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Auto claims leans into AI, automation
It’s early days for some of the most sophisticated technology solutions available for auto insurance, but not because there are so few companies adopting technology solutions. It’s because an increasing number of insurers now have the vision to combine certain key technologies to create an ideal customer experience.
Consider that by 2020 there will be 50 million telematics-enabled vehicles on the road in the United States with market penetration expected to exceed 70 percent by 2023. Or that research from the Pew Research Center shows the share of Americans who own smartphones has reached an estimated 81 percent. A fair amount of consumers rely primarily on this mobile channel to communicate, take photos and find their way around. And, with the rise of the Internet of Things, mobile and AI, customers shop, pay bills, request a rideshare or make a reservation with a simple click.
In auto property damage (APD) claims, the evolution of connected device and telematics data now makes it possible to know about the energy, impact and severity of a crash in real time. And with more lines of code than in the space shuttle, new vehicle advanced auto safety systems (ADAS) are also evolving. The downside, of course, is that these vehicles are more expensive to repair, and in some cases, can become total losses more quickly. And with roughly 23 million auto accidents still occurring per year, it’s obvious that it’s early days for drivers of these vehicles, too, as they become accustomed to working in partnership with these new systems.
Over the past year at various insurance technology conferences, the leading auto insurers have pulled back their covers to reveal innovation tied to today’s auto insurance customer’s expectations, which are changing fast. There are some insurers with a vision for the future, engaging and empowering their customers’ 24/7 self-service lifestyle and real-time access to information, especially when it comes to claims, notes Mark Breading, partner and chief research officer with SMA.
Breading points to Allstate’s 2017 initiative to eliminate 500 drive-in claims centers and move to mobile claims processing. “All of the tier 1 carriers are rethinking claims and almost all have mobile capabilities for First Notice of Loss,” he says. “Some people want to use mobile to report and some are more comfortable calling an agent, so it’s a matter of understanding what your customer wants and then meeting those varied requirements.”
As a founding member of the Illinois Autonomous Vehicles Association, State Farm has placed itself at the center of the automated mobility revolution, betting on the future of connected cars that talk to other cars, road sensors, traffic signals and more. In fact, State Farm has gone on record stating that, as automated mobility becomes more the norm, the company’s attitude about autonomous vehicles has shifted from threat to opportunity as they seek a better understanding of how converging technologies can affect everything from coverage realities to underwriting and claims.
Farmers is another example of a company that is taking big steps to meeting changing expectations, and with a 91-year history steeped in tradition, perhaps a surprising candidate for the current future state of IoT/telematics and mobility-enabled claims.
Farmers’ leanings toward innovation within the APD space has captured the attention of industry experts, chiefly because the company has taken steady steps toward a lofty goal: putting the customer at the center of the claims experience. One of those steps involved a review of its entire claims functional business unit.
The review revealed what many Tier 1 carriers currently still experience: process bottlenecks, multiple touch points, and efficiency challenges related to either siloed or legacy technologies. To address these challenges, the insurer has revamped its claims area: implementation of a technology solution strategy that would replace its back-end core claims systems and a combination of mobile, AI and telematics to create a digital end-to-end safety experience for its customers. As well, the carrier has established additional relationships that provide the customer with digital tools such as mobile apps, web access and text alerts to offer transparency into the status of their APD claim.
Rethinking the Approach
“Ultimately, to improve claims outcomes and sustain customer lifetime loyalty, it requires an overhaul like this, but not many have gone as far as Farmers,” says Breading. “This is an end-to-end process for them, and it will ultimately involve technology and the entire ecosystem.”
Ken Hudson, Farmers’ Director of Auto Strategy, says that over the past few years, the company recognized an acceleration in changes related to consumer behavior. “Changing expectations of service providers is driven by adoption of mobile technologies like smartphones, where the customer can interact all the time. We know customers are comparing their experience not just to other insurers, but to companies like Amazon.”
Along with the insurer’s claims area overhaul, Hudson says Farmers’ has applied a “test and learn” pilot approach to the claims process itself. “Because our customers want to interact with us digitally, we are putting things in place so they can reach us when and where they want. We ask ourselves: What problem are we trying to solve, what changes are we trying to make? We start small with a pilot group of customers, get feedback and then adjust. We want to elicit trust and lifetime loyalty from the policyholder, so this has gone into every aspect of our claims processes, including digital claims processing.”
Hudson says Farmers is pairing its customer feedback with changes in new vehicle technologies to develop a forward-thinking strategy. “The car isn’t just four wheels and a motor anymore,” Hudson says, “and it’s obvious we have the ability to use connected car data in the future. The sooner we recognize the evolution and complexity in auto technologies and leverage the car’s technology, the better able we are to adjust how we deliver on the customer’s requirements and process claims.”
To Breading’s point about customers’ varied requirements, insurers such as Farmers now face how to best service the claimant with a digital end-to-end approach. “This speaks to the coming evolution of combining vehicle telematics with big data and analytics,” he says.
Most large carriers see telematics and mobile connectivity as ingredients to their claims’ strategy. And technology providers like CCC Information Services see things similarly. CCC partnered with Volvo Cars USA to launch Accident Advisor this year, combineing emergency services and checklists and to facilitate the transfer of crash data from telematics-enabled connected cars to automakers in real-time. CCC, through its CCC X data exchange, turns that information into opportunities for automakers to connect with their vehicle owners via their smartphones, and digitally connect them with participating insurers and collision repairers. The solution even includes a locator map to shops in the geographic area.
The notion that mobile and telematics technologies can be used to cement an end-to-end digital experience for the customer is held by most larger auto insurers. What’s unique so far, however, is Farmers’ decision to move forward with AI at key decision points on the back end of the claims process to create new levels of physical damage estimating accuracy and cycle time reductions for less severe claims.
“We use AI to make some decisions about a vehicle’s damage, including heatmapping technologies, which help inform decisions around severity and repairability,” Hudson says. Heatmaps use computer vision technology and AI-powered capabilities to detect and depict vehicle damage. The resulting AI-generated estimate is passed to a claims rep who reviews, vets and edits as needed. Claims reps are making better decisions based on accurate data, the claim is handled more quickly, faster culmination of the claim, and higher customer satisfaction as a result, adds Hudson.
Flipping the Switch
“Vehicle complexity and rising repair costs present an opportunity for insurers to flip the switch on a 100-year-old process and achieve operational excellence while delivering a modern, differentiated claims experience to policyholders,” says Jason Verlen, SVP Product Management at CCC. “We are already asking the claimant to take photos, we have a host of data sources related to the vehicle, such as the ADAS system, and we have data from more than 200 million claims at our disposal,” he adds. “Now we can offer estimating logic and AI photo analytics capabilities to pre-populate an estimate with suggestions for human estimators to review, edit, and advance.”
The industry’s use of “smart” estimates that use AI are yielding promising results among appraisers, notes Verlen. “Some carriers are seeing a 25 percent improvement, and it’s early days on this.”
However, the use of mobile and AI-based photo estimates has increased 400 percent in the last nine months, adds Verlen. “Electronic parts ordering from the repair shops are also way up, so we are seeing accuracy and speed in getting the parts, which makes for a better consumer experience. The digitization of the process is happening.”
Breading points out that many insurers are looking to create a unified customer experience. “It’s around customer demand, but it’s also telematics/IoT, AI and leveraging the mobile channel, all of which have been talked about for a while, but until now not combined with this level of sophistication and acceptance. So, it’s early in the evolution, yes, but these are real solutions in the market being used by the largest carriers.”
Breading adds that the larger companies may be setting the pace, but that smaller carriers can follow if they move to a modern claims system, automate most of their workflow processes, and embrace AI, telematics and mobile technologies as a way forward. “A combination of workforce demographics—coupled with natural resistance—will occur, but the opportunities are there.”
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Last Update on September 16, 2014 07:09 GMT
IN THE NEWS: PRE-OPRDERS ON iPHONES
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you haven't already ordered one of those new, bigger iPhones -- chances are you won't get your hands on one right away. Apple plans to start delivering the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to customers starting on Friday. But the company says it has already received more than 4 million advance orders -- more than it had made for starters. Many of the orders that were already placed will be hitting mailboxes throughout September -- but many won't be delivered until next month. The other chance of scoring one will be if you show up at an Apple retail store -- or at various wireless carriers and authorized Apple resellers.
Apple says the 4 million orders set a new 24-hour record for its phone sales, beating the mark set in 2012 for the iPhone 5. The company's Web site had scattered outages Friday because of the heavy traffic generated as orders began online.
IN THE NEWS: SHETAXI
NEW YORK (AP) -- Chances are if you hail a taxi in New York City -- or most major cities -- the hack will be a guy. But a new startup company is trying to change that. The SheTaxi app is aimed at trying to serve women who prefer to have another female behind the wheel when they travel. Fewer than 3 percent of New York City's 115,000 licensed taxi, livery and limo drivers are women. Some women prefer having a female driver because of safety concerns or religious or social mores. The SheTaxi app is being called SheRides in New York City -- and goes live today.
"DANCING WITH THE STARS"-SEASON 19 DEBUT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars" debuts with some surprisingly good performances.
Major business and economic events scheduled for Tuesday
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Reserve policymakers begin a two-day meeting to set interest rates today, but today's one major economic report isn't likely to spur them to raise rates.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/21/14 --
Companies that pride themselves on being eco-friendly may have conflicted
ideas between marketing with ad specialties and maintaining their green
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Stoner comic Tommy Chong came out smokin' last night -- on the dance floor.
IN THE NEWS: PRE-OPRDERS ON iPHONES
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you haven't already ordered one of those new, bigger iPhones -- chances are you won't get your hands on one right away.
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SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — Cargill on Sept. 24 reached agreement to acquire London-based Unilever P.L.C.’s tomato products business in Brazil for approximately 600 million Brazilian reais ($350 million). The acquisition includes Pomarola and Tarantella brand tomato sauce, Elefante and Extratomato brand tomato paste, and Pomodoro brand tomato pulp, as well as Unilever’s tomato manufacturing facility in Goiania. Unilever will continue to market tomato products to the food service segment.
“Acquiring Unilever’s tomato products business exemplifies Cargill’s long-term commitment to growing our business in Brazil by providing a diverse array of products in the food segment,” said Sergio Rial, senior vice-president of Cargill. “This acquisition furthers our objective of becoming a leading food products company in Brazil, with a focus on shelf-stable consumer staple products. Delivering a wider range of products to retailers enables Cargill to improve the point-of-sale service we provide them. In addition, consumers will benefit from Cargill’s commitment to product innovation and quality, and our strong food safety and environmental stewardship practices.”
Marcelo Martins, director of Cargill Foods Brazil, and president of Cargill Agricola S.A., added, “This transaction strengthens Cargill’s global partnership with Unilever. In addition to Unilever being a large global customer of Cargill’s, our new plant in Goiania will supply Unilever in Brazil with tomato products, and Unilever will continue manufacturing other products on the site adjacent to Cargill's operations.”
Cargill Foods Brazil serves retailers, manufacturers, and food service operators in Brazil and exports to a number of regional markets. In retail, Cargill Foods Brazil markets bottled and canned cooking oils under the Liza, Veleiro, Purilev and Mazola brands. Cargill Foods Brazil also produces blended oils under the Olivia and Maria brands, and mayonnaise under the Liza, Maria, Mariana and Gourmet brands. The company is the exclusive distributor of Gallo and La Espanola brand olive oil, Gallo brand olives, and Delverde brand pasta in Brazil. Cargill Foods Brazil operates production sites in Mairinque (Sao Paulo State), Sao Jose do Rio Pardo (Sao Paulo State) and Itumbiara (Goias State).


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AMHERSTBURG Mayor Wayne Hurst broke a tie vote Monday to allow a zoning change that will see reduced parking at the local Canadian Tire store.
The approval came over the objections of business owner Joseph Mikhail and town resident Dell Oxford.
Mikhail, of Mikhail Holdings and the owner of the nearby Walmart Centre, called it “illogical planning” and said council was setting a precedent by allowing “close to a 25 per cent” reduction in the number of parking spaces required by the town’s bylaw.
“Council has abandoned its principles of planning,” Mikhail said. “You open the door for one, you open the door for everyone.”
Mikhail also questioned the “positive” results of a parking study done by a company hired by the store’s owner.
Town planner Rebecca Belanger said the number of parking spaces was “found to be more than adequate” by Dillon Consulting Ltd., after a survey was done in June.
Belanger addressed Oxford’s safety concerns, saying proposed changes to the site layout will improve access.
A pine tree on Sandwich Street north of the driveway will be removed to improve the site line for cars pulling out of the lot. The curb radius will also be adjusted, while the existing fire route will be maintained.
The Pickering Street access will be reconfigured by removing a traffic island that allows only one-way entry and exit.
The number of parking spots will be reduced to 143 from 164. This will allow for more outdoor merchandise display.
Store owner Jeff Levy agreed to add an additional handicapped-accessible parking space to the two existing spots and to keep the entrance and sidewalk clear for accessiblity.
Coun. Diane Pouget said she had a number of concerns, including previous fire code violations and problems with accessibility, but Levy said all violations were addressed as soon as they were brought to his attention.
“During the spring and summer I actually felt like I was working for the complaint department for Canadian Tire,” Pouget said. “I received one complaint after another.”
Pouget, along with deputy mayor Ron Sutherland and Coun. Bart DiPasquale, voted against approval of the zoning bylaw amendment application and the bylaw change. Councillors John Sutton, Carolyn Davies and Bob Pillon voted to allow both, with Hurst voting in favor.


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Glass container manufacturer Encirc has completed trials of rail transport of finished bottles using a railhead at its Elton, UK production site.
The manufacturer’s Elton railhead is currently used to deliver raw materials and recycled glass used in the production process.
However, Encirc has earmarked it in its plans to create an ultra-sustainable transport network for glass across the UK.
Read more from Glass International
Date posted 12/05/2023
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Reid Bigland, head of U.S. sales for Fiat Chrysler and the Ram brand and FCA Canada CEO, claims the company has retaliated against him for cooperating with a federal investigation into the company's sales reporting practices, and slashed his pay by approximately 90 per cent.
GM and Michelin are launching a joint research agreement to develop and validate the tire supplier's Unique Puncture-proof Tire System, or Uptis. GM will be a "technical partner" on the development of the wheels while the supplier will retain the intellectual properties and be able to distribute them to other manufacturers.
General Motors' first-quarter net income doubled from a year earlier, though operating profit fell 11 per cent primarily due to downtime at the company's full-size SUV plant in Texas. GM reported net income of US$2.15 billion, up from US$1.04 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
GM will continue producing the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala large sedans until January 2020 at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant in Michigan. The company says it won't extend production in Oshawa, Ont., but that the plant will get some additional work due to the extension in Michigan, giving Unifor President Jerry Dias hope.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Vodafone tops games content for Live! with Lara Croft exclusive
Mobile Tomb Raider
Vodafone seems to be able to buy content for its Live! online media phone service with impunity. This week it has landed a deal with Eidos, the UK's biggest games company for exclusive phone use of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, by far its most famous daughter and money spinner.
The deal will run across 22 countries for mobile entertainment content. Since Lara made her debut in 1996, the Tomb Raider series has sold more than 30 million units worldwide.
Vodafone plans to launch three Tomb Raider games, as well as offering ringtones, screensavers and wallpapers for phones from the games. In the Summer Vodafone made deals with Sony and Disney and is rumored to be in talks with Vivendi for more content, despite clashing with the French giant over the ownership of Cegetel.


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Europe and the US continue to dominate demand in the €4.5 billion
flavours market, but Asia Pacific region is quickly catching up
thanks to high single-digit growth, reveal figures from a new
report, writes Lindsey Partos.
Joining the heated debate on GM food crops and ingredients, a group
of agricultural experts, herded together under the UN-backed FAO,
declare an A to Z approach must be the only path for 'responsible
deployment' of GM crops.
Health ingredients firm Acatris has developed a directly
compressible version of its SoyLife brand soy isoflavone
ingredient, designed to remove some of the hurdles for companies
looking to offer isoflavone capsules or tablets.
Russian authorities are set to readmit Polish dairy exports,
according to unconfirmed reports appearing in the Polish press last
week, but will this be enough to satisfy overseas investors?
asks Tom Armitage.


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Facebook considered charging companies for access to the data of its 2.27 billion monthly active users, according to leaked internal emails.
The emails, which were contained in an unredacted court document provided to The Wall Street Journal, come from the Six4Three cache seized by the UK government a few days ago. Six4Three, which developed an app allowing users to search through their friends' Facebook photos for images of their friends in bikinis, sued Facebook in 2015, claiming its data policies were anticompetitive.
The Journal points to 2013 discussions with Amazon, whereby Facebook says it will soon provide the retailer with less access to user data unless it can have a "strategic conversation in the context of the broader deal discussions." Amazon denied using that info for any nefarious purposes.
Similarly, a Facebook employee asked internally whether the Royal Bank of Canada had an agreement about how much it would spend on advertising each year. An RBC spokesperson told the Journal that the bank "never had a minimum marketing spend or target agreement with Facebook."
Most of the documents are dated between 2012 and 2014, but are "far from conclusive, lacking context and in some cases truncated," according to the Journal.
Facebook confirmed to the paper that it discussed charging for data but said it decided against it. "The documents Six4Three gathered for this baseless case are only part of the story and are presented in a way that is very misleading without additional context," according to Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Facebook's director of developer platforms and programs.
The documents are currently under seal; Richard Allan, VP of Policy Solutions at Facebook, criticized Six4Three as a "hostile litigant" and said the documents are not to be trusted.
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Costa Mesa, CA, (February 22, 2002)– Bob Hurley, President of Hurley International LLC announced today the partnership of Hurley International and Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE). Hurley International, founded by 20-year industry veteran Bob Hurley, is a premium teen lifestyle brand based in Costa Mesa, California.Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.
“Our partnership with Nike creates infinite growth opportunities for the Hurley brand,” said Bob Hurley. “This agreement allows us to remain autonomous as Hurley but we now have the ability to realize our growth plans, increase our commitment to our current retailers and expand into international markets.”
Bob Hurley will remain President of Hurley International where he oversees the design, development and distribution of all Hurley products. Bob and his senior management team will continue to lead the company. The primary objectives of this partnership are two-fold: To continue the tremendous growth of the Hurley brand and expand product distribution into international markets. Hurley International will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike.
“Our partnership with Hurley is the right choice because Hurley is a strong brand that is uniquely positioned in the marketplace and relevant to a broad group of teen consumers,” said Tom Clarke, Nike’s President of New Business Ventures. “We’re looking forward to helping Bob fulfill his vision of building a truly international brand.”
Hurley International is embracing the future of design for apparel and accessories. Hurley is a teenage lifestyle brand with a focus on empowering the consumer. Hurley is all about freedom of choice. For more information visit hurley.com.
Nike, Inc., based in Portland, OR, is the world’s leading designer and marketer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. For more information visit www.nikebiz.com.


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But art dealers and market experts say the Krugier sale had unique problems and is not a sign of bad things to come in future sales. They say many of the Krugier pieces had been offered for sale for years at various art fairs and some had been purchased recently for much lower prices at auction.
(Read more: Forging an art market in China)
“I don’t think this presages anything,” said Andrew Fabricant, a director at the Richard Gray Gallery in New York. “It was a rather disparate bunch of material and some of it has a very recent track record.”
There were some gems in the group that sold for much more than their estimate. A Picasso portrait of his two children, called “Claude et Paloma,” sold for $ 28.2 million—far more than the estimate of $ 9 million to $ 12 million. Picasso’s “Cigare,” a 4-inch stick of wood painted to look like a cigar, went for $ 1.1 million—more than three times to the top estimate.
And an African mask from the Ivory Coast that had once been owned by André Breton and Picasso went for $ 1.4 million, nearly three times its low estimate.
—By CNBC’s Robert Frank. Follow him on Twitter @robtfrank.
Watch “Secret Lives of the Super Rich,” an all-new series airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. http://superrich.cnbc.com


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Want to join the conversation?
$FOXA has a five-year unused $1.4Bil revolving credit facility, which expires in May 2020, and has access to various film co-production alternatives to supplement its cash flows. As of Sept. 30, 2015, $FOXA was in compliance with all of the covenants under the revolving credit facility, and does not anticipate any violation of such covenants.
I haven’t seen a drop in banks like this in a long time. Looks like $WFC is still facing pressures from its sales practices scandal..!!
Helping President-elect's America first focus, $WMT set to create 10,000 retail jobs in the US in 2017.
Looks like Trump has his eyes on the $MON and Bayer merger next. He had a meeting with the CEOs and apparently got job promises from them.


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- Netflix added far more users than expected in the first quarter.
- The streaming tech company posted quarterly earnings that were in line with expectations and revenue that was slightly above estimates.
The user growth sets the company up for a sunny outlook in the second quarter: The company's earnings guidance also came in well above Wall Street's forecast. Shares rose more than 5 percent after hours.
— Earnings per share (EPS): 64 cents adjusted vs. 64 cents expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
— Revenue: $3.7 billion vs. $3.69 billion expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
— Total streaming net adds: 7.41 million vs. 6.5 million expected by a StreetAccount consensus estimate
— Domestic streaming net adds: 1.96 million vs. 1.48 million expected by a StreetAccount estimate
— International streaming net adds: 5.46 million vs. 5.02 million expected by a StreetAccount estimate
— Free cash flow was negative $287 million.
In January, Netflix said it expected $3.69 billion in revenue in the quarter and EPS of 63 cents, adding 6.35 million new customers in its streaming business.
A year ago, Netflix reported diluted adjusted EPS of 40 cents per share on revenue of $2.64 billion.
— Forward guidance on Q2 EPS: 79 cents per share vs. 65 cents per share expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
— Forward guidance on Q2 revenue: $3.9 billion vs. $3.89 billion expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
— Forward guidance on net adds: 6.2 million vs. 5.24 million (974,000 domestic and 4.27 million international) expected by StreetAccount
Netflix has relied on international growth and heavy investments in original content to drive subscriptions — and Monday's results provided an update on their effectiveness.
Netflix's addition of more than 7.4 million international subscribers set a new record, marking growth of 50 percent from a year ago.
Chief content officer Ted Sarandos said Netflix has shot original content in 17 countries as it focuses more on local programming, and that many of Netflix's foreign-language shows would be considered "big hits" on American cable channels, thanks to artful subtitling. CEO Reed Hastings added that Netflix has also seen success on its international mobile app offerings. But Hastings also said that the company hadn't changed its view on expanding in China, and will continue to license content.
The company also said it expects to have $7.5 billion to $8 billion of content expenses this year, in line with previous estimates. Netflix had said it expects to grow to 60 million to 90 million members in the U.S. over time and that it would spend $8 billion on content and $2 billion on marketing this year.
The company highlighted Spanish-language hit "La Casa de Papel," unscripted series "Queer Eye," and beloved franchises such as "Marvel's Jessica Jones," "Grace and Frankie," "Santa Clarita Diet" and "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Netflix also credited new talent, such as Shonda Rhimes and Jenji Kohan, for their "proven track record of success" and for allowing Netflix to cut back "reliance on third-party studios."
"We're investing in more marketing of new original titles to create more density of viewing and
conversation around each title," the company said in a statement.
The marketing spending comes after Netflix was barred from competing at the Cannes film festival due to a rule change — a setback the company called unfortunate.
One thing that's not on the spending slate, Sarandos said, is news programming.
"Our move into news has been misreported over and over again. We're not looking to expand into news beyond the work that we're doing in long-form and short-form documentary," Sarandos said. "Topical interview shows, absolutely, but keep in mind, those are entertainment."
Netflix faces increasing competition from Amazon and Disney, which have their own offerings, as well as traditional media companies and technology companies such as Apple. Hastings said the company still has a long way to go to compete with the likes of YouTube, and noted that Netflix's ability to raise prices depends on providing more value than competitors.
"If we get lazy or slow, we'll be run over just like anybody else," Hastings said.
Netflix said on Monday the bundles allow the company to upsell existing subscribers. Executives said on a conference call that the "new wave" of operator partnerships was a consistent shift across all geographic markets.
"We remain primarily a direct-to-consumer business, but we see our bundling initiative as an attractive supplemental channel," the company said.
On Monday, Netflix also announced the addition of Susan Rice, a former national security advisor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to the board of directors.
— CNBC's Julia Boorstin contributed to this report.


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Assuming one thing has been making the news, it is the means by which individuals overall are doing whatever it may take to accomplish something beneficial for the climate. India, for one’s purpose, has been spearheading to set things straight with the goal that it can lessen its carbon impressions. One critical choice accompanied the nation’s choosing to change to a totally electric mode by 2023.
Remembering this choice, the most recent couple of years have seen many players have wandered into the market of electric vehicles. The numbers have gone up such a lot of that a report by the State of weighty enterprises expresses that the quantity of enrolled EVs has gone up over the most recent three years. In the year 2017-18, the number of electric vehicles expanded to 143,358 units, and in the next year 2018-19, there was one more increment of 167,041 units.
India, in general, has been fabricating electric vehicles, and as a matter of fact, the numbers out on the streets incorporate a decent amount of electric bikes, three-wheelers, and transport too. The most compelling motivation for the flood in the assembling of electric vehicles is that the public authority has been giving huge motivators under the FAME India scheme, which is hoping to diminish the distinction between the expenses of electric vehicles and ICE vehicles.
Alongside the impetuses under the FAME India program, the public authority of India is additionally moving toward advancing additional electric vehicles by decreasing the GST part from 18% to 5%. Alongside this large number of measures being executed, the public authority is additionally giving an exemption from licenses for every one of the people who own electric vehicles that work on batteries that sudden spike in demand for ethanol and methanol.
India, as a nation, has the biggest population of young people, which is the reason they end up making up an enormous level of the market. To build the prominence of gearless e-bikes and bicycles, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has likewise chosen to give licenses to kids between the age of 16 and 18. It is reasonable that with this large number of steps being attempted, the public authority is making a good attempt to get more individuals to change to the electric method of transport.
t is a reviving break to see individuals holding hands to make it feasible for India to experience the fantasies about exchanging completely to the electric method of transport. Alongside lessening the contamination and carbon impressions level in India, another advantage of changing to electric vehicles is that individuals can eliminate costs that they would need to spend on fuel.
Every one of the changes and plans that the public authority has presented has spearheaded the ubiquity of electric vehicles, and thus, the most recent three years have seen such a decent market for electric vehicles. This request increment over the past three years is simply set to twofold before long.
With significant things dealt with, the main thing that should be dealt with is charging stations that can assist with people in charging their electric vehicles. The public authority is additionally offering to set things straight to guarantee that there are a lot of charging focuses accessible to meet the assembling quantities of the electric vehicles going out and about.
Since the advantages to both individuals and the climate are bounty, there is no rejecting that the interest in electric vehicles is at its most elevated today. Gradually and step by step, even the most unmistakable auto players are adapting to the situation of assembling electric vehicles that give ideal outcomes both on-street and rough terrain.


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Annual Inflation Rate at 3.2 Percent in December
Ljubljana, 30 December - Consumer prices dropped by 0.3 percent in December, bringing the annual inflation rate down to 3.2 percent for the year. According to the Statistical Office, this is largely due to cheaper cars and petrol on a monthly level, and cheaper food throughout the year.
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Roblox, the popular online platform that allows users to create, share, and play games, continues to expand its reach. At the 2023 Roblox Developers Conference (RDC), exciting news was confirmed – Roblox will be available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 starting in October. This announcement marks a significant milestone for Roblox and opens up new opportunities for gamers and developers alike. In this article, we will delve into the details of this expansion, its implications, and what it means for the future of Roblox.
Roblox’s Remarkable Journey So Far
Before we dive into the latest developments, let’s take a moment to appreciate how far Roblox has come since its inception. Originally released in 2006, Roblox has grown into a global sensation, with over 200 million active users as of my last knowledge update in September 2021. The platform’s success can be attributed to its unique blend of user-generated content, social interaction, and a vast array of games and experiences.
Roblox’s availability on various platforms has been a key driver of its success. It initially launched on PC and Mac, followed by versions for iOS and Android, making it accessible to a wide range of players. In 2021, Roblox expanded its reach to Xbox, opening up even more possibilities for gamers.
PlayStation Joins the Roblox Universe
The announcement of Roblox coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 is a significant milestone for both Roblox and PlayStation gamers. This move will introduce Roblox to millions of potential new users within the PlayStation ecosystem, further cementing its position as a global gaming phenomenon.
Here are some key details about this exciting expansion:
- Release Date: Roblox will be available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 starting in October 2023. This means that PlayStation gamers will soon have access to the vast library of Roblox games and experiences.
- Enhanced Gameplay: The PlayStation versions of Roblox are expected to offer a seamless and optimized gaming experience, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the PS4 and PS5 hardware.
- Cross-Platform Play: Just like on other platforms, PlayStation gamers will be able to play Roblox with friends and users from other platforms, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Meta Quest Version Expanding Its Reach
In addition to the PlayStation announcement, it’s worth noting that Roblox is also making strides in the virtual reality space. A Meta Quest version of Roblox has been in development and is set to receive a broader launch soon. This means that users of the Meta Quest VR headset will soon be able to immerse themselves in the world of Roblox in a whole new way.
The Meta Quest version of Roblox holds promise for innovative and immersive gameplay experiences. Virtual reality opens up possibilities for unique and interactive worlds that players can explore and enjoy.
Implications for Gamers and Developers
The expansion of Roblox onto PlayStation platforms has far-reaching implications for both gamers and developers:
- Access to a Larger Player Base: PlayStation has a massive user base, and Roblox’s arrival on the platform means that developers can potentially reach millions of new players, increasing the audience for their games and experiences.
- Cross-Platform Opportunities: With Roblox’s commitment to cross-platform play, gamers on PlayStation can join their friends on other devices, making it easier to connect and play together.
- Diverse Gaming Experiences: The diversity of games and experiences available on Roblox means that players on PlayStation will have access to an ever-expanding catalog of content, catering to a wide range of interests and preferences.
The expansion of Roblox onto PlayStation platforms is a momentous development in the world of gaming. It brings together the creative and social aspects of Roblox with the vast PlayStation community, promising new horizons for gamers and developers alike. With an optimized gaming experience, cross-platform play, and the upcoming Meta Quest version, Roblox continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of gaming.
As October approaches, gamers can eagerly anticipate the arrival of Roblox on PlayStation, and developers can look forward to reaching a broader audience. The future of Roblox is brighter than ever, and its journey of growth and innovation shows no signs of slowing down.
Stay tuned for more updates as Roblox continues to redefine the gaming experience for players around the world.


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Up to 200 passengers aboard the luxury cruise liner, Queen Mary 2 have contracted norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug.
The ship, which is owned by British-American cruise line company, Cunard, is on a 13-night luxury Christmas tour of the Caribbean, after leaving New York on Saturday, December 22. Approximately 2,600 passengers are on the GBP550m ship, with ticket prices costing as much as GBP5,000 per person.
Reports claim that several of the 200 victims of the illness began to suffer the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea within hours of the ship leaving port. Efforts are being made to contain the infection by isolating those that have been diagnosed in their cabins, and hand-to-hand contact with other passengers and items such as salt and pepper shakers is being discouraged.
The Daily Mail quoted Michele Andjel, spokeswoman for Carnival, as saying, ‘Enhanced sanitation protocols have been employed to help minimise transmission to other passengers. The safety and comfort of passengers and crew is always our number one priority. As is currently standard procedure across our fleet, all the ship’s passengers were provided with a precautionary health notice advising of widespread norovirus activity and the health measures to avoid contraction and spread, both on board and whilst ashore.’
The infection aboard the QM2 is the latest in a number of similar incidents that have plagued the cruise industry of late. It also follows a report last year by US sanitation inspectors who, following a spot-check on the QM2, described it as ‘filthy’ due to a number of problems including dirty water in a splash pool and fruit flies and cockroaches in a storage locker.
The liner, which is currently in the Dominican Republic, is due to return to New York on January 4, following further stopovers in St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Kitts.


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Newly released federal data shows inflation has continued to remain crushingly high.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released federal data for the consumer price index, a key marker of inflation that showed in April inflation rose…again.
“The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 1.2 percent in March…” BLS said. “Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 8.3 percent before seasonal adjustment.
That increase has made all kinds of everyday goods and services more expensive for Americans.
“Increases in the indexes for shelter, food, airline fares, and new vehicles were the largest
contributors to the seasonally adjusted all items increase,” BLS said. “The food index rose 0.9 percent over the month as the food at home index rose 1.0 percent. The energy index declined in April after rising in recent months. The index for gasoline fell 6.1 percent over the month, offsetting increases in the indexes for natural gas and electricity.”
Rising food prices have been a major pain point for Americans. While energy prices decreased in April, they are much higher than in recent months, and gas prices are at record highs in May.
“The all items index increased 8.3 percent for the 12 months ending April, a smaller increase than the 8.5-percent figure for the period ending in March,” BLS said. “The all items less food and energy index rose 6.2 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index rose 30.3 percent over the last year, and the food index increased 9.4 percent, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending April 1981.”


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New Delhi: Apparel exports from India fell
17 per cent in October to USD 603 million compared to the
year-ago period as the country lost market share to China,
Vietnam and Bangladesh due to uncompetitive pricing of fabrics
in the domestic market.
Exporters said rising cotton prices have raised the cost
of yarn, making domestic garments costlier. Overseas buyers,
however, are unable to absorb this hike and are placing orders
with China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia who are selling
garments at lower rates compared to India.
"Although demand from the US and EU are reviving, we are
losing our share to units in neighbouring nations as they have
large scale production and also enjoy more incentives than
us," Apparel Exports Promotion Council (AEPC) Rakesh Vaid
He said, the Duty Drawback rates, which seeks to
neutralise the incidence of customs duty, central excise duty
and service tax on items for export, given to Chinese apparel
exporters have been revised five times in the past few months
from 11 per cent to 17 per cent on value of Freight on Board,
while the Indian exporters get only 8.8 per cent rebate.
Exports share of Indian apparel in the US declined by
6.46 per cent to USD 2.27 billion during January to September
2009 compared to USD 3.07 billion in the same period in 2008.
But, China's exports rose 1.95 per cent to USD 17.23
billion and that of Bangladesh by 2.35 per cent to USD 2.66
billion during the first nine months of 2009, AEPC said.
First Published: Monday, December 14, 2009, 15:51


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Digital TV News: Dialog
TV industry launching 20 ATSC 3.0-enabled TV models at CES
Jan 7, 2020 – The first U.S. consumer television receivers equipped with NEXTGEN TV capabilities are coming to retail stores later this year, with the announcements at CES 2020 of the biggest names in the industry launching 20 ATSC 3.0-enabled TV models.
News categories: ATSC, Madeleine Noland, ATSC, CES2020, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, USA
Samsung adds NEXTGEN TV to 2020 QLED 8K line-up
Jan 5, 2020 – Samsung has announced that its upcoming 2020 QLED 8K television lineup will offer ATSC 3.0 tuners. The next-generation broadcast standard is designed to usher in a new era of over-the-air TV broadcasting.
News categories: Samsung, Hyogun Lee, ATSC, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, USA
ATEME powers VOD OTT and IPTV for Medialog
Dec 18, 2019 – ATEME has announced that Medialog, a subsidiary of LG U+, has implemented ATEME’s TITAN File solution for its VOD OTT and IPTV services. ATEME’s TITAN File is a multi-codec/multi-format file-based transcoder producing content for multiscreen delivery.
News categories: ATEME, Medialog, Boyang An, Tae Dong Lee, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, Korea, OTT
TVEkstra and ICAREUS power Addressable TV advertising in Turkey
Oct 24, 2019 – Icareus and TVEkstra have agreed with Turkuvaz Media, Ciner Media Group and TV8 channels to offer addressable TV advertising formats to advertisers on all their main channels. The formats are available to over 3 million unique HbbTV enabled Smart TVs.
News categories: ICAREUS, TVEkstra, Turkuvaz Media, Ciner Media, TV8, Mikko Karppinen, Merve Eraslanoğlu, Advertising, Digital TV, HbbTV, Smart TV, Turkey
Dialog Axiata introduces Cloud TV service powered by Kaltura
Sep 3, 2019 – Kaltura has announced that Dialog Axiata has selected Kaltura to power ViU, its cross-screen Cloud TV service. ViU is now available to the operator’s existing subscribers as well as every mobile user in Sri Lanka, regardless of the network.
News categories: Kaltura, Dialog Axiata, Ron Yekutiel, Dr. Rainer Deutschmann, Android TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, Sri Lanka
GO Malta deploys Edgeware solutions for multiscreen TV
Aug 13, 2019 – Edgeware has announced that Malta’s GO has deployed a solution that includes Edgeware’s CDN and Origin platforms, enabling it to deliver multi-screen services and provide viewers with a fully mobile and flexible TV-experience.
News categories: Edgeware, GO Malta, Johan Bolin, Chris Attard, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IBC2019, Malta, OTT
Altice USA smart speaker offers hands-free Altice One voice control
Aug 7, 2019 – Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) has unveiled its Altice Amplify home speaker. The device features Devialet's sound technologies and has Amazon Alexa Built-In. Altice Amplify also offers hands-free voice control of the Altice One entertainment and connectivity platform.
News categories: Altice USA, Devialet, Hakim Boubazine, Franck Lebouchard, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart Home, USA, UX
1.2 million pay TV subscribers at Dialog Axiata
May 14, 2019 – Dialog Axiata has announced results for the three months ended 31st March 2019. Dialog Television (“DTV”), continued to consolidate its leadership position in the Digital Pay Television space with a subscriber growth of 16% YoY to reach 1.2 million.
News categories: Dialog, Digital TV, Results, Satellite, Sri Lanka, Subscribers
LG kicks off global rollout of 2019 TV lineup
Mar 6, 2019 – LG has announced that its 2019 premium TV lineup featuring advanced OLED and NanoCell TVs has begun rolling out. With screen sizes up to 86", the TVs offer upgraded AI picture and sound quality thanks to the company’s α (Alpha) 9 Gen 2 intelligent processor and deep learning technology.
News categories: LG Electronics, Brian Kwon, Digital TV, Korea, Smart Home, Smart TV, USA, Worldwide
- Netflix releases fourth-quarter 2019 results
- U.S. weekly time watching Netflix and Hulu up 20 minutes in 2019
- Allegro DVT unveils VVC compliance test bitstreams
- Synamedia partners with USSI Global for the U.S. market
- Disney+ brings forward EMEA launch date
- BARB begins reporting reach and time spent viewing across screens
- Synamedia partners with World Wide Technology
- Roku TV launches in Brazil in partnership with AOC
- Realtek, Jiuzhou join NAGRA Android TV Reference Program for Pay TV operators
- ENENSYS DVB-SIS solution ready for deployment
- Syncbak to debut simplified OTT syndication and monetization tools at NATPE 2020
- No growth expected for MENA pay TV revenues
- Indian communication satellite GSAT-30 launched successfully
- NBCUniversal unveils Peacock freemium streaming service
- Comscore TV viewing data used to predict advertising audience decline
- Majority of U.S. advertisers using Advanced TV solutions
- US broadband households interested in innovative offerings accessed via TV
- U.S. advertising and marketing spend to grow to $390 billion in 2020
- Bannister Lake integrates MPEG-DASH into data aggregation workflow
- NextGen TV offers clear upside potential according to BIA


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During the 2019 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, finance titan Warren Buffet expressed his thoughts about Tesla’s online sales strategy and Elon Musk’s plans to start an auto insurance service for its electric cars.
While Buffet admitted that the practice of selling cars online has merit, he noted that such a strategy would not be enough to destroy traditional auto dealers, particularly those who take care of their clientele. Tesla has made it a point to remove dealers in its business model, with the company operating every one of its physical stores across the globe.
“Using the internet to shop for cars is like, you know, using the internet for shopping for everything. It’s another competitor, and there’s no question that people will look for better ways. It’s another competitor, but I don’t think it destroys the auto dealer who takes good care of the customers and is there to service the customers. It’s not an overwhelming threat, but it’s obviously something that’s going to be around,” he said.
The Berkshire Hathaway CEO was more cautious with regards to Elon Musk’s plan to introduce an insurance program for Tesla’s electric cars. The Tesla CEO confirmed the upcoming insurance program during the company’s first-quarter earnings call, and he has since provided a few brief details about the initiative. Among these is the idea that Tesla will be able to price its customers’ insurance accurately due to driving data gathered from customers. Buffet expressed a word of caution to Elon Musk in his reply.
“Actually, General Motors, the company, for a long time, (had a service) called motors insurance company and various companies have tried it. I would say that the success of the auto companies getting into the insurance business is probably about as likely as the success of the insurance companies getting into the auto business. I worry much more about progressive than all of the auto company possibilities that I can see getting into the insurance business. It’s not an easy business at all. I would bet against any company in the auto business being any kind of an unusual success,” he said.
Warren Buffet’s warnings to Elon Musk about the auto insurance business is coming from a place of authority. GEICO, one of the most notable auto insurance services today, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which Buffet leads. Nevertheless, Elon Musk might know a thing or two about difficult businesses. Over his career, Musk started several disruptive companies, from Zip2 and X.com (which later became PayPal) to Tesla and SpaceX. All of these companies required Musk to work himself to the bone, but all of them saw success. The auto insurance business might not be easy, but a private space enterprise and an electric car company are not simple endeavors either. With this in mind, it might be too early to discount Tesla’s insurance initiative just yet.
Watch Warren Buffet talk about Tesla in the video below.


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Luxury etailer Net-a-Porter is reported to have received a bid from Swiss luxury group Richemont.
Richemont was already a 28% stakeholder of the business and is believed to have made a bid for the rest of the company. The etailer’s founder Natalie Massenet and Venezuelan investor Baywinds also held stakes in the business, it is unclear what, if any, stake they would retain in the company.
The business was set up by Massenet in 1999 and could be sold for up to £350m.
Net-a-Porter’s biggest markets are the UK and the US. In the six-months to August 1 pre-tax profits grew 56% to £7.1m with sales up 40% to £53.2m.
In November the business denied speculation that it was preparing for a float. Massenet said at the time that a public listing “has always been there as a potential exit for shareholders but it is not something we are focusing on”.
She added: “We don’t need to raise money, we run off our own steam. Our shareholders are very happy. They are there for the long run.”
Net-a-Porter also runs discount luxury fashion etail site the Outnet.com and the back office for Jimmy Choo’s online operations.
A spokesman for Net-a-Porter said: “We never comment on speculation.”


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REALITY TV has become such a phenomena in recent years and those with great presentation and interesting content that connect easily with viewers are sure winners and are likely to have a strong following.
Besides being a new source of income, it has also created an avenue for advertisers to promote their brands in the show as it provides different kinds of brand exposure throughout the show.
For example, the US reality weight loss programme “The Biggest Loser” has done remarkably well and has set a platform for international as well as local brands to expose themselves in the show when the production rights for the Asian chapter of “The Biggest Loser” was secured by Osys Group Sdn Bhd.
Osys is involved in TV show production, digital, fertiliser, retail and aviation businesses.
Osys Group is a company that has successfully won the highly competitive bids of US$1mil and US$5mil against Macau, Thailand, Singapore and Australia to organise and host two reality TV programmes in Malaysia.
The shows are the boxing “The Contender Asia” Season 2 and “The Biggest Loser Asia” respectively.
“The Contender” is the largest reality TV production in Asia. Season 1 of the series was broadcast in over 40 countries around the world.
The series follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches.
Meanwhile, The Biggest Loser has grown to become a stand alone health and lifestyle brand since its debut in 2004 and it has become a worldwide hit airing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries.
It was recognised as a top brand of the year in Advertising Age’s 2008 Marketing 50.
The Biggest Loser Asia is showing in 20 Asian countries by Hallmark Channel. It has participants from the Asian region and it is being recorded in A Famosa Resort in Malacca. The world premier was on Nov 24.
Osys Group managing director Muhammad Shahnaz Azmi, 28, says most brands have marketed their products through traditional advertising that includes print ads, 30 second TV commercials and billboards for the last century.
“The modern paradigm in marketing is more subliminal and is aimed at influencing buying behaviour patterns for the long term and forming habits in the target consumer base.
“This is achieved through a holistic campaign that builds marketing messages in TV, Film and Gaming content along with digital and on ground activation,” he tells StarBizWeek in an interview recently.
He says integrating a brand into a TV series has numerous benefits as compared to a traditional 30 second TV commercial.
“These have been proven for the last 10 years in American TV whereby products are integrated into TV content and have experienced dramatic improvement in sales,” he says.
He gives an example on Wrigley’s chewing gum that partnered with The Biggest Loser in the US.
“As a direct result of the partnership, the company sold an additional 80 million packets of chewing gum,” he says.
According to him, the products integrated into The Apprentice TV series have shown double digit growth in sales that are directly attributed to their partnership with the TV series.
The Biggest Loser is one of the most successful marketing platforms in the US, Europe and Australia with Fortune 500 companies using it to promote their products.
“The reason for its success is that the show is inspirational and changes the lives of millions of people. It is more than weight loss as it is about changing lives of contestants and viewers,” he says.
On the business opportunities in producing a reality TV show, Shahnaz points out that the growing costs of producing content especially in the US and UK is forcing producers to consider lowering cost options to other countries.
“Various countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada have tried to leverage on this upward trend by offering incentives to producers to relocate their projects to their respective countries,” he says.
He urges local companies to realise this golden opportunity to capitalise on the trend and make Malaysia the centre of media in Asia and globally.
“This is our ambition to make Malaysia the centre of media in Asia,” he stresses.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was reported to have said not too long ago that the nation can be a meaningful and substantive contributor through the creation of impactful content.
He said countries can learn more about each other and the world through film and hopefully this will lead to greater understanding and better rapport.
“It is a great way of exchanging knowledge and ideas about creativity, techniques and trends in the increasingly sophisticated craft of film making,” he says.
The importance of TV production has not been missed by the Singapore Government, which in February announced that it was setting aside US$150mil over five years under the Singapore Media Fusion plan.
This is on top of Singapore’s existing National Research Foundation support of US$326mil over five years for interactive digital media research and development.
Shahnaz says Malaysia has the potential to surpass the neighbouring competitors and establish the nation as a desired destination for international film and TV producers.
“Malaysia has the most picturesque locations in the region, sound infrastructure and an immensely resourceful talent pool which can be leveraged on to establish the Centre of Media Excellence,” he says.
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Bitcoin Cash, a virtual currency created by a team of developers and miners, has been on a wild ride this year, reaching all-time highs in price and gaining popularity among investors.
The cryptocurrency is expected to reach $10,000 by the end of March, making it the fastest-growing cryptocurrency in the world, according to CoinMarketCap.
That’s just in time for the holidays, as more than $5 billion worth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are expected to be traded at this point.
And while the price of bitcoin continues to rise, the cryptocurrency’s future is still unclear.
A recent study by the research firm CB Insights estimated that $10 billion in total value could be lost to a cyberattack.
And there’s still a chance that the cryptocurrency could crash in the future.
The problem, however, is that the digital currency has a lot of risk, and it’s easy to lose a lot money trading it.
So what should you do if you’re considering trading Bitcoin Cash or other cryptocurrencies?
If you’re trading cryptocurrencies, it’s important to know that there are plenty of ways to profit from them.
Here are the three most popular ways to make money: Buy bitcoins for cash: Buying Bitcoin Cash can be an effective way to make a quick profit on the digital cryptocurrency.
In this scenario, you need to know what you’re buying and how to spend it.
You can do this by taking a look at the QR code on the side of the coin, which is often a sign that the coin is backed by a reputable entity.
Bitcoin Cash users can also use bitcoin-related sites such as Coinbase to buy Bitcoin Cash.
This is a popular option, because the currency is so volatile and you don’t need to worry about the blockchain.
If you want to get a better idea of how much you can make on the cryptocurrency, take a look through our list of the best cryptocurrency trading websites to trade Bitcoin Cash in the past month.
Invest in altcoins: Altcoins are a popular way to earn money on cryptocurrency markets.
Some altcoins are more volatile than others, and you need a little more knowledge of the cryptocurrency to make good investments.
For example, Ether is the best-performing altcoin by far, according the CoinMarket, but it’s worth remembering that there is volatility in the crypto market.
So be wary of investing in altcoin-linked sites.
Investing in alt coins for cash can also be a good way to diversify your portfolio, because altcoins can fluctuate in price or prices can fluctge dramatically, making investing in them risky.
You’ll need to be savvy about when and where you can and can’t invest in alt-coin-related investments.


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Top Stories of Last Week
- U.S. Treasury Department reportedly preparing to clarify crypto entities that don’t meet tax code’s definitions of “broker,” with guidance on matter possibly coming next week. Treasury statement, which is not yet public, could provide workaround by effectively limiting bill’s scope to those classified as brokers under tax code and exempt non-broker parties on case-by-case basis.
- Brian Quintenz plans to step down from role as CFTC commissioner on Aug. 31, and will announce role in private sector after departure. Rostin Behnam, acting chairman of Commodity and Futures Trading Commission since January, to be nominated to continue to lead as chairman.
- Polygon acquired Hermez Network, a ZK-Rollups-based Ethereum scaling solution, for $250 million, with two projects merging native tokens (MATIC and HEZ) in first ever such deal in crypto.
- Avalanche platform announced plans for $180 million liquidity mining incentive program to increase scale in DeFi. “Avalanche Rush” will bring top DeFi applications to platform, beginning with Aave and Curve.
- Audius, a music streaming platform based on Ethereum and Solana blockchains, partnering with TikTok on video-sharing app’s new “TikTok Sounds” library.
- Ledger announced partnership with Ethereum staking solution Lido Finance in move that claims greater accessibility and liquidity for independent stakers.
- Fireblocks announced former U.S. SEC Chair Jay Clayton as member of board of advisors. Clayton will work on addressing market structure and customer needs, including support and deployment for firm’s security technology.
- Walmart looking to hire digital currency and cryptocurrency product lead, according to careers page advertising role that seeks to provide leadership with ways to identify technology and customer trends.
- Alibaba Group Holding launched NFT marketplace allowing trademark holders to sell tokenized licenses to their intellectual property. “Blockchain Digital Copyright and Asset-Trade” can be accessed via Alibaba’s Auction platform, with NFTs launched via platform to be issued on “New Copyright Blockchain,” a distributed ledger technology platform centrally operated by Sichuan Blockchain Association Copyright Committee.
- Galaxy Digital filed with SEC for exchange-traded fund that will invest in products with indirect exposure to Bitcoin.
- Binance ordered by London High Court to trace perpetrators of $2.6 million hack upon request from Fetch.ai, an artificial intelligence company, who asked to identify and freeze accounts of hackers. Fetch.ai says hackers stole assets from Binance account before selling, and Binance confirmed it’s helping with recovery of funds. Also named former U.S. Treasury enforcement investigator Greg Monahan as global money laundering reporting officer. Lastly, Binance tightened customer verification requirements on platforms.
- Coinbase partnering with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to launch Coinbase Japan following greenlight from country’s financial regulators. Also announced it will be purchasing more than $500 million in cryptocurrency to add to holdings after receiving board approval to add assets to balance sheet. Coinbase will also invest 10% “of all profit going forward in crypto.” Additionally, regulatory documents regarding Coinbase revealed list of COIN holders such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, CitiGroup, Bank of America, Millennium Management, BlackRock, Miller Value Partners, Bridgewater, and Tennessee’s Treasury.
- Liquid exchange announced wallets were compromised. Total amount stolen reported to be upwards of $74 million.
- Bitpanda closed $263 million Series C funding round led by Valar Ventures, which values company at $4.1 billion. Alan Howard, REDO Ventures, LeadBlock Partners and Jump Capital also participated in round. Investment platform will use fresh capital on technology, international expansion and growth.
- FinTech Collective raised $250 million for new strategy focused on DeFi. $200 million will be focused on early-stage investments, and $50 million will support open-source, financial protocols and applications being built on Ethereum.
- MobileCoin, a privacy-oriented and mobile-first cryptocurrency project, raised $66 million in Series B funding round led by Alameda Research, Coinbase Ventures, and BlockTower Capital.
- Blockchain infrastructure provider Figment raised $50 million in Series B funding round led by Senator Investment Group and Liberty City Ventures. Anchorage Digital, Galaxy Digital and 10T Ventures also participated.
- Blockchain security firm CertiK raised $24 million in Series B+ funding round co-led by Tiger Global and GL Ventures. CertiK plans to further enhance security infrastructure and expand global team.
- Yield Guild Games raised $4.6 mil in round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Kingsway Capital, Infinity Ventures, and Atelier Ventures.
- Ondo Finance, a protocol meant to accelerate DeFi adoption among institutional investors, raised $4 million in funding round led by Pantera Capital. CoinFund, Protoscale Capital, The LAO and DCG also participated.
- Hyperithm, a digital asset management firm, raised $11 million in Series B funding round co-led by Hashed and Wemade Tree. Other participating investors included Coinbase Ventures, Cocone, GS Futures and Guardian Fund.
Defi / NFT
- Galaxy Digital launched passively managed DeFi index fund that tracks performance of Bloomberg Galaxy DeFi Index. Galaxy DeFi Index Fund offers exposure to decentralized lending and exchange platforms like Uniswap, Aave, Maker, Yearn and others.
- Group of developers led by Paradigm’s Sam Sun prevented SushiSwap’s token fundraising platform Miso from losing more than $350 million worth of Ether after discovering and fixing bug on platform. Vulnerability existed on “Dutch auction” contract on Miso platform, allowing attacker to bid in auction for free.
- Dolce & Gabbana will debut NFT collection on marketplace UNXD later this month. “Collezione Genesi” NFTs will feature items personally designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, with collection to launch on Aug. 28.
- 1inch Network expanded to Optimistic Ethereum mainnet, which is expected to help increase transaction speeds and lower gas fees.


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Of all the components of the user lifecycle, retention is probably the most important metric for freemium apps and free-to-play games. Retention is indeed a direct factor in the computation of the lifetime customer value (LTV) of the users acquired. For instance, early retention metrics such as Day 3 retention can serve as proxies to assess traffic quality for ROI-positive user acquisition campaigns. Needless to say, retention is also a strong indication of the general quality of the app and its user experience.However paramount it is for app publishers, retention has a problem.
Week 9In a week where the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona took the attention of mobile enthusiasts, Flappy Bird clones continue to dominate the App Store rankings.
Week 8Facebook, WhatsApp and a staggering $19 billion took the headlines this week. Meanwhile, Android developers were fond to see the Google Play store overtaking the App Store in two key European markets.
On Wednesday, February 19 we held the first episode of AppLift Webinars on the outlook of the mobile games market for 2014. We were lucky to have some great panelists onboard for this first session:
Week 7! We’ve resisted talking about Flappy Bird until this week, but it’s now time to yield to the hype 🙂
“AppLift, the Berlin-based mobile games marketing platform, has announced that its proprietary lifetime value (LTV) optimisation technology yielded a 150 percent return on investment for Aeria Games’ Immortalis. […] AppLift achieved this success by focusing its LTV technology exclusively on Continue Reading
On the menu for Week 6
Apple’s latest crack down, some bad news for Google, an insider’s take on China’s app ecosystem, Facebook’s Graph Search goes mobile, and insights on the new global game publisher alliances.
Week Nr. 5!This week, there are actually 6 links to share… We published an article on Developer Economics’s blog on the history of mobile marketing. In this article, we summarize the evolutions of the mobile industry over the past 4 years, in an effort to better understand where it’s headed and why.Click here to read it! As always, please let us know your thoughts.What was worth reading during Week 5:
Another exciting week in mobile! Following our wrap-up of the PG Connects East Meets West conference, we put a lot of focus on Asia this week.What was worth reading during Week 4:


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An investigation into possible breaches of competition law around online hotel bookings in the UK has been stepped up a gear by regulators this week.
The UK's Office of Fair Trading says the matter is an "administrative priority" and is now pursuing the investigation further after a preliminary review of evidence.
The probe was launched in September 2010 following a number of reports from hotel site Skoosh over what it claimed were unfair practices around room pricing.
Prior to the investigation being revealed, Skoosh said it had been contacted on a number of occasions by hoteliers ordering it to raise rates to those of other hotel sites such as Booking.com.
The OFT was due to report back in April 2011, but has now said the investigation will continue and will be gathering further evidence related to the issue.
Although the OFT has never outlined the exact scope of the investigation, Skoosh has claimed some credit for getting online hotel rates to be examined officially after confirming last year that it had been in talks with the regulator.
Booking.com parent company Priceline has refused to be drawn on the issue, claiming it is not aware of breaking any competition laws or that rate parity constitutes anticompetitive behaviour.
"It’s a free world and hotels can sign up or sign off with us as they wish," an official said last year.


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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy arrived in Addis Ababa on November 28, ahead of his three-day visit to Ethiopia, Kenya and Eritrea.
Ambassador Michael Raynor and General Thomas D. Waldhauser of U.S. Africa Command were part of the touring pack. The official marked his debut visit to the country in July this year as an American Ambassador to Guinea and Ethiopia.
During his stay, the American met several Ethiopian government officials including Minister of Finance and Economic Development Ahmed Shide, Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu, Minister of Peace Muferihat Kamil, Minister of Defense Aisha Mohammed, Ethiopian Airlines’ COO Mr Mesfin Tasew and the VP for Strategy Planning and Alliances, Mr Henok Teferra.
Assistant Secretary Nagy reiterated his government’s support and effort towards Ethiopia’s economic reforms as well as political with both countries establishing strong working relations. The U.S will continue to assist the country better its business climate to attract more U.S firms in its economy and sustain their operations in East Africa’s investment hub.
Despite dubbed as the fastest growing economy, Ethiopia performed poorly in World Bank’s ease of doing business report published this year ranking 159 out of 190 countries surveyed. Its neighbouring countries Kenya and Rwanda registered positive growth in their rankings, 61 and 29 respectively. Ethiopia is looking to come back with the potential business investment opportunities in its market and revised business regulations such fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to drive FDI inflow in the country.
The U.S envoy highlighted issues to be considered by the African government in their pursuit for greatness such as access to foreign currency, improving customs and logistics, offering transparent procurement and tender processes, and enabling a legal environment that addresses commercial disputes in a fair way.
Last year, U.S. goods exports to Ethiopia were $877 million, a significant rise of 6.2 per cent from 2016. The U.S companies have invested in priority sectors in Ethiopia including textile, energy, aviation and agriculture.


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Innovation and business ingenuity are powerful wealth-creating forces that you don’t want to miss out on. The stock market has been riddled with numerous ups and downs over its history, and while that causes a lot of stress and worry for retirement savers, the long-term growth of a business is all that matters.
Amazon (AMZN -0.43%) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD -0.45%) are two growing companies that are soundly beating the market in 2023. Amazon is already up 23%, while Advanced Micro Devices is up 32%. Here’s why investors shouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of these long-term compounding machines before the eventual bull market gets underway.
1. Amazon: E-commerce is a surefire megatrend to bet on
Online shopping has come a long way over the last 20 years, but it still makes up a small amount of total retail spending in the U.S. Morgan Stanley expects physical store closures and the desire for convenience to push e-commerce spending to 31% of retail sales by 2026, up from 23% today. With a growing base of over 200 million Prime members, this is a big opportunity for Amazon’s retail business.
Even after the recent fall, the stock is up 57% over the last five years, slightly outperforming the S&P 500 index. The stock is down from all-time highs for several reasons, including slowing growth coming out of the strong demand during the pandemic, higher capital spending, lower profits, and concerns about the negative consequences of a recession.
However, Amazon is already starting to see its top-line growth stabilize. In the fourth quarter, currency-adjusted sales growth came in at 12% over the year-ago quarter, beating analysts’ estimates. That is 68% higher than Amazon’s sales in the same quarter three years ago and 690% higher than a decade ago.
Amazon accelerated its capital spending over the last few years, a good indicator of where the business is headed. Historically, Amazon’s increase in capital expenditures has translated to higher revenue and growing operating profits. That reflects the large amount of untapped opportunity in the multi-trillion e-commerce market. These investments are expanding selection, shipping speed, and service offerings to win over more customers and generate returns for shareholders.
One new service that could prove very lucrative is Buy with Prime. Amazon introduced this last April. It allows merchants to offer free Prime shipping and seamless checkout through their own web stores. Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak said he believes that Buy with Prime could add as much as $3 billion in operating profit by 2025. That’s roughly a quarter of Amazon’s trailing-12-month operating profit of nearly $13 billion.
Amazon continues to find ways to stay ahead of the competition and capture the trillions in retail spending that will come online in the coming decades. This is why the stock should grow in value for a long time.
2. AMD: A bet on the digitization of the global economy
Advanced Micro Devices could deliver multi-bagger returns from its current share price level. The company is a leading chip supplier for data centers, consumer PCs, and video game consoles. These core markets drove exceptional growth over the last five years, sending the stock up 549%. But with the shares trading significantly lower after the market sell-off, the market is undervaluing the company’s role in the future of an increasingly digital world.
Last year AMD’s data center and embedded processor sales more than doubled to $10.6 billion. It closed the year strong by reporting a 42% year-over-year increase in data center, driven by strong adoption of its EPYC server chips. Data center and embedded chips make up over half of the business, which helped offset lower results on the consumer side related to softness in gaming.
The stock fell with the broader market last year over concerns about slowing growth in the gaming business, where AMD not only supplies graphics cards to PC gamers but is also the supplier of custom processors for Sony‘s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft‘s Xbox Series X/S.
While gaming is still an attractive long-term opportunity that should eventually recover, the market is undervaluing AMD’s recent acquisition of Xilinx.
Xilinx expands AMD’s product offering to field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, which are experiencing growing demand in various markets like wireless networking, transportation, the Internet of Things, and other artificial intelligence applications.
Across data center, consumer PCs, embedded chips (Xilinx), and gaming, AMD is looking at an estimated $135 billion addressable market opportunity based on company estimates.
The stock hit a conservative valuation of less than 20 on a forward price-to-earnings basis. Investors who buy today could be in for an exciting ride over the next 10 years.
John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Ballard has positions in Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon.com, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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A senior executive at Geely Automobile Holdings has said he was unaware of talks on a possible cash infusion into struggling London taxi manufacturer Manganese Bronze Holdings.
Earlier reports had said Manganese Bronze was expected to discuss a cash injection with Geely, which owns around 20% of the taxi maker, because the British firm said it had no income stream for the foreseeable future after discovering a safety flaw in its new model.
Lawrence Ang, an executive director of Geely, told Reuters on Monday he was not aware of recent communication between the firms about that matter.
In 2006, Geely paid GBP53m (US$85.26m) for a 23% stake in Manganese Bronze and 52% of a Shanghai-based joint venture with the firm but, in 2008, took a charge of CNY100m ($15.96m) to write down that investment.
Manganese Bronze, which makes London black cabs, suspended trading in its shares on Friday and said its financial position was unclear after it discovered a safety defect in its new TX4 model that led to a recall and halt in sales.
“Geely is only a minority shareholder in the company and we have made provisions for the investment in our books years ago,” Ang told Reuters.
“Our CEO and myself used to sit on Manganese Bronze’s board but we’ve cut down to only one non-executive member now,” he said.
Manganese Bronze, which has built more than 100,000 black cabs at its Coventry plant in Britain since 1948, turned to Geely in 2006 in response to high manufacturing costs which limited its growth.
It has reported losses since 2008, and sales of London-style taxis in China have failed to take off.
In the first nine months of this year, Geely sold only 710 Chinese-made black cabs, around 0.2% of its overall sales during the period, Ang told Reuters.
Geely, whose parent company also owns Volvo Car, now holds roughly 20% of Manganese Bronze, worth GBP610,000, according to Reuters calculations based on the British company’s closing price of GBP0.10 per share on 11 October, its last trading day.
The traditional London cab has come under increasing competition from van-based models from automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Citroen, Peugeot and Nissan which have developed van-based models to the strict standards set out for London cabs such as full wheelchair access, visual aids for the sight-impaired and five-passenger carrying capacity.


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Popoli Powersports of Westfield, Mass., is another casualty of the bad economy.
“To our Loyal Customer and Friends,
Due to unfortunate economic conditions, it is with great sadness we announce that Popoli Powersports is closed.
We would like to thank you sincerely for all of your patronage and friendship throughout the years and hope that you may find a new dealership to support your riding needs.
In the coming days and weeks, we hope that economic conditions support the store's reopening.
For those that have bikes in our Service Department or on Consignment, we will be posting a "claim date" in the next day or so with instructions regarding your opportunity to come and pick up your machine.”
A sign on the front door of the dealership says they are closing due to "uncontrollable economic conditions." It also says they are finalizing arrangements with a potential buyer to take over operations, according to WWLP TV in Massachusetts.
Posted by Holly Wagner


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Futuremark has now officially announced the release of an Android version of the 3DMark benchmarking software for Android. The new 3DMark for Android is developed in cooperation with many important names in the industry and should be an ideal benchmark for over 1,000 Android devices that can now be compared to devices on other platforms.
The new Android edition of 3DMark will include two benchmarks, Ice Storm and Ice Storm Extreme. Both benchmarks are based on OpenGL ES 2.0 and enable you to compare the performance of devices running Android, iOS, Windows, and Windows RT in order to give a better picture on what competition is offering despite the fact that it runs on different OSs.
The Ice Storm test is aimed at Android smartphone or tablet devices and includes two graphics tests that should put some strain on GPU and a physics test that will measure the CPU performance.
The Ice Storm Extreme is quite similar but raises the resolution to 1080p and uses higher quality textures and post-processing effects. The Ice Storm Extreme will also soon be available in the Windows version as well, which should allow for direct comparison of Windows and Android based tablets.
Currently, the new 3DMark is available on Android and Windows OS while Windows RT and iOS editions are expected to come soon, according to Futuremark.
You can find more info here.


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Katy Perry wants fans to know how she do.
Crews continued to erect temporary support towers beneath the damaged I-495 bridge in Wilmington this week in preparation for leveling the span
Sure, most food is expensive these days, but chocolate is on a tear. On Thursday, Mars, the company behind the likes of M&M’s and 3 Musketeers, said it was raising prices for chocolate products in the U.S. by about 7 percent to make up for higher ingredient costs. The decision…
The Phillies have considered releasing Ryan Howard after the season, according to a CSN Philly report.
Band say Worldwide Fan Clubs has breached contract by not meeting payments agreed in 2010 deal
Batman is celebrating his 75th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, comic shops, bookstores and libraries by the hundreds will be observing “Batman Day,” a full day devoted to all things Dark Knight!
Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher are expecting a baby and planning to marry, claims Star.


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LightForce Orthodontics reported receiving $50 Million from a Series C funding round.
The funds will allow LightForce to continue producing mass-customized braces that enable orthodontists to provide a personalized patient experience.
Since no set of teeth is the same and 70% of patients require braces instead of aligners, LightForce’s 3D printing technology allows personalization for each patient.
LightForce 3D prints brackets that fit the unique tooth morphology of each patient, customization that would otherwise be unavailable to patients with traditional braces, according to the company.
“In an industry where precision is key, 3D printing allows orthodontists to fine-tune each tooth movement down to a micron, one-thousandth of a millimeter, resulting in a balanced bite and smile tailored to each unique patient,” said Alfred Griffin III, DMD, PhD, LightForce founder and chief executive officer. “We are excited to continue implementing 3D printing technology in orthodontics in new and innovative ways to create a new standard of care for all braces patients.”
Griffin has a Masters of Medical Research and Certificate in Orthodontics from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where he currently serves as American Board of Orthodontics-certified faculty.
Photo courtesy of LightForce Orthodontics


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PARIS — Inditex, the Spanish retailer that runs the Zara chain, on Wednesday reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits, but disappointing sales as business cooled in Spain.
Net income in the three months through October advanced 27 percent to 432 million euros, or $601.2 million, as sales grew 15 percent to 2.59 billion euros, or $3.6 billion, led by store openings in Europe and Asia. Currency conversions were made at average exchange rates for the period.
Investors sent Inditex stock down 5.13 percent to 47.20 euros, or $69.19 at current exchange rates, in trading on the Madrid Stock Exchange on fears the company might be feeling the pinch of the Spanish economy, which has seen housing sales decline this year after a decade-long boom.
Pablo Isla, Inditex's deputy chairman and chief executive officer, told a news conference the company hadn't seen dramatic changes in trading in Spain. He said like-for-like sales in Spain were similar to like-for-like sales elsewhere. "We always say it's better to look at things not on a quarterly basis but over a six-months basis," said Isla.
He said sales in the first six weeks of the fourth quarter were in line with management's expectations. But he underlined the quarter would hinge on sales over the next couple of weeks during the critical holiday shopping period.
European retailers in general have been hamstrung so far by tepid holiday sales as wary consumers wait for deep discounts before gift buying. But the Inditex numbers signaled the continued health of Europe's main fast-fashion chains. Its rival Hennes & Mauritz of Sweden in September reported 25 percent growth in third-quarter profits on sales that advanced 12 percent.
Both firms' stock has gained double digits over the year as investors applaud their aggressive expansion in Europe, the United States and Asia. Isla said Inditex, which besides its cash cow Zara chain runs the Kiddy's Class, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home chains, would continue to expand.
After opening its first stores in Mainland China, he said Zara units were scheduled to open in second-tier cities with a population of over five million people, including Shenyang, Nanjing, Shenzen, Tianjin, Harbin and Dalian.
Russia is another expansion market for Zara, which is targeting a host of second-tier cities with at least a million population for openings next year.
The emphasis on new markets (80 percent of Inditex stores opened so far this year were outside of Spain) is designed to reduce reliance on Spain, which accounts for about 40 percent of Inditex's total revenue.
Through the first nine months of the year, Inditex opened 411 stores, bringing its total store count to 3,542.
“I’ve struggled my whole life to find a bathing suit that fits me that doesn’t look like a maternity bra. I’m proud of the line because it’s an accurate representation of me rather than me putting on someone else’s clothes,” says @atlantabean of her swimwear collaboration with @piaarrobio, LPA X ATL. The two decided on a swimwear collab and increased the industry standard size for the pieces. Read more about the line — and our interview with de Cadenet Taylor and Arrobio — on WWD.com #wwdfashion
Exclusive: Cate Blanchett has been named the first global beauty ambassador for @armanibeauty. Blanchett has been the face of the brand’s Sì fragrance franchise since 2013, and is now representing all of the label’s beauty categories including makeup and skin care. #wwdbeauty (📷: @zefashioninsider)
“From concept to creation, my goal was to create beautiful pieces, with a variety of sizes, all at affordable prices,” said @joansmalls of the swimwear and intimate apparel she designed for @smartandsexysocial. The collection includes neon laced bras, sheer bodysuits and swimwear separates. The intimates collection will launch in July, while the swimwear collection will be available for purchase on Tuesday at select @walmart stores, walmart.com and smartandsexy.com. #wwdfashion


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Comcast to Shift From Broadband Caps to Usage-Based Pricing
MSO to increase monthly usage limit to at least 300 GB as it tests different usage models
By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/17/2012 2:06:46 PM
The cable operator is making the change after it was criticized by competitors and public-interest groups for allowing unlimited usage of its IP video-on-demand service on Xbox 360, while applying usage of other Internet-video services to the cap.
"[I]n recent weeks, some of the conversation around our new product introductions focused on our data usage threshold, rather than on the exciting opportunities we are offering our customers," Cathy Avgiris, Comcast's executive vice president and general manager of Communications and Data Services, wrote blog post.
Comcast will "replace our static 250 GB usage threshold with more flexible data usage management approaches that benefit consumers and support innovation and that will continue to ensure that all of our customers enjoy the best possible Internet experience over our high-speed data service," Avgiris said.
Click here to read the full story at Multichannel News.
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Android Police | The Next Web | Read Write
A newspaper section is coming to the Google Play store for Android-powered mobile devices, according to a report by Android Police. Google Play News would join the store’s existing marketplaces for apps, magazines, books, movies and music.
It could become an important market for news publishers, as Android-powered tablets surpass iPads in market share. Publishers have been able to sell subscriptions within their Android apps for nearly a year now, but having a special storefront for news in the Play store could help drive readers that way.
But this news app market will face some significant hurdles.
For one, iPad and iPhone users have been much more willing to spend money on content than the relatively frugal Android users.
For another, the little we know so far suggests Google Play News will be set up to sell bundles of news in discrete periodic editions — basically a digitized newspaper. But the Web and social media have unbundled news consumption and it’s not clear why any reader would want to pay money to return to media organized around daily “issues.”
Hopefully when this product surfaces it will focus less on recreating a virtual newsstand for periodicals and more on creating a marketplace for customized, premium mobile news experiences.


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One of Bollywood’s biggest stars will be in a film about ‘India’s menstrual man,’ who invented a pad-making machine
Akshay Kumar — one of the biggest names in Bollywood — will play the lead role in “Padman,” a movie inspired by the true story of a man who invented a low-cost device to make sanitary pads for women and girls in his village.
The film aims to remove the stigma around periods.
Kumar told Business Insider that he believes entertainment can normalize taboo subjects in a way that other mediums can’t.
Around the world, millions of low-income women and girls do not have access to sanitary pads or tampons. As a result, many miss or drop out of school, stunting economic …read more
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