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- Wal-Mart shares currently trade at a tempting discount of 13% to market.
- Updates and results from initiatives such as ecommerce development, adjustment of international operations, and expansion of small-format stores would narrow the valuation gap.
- Stock performance is expected to be buttressed by continued dividend growth and share buybacks.
Shares of Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT) now trade 8% off from their 52-week high of $81.37 achieved in December 2013. I believe the recent pullback has presented a great buying opportunity for this quality long-term investment as its valuation has become attractive and management's initiatives to tackle the challenging retail environment provides potential upside catalysts.
The stock now trades at a 13.4x 2015E P/E multiple, which is at a 13% discount to the same multiple for S&P 500 Index (see chart below).
I view the current valuation discount to be compelling as a narrower valuation gap can be justified by the following reasons:
- Wal-Mart's valuation discount to the market averaged at just 8% in the past 12 months;
- The company's consensus long-term earnings estimate of 8.6% is not far below the average estimate of 9.5% for S&P 500 companies;
- The stock now offers a 2.4% dividend yield, which exceeds S&P 500's average at 1.9%, and the dividend has grown by a CAGR of 15% since 2009, outperforming the growth for many large-cap dividend stocks;
- Management is committed to returning significant capital to shareholders as share repurchase in the past 5 fiscal years totaled at almost $48B, representing almost 20% of the current market capitalization; and
- Wal-Mart has a leading market position in the retail sector and its immense global presence should mean a below-average risk as reflected by the stock's 5-year beta of 0.32.
Looking forward, I believe the following key developments would drive a valuation upside:
- Wal-Mart's online business development has recently demonstrated success. Since the launch of Pangea search engine, the company has experienced a 20% increase in conversions from site search results. Revenue from Yihaodian, a Chinese ecommerce retail website that was acquired by the company in 2012, was up 40% in Q3 2013. Owing to the positive results, management recently raised its online revenue guidance from the prior estimate of $9B to $10B. Going forward, it is believed that Wal-Mart's resources allocated to the ecommerce development should continue to focus on improving the current technology platform and pursing strategic acquisitions and the online business would become a primary growth driver. Hence, I expect the stock price to benefit from future development updates.
- To cope with low-return performance from international operations, management announced in 2013 that it would slow down international expansion and shift its strategic focus to profitability improvement. In addition, management has also terminated some unsatisfied partnerships and stores in emerging markets (e.g. India, China and Mexico), reflecting their commitment to reshaping the international operations. Given that the international turnaround plan remains in its early implementation stage and the fact that the new CEO, Doug McMillon, used to be the chief of the international division, it is expected that new management would have a stronger focus on this issue and more measures to announce down the road.
- For the company's US operation, management's current strategy has been focusing on rolling out small-format stores. Given the recent solid performance (e.g. revenue for Wal-Mart Express grew at double digits the past few quarters), I believe the opening of the small-format stores would notably outpace traditional stores, which should buttress the top-line growth in the US market.
- As Doug McMillon recently took on the CEO role, it is expected that the company will announce some sort of detailed development plans for the initiatives I just mentioned and these announcements would likely improve market sentiment and support the valuation.
- Since 2009, the company has been raising dividends annually by a 15% CAGR. Looking forward, I expect the current pace of the dividend growth can be sustained by Wal-Mart's strong free cash flow generation, which significantly exceeded annual dividend payments in the past few years. Further, the share repurchase program has not only returned $48B to shareholders but also effectively reduced the share counts by 15% since fiscal 2010.
In summary, I believe Wal-Mart is well positioned to leverage its ample resources (e.g. global scale and vendor relationships) to achieve desired results from the improvement initiatives. As the stock valuation is now at a deeper discount to market, I believe a buy recommendation is warranted.
All charts are created by the author and data used in the article and the charts is sourced from S&P Capital IQ unless otherwise specified.
Disclosure: I am long WMT. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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The PC Gaming Show, being one of the E3, has not always had the repercussion of the other major press events that take place in Los Angeles. The case this year has all the numbers to be very different, since they have added to luxury to make the event more important: Epic Games and its Epic Games Store, which will use the computer conference to talk about the different exclusive that will add to its catalog in the coming months.
As confirmed by the organization itself, “the direct 2019 will have more ads and new trailers than any other held in years past.” Among the other companies confirmed for the appointment are Annapurna Interactive, Chucklefish, Digital Extremes, Digital Uppercut, E-WIN, Fatshark, Fellow Traveler, Frontier Developments, Funcom, Modus Games, Paradox Interactive, Perfect World Entertainment, Raw Fury, Rebellion, Re -Logic and Tripwire Interactive.
Some surprises are expected for the appointment, which will be held at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. Remember that you can follow the conference from GamesFreeBola. Check dates and times of E3 2019 to follow everything that happens in Los Angeles with us.

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Kia delivers 200 EV6s in India till date; more units planned for 2022
Kia India, one of the fastest growing carmakers in the country, has delivered 200 units of the Kia EV6 to customers till date. This number is already twice the initially planned 100 units for the entire year. Now, the company is planning to further increase the total allocation of EV6 in 2022 and complete most of the pending deliveries within this year.
The EV6 is the first Electric Vehicle by Kia in the country and was launched in June’22, however, the deliveries to customers began last month. The Kia EV6 received an overwhelming response from Indian customers with 355 bookings received even before its launch and these booking numbers have grown since then. Staying true to its commitment of customer centricity, Kia India will be delivering additional units to customers in the upcoming days.
Myung-sik Sohn, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said “The EV6 is considered to be amongst the most sophisticated products by Kia ever and is a demonstration of our technological prowess and capabilities. At the launch of EV6, amid the very positive response received, we had promised our customers to bring in more units of the EV6, over and above the initially allotted 100 units for 2022. Going forward, our focus will be on completing the deliveries of all the existing and new bookings at the earliest. The EV6 made electric mobility a fun and joyful experience for our customers, and I am confident that the EV6 will be a common sight on Indian roads in the upcoming days.”
The Kia EV6 is built on Kia’s dedicated EV platform, the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and marks the beginning of Kia’s journey into the EV space in the country. Kia EV6 offers a range of up to 708 km on a full charge (ARAI certified), thereby keeping range anxiety at bay. Kia India is committed to offering sustainable mobility solutions and is working towards developing charging infrastructure in the country to provide a hassle-free ownership experience for its customers. As part of its EV roadmap, Kia will launch its India-centric EV by 2025 in the country.


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The continued climb of the U.S. dollar weighed heavily on pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's Johnson & Johnson's first quarter earnings reported Tuesday morning. It was in many ways a repeat of a quarter earlier — only this time the numbers were worse with currency woes cutting further into international sales, profitability and now the company’s outlook on the coming three quarters.
The New Brunswick, NJ based company reported $17.4 billion in first quarter revenue, down 4.1% from the same period a year ago. While sales increased 5.9% at home, sales abroad declined 12.4%, reflecting a negative currency impact of 13.2%. One bright point is that revenue was a bit higher than anal...
Also read: European Earnings Sapped by Strong Euro


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The latest news and updates on issues surrounding the threat and spread of Xylella fastidiosa and its impact on the horticulture industry.
Thirteen countries ban import plant material affected by Xylella fastidiosa
On 2 March 2023, the import of plant material susceptible to Xylella fastidiosa is no longer permitted for 13 third countries:
Pests & Diseases Tracker
A subscriber service delivering realtime pest & disease outbreak alerts plus plant health news, EAMU updates and pest & disease factsheets direct to your email.
Xylella: is there scope for a cure?
A scientific conference on European research into Xylella fastidiosa held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain will showcase the worldwide work being done to tackle the disease.


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First CIIM USA Conference: Seven new chapters added, Unveiled web portal, Announced upcoming worldwide conference
On November 8, 2006, the Confederation of Italian Entrepreneurs Worldwide (Confederazione degli Imprenditori Italiani nel Mondo - CIIM) held its first CIIM USA conference in New York City (see photo album). CIIM USA is part of the global network of CIIM Italy, an organization created in 2004 under the Minister for Italians Living Abroad, which aggregates Italian entrepreneurs worldwide to create synergies between businesses in Italy and abroad.
In his opening remarks, Tomaso Veneroso, President of CIIM USA, noted that active participation of its members has been, and will continue to be, key to the success of CIIM USA. In fact, entrepreneurs within the confederation have frequently suggested programs and initiatives and actively help implementing them. In a video message, Giuseppe Zamberletti, President of CIIM Italy, recognized the need for "synergies among Italian entrepreneurs doing business in Italy and abroad, and for collaboration to achieve excellence and efficiency when entering or expanding to global markets".
Marco Casella, Vice President of CIIM USA, unveiled a plan to expand CIIM's presence in the North American regions, announcing the opening of seven new chapters in the USA by the end of 2007, including Miami and Detroit by the end of 2006.
Francesco de Leo, Executive Vice President of CIIM USA and President of CIIM Washington, DC, unveiled CIIM North America's web portal (www.ciimonline.org), an online resource of information and services developed to maintain a dynamic relationship between CIIM and its members. Among the services is an online business directory and a business opportunities database, which is made available to members and partially to guests.
The event program included a roundtable seminar where Alessio Cioni, Board of Advisors for CIIM USA, presented and facilitated the discussion regarding "tools for managing the risk of monetary exchange". This workshop was very well received by the attendees who contributed to the discussion with their own experiences, questions and considerations.
During closing remarks, Leonardo Kosarew, President of CIIM Canada and President of the Coordinating Committee for North America, acknowledged the excellent work of CIIM USA and announced the upcoming worldwide CIIM conference, which will take place in Toronto in May 2007.
Other members of the Board of Advisors for CIIM USA who made this event possible are Sonja Dettori, Luca Cordelli, and Andrea Volpe.


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KAGEM EMERALD AUCTION BRINGS HOME FOREIGN CURRENCY
Bidding at the auction was thinner than usual, with several customers noting decreased availability of financing for gemstones in India due to allegations surrounding fraudulent bank lending to Nirav Modi and Gitanjali, two leading diamond and jewellery groups in India. But Kagem remained optimistic for the future of Zambian emeralds in the world market, noting that its next auction, this time of predominantly higher quality emeralds, is presently scheduled to take place in Lusaka later this year. “This auction sees Kagem pass US$500 million of aggregate revenue since Gemfields acquired its 75% stake in 2008. We believe this is the first time a coloured gemstone mine has transparently attained this milestone with publicly available data. The Zambian Government’s share of these revenues – in the form of royalties, corporation tax and dividends – exceeds US$105 million, or 21% of the revenue generated, a figure which also solidly exceeds Kagem’s aggregate net profits over the same period. We congratulate our hard-working team and our partners in Kagem, the Government of the Republic of Zambia,” Gemfields Chief Executive Officer Sean Gilbertson said.
The auction saw 31 companies placing bids, generating total revenues of US$10.8 million with an overall average value of US$3.05 per carat. Robust demand resulted in 95% of the offered carats being sold (or 90% of the number of lots offered).
Gemfields is a world leading supplier of responsibly sourced coloured gemstones. The company’s 27 auctions of emeralds and beryl mined at Kagem since July 2009 have generated US$506 million in total revenues. Gemfields has developed a proprietary grading system and a pioneering auction and trading platform to provide a consistent supply of coloured gemstones to downstream markets, a key component of Gemfields’ business model and has played an important role in the growth of the global coloured gemstone sector.


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The amount households spend on entertainment bundles has increased to record levels, a national review of internet users' spending habits has shown.
Vision and Value 2014 - an examination of television, broadband and home phone usage among consumers who choose to bundle the services - found that monthly spending on bundles has increased since 2013, costing each household an average of £50 per month.
This equates to an overall national spend of £3.3 billion - the highest it has ever been.
The report also found that almost one in five UK bundle users is spending an additional £10 per month for online TV subscriptions.
More top news
July: from heatwaves to frosts
Frustrated NatWest customers have taken to Twitter after they were unable to login to their online banking today.
The government minister in charge of mental health has admitted there is still a 'postcode lottery' on the standard of care provided.


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Today we're talking with millionaire Chris "Milly Gilly" Gilmore, the proud champion of last night's Major League Baseball 2K12 competition.
The top-rated basketball simulation on game consoles comes to iOS with tons of content and unique gesture controls. Throw it down big, man!
Not all baseball games are created equally. Which one is the best bet for the 2012 season?
Microsoft's video console is still one of the only bright spots in a market where sales keep sinking, according to NPD Group.
Nintendo's 3DS hits the 5 million consoles sold mark, while Microsoft holds onto the No. 1 spot for sales.
This week, we sat by the Fire, hugged an iTree, and ran in terror from a robotic beast.
Microsoft's gaming platform is keeping up its hot streak as the best-selling console in the U.S., though the rest of the industry is still on a downslide.
Brian Tong goes behind the scenes with the critically acclaimed NBA 2K13 to check the tech behind the latest entries in one of the best sports video game franchises.
Microsoft's game console is again the top-selling console in the U.S. as the overall industry suffers another drop in sales from a year ago.
The iPad could use a physical controller. The answer's simple: make one. And make it work for everything, unlike the recently released Atari Arcade or the Ion iCade.


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With a name like Hops, it seemed inevitable that Hillsboro's new Single-A baseball team would eventually sign an official beer.
Well, it happened on Wednesday, when the Hillsboro Hops announced a new multi-year partnership with BridgePort Brewing Co. that will make the Portland-based brewer the team's official beer.
BridgePort signage, logos and brands including its IPA, Hop Czar and Summer Squeeze will be featured throughout the Hops new multipurpose stadium under construction now in Hillsboro next to Intel's Ronler Acres campus. The brewer will also produce a lmited small batch of Hillsboro Hops special brew that will be available in the stadium beer garden and at its Pearl District pub.
“I’m picturing a sunny day some time soon when all of our brewers will get to kick back with the brews of our labor while catching a game," said BridgePort Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton in a statement.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Hops make their home debut on Monday, June 17 against the Eugene Emeralds.


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Data analysis group Mintel said that the ethical clothing market is now worth £175 million, with increasingly stylish designs and a growing awareness of production methods making ethical clothes more popular.
Katrin Magnussen, senior retail analyst for Mintel, said: "Growth in ethical clothing is being driven by consumer demand for fairly-produced and sustainable goods.
"Cotton T-shirts and other casual wear formed the basis of the ethical clothing market from its early days, but times have changed and there is now ethical clothing of every type being designed - from lingerie to eveningwear and genuine high fashion and glamour.
"Real choice in styling and quality and truly fashionable designs have been vital in the market's development."
She added that the demand for ethical clothing was being met by independent stores and an increasing number of major high street retailers and supermarkets.
Yet despite the increase in sales of ethical clothes, many people still remain unconvinced about the trend.
Around a third (35%) of the 2,000 British people surveyed throughout November 2008 said they have no interest in ethical clothes, with 11% doubting the credentials of ethical labels.
A quarter of respondents say they would purchase ethical clothes if they could afford them, and 20 per cent complain about lack of availability.


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A Central Florida company behind a virtual reality game that teaches students about the elements is in line for a $225,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
The company, called Not Suspicious, has created the game TableCraft. Its founders expect to learn this month whether they will receive the financial boost as they build out their educational technology game.
TableCraft - Part - Trend - Products - VR
TableCraft is part of a growing trend of products that use VR technology to help teach students about various subjects.
"The work we are doing is important," said cofounder Rafael Brochado, 27, who said growing up in a bad neighborhood in Portugal sometimes made him consider his personal safety more important than education. "For students who have that problem, they may be in a bad social situation. Sometimes they need a place to be themselves and explore things at their own pace."
Game - Players - Reality - Goggles - Deconstruct
The game requires players to don virtual reality goggles and deconstruct everyday virtual objects like chalk, salt or toothpaste by guiding them through exercises in which they extract specific elements. Each element then affixes itself on the periodic table of elements.
"If you fail in a game, you can keep trying and, eventually, you can complete a lesson," he said. "If you fail in the real world, there is a high chance you might have to stay behind."
Brochado - TableCraft - Summer - Education - Expo
Since Brochado started working on TableCraft last summer, it has been received well, having been featured at an education expo during a defense technology conference in Orlando, Fla.
Cofounder Guillaume Bailey, 25, said the accolades have come because the game...
Wake Up To Breaking News!


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OpenSea Cuts The mustard with its $17 Billion NFTs Deal!
The $17B nametag has been dousing the industry with publicity for the past few weeks. The windfall from the sale of the stake of the world’s largest blockchain venture firm has finally forced some of the more unscrupulous players out of the game, and has set a new standard for the industry as a whole. But what’s one to expect from an industry that has become synonymous with rampant inefficiencies and shady practices? For example, has the $17B nametag deal been an effective deterrent from the smaller players entering the fray? Or will the industry’s current push for greater transparency really be worth the two-year wait?
The $17B nametag has been a success for new entrants
In the six months since the $17 billion deal was announced, the number of investment deals in the Chinese currency, the Chinese renminbi, has grown at a rapid pace. Major investment banks in China have been calling to set up official joint ventures with major financial institutions in the country, while a number of Chinese tech companies have also teamed up with Western banks and tech companies to form strategic partnerships.
More than 100 companies and institutions are registered as partners in China’s largest blockchain partnership, with banks and financial institutions accounting for the vast majority of participants. As part of the deal, a host of new tech companies based in China have been granted permission to operate in the country, creating a potential ecosystem for blockchain technology there.
Exchanges: the new frontier for crypto exchange
For years, the primary way to trade cryptocurrencies outside of China has been through online exchanges. These were once the go-to place for trading all manner of digital assets, but following the ban on certain cryptocurrencies in China, many became inhospitable places to trade. With the major online exchanges largely shut down, a host of new players have stepped into the breach, eager to cash in on the growing demand for trading CFDs and other financial products in cryptocurrencies.
In November, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States accused one such exchange, operated by a Chinese company, of market manipulation. Despite the SEC’s claims, the company has denied any wrongdoing, saying it relied on and followed the rules.
The $16 CNY
The $16 CNY was a key driver of the $17B nametag, and is still very much a part of it. The price of the Chinese currency has been volatile in the past few weeks, fluctuating between 9 and 15 CNY. Many are jumping to conclusions that the CNY is about to tank, but that’s far from the truth.
The volatility is likely due to a number of factors, including the fact that the CNY is a “free trade” currency and is therefore subject to significant price fluctuations that aren’t reflected in the amount traded on any particular day.
By way of comparison, the price of the dollar is also falling, though at a much slower pace. The main reason the CNY is seeing much higher volatility is because of the uncertainty generated by the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China.
A $5 billion IPO could be on the horizon
Last month, it was reported that a number of major global banks and financial institutions had put together a $5 billion fund to back an initial public offering (IPO) of cryptocurrencies. While the timing of the IPO is still up in the air, it’s easy to see the potential for it.
There’s considerable progress being made in the area of financial technology, and it’s easy to see the appeal of cryptocurrencies to an increasingly tech-savy investor population.
A massive investment by a major financial institution could give cryptocurrencies a much-needed boost and launch them on to the stock market, while associating them with a well-known brand that could give the offering more cachet.Investors are likely to be drawn to the stock because they’re likely to get a good deal on it. The market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies is less than $800 million as of press time, meaning most IPOs will have a hard time finding a financially sound partner. A large investment by a financial institution, however, could change all of that.
The long road to greater transparency
The $17B nametag deal has done much to publicize the issue of inefficiencies and shady practices within the industry, but it has done little to clear the air around the business practices of certain companies and institutions.
With the $5 billion fund for IPOs now in the books, one must wonder what other corporate deals, if any, will follow. Does the SEC have the authority to take action agains the exchanges that were involved in the alleged price manipulation? Will other financial institutions follow suit? Will the SEC be as lenient in the future? It’s easy to cast the current SEC bent on transparency as a good thing, but the truth is that it could do more harm than good. With the industry now more or less at a standstill, it’s unlikely to see any major breakthroughs on the regulatory front in the foreseeable future.
The crypto coffin?
While the current state of play in the crypto space is exciting and compelling, it’s important to remember that this is still very much a nascent industry. No matter how much the $17B nametag or the looming IPO impact the industry, it will take time for crypto to establish itself as a real contender in the financial space. In the meantime, we can all enjoy the benefits of a more transparent industry and improved productivity on the part of companies and institutions that are transparent about their practices.
Upcoming crypto projects to watch
Let’s say you’re an ambitious investor with a smallish personal fortune. You want to put your money into the best possible investment, but you’re short on time and money. What do you do?
You can’t invest directly in a company, as that would require a due diligence process and regulation that you likely can’t ethically ethically obtain. So you turn to the segment of the investment industry that has been dealing in sketchy practices and inefficiencies for years: cryptocurrencies. It’s a quick and easy way to join the party. You buy a small stake in a new project, see what happens, and if it goes the way you hope, you buy more and join the party. You probably won’t make a ton of money, but it’s quick, easy, and you can play right now.
With the current state of play in the industry, it’s easy to forget that cryptocurrencies are still at an early stage of development. What that means for the sector and for the industry as a whole is that we could see huge gains from new entrants, and enormous disruptions from existing companies. For both new and existing companies, the path to greater transparency and efficiency is an easy one. What’s not to like?


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Twitter reveals fast growth, net loss in IPO filing
- Twitter says in filing it plans to raise as much as %241 billion
- Twitter revenue %24254 million in first half of 2013%2C slightly lower than expected
- Twitter reports net losses as social media company spends heavily on R%26D%2C sales%2C marketing
- Twitter%27s stock ticker will be TWTR%3B stock market debut seen by November
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter's IPO filing Thursday put the micro-blogging service on course for a November stock market debut and revealed a company growing rapidly but spending heavily to keep that momentum going.
Twitter said in the filing that it plans to raise as much as $1 billion, although such early disclosures can change as the initial public offering progresses. The stock ticker will be TWTR, and the banks leading the offering are Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The public filing marks the next step in what is the most important technology IPO since Facebook's flawed market debut in 2012.
Twitter has become a powerful way to share information, used by corporate chieftains, presidents and kids alike. However, the company has only recently begun to try to make money from its service — and the public IPO filing gives an important insight into how this effort is going.
Twitter reported revenue of $254 million in the six months ended June 30. That's more than double the $122 million in revenue the company generated in the first half of 2012. The company also reported a net loss of $69 million in the first half of this year, which compares with a net loss of $48 million in the same period a year earlier.
"We were expecting revenue of about $310 million, but they are growing fast, which is what's important," said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.
The net loss is a function of how much Twitter is choosing to spend to fuel future growth, Pachter added. And the filing suggests that the company is pushing hard in this area. Expenses reached $316 million in the first half of 2013, up from $169 million in the same period of 2012, as Twitter spent heavily on research and development and sales and marketing.
Twitter said in September that it had filed IPO documents with regulators confidentially under a new law that allows companies with less than $1 billion in annual revenue to keep such details under wraps. However, companies are required to make the documents public about three weeks before the start of "road shows" in which they meet with potential investors in the IPO.
Twitter's public filing suggests that its road show will start in late October. Road shows typically last a week or two, so Twitter shares could debut in November.
Twitter said in Thursday's filing that it wants to become an indispensable companion for "live human experiences," adding that it plans to grow by expanding its user base, branching out internationally and making ads on its platform more relevant.
The company has a long way to go. Twitter's annual revenue may be about $600 million this year, while social media rival Facebook generated more than $5 billion in revenue last year.
Twitter said it has more than 215 million monthly active users. That compares with more than 1 billion for Facebook at the end of 2012.
"Revenue was slightly lighter than expected, and user growth is slightly slower," said Santosh Rao, an analyst at Greencrest Capital. "Twitter needs to either increase monetization or increase their user base to really grow their revenue numbers."
Wedbush's Pachter said Twitter is not as easy as Facebook to understand and use, which has limited user growth.
"It's not well understood by Wall Street," he added. "I bet 80% of institutional investors probably had not used Twitter before the company said it had filed for an IPO confidentially last month. Whereas 80% of institution investors had probably used Facebook before its IPO last year."
Indeed, Twitter said one of its growth strategies is to make its service simple and easy to use, particularly for new users, according to Thursday's IPO filing.
Still, both Rao and Pachter expect the IPO to be well-received by investors.
"Investors don't understand Twitter," said Pachter. "But once they explain what they are, investors will love them. Twitter is a place to conduct extraordinarily focused real-time news tracking and research. It's a great service."
Twitter has already cracked the mobile challenge — something that took Facebook longer to address. In the second quarter of 2013, Twitter said 65% of its ad revenue came from mobile devices. In contrast, mobile revenue is still less than half of Facebook's total revenue.
A lot of Twitter's users are overseas, while most of the company's ad revenue comes from the U.S.
"That's a revenue growth opportunity later on," Greencrest's Rao said.


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FDA gets over 48K new reports of defective Philips respiratory systems from May-July
Aug. 17, 2022 6:01 AM ETKoninklijke Philips N.V. (PHG)By: Ravikash, SA News Editor1 Comment
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it received more than 48,000 reports of faulty Philips (NYSE:PHG) ventilators and respiratory devices between May and July, which included 44 reports of death.
- The 48K medical device reports (MDRs) from May 1 to July 31, was more than twice the number (more than 21K MDRs) received by the agency across a year (from April 2021 through April 30, 2022) and included 124 reports of death associated with breakdown or suspected breakdown of the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam.
- The FDA said its review of these new MDRs will include examining the possible reasons for the increased number of reports during this time.
- A wide range of injuries have been reported in these MDRs, including cancer, pneumonia, asthma, other respiratory problems, infection, headache, cough, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), dizziness, nodules, and chest pain, the FDA said in an Aug. 16 release.
- The FDA noted that in June 2021, Philips had recalled certain ventilators, BiPAP machines, and CPAP machines because of potential health risks. The polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam used in these devices to reduce sound and vibration can break down, which can cause foam or certain chemicals to be breathed in or swallowed by the person using the device. These issues could potentially result in serious injury.
- PHG -1.85% to $20.21 premarket Aug. 17


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A typical conception of antitrust laws is that they protect consumers from monopolies, preserving competition at the expense of the biggest, most prominent player in a given market. But that’s not always the case. On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote ruled, in a hundred-and-sixty-page opinion, that Apple had conspired with five of North America’s largest book publishers in a scheme to raise and fix e-book prices, violating Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. A major beneficiary of the decision, Amazon, is not only one of the largest, most influential companies in technology but also the dominant company in bookselling. And, though Apple has said it will appeal Cote’s ruling, Wednesday’s decision likely ensures that Amazon will remain on top for the foreseeable future.
In 2009, Amazon’s market share for e-book sales was nearly ninety per cent, according to some estimates—a function of the Kindle’s success as the first truly popular e-reader and the company’s willingness to take a loss on books in order to expand its customer base. Amazon had set $9.99 as its standard price for new e-books—the book equivalent of Apple’s ninety-nine cents per song in iTunes, and far lower than what a new book would typically sell for in print. Publishers feared both Amazon’s control of the market and its pricing model. But, working separately, they had no power to break the company’s grip. Then Apple decided to enter the market, and brought them together. At the end of 2009, just prior to the announcement of the iPad in January, 2010, Apple met with the “big six” publishers (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and Random House), which together account for roughly ninety per cent of the sales on the New York Times best-seller list. According to Judge Cote’s ruling, Apple, along with five of the six—Random House declined to join in—worked together on a scheme to set e-book prices higher, making $12.99 the base price for new best-sellers, and to effectively force Amazon into new agreements with the major publishers and thus take away its ability to set its own prices for their e-books. According to the Justice Department, as a result, the prices for “all ebooks” published by the five “Publisher Defendants” increased by over eighteen per cent; a jarring chart from a post-trial Justice Department memo shows the average prices for e-books from those five publishers spiking on Amazon at the start of April, 2010, as its new agreements with publishers went into effect, just after the launch of the iPad. The coordinated actions of Apple and the five publishers triggered a Justice Department investigation and, eventually, the antitrust suit that led to Cote’s ruling. (Ken Auletta wrote a more detailed account in the magazine last year.)
If one takes a longer, broader view of the e-book market, the ruling against Apple might seem curious. Cracking down on Apple and the publishers (all of whom settled with the D.O.J. instead of going to trial) works in the interests of Amazon, which is the true giant of both digital and print bookselling—viewed unkindly by brick-and-mortar booksellers, both big chains and cozy indie shops, and publishers, both major and minor. Its aggressive business tactics have disrupted—or have the potential to disrupt—virtually every aspect of the business. (Amazon recently stoked the outrage of users with its purchase of Goodreads, a popular book-review and recommendation service, just one of many acquisitions it has made over the years.) Amazon is so big that it now collects thirty-one per cent of all dollars spent on books.
The iBookstore, meanwhile, is currently Amazon’s most viable competitor in the e-book market: since its launch, in 2010, Amazon’s share of e-book sales has fallen to an estimated fifty to sixty per cent, and the iBookstore, according to the Apple executive Keith Moerer, now has twenty per cent of the market. As the publishing industry continues to wither and consolidate, this competition is crucial. Borders closed its doors in 2011, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-book venture appears to be dying. The company lost four hundred and seventy-five million dollars on the Nook business during its most recent fiscal year, and its C.E.O., William Lynch, resigned earlier this week. Almost simultaneously, two of the six biggest publishers, Penguin and Random House, have just completed their merger into the largest publisher of all. Nonetheless, a confederation was—and likely is—the only way to generate true leverage against Amazon’s supremacy. Amazon possessed too much market share for publishers to revolt individually and too many resources for other booksellers to compete on price or selection. The end result of the current lawsuit is that another alliance is unlikely to emerge, allowing Amazon to continue its course, largely unabated.
There is real danger in a single seller controlling the distribution of most mainstream books, beyond the potential for price manipulation. It would wield enormous influence over what people read (or don’t), particularly as we increasingly order reading material online, from within a vast ecosystem of content and commerce. New issues emerge with digital books, given the structure of users’ rights—in most instances, buyers are technically paying to license e-books, not actually own them—and the mechanisms of cloud-based distribution, which allow merchants to control content long after they sell it. Amazon itself provides a perfect example of what could go wrong: in 2009, it infamously deleted copies of “1984” and “Animal Farm” from customers’ Kindles because of a rights issue. While Amazon eventually acknowledged that removing the books was a mistake, the incident demonstrated the extent of its control over readers’ devices. Similarly, Amazon can prevent a user from accessing her entire library.
On the other hand, it’s not as if publishers have been interested in competition for competition’s sake. They’ve simply wanted higher prices. Damningly, in her ruling, Cote noted that Hachette’s C.E.O., Arnaud Nourry, had, during the negotiations with Apple, observed “that the goal of these ventures is ‘less to compete with Amazon than to force it to accept a price level higher than 9.99.’ ” HarperCollins, the ruling says, understood that the result of their agreement “is that Apple would control price and that price would be standard across the industry.” The fact that Apple promised higher prices is part of what doomed its case. “It’s not clear that Apple had any interest in raising prices,” said Randy Picker, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, who taught a class on the case this past fall. But, he added, Apple should not have gone “into the deal advertising a price increase as one of the benefits.” Otherwise, Picker said, it’s not clear how Apple could have behaved differently, since it “needed to get a bunch of books for the bookstore and it needed to make sure it wasn’t going to face a price disadvantage” against Amazon. Still, even though the iBookstore created more competition, Cote’s ruling notes that “from the consumer’s perspective—a not unimportant perspective in the field of antitrust—the arrival of the iBookstore brought less price competition and higher prices.”
Picker, however, believes the ruling might not have an impact on the book market—at least not beyond the effect of the settlements publishers agreed to last year, in which they pledged not to restrict sellers’ ability to set their own prices for two years. (Prices of many books on Amazon consequently fell back to $9.99.) Apple’s punishment and reparations remain to be determined. One possibility is that the court will force Apple to void its agreements with publishers; in its post-trial memo, the Justice Department proposed a final judgment that would prohibit Apple’s current “agency model,” in which publishers set prices and Apple, acting as their “agent,” takes a thirty-per-cent commission on sales. If Judge Cote adheres to the D.O.J.’s recommendations, Apple would be required to allow third-party booksellers—like Amazon—to reinstate links to their own bookstores within their apps. Apple could then appeal the order.
Should Amazon find itself overwhelmingly controlling book sales, it’s unlikely that the Justice Department would act—that is, unless Amazon were to abuse its position. The law is “not anti-monopoly, it’s anti-abuse of monopolies,” Picker said. And Amazon has shown, again and again, that it has little interest in battering its customers, even if it is more than happy to abuse the industries whose products it sells.
Photograph by Patrick Fallon/Bloomberg/Getty.


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Artisan platform Vida & Co. has closed on a $29 million equity investment from Cimpress.
The $2.5 billion mass customization and printing firm will become the majority owner of Vida & Co. Vida founder and chief executive officer Umaimah Mendhro and her executive team will continue on as co-owners of the business. The plan is for Vida to remain autonomous, while gaining access to the capabilities of Cimpress, such as in technology and procurement.
Robert Keane, Cimpress founder and ceo, said, “We are investing in Vida because of its innovative and fast-moving approach to disrupting the large market for retail-grade consumer products via mass customization.”
Vida had been backed by Google Ventures and Y Combinator. The company offers apparel, accessories and home decor products designed by artisans from around the world. It partners with brands and celebrities such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Golden Globes, Steve Madden and Cher.
Vida is known for its global supply-chain that produces mass-customized items that range from custom-printed cashmere scarves to 3-D-printed jewelry. Vida also offers education and empowerment programs for its factory workers to help them and their families.
Mendhro said, “We believe the traditional retail industry, where a group of buyers predict demand and build inventory before any sales are materialized, is broken.” She noted that with a growing global creative community and demand from consumers for unique products, Vida benefits through its partnership with Cimpress due to the latter’s technology and mass-customization infrastructure.
Vida recently inked a collaboration with Lord & Taylor for an art-inspired accessories and home collection that will also feature custom-made pieces of wearable art.


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The folks behind the Evasi0n jailbreak are among those "thanked" for uncovering security holes patched in the latest version of iOS.
The carrier is apparently blocking unauthorized tethering on jailbroken devices without a data plan, according to one report in ReadWriteWeb.
Apple has apparently disabled the ability to open already purchased books from its iBooks app on devices that have been jailbroken with a hack called greenpois0n.
Apple really doesn't like you jailbreaking its Jesus phones, with reports that it stuck a new feature in iOS 4.2.1 to stop people from fiddling with the devices they've paid for with their own money.
Antivirus and security developer Intego released information on another worm that has been built to steal information from jailbroken iPhone users.
One Model S owner hacks his car, and gets a warning from Tesla.
An update to the popular new jailbreak tool addresses issues with reboots and the default iOS Weather app.
Apple's next iOS update could shut down a popular jailbreaking tool, a move that's been long expected.
The updated Redsn0w also includes support for re-restoring devices to previous versions of iOS 5.
Apple's latest mobile operating system has been jailbroken, but only for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and fourth-generation iPod Touch.


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While US lobbyists demand transparency on social media endorsements; India lags behind
Some celebrities and influencers like Kim Kardashian use #ad when they post endorsements of products. There are also about 5 lakh posts that use #advertisement and three million posts that use #ad on the photo sharing social media platform
In a recent development, consumer advocacy groups in the US want the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to hold social media influencers accountable. In a letter sent to the FTC on November 30, four advocacy groups urged the Commission to enforce its policy which states that paid endorsements on social media sites should be identified with #advertisement, #ad, #gotitforfree or #gotacoupon, etc.
The trend of employing social media influencers to endorse, market and advertise products online has become popular over the last couple of years. In fact, product endorsements on social media are increasingly coming from a new brigade of celebrities – the microinfluencers. These are social media users with 500-5000 highly engaged followers. Influence marketers employ microinfluencers to simulate word-of-mouth marketing among consumers. The math is really simple. Consumers are more inclined to believe that the latest product from a cosmetics or electronics brand is worth a try if a friend or acquaintance whom they follow on social media recommends the product.
In India and other markets around the world, social media influencers like bloggers, YouTubers, and Instagrammers receive newly launched products like newly launched electronic gadgets, health and cosmetic products, and on-trend apparel. Social media influencers often share posts endorsing these products without disclosing if they received a payment in return or the product itself for free.
Digital media planners whom we spoke to unanimously agreed that for the benefit of the consumer, a paid endorsement must be disclosed. Unlike the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US, the Indian marketing and advertising watchdog – The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) – does not have any regulation on social media endorsements from microinfluencers like bloggers or Instagrammers.
Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI, said that while ASCI currently doesn’t monitor online paid or otherwise social media endorsements or advertisements in specific but it is looking at ways to monitor advertisements in social media just like it currently monitors for misleading advertisements in Print and TV under its NAMS program.
She also said that if a paid advertisement passes off as an editorial content or a blog without being clearly identified as an advertisement then that advertisement may be considered as violating Chapter 1 clause 1.4 of ASCI code which warns against misleading ads. “In the past ASCI’s CCC has upheld complaint where an advertisement in print media was passed off as editorial content and not clearly identified as an advertisement,” she said.
The FTC on its website says that anyone who receives payment or something of value to mention a product or receives free products or other perks with the expectation that they’ll promote or discuss the advertiser’s products in their blog and bloggers who are part of network marketing programs where they sign up to receive free product samples in exchange for writing about them must disclose the relationship with the brand.
Self-regulation is the norm
Disclosures of paid recommendations on social media portals thus far are limited and primarily voluntary. Brands and the community of microinfluencers are yet to pay attention to the possible outcomes of deceptive marketing and advertising. “Marketers do leverage the reach of influencers, but none of this is a concern or an issue as of now,” said Rajiv Dingra, CEO WATConsult. According to Sanjay Mehta, Jt. CEO Social Wavelength, because rules are very loose on social media activities media planners, brands and influencers have no policies on paid social media endorsements.
Last year, the Haridwar FDA issued Madhuri Dixit a notice seeking an explanation from her about the nutritiousness of Maggi and the basis for making a claim about the product she was endorsing. It was not the first time that a celebrity was pulled up for advertisements that made false claims. Soon, influencers will collectively have massive following like celebrities and it will therefore become all the more pertinent for influencers to ensure credibility of their reviews and recommendations.
Mehta pointed out that this onus of providing credible and honest reviews lies completely with the influencer. “If an influencer gives favourable reviews to all products, then s/he will lose credibility.” In essence, in the absence of regulations and a common policy, microinfluencers must self-regulate keeping the best interests of the consumers in mind.
This self-regulation and call for monitoring paid endorsements has resulted in around 8,500 posts using #gotitforfree, about 2,000 posts using #gotacoupon, and 71,000 posts using #freesample on Instagram at present. Some celebrities and influencers like Kim Kardashian use #ad when they post endorsements of products. There are also about 5 lakh posts that use #advertisement and three million posts that use #ad on the photo sharing social media platform.
Implementation of guidelines
The concern among social media planners is about the implementation of any rule that calls upon paid endorsements to be disclosed. Recognising that not disclosing paid endorsements is a bad practice, Mehta said, “There should be regulations and some standards. Although, the problem is that even if there are regulations, the implementation is a concern.” Echoing his concerns, Dingra asked, “We would all want paid endorsements to be disclosed for the benefit of the consumers. But how would one validate and check undisclosed endorsements? What would the punishment be? And what kind of disclaimers must microinfluencers use?”
Scope of microinfluencers
The budget that is set aside for employing influencers is not very high currently, thereby making it a favourable option for marketers with small budgets. That said, the impact of influencer marketing is not a factor of the budget, said Mehta. “You need one big incident to be noticed.”
Dingra hopes that when the Indian audience matures and the reach of these microinfluencers reaches a critical mass, regulations will be put in place to monitor undisclosed paid endorsements. “But I do not see that happening in the next 2-3 years,” he added.
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WASHINGTON, DC -- As the coronavirus (COVID-19) casts an uncertain shadow over many small businesses, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is calling for the federal government to step up and offer low-interest loans to U.S. small businesses that suffer heavy financial losses due to the coronavirus outbreak.
House and Senate appropriators are working on a bipartisan $7.5 billion emergency spending bill to fight the coronavirus, which is far more than the $1.25 billion request the Trump Administration proposed.
Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, is urging his colleagues to include financial assistance for small businesses hit hardest by coronavirus in the emergency appropriations package. Reed says the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) should proactively help small businesses prepare to respond to potential disruptions caused by the spread of coronavirus and offer low-interest loans to those small businesses which are hit hardest by the pandemic.
“The coronavirus is a major threat to public health and the health of our economy and we need to help small businesses cope with the disruption it could cause. If the coronavirus outbreak widens and persists, it could have a severe impact on many small businesses. Both customers and suppliers could be forced to significantly pull back and small businesses could be forced to temporarily shutter due to the pandemic. We don’t want to see small businesses go under as a result. The federal government should provide interest-free loans and working capital to small businesses that can prove their economic woes stem from coronavirus,” said Senator Reed. “The SBA already has protocols in place through the SBA disaster-loan program and we should quickly get this money out to prevent businesses from going under.”
Currently, the SBA administers disaster and non-disaster loans for small businesses and supports a wide network of SBA-affiliated resource partners who provide management and technical assistance to small business owners. Under SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, small businesses that suffer economic losses due to disasters may receive up to $2 million to stay afloat until normal operations can resume. Senator Reed says small businesses hit hardest by the spread of coronavirus should be eligible to apply for SBA disaster loans and assistance.
Senator Reed says the emergency appropriations package must also ensure that vaccines are affordable and available to all who need them and that state and local governments are reimbursed for costs incurred while assisting the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak. Senator Reed says the final package should include at least $3 billion for the public health emergency funds, $2 billion to reimburse state and local governments, and $1 billion for the development of a new vaccine.


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The Internet is going global and there are plenty of people doing it.It is a great way to engage with and explore the world around you.But, there are also people who have decided that the Internet is too big, too powerful and too important to be taken seriously.Here are a few tips for anyone trying…
The internet is the new mobiles.It’s the new platform for the modern world.The new media age, according to the media theorist Robert Scoble, has created the internet as a sort of super-corporation that is “the internet of things.”The internet, he says, “is a vast, untapped market of information and information distribution, where information is shared,…
A series of tweets sent by Australian politician Tony Abbott have sparked outrage online.The tweet has been criticised by politicians across the political spectrum, with many accusing the former PM of being a troll.It comes after a tweet sent by the Prime Minister in July suggested that “internet-warrior” Kim Dotcom had been killed by the…
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A recent article in The Collegianur, the student paper at the University of Richmond, discussed how Two Degrees Food has come to its campus, and why it’s gaining popularity. Two Degrees Food is a company that was formed in 2010, and works with universities to sell its products.
The company sells nutritious food bars, but it comes with a catch: for every food bar you buy, they donate one meal to a child in need. So far, the company is working with 70 universities and the idea is extremely popular among students. The food bars cost around two dollars, and the number of students buying them continues to increase. The fact that college kids know they are helping a hungry child gives them incentive to buy the food.
According to the article, Two Degrees is one of the first “buy one, get one” food companies and it is continuing to gain support. Another plus is that the bars are supposedly delicious. The company has sold around 450,000 bars, and has a goal of 200 million.
If Two Degrees Food hopes to achieve that goal, it is going to have to start spreading to even more college campuses. I think the business would be popular at Towson, as well as many other schools. Who wouldn’t want to spend two dollars on a delicious and nutritious chewy bar, knowing that you’re helping a starving child? To know that you helped someone who may have gotten sick or died without that one meal would be unbelievable. Even more unbelievable would be to know you helped that child by simply buying a chewy bar.
The company was inspired by TOMS, the popular trend where the company donates a pair of shoes to a child in need, for every pair sold. Towson already has a TOMS campus program, so the next step forward would be to add a Two Degrees program.
To learn more about Two Degrees Food, check out their website.


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CSR: the future of brand building
Vast majority of consumers expect companies to stand up for corporate social responsibility.
Boosting sales with virtual reality
Investing into virtual reality as part of a marketing strategy is rather costly. However, new research suggests the investment could be paying off in brand affinity and increased purchases.
Branded geofilters on Snapchat
Snapchat will involve more brands into its location-based advertising campaigns.


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The attached file contains this articles commentary as well as tables and charts of the data.
Producer Prices: Core Trend Accelerates Higher
April 10, 2018
Bottom Line: While much less reliable than tomorrow's CPI report as an inflation gauge, PPI came in a touch faster than expected at both the core and headline level in March. Energy prices continue to drive the headline, dropping 2.1% after slipping 0.5% in February, while final demand services rose slightly. Core prices are showing a modest acceleration in trend, rising 3.6% annualized over the last 3 months versus 2.7% over the last 12 months.
The PPI ROSE by 0.3% in March, compared with market expectations for an increase of 0.1%.
Overall producer prices are 3.0% ABOVE the year ago level.
The Goods PPI ROSE by 0.3% in March and is now 3.3% ABOVE its year ago level. Food prices rose by 2.2% and are now 2.1% ABOVE their year ago level. Meanwhile energy prices fell by 2.1%. but are now 8.5% ABOVE their year ago level.
The Goods PPI less food and energy ROSE by 0.3%, and is now 2.1% ABOVE its year ago level.
The Services PPI ROSE by 0.3% in March and is now 2.8% ABOVE its year ago level.
The Core PPI ROSE by 0.3%, compared with market expectations for a increase of 0.2%. Core producer prices are now 2.7% ABOVE their year ago level.


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Aston Martin unveiled today the RapidE – an all-electric concept of its Rapide S four-door sports saloon outside Lancaster House in London.
The new RapidE concept has been developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering at its facility in Grove, Oxfordshire.
During the Lancaster House event, Aston Martin and Chinese investment group, ChinaEquity, announced an agreement to explore the development of a production version of the RapidE concept. If successful, the new luxury sports car would be constructed at Aston Martin’s global HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and could be brought to market in around two years.
Aston Martin plans to produce only 400 units a year at Gaydon facility, and around 100 are expected to be sold in China.
Aston Martin CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: “We see luxury electric vehicles as an intrinsic part of our future product portfolio and welcome ChinaEquity into the next phase of study for the project development.
“The exciting RapidE concept tangibly demonstrates the capability and ambition of Aston Martin towards developing low- and zero-emission sports cars.”
On the signing of this agreement, Chairman Chaoyong Wang of ChinaEquity said, “We are delighted that Aston Martin not only provides a high performance driving experience to customers, but also show’s their social responsibility by showcasing a new generation of electric car with zero emissions. We are excited to participate in the development of the RapidE and to make a contribution to Sino-British clean energy and green environmental strategy. We feel confident that there are significant opportunities for electric cars in China and the world.”


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New restaurant opens at Myriad Gardens that has familiar taste
OKLAHOMA CITY —
There is a new place for people in downtown to get a quick bite to eat and take in the Myriad Gardens at the same time. It's called the Ice House and while it's a new name, it's definitely not new food.
"You can smell it from way far away and it pulls you in and you can't help yourself. You have to eat one," said mom Kelsey Poe.
She's talking about the burger she ate today. It's not just any burger, it's one with a very famous and familiar taste. Nic's Grill burgers can now be found at a new location.
"We've got great Nic's burgers. We've got shakes, root beer floats. Then you can sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather we have," said chef Jeffrey Holloway.
Holloway works at the new Ice House. The building may be filled with ice skates during the winter months, but the other eight months of the year burgers are the speciality.
Earlier this year Myriad Gardens, along with restaurateur Peter Holloway, announced they were opening not only the Ice House, but also the Park House next door.
"It's a fun place to bring everyone together. To bring families together, pre-game before the Thunder games, before hockey games," said Holloway.
It's a win, win for Myriad Gardens. They are able to provide a quick bite to eat for guests, and they're more likely to come back.
"You can get your food and sit outside and enjoy the sun," said Poe. "Then you can walk around and burn the calories off at the Myriad Gardens."
The Ice House opened it's doors on October 17. It will shut down from November 15 until February while the skating rink is open. The Park House will open mid-November.


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ARLINGTON, Va.—Over its 25-year history, We Card has become the go-to organization for training materials and age-verification tools for retailers. The nonprofit launched a nationwide effort to help retailers identify and prevent underage tobacco, e-cigarette and other age-restricted product sales. As a result, We Card has become synonymous with taking action to prevent underage sales.
September is We Card’s Awareness Month to highlight the importance of responsible retailing, training employees, mystery shopping stores with We Card’s ID-Check-Up service and ordering next year’s 2021 in-store tools, signage and training materials, such as We Card calendars.
“Back in 1995, we needed a program to effectively train our members on how to abide by the tobacco compliance laws, and We Card’s program met that need,” said Lyle Beckwith, NACS senior vice president of government relations. By providing a comprehensive program to educate employees on how to responsibly sell—and consumers on how to purchase—retailers can successfully sell age-restricted products.
“Government studies around the time of We Card’s founding showed a 40% violation rate, which meant four out of 10 underage buyers were successful in buying tobacco. We Card set out to correct that by educating the retailer and consumer,” said Doug Anderson, president of We Card. “The latest government study in 2018 found that only one out of 10 underage buyers were successful in buying tobacco—that’s evidence of the positive impact We Card has had.”
The bright red and yellow We Card logo can be seen in convenience stores, tobacco retail outlets, grocery stores, pharmacies, and any location that sells tobacco products. We Card consistently continues to innovate and adapt by adding more online training and working with the industry and retailers on creating solutions to prevent the various ways underage youth obtain tobacco and vaping products, including what is called the “social sourcing” of tobacco products.}
For more about We Card’s legacy, read “We Card A Trusted Resource” in the September 2020 issue of NACS Magazine.


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Tim Hortons U.S. restaurants are celebrating the holiday season with festive food and beverage items, packaging and merchandise.
This weekend, Daylight Savings Time is ending, which means our days will get shorter and nights will get longer.
Predictive selling technology and contactless payment is coming, among other upgrades for a COVID-19 world.
The brand’s same-store sales grew nearly 20 percent in Q3.
Starting in October, Tim Hortons retail items including the famous Original and Dark Roast bags and K-Cup pods made with 100 percent Arabica Coffee will become available across more than 320 Fresco y
From September 21– 25th, Tim Hortons will be giving away a free pumpkin in select U.S.
Tim Hortons U.S. restaurants are welcoming fall with the return of their pumpkin spice product lineup, available beginning September 9 at participating Tim Hortons U.S.
On Wednesday, August 12, Tim Hortons guests across the U.S. can join Tim Hortons restaurant owners in celebrating Camp Day — helping to support thousands of campers across the Tim Hortons community.
Restaurant Brands International plans to return to robust growth in 2021.
Tim Hortons U.S. is partnering with Grubhub to offer delivery in select regional markets, including Grand Rapids, Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, Rochester, New York, and Columbus, Ohio.


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2016 Will Be Year of "Even Greater Heights" for Capcom, Exec Says
Plus, the Dead Rising publisher president says it could be "fatal" to miss the "massive growth wave" of digital opportunities.
Although the physical game market remains a viable business and a preferred option for some, it's clear that the industry is shifting towards digital. Now, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, Capcom, has come out to say it could be "fatal" not to leverage the many opportunities that digital allows for. Additionally, the company's CEO is predicting that 2016 will be a year of "even greater heights" for the Street Fighter and Dead Rising publisher.
Capcom president and COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto offered his take on the digital games business in an updated executive statement on the publisher's investor website. In his message, Tsujimoto talks about the many benefits of digital, including how it allows Capcom to bypass brick-and-mortar retailers altogether.
"We have begun a time of fantastic innovation in the game industry due to the Internet," he said. "Digital downloads over the Internet have become widely adopted as a new sales channel within the game industry. And due to greater efficiencies, such as reduced physical inventory as well as lower production costs and, last year saw progressive improvements in profitability across the industry as a whole."
Selling games directly to consumers without a middleman like GameStop or other physical retailers may prove to be an "enormous business chance," Tsujimoto said.
"What's more, digital download sales have expanded sales opportunities for us on two fronts. The first was by giving users the ability to purchase games from the comfort of their homes without ever setting foot in a store," he explained. "Being able to bypass physical distribution and sell games directly to users--especially in the regions where retail outlets hold so much power--should prove to be an enormous business chance.
"Additionally, consumers in the US and Europe spend a good deal of time at home, where they enjoy downloadable movies, television shows, and digital books during their free time on the weekends. I believe our second big chance comes from games now being included as one of those downloadable options for spending free time."
Tsujimoto went on to say that being late in catching the "massive wave of growth" that is the digital game business "could be fatal." As such, Capcom has adjusted its development structure, as well as marketing and promotional activities, to "face this revolutionary change are the key to victory in the game industry."
"I believe next year will be one where we step up to the challenge of exceptional growth; a great year in which we can provide joy, emotion, and the fun of games to people the world over via Capcom's titles and services," he said.
In his own, separate statement, Capcom CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto said 2016 will be a "year of even greater heights" for the company. This will be fueled in part by an "exciting lineup" of games, beginning with Street Fighter V in March. He added that Capcom plans to pursue the mobile market in a meaningful way, but stressed that "our commitment to continuing to develop games for core users around the world will not change."
Recently discovered job listings at Dead Rising studio Capcom Vancouver reveal that the developer may be working on at least two unannounced games.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.


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African News Dimension Network
Egypt against conditional deals
March 3, 2006
By Andnetwork .com
An Egyptian official yesterday said that the timing of signing a free trade agreement (FTA) "wasn’t appropriate from the Egyptian and US points of view".
Addressing a joint press conference with US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rashid Mohamed Rashid said the envisaged pact was not a grant from one government to the other.
"It should work for the benefits of both governments. Egypt has no intention to enter conditional deals whether politically or economically," he added.
Rashid and US Gutierrez yesterday signed in Cairo a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to renew the term of the US-Egypt Business Council.
"I have the honour to be here on my first trip to Egypt. The US and Egypt share the same goal of economic growth and prosperity, security and peace," said Gutierrez, who is on an eight-day tour to the Middle East to encourage economic reform and promote trade ties.
Egypt is a leader in regional trade and security, Gutierrez said, adding that he would be meeting with government officials to discuss plans for future reforms.
"I applaud the important measures that have been implemented and hope Egypt will continue along this path of economic reform and trade liberalisations," he said.
"This trip is a great opportunity to promote the economic side of our relationship with the Middle East countries and continue to help them in their quest toward freer societies which include free enterprise and trade," he added.
"President Bush and President Mubarak during their first meeting together made it a priority to re-establish the council. This is an ideal opportunity to allow business community members to express what their expectations are".
Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, the voice of business in government. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush’s economic team.
Minister Rashid said: "The Egypt-US Business Council is a bilateral business council created to facilitate private sector business growth in Egypt and to strengthen trade and investment ties between Egypt and the United States."
Jointly headed by an Egyptian and a US chair, the Council membership is made up of senior representatives of leading companies from both countries.
"The council represents an important element in the bilateral landscape. It is an ideal forum for cooperation and a mechanism for providing information, analysis, advice and guidance for the mutual benefit of both parties," added the Egyptian official.
"Egypt has no intention to enter conditional deals whether politically or economically," Rashid added.
He went on to say that the free trade agreement between Egypt and the US is not a grant from a government to another.
"It should work for the benefits of both governments," he explained, adding that the time of signing the agreement is "not appropriate from the Egyptian and the American points of view".
"Through the council, business leaders work for the development of stronger commercial ties between the US and Egypt, by assisting their respective private sectors to develop closer business relations and to establish a forum for cooperation that will promote economic growth and improve business climate in Egypt,"he added.
"The signing of the MOU represents the re-activation of this Council to play an important role in promoting stronger commercial relations between the two countries," Rashid added.
"As part of its activities, the council aims to exchange information and encourage bilateral discussions on a wide range of issues that affect the growth of the private sector in Egypt along with the promotion of business opportunities in Egypt and the US, as well as the identification of firms on both sides that might work together," Rashid said.
The visit is intended to strengthen the US commitment to partnership with Egypt in economic and democratic reforms.
In 2004, Egypt exports to the US were worth $1.1 billion while US imports cost $3 billion dollars.
Egypt receives $2 billion in US aid, making it the second largest recipient of US foreign aid after Israel.
Source : Egyptian Gazzette


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Post-Its maker 3M (NYSE:MMM) narrowly beat the Street on Thursday with a 2.6% rise in second-quarter profits as the diversified manufacturer enjoyed sales gains in almost all divisions.
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In addition to the stronger-than-expected results, 3M also announced plans to accelerate share buybacks.
The company said it earned $1.2 billion, or $1.71 a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $1.17 billion, or $1.66 a share, a year earlier. Analysts had called for EPS of $1.70.
Revenue increased 2.9% to $7.75 billion, narrowly trailing the Street’s view of $7.77 billion. Operating margins dipped to 22% from 22.9%
“This was a good quarter for 3M, with strong performances across the portfolio," 3M CEO Inge Thulin said in a statement. "Our employees executed well in the face of continued slow economic growth."
All but one of 3M’s five divisions reported year-over-year sales growth for the second quarter, highlighted by a 6.6% jump in revenue at its industrial arm.
Sales in safety and graphics increased 2.3%, while sales were up 4.6% in health care. The two laggards were consumer, which saw revenue gain just 1.4%, and electronics and energy, which suffered a 3.2% decline amid “soft” end-markets and weakness in renewable energy.
Looking ahead, 3M reaffirmed its full-year guidance for EPS of $6.60 to $6.85 on local-currency sales growth of 2% to 5%.
Management also raised its forecast for share buybacks, projecting $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion, compared with a prior call for $2 billion to $3 billion.
Shares of Minneapolis-based 3M were inactive in premarket trading. The company’s shares have rallied 25% so far in 2013 and 31% over the past 12 months.


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Among younger generations, zillennials prove uniquely hesitant to engage with the connected economy when it comes to work.
For PYMNTS’ study “The ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Series: Meet The Zillennials,” we surveyed a census-balanced panel of nearly 4,000 United States consumers to better understand zillennials, the “bridge generation” between millennials and Generation Z, a group comprised of 30 million consumers born between 1990 and 2000. The results reveal that zillennials are more hesitant than others close in age to dive into platform gigs or to do their work remotely.
Specifically, the study found that just 50% of zillennials engage in platform work, finding gig jobs through platforms such as Uber, Care.com or Upwork. While this share is larger than the population-wide average of 38%, it is significantly lower than that of other younger generations. In fact, 59% of Gen Z workers, 54% of millennials and even 52% of bridge millennials reported engaging in platform work.
Similarly, people in this bridge generation are less likely than other young consumers to work from home. Only 56% of zillennials reported doing remote work — notably lower than the nearly two-thirds of those in other young generations (64% of Gen Z, 63% of millennials and 64% of bridge millennials) who stated that they work remotely.
Interestingly, despite zillennials’ relatively low engagement with remote and platform work, they are no more likely than comparable generations to work in positions that require them to be physically present. Eighty-five percent of zillennials reported working in person, a share about equal to that of millennials, slightly lower than the 86% of bridge millennials who said the same, and significantly lower than the 91% of Gen Z workers who do their jobs on site.
As such, it seems that while zillennials are less likely than comparable generations to engage in connected work, they are no more likely to work in person.


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Haringey Council ban advertising on unhealthy foods
Haringey Council are taking a stand against obesity and have become one of the first in England to ban high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products in the borough on council-owned channels.
Obesity has become a major issue across the country with it affecting around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11.
It is a major issue in Haringey with over one in three Year 6 children in the area being overweight or obese, rising to almost two in three adults.
Haringey Council are taking strong measures to address this and will become one of the first London boroughs to enact a ban on advertising for HFSS products, following Transport for London’s (TfL) decision earlier this year to prohibit such adverts across its entire network.
The ban will apply to all Haringey Council-controlled advertising spaces and will affect any food and drink products which are HFSS according to Public Health England’s Nutrient Profiling Model – the same standard used by TfL.
This will be enforced in July 2019 and any future contracts will have to adhere to this policy.
Haringey hopes that other London Boroughs will follow its lead, resulting in a stand across the capital against unhealthy food adverts.
Haringey’s stance is backed by both NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, as well as receiving the support of 82% of respondents in a TfL London-wide consultation.
The ban further strengthens Haringey’s stringent advertising rules, which already disallowed promotions for products that pose health risks.
Cllr Elin Weston, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families, said:
“Children in Haringey should enjoy a happy and healthy childhood and tackling unhealthy weight is an essential part of this. I am pleased that Haringey is taking the lead in standing against advertising harmful and unhealthy foods which target our children, including tackling ‘unproven health and weight loss products’ which is particularly important for supporting the health and wellbeing of girls and young women.”
Cllr Sarah James, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said:
“Obesity leads to significantly worse health outcomes and puts immense pressure on local health services. I am proud that Haringey is one of the first London boroughs to fight back by taking a firm stance against the marketing of unhealthy foods.”
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Paypal crypto is now available to customers in the United Kingdom after it has completed its first international expansion outside the United States. The Customers are now able to buy sell four crypto coins, Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), and Ethereum (ETH).
Last year in October Paypal announced that it will be launching a crypto service to the Customers of the US in a partnership with Paxos Trust Company. The data tells that the Paypal crypto service is available in more than 200 markets and to 400 million consumers. Now Paypal has unveiled its plans to offer crypto service to the customers of the United Kingdom.
The company has hired over 100 people to expand its crypto service in July 2021. The company has completed its rollout of offering crypto services to UK customers which started in August. The Twitter handle of Paypal UK tweeted:
We are delighted to share that all eligible customers in the UK can now buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), bitcoin cash (BCH) & litecoin (LTC) from their Paypal account.
Paypal crypto services:
The company’s website explains that the crypto service in the U.K. is provided by Paypal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., a credit institution supervised by Luxembourg’s financial regulator, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The crypto service is not regulated by any regulators.
Paypal crypto service will include buying, holding, and selling four crypto coins. The transaction service is not provided by Paypal. Third-party wallets’ services will be used to transfer the crypto assets. The firm has clearly said that it’s his first expansion outside the US.
For more content click here.


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A sports shop is looking to move out of its Richmond store due in part to problems customers have parking in the Market Place.
A planning application has been submitted to Richmondshire District Council to convert a vacant unit at Moor Park, Melsonby into a showroom and warehouse for Gilsan Sports.
The company has operated a shop in Richmond since 1993. A sports shop has been situated at the site for several decades previously.
When it first opened, the store sold a wide range of sports goods for football, rugby, cricket etc, as well as shooting equipment.
However, in documents submitted to the council, Gilsan director Simon Fenwick said this had become unsustainable as they did not have the storage or buying power to compete with companies such as Sports Direct and Mountain Warehouse, which had moved to the area.
Mr Fenwick said they wanted to move to new premises in Melsonby to grow and remain competitive by focusing on the shooting market.
The company says Moor Park would be ideal for serving customers from across the region as it is just off the A66 and A1.
The company lists a lack of storage and shop floor space, problems with loading and unloading at the store and being unable to take pallet deliveries because of cobbles and thevhill in the market place as reasons for the decision to move.
It adds that the two-hour parking limited in Richmond town centre is insufficient for purchasing guns and customers have received parking tickets in the past.
It says poor parking has also deterred repeat customers, with some unhappy about taking heavy guns and ammunition a long way to their parked vehicle.
The document adds that some members of the general public are also uncomfortable about viewing firearms.
The company says the new premises would have a purpose built showroom which would offer customers and improved shopping experience, with storage facilities that would mean the business could buy in bulk.
As well as securing the company’s eight staff, it will allow the firm to launch an apprenticeship scheme.
The new Gilsan Sports shop would operate in a vacant unit owned by Bon Coeur Fine Wines.
Gilsan Sports owns its Richmond premises and says it would lease the building to another shop better suited to the town entre location.
The Leyburn shop will continue to serve customers in the Dales, it adds.


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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A recently passed city ordinance has given Topeka restaurants the ability for their liquor licenses to be extended to their sidewalks.
The ordinance was passed in order to maintain distance among customers while also allowing restaurants to continue to serve alcohol.
This change comes after some medical experts suggested staying outside when gathering in larger groups.
Brew Bank opened its doors Tuesday and is finally allowing customers to dine-in. One of the changes it’s made is adding a patio in front of the restaurant to accompany the new ordinance.
“It’s another way that this whole pandemic has kind of lent itself to find some positive ways out of it so it’s really cool,” Brew Bank co-founder Ryan Cavanaugh said.
Brew Bank has been offering beer and liquor to-go over the past few weeks and will continue to do so until June of 2021.


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Delray Beach among the ‘most budget-friendly’ destinations
The cold temperatures are making us already dream of summer again with a few Florida destinations making a recent list of the best cheap options to enjoy a vacation in the sun.
Oyster released their list of the “11 most budget-friendly beach destinations in the U.S.” with Pensacola taking the top spot. Palm Beach County’s own Delray Beach was the ninth beach on the list that also included: Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Puerto Rico; Cannon Beach, Ore.; Galveston, Texas; Cape May, N.J.; Virginia Beach; South Padre Island, Texas; Wrightsville Beach, N.C.; and Folly Beach, S.C.
Delray Beach was listed by the site as “an inexpensive alternative to Boca Raton” and was praised for “The Avenue.” Wright By The Sea was the recommended hotel by the website that also mentioned the “value-friendly hotels, restaurants, and lively bars” in the area. Pensacola took the top spot for its great springtime temperatures, numerous flights coming into the local airport, and “the white-sand beaches (lined) with affordable hotels and restaurants.”
Florida has been all over multiple “best beaches” lists lately with West Palm Beach being listed as the number five beach in the state by U.S. News, Anna Maria Island being named the top beach in the country by Thrillist, and Destin being called one of the “best places to visit before they become famous.”
Read more at Oyster.


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Avanquest Software has released “Goosebumps: The Game,” a prequel to the recently released movie by Sony Pictures Entertainment, on Nintendo 3DS in the U.K.
Brand and Deliver has created a U.K. brand partnership campaign with Pizza Hut, Shoe Zone and Abellio Greater Anglia, a train operator in London, to promote Sony Pictures’ Goosebumps.
Cosmic Forces has launched the first-ever mobile game for the Goosebumps brand as the movie takes theaters by storm.
Scholastic has lined up more than a dozen new licensees for the upcoming Sony Pictures Entertainment film, Goosebumps, which will hit theaters Oct. 16.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is moving into 2015 and beyond with a host of licensed product programs to support its robust slate of television and film properties.
Scholastic is helping Goosebumps fans in the U.S. get in the spooking spirit for Halloween with a number of events and new content.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products plans to continue its momentum with strong performing classics, and also introduce new properties with proven success and its built-in fan base.
Scholastic Media’s TV series “Goosebumps” is now available on iTunes in Canada, the U.K. and Australia for the first time.
Scholastic Media licensees are showcasing a plethora of new product for the kids’ publisher’s brands this week at the New York Toy Fair.
©2017 UBM. All rights reserved. A UBM Company.


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Top for 24 hours
iPhone 7 will be released on September 16
Evan Blass, a mobile phone leaker, tweeted 'iPhone 2016 release: week of September 12th'. Mr Blass has accurately leaked images and details about other phones in the past.
|Related: "iPhone 7 will be released on September 16" ↓|
|Last News ↓|


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Even in tight economic times for most in the tech sector, some firms are restructuring and increasing their philanthropic efforts.
Global colo provider Equinix has set aside $50 million for a foundation to support digital inclusion efforts around the world. Previously, the company was spending about $1 million a year out of its operating expenses to support employee activism and donations and in direct grants to individual organizations.
Now, the company will spend $2.5 million a year, or 5% of the foundation’s total assets, said Bruce Owen, the company’s vice president for employee and community impact.
“The foundation is a way for us to scale on the philanthropic side,” he told Data Center Knowledge.
Equinix is also working on environmental sustainability efforts but those will continue to be funded out of operating expenses.


text: The Jaguar C-X16 production concept will make its global debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 13, showing off its lines designed by the same team that brought you the XJ, XF and XK. Jaguar’s director of design Ian Callum penned the C-X16 concept to give the world a vision of a future Jaguar sportscar, as well as insight into the baby XE sportscar that will slot in under the XK Coupé and Roadster models. “Great Jaguars have always been beautiful, innovative and have looked firmly to the future. The finished C-X16 concept has the potential to do these things while retaining the ability to surprise, to excite and invigorate,” said Callum. When the entry-level Jaguar sportscar goes on sale next year, hopefully, it will feature a V6 engine and a shortened XK chassis.


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Budget carrier easyJet saw its losses shrink during its traditional 'off-season' as it attracted record numbers of business passengers,
The low-cost airline, Europe's biggest after rival Ryanair, usually doesn't make a profit in its first half as it covers the winter season when fewer of its customers fly.
But this year the company said first-half losses looked set to be considerable smaller at between £10 million and £30 million, compared with a loss of £53 million last year.
Boss Carolyn McCall said the performance was down to the addition of an extra 500,000 seats, the majority of which were at airports where easyJet has a number one or number two position.
"This, combined with our new TV ads aimed at business travellers, enabled easyJet to sell record numbers of seats to business travellers in the first quarter," McCall said.
EasyJet is not the only budget carrier courting business travellers. Ryanair has moved to get more suits in seats though new routes, additional capacity and by making improvements to its customer service.
Ryanair shares hit an all-time high this month after passenger numbers surged, building on strong momentum in December, when it raised its profit forecast for the second time in a month.
Additional reporting by ReutersReuse content


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Google is rewriting its payments app, Google Pay, to ensure that it works across a wide variety of payment platforms, infrastructure and operating systems. As part of the plan, the company says that the app will now be built using the company’s Flutter UI toolkit that will enable it to be deployed across Android and iOS.
According to Google, using the Flutter SDK will enable developers to write once in Dart and deploy on both iOS and Android without compromising on user experience. The risks of migration notwithstanding, the company says it is confident of completing the rewrite in a fast and efficient manner even as the codebase of the existing app continues to grow, thanks to new features and fixes.
Explaining how the developers approached the monumental task in the initial days, Google said: “To start with we created a vertical slice of the app — home page, chat, and payments (with the critical native plugins for payments in India). The team first tried a hybrid approach, and then decided to do a clean rewrite as it was not scalable”.
After many months of work, the Flutter implementation of Google Pay is now available in open beta in India and Singapore. So if you’re in either of these two countries, you can download the app by visiting the official Play Store listing page for Google Pay and opt into the beta program. The company says it is “looking forward” to launching it globally on iOS and Android, but there’s no ETA for that just yet.


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Nintendo shares drop as investors respond to details of licencing agreement.
Nintendo have seen shares rise some 60% since the augmented reality game phenomenon Pokémon Go launched.
However, shares have fallen back on the announcement that Pokémon Go was developed by US firm Niantic. Nintendo announced profits from licensing would be limited. The debate and investor sentiment will no doubt continue to vacillate. Some pundits are stating this latest fall is an over-reaction to the announcement.
The adoption of Pokémon Go shows no signs of abating despite several major outages (servers down for over six hours) and serious glitches within the game, over 30 million users have downloaded the app.
Finally, its launch in Japan this week accompanied by a claimed local sponsorship from MacDonald’s provides an interesting commercial development, which will be watched by analysts and marketers alike.


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The iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to get a massive upgrade on the ultra-wide lens. According to a Weibo leaker with a good track of hardware spoilers (via MacRumors), Apple will add a 48MP sensor to the ultra-wide lens.
This upgrade would come a couple of years after Cupertino added its first 48MP sensor to the iPhone with the iPhone 14 Pro. Interestingly, other reports say Apple also plans to upgrade the telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, but only with the iPhone 17 Pro.
By offering an improved sensor, the iPhone 16 Pro camera will be able to capture more light and improve the results of pictures taken in 0.5x mode. In addition, I strongly believe this update to the ultra-wide sensor will be what Apple needs to offer 4K spatial videos.
With the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple added this Vision Pro feature, but limited to Full HD capture. While I’m certain the company will expand spatial videos to the regular iPhone 16 models, it will bring an enhanced version of this function to the Pro versions.
Other changes to the iPhone 16 Pro cameras include a periscope lens for the smaller model. By increasing the display size to 6.3- and 6.9-inch options, Apple is said to be adding 5x zooms to both Pro phones and not just the larger version.
For the primary lens of the Pro models, Apple would use Sony’s newest 2-layer system, which can capture more light and reduce noise. The sensor would improve low-light photography while also improving dynamic range.
Besides this iPhone 16 camera rumor, BGR has learned a lot about the upcoming features of this iPhone, including processors, improved battery life, and even forthcoming iOS 18 features, which will bring generative AI capabilities to the iPhone.
Below, you can learn more about the iPhone 16.