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The new remote, launching on February 24, will allow users to interact with the service through their voice and connects to the UHD and UHD Smart WiFi decoders via infra-red and Bluetooth.
The remote will lean on Telefónica’s Aura AI virtual assistant to interact with Movistar+ for search and enhanced control. In particular, the operator said that users will be able to carry out the main actions of the TV interface more easily, such as changing channels or doing searches (by title, cast, genre or type of content, in the channel’s program schedule, etc.).
In addition, the service enables users to request recommendations, with the company saying that functionality is “constantly evolving.”
Telefónica added that test users were particularly receptive to the key backlighting which allows use in poorly lit environments.
The new remote will cost existing customers €10, or be provided free of charge with new UHD decoders and UHD Smart WiFi units.
The company said that this latest launch underlines its efforts as it “continues to work on the latest technology to offer its customers the best user experience”.
There are currently more than 4 million households subscribing to Movistar+. The company said that advanced functionalities such as recordings, view from start, live control and last 7 days are used by 83% of users and that they have an average rating of 9/10 in customer surveys.
The company promises further enhancements to the platform such as split screen viewing and incorporation of Apple TV into the device ecosystem.
This is the latest product launch for Telefónica since the January appointment of Ángel Olabuenaga Burón as its chief financial officer.
Olabuenaga has previously worked for companies including Deloitte, Telefónica Data España and Electrolux. Most recently he was CFO, Latin America for wind turbine group Vestas.
DTVE: the week in view – Should streamers help to fund Europe’s network expansion? digitaltveurope.com/comment/should… https://t.co/x6aSHT8EvH
05 December 2021 @ 19:34:00 UTC
ICYMI: Vodafone TV arrives on LG TVs in Spain digitaltveurope.com/2021/12/03/vod… https://t.co/dpCVTHxPFr
05 December 2021 @ 19:30:00 UTC
ICYMI: Vizio ads AVOD content to WatchFree+ streamer digitaltveurope.com/2021/12/03/viz… https://t.co/i6syMw9Eli
04 December 2021 @ 19:30:00 UTC


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"Disney Buying Pixar" Rumors Gaining Strength
A report in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal (summarized by Reuters) quoted unnamed sources stating that the Walt Disney Company was in serious talks to acquire Pixar Animation Studios, paying a small premium over Pixar’s market value of $6.7 billion at the time. Since that time, more details of the story have come from a report in today’s New York Times and one in the Los Angeles Times (registration required for both), stating that the Disney board may be meeting this weekend to discuss the acquisition and that an announcement may be made as early as Monday.
If the deal is completed as described, it would make Pixar CEO Steve Jobs the largest shareholder in the Walt Disney Company, possessing approximately 6% of outstanding shares (for comparison, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner would be the next-largest shareholder, owning 1.7% of all outstanding shares).
This story has been picked up by several other mainstream media outlets and raised share prices for both Disney and Pixar briefly. Ironically, the positive reaction from Wall Street may result in a scuttling of the deal if Pixar’s market value ends up exceeding the amount Disney is willing to pay for it.

domain: news


text: While all of us at Engadget are mostly dreaming of a digital Chrismahanukwanzakah, apparently a good number of our male readers are looking for something a little closer to home that will boost their self-esteem and sex appeal. (We know, we were surprised too.) Indeed, according to a study sponsored by Merck and conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, over half of more than 2,000 balding men surveyed said that they would trade something from their collection of consumer electronics for more hair on their head. Of those surveyed, 26 percent said they'd trade a stereo system for a more beefy coiffure -- ok, that seems pretty fair. However, 17 percent said they'd trade their laptop (huh?), while another 17 percent said they'd give up an "expensive car" (wha?) for more follicles on the ol' chrome dome. But what we were most surprised about is that 13 percent of men surveyed said they'd trade their prized plasma TVs (have you guys seen the stuff on Engadget HD lately?), and a final six percent would trade a boat (are you guys nuts?) for some of the hairy stuff. Assuming these numbers are accurate, if we had Rumpelstiltskin-style machine -- that is, one that could turn silicon into hair -- we'd quit this whole blogging thing in a second.


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Under the umbrella name of 'Norton Internet Security provided by Yahoo', the offering will include protection against spyware, viruses, phishing scams and spam. The package will be available for download starting today, the companies said.
The partnership is an important one for Symantec at a time when the company is fighting for antivirus subscribers with not only its traditional rivals, such as McAfee Inc. and Trend Micro Inc., but also Microsoft. The Redmond, Wash., software giant is rolling out its own security suite, dubbed Windows Live OneCare, sold as an on-demand service, and also will be integrating antivirus and antispyware technologies into Windows Vista.
Microsoft's presence in the market has redrawn the competitive landscape and has caused more than a little hand-wringing and frustration among antivirus vendors, most of whom have been longtime Microsoft partners.
Windows Live OneCare, like the Yahoo-Symantec collaboration, is aimed mainly at consumers, many of whom are still surfing the Internet without sufficient security precautions, Symantec officials said.
"It is still a problem. We have data that shows that up to a third of consumers are still unprotected," said Rowan Trollope, vice president of consumer products and solutions at Symantec, based in Cupertino, Calif. "They either don't renew [the trial subscriptions they get with new PCs] or don't have full protection. Antivirus isn't enough anymore. You have to have a full Internet security suite."
Yahoo and Symantec also are collaborating on several other initiatives, including Norton Spyware Scan for Yahoo Toolbar, which enables users of Yahoo's popular browser toolbar to scan for and remove malicious programs from their machines. That integration should be finished within a few weeks, Symantec officials said. Symantec also provides virus-scanning services on the backend for Yahoo Mail and the Yahoo HotJobs site.
Consumers who download the new Norton Internet Security provided by Yahoo suite will get a free 30-day trial, and can then buy a one-year subscription fee of $49.95.


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Audio streaming platform Spotify has announced the launch of a "first-of-its-kind" audio advertising marketplace, The Spotify Audience Network, which will allow advertisers of all sizes to connect with listeners consuming a broad range of content.
These will include Spotify’s Originals & Exclusives, podcasts via Megaphone and Anchor, and ad-supported music.
The marketplace will leverage Spotify's medium-defining technology to give advertisers the ability to reach its audience of hundreds of millions of listeners — at scale — both on and off Spotify.
Spotify is still in the early stages of developing this offering but is set to share more on it in the coming months.
The announcement was made at Spotify's Stream On event this week, alongside a raft of other audio ad product announcements and the launch of a new exclusive podcast, Renegades: Born in the USA, hosted by President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen.
McDonald’s has been named the presenting partner in Australia for the first season of the new eight-episode podcast series.
New features have also been added to Spotify's Streaming Ad Insertion (SAI) product which was unveiled last year to provide new data-driven insights for podcast advertising.
SAI will now be made available to all markets and includes more product features, like audience-based buying, native ad placements, and reporting on creative performance, all of which play a key part in powering the Spotify Audience Network.
Later this year, Spotify will also start to make this technology available to Megaphone podcast publishers and Anchor creators globally.
The Spotify Ad Studio will also begin beta testing podcast ad buying in the US.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.org


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It is perhaps a little ironic that generics giant Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE:TEVA) finds itself in a position similar to what it helped create for many other pharmaceutical companies over the years. The company is facing increasing competition for its blockbuster MS drug Copaxone, while also having to deal with more pushback on pricing and a thinning pipeline for major generic releases. While Teva does have to face up to some near-term challenges, success with biosimiliars and a decision from management to double-down on internal efficiency and profitability would likely go a long way toward improving investor sentiment.
Applying The MACD Indicator With MetaTrader 4: How to use MetaTrader 4, a trading platform used for online trading in the forex, CFD and futures markets.
Some Good, Some Bad, with Third Quarter Results
Teva gave investors a mixed performance for the third quarter. Sales and gross margin came in a little light, but lower operating expenses helped cushion the blow.
Reported revenue rose 14% for the third quarter (with flat sequential growth), as the contributions from the Cephalon acquisition boosted results. Organic revenue growth was more on the order of 1%. Teva saw generic revenue increase just 1%, while branded sales growth of 38% was led by the inclusion of Cephalon drugs like Provigil, Nuvigil and Treanda, and better-than-expected growth (up 13%) in Copaxone.
While gross margin was slightly disappointing, it nevertheless improved on both a GAAP and adjusted basis; GAAP gross margin improved about a half-point, while adjusted gross margin improved more than two points. Operating income rose 6% on an adjusted basis, as lower-than-expected R&D and SG&A spending helped the company's reported results.
SEE: Everything Investors Need To Know About Earnings
Even Generics Aren't Immune to Price Pressure
Part of the bullish thesis on generic drug makers like Teva, Mylan (Nasdaq:MYL) and Watson (NYSE:WPI) has been that their cheaper drugs are the answer to tighter national healthcare budgets. While it is true that Teva seems relatively better positioned than branded companies like Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) or Lilly (NYSE:LLY), tighter spending nevertheless limited growth in Europe to just 1%, and revenue did decline 8% on a sequential basis.
Remember, generics don't generally launch at their final price. There are benefits to being the first to launch a new generic drug, and companies like Teva are often able to charge 50% or more of the branded drug price before new entrants push the price down. So a combination of fewer launches (particularly exclusive launches) and more price resistance from national healthcare systems can be problematic for these companies.
Teva Has Some Changes to Go Through
Part of the bullish thesis on pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) is that they've largely gone through the worst of their patent cliffs and corporate restructurings. In the case of Pfizer and Merck, for instance, there have been substantial layoffs and corporate restructurings (including divestitures like Pfizer's sale of its nutrition business).
Now it's Teva's turn.
The company's OTC drug partnership with Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) has already been pretty successful, and I would be surprised if the company didn't look to pursue this even further. At the same time, however, I would expect Teva's new CEO to launch a company-wide restructuring aimed at streamlining manufacturing and improving margins.
Last and not least, Teva needs to reinforce Wall Street's confidence that biosimilars will be a meaningful boost to revenue over the next decade. The company recently got FDA approval for tbo-filgrastim, and while this is not technically a biosimilar to Amgen's (Nasdaq:AMGN) Neupogen (Teva filed for approval before the FDA created the new biosimilar pathway and submitted a full BLA), I expect analysts and investors will be looking at this as a test-case for new biosimilars.
SEE: Patents Are Assets, So Learn How To Value Them
The Bottom Line
There's still quite a bit of uncertainty as to just how much new MS drugs from Biogen Idec (Nasdaq:BIIB) and Sanofi will impact Copaxone revenue and how much impact biosimilars will have at the top and bottom lines. Consequently, there's a pretty big spread between analyst estimates for 2015 to 2017. While that uncertainty increases the risk, it also paves the way for the shares to outperform if Teva can deliver solid financials.
I do believe that Teva can continue to grow its free cash flow, as I think there is room for improvement in the company's manufacturing and sales processes. That said, companies like Merck, Pfizer and Sanofi seem to offer almost as much upside (if not more) as Teva, and a lot of the execution risk is behind them. So while I am basically bullish on Teva at these prices, it's not my best or favorite idea in drugs or healthcare today.
At the time of writing, Stephen D. Simpson did not own any shares in any company mentioned in this article.


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‘After 12 years, support for Windows XP ended April 8, 2014.’ With that Microsoft statement, the popular operating system that refused to die when its successor Vista stumbled onto the scene and left an unmitigated disaster, is now “pining for the fjords”. There will be no more security updates or technical support.
‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! If you hadn’t nailed ‘im to the perch ‘e’d be pushing up the daisies! ‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!! [What’s an obituary without a gratuitous reference to Monty Python’s perfidous parrot.]
Gartner credits the end of XP support for helping the beleaguered PC market in the most recent quarter, where shipments only dropped 1.7%, the lowest quarterly drop over the last seven quarters. “The end of XP support by Microsoft on April 8 has played a role in the easing decline of PC shipments,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “All regions indicated a positive effect since the end of XP support stimulated the PC refresh of XP systems. Professional desktops, in particular, showed strength in the quarter. … We expect the impact of XP migration worldwide to continue throughout 2014.”
However, that still leaves a lot of XP users, especially large organizations not known for throwing out technology. According to a recent analysis from Softchoice, 39% of over 314,000 devices scanned from 136 businesses are still on XP, down from 58% six months ago in October. However, 18% of businesses still have over 50% XP in their environment, and 7% still have over 80% XP.
Better known for his expertise in semiconductors and flash storage, Jim Handy, Objective Analysis, wrote last week that he can’t wrap his head around Microsoft’s plans to phase out Windows XP. On the surface it makes a lot of sense for a program that is over twelve years old, and has undergone so many patches that it has most likely become very unwieldy to the programmers who maintain it.
“But this ignores the fact that XP is still the second most popular PC operating system (30% of PCs still use it), trailing Windows 7 by only 18%. That 18% is more than the combined market share of the next four contenders, each of which has less than 7% share, including Mac OS X.”
Handy likens this to a “New Coke” moment, with Microsoft challenging its users’ loyalty. “Why do this when there are better options (i.e. charging a support fee)?”
Dell’s OEM business has been around a few years longer than XP but it’s only in the last few years that it became a global business unit run by Joyce Mullen, VP and GM of Dell OEM Sales Solutions. With more than 500 dedicated employees, it delivers standards-based solutions built to order and customized for the specific needs of any industry, from gas pumps, ATMs, slot machines, and health monitors to educational tools, but it’s also involved with XP migrations, she said.
“For us, basically what we’re trying to do is make sure our customers understand we’re here to help.” It’s business as usual for embedded XP customers, with Microsoft support scheduled to continue into 2016, said Mullen. “There are a big bunch of customers where this is not an immediate issue.”
For the others, the good news is that we have lots and lots of expertise in migrating customers from XP, she said. “It’s a significant opportunity because there are a lot of customers who have not addressed that yet.”
Banks, whose ATMs run XP, are an issue, said David Pennington, Director OEM Sales Engineering. They’re looking to migrate to Windows 7 or 8, but not for another year or so, because it’s a fairly complex process. He said there seems to be resistance from the banks as they try and figure out at what point do they want to invest in new machines as opposed to upgrade existing machines.
That’s a point of differentiation for Dell, added Mullen, helping customers with their business decisions, not just focusing on boxes. More and more customers are looking for more value add, she said. “We have a wide spectrum of solutions based on the needs of the customer.”
Part of that value add is Dell’s IP, like Kace and Quest software acquisitions, which are expected to be a pivotal piece of the company’s turnaround. The company’s research is in line with other surveys that indicate close to a third (32%) of companies were still using XP, said Jason Tolu, Sr Product Marketing Manager, Dell Software.
The bottom line, he said, is that other than trying to delay the cost and complexity of migrating, you really do have to migrate, and sooner rather than later. With no more security fixes, i.e. Patch Tuesday, as soon as you connect to the Internet you will face security holes, said Tolu.
“There a lot of rumors out there that hackers have already found holes for XP but haven’t used them, waiting for April 8 to attack.” Customers have to weigh the expense of migrating versus the security risks of staying with XP, he said.
Kace has a lot of experience migrating customers, and the number one worry is will their applications continue working, said Tolu. Promising to take the migraines out of migration, a joint VMware (Horizon Mirage) and Dell (ChangeBASE) promotion stated they can save up to 40–50% of your time by utilizing their migration tools and simplify your migration by automating up to 95% of the process and receiving step-by-step instructions for any applications requiring manual migration.


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Xiaomi Mi3 with Snapdragon 800 processor up for pre-order in India, to be available starting July 22nd for Rs. 13,999
Xiaomi earlier today at an press event in New Delhi has officially announced its arrival in the country. The Chinese manufacturer also referred as Apple of China has launched its first smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi3 in India. The smartphone was originally launched in India few days ago, but Xiaomi has today again launched the smartphone in the country with revised price.
The Xiaomi Mi3 was first priced at Rs. 14,999, but now the smartphone will sell for just Rs. 13,999. As expected, the company has partnered with India's biggest e-retailer Flipkart to sell its smartphones exclusively in the country.
According to Xiaomi, the Mi3 is available for pre-order on Flipkart from July 15th to July 21st. Starting July 22nd, only customers who have pre-booked the device would be able to purchase the smartphone. Xiaomi also plans on launching the Mi3 flip case and Mi3 screen protector in India soon.
Talking about the specifications, Xiaomi Mi3 comes with a 5.0-inch Full HD IPS display with 441 ppi pixel density, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974AB) processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM and MIUI V5 based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The smartphone is 8.1mm thick and weights grams.
Other specifications include an 13MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front facing camera, 16GB fixed internal storage and 3,050 mAh battery. Connectivity series include 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiFi-Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and A-GPS. It has to be noted that Xiaomi phones in China does not comes with support for Google apps, but Xiaomi has included them in the Indian models.


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October 15, 2013
Stertil-Koni has introduced a new generation of its “green” hydraulic mobile column lift, Earthlift, now with a lifting capacity of 18,500 pounds per column.
July 1, 2013
Stertil-Koni announced the introduction of three additional models of heavy duty 2-post lifts in its new Freedom Lift series.
June 13, 2013
Stertil-Koni announced the introduction of the Freedom Lift, a new series of heavy-duty, hydraulic two-post lifts providing lifting capacity and wheels-free access.
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The expert, Mark Betner from CITGO, will answer your questions
Intermodal Data Hub Automates Chassis Billing Operations
ALK Releases New Software Aimed at Shippers, Brokers, 3PLs
ArcticPro Uses Smart Tech to Diagnose A/C Problems
Commercial Vehicle Group Launches Corsair Seat


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Rocket Fish Design, a leading industrial design firm, has issued its Winter 2013/2014 style guide which forecasts that high-tech innovative materials, minimalist design, and industrial styling will lead the way as brands finalize their Winter 2013/14 product offerings.
“From a style stand point, we’re seeing continued growth of the industrial look. This is a trend that really starts to take hold in Fall 2013 and will continue to gain momentum in Winter 2014,” said Thomas Gray, founder of Rocket Fish.
Although the styles have an old school look to them, expect materials to be innovative and technical. Compression fabrics are going to be extremely popular, as athletes are demanding more of a tailored fit in their apparel.
“As athletes take on more intense training regimens they need apparel that supports their bodies. Materials like compression fabric increase athletic performance, while taking some of the stress off muscles.” said Gray.
Minimalist gyms are also playing a substantial role in creating demand for new materials. Athletes from all sports are starting to train with less and less equipment and are looking for innovative apparel to complement their body’s natural rhythm.
While these fancy materials once carried a high price tag, Gray notes that we’re going to see high quality fabrics and gear becoming available at a lower price point.
“Whether it’s skiers, snowboarders, or basketball players, we’re seeing athletes spending even more time in the gym training but starting to train a little differently,” said Gray. “They want access to high quality apparel that allows them to move more fluidly.”
Carbon fiber is another material that’s going to make a strong showing. Whether it’s carbon fiber helmets, eyewear or boots – carbon fiber is another material that provides athletes with a higher level of performance because of its lightweight and durability.
In terms of color, in Winter 2013/14 there will be a mix of neutral tones and bright hues making it into lines. The color palette contrasts between dark tones of granite, slate and soil with pops of bright primary colors like royal blue and red, along with bright pinks, purples and fiery oranges. You will see this contrasting of colors within big color blocks as well as integrated into prints.
Another innovative development to come in Winter 2013 and 2014 is the idea of heated accessories. While not an entirely new trend, it’s most definitely a growing one. Whether its chargeable gloves to provide heat for skiers, or vests for cyclers, Gray expects heated accessories as a trend to watch in the upcoming years.


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Walmart is a case study in what the Occupy Wall Street movement is trying to raise awareness of.
Last year, four members of Walmart founder Sam Walton's family made the Forbes list of America's 10 richest people.
The majority of Walmart's workers with children live below the federal poverty line. Walmart workers earn on average 12.4% less than retail workers as a whole, and many actually rely on welfare to survive.
That's the kind of mind-blowingly unfair contrast which means this business as usual can't last.


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Red Buoy brewers turned a hobby into a passion
Tucked away in a former workshop under a carport that once housed an RV and a boat is the “brew barn” of Red Buoy Brewers. It’s where five home beer brewers — three Indian River County Ocean Rescue lifeguards, a retired lifeguard who now works in the construction industry and a computer specialist — are harnessing the growing taste for craft beer and turning a hobby into a passion for creating their unique, crowd-pleasing brand.
Their success, both personal and among their peers, is probably matched only by their enthusiasm and dedication to their craft.
Mike Flinn, Jason Flinn, Willie Boscovich, Johnathan Billings and Eric Carson came together a little over three years ago to create Red Buoy Brewers. The name for their enterprise is a natural outgrowth of the lifeguard profession of four of the five. Red buoy refers to a red rescue can, a certain type of floatation device used in ocean rescues, which is on display in the brew barn.
“It took us months to come up with a name and we must have thrown out a thousand, including some joke names,” Mike says. “Finally, Willie came up with Blue Buoy.” As it turns out, Willie is the only non-lifeguard.


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- This deal is a big win for autonomous vehicles…
- Something this bizarre could only happen in 2020
- The writing is on the wall… A digital dollar is coming
Economists were caught flat-footed again, surprised by the strong jobs numbers that came out this morning.
Some media outlets are trying their best to put a bad spin on the numbers, but that’s hard to do given that 4.8 million jobs were added in the U.S. in June, and the jobless rate dropped from 13.3% in May down to 11.1%.
Economists aren’t going to agree with me, but I predict July’s jobless rate will drop below 10%.
The number of new applications for jobless benefits dropped by a small amount to 1.43 million last week. Continuing jobless claims increased by an equally small amount from 19.2 million to 19.3 million compared to the week before.
The labor force participation rate also increased to 61.5% compared to 60.8% in May. For a reference point, pre-pandemic levels were at 63.4%. We’ll get back there. It’s just a matter of time.
I’m not going to hold back. I’m just going to say it. This is all great news for the economy and ultimately the equity markets and investors. There are no “buts” at all.
Now to our insights…
NVIDIA’s big autonomous driving deal…
Big news in the autonomous driving arena – NVIDIA just inked a deal with Mercedes-Benz for an in-vehicle autonomous driving solution. That’s right – NVIDIA is putting its self-driving technology in Mercedes’ vehicles. The 2024 models will be the first Mercedes with this self-driving tech installed.
That may sound like a way off, but it’s not that far out in the auto industry. Typically, car designs are wrapped up about three years in advance. And that’s where we are with this deal. These self-driving Mercedes will go into production in 2023.
Mercedes is the largest premium carmaker in the world. It produced about 2.3 million cars last year. This is a strong endorsement of NVIDIA’s autonomous driving technology by Mercedes. Mercedes is an automotive brand built on quality, performance, and luxury.
This is big news for the industry and a great win for NVIDIA. This multiyear deal with Mercedes will be worth billions for the company.
I remember NVIDIA back in early 2016 when I first recommended the company. It was just in the earliest stages of entering the automotive market, primarily with solutions that support “infotainment” systems in the cars. But those early efforts were the beginning of a much larger strategy for growing its business in the automotive sector.
When announcing this deal, NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang tipped his hat to Tesla for the progress it has made in the industry. And Huang revealed that NVIDIA will implement a similar model whereby software updates can be pushed out to every Mercedes vehicle regularly.
To me, that’s the only way to go. Being able to update self-driving technology at any time is crucial. So I am excited about the work NVIDIA is doing in this space.
And I must report that this is even more bad news for Intel. Starting to see a trend here?
Intel tried to partner with Mercedes on self-driving technology. And Intel spent $15.3 billion to acquire Mobileye as the centerpiece of its autonomous driving ambitions. The acquisition was completed in 2018.
Still, Intel couldn’t ink the deal with Mercedes.
It’s also interesting that Intel invested in Here Global, which is a European mapping company largely owned by Audi, Daimler (Mercedes), Porsche, and BMW. Essentially, Intel was looking to “buy” favor with Daimler and others by providing capital to their jointly owned business.
Doesn’t look like it paid off. Go NVIDIA!
Hertz’s desperate attempt to stave off bankruptcy…
What just happened with iconic car rental company Hertz is so bizarre that it could only happen in a crazy year like 2020.
The Hertz Corporation, originally known as Rent-a-Car Inc., was founded in 1918. One hundred years later, Hertz ranked 335th in Forbes’ 2018 Fortune 500 list. Talk about a staple of American business.
Well, the run is over.
Hertz saw its business start to decline with the rise of ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. And to stay afloat, Hertz started racking up debt. The company’s debt burden jumped 56% from 2011 to today, hitting $17.1 billion.
Then, with the COVID-19 travel lockdown, Hertz’s business collapsed. The company declared bankruptcy and was about to go into receivership. As a result, its stock price plummeted from $20.29 per share to just $0.55. That’s right – 55 cents. The company was trading at an enterprise value of negative $1.8 billion.
The institutional lenders were getting their ducks in a row to make sure they received their portion of Hertz’s remaining assets in the bankruptcy. But then something bizarre happened…
Suddenly, shares of Hertz (HTZ) started skyrocketing. In a matter of two weeks, the stock traded back up to $5.53 per share. It was a massive 905% gain. That begs the question – who would be foolish enough to buy stock in a bankrupt company? After all, common shareholders are the first to get wiped out in a situation like this…
Well, it turns out that over 150,000 people using Robinhood’s stock trading platform were behind the move. We talked about Robinhood last week. It’s a smartphone app that allows investors – mostly millennials – to trade stocks from their phones.
Clearly, these people buying Hertz have no understanding of a company’s capital structure or the bankruptcy process. As I mentioned, common shareholders are typically wiped out in bankruptcy. They usually get nothing. The secured creditors and bondholders are paid off first.
And here’s where the story gets even loonier…
After watching its share price run up 905%, Hertz came up with a new plan. It proposed to sell $500 million in new stock shares. And why not? If it could get the Robinhood army of day traders to bite, Hertz had shot at avoiding bankruptcy
Of course, the Securities and Exchange Commission quickly stepped in and shut that idea down. It was a blatant attempt to take advantage of people who had no idea what they were doing.
So Hertz is back on the trail to bankruptcy. And it appears the Robinhood traders are wising up. The stock has fallen back down to around $1.40 per share. That means anyone who bought at the recent peak has lost 74% of his or her money.
I would bet that this is the most bizarre story we will see in the world of finance for a while. It’s hard to imagine a crazier scenario unfolding again any time soon. But who knows? We still have half of this crazy year left to go…
And it is incredible to see how much of an impact people trading stocks at home from their phones can have. Historically, the markets have been dominated by big institutions and hedge funds. But in this case, the little guys trading on their smartphones outran them for a time. That’s the power of the digital age.
And while we won’t be investing in Hertz anytime soon, I really like the idea of Bleeding Edge readers getting the upper hand over Wall Street. Normal investors can absolutely beat Wall Street by investing in great companies at attractive prices and recognizing trends before they become common knowledge.
What the newest U.S. dollar stablecoin tells us about the future of finance…
And continuing on the digital theme… We need to talk about an interesting development in the digital asset arena today.
Coinbase and Circle partnered to develop what is now the second-largest stablecoin in the industry. They call it U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC), and there’s about $1 billion parked in the stablecoin right now.
For the benefit of new readers, stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that track the value of a national fiat currency. So 1 USDC will always equal $1 – give or take a few cents.
Stablecoins have taken off this year because they are a great way for cryptocurrency traders to park money on the sidelines.
Moving from a digital asset like Bitcoin or Ethereum and back into U.S. dollars is expensive, and it takes a few days for the transaction to clear. But moving from the same digital assets into USDC is nearly free and can be done almost instantly. That’s why cryptocurrency traders love stablecoins.
But there is more to USDC than meets the eye…
To start with, Coinbase and Circle just launched USDC on a fairly new blockchain called Algorand. This is one of the most promising blockchain projects out there.
Algorand was created by famous cryptographer Silvio Micali out of MIT. Micali won a prestigious Turing Award for his work in computer science. And Micali designed Algorand to improve on the weak points of many other blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Right now, it takes about eight minutes for a Bitcoin transaction to settle. That means if we buy something with bitcoin in person, we have to wait eight minutes before the transaction will be complete.
What’s more, Bitcoin’s blockchain can only process about four transactions per second. The system gets bogged down when there is a spike in activity.
Algorand solves this problem. Transactions over the Algorand blockchain settle in one minute or less. And it can handle millions of users at the same time. Simply put, Algorand is far more functional than Bitcoin and many other blockchains out there.
And that brings me to the partnership between Coinbase and Circle…
We know Coinbase is a giant in the digital asset space. It has become the Fidelity or T.D. Ameritrade of cryptocurrency. Coinbase’s platform makes investing in digital assets look and feel just like investing in stocks. Plus, Coinbase has all the security and insurance features that a regular brokerage house has.
Then we look at Circle. Circle is backed by financial titan Goldman Sachs. Goldman is deeply plugged into the financial system, and it has key relationships with the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury.
Not only is Goldman invested heavily in Circle, but it also orchestrated Circle’s acquisition of cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex back in 2018.
What this tells us is that the power brokers of the U.S. financial system are positioning themselves for a transition to a purely digital dollar. They are quietly building out the core infrastructure and developing relationships with key players in the digital asset industry like Coinbase to get ready for the big shift.
The writing is on the wall. A move to a purely digital financial system is inevitable. Physical cash will be a thing of the past. It’s just a matter of when.
For us as tech investors, we should get familiar with digital assets and how they work. Buying USDC on Coinbase is an easy way to get started.
One day soon, we’ll likely conduct all our financial affairs with digital assets like USDC.
Editor, The Bleeding Edge
P.S. Blockchain technology will revolutionize our society the way the internet did more than 20 years ago. Smart investors stand to make a small fortune over the next few years.
But 99% of investors are so distracted with bitcoin and Facebook’s Libra that they are missing the bigger picture. You don’t have to be one of them.
I’ve uncovered a way to profit from the blockchain megatrend without ever downloading a digital wallet or logging onto a cryptocurrency exchange. Click here to see how.
Like what you’re reading? Send your thoughts to [email protected].


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IOTA (MIOTA) Price Forecast 2018: Price Hitting $10 Seems Imminent
IOTA Price Forecast for 2018: IOTA Beats Ripple
A little-known cryptocurrency, IOTA, is suddenly the talk of the town. In just a few days, this digital currency jumped to the fourth spot on the list of most valuable cryptocurrencies in the world.
On its way up there, IOTA beat some of the prominent names in the game. Litecoin, Dash, and Monero were left behind as IOTA took a lead over them. Some tailwinds are working in its favor, which spell a bullish IOTA (MIOTA) price forecast for 2018.
IOTA and its token MIOTA had a grand slam victory on Tuesday after beating Ripple to achieve the fourth-largest market capitalization in the world. With a market cap of around $12.0 billion, investors have gone into a tizzy as all eyes turn toward it.
This sudden surge in the IOTA price has been no coincidence. The price advanced on the back of a concrete development.
IOTA is now one of the few digital currencies that has caught the eyes of industry bigwigs, who may now be planning to bring its technology to the mainstream.
IOTA has just entered into a partnership with some 20 big multinational corporations—notably Microsoft Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Fujitsu Ltd, and Accenture Plc—to integrate IOTA with the Internet of Things (IoT).
IOTA Cryptocurrency Adoption by IoT Industry Could Multiply Its Price
In case you missed it, IoT is a next-generation technological concept under which smart devices connect and interact with each other. IOTA, which seemingly derives its name from the same concept, has centered its development around IoT technology.
On IOTA’s network, smart IoT devices may be able to send and receive data and carry out transactions in a secure and private way.
For instance, one smart device (say, a TV, a home security system, or a car) may be able to command another smart device to perform a task and, in turn, pay it for carrying out the order.
The transactions between these devices will take place on IOTA’s platform, which means they’ll be decentralized and free from manipulation. The transactions will be denominated in its token, MIOTA.
The idea seems futuristic, and we have yet to see a real-life example of it being used. That’s exactly what IOTA will be working on if these recently announced partnerships materialize.
The IoT sector is expected to be a multi-trillion-dollar industry in the coming years. Even if IOTA were to take a small slice of this gigantic pie, it could be set for life.
IOTA (MIOTA) Price Forecast 2018
Take note that IOTA was trading for pennies on a dollar just about a week ago. Soon after the news of the big partnerships made headlines, the IOTA price shot through the roof.
In fact, if you compare its performance with Bitcoin, you’ll be surprised to find that, in recent days, it has outperformed the cryptocurrency heavyweight by a huge margin.
Chart courtesy of TradingView.com
The IOTA to USD price is currently hovering oround $4.00 and, from where I see it, the IOTA price doubling from here seems like an imminent possibility.
IOTA’s recent boom seems like a dream. It’s natural for new investors to feel giddy. But if you’ve bought in, don’t be too hasty to sell.
As they say in the crypto-world: Hold On for Dear Life (HODL)! That’s because IOTA may be breaking the $5.00 barrier sooner than you think and heading straight for the $10.00 mark in 2018.
Also Read: IOTA Price Prediction 2018: This Little-Known Cryptocurrency Could Record Four-Digit Returns


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Rimac have shown off what could be the world’s fastest electric hypercar at this years Geneva Motor Show, the Rimac C_Two .
The Rimac C_Two comes with some insane figures, the car has a massive 1914 horsepower and a massive 2,300 Nm of torque. It comes with a total of 4 electric motors.
Te car will do 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 1.85 seconds and it will feature an electronically limited top speed of 258 miles per hour. We wonder how fast it will go without the limiter.
The Rimac C_Two comes with a carbon fibre chassis and the batteries have been integrated into the chassis. The car weighs in at 1,950kg and it is packed with technology, the company intends to make around 150 units of the car, have a look at the video below.
As yet there are no details on how much this new electric hypercar will cost, although we suspect it could end up being expensive.
Source Top Gear
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Welcome again to This Week in Apps, the TechCrunch collection that recaps the newest OS information, the functions they help and the cash that flows via all of it.
The app business is as scorching as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads and $120 billion in client spending in 2019. Folks are actually spending three hours and 40 minutes per day utilizing apps, rivaling TV. Apps aren’t only a method to cross idle hours — they’re a giant enterprise. In 2019, mobile-first corporations had a combined $544 billion valuation, 6.5x greater than these with no cellular focus.
Apple reduces App Retailer commissions to fifteen% for ‘overwhelming majority’ of builders
The adjustments apply to builders with lower than $1 million in income.
Apple this week introduced a significant shakeup to its App Retailer fee charge. The corporate, as of January 1, 2021, will only charge App Store developers 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases if their enterprise has not exceeded $1 million in proceeds throughout 2020 for all their apps mixed. Qualification for the new App Store Small Business Program, because it’s referred to as, can be re-assessed revenues on an annual foundation going ahead.
The adjustments arrive at a time when Apple has been below elevated regulatory scrutiny over how its App Retailer operates, which incorporates antitrust investigations within the U.S. and E.U. It has additionally waged war with builders all year long over in-app purchases, main the corporate to revise its already complex rules even additional, and spell out how and when it will get to cost its so-called “Apple tax.” And it’s in the course of a nasty legal battle with Fortnite maker Epic Video games, which doesn’t wish to be compelled to make use of Apple funds and even, essentially, the App Retailer.
The fee adjustments could assist silence some disgruntled voices from the broader app improvement neighborhood, whereas giving Apple a method to present regulators that it’s enabling truthful competitors.
Nevertheless, a number of of Apple’s largest and harshest critics reacted negatively to the information.
The advocacy group, the Coalition for App Fairness, which incorporates Epic, Basecamp, Deezer, Match Group, Spotify and plenty of others, stated: “builders desire a stage taking part in discipline from Apple, not a symbolic gesture.” They argued that Apple nonetheless owns the client relationship, the edge of $1M is unfair, they usually stated nearly all of builders who “generate livable income,” gained’t profit.
Apple, although, had claimed the change would profit the “overwhelming majority” of the App Retailer improvement neighborhood. At this time its App Retailer hosts 1.8 million apps that attain greater than 1.5 billion Apple units.
Particular person builders we spoke to, together with those that would qualify for this system, weren’t complaining. And many were fairly surprised by Apple’s transfer.
“I feel it’s truthful to say that this transformation wouldn’t have occurred with out both the approaching antitrust investigations, or the Epic lawsuit. However one thing may be each a really intelligent piece of political manoeuvring, and nonetheless genuinely welcome and helpful to the overwhelming majority of builders on the market,” stated indie developer James Thomson, maker of the PCalc app and others.
“We fall considerably below the million greenback threshold, so we’re taking a look at roughly a 20% enhance in our revenue below the brand new system. We’re in a significantly better place than most companies below the pandemic, in that our gross sales are purely digital and other people all the time want calculators (or cube), however we’ve actually seen a lower in gross sales over the past eight months. I can see the present state of affairs taking a superb whereas to resolve, in order that additional income is appreciated,” he added. “These adjustments will notably assist the small builders who’ve historically been the center of the developer neighborhood, and I as pleased about this, as I’m shocked,” Thomson stated.
Others additionally stated they had been typically proud of the adjustments. However some expressed reservations concerning the particulars of how this system works.
“General, I’m more than happy with this new program,” stated developer David Smith, maker of Widgetsmith, Watchsmith, Sleep++ and a variety of different iOS apps. “It would assist numerous small builders who can actually profit from that additional margin. I’m excited for all of the indie builders who will now have the ability to focus full time on their apps simply that little bit sooner.”
However Smith famous that it was odd that this system isn’t utilized in a means that’s much like a graduated tax charge, the place, he defined, “your first $1M is at 15% and the remainder on the greater charge.”
“The proposed system creates an ungainly differentiation between builders, and one of many issues I’ve all the time appreciated most concerning the App Retailer was that it treats builders equally,” Smith continued. “It additionally creates a wierd disincentive for progress for mid-sized companies who’re approaching the edge.”
We turned to third-party analytics companies to attempt to higher perceive the market.
In response to App Annie information, round 98% of all iOS builders in 2019 (which means, distinctive writer accounts) fell below the $1 million annual client spend threshold. This helps Apple’s claims that the “overwhelming majority” of builders would profit. This group of builders accounts for 567,000 distinctive apps, or 93% of all apps producing income via in-app purchases.
Mixed, their revenues represented slightly below 8% of the general App Retailer income share — in different phrases, it’s cash Apple might stand to lose.
App Annie additionally discovered that the group of mid-range builders who’re “nearing” that $1 million threshold is actually small. The information signifies roughly 0.5% of builders are making between $800,000 and $1 million. And simply over 1% are within the $500,000-$800,000 vary.
Most builders have a lot smaller income streams, with 87.7% making lower than $100,000 in 2019.
Some expressed concern that Apple’s system would unfairly penalize builders who made simply $1 over the $1 million threshold, after which entice them on the greater charge (30%).
However others suspected that the proportion of builders who had been rising “slowly” at over $800,000 in ARR was truly fairly small.
From the info we’ve collected, plainly subscription-based apps are inclined to continue to grow pretty rapidly as soon as they cross that $1 million threshold. In response to information from subscription platform RevenueCat, the apps on its platform develop, on common, at 1.5x year-over-year. So as soon as an app crossed the $1 million threshold, the almost definitely state of affairs is that it might make $1.5 million the subsequent 12 months. Plus, the apps which can be “nearing” the edge are usually rising even sooner than the common charge, we perceive. They usually not often backslide.
“Apple has made numerous adjustments to the App Retailer over time, and this is likely one of the first I’ve seen the place there’s actually not a lot to complain about,” stated RevenueCat CEO Jacob Eiting. “It’s impactful to the App Retailer financial system broadly and significant to particular person indie builders. Positive it could have been for PR and they won’t have numerous draw back in doing this, however it’s genuinely an important factor for therefore many builders,” he stated.
We’ll have extra information on this topic within the weeks forward.
Parler’s funders revealed…it’s the Mercers; mother and father warned concerning the app
The “Free speech” app Parler rising within the charts after Fb and Twitter elevated fact-checks, seems to be funded by distinguished conservative donor and Trump supporter Rebekah Mercer, The WSJ revealed.
Rebekah is the daughter of Robert Mercer, the hedge fund supervisor and principal investor in Cambridge Analytica — the info analytics agency behind the biggest information leak in Fb historical past, the place 87 million customers had their information harvested for the needs of political promoting. The Mercers have also backed Breitbart Information, the Heritage Basis suppose tank, the Federalist Society, an excellent PAC that originally backed Ted Cruz’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination (earlier than switching to Trump) and Residents United (which distributed a 2007 anti-Clinton film and succeeded in a Supreme Court docket ruling that reversed campaign finance restrictions), amongst different issues.
This week, the nonprofit ParentsTogether issued a warning to folks about Parler, saying that the app’s weak moderation insurance policies and extremist consumer base put youngsters vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and recruitment for racist violence. The group described Parler as internet hosting harmful content material, together with hate speech, incitements of violence and widespread disinformation.
As well as, the group was involved that whereas Apple’s App Retailer charges the app at 17+, Google Play has it listed as appropriate for youths ages 13+.
“All mother and father of kids below age 18 to right away test their youngsters’ telephones and tablets to make sure that their kids haven’t put in Parler,” the group warned mother and father, in an announcement. “In case your baby has put in Parler, we strongly suggest that you just delete their account and the app.”
Twitter launches Fleets
Twitter this week launched its personal model of Tales — aka “Fleets” — to its international consumer base. The product, which permits customers to publish ephemeral content material that disappears in 24 hours, had already rolled out to pick out markets, together with Brazil, India, Italy, South Korea and, most recently, Japan. The rollout almost immediately ran into some snags, with Fleets struggling efficiency and stability points. Twitter stated it might pause issues whereas it labored this out. On Thursday, the corporate introduced the function was globally available.
Reactions to Fleets has been mixed. Some customers hate the function, which is designed to encourage extra customers to publish to Twitter, once they’ve in any other case been too shy to take part — largely due to Twitter’s “cancel tradition” vibe the place errors, unhealthy takes and unpopular opinions are harshly criticized, even once they’re extra minor offenses. It’s not clear how a Tales function resolves this, nevertheless, as Fleets are nonetheless being printed to Twitter’s public social community.
Twitter additionally stated it will begin testing a Clubhouse rival the place customers will be part of audio chat rooms.
These adjustments comply with the actions by activist investor Elliott Administration Group, which took a sizable stake in Twitter earlier this 12 months, together with Silver Lake. The companies did so with a plan to push the corporate for extra innovation and new govt management. The businesses later struck a deal to spare Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s ousting, gain board seats, and put somebody on the board with experience in technology and artificial intelligence. Dorsey disagreed with the characterization that their involvement had any impression on product improvement.
- Apple’s IDFA is focused by EU privateness complaints. Apple had already instructed advertisers they’ll quickly have to permit customers the choice to opt-out of advert monitoring, however the new complaints are more about the fact that IDFA was ever created and saved within the first place, and that Apple’s deliberate adjustments don’t go far sufficient as they prohibit its use for third events, however not Apple itself.
- Apple’s Developer Transition Kits (DTKs) assist builders get their apps prepared for Apple’s silicon. However it seems they won’t be able to install iOS or iPadOS apps like M1 Macs can.
- Google reminds Android developers they solely have till January 18, 2021 to get approval to proceed utilizing background location information in the event that they wish to keep on Google Play.
- Apple releases a brand new model of iOS 14.2 for iPhone 12. The replace appears to fix the iPhone 12 mini lock screen issue that triggered some customers’ lock screens to not reply to touches. The replace additionally fixes points with MMS messages, Made for iPhone listening to units and extra.
- Google additionally reminds Android developers that, beginning Augut 2021, Google Play would require all apps to make use of the Android App Bundle publishing format and make different adjustments.
- Apple now allows developers to market and distribute their subscriptions with offer codes. These one-time, alphanumeric codes may be redeemed both on the App Retailer or inside the app itself, permitting builders to amass and retain prospects or win again lapsed subscribers with particular offers. Here are some tips on placing them to work.
- Apple’s iOS 14.3, beta 2 signifies that Apple will do away with the intermediate step of opening the Shortcuts app when app shortcuts are launched. This was one of many main pet peeves from the iOS 14 residence display screen customization development, the place customers designed iOS themes utilizing customized icons and widgets.
Safety & Privateness
- Courting app Bumble’s vulnerabilities places Fb Likes, areas and photos of 95 million on-line daters in danger. Bumble took six months to repair the failings and says no consumer information had been compromised.
- TikTok expands parental controls to incorporate search, commenting and account privateness. The corporate launched Family Pairing in April, permitting mother and father to hyperlink their account to their teen’s so as to handle display screen time, direct messaging and whether or not or not the teenager’s account could be in “Restricted” mode — a particular mode which limits TikTok’s feed to a safer set of extra moderated content material. This week, it also gave parents the ability to control whether or not the teenager’s Appreciated Movies are seen to others, management who can touch upon the teenager’s movies and resolve whether or not the teenager is allowed to make use of TikTok search.
- Messaging app Go SMS Pro exposed thousands and thousands of customers’ non-public images and information. The app, in style on Android, didn’t reply to safety researchers about the issue. Sometimes, corporations are given a 90-day deadline earlier than vulnerabilities are made public.
Apps within the Information
- Epic Video games added video chat to Fortnite, through a Houseparty integration. The corporate purchased the video chat app final 12 months. Gamers use their cellphone or pill because the webcam whereas they play on PCs, PS4 or PS5.
- Epic Video games sues Apple in Australia too. The Fortnite maker is at present in a authorized battle within the U.S. over Apple’s requirement to make use of Apple Pay and pay commissions on in-app purchases. In an interview this week, Epic Video games founder Tim Sweeney likened the battle with Apple to a battle for civil rights. (That’s a bit a lot, we’d say.)
- Snap acquired Voisey, a U.Ok.-based app that lets customers create music tracks and movies by overlaying their very own vocals. The app had increase $1.88 million up to now, however deal phrases weren’t instantly accessible.
- Google Maps is updated with more COVID info and provides its Assistant driving mode. The COVID layer in Google Maps on Android and iOS can now present the variety of all-time detected circumstances in an space, hyperlinks to COVID sources from native governments and the way busy transit traces are. The driving mode can learn texts and allows you to management your music from Maps.
- Fb’s Messenger Youngsters redesigned to look extra like Messenger. The up to date app puts chats in a more traditional vertical list, with message and media previews, and daring textual content and blue dots to point their unread standing. It additionally added a brand new tabbed navigation, which higher highlights the separation between apps and video games.
- YouTube launches 15-second audio adverts aimed toward customers who hearken to music or podcasts whereas the app performs within the background.
- Apple’s Shazam passes 200 million month-to-month energetic customers.
- Instagram expands its Guides options and upgrades Search. Guides now enable creators to share suggestions, sources and different long-form content material in a devoted tab on their profiles. Now, everybody could make guides for Merchandise, Locations and Posts. Customers may now search by key phrases, as an alternative of simply by names, usernames, hashtags and areas.
- Instagram additionally updates its Threads cellular messaging app. The app now provides a tab for simpler navigation between tales and statuses. All customers must also now have the tabbed inbox the place they will see everybody’s tales, not simply shut associates, and have the choice to publish to tales, not simply shut associates’ tales.
- Fb sued an operator of Instagram clone websites. The operator had scraped Instagram information of some 100,000 accounts utilizing its personal 30,000 faux accounts that pretended to be people to keep away from detection.
- SoundCloud adds profile verification with official blue checks.
- App Development Awards announce their finalists.
- Google launches iOS 14 widgets for Gmail, Drive and Match. Says Calendar and Chrome widgets will come quickly.
- State and federal investigators are getting ready to carry antitrust prices towards Fb over its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, The Washington Post reports.
- Twitter and Fb sat for one more congressional tech listening to that once more largely served to provide lawmakers an opportunity to just talk about whatever they wanted, as an alternative of the subject at hand: social media’s function through the election. The CEOs had been requested about their apps’ addictiveness, their algorithms, their approaches to misinformation and extra.
- U.S. cellular technique recreation spending surges 22% to $2.8 billion within the first 10 months of 2020, Sensor Tower reports. The highest recreation by participant spending throughout this time was Conflict of Clans, which generated near $262 million within the U.S.
- Prime residence display screen widget apps have reached 1 in 7 U.S. iPhones, another Sensor Tower report claims. The 5 hottest apps — Widgetsmith, Colour Widgets, Picture Widget: Easy, WidgetBox and Picture Widget — have collectively seen 13 million iPhone installs because the launch of iOS 14. Globally, they’ve reached 45 million installs up to now.
- Language studying app Duolingo confirms its raise of $35 million on a $2.4 billion valuation. The information was reported final week, however the numbers are actually official. The app was valued at $1.65 billion earlier this 12 months.
- Baidu to acquire Joyy’s Chinese language live-streaming service YY for $3.6 billion. The search big has been struggling to battle newcomers, like ByteDance, and video big Kuaishou. Final 12 months, Joyy’s YY took a $1.45 billion majority stake in Bigo, which operates streaming app Bigo Stay and TikTok rival Likee.
- OpenPhone raises $14 million to interchange outdated company cellphone programs with an app. Yammer founder David Sacks’ Craft Ventures led the spherical.
- Flipkart acquires AR startup Scapic to construct an immersive procuring expertise. Deal phrases had been undisclosed.
- Athlete social platform Strava raises $110 million in Sequence F financing from TCV and Sequoia Capital, with by Dragoneer Funding Group and present buyers together with Madrone Capital Companions, Jackson Sq. Ventures and Go4it Capital.
- Yubo raises $47.5 million for its social app providing live-streaming rooms, now utilized by 40 million customers. Current buyers Idinvest Companions, Iris Capital, Alven and Candy Capital returned, and new investor Gaia Capital Companions joined.
- English studying app AllRight raises $5 million from Genesis Investments. The Ukraine startup combines actual academics with AI-powered tutors.
- ContextLogic, the maker of the cellular e-commerce app Want, filed to go public. Want noticed revenues sluggish in 2019, however has grown extra rapidly in 2020. Within the first 9 months of 2019, Want generated $1.33 billion in income in contrast with $1.75 billion throughout the identical interval in 2020, or up 32%.
- Roblox files for its IPO, noting it has lost $206 million on $589 million in income, has 31.1 million daily active users who now spend as much as 22.2 billion hours in app, a determine up 122% year-over-year.
Amazon this week launched GameOn for Android, an app that lets customers report 30-second to five-minute lengthy gameplay clips — together with via a “Recall” function that saves the clip after it occurs. Clips are then shared the GameOn social network or elsewhere on social media. The app helps greater than 1,000 video games at launch, together with PUBG Cell, Crossy Highway, Closing Fantasy Courageous Exvius and Offended Birds 2. A selfie digicam lets players add their very own commentary to the clips. Winners of weekly challenges get particular profile badges. The launch follows Amazon’s launch of its cloud gaming platform Luna.
Google Pay launched a major redesign of its app on Android and iOS this week with a ton of latest options, together with a cellular checking account. The corporate partnered with 11 banks, together with Citi and Stanford Federal Credit score Union, to launch Plex, a cellular banking service the place accounts are held at associate banks however Google Pay operates because the entrance finish. Plex customers may have no month-to-month charges, overdraft prices or minimal balances and will pay each companies and associates from their account. They’ll additionally discover provides and rewards to economize whereas procuring and get spending insights, together with from their related financial institution accounts exterior the app. One other new function makes it simpler to separate payments with associates, like restaurant checks, hire or utilities.
Second’s RTRO app
RTRO, launched earlier this 12 months, provides a method to report and share vintage-looking images and video. This week, the app was updated with “Immediate Movie,” which helps you to emulate immediate movie images powered by the app’s “analog results engine.” The ensuing images will provide you with the texture of a immediate digicam pic.


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Amazon and Invest India announce the winners of ‘Global Selling Propel Startup Accelerator’
- Slurrp Farm, Sirona Hygiene and Wellbeing Nutrition named the top 3 winners; get a cumulative equity free grant of USD 50,000 from Amazon
- Over 500 entries were received for the Startup Accelerator launched earlier in the year to help emerging businesses in the consumer products space create global brands from India
Bengaluru, 12th August 2021: Amazon and Invest India today announced the winners of the Amazon Global Selling Propel Startup Accelerator (the Accelerator). Slurrp Farm, Sirona Hygiene and Wellbeing Nutrition were named the top 3 winners of the program winning a combined total of USD 50,000 from Amazon in equity free grant. The Accelerator was launched on Startup India Hub earlier in the year with the aim of helping emerging Indian businesses and startups to get access to customers across the world through Amazon’s ecommerce exports program and create global brands from India. The Accelerator got an overwhelming response from startups and emerging businesses across India, with over 500 entries from across the country.
The top 10 finalists presented their business proposition to a distinguished jury including Kanwaljit Singh, Founder and Managing Partner from Fireside Ventures, Sakshi Chopra, Managing Director from Sequoia India, Abhijeet Muzumdar, Head of Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund and Corporate Development at Amazon and Aastha Grover, Head, Startup India Hub, Invest India. The panel evaluated the entries on a variety of parameters including business idea, scalability and strength of the business plan/model, business metrics in launched markets and founding team credentials and more. Some of the other participants in the program included upcoming brands like D’Moksha Homes and Soulflower from Mumbai, ‘Rage Coffee’ and ‘W2 Why Wait’ from Delhi NCR, Azani Active from Bangalore, Femora from Jaipur, and True Elements from Pune.
“The Indian startup ecosystem has transformed India into a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. Digitization has propelled the democratisation of access and opportunity for Indian businesses. Through this accelerator programme, we will tap the vast potential of emerging businesses and MSMEs to make an indelible mark in global markets “, said Mr. Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India.
Amit Agarwal, Global Senior VP and Country Head, Amazon India said, “We created the Amazon Global Selling Startup Accelerator with a vision to help take the local expertise and innovation, global. We are truly excited about the innovation and passion we have seen and would like to congratulate all the winners. He added, “We worked with partners like Invest India, Sequoia Capital India, Fireside Ventures and others to attract some of the best minds in the country and provide them a springboard to create global consumer brands from India. We will continue to work with businesses of all sizes, helping them grow by reaching customers across India and the world.”
As part of the Startup Accelerator, Amazon had constituted a mentorship board consisting of Amazon leaders from India and across the world, VCs and senior leaders from Invest India, who engaged with emerging brands to provide them tailored resources, 1:1 mentorship on the global demand patterns and insights on building successful exports businesses through e-commerce. Amazon also hosted open virtual mentorship sessions focused on peer learning by inviting veteran entrepreneurs and members from its mentorship board for startups, to network and learn from their existing ecosystem.
About Amazon Global Selling
Amazon Global Selling is a flagship program that helps lower the entry barrier for Indian MSMEs to start or expand their exports business using ecommerce. The program was launched in India in 2015 to support Indian exporters reach customers worldwide through Amazon’s international websites and marketplaces. It provides an avenue for businesses of all sizes to build global brands. Today there are more than 70,000 exporters across India on the program, showcasing millions of Made in India products to customers in 200+ countries and territories across the world. Many of these businesses are first generation entrepreneurs and emerging brands. Amazon Global Selling has been witnessing remarkable growth and Indian MSMEs exporting through the program have surpassed $3 billion in cumulative sales till now. This reflects in the fact that it took the program 3 years to enable the first 1 billion dollars, the second billion came in 18 months and the third billion came in just 12 months. In January 2020, Amazon made three important commitments to India – digitally enabling 10 million MSMEs in India, enabling exports worth USD 10 billion and creating 1 million incremental jobs – by 2025.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews
About Invest India
Invest India, set up in 2009, is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. As the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, Invest India focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India. In addition to a core team that focuses on sustainable investments, Invest India also partners with other investment promotion agencies and multilateral organizations. Invest India also actively works with several Indian states to build capacity as well as bring in global best practices in investment targeting, promotion and facilitation.
About Startup India
Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Since the launch of the initiative on 16th January 2016, Startup India has rolled out several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.
For more information contact:


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For most people today is their first day back at work in the new year, and the January blues are looming large.
Not only do our bank accounts look worse for wear after Christmas, but we’re all feeling underslept after that early alarm.
So what could be better than the promise of cheap coffee (not to mention a little feel good factor), which is exactly what Pret A Manger is promising customers who bring their own cup to stores from today.
Starting on the 2 January, everyone who brings a reusable cup to the high street coffee chain will be rewarded with a 50p discount on their hot beverage.
A cost reduction that means their filter coffee will only cost 49p.
The environmentally-friendly incentive was introduced after the brand’s CEO, Clive Schlee, tweeted back in November that they were trying to encourage more drinkers to bring reusable cups, instead of relying on the takeaway ones.
As a result of positive feedback to his initial tweet, Schlee and his team decided that Pret should change their policy to reward customers with reusable cups.
Paper cups are a huge problem for the coffee industry, which experts estimate creates around five billion items of waste every single year in the UK.
Although many of these cups seem to be paper (which might lead you to believe they aren’t that bad) they are actually not as biodegradable as they look.
This is because although they are paper on the outside, they are sealed internally (to stop the liquid seeping out) with a plastic lining; a factor which means almost none of the cups on the high street break down in landfill sites.
Scientists believe they take upwards of thirty years to start to decompose.
Other suggestions from customers on Twitter included a reward scheme or having mugs for people drinking in store, rather than taking their drink away.
Good work Pret.


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Columbia/Okura’s miniPAL Now Featured as Part of Universal Robots UR+ Application Kits
Columbia/Okura LLC, a North American robotic palletizing integrator, recently announced that the miniPAL®, a collaborative palletizer featuring the UR10e robot, has been certified and added to the Universal Robots UR+ Applications Program.
The UR+ program debuted in 2016 and has reportedly grown rapidly to include more than 262 launched products and 301 different companies. With this certification, Universal Robots confirms that it has tested and approved the products to work with their portfolio of collaborative robots.
The compact design of miniPAL® features an integrated lifting column for tall loads, dual stacking locations for continuous load building, built-in fork pockets for easy mobility, area scanners and pressure mats for additional safety, and intuitive pattern building software. The system reportedly plugs into 110V AC wall power, could be set up in less than a day, and delivers an average payback between eight to 10 months, depending on application and industry.
“The UR+ program is an excellent platform for Columbia/Okura to showcase our newest product – the miniPAL® – to potential clients across a multitude of different industries,” said Michael Stuyvesant, director of sales for Columbia/Okura. “And having met the comprehensive testing and certification criteria established by Universal Robots, those potential clients can be assured they are getting a robust solution backed by our quarter century of palletizing experience.”
For more information, visit www.columbiaokura.com.


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Rockabilly Ball, Pin up Contest, and Car Show scheduled for this weekend in Stearns
The Moonshiner’s Run Car Show will return this year on Friday, July 7 through Saturday, July 8 at its new location in Stearns, Kentucky. Organizers are trying a new approach this year by tying the Scenic Railway and the history of Stearns with the car show. The Run will rev up on Friday, July 7 at 5:00 p.m. with registration and a horsepower competition from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday night will see a pin up contest at 8:00 p.m. in the Stearns Heritage Hall. Pin up contestants wearing classy vintage attire from the 40s through 60s era will have the opportunity to win some cash and be crowned the new Moonshiner’s Run Princess. Along with enjoying the pin up contest at the Heritage Hall, everyone is invited to dust off their dancing shoes and dress to the era of the 50s for a night of dancing and great music during the Rockabilly Ball.
The Moonshiner’s Run will kick into full throttle on Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with the main “Show & Shine” event, more rockabilly music, vendors with food and crafts, and a swap meet. Newly inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the high energy band, Zippy Clutch, from Nashville, TN will be performing live Friday night at the Rockabilly Ball and on Saturday during the car show.
The first two hundred registrants for the Show & Shine will receive custom made Moonshiner’s Jugs, hand crafted by Kentucky Coal Crafters in Stearns. The show is open to all makes and models with special awards available for longest distance, club participation, kids’ choice, most overall horsepower, and horsepower Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Sport Compact. The Show & Shine is a great time to meet other enthusiasts and admire all the vehicles on display.
The Moonshiner’s Run is a free event to participants and spectators. For more information, visit the Moonshiner’s Run Facebook page.


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Overseas holidays and imported goods are set to get more expensive as the Australian dollar plummets below 93 US cents for the first time since September 2010.
The currency was been sold heavily since US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke announced on Thursday morning Australian time that its stimulus measures would end in mid-2014.
BK Asset Management managing director Kathy Lien says the Australian dollar was sold off more than other currencies, as foreign investors also brace for more Australian interest rate cuts.
"The Aussie's been hit the hardest," she said from New York.
An end to the US central bank's bond buying program, known as quantitative easing, also makes the greenback more attractive to investors.
"Less quantitative easing means the Federal Reserve is pumping less money into the economy and no longer aggressively devaluing the (US) dollar," Ms Lien said.
The Australian dollar was buying 92.77 US cents at 7.45am AEST, after hitting a 33-month low of 92.63 earlier on Thursday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was still worth a shade under 95 US cents.
A weaker local currency is good for exporters, like manufacturers and tourism operators, who have struggled to sell their products as the Australian dollar held above parity with the greenback for most of the past year.


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British firm Octopus Energy Group has announced plans to invest 1.5 billion pounds ($1.21 billion) in the Asia-Pacific energy market by 2027 to accelerate the region's transition to clean energy.
Of the total investment, 1.2 billion pounds will go towards solar and wind generation, with half investing in the Japanese renewables market.
The company will use the remaining 300 million pounds to expand technology innovation and its energy retail hub in Tokyo, growing the workforce tenfold by 2027 and generating 1,000 jobs in the local and Britain’s green energy industry.
Octopus Energy entered the Japanese market in late 2020 via a joint venture with Japan’s top energy company, Tokyo Gas, and has gained approximately 160,000 customers.
Currently, Japan is Octopus Energy's second-largest market after Britain, with 200,000 retail customers.
In April, the local head of the Japanese arm said that the company aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its supply mix as it provides a more stable purchasing price compared to the liquefied natural gas the company currently relies on.
Octopus Energy plans to raise 400 million pounds from Asia-Pacific investors to build more wind and solar farms in the U.K., introducing vital energy expertise to Europe and strengthening supply chains.
"Linking our businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to the UK and Europe, our operations in Japan have helped create a unique global technology ecosystem that benefits everyone. I'm excited to take it even further with today's announcement,” said Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy Group.


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Quantum Break is now almost seven years old and suddenly the game is gone from all stores. What is going on there?
Crisis resolved, Quantum Break is back on Game Pass. Aaron Greenberg of Xbox Games Marketing announced this via Twitter:
Original message 2023-04-06 14:59
In April 2016, Remedy Entertainment released the action title Quantum Break and now, seven years later, the game is suddenly gone. Not that there are many who haven’t played the title or still have it on their shopping list, but it’s currently impossible to get the game.
The game’s strange disappearance was noted earlier this week when it disappeared without a trace from Xbox Game Pass. But now it has also moved from Steam and the Microsoft Store, making it impossible to purchase the game.
However, Aaron Greenberg of the Xbox marketing team made a half-baked statement. Accordingly, the game should return to Game Pass and stores for the foreseeable future. The reason for the temporary removal is licenses that have now apparently expired and need to be renewed. It is not yet clear which licenses are involved and when the game will return to daylight. Microsoft wants to let you know as soon as more information becomes available.
Quantum Break caused a stir at the time with its time manipulation mechanics, but also incorporated live-action scenes into the game, including actors like Sean Ashmore, Aidan Gillen, Dominic Monaghan, and the recently deceased Lance Reddick, who we also know as the know-it-all voice of Commander Zavala from Destiny 2.
“Prone to fits of apathy. Zombie ninja. Entrepreneur. Organizer. Evil travel aficionado. Coffee practitioner. Beer lover.”


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If any of your Nest Cams face a door, the app is supposed to recognize it automatically and set an activity zone. From there, the camera is supposed to send an alert when it detects motion. Nest says its camera's sensors and smart learning algorithms make the automatic door detection feature possible.
Activity zones are an existing Nest Aware feature, but subscribers previously had to create them manually. Door detection offers a new level of automation, although it's still limited to Nest Aware customers.
Nest Aware is Nest's optional fee-based continuous cloud video recording service. It's available on a month-to-month, contract-free basis for $10 per month or $100 per year for 10 days storage, or $30 per month and $300 per year for 30 days of storage.
Nest's new door-detection feature launched today and will be released to customers over the next few weeks. Aware subscribers running Android 7 or iOS 10 should also be able to view animated excerpts of Nest Cam video clips without opening the app.
Also, if Nest's Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector alerts you to a potential problem, your Nest Cams should automatically send you live video. Nest's app and products are now fluent in Spanish, German and Italian, too.


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Your Monday-morning preview of what’s on this week’s menswear calendar
Roger Federer’s new singature tennis shoes look awfully familiar: That’s because the latest colorway of the Tour Vapor 9 features Nike’s iconic elephant print, which was first seen on the Air Jordan III in 1988. They’re set to on August 26th, just in time for the U.S. Open, at select Nike retailers.
**An L.A. retail institution heads to Sin City: ** Fred Segal opened 53 years ago in L.A., and has grown to be one of the city’s largest and most well known high-end shopping destinations. Now they’re set to open a new location in Las Vegas at the brand new SLS hotel, basically ensuring that guests can sleep, eat, shop, and gamble without ever having to leave the building.
Pharrell’s latest album inspires a new scent: And while the album GIRL was an upbeat homage to the women in Pharrell’s life, the fragrance is entirely unisex (it even says so on the Kaws-designed bottle). Look for it at Dover Street Market on August 28.
**Cole Haan teams up with Mr. Porter on exclusive styles: ** The footwear label recently introduced ZeroGrand, the latest iteration of their popular dress-shoe-meets-sneaker-sole style, and on August 26 is set to unveil 6 exclusive versions on Mr. Porter.


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The Codemasters have revealed the release date of F1 2018. The latter available via Steam digital downloads or via physical DVD copy.
F1 2018 will be the most recent entry in the franchise, after F1 2017 came out back in August of 2017, so at least the pattern is still holding steady in the game's release date. Much like Gran Turismo, a new emphasis on eSports could allow for more vehicle personalisation, player ratings and competitive matchmaking. We'd rather not comment. Thanks to new downforce and grip-inducing rules, players were able to experience the performance increases of the 2017 cars - but also compare them to different eras of F1 regulations as well.
That does make my job much easier and as I can cut and paste huge swathes of text in, but it's not all that exciting for you to read as it's full of buzzwords like immerse, enhance, and engage. Unfortunately, there are no screenshots or trailers to mark the announcement, but Paul Jean, the F1 Franchise Director at Codemasters, added that more classic cars will be added to this year's iteration of the game, along with more "great enhancements" that will be announced before the game releases. The game is the next edition of the studio's F1 racing franchise.
Apart from that, we don't know much about the new F1 2018 game, but we'll update this article when we know more.
Gov. Ivey's office responds to Free2Be grant controversy
Ivey, who was attending a chamber of commerce event in Tuscaloosa, was asked by media if she was upset about Dawson's accusations. Patricia Todd (D) on Wednesday after the Democratic lawmaker suggested that the governor is hiding her sexual orientation.


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Mzansi rapper and businesswoman, Boity has announced a new partnership deal with Edgars Beauty for her perfume collection.
Last year, Mzansi star, Boity Thulo made lot of moves and proved to us all that she’s that girl. She really followed her motto “get that money, get that bag”, launching businesses that thrilled Mzansi.
She’s back now continuing from where she stopped. Taking to her social media pages, she announced a new partnership deal with Edgars Beauty. This means that fans can get her perfume, Pink Sapphire at Edgars Beauty. Just to kick off the deal, the prices of the perfumes will be 20% off February 14th.
Fans have taken to the comments section to congratulate her on the new move. Boity seems to be doing well since she launched the perfume line last year. She has expertly run her businesses and pushed her music career in big ways. Congrats to the Queen.


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The EIB and the CAM, represented respectively by Emma Navarro, Vice-President, and Tariq Sijilmassi, Chairman of the Management Board, proceeded on Wednesday September 16 to the signing of a credit agreement of 200 million euros aimed at strengthening support Moroccan companies in the agriculture and bio-economy sector with particular attention to sustainable development, announces a press release. The signing took place in the presence of Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture.
This line of credit is intended to finance agricultural value chains, all types of production, and affects the entire related ecosystem (production, storage, logistics, packaging, packaging, processing, marketing, etc.). All food production segments, upstream and downstream (farms, agricultural cooperatives, Economic Interest Groups, Small and Medium Enterprises, Very Small Enterprises, etc.) are eligible. It targets in particular productive investments that generate jobs and added value, in accordance with the guidelines of “Green Generation 2020-2030”.
The EIB will also mobilize additional resources to support the CAM and its clients through targeted technical assistance which will, on the one hand, support the digitization of this sector and the use of “big data” and, on the other hand, develop measures and actions in favor of the environment.
This funding is also part of the EU’s mobilization in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and more particularly of the “Team Europe” program, created by the European Union with the objective of supporting partner countries, in particular countries outside the EU. Europe, in the fight against this health crisis and mitigate its economic and social effects.


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SCUNTHORPE furniture plant Lebus has reported bumper profits and plans to increase its 340-strong workforce, just eight years after coming out of administration.
Sales for 2013 are expected to hit £27 million – a massive leap on the 2008 figure of £16 million.
The workforce on the Queensway Industrial Estate has also increased by 36 per cent during the same period – and more jobs are in the pipeline.
Investment in the plant in the past three years has reached almost £1 million.
The boom at Lebus comes just eight years after the company was rescued from administration.
Finance director Darrell Bettany said: "Since the start of the recession in 2008 Lebus Upholstery Limited has continued to grow sales and employee numbers.
"This year the directors anticipate the company will achieve its highest level of sales since the business emerged from administration in 2005.
"Growth has come from close working relationships with our major customer base and a strong focus on new and emerging markets.
"The business now sees the opportunity for additional growth via the mail order and internet sectors."
The boom at the factory, which was opened in 1988, follows success in winning contracts to supply major retailers like Shop Direct (Littlewoods), Argos and Asda.
The firm has also launched a new upmarket brand – Arkana Furniture – to try to increase its share of the market here and abroad.
Further investment on the site has seen a new fleet of lorries and trailers, displaying the new Lebus branding and logo.
Mr Bettany said: "The business has heavily invested in sales and design to attract major brands.
"While at an early stage, we expect significant sales growth in the next year.
"Investment in Arkana Furniture allows further penetration into markets previously denied to the company, along with the opportunity to grow and develop its export markets.
"In addition to growing staff numbers the business had invested in new plant and equipment in the past three years, with the aim to reduce costs and remain competitive."
Mr Bettany said a £400,000 investment two years ago to manufacture foam cushions and additional components on site had proved highly successful.
He added: "Plans are in place to invest in a £160,000 new state of the art boiler to environmentally heat the factory with surplus waste.
"Lebus is very optimistic about future growth and development potential and will continue to recruit in key areas to ensure we are in a position to respond to growing customer demands."


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Lowe’s honored by EPA
Mooresville, N.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Lowe’s Cos. the highest honors for industry leadership in its WaterSense and SmartWay programs.
Lowe’s received the 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award for its environmental performance in the freight transportation industry. Last week, the EPA named Lowe’s the 2012 WaterSense Retailer Partner of the Year for its efforts to educate consumers about water-efficient products and practices.
Lowe’s is the first retailer to win a WaterSense award in four consecutive years and the only retail shipper partner to win four consecutive SmartWay Excellence Awards.
Employment Trends Index down in September
New York — The Conference Board Employment Trends Index decreased again in September, following a downward revision in August. The index now stands at 107.86, down from the revised figure of 108.23 in August. The September figure is 5.4% higher than a year ago.
“In September, the Employment Trends Index declined for the third time in four months, suggesting that employment growth will weaken further in the fourth quarter,” said Gad Levanon, director of Macroeconomic Research at The Conference Board. “The U.S. economy entered a soft patch in the spring and the result has been lackluster job growth, which is likely to continue through the first half of 2013.”
Zara Home launches U.S. e-commerce site
New York — Inditex’s home-décor concept Zara Home said Tuesday it is unveiling Zarahome.com in the U.S. on Tuesday.
The new e-commerce site will feature home textiles as well as select furniture, tableware, cutlery and decorative accessories.
Zara Home currently operates in 32 countries with more than 325 stores and offers e-commerce in 18 countries.


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just-drinks authors and correspondents
After 11 years of doing he doesn't know what, Olly Wehring's “Eureka!” moment arrived in 2003, when he decided to retrain as a journalist.
Following several freelance stints at such hallowed publications as the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Retail Week and The Daily Mirror, Olly boarded the good ship just-drinks in October 2003 as news editor.
Within only two years, he had moved up to the position of editor – a role he has assumed ever since.
Olly likes working for just-drinks, and likes drinks.
Columns by Olly Wehring
The just-drinks leader, written by the just-drinks leader.
Articles by Olly Wehring
Reh Kendermann has launched two German wines, including a Sauvignon Blanc, in the UK on-premise, targeting shoppers in two of the country's larger supermarket chains.
Conecuh Ridge Distillers has launched an extension of its Clyde May's US whiskey brand, with a limited edition cask strength iteration rolling out across the US next month.
Heaven Hill Distillery has secured a sponsorship tie-up for its Evan Williams Bourbon with baseball’s World Series in the US this year.
Pernod Ricard has added a permanent extension to its Royal Salute blended Scotch whisky brand.
Whyte & Mackay has lined up the roll-out of a 35-year-old iteration of its The Dalmore single malt Scotch whisky.
Diageo's Johnnie Walker brand has consolidated its dominance of Global Travel Retail's spirits shelves, although Pernod Ricard's Absolut has been overtaken by Chivas Regal and Brown-Forman's Jack Daniel's, according to figures from The IWSR.
The CEO of Diageo has flagged a good start to the group's current fiscal year, with a "stronger performance" expected in the months ahead.
Heineken has added a further cache of United Breweries shares to its holding in the Indian beer market leader.
Canadian drinks group Andrew Peller Limited has extended its partnership with former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky to include a Canadian whisky.
Stillhouse Spirits Co has expanded the US footprint for its namesake clear whiskey portfolio.
- It isn't just men who like beer - Comment
- What do US wholesalers think of spirits trends?
- How the craft economy is loosening alcohol laws
- Why sports drinks fail to ride the Olympic wave
- How soft drinks can exploit alcohol's loss
- Diageo merges US, Canada spirits units
- Johnnie Walker's Bourbon bent "coincidental"
- Diageo job cut figures "likely overstated"
- Diageo investment paying off for Captain Morgan
- "We're not complacent about Brexit" - Diageo
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- The Next Seven Big Beverage Markets
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global RTD insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends


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More Apparel Retailers Getting into Logistics Business
February 27, 2023
Article by: Jack Rogers
The e-commerce retail giant probably should be looking over its shoulder at the growing number of retail chains—all of which have been busy in the past two years building out national networks of fulfillment centers—that are taking a page out of Amazon’s strategic playbook and leveraging their warehouse footprints to offer shipping services to smaller businesses.
Read the full article: http://bit.ly/3EKc1DV


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Blog posts tagged to "financial inclusion"
Published on Tuesday, 07 November 2017
For Asia to assume global leadership in fintech, collaboration between governments and industry players is vital.
Published on Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Mobile money, enabled by data connectivity, can be a game-changer for the unbanked poor in developing Asia.
Published on Friday, 20 October 2017
Blockchain fintech needs basic infrastructure to promote transparency and financial inclusion. Here are 3 ways this can be done.
Published on Monday, 31 October 2016
The entry of fully digitalized banks can help improve financial services, and support the emergence of innovative financial solutions to benefit MSMEs in developing Asia.
Published on Monday, 26 September 2016
With the right technology, $60 billion in welfare payments can be seamlessly and directly credited into the bank accounts of all beneficiaries in India.
Published on Wednesday, 25 May 2016
An ADB-supported project has made a significant positive impact toward achieving financial inclusion for people living in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
Published on Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Enabling new digital financial services models requires an open-minded approach to innovation, with sufficient certainty over the legal framework.
Published on Friday, 20 May 2016
Innovations in ICT and the emergence of new fintech players are accelerating financial inclusion much more rapidly than at any other time in history.
Published on Sunday, 01 May 2016
With over 2 billion consumers spread across developing Asia, the opportunities are limitless for financial institutions to develop innovative solutions that can serve this underserved market.
Published on Thursday, 28 April 2016
MSMEs in the country weathered the economic turbulence by taking active steps to adjust their businesses and look for new opportunities.


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A new study has revealed that online video streaming went up
by 60 percent every year, while traditional television viewing fell down by
four percent, in the United States.
The Verge reported that according to Nielsen viewing figures, an average American watched approximately 11 hours of streaming video in the last month as compared to 7 hours a month a year ago. TV viewing was 141 hours a month as opposed to 147 hours a month in the last year.
The emerging trend could be due to consumers trashing pay TV subscriptions for online alternatives.