience and deliver superior value to our customers,” Thomas said in the release.
SJ's wholly owned subsidiary, Sagicor Bank Jamaica Limited (SBJ) is the only commercial banking subsidiary in the SFC group. SBJ's 2021 revenue increased by 18 per cent to $15.52 billion, and it generated its highest net profit of $3.27 billion, a 33 per cent year on year increase. It is yet to be seen if any synergies will be formed between SBJ and SBB, especially with SBJ launching a new branch at Up Park Camp and having its bank on the wheel's initiative. Additional details on SBB are expected to be made available prior to its launch.
“Technology and infrastructure remains a top priority for Sagicor, and we are always exploring ways of improving and leveraging technology to support our strategic initiatives which are directly correlated to our client experience. It is an ongoing activity as we build out our base to provide more efficient and convenient products and services to our clients,” said SBJ CEO Chorvelle Johnson Cunningham recently.


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30 July, 2020 - FXCubic, a technology provider offering connectivity services to Institutional and Retail FX brokers, has today announced the launch of its new real-time bridge markup API.
According to the company's press release, the API allows brokers to instantly adjust mark-ups in real-time based on their chosen algorithm, reflecting their business model and current market conditions. The real-time API allows brokers the flexibility to adapt and react to market conditions and the status of their own book, while monitoring their total exposure and adjusting their mark-ups (per trading instrument) to ensure maximum profitability.
Ege Kozan, FXCubic CEO, commented: “We believe this is truly groundbreaking, as this kind of technology has never been accessible to the vast majority of brokers. When used right, such technology can have a big impact on a broker’s profitability, so we are expecting our clients to take full advantage of this new tool and apply it to their business very rapidly."
FairXchange Launches Pricing Stack Analysis
DMALINK® and WeOwn enter partnership to redefine decentralised finance
CLS Provides Volume Data for August 2020
DMALINK Appoints Malkeet Sokhi as Non-Executive Director
PrimeXM Release Trading Volume Figures For August 2020


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The new recall includes additional lines sold at Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Booker, Spar, Safeway and Sainsbury’s, among other retailers.
It comes after further testing resulted in “a new presumptive indication of the presence of salmonella in a sample of the ingredient”, a spokesman told Food Manufacture.
“We immediately alerted the FSA and our customers of this finding,” he said. “While this will not be confirmed, for certain, until further testing has been completed, and despite all other samples being totally clear, we have taken the precautionary step of recalling additional houmous items based on this presumptive result.”
The spokesman also confirmed that an unnamed third party is still thought to be responsible for the potential contamination at this stage. He reinforced, however, that additional testing was ongoing.
On Friday (1 November), Zorba cited the third party as being at the root of the issue after raising the number of products recalled to 56 lines, which included Sainsbury’s own range, Nando’s houmous with Peri-Peri drizzle, Morrisons’ Avocado Houmous, Asda’s Carrot Sticks & Houmous and Lidl’s Meadow Fresh Houmous Selection, due to the potential threat. This also included recalls from other retailers in Ireland.
Originally, 17 lines has been recalled after an announcement by the FSA on 30 October.
The latest statement from the firm said: “Zorba Delicacies Limited is recalling the above products with a use-by date up to 7 November due to the possible presence of salmonella.
“Please do not eat these products and return them to your nearest store for a full refund. We don’t need a receipt.
“Zorba Delicacies apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and assure customers of our continuing commitment to the highest standard of product quality and safety.”
The FSA added: Point-of-sale notices have been displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products.”
The list of the latest recalls is outlined on the FSA website.


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app widget news search results
Developer news items we found relating to app widget
Sencha Launches GXT 3.1 Beta to Create Web Apps Using Java
Friday, February 28, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Google makes Android 4.2 Jelly Bean SDK platform available
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 by Richard Harris
Google has released the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean SDK to the masses, letting anyone and everyone grab the latest software development kit. Available immediately, the API level 17 platform brings a number of new features and improvements to Android. A post on the Android blog reminds us of some of the standout changes.Performance: We’ve worked with our ...


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In a bold move that underscores the state’s commitment to the Second Amendment, Mississippi is set to provide a tax break this weekend on all purchases of firearms, ammunition, and select hunting supplies. Dubbed the Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday, the event kicks off on Friday, August 25, offering a unique opportunity for hunting enthusiasts and gun owners to make significant savings on their purchases.
Unlike the previous month’s tax-free holiday, which was aimed at back-to-school shoppers and had a price limit on items, this tax-free event is distinctive in its approach. The Mississippi Department of Revenue has outlined the items eligible for tax savings, and interestingly, there is no price limit on these items. The tax-free period also extends one day longer than usual, starting from 12:01 a.m. on Friday and ending at Sunday midnight, giving shoppers an extended window to make their purchases.
Mississippi Launches Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday
Mississippi is set to provide a tax break this weekend on all purchases of firearms, ammunition, and certain hunting supplies. The tax relief event, known as the Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday, will kick off on Friday, August 25.
Tax-Free Shopping: What’s Eligible?
The Mississippi Department of Revenue has provided a detailed outline of which items are eligible for tax savings. Unlike the tax-free holiday last month, which targeted back-to-school shoppers, this one does not impose a price limit on items. Therefore, any eligible item from the state’s list can be bought tax-free, regardless of its price.
Extended Tax-Free Period
Notably, this tax-free period is one day longer than the previous one. Shoppers can benefit from the tax relief starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and ending Sunday at midnight.
Retailers are looking forward to the tax-free weekend, suggesting it could be an opportune time for consumers to get a head start on their holiday shopping.
This tax-free event is a significant opportunity for both consumers and retailers. For consumers, it’s a chance to make substantial savings on firearms, ammunition, and certain hunting supplies. For retailers, it’s a potential sales boost during a typically slow summer period. As the holiday does not impose any price limit on eligible goods, high-ticket items will likely be an area of focus for both buyers and sellers. It’s also worth noting the tax-free period’s extension to three days, giving consumers more time to make purchases. Overall, this Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday could provide a much-needed stimulus for Mississippi’s economy.


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Minagi compact crossover concept was released for new 2012 Mazda CX5 since 2011 Geneva Motor Show. But in that time is only the concept of this awesome 2012 Mazda CX5 which has been hinting at production of its attractive. At New York 2011 Auto Show Mazda was finally released the true car named 2012 Mazda CX5 and confirmed that a production version of the concept was in the pipeline and destined to the CX5. Like 2012 Mazda3 Little Compact Car Showed at New York 2011, they powered the engine with SKYACTIV range of fuel efficient technologies too.
Facelifted the XF range at this New York 2011 come to the new 2012 Jaguar XK with convertible body styles. The new 2012 Jaguar XK range, which consists of both Coupe and Convertible bodystyles, has evolved to take on an elegant new look, elements of which are shared with the XKR-S, first revealed last month and now appearing for the first time in the U.S. This new 2012 Jaguar XK range have significant changes take place at the front with a set of all-new headlight. Unlike 2012 Chrysler 300S Offered Both V6 and V8 Versions they just release the V8 engine.
2012 Mazda3 is the brand new little compact car from Mazda that showed off at New York 2011 Auto Show. This 2012 Mazda3 coming with a mid cycle refresh that not only provides a refined exterior and interior. 2012 Mazda3 performance is dishes out a new engine that utilizes Mazda’s innovative SKYACTIV fuel saving and performance oriented technologies. Like Future Volkswagen Beetle Revealed on New York 2011, they use that fuel saving technology both on new and old Mazda3. With manual transmission revealed will enhance this city car.
The new sequel of The Fast & The Furious movie began featuring all brand new 2011 cars but we will show you what kind of cars that used before this movie. There is the top 10 The Fast & Furious movie cars we will show on you. The top 10 the fast & the furious movie cars is based on few world branded cars, such as nissan, volkswagen, honda, mazda and more. Top 10 the fast and the furious movie cars is most intresting things must we know before watching the latest sequel fast five. And if you think that we’re talking about resident leading men, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, guess again. This list has very little to do with them, or their other co-stars for that matter, but more so about what they were driving during the first four movies. Yes, dear friends.
SMS Supercars a Steve Saleen’s new company was unveiled its 2011 302 ford mustang last spring. They bring the awesome dark blue color as main color on the new 2011 of 302 ford mustang on last spring. With sporty design body painted with dark blue color this 302 ford mustang really perfect for bussines man new car. Like Dark Blue Landrover Range Rover RS300 Limited Edition, the main color is the main interest for the new owner. On this time there are two models are offered by ford mustang, the standart 302 with 440 horsepower and a supercharged 302SC with 535 horsepower.
Related Auto Show & Car Showoff for 2012 mazda 3 body kit at AutoCarShowOff.com
After last year of Peugeot RCZ Asphalt and this year with the new 2011 Peugeot RCZ Asphalt LE, and what the differents of both of it? This brand new car is only limited into 75 units for right hand drive at UK and the goal is 500 unit at end of this year. The price [...]
After old schools BMW 3-Series when the day of announcement it was 25 years ago. This 2014 BMW M3 was appeared on four different generations and evolved from a 2.3 liter inline-four cylinder engine with 200 HP to an impressive V8 hitting 420 HP. 2014 BMW M3 maybe not the best sport cars out there, [...]
Mercedes Benz a world class car company was released new concept for their future car at New York 2011 Auto Show called Mercedes Benz A Class Shines. The Mercedes Benz A Class Shines concept was bring the shines into the full body of the car which make the car looks so glamour and luxurious. Mercedes [...]
The german tuning company Novitec Rosso building a fabulous works with 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider which stands on top of tuning specs and modification style. Featuring 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider, Novitec Rosso gave the fastest and the most powerful Alfa Romeo even more another fast cars. This 2011 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider powered [...]
From the last best tuning from German tuner, Graf Weckerle, for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Aston Martin DBS or oozed style and sophistication with engine upgrades, quality upgrades, and those infamous Fleur-de-Lis ornamental wheels. The new tuning package was created for the Ferrari 458 Italia which is currently on sale on Jameslist. [...]
Expanding the new 2012 Chrysler 300S showed up the Chrysler 300 line up with thie new edition. They offered this new 2012 Chrysler 300S in both V6 and V8 engine versions. According to Chrysler they will ship this new 2012 Chrysler 300S car in fall 2011. With no chrome, no wood, matte carbon fiber finishes, [...]
Become most of favorite coupe car, BMW 1-Series M Coupe was tested by lot of tuning company. Todays number of tuning companies are already lining up to get their hands on the BMW 1-Series M Coupe and short of saying, a tuning race of sorts has began to release the best possible aftermarket program for [...]
Whatever Murcielago is not the future of Lamborghini anymore, but it certainly doesn’t mean that we’ve seen the last of this highly popular supercar. Lamborghini Murcielago can be sure tuned by tuning companies like Wheelsandmore which are still around. This 2011 Lamborghini Murcielago LP720-4 Final Edition is pretty sick projects in the past have outdone [...]
On New York 2011 auto show, Dodge was revealed the new 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T. The 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T models will be distinguished by the rest of the Avenger type of Dodge cars. 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T will show its future sporty design with a sportier look that includes a unique body-color grille with [...]
Most people searching the official pricing of 2012 Audi TT RS in U.S. And now it finally come with official price from Audi which finally released U.S. pricing on the company’s 2012 TT RS. This 2012 Audi TT RS which powered by 360-horsepower coupe engine has planning on handing over $56,850*(*plus any applicable destination charges). [...]


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Rare items salvaged from a crashed German World War Two bomber in Lincolnshire are to be auctioned off. Among the lots are a pilot's pocket watch and a pair of binoculars in a pig skin case which were retrieved from a Luftwaffe Dornier 217-M1 which came down at Legbourne near Louth in 1944.
The items are among 850 to go under the hammer at Perkins George Mawer in Market Rasen on Thursday 21 March. People interested in bidding can preview what is due to be sold on Wednesday afternoon at the firm's saleroom. Also there are charts from a U.S. lifeboat that washed up at Theddlethorpe.
More top news
Weather: Late update with Jon Mitchell
A council worker is facing suspension after being after being filmed tossing a mum's rubbish out of her bin, and onto the street.
Police have released pictures of fans who could have information for the criminal investigation into the day of the Hillsborough Disaster.


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Regardless if you are an NFT collector or NFT creator, you need to be well aware of what makes a piece of minted NFT art both collectible and valuable.
This article should get you up to speed so that you will hopefully have a clearer understanding of what makes the NFT market click!
It was a labor of love that paid off for Mike Winkelmann in the brave new world of NFTs.
Even more shocking — it was an NFT, or a non-fungible token, a unique digital asset. It is the highest amount paid for such a form of art.
It’s a record that indeed will be surpassed soon as NFTs become more and more popular within the digital art collecting world.
Welcome to the cool, crazy, unique, and fun 21st-century world of NFT art. But what exactly is making NFT art so collectible and valuable? Let’s take a look.
1. Major Artists are Getting on Board
NFTs first came into the marketplace in about 2014, but they’ve gone more mainstream since then as awareness grew and more blockchains — the networks that house NFTs — came into the market.
Now well-known artists are banking on the new platform and collectors are taking notice.
English artist Damien Hirst, generally regarded as the United Kingdom’s richest living artist, has created “The Currency,” a project of 10,000 NFTS that are the digital equivalent of his physical prints. Since the NFTs cost $2,000 each, “The Currency” is a 20 million project.
Pop art favorite Philip Colbert has created a digital city, “Lobsteropolis” on a blockchain-hosted digital world. Singer/artist Grimes has also contributed to NFTs with unique visual and audio art. Her digital artworks sold for $6 million.
2. It’s History
Collectors pay massive amounts to own the “first” of something or a historical artifact, like the first photograph taken or the gun that killed Billy the Kid.
That concept translates to valuable NFTs. In March 2021, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s first-ever tweet — five words: “just setting up my twttr” — sold as an NFT for $2.9 million.
Toronto artist Krista Kim recently sold her “Mars House,” called the world’s first digital home, for $500,000. And yes, it’s a mansion on the planet Mars.
3. It Taps Into Already-Hot Markets
Sports collectibles — anything from signed football helmets to trading cards and uniforms — have been one of the most lucrative markets for decades.
They’re making a splash in NFT form, too. In July 2021, boxer Tyson Fury sold an illustration of himself with two championship belts for almost $1 million.
4. Pop Culture Figures Are Getting Involved
Celebrities have a built-in fanbase that will typically buy anything and everything related to the famous person they idolize. Influencer culture is now also strong on NFT blockchains.
Paris Hilton (yes, that Paris Hilton) has created a series of crypto art — pets named after types of NFT currency — and the entire collection was sold for over $1 million.
Rapper Snoop Dogg’s first NT collection, a mix of art and music, was released in March 2021, and one of the pieces sold for over $100,000.
Even celebrities selling NFTs of other celebrities can make bank. Actress Lindsay Lohan sold an NFT of now-disbanded electronic group Daft Punk for $15,000.
And speaking of music, musicians are cashing in on album NFTs and even selling concert tickets with extra bonuses in NFT format. This little post explains how musicians are making big money in this digital world.
5. NFTs Make Digital Art Unique
Digital art is not at all new — it has been available and sold for years at usually low prices since it was so widely available. But with the advent of NFTs, digital art is now not only one-of-a-kind but certified as so.
That means even lesser-known digital artists, who previously sold digital art (or gave it away) have been making thousands of dollars on art that previously has little or no value, including digital mainstays like memes and GIFs.
In fact, memes are now playing a massive part in the NFT game. This article shows how to collect NFT memes in 6 steps.
Whereas memes were previously shared by millions, now they have the potential to be owned and licensed by one. And there’s extreme value in owning something that’s one-of-a-kind.
6. They Can Be Used In Different and Wide-Ranging Ways
Yes, NFTs are officially one-of-a-kind works, but part of their value is that they can be used in many lucrative ways.
Companies can create NFTs that soar in value because they can be integrated into different business applications and can be traded on other markets (creators of NFTs can even receive royalties every time their NFT works are sold on another market).
That potential adds a whole new revenue stream for businesses and invents all new business models.
So an NFT’s future value is heavily considered in its current value. Someone can buy an NFT game and then sell tickets for the NFT game. Businesses can also offer benefits to those who hold an NFT created by that business.
7. The Cool Factor
NFTs are rising in value in part just because they are NFTs. They’re new, strange, inventive, and represent a new vision of technology with endless potential.
For lack of a better word, NFTs are, well, cool. “Forever Rose,” which sold for $1 million on Valentine’s Day, is a digital photograph by crypto art pioneer Kevin Abosch.
CryptoPunks, 10,000 character collectibles, were the first NFTS sold on the blockchain Ethereum.
Over the past year, NFTs have offered games set in virtual worlds with fantasy creatures. The Weeknd has sold previously unreleased music as NFTs. An NFT illustration by “Rick and Morty” co-creator Justin Roiland sold for over $1 million.
For collectors looking for the best, most enviable new thing — and bragging rights of ownership — NFTs are a must-have. But first, you need a crypto wallet, assuming you don’t have one, and here is a great place to start:
As you can see, cryptocurrency and NFTs are not going anywhere. If you are a digital artist or content creator, it may be an excellent decision to get involved.
If you are a collector of art, sports memorabilia and enjoy memes, you might have no other option than to get involved. Here are five other reasons to consider buying NFTs.
That being said, I would advise getting acclimated to the cryptocurrency world, look for a good crypto wallet and investigate the multiple platforms where you can purchase an array of NFT collectibles. Here are a few starter articles:
- NFT Crypto Art Collector Starter Guide | Why It’s So Easy
- How Much Does it Cost to Mint an NFT?
- Is NFT Art Protected by Copyright Law? (How To Get Sued)
It’s a fun, fun world, and this is just the start. Plus the future looks real bright after reading this article: 10 Reasons Why NFTs Will Change the World. To the moon.


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Fintech is short for financial technology. The technology has wrought significant changes in the way the financial industry functions. And the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of fintech because of the convenience it offers in executing financial transactions.
Fintech companies have risen to the occasion by meeting consumers’ ever-increasing demand for payment simplicity, money management, and access to easy credit. The popularity of fintech companies has forced traditional financial institutions to make technological investments to compete. The fintech industry is expected now to witness another boom on newer trends, such as buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), neo banks, and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). According to a Kenneth Research report, the global fintech market is expected to reach $305.70 billion by 2023, growing at a 22.2% CAGR.
Although the fintech industry is expected to witness significant growth, fundamentally weak stocks in this space, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD), SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI), and PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS), are trading at lofty valuations. Hence, we think it could be wise to avoid these stocks.
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)
Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., famous financial services platform provider HOOD is focused on developing an application for cash management, including stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency. The company’s platform provides trading in U.S. listed stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, American depository receipts (ADRs), and cryptocurrencies.
HOOD’s operating expenses increased 162% year-over-year to $783.14 million for the fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, 2021. The company’s net loss came in at $423.26 million, versus $13.02 million in net income in the year-ago period. Also, its adjusted EBITDA loss came in at $86.84 million, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $79.19 million in the year-ago period.
In terms of forward P/S and P/B, HOOD’s respective 5.52x and 1.44x are higher than the 3.20x and 1.14x industry averages. The company’s EPS is expected to remain negative this year and in the following year. In addition, analysts expect its revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, to decline 22.9% year-over-year to $402.33 million. Over the past six months, the stock has declined 74.1% in price to close the last trading session at $11.49.
HOOD’s weak fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall F rating, which equates to a Strong Sell in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.
It has an F grade for Stability, Sentiment, and Quality and a D grade for Value. It is ranked #161 out of 165 stocks in the F-rated Software – Application industry. Click here to see the other ratings of Growth and Momentum.
SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI)
Digital financial services company SOFI, in San Francisco, operates through lending, financial services, and technology platform segments. Its lending segment offers student loans, personal and home loans. In contrast, its financial services segment provides cash management and investment services through SoFi Money, SoFi Invest, SoFi Credit Card, and SoFi Relay. And its technology platform segment offers the benefits of Galileo and Apex.
For its fiscal fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, 2021, SOFI’s noninterest expense increased 52.5% year-over-year to $395.06 million. The company’s net loss widened 34.3% year-over-year to $111.01 million. And its adjusted EBITDA declined 61.1% year-over-year to $4.59 million.
In terms of forward P/S and P/B, SOFI’s respective 6.38x and 2.20x are higher than the 3.20x and 1.14x industry averages. The company’s EPS is expected to remain negative this year and next year. Over the past nine months, the stock has declined 50.1% in price to close the last trading session at $11.58.
SOFI’s POWR Ratings reflect these bleak prospects. It has an overall F rating, which equates to a Strong Sell.
It has an F grade for Value and Stability and a D grade for Sentiment and Quality. Within the D-rated Financial Services (Enterprise) industry, it is ranked #110 out of 113 stocks. To see the additional ratings of SOFI for Growth and Momentum, click here.
PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS)
Headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, PAGS is a fintech company that offers multiple digital payment solutions to micro-merchants, small companies, and medium-sized companies. Its end-to-end digital ecosystem helps its customers accept payments and manage their businesses.
PAGS’ cost of sales and services for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2021, increased 50.5% year-over-year to R$3.94 billion ($0.76 billion). The company’s net income declined 5.6% year-over-year to R$865.01 million ($168 million). And its EPS came in at R$2.6019, declining 6.3% year-over-year.
In terms of forward Price/Cash Flow, PAGS’ 23.53x is higher than the 18.86x industry average. Over the past year, the stock has declined 74.5% in price to close the last trading session at $15.30.
PAGS’ weak prospects are reflected in its POWR Ratings. It has an overall F rating, equating to a Strong Sell in our rating system.
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
HOOD shares rose $0.02 (+0.17%) in premarket trading Thursday. Year-to-date, HOOD has declined -35.30%, versus a -7.80% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Dipanjan Banchur
Since he was in grade school, Dipanjan was interested in the stock market. This led to him obtaining a master’s degree in Finance and Accounting. Currently, as an investment analyst and financial journalist, Dipanjan has a strong interest in reading and analyzing emerging trends in financial markets. More...
More Resources for the Stocks in this Article
|Ticker||POWR Rating||Industry Rank||Rank in Industry|
|HOOD||Get Rating||Get Rating||Get Rating|
|SOFI||Get Rating||Get Rating||Get Rating|
|PAGS||Get Rating||Get Rating||Get Rating|