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He spends at least two weeks in the Silicon Valley meeting startups such as CloudEndure, which Infosys invested in recently, and recruiting top talent.
TRC Capital has made similar such mini-tender offers to buy out stock in a number of Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart Stores and Lowe’s.
With Lite, Facebook aimed to cater to users who wanted to keep data consumption and usage to a bare minimum.
According to documents posted on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, Hewlett Packard (India) Software Operation posted revenue of Rs 1,356 crore for the year ended March 2015.
Kaushik Anand, is expected to move to India soon and push Google Capital’s late-stage bets in the country, the people mentioned above said.
Alphabet, is in talks with local telcos to kickstart its Google Loon project, after Sundar Pichai managed to secure support for project from the govt.
Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka said that for the first time in many years growth from large customer accounts is outpacing growth from the rest of the company.
The latest investment in Systemantics will mark at least the seventh venture that has been backed by Nilekani, who has actively invested in early-stage startups.
Wipro ditches 'bell curve' appraisal, more frequent feedback under new system to compete with Infosys, TCS
The trigger for this exercise was clear. Employees, mid-level executives and top managers needed to be more accountable for the company’s performance.
Cohen, a former IBM executive, said the company's integ tive, said the company's integration with Infosys was yet to be completed and will take some more time.
Waze is planning a stronger foray in India and is exploring tie-ups and partnerships with local startup poster boys such as Ola and Flipkart.
Zynga, best known for its Facebook game FarmVille, plans to launch 10 games this year and wants to sell its headquarters in San Francisco .
Pleased with the ex-SAP executive’s efforts to turn around the IT giant, the board extended his tenure by two years from 2019.
Infosys said the company had extended Sikka’s tenure as CEO following the company’s stellar performance in the past few quarters.
CEO Vishal Sikka who refers to this model as the “reverse pyramid” elaborated on the model at the Kotak Institutional Equities Investor Conference — Chasing Growth 2016 in Mumbai.
Reiterating his vision of making Infosys a $20 billion company by 2020, Sikka for the first time spoke about some of Infosys' futuristic work.
Pesch will report to company veteran Sanjay Purohit, who remains the global head of Infosys’s consulting business.
These firms have completed the purchase of the stake held by an affiliate of global private equity firm Warburg Pincus & certain other shareholders.
According to documents posted on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, Lenovo India's revenue jumped for the year ending March 31, 2015.
IBM India, which is headed by company veteran Vanitha Narayanan, also forecast that it would continue to post healthy growth in the near term.


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FCC Under Fire For Putting ALEC Rep On 'Consumer' Advisory Board
from the foxes-and-the-hen-house dept
In 2017, FCC head Ajit Pai came under fire for filling a new “Broadband Deployment Advisory Council” (BDAC) task force with oodles of industry representatives, but few if any consumer representatives or local town or city officials. Not too surprisingly the panel saw a significant amount of controversy, several protest resignations, and the arrest of a one-time panel chair for fraud, but the panel itself never actually accomplished much of anything to address the problem it was created for.
Fast forward to last week, and the FCC has once again found itself under fire for appointing a member of the The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to the agency’s “consumer advisory” panel:
“A committee that advises the Federal Communications Commission on consumer-related matters now includes a representative of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which lobbies against municipal broadband, net neutrality, and other consumer protection measures. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his Consumer Advisory Committee’s new makeup on Wednesday. One new member is Jonathon Hauenschild, director of ALEC’s Task Force on Communications and Technology. He and other Consumer Advisory Committee will serve two-year terms.
The most obvious problem is that ALEC is directly employed by the telecom sector to undermine and eliminate consumer protections.
ALEC played a starring role in helping the broadband industry pass blatantly-protectionist bills in more than 21 states that hamstrung or simply banned towns or cities from building their own networks, even in instances when private industry refuses to. It has also bandied about cease and desist warnings against critics who’ve pointed this out. Both ALEC and Hauenschild have lobbied against net neutrality protections that continue to have the overwhelming bipartisan support of the public. You’d be hard pressed to find a single actual consumer advocate who’d agree with ALEC’s positions on these issues.
While Hauenschild likely holds some personally divergent opinions from his employer, there’s very little in his background or time at ALEC that would qualify him as expert on consumer telecom issues. Certainly nothing that would somehow position him above a universe of objective experts or academics who’ve actually worked to protect consumer welfare. And while Pai appointing a like-minded ally to an FCC panel isn’t surprising, involving ALEC also raised a few eyebrows given that even AT&T and Verizon have recently backed away from the organization due to its recent hosting of a bigoted, far-right extremist:
“ALEC has long received financial support from the telecom industry. But Verizon left ALEC in September 2018 after it hosted a speech by right-wing activist David Horowitz, in which Horowitz argued against the legalization of abortion and gay marriage, compared the left wing’s support of “redistribution of income” to slavery, and said that “at the K-12 level, school curricula have been turned over to racist organizations like Black Lives Matter, and terrorist organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Verizon explained to The Intercept that it “has no tolerance for racist, white supremacist, or sexist comment[s] or ideals.” AT&T subsequently ended its membership in ALEC, also citing the Horowitz speech.”
While ALEC certainly has expertise in consumer protection, it comes in the form of trying to prevent it from happening. Again, Pai surrounding himself with like-minded allies isn’t surprising. But appointing an ALEC rep to a consumer issue advisory panel is kind of like inviting a hungry shark to your swimming safety seminar: there’s certainly experience there, just not of a variety you’re going to find useful. And certainly not helpful when it comes to fixing the universe of problems consumers face in a telecom sector dominated by wealthy and well-connected natural monopolies.

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The acquisition forms part of Selig Group’s strategy to augment growth and expand its business model
Selig Group, a flexible packaging company owned by CC Industries (CCI), has closed the acquisition of Performance Systematix (PSI), a container and packaging venting solutions supplier.
Established in 1984, PSI is engaged in providing container and packaging venting solutions for applications where packaged products experience off-gassing, pressure changes, temperature changes, or handling variability.
Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed.
CCI president and CEO Bill Crown said: “PSI is an exceptional company with a long history of growth, and has built its success on solving customers’ problems, a core value that Selig shares.
“We look forward to supporting both Selig and PSI’s continued growth globally and further expanding the combined company’s capabilities and solutions.”
The deal represents Selig’s third acquisition
The latest transaction represents Selig’s third acquisition and forms part of the company’s strategy to expand its business model through complementary solutions while augmenting growth.
Selig president and CEO Steve Cassidy said: “PSI’s culture of innovation, service and quality are well-aligned with Selig and will enable us to serve customers better as a combined organization with expanded capabilities and short, highly responsive product development cycles.”
Selig expects the combination to provide it with highly complementary adjacent capabilities to serve customers.
PSI president Glenn Dunn said: “Selig is an ideal partner to support PSI’s team in its next phase of growth. This is a highly strategic combination which expands both companies’ product lines, enabling us to provide a more comprehensive solutions offering for customers globally.
“We will continue to focus on the innovative, high-quality products and the exemplary service our customers rely upon.”
PSI will now operate as a subsidiary of Selig. It will serve its customers from its Grand Rapids facility in Michigan, US.
Selig Group supplies technically-differentiated closure lining solutions for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, healthcare, personal care, and industrial applications.
The firm also manufactures a range of technical and flexible packaging products for the pouch and other applications in Europe.


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Vegard Synnes moves to Kar-Tainer
Updated: Apr 28
Vegard Synnes has moved from his role as global key account manager at Changjiu International Logistics to
take up a new position as director of marketing in Asia for Kar-Tainer International, a global provider of
containerised vehicle transport systems.
Synnes said that Kar-Tainer had one of the top industry solutions for vehicle shipments and added that one of his first goals at the company was to ensure Kar-Tainer was the equipment of choice for any volume shipments of vehicles by rail between Europe and China.


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The novel coronavirus pandemic, due to its economic impact, has been the major cause of decline seen in the markets. The popular notion of value buying still holds, but it may be a while before that phase starts, Gaurav Garg, Head of Research, at CapitalVia Global Research Limited - Investment Advisor, said in an interview with Moneycontrol’s Kshitij Anand.
Edited excerpts of the interview:
Q. Another volatile week for Indian Markets with 8,055 as a base. What is causing panic in the markets – is institutional selling causing panic in the markets? What are the other factors contributing to this bloodbath on D-Street?
A. COVID-19 has been the major cause of the decline seen in the markets due to its economic impact. The current situation has made the market a bottomless pit and thus it is bleeding institutions by diminishing its holding value.
As a result, it has become imperative for institutions to loosen the baggage. The popular notion of value buying still holds, but it may be a while before that phase starts.
Due to the ongoing lockdown across the country, economic implications have been substantial, which is leading to an economic slowdown and affecting almost all sectors and without any concrete sign of recovery, selling pressure may exist.
Q. What are your views on the month of April? Will we be able to see some green on the screen? Earnings will be delayed what are other data points to look for?
A. The situation in April may continue to be the same without any development in COVID-19 cases as this will not reduce panic in the country.
Any affirmative approach by the government for aiding the economy may be perceived positively on the street. Auto sales figures may help to make informed decisions by investors.
Q. India’s M-Cap-to-GDP ratio has slipped below FY09-levels or below 2008 crisis do you think a bottom is near? It is at the lowest since 2006. It will be difficult to say that we are near the bottom but a good multibagger opportunity for the next five years if one invests now.
A. In the current crisis, the economic slowdown has taken a toll on Midcap stocks since they are not always cash-rich like bluechip companies, such prolonged shutdown and halted economic activity deeply affects the earnings of the mid-cap.
This situation, however, has a silver lining, it gives the opportunity to buy at lower levels for holding on a long term time frame. However, the current situation is not very promising as we can see a continuous rise in COVID cases and it is difficult to say if the bottom is here or not.
Once this pandemic issue resolves, economic activity can be seen gaining momentum basically due to increased consumption and therefore a judicious investment can be made for the next five years.
Q. What is your take on the auto sales numbers-do you think the pain is likely to continue in the sectors, and it is best to stay away?
A. The Supreme Court has ordered the automakers to clear their BS-IV inventory before April 1, but many of the automakers had failed to do so due to the nation-wide lockdown from March 24.
Although few automakers are saying that the sales figures for March 2020 should not be compared with March 2019 since the situations have been completely different.
The sales of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M), Tata Motors Ltd and Toyota Kirloskar India Pvt. Ltd has seen a decline of more than 40 percent on a YoY basis.
The automobile industry which largely depends on the domestic and international supply chain for spare parts has been disrupted due to the lockdown. With day by day increasing cases in India the sales of April might be much worse than March figures.
Q. This is one advice which is echoed on D-Street is that one should stay with cash-rich companies. Do you agree with the statement, if yes how will it help in dodging the COVID-19 bullet?
A. Before investing in a cash-rich company one has to go through the cash and cash equivalents which are one of the key metrics to identify the company’s financial soundness.
As an investor, one has to identify the reason behind the excess cash. A company may start investing in research and development or to acquire new business, etc.
But, during the economic slowdown, the cash-rich companies are most likely to wait for the right opportunity and invest selectively based on the assessment of a business, future growth, demand and supply of that industry.
Q. What is the trading strategy for the coming week?
A. With the continuation of the turmoil in Indian benchmarks indexes, one can opt for the “Buy Low Sell High” strategy. The strategy involves a high level of experience in the market as one has to look at the historic prices of stocks and current market conditions especially during the economic slowdown or unstable conditions.
Given the global scenarios on the COVID-19 pandemic, the market still looks downside. For Nifty, 7,800 and 7,500 will act as support levels and 8,700 and 9,000 will be the resistance levels.Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.


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Big Island approves genetically modified crop bill
1 of 1
Farmers already growing genetically modified crops, including papaya growers, are exempt from a new measure restricting the growing of GMO crops.
Photos: Garden Party: Meg Lin
Photos: Paddleboarding: Molokai-2-Oahu Race, July 27
Photos: Island Images: July 2014 (Part 2)
More Photo Galleries »


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Netflix has made a name for itself in the world of original content. Just this week Netflix won several Golden Globe awards for its originals.
However, many of Netflixs originals are not what many would call family friendly and that is something Brian Wright, VP of Family Content at Netflix and a former Nickelodeon exec, said Netflix wants to change.
We don’t care how people watch our shows at the end of the day, says Wright. Only that they watch them. Getting parents and kids to talk about it afterwards is the real trick. Theres a hole in the TV landscape said Brian Wright in an interview with Cnet. isn’t offering a lot for families in the scripted space.
The first move into more high-quality family-friendly programming is the release of A Series of Unfortunate Events that will premier January 13, 2017; however, it wont stop there, for example, later in 2017 Netflix will release Green Eggs and Ham a 13-episode animated comedy based on the Dr. Seuss book by the same name.
Netflix plans to have half of its catalog be original content in the future and it seems as though they plan to make a big part of that family-friendly content.
Need cord cutting tech support? Join our new Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.


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Bojangles’ adding seven restaurants in metro Atlanta
A chain of chicken restaurants is finding Georgia, and especially metro Atlanta, to be one of its best markets.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ’N Biscuits expects to add nine new restaurants, including seven in metro Atlanta, by the end of 2012. Locations include: Lithia Springs, Canton, Villa Rica, Cartersville, Jefferson, Cornelia, Toccoa, Tifton and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Most are franchises, but at least two of the new stores will be company-owned, Newman said.
The chain plans an additional seven stores in 2013.
Restaurants typically are 3,800 square feet and employ about 50 people, Newman said. Each location requires an investment of about $1.7 million.
Bojangles’ currently operates 42 restaurants in Georgia, including 29 locations in metro Atlanta. The company has a total of 519 restaurants in 11 states — 201 are company-owned and 318 are franchises.
Newman said he expects the privately-held company to break $1 billion in sales system-wide in about two years.
“I’ve never seen it run this consistently,” said Newman, who’s been with the company for 27 years.
Amy Wenk covers hospitality, retail and restaurants.
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Understanding the main triggers of this Bitcoin bull run
Bitcoin has hit new all-time highs quite a few times in the last week. At the time of writing, bitcoin has struck a high of $34,830. Clearly, bitcoin is in a bull run, especially with Coinbase striking, what could be, potential OTC deals pushing BTC out of exchanges.
With more BTC being bought up by hungry institutions or high-net-worth individuals, the scenario for bitcoin is getting more bullish by the second. While the retail FOMO plays a part in this rally, I think it’s time to take a step back and look at what’s happening in the market.
The Bigger Picture
Let’s start in August 2020, the day Michael Saylor announced that MicroStrategy was looking to buy bitcoin as an alternative investment. Two months later, Fidelity pushed out research titled “Bitcoin Investment Thesis: Bitcoin’s role as an alternative investment”.
In hindsight, these two events among others are what sparked the bull run that we see today.
Let’s look at what has happened since August.
- MicroStrategy invested ~half of $1 billion in cash reserves in Bitcoin without moving the price of BTC.
- Since this was the first major investment by a traditional finance company in bitcoin, it was paraded all over the news for bringing more credibility to bitcoin among retail.
- CashApp and many companies invest in bitcoin to prevent their cash reserves from debasing due to inflation by the Fed.
Even with billions of dollars moving into bitcoin, the price seemed to stay put as it hovered around the previous all-time high. After two failed attempts, the price went above the 2017-high at $19,666.
- Michael Saylor invested the other half of $1 billion in bitcoin despite what the critics had to say.
- Major Bitcoin outflows from major exchanges such as Coinbase Pro, Binance, etc.
- Drying up of the exchange reserves as a result of point 2 and retail pulling out their BTC from exchanges, signifying the strength of the rally.
- Unlike 2017, this bull run showed that retail is more matured. Hence, the bull run this time around isn’t as volatile as it was in 2017.
- More companies/institutions are actively looking to buy more BTC or are already buying it.
Point of inflection
Since 2017, things have been difficult, for both the front end of the bitcoin ecosystem which includes investors, exchanges, companies built around bitcoin, and the backend, which includes miners and related companies.
Let’s take a look at miners and what’s happening with them, especially since they are the major source of selling pressure in the entire bitcoin ecosystem.
After the March crash, the worst was behind for miners, and by the start of the 3rd quarter, things were already looking up for them. This is when bitcoin crossed $8,000 and eventually hit $10,000.
At this point miners were not profitable enough, hence, selling pressure was present. Considering the price now, miners will only have to sell a portion of their mined bitcoins to cover all expenses incurred due to mining.
This selling pressure has now reduced, which is the third reason why bitcoin is heading higher without stopping.
Together. these events in whatever order, have caused bitcoin to surge. As for what the future holds, bitcoin will keep surging, as more people keep depositing stablecoins to exchanges.
Perhaps, the best point for a local top would be at $40,200. From this point, we can expect bitcoin to start its retracement, but then again, the further one tries to predict the future, the more uncertain the conclusions are going to be.


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RGB, CMYK, ICC profiles, linearization, ink limits, deltas, calibration, G7, neutral printing, gray balance, etc. Whatever happened to the good old days, when you could load in ink and paper, hit the print button, and everyone was happy? I might be exaggerating a bit here, but I do remember a time when it seemed less confusing when it came to thinking about color.
Alien Skin Software has announced Exposure 6, the latest version of its photography-effects software designed to provide the creative tools of a traditional photographic darkroom to the world of digital – such as the look of discontinued films, printing techniques, and borders and textures.
Perception Wide Format Media, a brand of Worthen Industries, has introduced PhotoFab Eco, a 100%-recycled repositionable and removable wall graphic fabric, made from recycled water bottles.
PhotoFab Eco wall graphic fabric is designed for walls, displays, and cabinets, and glass, metal, and plastic surfaces. Its proprietary coating technology eliminates edge fray during cutting, according to Perception, and is available in 30-, 54-, and 60-in. widths.
Gandy Digital has launched its new, entry-level Sl8te Hybrid and Flatbed UV printer models. Both models feature Ricoh Gen 4, 6-pL printheads; 4 or 6 colors plus inline white and clear varnish; a new high-density UV ink; dual UV lamps; a Crash Sensor for printhead protection (as well as for printed substrates); edge-to-edge printing capabilities; and more. Top resolution is 1200 dpi on both models. SAi PhotoPrint RIP is standard.
Catalina Graphic Films has announced Enviro-Cling, a 7.5-mil recyclable and eco-friendly static cling vinyl in clear or white as part of its Hi-Stat Static Cling brand within the Mojave Digital Media family. Enviro-Cling is made using renewable resources and manufactured using a plant-based plasticizer, Catalina reports.
The media requires no adhesive, adheres to most smooth, polished surfaces, and is easily removable. It is compatible with eco-solvent, solvent, latex, UV-curable, and screen printing.
Inca Digital has announced the launch of its Inca Onset R40i UV flatbed. This latest addition to the Inca Onset series – positioned between the company’s Onset Q40i and Onset S40i – utilizes Fujifilm Dimatix Spectra printheads, delivers a 14-pL drop size, and is based on the company’s Onset Scalable Architecture platform.
EFI has announced that its annual EFI Connect event will be held concurrently with the AMSP/NAPL/NAQP Executive Leadership Summit (formerly the AMSP Winter Conference and NAPL Top Management Conference) in 2015. The joint 2015 conferences will be held at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
Icon Image Graphics is getting pretty comfortable wrapping instruments for high-profile musicians at high-profile televised events, from the Grammy Awards (see our May 2013 issue) to “American Idol.”
“Wallpaper is headed in a number of new directions, but remains rooted in the past with many of today’s trends being cyclical returns to yesteryear’s big hits,” says Jon Sherman with Flavor Paper.
The market for 3D printing, consisting of all products and services worldwide, grew to $3.07 billion last year, according to a new report from Wohlers Associates Inc.
The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.9 percent is the highest in 17 years, according to the report; the growth of worldwide revenues over the past 26 years has averaged 27 percent, and the CAGR for the past three years (2011–2013) was 32.3 percent.


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In the best circumstances, there are some social benefits from the technology industry's hypercompetitive nature. When companies try to find new markets, for example, they sometimes create products aimed specifically at consumers with physical disabilities-- occasionally with someas well.
Nowhere is that truer than in the overcrowded mobile phone business, as we saw last week with a Nokia device that can turn a hearing aid into a SENS handset would "talk" when buttons are pressed, identifying their functions. The idea is hardly new, as it's been used for years on land-line phones, but Yoshida has tried to incorporate the function in a stylishly designed handset.. And now a London-based designer has developed a new concept phone for the visually impaired: Takumi Yoshida's
Privacy issues may arise when using the phone in public, as Newlaunches notes, though there's always the option of using a headset. Besides, it's far less cumbersome than using something like a .


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Columbia, Maryland-based digital agency Dreamscape Marketing has achieved 2022 Premier Partner status in the Google Partners program.
COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Dreamscape Marketing’s team of marketing experts provide performance websites and holistic SEO-first digital marketing campaigns for healthcare organizations across the United States. Explore the full range of offerings on their website.
Google recognizes Maryland-based agency Dreamscape Marketing as a 2022 top-performing digital marketing Premier Partner.
This month, Google recognized the achievements of top-performing digital marketing partners across the globe by awarding Premier Partner status as


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Earlier this week the Fed issued minutes from the most recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, and the release caused a bit of a kerfuffle in equity markets. By “kerfuffle” of course we mean something that actually triggers a pullback of more than one percent (barely) in the S&P 500 without triggering a Pavlovian buy-the-dip reflex. The consternation, mild though it was, came from the revelation that a majority of Fed officials are of the view that tapering of the $120 billion per month bond-buying program could begin before the end of this year. Previously, the consensus expectation was that the Fed would not start trimming its quantitative easing (QE) operations until sometime next year.
The FOMC minutes were only one part of a generally negative attitude towards risk assets this week. Other factors including a deteriorating Covid environment, China’s continuing crackdown on the tech sector and the Taliban’s swift and complete takeover of Afghanistan took some value off of a variety of assets from small cap stocks to industrial and energy commodities to, unsurprisingly, Chinese and Hong Kong indexes. Some observers pointed out that there is still disagreement among the FOMC’s voting members, with some of the more dovish participants holding to the view that there is still enough economic uncertainty to warrant waiting a bit longer. That raises the question, though, about whether the monthly purchase of bonds is really a remedy suited to the particular economic conditions of the moment. There is a case to make that it is not.
QE’s Origin Story
Quantitative easing first entered the financial lexicon in the aftermath of the financial crisis and recession of 2008-09. The medicine was entirely appropriate for the circumstances of that time. The recession was deep and left households and businesses scarred for many months thereafter. The unemployment rate was still close to 10 percent in July 2010, a full year after the recession technically ended. Consumer demand plunged during this period. Flagging demand –by households and businesses alike – was precisely the problem QE set out to solve. In tandem with the Fed’s other, more traditional policy mechanism of lowering interest rates, the massive scale of bond purchases by the central bank pumped liquidity into the financial system, creating easier conditions for the generation of credit and thus spending power.
Demand Isn’t Today’s Problem
A similar demand-side meltdown looked likely in the immediate wake of the economic shutdown in March 2020 as the pandemic spread across the country. Arguably the Fed’s rapid response to the pandemic crisis, even more aggressive in many ways than after 2008, helped us avoid that outcome. Trillions of fiscal relief dollars and several quarters of economic growth later, though, weak demand is not the problem. Consumer confidence is higher than at any time since 2018 and far above its peak during the 2003-07 growth cycle. Personal consumption expenditures drove the robust Q2 GDP performance.
Today’s big problem is on the other side of the economic equation: supply. Supply chain disruptions have resulted in chronic shortages of a wide variety of goods from semiconductor chips to raw materials. Distribution bottlenecks have produced some of the highest freight and transportation costs in memory. Meanwhile services companies are suffering from a shortage in the supply of labor to fully meet the demand for their services. The Fed’s bond-buying program doesn’t solve any of these problems. If anything, the easy money makes the problems worse by increasing the amount of money thrown at a decreased supply of goods – i.e. the textbook recipe for inflation. In light of this it’s not surprising that a majority of Fed members are ready to get on with it and start tapering QE.
But the Markets!
The fact that there is still disagreement at the Fed for a tapering start date speaks to the problem of communication optics more than it does to economic analysis. Asset markets are tightly wired to everything the Fed says and does (hence the ruffling of feathers this week when the minutes came out). Bond markets went into a full-scale meltdown when former Fed chair Ben Bernanke first uttered the word “taper” in May of 2013. The Powell Fed would like to avoid another such tantrum, and thus has to frame its intentions carefully and with enough sugar-coating to make them digestible to excitable markets.
Next week all eyes will be turned to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where global central bankers will get together for their annual confab. Expectations are fairly low for any kind of a definitive policy announcement from Powell at Jackson Hole. But he may gently set the stage for the next FOMC meeting in September. If the majority voice gets its way for commencement of tapering within 2021 then that would be the right forum for making the case. It will be a delicate and much-nuanced dance. Given what we know now, we think it would also be the right thing to do.


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Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which was announced in 2019 and was to come into effect this month, has been postponed due to concerns that companies have not been able to finalize changes to their data policies because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the Act, all companies in Thailand that handle personal data would be required to adhere to the provisions of the PDPA. This means that employers, businesses, and individuals that collect and process personal data would have to review and ensure that their data policies, particularly those pertaining to the rights of data subjects and the obligations of data controllers, are in line with the Act’s provisions once it comes into effect. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) will draft a decree declaring the Act’s postponement within this month.
According to Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the postponement will give the Thai government more time to nominate the Personal Data Protection Committee and roll out supporting legislation.
“Hasty enforcement is not useful for anyone,” he added.
Nonetheless, the question of consumer protection rights, the obligations of data controllers, and privacy remains a contentious issue amid the Act’s postponement, with the Ministry seeking ways to balance these concerns while giving companies in Thailand much needed time to become fully compliant. The Ministry’s approach to this will be made clear once the Act has been drafted.
While this is an unexpected stay in the Act, we strongly believe that businesses should take this extra time to review their data policies and ensure that they meet all requirements under the Act in order to offset possible penalties when it eventually comes into effect. Silk Legal can provide assistance by reviewing your existing policies, performing necessary audits, and giving advice on best practices that companies should enact in order to be compliant.
Silk Legal will continue to monitor developments in this area and will provide updates when available.
For any inquiries, please contact us at [email protected].


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Legendary Pokemon series developer Game Freak streamed its “Pokemon Presents” presentation for August yesterday, where we saw a lot of news related to their popular franchise. Most importantly, we got a closer look at a pair of new games that represent the continuation of the long-running Pokemon mainline series – Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet. What was revealed in the new gameplay trailer? Keep reading to find out.
Everything Revealed in the August Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trailer
The new trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet first of all confirmed what was announced earlier, that the new sequel will indeed be set in an open world. These new games will be the first ones in the main series that will change the usual gameplay in many ways. Pokemon battles seem to remain old school, but many of the novelties introduced in the recent Pokemon Legends: Arceus have found their way into these sequels. Scarlet and Violet bring their own Legendary Pokemon, Koraidon and Miraidon, which players will be able to ride like a motorcycle across the new Paldea region. We saw in the trailer that they can also convert into a glider that will allow players to fly above the map, enabling faster traversal in the obviously huge new world.
Also, Scarlet and Violet will bring support for Co-op Adventuring through any of the three main stories in the game. In the trailer, we saw how the players drive and race together in the Paldea region, and participate in new treasure hunts together, which will undoubtedly bring much more fun than going through the campaign solo.
There is also a Harry Potter-like moment with the Academy where the players are enrolled to study, the name of which we do not know yet. But we saw what its campus buildings and classrooms look like, as well as the professor giving a speech to the students and announcing the start of a treasure hunt.
At the end of the short but very packed trailer, we also saw the new Paldean mechanic – Terastal – which makes Pokemon look like shiny crystals, possibly giving them new stronger powers. And of course, new Pokemon species were showcased that will be added to the series for the first time, expanding the already huge Pokedex.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trailer from August Pokemon Presents
Check out the new trailer below to see Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet in action and all the new features they will bring to the main series.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will be released worldwide only on Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. Pre-orders are available now.
For more Pokemon games here on Prima, check out When is Tyranitar Coming to Pokemon UNITE? – Answered, Best Moveset for Palkia in Pokemon Go (2022) and How To Tell if a Pokemon Is Shiny in Sword and Shield.


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The head of a bitcoin exchange Coinbase Brian Armstrong (Brian Armstrong) believes that in the next 5 years in cryptocurrency system is expected to have 1 billion people, despite the fact that now in this area about 40 million users. However, Armstrong predicts growth in the number of new cryptocurrencies and companies launching their own tokens.
“Every open source project, including charities, all organizations have a decentralized type and applications will have their tokens” – said Armstrong.
“Big open question” for the realization of this vision Armstrong considers the approach to the regulation of kryptonyte, and many tokens it sees in securities and is willing to consider their support on the platform Coinbase. And over time, in his opinion, there will be hundreds of millions of tokens – and in the whole cryptocurrency system will grow traditional financial.
“While web 1.0 was concerned with the publication of information, web 2.0 – interaction, web 3.0 will address the issues of transfer values in the Internet, because the Network already has the native currency and entering into the global economy can be quickly created appropriate application”, he added.
Earlier, Armstrong opened a charitable organization GiveCrypto.org that will collect donations in cryptocurrencies to help people without access to banking services.


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Indian airline operators and airports have been the first and the most adversely affected sector. Restrictions on the movement of the people have resulted in sharp drop of their cash flows. Players are heavily levered and consequently their debt servicing ability is expected to be severely affected.
Auto ancilliaries & original equipment manufacturers
Auto ancilliaries could face significant disruptions related to supply of key parts from China, Germany and south east Asian countries. Though China has resumed production, the lockdown
in India has resulted in production cuts by major original equipment manufacturers and a sub par demand for new vehicles.
A fall in the global economic prospects woud impede both domestic and world demand. Consequently, steel prices are likely to remain under pressure. Although, global iron ore and coking coal prices are expected to be softer owing to the muted demand from China. Additionally, several firms have recently expanded their balance sheets which has increased their leverage levels. As a result, their credit buffers could experience some pressures over the near to medium term.
Hospitality has direct and immediate impact from the restrictions on the movement of people. Also, all modes of public transport are grounded. The impact will be more severe on the four-star and above categories since their occupants are business and foreign tourists and there is negligible demand from both. Hence, the occupancy rate could be 20-25 per cent for this category of hotels, while two-star and mid-scale hotels could witness occupancy rates of 30-40 per cent till May 2020.


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- Express Tech Sabha: Meet the winners of Editor's Award for Excellence in e-GovernanceIntex launches affordable Aqua 3G smartphone, priced at Rs 3,555Apple Inc makes iMac more affordable, unveils 21.5-inch entry level version at Rs 79,900Watch: Sunil Lalvani talks about mobile governance at Express Tech Sabha
WEARABLE technology is having an identity crisis. Take the LG Lifeband Touch and the Samsung Gear Fit. These new devices, both released this spring, combine smartwatch features like providing the time, fitness tracking and notifications of incoming calls and texts with bigger and more interactive displays. They are gadgets that do a bit of everything but excel at nothing. And they face exceptional consumer skepticism.
The NPD Group, the research firm, reports that one in three consumers has heard of wearable fitness devices. Of the people who know about wearable devices, just 28% intend to buy one. More have heard of smartwatches, said NPD, but a smaller percentage—23%—intend to buy one. Although larger numbers have heard of the Google Glass eyewear device, fewer want to wear one.
And research from Endeavour Partners, a strategy and consulting firm, finds that a third of buyers are abandoning their wearable fitness devices after just six months of use, and more than half of those who own an activity tracker no longer use it.
Are LG and Samsung swimming upstream with their new offerings? It’s hard to argue otherwise. At first blush, the LG Lifeband Touch appears to be the better band of the two. First, it costs $150, while the Gear Fit is $200. Second, the Gear Fit works with only a handful of Samsung devices, like the Galaxy and Note phones and a few Samsung tablets.
Both bands work in conjunction with free phone apps. The LG Fitness app is available for iOS and Android, but the flexibility is misleading. The app functions on an iPhone and looks lovely, but you can’t receive email or text notifications on the band if you’re using iOS. You can receive an incoming-call notification, but there is no caller ID and no way to answer or reject the call from the band.
As a point of comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear allows you to receive email, text and call notifications, as well as social notifications from apps like Twitter and Facebook. You can also answer and reject calls from the band or respond with a canned message.
The LG Fitness app works with some Android phones, but not new devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5. And even on Android, you can receive only text and call notifications, not social updates or even email. On a positive note, you can connect the LG Fitness app with third-party apps like RunKeeper, MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal, which


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A $2.7 million lawsuit was filed by New Seasons Market against an Oregon beef producer this week, accusing the company of negligence. According to court documents, the company delivered beef tainted with E. coli in 2019.
A wide recall was announced that year, as several people became ill due to the bacteria.
The suit was filed on October 20, 2021 in Multnomah County Circuit Court. It names Country Natural Beef (Redmond, OR) and seeks $2.712,275.48 for the purpose of recovering the costs of customer refunds and other expenses.
In November 2019, Oregon Health Authority officials and the Oregon Department of Agriculture told New Seasons that they had linked three cases of E. coli to ground beef sold in Portland-area outlets of the grocery chain.
New Seasons took samples from meat cases at its Portland-area stores and sent them to a state-run lab for analysis. Two samples came back positive for E. coli and both were determined to have come from Country Natural Beef, alleges the lawsuit.
The grocery store pulled the beef off its shelves in all its stores and started taking steps to recall ground beef products it had already sold, according to the lawsuit. The suit says the suspension of ground beef sales lasted three months.


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Just when we thought we were taking a break from all the leaks, OnePlus decided to drop a big bombshell regarding its flagship smartphone for 2023. The company announced at its official Weibo account that it will hold an event dedicated to the OnePlus 11 already next week.
Earlier today, OnePlus shared a promotional video showing off the OnePlus 11 in all its glory, before setting a date for the official launch of its upcoming handset: January 4, 2023. This is generally in line with what we expected, but it comes slightly earlier than expected.
It should be noted that Chinese manufacturers such as OnePlus normally launch their smartphones domestically first. Only then do they proceed to an international release. Usually the gap between the two is not that great.
For reference, we previously knew that the OnePlus 11 would launch internationally in early February – on February 7, 2023 to be exact. The company has already scheduled an event in India to mark the global debut of the OnePlus 11. It is now clear that Chinese consumers will get their hands on the high-end smartphone a full month before the rest of the world.
This may not seem like a big deal at first. That is, until you factor in the fact that the OnePlus 11 will be one of the first major flagships to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. In this case, time is of the essence and OnePlus could try to beat it Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series to the max.
Yet both the The Galaxy S23 and the OnePlus 11 will hit shelves worldwide around the same time (i.e. early February). OnePlus will also be launching a pair of premium wireless earbuds, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, alongside its new flagship.


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AUGUSTA – Senate Republicans issued a consumer advisory on Thursday after a staff investigation of electricity rates for retail consumers who filed complaints found that some rose by more than 200 percent. The investigation determined that the rate hikes involved the supply side of ratepayers’ electric bills and largely involved competitive electricity providers (CEPs), not Central Maine Power or Versant Power.
While most commercial and residential ratepayers fall under the Standard Offer rate, which is determined by a bidding process through the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), CEPs are licensed by the Maine PUC and offer electricity supply from brokers and wholesalers at their own “retail market” rates. The concept behind CEPs is to drive competition and lower rates by offering alternatives to the bulk purchase rates set by the Maine PUC.
The marketing tactics of CEPs are often similar – door-to-door salespeople show up on your porch and offer you a great rate if you switch. In other cases, you may respond to a direct mail or telemarketing offer promising to cut your bill in half. Either way, CEPs usually offer an initial or “introductory” rate that many consumers have grown accustomed to for other types of services such as cellular phone service, cable and satellite providers or even your favorite streaming service.
However, ratepayers often see a marked increase to current retail or market rates once those introductory offers expire, which is what led to the current situation for many ratepayers in Maine who are not using the Standard Offer.
“We had one constituent whose bill went up 200 percent. In terms of dollars, we had another on a fixed income see her electric bill go from $275 a month to over $750 – that is just unacceptable,” said Sen. Russell Black, R-Franklin. “When electric bills are rising higher than what you even receive in Social Security, it should serve as a wakeup call for all of us that something is seriously wrong.”
According to Maine Public Advocate William Harwood, the recent spikes experienced by ratepayers who purchase their supply from CEPs has led to a cascade of complaints to his office. This usually happens after the introductory offer has expired and rates move to the retail rate driven by national or regional electricity markets.
“It appears that customers, once their contracts have ended, are being put onto a ‘variable’ rate, which will change each month driven by the electricity market in New England,” he said. “This has caused increases in electric bills for many Mainers this month, sometimes extreme and surprising – something we never want ratepayers to have to face.”
Harwood said that while the idea behind the CEPs was to promote competition and reduce rates in a post-deregulation environment, the reality has been much different since the Maine PUC has the power of bulk purchasing behind it for most of Maine. Additionally, Harwood said the Standard Offer is a 12-month fixed rate in contrast to the monthly fluctuations found with most CEPs.
“In the short term, we recommend consumers call their electric company and request to be put back on the Standard Offer as soon as possible. While that rate did go up in January, it remains one of the cheapest options and will remain steady until next year,” Harwood said. “Then, if a consumer wants to look for cheaper rates for coming months, they can visit our website or give the Office of Public Advocate a call and find out if there’s a CEP out there that offers a better rate.”
If a consumer does find a good rate and decides to leave the Standard Offer, Harwood advises to be wary of the contract terms with the supplier, including the actual rate and how long that rate will last, and whether the rate will stay the same throughout the term of the contract. Still, what has been happening at the end of the contract is what has lawmakers concerned. “If this isn’t the poster child for buyer beware, I don’t know what is. I hope we can find a solution soon – our seniors and others who are on a fixed income simply can’t absorb these huge price increases,” Black said. “At the very least, we can warn people right now to be careful what you sign up for; and if this happens to you, get help.”


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Danah Al Safat Foodstuff announced receiving two offers to acquire its stakes in Light Food Company and Egyptian Dairy and Foodstuffs (Edafco).
The Kuwaiti company has received a purchase offer from Alteco Company to buy its entire stake in Light Food Company, representing 50% of the company, for KWD 450,000 ($1.5 million), according to a statement to Boursa Kuwait on Thursday.
Additionally, Danah has also received an offer from Lebanon’s F&B Company to acquire its 100% stake in Edafco for KWD 500,000 ($1.7 million).
The Kuwaiti firm’s board of directors will meet later on Thursday to discuss the two offers.
During the first quarter of 2019, Danah’s net losses fell by 21.2% to KWD 197,600, compared to KWD 250,780 in the year-ago period.


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Free 3DPrint.com Webinar Available for Those Interested in Learning More About HP’s MJF 3D Printing Technology
From the moment HP Inc. first announced its breakthrough Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing technology in 2014 until it was finally introduced last spring, the industry has been extremely enthusiastic about it. The company has been working hard to expand the presence of its MJF technology all around the world, adding new distributors, new customers, resellers and service bureaus, and multiple big-name partners, like Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Jabil, Nike, and Siemens. This year alone, the company introduced an open materials platform and a Materials Development Kit for MJF, as well as created a new executive-level role in its 3D Printing business. 2018 plans to introduce full-color and metal capabilities are already in the works.
It’s been said that HP’s disruptive Multi Jet Fusion technology is ushering in a new era of manufacturing – the company’s cost-effective Jet Fusion 3D 3200/4200 printers are capable of delivering high build quality at up to ten times the speed of existing 3D printers, and HP has also developed the capability of controlling properties for individual voxels. The technology has been grabbing the attention of companies and organizations all over the globe, and is, as HP itself puts it, “rocking the 3D print industry.”
Clearly, this is groundbreaking technology we’re talking about, which is why it’s important to learn as much as we can about it. If you’re interested in learning more about the fundamentals of HP’s voxel-level Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology, we have good news for you. 3DPrint.com is partnering up with HP to offer a free webinar later this week, called “3D Printing Fundamentals for HP’s Multi Jet Fusion Materials.”
On Tuesday, October 24th, from 1 PM to 2 PM ET, join 3DPrint.com for a live webcast, sponsored by HP, led by one of the scientists behind the company’s MJF technology. Dr. Stephen Rudisill is an R&D scientist for HP’s 3D materials and advanced application group, and he specializes in fluid/build material interactions, agent development, and improving both the performance and the reliability of all current and future Multi Jet Fusion solutions.
During Wednesday’s live webinar, Dr. Rudisill will be offering attendees a deeper explanation and understanding of how Multi Jet Fusion works, as well as how any future materials developed through the company’s open materials platform partners will meet the demands of manufacturing. In addition, he will also introduce attendees to HP’s voxel engineering capabilities from both a design and a production standpoint.
If you’re interested in attending the free webcast and learning more about HP’s innovative Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology from an expert, you can register for it here. No matter if you’re a curious beginner or a manufacturing whiz, this webinar will help keep you informed on one of the biggest advancements to date in the 3D printing industry.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com, or share your thoughts below.
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Twitter accuses Meta of willful misappropriation of trade secrets
In a letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, alleges that Meta has engaged in the systematic and unlawful theft of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property. The company intends to take legal action and demands that Meta immediately cease using any confidential information.
Threads app goes live, but European release delayed
The Threads app, which debuted on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries, launched without ads and garnered attention. However, the release of the app in Europe has been postponed due to concerns over data privacy. This delay indicates that Meta is facing challenges beyond the intellectual property dispute.
Meta denies allegations, refutes Twitter’s claims
In response to Twitter’s accusations, a Meta spokesperson, Andy Stone, denies employing former Twitter employees on the Threads engineering team, stating that the claim is baseless. However, Twitter remains resolute in enforcing its intellectual property rights and highlights the importance of fair competition.


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A group of battery researchers at Dalhousie University, have developed a lithium-ion battery that should be able to power an electric vehicle for over 1 million miles while losing less than 10 percent of its energy capacity during its lifetime.
Led by physicist Jeff Dahn, one of the world’s foremost lithium-ion researchers, the Dalhousie group showed that its battery significantly outperforms any similar lithium-ion battery previously reported. They noted their battery could be especially useful for self-driving robotaxis and long-haul electric trucks. What’s interesting, though, is that the authors don’t herald the results as a breakthrough. Rather, they present it as a benchmark for other battery researchers. And they don’t skimp on the specifics.
The lithium-ion batteries described in the paper use lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, or NMC, for the battery’s positive electrode (cathode) and artificial graphite for its negative electrode (anode). The electrolyte, which ferries lithium ions between the electrode terminals, consists of a lithium salt blended with other compounds.
Name of Author: Daniel Oberhaus


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The advent of bar codes 30-odd years ago indelibly changed supply chains. Today, technology advances are not so radical, but the data they can offer a company can radically change how that company understands its business.
Matthews’ Identification Systems group (IDS) manager Mark Dingley, describes changes now in marking and coding as an “evolution”, rather than a “revolution”.
“Changes now increasingly facilitate integration and ease of use of equipment, ensuring different points of information application are co-ordinated. For instance, inputting information at a central point, ensures a seamless, accurate information matrix, and eliminates the possibility of human error on the production line.
“Many other benefits also flow from all devices being linked back to a central PC via Ethernet cable or wireless — and such devices can include primary coding equipment, primary scan or database lookups, generic carton coding gear, SSCC label printers and so on. Code formats can be downloaded to all devices, with all equipment set up with one action, from the same database.
“EPC – or RFID – is another area where we are seeing incremental change. The development of smart labels, for instance, and improvements within that technology, have seen their applications expand.
“For example, at Auspack 2001, Matthews demonstrated an RFID Label Print and Apply machine on our stand – Australia’s first RFID-ready printer. At the time, RFID ‘smart labels’ cost $5US each, and there was precious little interest in this technology for FMCG applications. A year later at Interpack 2002 in Germany, scouring 15 exhibition halls revealed one solitary stand displaying a smart label – the only item related to RFID – and it was locked behind glass!
“Step forward to 2004, and at Pack Expo in Chicago, an entire exhibition hall was dedicated to RFID; while at the most recent Interpack, hundreds of companies exhibited their RFID solutions.
Dingley goes on to explain that “The length of time this technology has been in the market naturally has its associated downward impact on cost. They no longer cost $5US each, which also aids in technology uptake. Due to strong demand, we recently ran a series of live demonstrations of our EPC/RFID solutions, including our fully integrated IDSnet ‘RFID-ready’ software solution.
“Pleasingly, because this is what we have always pushed, businesses are increasingly looking to these systems for the business intelligence they offer, not just for compliance. Evolution in middleware, which Matthews constantly researches, helps here too.”
Knowledge gains also expand application breadth.
“Knowing that businesses need to fully integrate their production line to their ERP systems, allows them to extract the key value from EPC.”
But don’t think bar codes are dying – far from it.
“New application areas for bar coding are most certainly still evolving,” Mark says. “Until relatively recently, most supply chain applications of bar codes had been confined to the long-life and dry goods area. Now there’s a focus on chilled and dairy products to adopt bar code identification standards for logistics and traded unit items, which have now been in place for many years within the long life food and consumer goods sector.”
Other bar code evolutions include 2D bar coding, which allows more information to be encoded on a much smaller physical area. A good application here is with small container items, where there’s the possibility to provide increased detailed data – say of ingredients in the case of pharmaceutical products.
“Matthews also works closely with GS1 to add more value in delivering innovative supply-chain solutions to members, industry and government organisations,” continues Mark. “In recent years, we have been delivering innovative implementations of the EAN.UCC system protocols – such as interfacing with major ERP systems to gather critical real-time data to use on SSCC pallet-labelling stations. GS1 has told us it sees what we are doing here as a practical application of higher-level logistics solutions.
“Our alliance with both GS1 and the Automatic Data Capture Association support our industry awareness of bar coding and what is required to deliver innovative solutions, so we’re at the leading edge of bar coding.
“We’ve also found that our research into middleware drives our work. The future of coding will be in that: the software, the automation, the engineering, the overall installation – all this enables turnkey capability. And that, allows coding to be the gateway to global commerce, through data synchronisation and information flow.”
For more information contact:
Matthews Intelligent Identification
1800 333 074


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Consumer Edge initiated coverage on shares of Spotify (NASDAQ:SPOT) in a report released on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued an equal weight rating on the stock.
A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Raymond James upped their target price on Spotify from $172.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. UBS Group lowered Spotify from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their target price for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Pivotal Research reiterated a hold rating and issued a $150.00 target price (down previously from $155.00) on shares of Spotify in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. SunTrust Banks upped their target price on Spotify to $172.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Buckingham Research dropped their target price on Spotify from $174.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $169.09.
SPOT opened at $138.02 on Tuesday. Spotify has a 52-week low of $103.29 and a 52-week high of $196.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $150.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.12.
Spotify (NASDAQ:SPOT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported ($0.47) EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.51) by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. Spotify’s quarterly revenue was up 31.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($2.20) EPS.
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SPOT. Pier Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Spotify during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $493,000. Gruss & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Spotify by 52.8% during the 1st quarter. Gruss & Co. Inc. now owns 6,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $843,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares in the last quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Spotify by 15.2% during the 1st quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 455,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,290,000 after buying an additional 60,137 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Spotify by 47.8% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 676,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,831,000 after buying an additional 218,639 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its position in shares of Spotify by 148.9% during the 2nd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter.
Spotify Technology SA is an innovative digital music service offering music fans instant access to a world of music. The company enables on-demand streaming of audio content and aim to combat music piracy by offering a user experience, while monetizing licensed content with both an ad-supported, free-to-the-user model and a premium, paid model.
Further Reading: What is a Market Correction?
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We have been hearing rumors about the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 for a while and now it looks like we have some more details on the handset.
Samsung recently launched their second folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip which had a folding glass display, although it was revealed that the display was coated in plastic and not as durable as glass.
The original Galaxy Fold has a folding plastic display and it is not as durable as glass, Samsung are apparently looking to make a number of changes to the display on the Galaxy Fold 2.
According to a recent report by Korean publication TheElec, the new Galaxy Fold 2 will use a display which combines transparent polyimide (PI) with Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG).
This would be a combination of the display materials that Samsung has used in the original Galaxy Fold and also the Galaxy Z Flip. Samsung’s plan of combining these two materials could create a display that is foldable but also more durable than the ones they are using on their current folding handsets.
The company is also rumored to be using an under display camera for the new Galaxy Fold, the device will get a number of other upgrades over the current model.
Image Credit: Ben Geskin
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European paraxylene producers are eying the US market as an outlet to offload ample supplies amid weak demand from purified terephthalic acid and polyethylene terephthalate producers, as per Platts
One trader said market participants in the fiber chain "have adequate amounts" of acetic acid and paraxylene -- the key feedstocks for PTA, as the Asian market correction continues. The US market is now the highest-pricing region at US$1435/mt FOB USGC. European sources said that, given the declines seen in Asia this week, Europe should be pricing close to the US$1350/mt FOB ARA level, making the US an attractive destination for European material. The European market was assessed at US$1368/mt FOB ARA Thursday, down US$25/mt from Wednesday and US$32/mt down compared with last week. The bearish sentiment was backed up further down the chain and there was no expectation that sentiment would improve for June, a key seasonal demand period for PET. Sources also said the market has been weighed by additional PX supplies arriving from Russia, which made re-supply into the US attractive for sellers.


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DHAKA, March 15 (BSS) -Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad has sought pragmatic initiatives from the government of Senegal to import the world standard Bangladeshi products considering their competitive prices.
He urged the Senegal government to extend its cooperation to Bangladesh especially in the industrial and agriculture sectors as Bangladeshi readymade garments , pharmaceuticals, jute and jute products, cosmetics, ceramic and melamine can meet Senegal's demand, said an official release.
Dhaka-Dakar as Muslim nations can work together to share the
two country's culture, he said when Delhi based Senegal's Ambassador to Bangladesh Amadou Moustapha Diouf called on him at his office here today.
The minister recalled that Senegal was the first country among the African nations to recognise Bangladesh soon after its independence. He expressed his gratitude to the people and the government of Senegal for their supports during the country's War of Liberation.
They discussed the existing excellent bilateral relations between the two countries based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, trust and cooperation.
Azad expressed interest to sign a cultural exchange agreement with Senegal.
Besides, the minister showed interest to export Bangladeshi anpower to Senegal for its different industries.
Information Secretary Hedayetullah was present during the call on.


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“Evil Dead Rise” Director Shares Bloody First Official Image
Lee Cronin, director of the criminally underrated A24 release The Hole in the Ground, is finally set to unleash Evil Dead Rise upon the world on April 21, 2023. Originally scheduled for a digital release via HBO Max, Evil Dead Rise is now getting the theatrical release the storied, bloody franchise deserves.
We already know lots, and Cronin has even shared some groovy behind-the-scenes insights on his Twitter. In honor of Halloween, Cronin again took to Twitter, this time sharing the first official image from Evil Dead Rise.
While the image doesn’t reveal a lot, it does have a bloody terrifying deadite staring into what looks to be a peephole drenched in blood. There’s some Opera action going on here, and it looks incredible. While a trailer has yet to be released, we do know Rise will tell an entirely new story within the larger Evil Dead universe.
This time, audiences will follow a single mother and her experience with the infamous Necronomicon. With a reported 6,500 liters of blood used on set (several of which are seen in the above image), Rise will no doubt reinvigorate one of horror’s best series.
The franchise was last seen on the big screen way back in 2013 with the release of Fede Álvarez’s remake. His Evil Dead was a gory delight, abounding in practical gore effects and heaps of committed performances. Rise will be arriving nearly a decade later, and it truly couldn’t come soon enough.
What do you think of the image? Are you excited for more Evil Dead? Let us know on Twitter via @dreadcentral so we can speculate until our eyes roll over.Test


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In the last 13 years, PayPal has expanded far beyond its initial growth spurt on auction Websites. According to its second-quarter results, the online payment service busted through the $1 billion-earnings mark and is processing more than $315 millio...
Facebook announced Tuesday that it will be introducing a handful of privacy changes to their 750 million users. AllthingsD reports that the new privacy features will go into effect on August 25, initially to only one percent of all Facebook users.
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iPad 2022 – the 10th generation iPad – could drop in just a few weeks if Apple sticks to its usual timetable, and, as with every anticipated Apple product launch, there are rumors swirling about what’s in store. Huh. When it comes to the iPad, updates often offer a performance boost and enhance the screen, but we generally expect different devices in the range to look different with perhaps a new color.
But there are some surprises in the latest leaked iPad 2022 CAD renders (allegedly – as always, we have to take these things with a pinch of salt). The screen, for one, is big. It also appears to have quad speakers and an LED flash. But we’ve noticed something even more curious about the images. To compare them to current models, see our iPad 10.2-inch (9th generation) review And our iPad vs iPad Mini (2021) comparison.
This is reportedly the 10th generation iPad (Image credit: Mysmartprice)
The CAD renders were shared on mysmartprice (opens in new tab) which it claims to have been received from the case maker. If real, they will be seen showing the size of the upcoming 10th generation iPad tablet (see above). Apparently, the iPad 2022 will be wider but thinner than the current device, measuring 248.62 x 179.50 x 6.98 mm. It will get large bezels, smooth flat edges and quad-speaker setup on all sides.
The rear looks much the same as it does now but with an LED flash and a camera island. But let’s turn to the ports. At first, it seems that something is missing. There is no sign of a 3.5mm headphone jack in the renders. Now, this may not be surprising considering that Apple has already removed such ports from its other iPads and iPhones, but let’s remember that this is the entry-level iPad – this model is a great choice for kids, schools and more. Most likely to be commonly used. By those who don’t want to fork out for wireless earphones. The obvious addition of quad-speaker support should result in a significant increase in audio quality, but parents can’t find this much of a solution.
According to leaked renders they hold the secret of the iPad 10 charging port (Image credit: mysmartprice)
Our big question, however, is which iPad will be the changing port in 2022. In the CAD renders, the charging port is covered with a red notch, which adds to the mystery. We’ve already declared the Apple Lightning charger dead due to upcoming European requirements to charge all devices via USB-C from 2024, so we’re wondering if Apple will stop replacing the charging port on the standard iPad. First now decided to change it. ,
The current 9th generation 10.2-inch was released last September (Image credit: Apple)
We’ll just have to wait and see if these iPad leaks are the real deal. Apple is widely expected to announce its next product launch in September if it sticks to its usual calendar of launch events. But if you can’t wait that long to get your mitts on the latest iPad, make sure you check out our roundup of the best deals on iPads right now.


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12 May 2015
EUROPEAN COMMISSION DAILY NEWS – 12 MAYBrussels Daily
EU and Turkey announce modernisation of Custom Union
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström met today with the Minister of Economy of Turkey Mr Nihat Zeybekci to agree to modernise the 20-year-old Customs Union Agreement and to enhance EU-Turkey bilateral trade relations. On this occasion Commissioner Malmström said: “We need to modernise our Custom Union with Turkey and bring it into the 21st century. This initiative will boost EU-Turkey commercial relations.” This result has been achieved under the joint leadership of Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Commissioner Johannes Hahn in charge of Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. It follows technical discussions held over the last 12 months that allowed both sides to understand each other’s expectations and ambitions for new preferential bilateral trade relations. Both sides will now undertake their respective internal procedures to adopt this initiative and to seek the corresponding negotiating mandates. Turkey is a candidate country, and accession negotiations to the EU are ongoing. The enhancement of bilateral trade relations is not an alternative to the accession negotiations of Turkey, but complementary to it. Turkey is also a very important trading partner for the EU: Turkey is the EU’s sixth biggest trading partner, whereas the EU is Turkey’s biggest trading partner. There is huge potential, however, to further develop these trade relations and this is precisely what the new commercial framework will make possible.
Read full edition: Daily News 12 – 05 – 2015


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Wednesday, October 08, 2008
There have been a number of reports over the last 24-hours about the U.S. Mint halting the production and/or sale of gold coins. There doesn't appear to be anything available at the U.S. Mint website at the moment - in the past, they've been rather slow to make formal announcements.
Here's what appeared yesterday at Reuters:
US Mint halts some American Eagle coin productionAnd here's what appeared in the Wall Street Journal this morning:
Tue Oct 7, 2008 10:14am EDT
By Frank Tang
NEW YORK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Unprecedented demand for precious metals and volatile markets forced the U.S. Mint to cease production for the half-ounce and quarter-ounce popular American Eagle gold coins for the rest of this year and to supply other bullion coins on an allocation basis.
"Due to the extreme fluctuating market conditions for 2008, as well as current market conditions, gold and silver demand is unprecedented and the demand for platinum is unusually high," the U.S. Mint said Monday in a memorandum to its authorized coin dealers.
"The U.S. Mint has worked diligently to attempt to meet demand, however, blank supplies are very limited and it is necessary for the U.S. Mint to focus remaining bullion production primarily on American Eagle Gold one-ounce and Silver one-ounce coins," the Mint said.
The Mint said it would continue to supply one-ounce American Eagle gold coins and one-ounce American Eagle silver coins on an allocation basis to coin dealers.
For half-ounce and quarter-ounce American Eagles, the Mint said that inventory was depleted last week and no more coins would be produced for the rest of 2008.
In addition, the Mint said it would produce 1-10th ounce Eagles based on current coin blank supplies, but would cease production for the rest of this year once the remaining inventory was depleted.
Produced from gold mined in the United States, the 22-karat American Eagles have been novel items among collectors and investors since their introduction in 1986. Each coin has a face value of $50 but it is sold by authorized dealers at a premium to the price of gold.
AMERICAN BUFFALO, AMERICAN EAGLE PLATINUM
The Mint said it would continue to supply 24-karat American Buffalo one-ounce gold coins based on current blank supplies, but would halt production once the remaining inventory was out.
The Mint had suspended sales of the Buffalos in late September due to strong demand and inventory depletion.
Similarly, the Mint said that all denominations for American Eagle platinum bullion coins were depleted last week, and it would halt production for the rest of the year once the remaining inventory was depleted.
Coin dealers from the United States to Canada have recently reported a surge in buying of bullion coins.
Gold has soared as much as $200 in the last 30 days as panic investors flocked to gold as a worsening global financial crisis prompted people to seek a safe haven.
Spot gold traded at about $884 an ounce on Tuesday, while the gold contract for December delivery GCZ8 on the COMEX division of the New York Stock Exchange was at $886 an ounce.
Mint Widens Freeze on Gold Coin SalesThere's more at the Mint News Blog.
NEW YORK -- Citing extraordinary demand, the U.S. Mint has broadened its freeze on sales of gold bullion coins, as individual investors who are priced out of the futures markets have been piling up their holdings of the metal as a hedge against market uncertainty.
"Due to the extreme fluctuating market conditions for 2008, as well as current market conditions, gold and silver demand is unprecedented and the demand for platinum is unusually high," the Mint said in a memorandum late Monday, released to its authorized purchasers.
The Mint added in the memo that it's halting the production and sales of several gold and platinum coins while putting a few other coins under allocation sales. The move came after the Mint halted sales of two other coins in September and August.
While the bulk of the 160,000-ton above-ground gold stock (about 5.1 billion ounces) is used in jewelry and the electronics industry, about 16% is held by investors for pure investment purposes, according to the World Gold Council. The gold investment market is dominated by big institutions, which trade with one another directly in large orders through over-the-counter markets.


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17. Sea of trouble: Turning our ships green
In the run-up to the COP27 global climate summit, The Weekly Tradecast looks at why ships and ports must drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions with Jan Hoffmann, head of trade logistics at UNCTAD.
The shipping industry is vital to the global economy – over 80% of all traded goods move by sea – but there's a big downside for the environment.
As their massive engines churn, cargo ships produce as much carbon dioxide every year as the whole of Japan. That has to change to stay in line with the Paris climate agreement’s 1.5C global heating target.
Tune in to find out how the shipping sector can transform to reduce emissions and help protect the planet.


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Big firms urged: Make space for small businesses
The largest and most successful corporations in Southeast Asia must strive to “make space” in the empires for the smallest of their business brethren by sharing their knowledge with entrepreneurs and including them in their supply chains.
Thus said Asean Business Advisory Council (Abac) chair Joey Concepcion as he addressed over 900 guests and delegates from Southeast Asia who gathered on Wednesday night for the 2017 Asean Business Awards meant to honor the most successful captains of the industry and most promising entrepreneurs in the region.
“All my life I’ve looked up to many entrepreneurs who’ve succeeded and inspired myself and countless of you in this audience,” he said. “This inspiration is what fuels our drive to succeed, and for every award we receive, the recognition has to be put to good use.”
Concepcion said it was time large business enterprises “give back to many of those who are not part of the growing economy.”
“Countless of entrepreneurs in the Philippines and many Asean countries belong to the micro and small sector,” he pointed out, adding that he and government officials had, over the last few years, been pursuing the vision of equalizing and giving every struggling entrepreneur “a chance to be at least one day seated at [the head] table and through mentorship.”
During the event, Filipino tycoon John Gokongwei Jr., who built a small trading business into one of the country’s largest conglomerates, was honored for his contribution to supporting entrepreneurship in the region.
Abac honored the rags-to-riches businessman with the legacy award as Concepcion heaped praise on the 91-year-old “entrepreneur and mentor.”
“He is truly admirable in his ways,” the Abac chair said during remarks delivered at the Solaire Resorts and Hotel in Parañaque City, which was headlined by President Duterte and a host of business leaders from 10 Southeast Asian nations.
“[Mr. Gokongwei] has brought up a very enterprising family and more than that they’ve done great for this country,” Concepcion said. “They’ve created a lot of jobs, and the power of mentorship wisdom ‘Mr. John’ has passed on to his children continues on.”
Concepcion—the son of entrepreneurial business pioneer Jose Concepcion Jr., who was also honored that night—said the goal of Abac and the annual awards was to give micro and small entrepreneurs from around the region a large “mentorship space” with large businesses giving guidance and support for smaller firms.
“That way, we’ll be able to enable every micro entrepreneur to become, not just a ‘survival entrepreneur’, but to become sustainable and eventually grow,” he said.
Gokongwei—the founder of JG Summit Holdings Inc. and the country’s second wealthiest man—is known for his investments in agribusiness and the manufacturing of feeds and prime food commodities, and as a visionary who channelled resources and expanded into financial services, textile and property, among others.
Other Filipino awardees were Dennis Uy of Udenna Corp. who was named Asean’s young entrepreneur of the year, and Teodoro Ferrer and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala for Erikagen Inc.’s inclusive business practices.
Cecilio Pedro of Lamoiyan Corp. was honored for their corporate social responsibility efforts under the SME excellence award category, while Emma Imperial of Imperial Homes Corp. was cited for its use of green technology.
Also awarded for excellence in their respective sectors were Paul Rodriguez of Asian Marine Transport Corp. for logistics; Pedro Delantar of Nature’s Legacy Eximport for wood products; Olivia Limpe-Aw of Destileria Limtuaco & Co. for agrifood; and Bernie Liu of Golden ABC for the retail sector.
A total of 47 awardees led 68 finalists during the event that was attended by over 900 guests and 400 delegates from Asean countries.
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A new company is looking to promote a happy and healthy lifestyle through chocolate. The secret, it turns out, is mushrooms.
NUDE Chocolate has launched what it calls “enhanced chocolate” featuring reishi mushrooms. Among the benefits these mushrooms are thought to have include boosting immunity, balancing hormones, reducing inflammation, and improving the function of vital organs.
Each chocolate bar is made from a 70 percent dark chocolate cacao blend from Peru and Ecuador, featuring notes of ripe yellow fruits and hints of cool spices. They are available in three blends:
- MIND – A blueberry, hibiscus, and reishi herbal super blend promoting clarity and focus
- BODY – A strawberry, rose, and reishi herbal super blend promoting healing and vitality
- SOUL – A lavender, raspberries, and reishi herbal super blend promoting balance and alignment
“Dark chocolate on its own is a natural treat containing antioxidants. By fusing this with a carefully-selected blend of herbs, we have created a superfood product that we hope will promote health and happiness” says founder Matthew Postlethwaite, a British actor who has appeared in the Netflix series Peaky Blinders.
NUDE bars are dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. The toppings are sourced locally and the herbs are certified organic.
“We wanted to created something we haven’t seen in the market before, a chocolate bar that consumers wouldn't feel guilty about eating,” says certified herbalist Natasha Lloyd, who carefully selects the unique blend of herbs to include in each NUDE bar.


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If you frequent Trader Joe’s, Walmart (WMT), Kroger (KR), Albertsons (ACI), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and/or Starbucks (SBUX), shopping center-focused Phillips Edison & Company (PECO) likely has your retail needs…
covered. And with over 5,000 tenants, this REIT and 2021 IPO is now shopping for a fresh breakout of its own.
Viewed on a daily chart, the IPO has a choppy, volatile look to it. But the long-term weekly chart smooths out that turbulence, giving PECO a more stable feel. It has shown good support at its 10-week moving average.
Leading REIT IPO Eyes Triple-Digit Growth
Focused on grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping centers, Phillips Edison features a mix of national and regional retailers providing necessity-based goods and services in markets across the country. As of Dec. 31, 2021, PECO managed 289 shopping centers, including 268 wholly owned centers. The REIT comprises approximately 30.7 million square feet across 31 states.
As well as securing a spot among leading IPOs, PECO earns a spot among the best dividend stocks, with a 3.2% yield on an annualized basis.
Rather than earnings, REIT stocks report funds from operations, or FFO. With its next report expected in March, analysts expect PECO to post 110% FFO growth for Q4 and a 225% increase for the full year. For 2022, analysts see 208% growth.
While the stock market indexes remain…
Continue reading at INVESTORS.com


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At all levels of the enterprise – from small through to corporations – ways of doing, thinking and being in business now employ digital technology. A 2017 report by Deloitte Access Economics, based on a national survey of over 1500 small businesses, found SMBs with advanced levels of digital engagement are 50 per cent more likely to be growing revenue and earn 60 per cent more revenue per employee.
Previous Deloitte research found Australian SMBs that have advanced levels of digital engagement are over eight times more likely to be creating jobs, with an average of 12 additional jobs than the previous year; seven times more likely to be exported, and over 14 times more likely to be innovating by offering new products or services.
Deloitte says SMBs expected face-to-face sales to decrease from 45 per cent in 2015/16 to 37 per cent in 2020/21. In fact, this predicted decline has already largely occurred three years early, with face-to-face interactions now making up 39 per cent of SMB sales.
But employing digital technology does not simply mean plugging in a laptop and setting up a website.
SMB operators have to be able to organise, identify, analyse and ultimately use data to inform business strategies; and apply sophisticated thinking to find simpler answers hiding underneath layers of complex, interwoven webs of data. For small businesses to avoid being outsmarted by their competitors, they need to seek out ways to implement cloud-based software and other digital solutions. It is believed that if a business adopts artificial intelligence and machine learning it will lead to greater competitive advantage. Being an expert in data analysis or even hiring someone that is a qualified data scientist will result in higher ROI because the integration of AI in the business process ensures more accurate decision-making.
With digital technology enabling faster communication, buying power and increasing options for customers – who can now simply click a few buttons – businesses that have the advanced technical and mathematical skills to unpick complexities and make sense of the numbers, will swim instead of sink.
Australia Post research recently found Aussie shoppers will be just as likely to open their wallets online as they will in-store in a decade’s time. By 2030, it is expected that one-in-two purchases will be made digitally.
In a survey of almost one thousand small and mid-size Australian businesses across retail, manufacturing, logistics, financial services, education, health, and utilities found that almost half (49 per cent) expect online retail to reach parity with bricks-and-mortar retail sales in 2030.
Digital times, new crimes
But for all the advantages afforded by digital tech for SMB, there are new threats to doing business safely. The latest BDO and AusCERT Cyber Security Survey report gives an overview of the cyber security risks and realities faced by the Australian private and public sectors in 2018/2019 — finding 64 per cent of data breaches were caused by malicious or criminal attacks, while 33 per cent could be attributed to human error.
Data loss and the theft of confidential information incidents rose by 78.68 per cent compared to 2017. Data breaches experienced through third-party providers and suppliers also rose by 74.30 per cent.
In the digital age of business, SMBs that have the technical skillsets to prevent, curb or respond to cyber threats, are less likely to suffer detrimental attacks on their business.
More data, more growth
Finally, a report on AI & The Future of Work by Credit Suisse Research Institute [CSRI] finds while technological change will not lead to the end of work, it will certainly displace people from occupations and sectors.
CSRI says the more data that is used, the more valuable a business becomes since getting relevant data in quantity is always difficult and expensive. This is why Google Maps becomes more accurate as more people use it: the underlying algorithms have more data to work with, so the apps become even more accurate.
From increased revenue to more accurate decision-making, it’s clear there are endless ways digital can transform SMB.