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A cheeky new downtown restaurant has tongues wagging.
FAMO — a hybrid of the last names of the co-owners — is betting foodies will hop aboard the weird sandwich train and test their adventurous palette with beef tongue, cheek and unusual combinations, such as British fish and chips wrapped in a taco shell.
Shabnam Moier and her husband, chef Babak Fahmi, are hoping to make FAMO famous in the Queen and Sherbourne Sts. area when they officially open Wednesday.
“This isn’t an ordinary sandwich. There are different cuts of the meat that aren’t used normally. But it’s delicious. Like, beef tongue, beef cheek, ox tail and there is a unique way of cooking those types of meats and I always wanted to take a risk and bring that menu up,” said Fahmi, who worked as a sous-chef for Italian chain Terroni.
The idea behind using the different cuts is to prevent any meat from the animal to go to waste.
“This is a fusion-sandwich style. We have a touch of different cuisines in each sandwich ... (Investors) told me this is too risky,” Fahmi said.
Moier added they haven’t seen any similar eatery in Toronto and there are hopes to expand.
“His sandwiches are braised for more than five hours and are braised in wines and herbs to give specific flavours,” Moier said. “The slaw that goes on it is different on every sandwich. Our background is Persian, but this is global cuisine.”
Some of the more unique dishes are a slow-roasted “famous lamb,” topped with a turmeric onion and arugula slaw on a French baguette; “The Six,” a slow-braised beef tongue sandwich; and the “Cheek and Bun,” which is braised beef cheek with caramelized onion and arugula slaw on a French baguette.
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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Avid shoppers in Shoreham will be able to indulge in some late-night festive shopping this Friday (November 25).
This comes as part of the annual Christmas Artisans’ Fayre, which is being held from Friday to Sunday, where guests can enjoy live music, hand-made gifts and a variety of food and drink stalls.
The fayre will run from 4pm to 8pm.
The Marlipins Museum, in High Street, will also be open late to visitors, where a Santa’s Grotto, tombola, hot cider punch and mince pies will be on offer.
Liza McKinney, The Friends of Marlipins Museum honourary secretary, who works closely with the museum’s owners, said: “Over the years the Christmas Fayre has brought a great deal of fun, pleasure and laughter as well as satisfying Christmas present bargain hunters.
“There will be craft stalls offering an exciting variety of hand-carved wooden gifts, beautiful jewellery and other items from scarves to hats to keep out the cold, woollen designs, cards, pottery, glassware and much, much more.”
Saturday will see the Christmas Artisans’ Fayre in Coronation Green from 9am to 5pm and the regular Artisans market in East Street from 9am to 2pm.
Visitors can also head to the Marlipins Museum again for a festive raffle.
This year, the Friends announced that the Sompting Tipteers have agreed to perform their ‘St George and the Turkish Knight’ act at the fayre on Saturday outside the museum, in High Street, at 2.30pm.
The fayre will run through to Sunday, finishing at 4pm.
Councillor Emma Evans, executive member for environment at Adur District Council, said the team have put a ‘great effort’ into organising the Christmas market.
She said: “We have a fantastic line up of activities across the weekend, with choirs and live entertainment to spread some Christmas cheer.
“The combination of late-night shopping and market stalls selling local produce, makes a perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping.”
The museum is accepting food donations for its stall, which can be given on Friday, between 10am and 12.30pm.
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2015 Volvo XC90: First Images Unveiled
volvo | August 26, 2014
Although Volvo hasn’t yet officially lifted the curtain on its all-new flagship Volvo XC90, the first gallery of official images has been leaked, so we can finally see the new vehicle in its entirety. The full-sized SUV retains some of the design cues and lines from the Concept XC Coupé, but with a more subdued approach all around.
The design also reflects what we’ve seen previously, with the “Thor’s Hammer” T-shaped LED daytime running lights, a bold new chrome grille, the side mirrors that seem to contain embedded cameras, three rows of seating, and a more stylish design all around than the current XC90.
The images are in addition to the wealth of information we’ve previously shared on the XC90, including the the vehicle’s driving and safety features, the available hybrid drivetrain, the new interior, and more on the Scalable Product Architecture. With some leading edge new technologies, like parking assist, cross-traffic alerts, a 360˚ surround view, a new safety cage built with hot-formed boron steel, and an optional 400hp hybrid powertrain, the new XC90 may be just the vehicle Volvo needs to regain its market presence in the U.S. and elsewhere.


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Each child can receive a toy for every 25 pieces of candy donated, the news release said. Candy should be left in its original packaging. Toys will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is a limit of three toys per child.
The candy will be included in care packages sent by the Operation Gratitude program to U.S. troops serving overseas, the news release said. Kool Smiles will pay to ship the candy to Operation Gratitude, as well as donate toothbrushes and toothpaste for the care packages.Local beauty industry professionals will hold a Cut-A-Thon from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday to raise money for Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana and salon owner Allison Stier, who has bilateral inflammatory breast cancer.
The event will take place at Studio Eclipse Salon and adjoining businesses on the east side of Pine Valley Mall at Coldwater and Dupont roads. For a donation, people can receive a haircut, clear color gloss treatment, conditioning treatment, temporary pink chalk streaks, nail polishing or a massage.


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PayPal Complete Payments launches today for small and-mid-sized enterprises in Canada as well as the U.K., and over 20 European markets. The solution enables small businesses to accept a range of payments including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit and debit cards, and more than 20 alternative payment methods from around the world.
According to a Payments Canada report, more than half (53% of Canadians have left a store or abandoned an online purchase if the checkout was not convenient.
Businesses can sync order and tracking information with a new feature called Package Tracking. For businesses, sharing tracking data with PayPal means fewer customer disputes, and a streamlined resolution process that eliminates manual responses, which can reduce costs, says PayPal. Transactions with tracking details often see 80% lower “item not received” dispute claims.
PayPal has integrations with several ecommerce platforms, including Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
This new solution also enables eligible small businesses to allow their customers to securely store their payment methods in the PayPal vault for future purchases. This facilitates a seamless checkout experience, helping small businesses drive conversions, reduce card declines, and encourages repeat buyers.
This solution is available at favourable rates for accepting credit cards and other payment methods online. Small businesses can choose between flat-rate and flexible pricing to get paid the full amount up-front and get a transparent view into processing costs.
Since the U.S. is a major market for many Canadian small businesses, eligible Canadian small businesses can now hold and withdraw money into their bank accounts in U.S. dollars and more than 20 other currencies.
“Experience and data have proven that a seamless checkout, more choice in payment types, and adding package tracking information boosts sales,” says Nitin Prabhu, Vice President, Small Business and Financial Services, PayPal. “Responding to demand from our customers, we are delighted to unveil our latest cutting-edge solution tailored for small and mid-sized enterprises. Packed with features that help drive simplicity and growth, our offering is set to empower small businesses across Canada.”
“We’ve been a PayPal customer for many years now,” shared Roxanne Pettipas, Founder and CEO of Buddy Belts. “Last November, we launched our online store, and we use PayPal Complete Payments to sell in Canada and internationally. The ability to accept multiple payment methods has led to increased revenue. We can now accept a broad range of payments with one single integration which has saved us time and money, and reduced complexity. We’re huge fans of the reporting as we can easily access transaction data and analytics, which helps us understand our business a bit better and saves precious time when it comes to tax filing time.”


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Permanent TSB has agreed to sell another portfolio of non-performing loans to retail credit firm Start Mortgages, in co-operation with LSF Irish Holdings.
Both companies are affiliates of Lone Star Funds.
The portfolio, which is made up of 1,422 home mortgages and 510 buy-to-let mortgages, has a net book value of €274m.
Following the completion of this sale, Permanent TSB said its non-performing loan ratio will fall from about 10% to about 7%.
This is still above the above the European average but down sharply from a rate of 26% at the start of 2018.
The bank said that all of the loans in the portfolio as categorised as non-performing.
Start Mortgages will being servicing the loans early next year.
Permanent TSB said it will write to all affected customers with information related to the change in the ownership and servicing of their loans.
It also stressed that all loans will continue to be covered by the protections of the relevant Central Bank consumer codes and regulations.
"It is important to note all customers will continue to be afforded existing regulatory protections after the transfer and that Start Mortgages is required to honour the terms and conditions of the restructure agreements or alternative repayment arrangements in place for customers included in this sale," commented Jeremy Masding, PTSB's chief executive said.
The bank completed two controversial loan sales - Projects Glas and Glenbeigh - which related to more than 16,000 mortgages last year.


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Introduction (Overview, design and feel) Ratings in depth With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the LG G4 , the smartphone war... ...http://www.in.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/Nokia-Lumia-1520/articleshow/47518638.cms
LONDON No longer feared as "too big to fail", shareholders are weighing whether HSBC is now "too big to succeed", and want to know next week how... ...http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/02/hsbc-strategy-idINKBN0OI1YY20150602
02 June 2015 The United States on May 20 took a strong stand against China's construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea by flying a... ...http://www.observerindia.com/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/southchina/SouthChinaDetail.html?cmaid=83542&mmacmaid=83543&volumeno=IV&issueno=6
/PRNewswire/ -- Intergraph® Security, Government and Infrastructure (SG&I) presented Virgin Media and Pure Force and Rescue Corp. with Icon Awards... ...http://www.itnewsonline.com/prnewswire/Intergraph%C2%AE-Honors-Virgin-Media-and-Pure-Force-and-Rescue-Corp.-with-Icon-Awards/381253
Electronic Arts faced criticism over the way it ended the otherwise celebrated game, Mass Effect 3. Electronic Arts The day before... ...https://in.news.yahoo.com/electronic-arts-stopped-being-worst-124510872.html
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Douglas Elliman Recruits Martha Gundersen
Power agent Martha Gundersen has is the newest face at Douglas Elliman, bringing her team — which includes Dylan Huddleston and Rafal Trawicki — to the Bridgehampton office, after spending nearly 17 years at Brown Harris Stevens.
“I am happy to have been given the opportunity to grow in my career with an outstanding company,” Gundersen said in a statement.
With more than a decade of experience, the veteran associate broker has earned sales totaling well over $1 billion and supports numerous charities, including the World Wildlife Fund, The American Cancer Society, Women for Women International and Plan International. The Amagansett resident has a background in art and landscape design, and is very active in the local community.
“We are excited to welcome Martha Gundersen to the Douglas Elliman family” Todd Bourgard, senior executive manager of sales for the Hamptons, said in a statement. “Her abundance of talent, experience, second-to-none work ethic and knowledge is the exact definition of a world-class broker.”
“Martha comes with an impeccable reputation and exquisite portfolio, and we are honored to have her and her team join our team,” added Melody Newberry, regional vice president of marketing and operations in the Hamptons.
For more information, visit elliman.com.
Town & Country Reports Second Quarter Numbers
The real estate market’s second quarter was a serious case of push and pull, according to Judi Desiderio, chief executive officer of Town and Country Real Estate, “though it wasn’t all bad.”
“To demonstrate the true market condition for the second quarter, let’s begin at the bottom with all Hamptons markets combined,” she said. “There’s quite a bit of red in all but one price range — $20 million-plus — where there were two sales in 2019 and only one in 2018.”
Bridgehampton is the home of both sales — 236 Quimby Lane for $26 million and 901 Scuttlehole Road at just over $20 million, which was part of the Edward S. Gordon Estate.
“Back in the 1990s, Mr. Gordon chose to move from Ocean Road to north of the highway in Bridgehampton,” Desiderio said. “I credit him with enlightening the public of the beauty of north of the highway. He created ‘Three Ponds Farm’ and values in Bridgehampton North took off.”
The difference year-to-year in all other price categories, and the three criteria monitored by Town & Country, declined overall. The number of home sales dropped 22% in the Hamptons, with the $2 million to $3.49 million price range declining by as much as 37% year-to-year.
However, Montauk appears to be riding a new wave of home sales, up 54%, though the median home sales price sank 37% from $1.75 million to $1.1 million year-over-year. “It seems the Montauk buyers are hungry for those great beachy cottages,” Desiderio said.
East Hampton Village retains the crown for the highest median home sales price, though it is nearly 31% lower than last year — from $6 million to $4.15 million — and the Southampton Village median home sales price took the baton, increasing 63% year-to-year, from $2.175 million to $3.55 million.
“Shelter Island is enjoying a significant increase in home sales over $2 million, which resulted in a total home sales volume surge of 91%, from $11 million in 2018 to $20.7 million in 2019, same time period,” Desiderio said. “In Sag Harbor Village, the $2 million to $3.499 million price category shot up 150%, which pushed the median home sales price up nearly 43%. Yet, last year same time period, there were two sales in the $5 million to $9.99 million, and this year none.”
Westhampton — which includes Westhampton Beach, Remsenberg, East Quogue, Quogue and Quiogue — experienced more home sales at higher prices, as quantified by a 16% increase in median home sales price, but the number of home sales dropped 35%, yielding a 40% decline in total home sales volume.”
On the North Fork, second quarter home sales took one step forward and two steps back. Looking at all North Fork markets combined, there were four fewer home sales and the total home sales volume dropped nearly 11%.
“This dynamic was due to less activity for home sales over $1 million,” Desiderio said. “Truth be told, the primary issue holding back North Fork home sales is a severe lack of inventory, as the demand is certainly there for most price ranges in most markets.”
Jamesport — which includes Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow and South Jamesport — also realized a pull back, with 25% fewer homes changing hands, a 43% decline in total home sales volume, yielding a median home sales price nearly 20% lower than last year, same quarter.
Orient, which includes East Marion and Greenport, had a powerful second quarter — with a 33% increase in the number of home sales and a staggering 61% rocket up in total home sales volume from $10.9 million in 2018 to $17.6 million in 2019.
“This was thanks to the only two North Fork home sales over $2 million, one in East Marion and one in Orient,” Desiderio said. “Conversely, Southold, which includes New Suffolk and Peconic, experienced a drop of nearly 31% in the number of home sales, a 34% decline in total home sales volume, and a 6.7% dip in median home sales price.”
For more information, visit townandcountryhamptons.com.
KBH Jewels Pops Up in Montauk
KBH Jewels is popping up in a big way — as a pop-up shop within Sasha Benz’s eclectic pop-up shop, Baybi Pop, in Montauk.
Featuring “detailed craftsmanship and exceptional wearability,” the New York City-based jewelry brand conveys a modern aesthetic, designed with 14K recycled and reclaimed gold, paired with fine-grown and cultivated, 100% conflict-free diamonds.
“These unique diamonds are cultivated in greenhouses, not mined from the Earth, and are paired with reclaimed and recycled precious metals,” according to the brand’s website. “The heart of our line offers elevated essentials and modern classics; the upscale uniform for the ethical and sustainable individual. KBH Jewels wants to help set a new luxury tradition for our generation and the standard for generations to come.”
Select items will include “The Crown” ring — “for the queen inside us all” — for $950, iconic leaf climber earrings, which cost $640 for one or $1,280 for a pair, and the “Wonder Women” ring for $600.
“We all have wonder women inside us,” the website said. “Inspired by moms, daughters, wives, professionals, friends and protectors, KBH Jewels created this signature ring for the women who really do it all.”
KBH Jewels x Baybi Pop pop-up shop is located at 716 Montauk Highway in Montauk. For more information, visit kbhjewels.com.
Donna Dazzo Represents East Hampton in Home Staging Industry Awards
East Hampton and New York City home stager Donna Dazzo has been named a top-10 finalist in the Home Staging Industry Awards for the Best Luxury Vacant Stager of the Year division, as voted on by the Real Estate Staging Association.
Dazzo, the owner of Designed to Appeal, has been a professional real estate stager since 2007. Her work has been featured on HGTV’s “Selling New York” and Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York” and in The New York Times, Hamptons Magazine, Newsday and The Chicago Tribune.
For more information, visit designedtoappeal.com.


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March 24th, 2023
Category: ar vr
Posted by: teamta
One of the biggest challenges of online shopping is that it doesn’t render a full sensory product experience. In a brick-and-mortar environment, you can try on new costumes, touch fabrics, or see for yourself just how a piece of furniture looks in a room. While those things aren’t technically possible, augmented reality in ecommerce applications offer a way to give customers deeper and more complete information about your products — right from the comfort of their own homes.
At the recently concluded AWE USA 2022 conference, global AI, and computer vision start-up Avataar launched its self-serve platform, Supernova, which automates 3-dimensional AR content creation for online merchants and provides an immersive e-commerce shopping experience for consumers. Avataar helps direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and the e-commerce market by shaping their consumer journeys with 3D versions of products. This innovative tool features a single-click integration with Shopify and BigCommerce and is expected to boost Augmented Reality in e- commerce by encouraging merchants to upscale their collections with 3D images. Firms can integrate Avataar’s plug-and-play technology into their systems, which then allows customers to visualize products in real-life size and feel in their personal space using the phone’s camera.
Augmented Reality in Ecommerce
AR enables e-commerce customers to preview products or experience services in their environment and on their own time, before making a purchase direction. AR app development companies help online shoppers to have virtual tryouts for clothing, makeup, accessories, and even eyeglasses to understand the products and how they will work for them. AR also gives customers preview placement which is a real-time glimpse of what a product will look like when placed in their environment. The number of brands jumping on the AR bandwagon through social media filters is rising exponentially as it is a great way of showcasing the product by enabling consumers to test how it’ll look on them. 2021 Vertebrae research reveals that 7 out of 10 customers who had an AR experience purchased the product they were browsing. The novelty factor of AR filters boosts audience engagement and makes your brand stand out from the crowd. ARtillery Intelligence and Thrive Analytics survey found that global AR advertising revenue, which topped at half a billion dollars in 2019, grew to $1.41 billion in 2020 and could rise to $8 billion by the end of 2024.
How Avataar uplifts E-commerce sales?
With a focus on spatial visual discovery, Avataar transforms consumers’ online buying and browsing behavior by creating immersive and interactive shopping experiences. They introduced a single-click integration product intended to improve retailers’ growth and further the presence of augmented relaity in ecommerce. The product is driven by the ingenious AI-lead 3D content creation platform, Supernova, which allows merchants to instantly create 3D product catalogs at scale. Brands don’t need to make any major changes to adapt to Avataar’s offerings. If the product images are in at least 1080p resolution, the app can stitch a virtual and 3D version from it. It also offers end-to-end workflow management to oversee the development process including quality checks and live hosting.
For consumers, too, if they are using an iPhone or an Android smartphone launched in recent years, their phone has a good chance to have the computational and graphical power to support viewing and interaction with virtual objects. Shoppers can complete the purchase by directly adding to their cart while interacting with the 3D product in their environment, without having to backtrack to a listing page to manually add specific items. The user interaction with 3D products can provide retailers with insights into consumer behavioral decisions to better understand consumer preferences.
“Avataar’s out-of-the-box AR solution implies the continuous growth of AR innovation in the e-commerce industry,” said Sravanth Aluru, CEO and co-founder of Avataar. “First of its kind, the self-serve 3D AR solution will lead to an impactful customer shopping journey for merchants, resulting in increased sales and brand awareness.”
According to Avataar, Consumers are experiencing higher engagement and brands are witnessing more than 3.5x sales conversion with a 60% improvement in cart visits. The average engagement time of customers has also increased to 4 minutes. To ensure customer satisfaction, the AR development company offers its self-serve platform using a freemium pricing mode before they hit the paywall. This year, Avataar closed a $45 million Series B funding round led by Tiger Global and is working with large retail and e-commerce brands across the world. The single-click integration product is just one of the many contemporary solutions the company has in store to expand AR in e-commerce. Their plug-and-play integration acts as an inside engine helping vendors adapt their stores to Web 3.0 Standards.
Future of AR in E-commerce
As consumers become more sophisticated and technologically adept, they expect better shopping experiences. Avataar is paving the way for AR in e-commerce to be accessible, intuitive, and innovative transforming consumers’ online purchase behaviors through digital immersion and interaction. This is the best time to adapt to emerging technology to give your business a competitive edge and create a win-win situation for online business owners and customers. Being an innovative AR app development company, our talented and creative team of experts can help you stay at the forefront of the competition by adapting AR to your e-commerce business.


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We told you the story on Episode 78 of how “official” Washington was rattled on Aug. 9, when news broke that U.S. diplomats in Havana had been sickened a mysterious illness that no one could put their finger on. Target USA has continued digging into the story, and, in this episode, we now have a better idea of what happened and where. Russia may emerge as key suspect. Retired Ambassador Deborah Jones lays out the risks diplomats face there and beyond.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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Van de put, CEO of Yizi, said at the Deutsche Bank global consumer conference that the company wanted to become the “leader” in the chocolate market and get rid of the business that “dragged down” the process. Last month, the snack giant announced the divestiture of the “Lotus” brand, which is also sold in China. The latter is considered to be “selling well” at present.
Dirk Van de put, CEO of Yizi International (historical materials)
So, how does this snack giant plan to “climb to the top”? What businesses are you going to sell?
At present, Yizi has a product line of chocolate, biscuits and cookies, solid drinks, gum and candy.
When asked about Yizi’s divestiture criteria for non core assets at the meeting, fengpude said that chocolate and biscuits accounted for about 80% of Yizi’s product portfolio, with “amazing growth” in revenue and share in the past few years and double-digit growth in EBIT. Other categories, which account for about 20% of the product portfolio, are considered non core assets.
“The growth rate of [these categories] is obviously not that fast. And frankly, when we want to establish a stronger position in the chocolate and biscuits field, it is also dragging us down.” Fengpude said that stripping off some non core businesses can “provide (capital) firepower” for more acquisitions.
As introduced by the snack generation, Yizi announced last month that it would divest its chewing gum business from developed countries, but it would not affect China and other emerging markets. In addition, the company also plans to divest the global business of the “Lotus” brand, which mainly sells mint candy in China. Therefore, Yizi’s disposal of assets will also involve the Chinese market.
At the Bernstein strategic decision-making conference in 2022 held earlier this month, Luca zaramella, chief financial officer of Yizi, revealed that the revenue scale of the developed market chewing gum business and the global “Lotus” brand was about 500million US dollars (about RMB 3.357 billion).
He said that in the past few years, although these two businesses showed good signs of recovery from the impact of the epidemic, Yizi hoped that they could achieve a more robust performance than during the epidemic.
Zaramella also said that although it is confirmed that the gross profit margin of the divested business is higher than the average level of the group, Yizi must also consider the potential investment and capital needs. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think (divestiture) will have a significant impact on the company. We will spin off, and this work is being done at this moment.”.
Want to be a chocolate “boss”
In the chocolate and biscuit field that Yizi will focus on in the future, this snack giant is already one of the best.
Fengpude pointed out that Yizi has now ranked first in the global biscuit market, and its share is about five times that of its second competitor (Note: Campbell soup). In terms of chocolate, Yizi now ranks second in the world, “but its growth momentum is stronger than the first (Note: Mars).”.
Top 10 chocolate producers in the world (picture source: Yizi 2022 investor day conference materials)
“So I can predict that we will become the leader of chocolate.” Fengpude said that the driving forces behind Yizi include that Yizi is a highly global company with a rich portfolio of global and local brands.
“If you go to my hometown Belgium, we have Cote
d’Or. In Sweden, we have Marabou, in Britain, Cadbury, etc.” He said that more than 75% of Yizi’s business is outside North America, and it also covers all other major markets in the world, “and has done well”.
Although Yizi chocolate and biscuits are in the leading position in the world, they are still “partial” in some regions. “Some markets have a strong share of chocolate, but not so strong in biscuits. The reverse also exists. What are the overall opportunities in this market?” Asked the moderator.
In this regard, fengpude said that if you want to find a market where Yizi chocolate and biscuits rank first or second, “you can probably count it with one or two hands”. However, it also stressed that if Yizi has business in one market, it will be easier to develop another category because of the accumulation of brand and professional knowledge.
“Perhaps Oreo is an example. At this stage, 60% of Oreo’s business comes from the United States and China. But we think Oreo can grow by $1billion every three years.” He said that this growth mainly comes from the market where Yizi already has a place in chocolate or biscuits. At present, Oreo is a brand with nearly $4billion (about RMB 26.838 billion).
Cross border baking
According to Yizi’s idea, the great potential of chocolate and biscuits lies in that they can easily “pry” another big market: Bakery.
As introduced by the snack generation, Yizi’s long-term goal is to bring 90% of its income through chocolate and biscuits (including baked snacks), and to continue to “buy and buy” for this purpose. Its acquisition aims to expand its influence in chocolate, biscuits and baked desserts.
Yizi’s chocolate and biscuit brands rank first in many countries and even the world（
Speaking about the cross-border logic at the meeting, fengpude pointed out that, on the one hand, in consumer cognition, the boundary between biscuits and baked cakes is actually very vague, which makes Yizi have “inherent advantages”.
“When you walk in the supermarket aisle, you may think you are in the biscuit area you know, but it is actually a place selling soft cakes. The same brand will appear in that (two areas) and the shelves are adjacent to each other. Therefore, (baking cakes) belongs to the extension of biscuit shelves.” He also stressed that Yizi usually refers to a single package product, rather than a large cake.
On the other hand, fengpude pointed out that the selling price and profit of bakery products are higher, and the market scale and growth rate are very close to biscuits, which means that Yizi “has almost doubled the opportunities”. Taking Europe as an example, Vince Gruber, President of Yizi Europe, introduced at the meeting that the European biscuit market was about US $18.0 billion and US $19.0 billion, while the cake and pastry market was about US $17.0 billion and US $18.0 billion.
Gruber also pointed out that baked cakes can create synergy for Yizi chocolate, including taste, taste and brand value creation. Fengpude revealed that the company’s chocolate brands miaoka and Cadbury have launched packaged baked cakes.
In China, baked cakes are also regarded by Yizi as the “third driving force” for future growth.
Xiaoshidai introduced that in November last year, Yizi China signed and reached a strategic cooperation and investment agreement with Enxi village industry, a roaster. Yizi China will make minority equity investment in Enxi village industry. This is the first time Yizi has invested in a Chinese local food enterprise. This cooperation will help it expand its product category portfolio in the Chinese market and develop low-temperature and short shelf-life baking products of Yizi’s brands.
When attending the public event in March this year, Joost
Vlaanderen, President of Yizi Greater China, said that the two sides would launch a series of Oreo cakes from this year. “The scale of this category (Note: refers to packaged cakes) is very large, and the current growth rate has reached a high single digit.”.
Follow the “snack generation” (wechat: foodinc) “and reply to” Yizi “to see the wonderful news.


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Tony Northrup published a video on Youtube which you can find his predictions about new cameras and their features that are likely to be announced in 2020.
The rumored camera models are Olympus E-M10 Mark IV, Panasonic GH6, Nikon Z5, Nikon D860, Canon EOS 5D Mark V, Sony A7 IV and Sony A7S III.
Here are the upcoming cameras of 2020 according to the video review. Continue reading “Upcoming Cameras of 2020”
Sigma released a new firmware update V02 for Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN lens.
Designed for Sony E-Mount and L-Mount is the second newly-designed “Art zoom” dedicated for full mirrorless cameras.
The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens price is $1,099 and it is generally compared against Tamron’s popular 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD, which retails for $850. Check availability at BHphoto, Adorama. Continue reading “Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Lens Firmware Update V02”
Panasonic has released a new firmware update for GH5s and G9 Micro Four Thirds cameras. This is a minor update as it fixes only one but important bug. Panasonic G9 firmware updated to version 2.1 while the GH5s firmware to version 1.5.
Picture freeze may occur at burst recording using an external flash when camera is set to AFC/AFF and LVF frame rate 120fps, has been improved.
Download New Firmware Update for GH5s and G9 Cameras
Also join the Micro Four Thirds Users Facebook Group to share your Olympus photography.
The new Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN lens for Sony E-Mount and L-Mount is the second newly-designed “Art zoom” dedicated forfull mirrorless cameras. The new lens joins the previously-announced 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art as the second of Sigma’s DN zoom.
The lens has a total of 19 elements, including low dispersion, special low dispersion and aspherical glass. Sigma’s ‘Super Multi-Layer’ and ‘Nano Porous’ coatings have been applied to reduce flare and ghosting. Autofocus is driven by a stepping motor and the lens can focus as close as 18cm (7.1″).
The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art will be available in both L-mount and Sony E-mount in mid-November 2019. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Compared against Tamron’s popular 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD, which retails for $850, it would be in the same price range. Check at BHphoto, Adorama. Continue reading “Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art for Sony E-mount and L-Mount Mirrorless Cameras”
In addition to the new Panasonic firmware updates, the company also unveiled two new L-mount compatible full frame lenses. These lenses are the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 16-35mm f/4 Lens and Panasonic S 70-200mm f/2.8 L-Mount Lens. Panasonic also updated the Lumix S L-mount lenses roadmap.
The US price of Panasonic Lumix S PRO 16-35mm f/4 Lens is $1,497.99, the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/2.8 O.I.S. Lens is priced at $2,597.99. Both Panasonic L-mount lenses are available for pre-order at B&H, Adorama. Order now if you are interested. Continue reading “Panasonic Lumix S PRO 16-35mm f/4 & 70-200mm f/2.8 Lenses for L-mount”
Panasonic has announced a series of new firmware updates for S1, S1R full frame, GH5, GH5s and the G9 MFT cameras.
With this major upgrade Panasonic G9 advances a 10-bit 4:2:2 video capture for 4K at up to 30p and HDMI output of 10-bit 50 and 60p footage. Meanwhile, the GH5S and G9 also gain animal detect autofocus, while both those cameras and the GH5 gain AF-On Near Shift and AF-ON Far Shift options to prioritize near or distant subjects.
New Panasonic firmware updates will be available at the LUMIX Global Customer Support website on November 19, 2019. Continue reading “Panasonic Releases New Firmware Update for LUMIX S1R, S1, GH5, GH5S & G9”
The new Panasonic Lumix S1H mirrorless camera is now in stock and shipping in the US: $3,997.99 at Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon.
The Panasonic Lumix S1H is the world’s first full frame camera capable of video recording at 6K/24p (3:2 aspect ratio), 5.9K/30p (16:9 aspect ratio), and 10-bit 60p 4K/C4K, combining professional-level video quality with the high mobility of a mirrorless camera. Outstanding video recording capability is the greatest feature of the LUMIX S1H, making it a professional tool for high-end film making. Continue reading “Panasonic Lumix S1H now in Stock and Shipping”
Panasonic has officially announced the new Lumix S1H full frame mirrorless camera and Lumix S PRO 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.
The Panasonic Lumix S1H costs $3,997.99, now available for pre-order at Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon shipping in September. The Lumix S PRO 24-70mm f/2.8 lens costs $2,197.99, now available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video/Adorama/Amazon/ shipping in October. Continue reading “Panasonic Lumix S1H, Lumix S PRO 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens Announced”
Panasonic has announced that the company will release the firmware update programs for the LUMIX Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras to enhance the functions and usability.
All programs will be available at LUMIX Global Customer Support website at UTC 1:00 on July 9, 2019.
The cameras and the programs to be updated are as follows: Continue reading “Panasonic Announces Firmware Update Programs for the LUMIX S1R, S1, GH5, GH5S, G9, G90/G91/G95, G80/G81/G85 and GX9”
It is now confirmed that the Panasonic S1H camera will feature a built-in IBIS (in-body image stabilization). As you know Panasonic already announced the development of the new Lumix DC-S1H 6K Full Frame Mirrorless Camera.
The Lumix S1H is the world’s first camera capable of video recording at 6K/24p (3:2 aspect ratio), 5.9K/30p (16:9 aspect ratio), and 10-bit 60p 4K/C4K. Continue reading “Confirmed : New Panasonic S1H Camera to Feature IBIS”


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Small VW EV, battery factory considered for North America
Volkswagen has approved an EV with a groove under ID.4 for the North American market, and it is considering a battery factory in Ontario, according to the German business daily. Handelsblatt.
The report notes five recent entries in the Canadian Provincial Lobbying Registry for VW, including one mentioning Chief Executive Oliver Blume, who last year said Canada was a legitimate choice. for the production of batteries.
The report also cited documents saying Ontario wanted to be “considered in competition with other locations” for the battery plant and said the province had offered incentives to implement the project.
As for the new sub-ID.4 EV, it can be assembled at VW’s existing Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, which is currently build ID.4 templates for the US marketor the Puebla, Mexico plant, which handles a large portion of VW’s North American output.
Volkswagen ID.Life idea
For now, VW has scrapped the idea of another car factory in North America. The automaker’s new all-electric Scout brand, looking for factory locationCurrently negotiating with contract manufacturers.
New model approved is not likely ID.Life concept VW has shown itself to be an affordable electric car for 2021, but it’s likely to take full advantage of the mid-decade overhaul for VW’s MEB platform, which underpins the ID.4 and ID.Buzz van slated to arrive in the United States in 2024. the return of the VW e-Golf also reported back to the table, though it’s unclear if this is the same vehicle.


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A lot of interesting developments took place this week, and if you want to quickly catch up on the news you've missed, you've come to the right place. You can also skip to the bottom to catch the news of the week in a short video in Hindi, if you prefer, or check out 360 Daily for a day-by-day breakdown.
If you're an Airtel postpaid user, you should check out the two new Infinity plans the company has announced. Airtel has updated its myPlan Infinity offers to include two more affordable postpaid plans - at Rs. 549 and Rs. 799 per month, with unlimited calling and bundled data. Previously, the company's lowest myPlan Infinity offer was Rs. 1,199.
The Rs. 549 Airtel myPlan Infinity offer provides unlimited local and STD calls, and unlimited incoming roaming calls, as well as monthly subscriptions to Wynk Music and Wynk Movies, 100 local and STD messages a day, and 3GB of 4G data per bill cycle. 3G handset users will get only 1GB of data. The Rs. 799 plan gets you 5GB of 4G data, or 3GB of 3G data. This is the latest move by the telco that can be seen as a reaction to the Reliance Jio launch.
WhatsApp may soon allow you to revoke or edit messages you have already sent to other contacts. The feature is available in WhatsApp's iPhone beta version and is said to be disabled by default, meaning that you will have to turn it on manually.
(Also see: Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) Review)
Snapdeal has launched a new Cash@Home facility, under which it is offering to deliver Rs. 2,000 cash to users' homes. The new Snapdeal Cash@Home facility is available only to users of the company's app, and is live in only Gurugram and Bengaluru. You will have to pay a Re. 1 convenience fee, either via Freecharge or using your debit card, for using Snapdeal's cash home delivery service.
(Also see: How to Transfer Money From FreeCharge Wallet to Bank Account)
There were also a number of high profile launches, including the LeEco Cool S1, which took place in China as a collaboration between LeEco and Coolpad. After launching their first joint handset, the Cool1 Dual in August and their second device, the Cool Changer 1C, in late November, the two companies have jointly launched their third smartphone, the Cool S1, in China starting at CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 24,500).
Also in China, we saw the launch of the Zuk Edge smartphone. The new smartphone will go on sale from January 1 in China, and has been priced at CNY 2,299 (roughly Rs. 22,500) for the 4GB RAM variant, and CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 24,500) for the 6GB RAM variant. The main highlight of the Zuk Edge is its 2.35GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC.
(Also see: LG V20 Review)
One more big piece of news out of China - Xiaomi launched a new laptop, the Xi Notebook Air 4G with Windows 10. The Windows 10 Home-based laptops were launched in collaboration with China Mobile, and the laptops natively support the telecom operator's networks without requiring a separate SIM card. Non-4G variants of the Mi Notebook Air were launched back in July, and featured price tags of CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 34,000) for the 12.5-inch variant, and CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs. 49,500) for the 13.3-inch variant. Xiaomi also launched its new Piston Fresh in-ear headphones, and a new car air purifier for use on the go.
Other launches this week included the Blu Life Max with 3700mAh battery, and the Zen Cinemax Click with 4G VoLTE support, launched at Rs. 6,190. LG unveiled a slate of K-series smartphones ahead of CES 2017. This covers the LG K3 (2017), the LG K4 (2017), the LG K8 (2017), the LG K10 (2017), and the LG Stylus 3.
(Also see: Samsung Gear IconX Review)
Asus Launched the ZenWatch 3 in India, starting atRs. 17,599. The Android Wear smartwatch sports a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 400x400 pixel resolution (287ppi pixel density). The Acer Spin 7, which the company says it the "world's thinnest laptop", also launched in India, priced at Rs. 1,09,000. It has a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.
Finally, Amkette launched its EvoTV 2 4K media streaming Android-powered set-top box, priced at Rs. 7,499. In April, Amkette had launched the EvoTV 2 in India.
Aside from these launches, there's been a lot more happening in terms of news as well. For one thing, TRAI has recommended limited free monthly data for rural users, in a bid to boost digital payments.
(Also see: Small Improvements Make Big Difference for Jio Apps)
Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro 2016 model has now become the first MacBook to not receive a recommendation from product testing firm Consumer Reports. Apple Watch users will be happy to hear that Pokemon Go is now available on the smartwatch. The Apple Watch version of the augmented-reality game will let you discover nearby Pokemon and collect special items, such as potions, from nearby PokeStops. But once you encounter a Pokemon, you will need to use your iPhone to catch it.
(Also see: From Smartwatches to Smart Home, These Indian Gadgets are Available Now)
In India, Uber and Ola's surge pricing finally got the regulatory nod - although the recommendation, which came from a committee under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has left implementation to the states, and suggested that there should be a specified range for dynamic pricing.
(Also see: Unsurprisingly, Uber's CEO Is a Fan of Surge Pricing, Demonetisation)
Uber has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets, halting the autonomous program one week after its launch as the company faced a regulatory crackdown. Uber had argued that the law does not apply to its cars, but it caved in and has now taken its self-driving cars to Arizona.
The company also launched its first electric fleet, in Madrid, The company hopes the introduction of cleaner cars will help improve its image in a city governed by left-wing, environmentally-conscious mayor Manuela Carmena, said Carles Lloret, Managing Director of Uber for Southern Europe
(Also see: How to Use the New Designed Uber App)
Meanwhile, Blackberry announced plans to invest C$100 million ($75 million or roughly Rs. 508 crores) in a new autonomous vehicle testing hub over several years. And Google's spinoff self-driving car division Waymo announced Monday it added 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans to its fleet of self-driving vehicles being tested.
Early in the week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg released footage of how his new AI butler Jarvis (which he created as a personal project) will work. Robert Downey Jr. had offered to lend his voice to Jarvis, but Zuckerberg eventually went with Samuel L Jackson instead. It can control the music, doors, lights, etc. at the Facebook CEO's home.
And finally, there are two great video game sales you should check out right now to get some great deals. First up, there's the famous Steam Winter Sale - where Indians can buy games cash on delivery. There was a short outage, but it's back now, and here's what we think you should buy. There's also the Origin Holiday Sale going on right now, which is offering discounts until January 12.
(Also see: Meet the Company That's Made It Easier to Buy Games via Steam In India)


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In January, news broke that Pier 1 Imports planned to close up to 450 of its stores nationwide. Now, 10 of 16 Minnesota locations appear set to close as they've been removed from Pier 1's website.
Pier 1 Imports closing in Minnesota:
- St. Paul
- Eden Prairie
- Coon Rapids
- Oak Park Heights
- St. Cloud
Stores in Burnsville, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Woodbury, Rochester and Duluth are poised to remain open.
According to the Star Tribune, the St. Cloud and Mankato stores will close at the end of the month, with precise closure dates at the eight Twin Cities stores unknown. For the time being, all set-to-close stores are offering storewide discounts of 20-40%.
The ever-changing brick-and-mortar retail landscape took another national hit this week with Macy's announcing plans to close 125 stores nationwide over the next three years, in addition to slashing approximately 2,000 corporate jobs.
There are ten Macy's stores in Minnesota: Bloomington, Burnsville, Edina (two stores), Maplewood, Minnetonka, Rochester, Roseville (two stores), St. Cloud.
It's unclear which, if any Minnesota Macy's locations will shutter.


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22 Jun 2017
Spending on the Internet of Things in CEE to Reach Nearly $27 Billion in 2021, According to New IDC Spending Guide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Prague — A new update to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide forecasts spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to grow 20.6% year on year in 2017, reaching just over $12 billion. By 2021, CEE IoT spending is expected to total nearly $27 billion as organizations continue to invest in the hardware, software, services, and connectivity that enable the IoT.
"We are seeing companies in Central and Eastern Europe increasingly embracing the Internet of Things, with many planning to accelerate investments in the short term,” says Milan Kalal, program manager of Internet of Things research with IDC CEMA. “Our recent IoT survey confirms that the CEE region has become a very exciting market for this transformative technology, one that is full of both opportunities and challenges. With our IoT Spending Guide, IDC provides insight into key use cases where investment is being made to achieve the business value and transformation promised by the Internet of Things.”
The IoT use cases that are expected to attract the largest investments in 2017 include freight monitoring ($1.8 billion), smart grid technologies for electricity, gas, and water ($1.2 billion), and manufacturing operations ($1.0 billion). Production asset management and smart home technologies are also forecast to see significant investments this year. While these use cases will remain the largest areas of IoT spending in 2021, smart building technologies are predicted to experience strong growth (34.4% CAGR) over the five-year forecast. The use cases that will see the fastest spending growth are smart grid technologies for water (42.9% CAGR), insurance telematics (36.8% CAGR), and electric vehicle charging (35.7% CAGR), albeit all will start from a relatively small initial base.
The industries making the largest IoT investments in 2017 will be transportation ($2.6 billion), manufacturing ($2.2 billion), and utilities ($1.3 billion). Cross-industry IoT investments, which represent use cases common to all industries (such as connected vehicles and smart buildings), will exceed $900 million in 2017 and rank among the top segments throughout the five-year forecast. Consumer IoT purchases will be the fourth-largest market segment in 2017 at $1.1 billion, but will slow down to become the fifth-largest segment in 2021. Meanwhile, the industries that will see the fastest spending growth are insurance (38.9% CAGR), cross-industry (31.4%), and construction (28.1%).
From a technology perspective, services and hardware will be the two largest revenue-generating categories. Hardware spending will be dominated by modules and sensors that connect end points to networks, while services spending will be split between “IT and installation services” and “ongoing and content services”. Software spending will be dominated by applications software. The fastest-growing areas of technology spending are also in the software category, where “horizontal software” and “analytics software” will have five-year CAGRs of 38.2% and 28.1%, respectively. Security hardware and software will also see increased investment, with respective CAGRs of 19.3% and 22.7%.
Russia will be the IoT investment leader in CEE throughout the forecast, with spending expected to reach $9.4 billion in 2021. The second- and third-largest spenders will be Poland ($5.8 billion in 2021) and the Czech Republic ($2.3 billion). Transportation and manufacturing will be the two leading industries for IoT investments in all three countries, followed by utilities in Russia, and cross-industry in Poland and the Czech Republic. Consumer IoT spending will be among the leading categories in all three countries, as well.
The Worldwide Semiannual Internet of Things Spending Guide forecasts IoT spending for 12 technologies and 54 use cases across 20 vertical industries in eight regions and 52 countries. Unlike any other research in the industry, the comprehensive spending guide was designed to help vendors clearly understand the industry-specific opportunity for IoT technologies today.
About IDC Spending Guides
IDC's Spending Guides provide a granular view of key technology markets from a regional, vertical industry, use case, buyer, and technology perspective. The spending guides are delivered via pivot table format or custom query tool, allowing the user to easily extract meaningful information about each market by viewing data trends and relationships.
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading media, data and marketing services company that activates and engages the most influential technology buyers. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn.
For more information, contact:
Program Manager, Internet of Things
+420 221 423 140
Senior Marketing Manager
+48 22 541 4052


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Shop Malaysia Online (SMO) by Grab in partnership with MDEC helps local businesses sustain in the new normal
WITH the shift towards going online necessitated by the pandemic, a digital transformation is vital to ensure business continuity and sustainability.
In extending a helping hand to local merchants, Grab leveraged its technology and partnered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Through MDEC’s Go-eCommerce Onboarding programme, and jointly co- funding promotions in the Shop Malaysia Online (SMO) campaign, they have been able to help digitalise more small businesses and drive more demand.
Since the pandemic, Grab has also taken efforts to expand its service coverage to other parts of the country, which has helped to widen the campaign coverage and benefit more businesses beyond just those in the Klang Valley.
Statistics indicate that out of the over 90% of the participating businesses on Grab who are part of the SMO campaign are categorised as MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), with more than 50% from outside of Klang Valley.
To ease digital transformation for small businesses, Grab enhanced its operations, from holding webinar sessions for merchants to adopting a fully digital onboarding process.
MDEC’s willingness and openness in working with such platforms as Grab has been a boon for local SMEs to stay afloat in these times.
Encouraged by the positive results garnered from the previous year, this is the second year the government is running the SMO campaign with Grab.
Dong Guan Kopitiam proprietor Ong Seng Theam shares that the SMO (HotDeals) campaign HotDeals campaign by Grab has helped increase business by 63%.
“Times were very tough especially during the second MCO on June 1.
However, I am grateful that we didn’t lose our momentum of business. On the contrary, delivery platforms, especially Grab, helped push our sales volume to another level.”
Dong Guan Kopitiam serves up typical Malaysian breakfast fare, with favourites such as toast bread with butter and kaya, fried bihun and nasi lemak at competitive prices.
Ong commented that such campaigns and initiatives greatly helped his business to get back on track during the MCO and currently, is continuing to help it grow.
He advises other business owners: “Do not give up even during the pandemic. Think of how to sustain the business by increasing market awareness through Facebook, Instagram and delivery platforms.”
For GrabPay merchant OCDEE, offering GrabPay as a payment option was part of creating the best customer experience.
“GrabPay is highly used as a payment option by most Malaysians. Besides, GrabPay could help increase our credibility and exposure to our user base via its app and marketing campaigns progressively. With the SMO campaign, we know it would help to drive more sales conversion online,” says its co-founder Ng Chun How.
OCDEE is a specialty brand for home storage and organisation solutions well-known for its best-selling product – the Convi Shoebox, with over 46,000 boxes sold and more than 2,000 five-star reviews to date.
“Our business had seen tremendous growth of 160% in month-over-month revenue during the SMO campaign, with increment in the usage rate of digital payments as checkout and exceptional growth in sales from other e-commerce and online marketplaces such as Shopee,” Ng says.
On such campaigns and initiatives, he says: “This (SMO) is absolutely a great initiative to help get the economy afloat. The campaigns allowed incentives to go direct to consumers who get more value for every ringgit, while merchants like us are able to get the business rolling, and manufacturers to start receiving new orders.
“The campaigns have also birthed many micro-entrepreneurs online. I personally think it was a win-win for everyone in the economy loop.”
With such campaigns spearheaded by the government and supported by platforms such as Grab, there is light at the end of the tunnel for SME retailers.
As Malaysians, let us come together to support our local retailers through the SMO campaign to give them a lease of life through trying times.
Grab’s SMO campaign ends on Nov 30, and with discounts up to 50% off for meals, groceries, fashion, beauty, and more, Malaysians are definitely spoiled for choice to support thousands of businesses on the platform.


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3Com Corp. today announced that it would undergo a reduction of approximately 10 per cent of its global workforce o...
June 12, 2003
3Com Corp. today announced that it would undergo a reduction of approximately 10 per cent of its global workforce over the next two fiscal quarters.
This decision will impact employment in the U.S. and the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region. Within the U.S., the largest impact will be in the company’s Santa Clara, Calif. location.
“With the sale of our CommWorks unit, the company will function as a single operating entity, enabling a more competitive cost structure,” said Bruce Claflin, 3Com president and CEO.
“In addition, continued weakness in demand requires we improve the company’s overall cost structure. However, 3Com will continue to do selective hiring for key skills and in areas that directly contribute to our enterprise strategy, such as adding field resources in order to help our distribution partners drive sales of 3Com data and voice networking solutions.”
To sell 3Com’s expanding product line, the company intends to increase its sales, marketing and customer service capabilities. 3Com began this build-up several quarters ago, adding account executives and network consultants to support enterprise customers.


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Volez Voguez Voyagez
Louis Vuitton Shanghai Exhibition Social Content
In November 2018, Louis Vuitton's "Volez Voguez Voyagez" Tour Exhibit opened in Shanghai, showcasing the brand's historical and significant pieces since 1854. Also, it unveiled a new brand ambassador, Kris Wu, worked together with the brand's artistic director, Virgil Abloh, for the latest Spring Summer 2019 Men's collection.
With Shanghai city as the theme for the exhibit which evolves around travel, a video coupled with visuals were created to be shared on social platforms, and as well as to be part of the exhibition.


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Looking to expand your stock portfolio or been itching to be part of the green energy movement by owning a part of a green energy company? Well your opportunity to do so may be coming up as a well known electric car company has decided that it will go public.
Tesla Motors, makers of the powerful all-electric sports car the Roadster, has recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to offer $100 million worth of publicly traded stock. The money raised by the initial public offering will be used to help Tesla continue current manufacturing operations and will also financially aid in the creation of their new 7 seat, luxury sedan, called the Model S.
The recent move by Tesla to offer public stock comes hot on the heels of the company recently securing a loan to the tune of $465 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). That loan will be used to construct a manufacturing facility in California to help build an estimated 50,000 Model S beginning in 2012.
If interested in investing be sure to investigate Tesla Motor’s prospectus to get the company’s whole financial picture before making your decision. Otherwise, be sure to keep your eyes and ears open to see when Tesla’s stock goes public on the stock market.
Read more at CNET


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© Nano Dimension Electronics Production | September 05, 2019
Nano Dimension’s DragonFly purchased by two U.S. agencies
Nano Dimension Ltd. announced the sale of its DragonFly additive manufacturing system to two U.S. defense and security agencies.
Nano Dimension, a certified U.S. Department of Defense vendor with a CAGE code, produces fully functional electronic circuitry to protect security-sensitive and proprietary designs. The DragonFly system helps lessen the risk of IP theft and effectively streamline productivity by bringing additive manufacturing in-house, which lowers costs while accelerating R&D and reducing lead times. The agencies were not disclosed in the press release announcing the purchase. “Nano Dimension continues to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities and thanks to our recently launched LDM technology and leading value-added resellers, we are opening the door for a wide range of advanced applications,” said Amit Dror, CEO of Nano Dimension. “Our precision additive manufacturing technology is enabling developers, engineers, and product designers to efficiently develop electronic devices requiring complex features, high geometrical intricacies and other high precision properties beyond the capabilities of traditional manufacturing processes.” Nano Dimension’s DragonFly system is built to print multilayer, fully-functional, complex circuitry, including high frequency RF applications, capacitors, converters, antennas and sensors that can fit more features than standard circuits. This enables companies to consolidate electronic components, reduce their size and weight, simplify multi-piece assemblies and overall, enhance innovation capabilities, product customization and reliability. Israel-based Nano Dimension’s U.S. headquarters is located in California’s Silicon Valley.


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(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) June 3, 2011 - On June 2nd, 2011, 3BL Media caught up with Bill Bonner, Senior Director, External Relations of OfficeMax while attending the 2011 Cause Marketing Forum 2011 which is themed - Opportunities. Challenges. Solutions.
Cause Marketing Forum
, a membership organization that helps businesses and nonprofits succeed together, 3BL Media
, a leading CSR and sustainability communications company, and Causecast
, the premier cause integration platform for nonprofits and brands, have partnered to raise awareness about organization efforts and progress around cause marketing and corporate social responsibility. Together the organizations are creating a series of one on one video interviews with some of the leading cause professionals to discuss their opportunities, challenges and solutions.
For more information contact:


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Wyze has expanded its smart home portfolio with the launch of Wyze Plug, a new product that is exactly what it sounds like: a smart plug that connects to one’s wireless network, enabling anyone to control the device plugged into the plug using voice commands. The new plug is a surprise launch joining the recently released Wyze Bulb and the relatively new Wyze Sense kit.
The Wyze Plug is a simple outlet adapter that sits sandwiched between the outlet itself and the connector for whatever device the user connects to the plug. Once setup and connected to the local wireless network, users can control the plug using Google Assistant and Alexa, eliminating the need to get up and manually press a power button or flip a switch.
The biggest convenience with the Wyze Plug is its ability to automate lights that aren’t natively connected to WiFi. As with the Wyze Bulb, the Wyze Plug can be controlled from the company’s mobile app and set to Vacation Mode to simulate the presence of someone in the home. The plug can also be set up with schedules for automatically turning items on and off at specific times.
Existing Wyze customers can automate the smart plug to work with the Wyze Cam security camera and Wyze Sense motion and contact sensor kit, as well. As one example of this usage scenario, Wyze says the system can automatically turn on the plug when motion is detected. This could, for example, be used to turn on a light when someone arrives home after work.
Of note, the Wyze Plug supports up to 15A, which is around 3A to 5A more than many competing smart plugs. This makes the device compatible with a larger number of products, such as a television or space heater, rather than limiting it to just lamps. The company plans to start shipping the Wyze Plug in September for $14.99 USD per two-pack.


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Sergey Nivens - Fotolia
Nearly eight in 10 Australian chief information security officers (CISOs) said their organisations are unprepared to detect, deter and recover from a cyber attack – the highest among 14 countries and up 21% from 2021, according to a survey by Proofpoint.
In addition, 68% felt their organisation is at risk of suffering a material cyber attack in the next 12 months, compared with 48% of CISOs globally.
Some 76% of Australian CISOs also consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability, with established work-from-anywhere setups and employee turnover presenting new challenges.
Yvette Lejins, resident CISO at Proofpoint Asia-Pacific and Japan, noted that the Australian government’s landmark A$9.9bn investment in cyber security preparedness demonstrates how critical it has become for governments and organisations to step up their defences.
“Yet our research shows Australian CISOs feel the least prepared globally to deal with the consequences of a cyber attack,” she said. “Not only that, Australian CISOs are feeling the pressure of their role much more than other countries.”
Proofpoint’s survey polled more than 1,400 CISOs from organisations across industries and countries, including US, Australia, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Singapore.
The survey explored three key areas: the threat risk and types of cyber attacks CISOs combat daily, the levels of employee and organisational preparedness facing them and the impact of supporting a hybrid workforce. It also uncovered the challenges CISOs experienced in their roles, their position among the C-suite and business expectations of their teams. In Australia, for example, 63% of CISOs felt that expectations on their role were excessive, up from 44% last year.
Read more about cyber security in Australia
- Australia is playing to its strengths in niche areas such as governance and deep tech to punch above its weight in the cyber security industry.
- Australian state agency Transport for New South Wales is the latest victim of the supply chain attack against Accellion’s legacy file transfer system.
- Australia’s latest cyber security strategy includes centralised management of networks and a voluntary code of practice for deploying internet-connected devices, among other areas.
- Supply chain security risks can wreak havoc for Australian firms if measures are not taken to deter cyber attackers from exploiting a supplier’s security gaps to target another firm.
At the same time, the perceived lack of alignment with the boardroom has increased, with only 25% of Australian CISOs strongly agreeing that their board sees eye-to-eye with them on issues of cyber security.
When considering cyber risk, Australian CISOs listed significant downtime, disruption to operations and impact on business valuation as top board concerns – even as there was a lack of consensus among them on the most significant threats targeting their organisation.
This year, insider threats, whether negligent, accidental or criminal, topped the list for Australian CISOs at 36%, but were closely followed by business email compromise and supply chain attacks, both at 31%.
As the hybrid workforce becomes more prevalent, two in three Australian CISOs saw an increase in targeted attacks in the past 12 months, compared with 51% of CISOs globally, and 68% noted that increases in employee transitions means protecting data has become a greater challenge.
When it comes to guarding against growing ransomware attacks, 72% of Australian CISOs revealed that they had purchased cyber insurance and 75% are focusing on prevention over detection and response strategies to mitigate such attacks. A concerning 30% of Australian CISOs admitted they have no ransom payment policy in place.
“We must start seeing greater internal alignment across boardrooms on critical threats like ransomware to create effective cyber security practices that put people front and centre,” said Lejins.
“With rising geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflict in Ukraine and increasing people-focused attacks, the same gaps of user awareness, preparation and prevention must be plugged to weather an increasingly volatile threat landscape,” she concluded.


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Boon Siew Honda today launched the first energy efficient vehicle (EEV)-certified scooter in Malaysia, the Honda BeAT, aimed at youths, priced at RM5,565 including GST.
It is powered by a 108cc four-stroke OHC air-cooled engine which generates 9hp at 7,500rpm and 9Nm peak torque at 6,000rpm.
The company said the scooter is positioned as an active lifestyle device, designed to support and uplift the fast paced life of youths.
The BeAT features the Combi Brake System (CBS) which allows shorter braking distance, Smart Lock System which keeps brakes locked for safe starting or parking, and a Side Stand Switch which stops the engine automatically once engaged.
Boon Siew Honda is the first two wheeler manufacturer in the country to receive EEV status, as part of its support of the government’s target for Malaysia to become the regional hub for EEVs through adaptation of high technology.
“It is our way of making sure the development goes hand-in-hand with efforts to preserve the environment.
“It is important for us that the carbon footprint is minimised in line with the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014 by the Malaysian government,” said Boon Siew Honda managing director Nobuhide Nagata.
The company expects 12,500 units of the BeAT to be sold a year.
It will be introducing new products in its lineup in the near future, though Nagata would not specify any details on the products the company has in the pipeline.
Customers who are students will also receive a free RM100 petrol card which can be used for three months, as long as they are able to prove their student status upon registration.
Nagata said Boon Siew Honda is confident it will return to its top position in the country by 2018.


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The figure comes as speculation suggests the government is considering allowing outdoor service in hospitality venues from April.
However, the BBPA said that as this is “unfeasible for the majority of pubs” and that pubs should be allowed to re-open fully, outside and inside, when non-essential retail also opens.
It added around 75% of UK pubs have a beer garden or outdoor space, but that only 40% of pubs are likely to have a beer garden or outdoor space big enough. Even then, if many with big enough outdoor spaces did open, they could still struggle to break even as they would still have “vastly reduced capacity and significant practical challenges “such as the April weather to deal with.
It argued this would mean that if pubs did open outdoors only in April, just 17% of UK pub capacity, both indoor and outdoor, would be opened.
It predicts this would result in a loss of turnover to the sector of £1.5bn when compared to trading in normal times. Because of this, the BBPA said the Government would need to continue grant support to all those pubs unable to open at all or who can partially open, but with vastly reduced trade.
Emma McClarkin, BBPA CEO said: “Let us be clear, outdoor service at pubs is not the same as properly opening pubs both inside and outside and is not commercially viable.By our numbers, 29,000 pubs would still be forced to stay shut in April because they simply do not have the beer garden or outdoor space to do it.
“If pubs do open outdoors only in April – we believe just 17% of UK pub capacity will actually open. This would result in a loss of turnover to the sector of £1.5bn when compared to trading in normal times. That is far from reopening and recovering.”
She added: “Even if some pubs did try and open outdoors only in April, all it would take is some heavy rain and they would find it has all been for nothing.For many pubs, gardens are at the back and the only way to access them is through the inside. And of course, toilet facilities would still need to be provided.
“We urge the Government to open our pubs inside – and outside – when non-essential retail also opens. By then, the vaccine will have been rolled out to millions more, and pubs can open whilst continuing to follow exemplary hygiene measures, world leading standards in guidance and social distancing.”


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World-renowned Futurist Thomas Frey Joins KOK PLAY Team
Futurist Thomas Frey
Futurist Thomas Frey, a world-renowned futurologist, has joined global content platform KOK PLAY as a technical advisor. Frey, who is currently the director of the DaVinci Institute, a futurist think tank in Westminster, Colorado, is a global celebrity known as Google’s top rated futurist speaker.
Frey is active globally and is known for his keen insights into the field of futurology, which predicts future changes based on research and statistics. He served as an engineer and designer at IBM for 15 years, and was a member of the Triple Nine Society, a group of geniuses and polymaths with IQs in the 99.9 percentile globally. He has also served as the innovations editor and advisor to the non-profit World Future Society and is the author of two books, “Epiphany Z” and “Communicating with the Future,” which are both about methodologies that can be used to anticipate, predict, and control the future.
Furthermore, he has given keynote speeches to global companies such as IBM, AT&T, Boeing, and Visa. Last year, he drew attention with a series of reports on how the future will be different due to COVID-19. His relationship with Korea has been deep and long-standing, and he is actively sharing his knowledge and insights, as he did as one of the featured speakers at the AAAI 2021 workshop hosted by a domestic company in February and by participating in the World Aviation Conference held in Paradise City, Incheon in March.
KOK PLAY, which invited Frey as a technical advisor, is a content platform based on blockchain technology. KOK PLAY allows members to enjoy diverse content such as movies, TV, webtoons, games, and shopping all in one application. Plus, its global language services have helped it secure many users from all over the world since its launch in 2019.
The KOK Token, which is the basis of KOK PLAY, is listed on a total of four global exchanges including world’s top 5 exchange KuCoin, and is showing steady growth as it was officially listed on CoinMarketCap. With the release of new content and growth of the company, KOK PLAY is becoming a solid digital content platform.


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Smart Colorado Recognizes Challenges,
Upholds Full Disclosure of Clearly Identifying Marijuana Products
at State Marijuana Law Enforcement Meeting
September 11, 2014
DENVER (September 11, 2014) — Today, a state marijuana law enforcement meeting in Golden, CO, discussed the wide variety of marijuana food products available and the practicability of clearly identifiable each product from its non-marijuana counterpart as dictated by Smart Colorado-sponsored bill H.B. 14 -1366.
Gina Carbone, one of the founding members of Smart Colorado and a member of the rule-making committee, offered a statement in response to the meeting:
“While Smart Colorado is sympathetic and understanding of the challenges the state regulatory faces in creating enforceable methods and to the business challenges presented to marijuana food manufacturers to change the way they make their products, ultimately we at Smart Colorado believe in the safety of all Coloradans through full disclosure of the presence of marijuana in a food products, no matter what form that product takes.
It is unfortunate that some marijuana manufactures place their profitability above the public’s ability to identify the presence of marijuana at a glance. However, it was encouraging to see many concerned citizens express their support of H.B. 14-1366 and regulations that clearly identify all marijuana food products.
Smart Colorado will continue to work diligently — just as it did during the process of signing H.B. 14-1366 into law — to ensure that every single edible marijuana product permitted to be sold on Colorado’s recreational regulated market is clearly and “practicably” identified and distinguished from non-marijuana products.
Smart Colorado and its supporters continue to believe in and endorse the Colorado Department of Revenue and its ability to uphold this law in full for the safety of all Coloradans.”
ABOUT SMART COLORADO
Smart Colorado is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health, safety and well-being of Colorado youth as marijuana becomes increasingly available and commercialized. To learn more about Smart Colorado, please visit


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Reports suggest that Apple has doubled the amount of memory it is ordering from Samsung Electronics to meet the demand for Apple iPhone 3Gs when they launch on July 11.
Apple has ordered a huge batch of the Samsung 8GB NAND Flash chips it uses in the iPhone. Samsung may not now be able to meet supplies to other companies, according to the report on DigiTimes.
The total number of 8GB chips ordered has reached 50 million, a 100 percent increase on the 25 million chips previously reported.
Because of the scale of the order, Samsung Electronics may not be able to meet supplies to other customers during July. According to sources within the company Samsung has said it will sharply cut supply to other customers.


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Dendreon to Cut 15% of Jobs as Provenge Sales DisappointMeg Tirrell
Dendreon Corp. plans to cut 150 jobs, or about 15 percent of its workforce, to trim operating expenses after sales of its prostate-cancer drug Provenge missed analysts’ estimates.
Dendreon will take a $7.5 million charge related to severance this quarter and next, the Seattle-based company said today in a regulatory filing. The reductions will help save about $125 million in operating expenses, with cost of goods sold being reduced by about $30 million.
The drugmaker is cutting costs as sales of Provenge, approved in 2010, fail to meet expectations. The drug, Dendreon’s only marketed product, generated third-quarter revenue of $68 million, the company reported today, missing the $75 million average estimate of analysts. That’s a 13 percent decline from a year earlier. Dendreon said in early August that the medicine’s revenue wouldn’t increase this year as forecast.
“This marks the third consecutive top-line miss for the company in 2013, so we think few investors were expecting much of a turnaround story at this point,” Chris Raymond, an analyst with Robert W. Baird, wrote in a research note. “While the workforce reduction was probably well anticipated, savings from past restructuring efforts took longer to realize than anticipated.”
Dendreon rose 3.2 percent to $2.58 at the close in New York. The shares have fallen 51 percent this year.
Dendreon said in July 2012 that it would cut more than 600 jobs and reduce costs by $150 million as it sought to reach profitability.
In October, Bloomberg News reported Dendreon is working with JPMorgan Chase & Co. to find a buyer. The company declined to comment at the time.
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Ecobank Transnational Inc., a pan-African banking conglomerate, recently published a report in which it stated:
"African governments worry that if its citizens become overexposed to cryptocurrency investments, the repercussions of a future crash could be felt in the broader economy, hence their scepticism of licensing their use." - Ecobank Transnational Inc.
While African authorities acknowledge the potential benefits of cryptographic assets, particularly their underlying blockchain technology, they are "apprehensive about [their] potential risks", the report noted.
South Africa, Swaziland Offer "Favorable Regulatory Stances"
The write-up also mentions that while countries like Namibia have completely banned cryptocurrencies, South Africa and Swaziland have offered the "most favorable regulatory stances" toward cryptos out of all nations on the African continent.
This may be true considering that a new cryptocurrency platform called BitFund was recently introduced in South Africa. According to BitFund's CEO Joshua Miltz, the new crypto service makes it easier for traders to invest in the "lesser known cryptocurrencies."
Miltz explained that most crypto investors in South Africa had only invested in Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), but did not feel confident in trying to acquire other cryptocurrencies because of the technical nature of buying altcoins from an exchange. BitFund not only intends to simplify the process of purchasing altcoins, but its creators have also "dealt thoroughly with the legal and regulatory compliance of cryptocurrency investment.”
"No Discernible Regional Regulatory Trend"
While South Africa may appear to have a growing crypto economy, there has been no “discernible regional regulatory trend” regarding digital currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Ecobank report noted. Moreover, Ecobank's write-up stated that many African citizens use cryptos “at their own risk”, after having been warned by regulators about their “potential consequences.”
Additionally, the report mentioned that, “African countries appear to be looking to their neighbors to regulate and innovate first, and learn from their mistakes, rather than being the first mover.”
Furthermore, Ecobank revealed that it had developed an index to monitor the cryptocurrency regulation process in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Crypto Regulations Index
So far, according to Ecobank’s index, the Portuguese-speaking country of Angola has not made any official public statement regarding cryptocurrencies. Benin, a French-speaking Western African nation, has also not issued any official stance on cryptos.
While looking at Ecobank’s report shows that most Sub-Saharan African nations have not officially commented on digital currencies, a number of them have reportedly shown an interest in blockchain technology.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, which is one of the least developed countries in the world, did reportedly launch a pilot program, with assistance from the World Economic Forum, that used a blockchain-based system to track the process of extracting cobalt.
According to Google trends, the West African nation of Ghana is ranked number one in the world when it comes to Bitcoin or crypto-related online searches, while the country has also seen the launch of Finchcoin, which has been called “Africa’s first indigenized cryptocurrency.”


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Online retailer Amazon has warned that it may well post a loss for its current financial quarter.
This is despite a 35 per cent leap in revenues for the quarter ending December 31st, which hit $17.43bn. Despite this net income, fell 70 per cent from $416m in 2010 to $117m.
One of the retailer’s big successes was Kindle, which saw sales climb 177 per cent year-on-year and was the most purchased item on Amazon.co.uk.
Despite the assurance that potential losses are mainly down to investment, the claims were not enough to stop Amazon’s share value falling eight per cent in the hours after the announcement.


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Streetwear royalty TRAPSTAR London debut their third instalment of Spring/Summer’22 season just in time with one of their most hyped drops yet including statement items with graphic emblazoned prints on summer windbreakers, rockstar laser etched denim, graphic t-shirts and chenille patched hoodies modelled by the TRAPSTAR‘s very own team members and feature of Nigerian artist Trill Tega. by London Legend and iconic street photographer Vincent Chapters on location.
Alongside these are new “Shooters” T-Shirts & Shorts, Irongate Shellsuit 2.0 in black/lime, garment-dyed Script T’s in lime, purple and grey as well as a selection of new T-Shirts, Hats and Socks.
The third drop of the season comes after a tsunami wave of retail city invasions, to which TRAPSTAR and countless of it’s crew take over favoured fashion destinations including Paris and Milan, for a one-day-only pop-up store. Sitting close to home for a change, the brand never failed to illustrate its globally reckoned with attitude, and attractive campaigns including this one right here,
The new drop from TRAPSTAR London is now live, and on the web store www.trapstarlondon.com


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NCSoft has presented a new ambitious project called Project M at the State of Unreal 2023 event. This new game is a simulated reality project that is set to take the gaming world by storm. With stunning graphics and an innovative gameplay system, Project M promises to offer players an immersive gaming experience like never before.
The official gameplay reveal trailer for Project M has been released on IGN’s YouTube channel, and it has already garnered over 379,000 views in just four days. The comments section is filled with excitement and anticipation for the game, with many comparing it to other narrative-driven games like Detroit Become Human and Quantum Break.
Seth Feldpausch, one of the commenters, noted that the game feels like Detroit Become Human, but with more control. He added that the game seems to offer full control of the characters at times, which makes the narrative genre more mechanically interesting.
Other commenters, like Frederick Lopez and Youtube Userman, are looking forward to Project M’s release, with both expressing their excitement for the cinematic game. Lopez even went as far as to say that the game would be a perfect addition to other narrative-driven games like Death Stranding, Heavy Rain, and Beyond: Two Souls.
One commenter, Mikhael Gorby, however, reminded everyone to lower their expectations since the developers called their game the “most ambitious project.” Despite this cautionary note, the comment section is filled with positive remarks, with many expressing their excitement for the game.
Project M’s graphics have been praised by many commenters, with some saying that they are “insane.” The character models have also been complimented, with Property Manager noting that they love them.
Project M is an exciting new addition to the gaming world, and it is clear from the comments section that many gamers are eagerly anticipating its release. With its innovative gameplay system and stunning graphics, Project M promises to be a game that will take the gaming world by storm.


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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have exploded in popularity over the past year, with third-quarter sales totaling $ 10.7 billion (up from $ 1.2 billion in Q2).
A host of industries – from fashion to music – have taken full advantage of the rise as the unique tokens that create a cash flow for artistic objects continue to expand far beyond digital art and collectibles.
Musician, writer and director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson weighed in on the new trend during an interview with Yahoo Finance Live on Wednesday, saying the music industry’s NFT boom was hard to understand at first.
“When I first heard about digital art that made money, sold and became big business, it was the head scraper,” said the Philadelphia native, a decades-long member of the hip-hop group The Roots.
“But revolutions usually start with a lot of head scrapers in the beginning – then they just become the norm,” he continued.
He added that he is almost certain that “ten years from now, the idea of tangible art may be a thing of the past” as more collectors and investors pile up.
“Like, ‘wait, you actually paid money to put that thing on your wall? You do not own an NFT?’ NFTs are likely to be the norm in 2040 – 2050, “Thompson said.
Statistics about NFTs in the music field have been amazing with some digital items selling for millions of dollars.
Earlier this year, electronic music producer 3LAU sold 33 digital albums for over $ 11.6 million – making it the world’s first musician to sell a digitally tokenized album.
Prior to this sale, the musician auctioned off Grime’s digital artwork for $ 5.8 million in just under 20 minutes.
Overall, Questlove said NFTs are “a unique way to have an experience.”
“As long as the artist is creative and the art is considered worthy, then this is obviously a look into the future,” he added.
Streaming as ‘the development of life’
Streaming services like Spotify (SPOT) and Apple Music (AAPL) have been scrutinized because of the way they distribute revenue – which critics say disproportionately affects future artists.
But the platforms also offer new ways for musicians to connect with fans through curated playlists.
Questlove, which equates the creation of new playlists with the completion of the New York Times crossword puzzle, said the streaming evolution is similar to the shift towards NFTs.
“Going from collecting 200,000 records to just living a life of streaming … this is part of the focal point and evolution of life that we are in now,” he explained.
Alexandra is a producer and entertainment correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @ alliecanal8193
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A new Android smartphone will soon be on its way to T-Mobile UK. We do not know the launch date nor price of this handset, but we do know the name. The T-Mobile Vivacity, which is made by ZTE, is a smartphone that will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as well as a 3.5 inch HVGA or WVGA display screen, 5MP rear camera, front facing camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3G
This being said, US customers may not hold their breath on this one, because it doesn't look like there's a big possibility that it will hit the States. For more info and details on the T-Mobile UK Vivactiy, you can visit T-Mobile UK's website for more info.


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Libra Credit, an online lender in the cryptocurrency space, has received an investment from Binance Labs – the tech incubator and VC portion of Binance – one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.
According to a post on Medium, the agreement enables BNB holders to receive loans collateralized by the crypto. So Libra Credit will lend fiat and digital assets to users who pledge BNB.
Libra Credit was co-founded by former PayPal execs Lu Hua and Dan Schatt – so they have good experience in payments and providing credit online. Libra Credit is an online lending platform that leverages proprietary credit scoring algorithms with blockchain technology.
In May of this year, Libra received $16 million investment from institutional types during their private token sale. Participating in the offering were 500 Startups, DHVC, GBIC, Alphabit Fund, Dekrypt Capital, FBG Capital, DFund, BlockTower, Signum Capital, 8 Decimal Capital, Crypto Parency and Block VC. Libra Credit is transforming the lending industry by leveraging its proprietary credit scoring algorithms with blockchain technology.
There are a few platforms seeking to do the same but the rapid growth of digital assets has created opportunity for ancillary services – such as online lending. Libra Credit is said to be “building a distributed lending ecosystem that facilitates credit at anytime and anywhere.”
“They are committed to make long lasting impacts in the industry,” said Zhang.
Many industry types expect blockchain to replace much of the infrastructure of financial services. Providing access to credit is an absolutely enormous opportunity as the global debt markets are huge.


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Matt Brittin, Google's UK director, said today the search engine giant has shared $5bn (£3.3bn) with publishers through its contextual ads program, AdSense, in the last year.
"In a world where everyone is a publisher what is needed more than ever is editing skills and brands that help people understand the quality of the content and help them to find the content that is useful. I think there is a big opportunity here," he told the audience of international magazine executives in London.
"The challenge is the model of monetisation online and figuring out how to make that economically viable in the same way as your print products are. Those models are lagging consumer behaviour and all of us are trying to keep up with the consumer."
From The Guardian.


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Foxy Brown's brother is following in his little sister's troubled footsteps.
The hot-headed rapper's brother, Gavin "Pretty Boy" Marchand, was slammed with a felony indictment Friday - after a birthday shopping spree on Aug. 7 turned up a series of fake credit cards.
Marchand, who dabbles on stage as Foxy's sidekick, was arrested last week, accused of trying to purchase French luxury items at an upper East Side boutique with the bogus cards.
"I don't wanna' talk," Marchand said after being released on $8,000 bail.
A sales person at Hermes on Madison Ave. quickly recognized a supposed American Express corporate card was fake. Something about the front of the card and the magnetic strip were unusual, court documents show.
After Marchand pal David Warren, 31, tried to use the bogus Amex card, Marchand handed over a phony MasterCard, according to court documents. The clerk held that card under a black light, showing that one wasn't real either.
Apparently desperate to make a purchase, Warren pulled out a second Amex card. That one worked. He bought $7,882.55 worth of merchandise, according to court records. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Warren, and two other men, Ryan Campbell, 32, and Derwin Benoit, 34, were also charged in connection with the plastic shopping spree. The four men, with Benoit at the wheel, were nabbed by cops after they made a 90-mph getaway attempt in a car littered with credit cards and receipts, according to court records.
Campbell's lawyer said his client was blameless.
"As far as he's concerned, he didn't do anything wrong. He was in a store browsing for items," Campbell's lawyer, Aaron Wallenstein, said after his client was indicted. He was held on $30,000 bail.
"They were shopping for a birthday party for Marchand," the attorney said.
Marchand turned 35 three days before he was busted.
Foxy Brown, was accused of violating a restraining order obtained by Arlene Raymond after a fight in which Brown hit her with a Blackberry in 2007, police said.
The two women clashed again last month in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Brown cursed Raymond out, bent over and stuck her butt out, authorities said.
"B--ch, what are you looking at?" she asked her neighbor, according to the criminal complaint. "Kiss my ass."


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Evisa facility for India has resumed for British passport holders. The service was halted for the nationals of United Kingdom since the end of the covid crisis.
The High Commissioner to India in the UK said “We look forward to a good winter season in which everybody gets to celebrate their festivals in India, which is the land of festivals.” “So welcome back: eVisas are up ahead.
The High Commission of India in London confirmed this news via Twitter as well as a one to one interaction with the Indian journalists at the High Commission of India that the e-visa facility is now active and available for UK nationals travelling to India. The United Kingdom is now appearing on the list of nationalities for which the evisa is available. It can be applied online here
The High Commissioner Vikram K Doraiswami stated that e-visas will enable friends from the United Kingdom travel far more easily to India. He further added that the system was upgraded and tested and now live to receive applications from travellers wanting to visit India.
This comes as a huge relief to travellers to India especially people of Indian origin who couldn’t get appointments for personal visa application. This also saw a huge impact on the business in the UK and India that rely on British visitors to the sub-continent.
The EVisa to India can be applied via this link