text: Commodities that can be traded on the stock exchange and whose prices rise are attractive for investors. It is said that investing capital in this way stimulates the business sector. In reality, however, investors, bulk producers and wholesalers profit from food speculation, but not the producers or consumers in the world’s poorest countries who spend up to eighty percent of their income on food for themselves. In 2008, when global market prices for maize, wheat and rice skyrocketed and stockbrokers raked in massive profits, the number of people starving exceeded the billion mark for the first time in history. If the human right to food is to become more than words on a piece of paper, food speculation must be stopped. Insurance policies and loans, which farmers are meant to take out in the future in order to hedge against price fluctuations on the global market, are not the solution. Instead, they serve as an additional source of income for investment banks and propel food speculation.


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Google Creates 'Alphabet,' A New Umbrella Company To Oversee Itself
Shares of Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) were up roughly 5 percent in Monday’s after-hours session, after management announced it is creating a new company, Alphabet, which will consist of a collection of companies, with the largest being Google.
According to a blog post, Google Co-Founder and CEO Larry Page will act as Alphabet's new CEO, while Sundar Pichai will step up to be Google’s new CEO. Sergey Brin will act as Alphabet’s president.
How Will Google & Alphabet Look?
Page explained that the new Google “is a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main Internet products contained in Alphabet instead.”
Examples of companies that are not very close to Google’s Internet products include health companies such as Life Sciences and Calico.
The blog post continues to assure the new structure will allow the company to “keep tremendous focus on the extraordinary opportunities” it has inside of Google.
Alphabet, for its part, will include Google’s X lab, which incubates new projects like Wing, and investment arms, Ventures and Capital, among other companies.
Alphabet Inc. will soon replace Google Inc. as the publicly-traded company and all shares of Google will be converted into the same amount of Alphabet shares, keeping the same rights.
In time, Google will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., which will maintain the GOOG and GOOGL tickers for now.
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

domain: news


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ABB today announced that its YuMii® robot solution, the world’s first truly collaborative robot, was honored with a Golden Finger award as one of the best industrial robots of 2016 at the China International Robot Show (CIROS) in Shanghai, China. CIROS is organized by the China Machinery Industry Federation and the China Robot Industry Alliance, and is one of the three largest robot technology events in the world.
2016 was the first year for the Golden Finger awards, which were jointly setup with CIROS and China’s Machinery & Electronics Business newspaper as part of the beginning of the country’s 13th Five Year Plan and Made in China 2025 Strategy. The strategy aims to transform China into a global manufacturing leader; robots will play a key role in improving productivity and shifting the country’s manufacturing focus from being ‘big’ to being ‘strong.’
One out of every four robots sold today is sold in China, which is the world’s leading robotics growth market. According to the International Federation of Robotics, some 68,000 units were sold in China during 2015, which is a 17 percent increase over 2014.
In industries such as personal electronics, the need for more customized products and higher quality expectations are changing the nature of manufacturing. Production is shifting from mass producing the same product for a long time to producing small lots of more diverse products for a shorter business cycle. Robots offer the flexibility and agility to remain productive and improve quality while adapting to meet increasingly diverse consumer needs.
ABB’s YuMi robot solution was specifically designed to help consumer electronics meet these challenges by unlocking innovative new collaborative manufacturing solutions where people and robots safely work together on shared tasks. “There is an exceptional passion for innovation here in China. ABB is working closely with its customers to help transform their manufacturing and find new ways of unlocking the flexible, efficient ‘factory of the future,’ today. Collaborative automation will certainly play a large part in this journey,” said Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion division. “It’s a great honor for ABB to receive this recognition here in China and among distinguished peers at of the world’s most important robot technology events.”
In April 2016, ABB’s YuMi robot solution was recognized for outstanding achievements in commercializing innovative robot technology with the prestigious Invention and Entrepreneurship Award (IERA) during the Automatica trade fair in Munich, Germany.


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More than a year in the making, Hicksville Middle School recently opened its new school store with a festive ribbon cutting.
“This is a great addition to our school; it’s going to raise school spirit,” explained Student Council President Jack Beaudette.
Vice President Matthew Kilfeather-Bonello agreed: “It opens up a lot of opportunities for students to get supplies. The store promotes school spirit and helps students to be happy to attend our school.”
The store will be run completely by Student Council volunteers and will be open at lunch time three days a week and will be self-funded through sales of items students need and want. The students will be using their Chromebooks to compute the sales, so math skills are involved.
“We’ve created our own identity as a school,” shared Principal Mara Jorisch. “Our school colors are blue and white; our school motto is ‘Heart + Motivation = Success’; and we even have our own mascot ‘Heartly.’ Our school store is another important initiative in the process of empowering our students. To begin, the school store will carry basic school supplies, lanyards, seasonal items and tee shirts sporting our student-designed school logo. We can be responsive to student requests over the course of the year, adding new items students may want to be able to purchase in school.”
Congratulations to the student council and middle school staff, including carpenters who created the store shelving, for all their help in launching “Heartly’s Hub.”
—Submitted by the Hicksville School District


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The one thing that I have to give credit to Microsoft for, is that they know that the race to have the most hardware or the most software is extremely expensive and at times, won’t work. See that with their Office365 products being available just about everywhere. Now we’re going to see more of the Xbox ecosystem everywhere as well.
Microsoft announced yesterday that four Xbox-exclusive games are coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch soon, opening up a new strategy for Xbox to be on more screens. Just two hours before Microsoft’s big announcement, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained the company’s new Xbox vision in an internal memo to employees. The Verge: Read Phil Spencer’s Microsoft memo on ‘Xbox everywhere’
I’ve played around with online Xbox Game Pass feature and it’s pretty stable for playing games over the internet. I was able to spin up Sea of Thieves through the Edge browser all the while on Linux Mint with an Xbox controller. Of course there were some stuttering here and there but, the overall experience was fine.
With the acquisition of Activision/Blizzard/King into the Xbox division of Microsoft, we’re already seeing that titles like Diablo 4 will be making its way to the Xbox Game Pass. There’s going to be more titles making there way to other platforms as well in the near future. Who knows, this might be the year gaming truly becomes available to all. No matter the platform.


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Lumber company shares rise on news the US intends to cut softwood duties
By CP STAFFGeneral Forestry Manufacturing Pulp & Paper manufacturing softwood lumber tariffs trade US Commerce Deaprtment
CIBC suggests average US duties would drop from about US$67 per thousand board feet to $30 based on current pricing levels.
TORONTO — Shares in Canadian lumber companies rose Feb. 4 on news that the US government could reduce duties on softwood lumber imports in August.
In early trading in Toronto, Canfor Corp. stock rose as much as 7.5%, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. jumped by 6.2% and Resolute Forest Products Inc. was up 3%.
The shares closed at lower levels, with Canfor up 4.3%, West Fraser up 2.1% and Resolute down 5.2%.
In a report, CIBC analyst Hamir Patel suggested average US duties would drop from about US$67 per thousand board feet to about US$30 based on current pricing levels of about US$400.
“According to trade contacts, preliminary revised duty determinations from the US government have been communicated to the Canadian industry,” Patel said.
“We expect Canadian lumber equities to respond positively to this news as these rate revisions were better than most Canadian industry participants were expecting.”
West Fraser’s rate may fall from 23.6% to 9.1%, Canfor’s from 20.5% to 4.6% and Resolute’s from 17.9% to 15.8%, he said.
The report says the “all others” duty rate could fall to eight per cent from 20.2%, but added it’s not expected that Canadian companies will receive any refund or credit for overpayment until the trade dispute is resolved, something not expected for two to three years.
A US Commerce department spokesman confirmed preliminary results of an administration review were issued on Feb. 3 but said the impact on softwood lumber deposit rates are not yet determined.
The US imposed duties on most Canadian softwood exports in April 2017, alleging that Canada was unfairly subsidizing its industry and dumping wood into the US at unfair prices.
This is the fifth time Canada and the US have fought over the same issues.
In September, a joint Canada-US trade panel gave the US 90 days to rethink its tariffs, finding there was no evidence Canadian imports were causing injury to the US industry.


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Should small business be wary of new internet domains?
Let the latest Internet fun begin: Here’s to the latest land grab of new internet domains!
There has been much talk and hype centered on how the new internet domains, technically known as generic top-level domains (gTLDs), will impact the current 22 domains that have been known by most since the mid 90’s.
Afterall, internet users have become quite accustom to typing .com on the end of everything as it relates to the Internet.
Most people that know anything about domains question whether the new internet domains will cause .com to lose or gain in its luster, value and dominance.
From the existing .com to .net to .org to .me domains and on, the latest batch of new internet domains to be rolled out is somewhere near 1400 hundred new .whatevers.
I say or reference the new internet domains as .whatevers, because there will be a wide range of options for individuals, professionals and businesses entering into the internet space going forward.
No longer does a business have to depend on being the first to stake claim to .com domain either taken by a competitor or common person. If you’re a plumber, there will be .plumbing. If you’re a lawyer, there will be .lawyer. If you are a tattoo artist, there will be .tattoo. If you a shop of any sort, there will be .shop and the list goes on.
No matter what you feel nor how you feel about .com addresses, the new internet domains are yet another option for many people to bring their businesses online.
Which this brings us to the ask the question of whether or not existing businesses, as well as new small businesses, should be wary of new internet domains?
Reading CNBC’s latest article, New Internet domains are coming, and small biz needs to be wary, written by technical reporter, Cadie Thompson, she covers the new internet domains set to launch this year and why small businesses need to be wary.
Thompson’s article discusses in depth about how small businesses can’t necessarily afford legal counsel to represent them should a cybersquatter register their business name. Of course, larger companies can and will hire legal counsel or legal consultants to handle their trademark infringement domain registrations by cybersquatters.
Personally, I believe Thompson’s article is yet another example of uninformed doom and gloom. In my humble opinion, the article is based on uninformed fear and really doesn’t have much to stand on in terms of credibility other than being published on and by CNBC.com.
Using fear as a tactic, Thompson mentions cybersquatters and cyber criminals buying up the new internet real estate and using the new internet domains to pose as a small business. One distinction I would like to make about the article is Thompson’s use and definition of cybersquatters.
In general, I wish more people would understand that the public is open to register any and every generic domain that is available for registration and does not infringe upon any sort of trademark.
People that register generic domains are considered domain investors, also known as domainers, and not cybersquatters.
Cybersquatters are individuals that register domain names that are clearly in violation of trademarks and registered marks. Now, that’s off my chest, I’m onto the next statement.
If Thompson wanted to really add value to whether or not small businesses should defensive register new internet domains, I think the article should have mentioned the costs of registering and not registering new internet domains for small business, domain investors and cybersquatters.
Just because new internet domains are being introduced to the general public does not mean that the new extensions are going to be affordable to register and renew. Currently, registrations prices for new domains are ranging anywhere from $19.99 on up to $4,500 per year.
New domain registration and renewal fees will be and are very steep for small businesses, as well as the common person, trying to register their business name or current domain name across nearly 1,400 new internet domains.
In addition and my final point, there is no guarantee the new internet domains are going to do well in terms of SEO and ranking well in search engines. This is not to say the new internet domains will not one day reach or have the dominance in search engines equivalent or greater than the current day .com domain name.
The new internet domains could very well takeover search engines in a decade or two, but who knows the future? Only time will how successful or not the new internet domains will be.


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As Snapchat and Instagram Stories take off in the West, China is having its own live-streaming boom, with hundreds of platforms and 24 million daily active users getting in on the trend. That's a pool of potential for China's luxury travel marketers who want to sway holiday goers by giving them a realistic taste of tourism without them needing to leave home.
Hilton Hotels and Resorts was one of the first international tourism companies to use live-streaming for a major travel campaign in China. In October, the hotel group chose to showcase its family-friendliness by teaming up with Chinese KOLs during the National Holiday and asking them to film themselves and their families enjoying Hilton's activities at its properties around the country. They also offered lucky draws to followers for free stays and restaurant discounts. Instead of a centrally-managed marketing campaign, Hilton let each of its hotels in individual cities around China work with their own influencers and their respective live-stream apps to ensure that its marketing efforts were targeted and reflected the uniqueness of each property.
While there otherwise hasn't been much activity from international travel brands, an increasing number of local tourism companies are taking advantage of live-streaming's surge in popularity, especially with millennial and Gen Z users in China. Even before marketers began capitalizing on the trend, social media users have been tuning into the live broadcasts of individual influencers who take trips around China and around the world and document, for hours on end, what they eat, where they sightsee, and where they shop. People's Daily reported over the summer that, according to industry data, users view live-stream content for up to 135 minutes a day, and travel companies in China are eager to get a slice of this time.
Live-streaming is considered a step up from more typical forms of travel marketing, according to experts, because it gives users a chance to experience a tourism destination through more authentic means, as opposed to seeing pictures on a travel website and being disappointed when the place is not what they expected. For hotel groups in particular, “live broadcasting, when done right, can work wonders,” said Jeremy Webb, vice president and head of Social at Ogilvy China.
“Live broadcasting an experience provides authenticity that other platforms cannot—there is no editing or photo-shopping, instead just a focus on the human reactions to the surroundings,” he said. “It also provides levels of detail that other platforms cannot—individual properties will often need to talk about features that make their property unique, while still within the standards of the brand they operate under.”
International brands that do explore the marketing trend are faced with major differences between live-streaming platforms in China versus in the United States, where there are fewer platforms and more focus on the main social media players like Twitter and Facebook. “This is likely to change in 2017, with tighter government regulation and demand to monetize, which will make it harder for the smaller platforms to survive [in China],” Webb said. “Expect more consolidation and more sophistication from the surviving platforms.”
Webb said he expects to see more international hotel brands in China capitalizing on live-streaming audiences, but as the platforms grow in sophistication, travel marketers will need to as well: “Gone are the times of 'quick wins' — i.e., winning by just showing up.”


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The development version of openSUSE Leap 15 has reached its beta phase builds and snapshots are available for testers via //download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.0/iso/.
Exactly like the rolling development model used to make openSUSE Leap 42.3, Leap 15.0 will use the same model until its final build. No concrete milestones will be used building up to the final release, which is expected in late Spring. As bugs are fixed and new packages introduced or excluded, snapshots of the latest beta phase builds will be released once they pass openQA testing; the first beta version build (Build 109.3) of openSUSE Leap 15 was recently released and there are currently two follow-on beta builds that would feature minor improvements if the beta builds pass openQA .
Announcements of new builds will be made on the opensuse-factory mailing list.
The beta Leap builds feature an all new fresh look, the Linux Long-Term-Support Kernel (LTS) 4.12* Kernel and users can test out KDE’s next LTS release of Plasma 5.12.
A currently known issue is that upgrades from older versions require some manual conflict resolution, Nussel wrote to developers in an email to the opensuse-factory mailing list. That is expected to be fixed in one of the beta snapshots that will be released between now and the final build.
“The list of obsolete packages is missing but that will be solved soon,” he wrote. “Everyone is encouraged to download the current builds and help test it. Since this is a major update compared to 42, this time even more testing is required.
“Please check your own uses case, workload, software deployment, hardware support, etc. early so there’s a chance left to get it fixed before the release.”
Since the openSUSE conference is taking place in Prague around the time of the final release of openSUSE Leap 15, the conference will be a good opportunity to work together with the community to apply some final polish to the release.
- Correction - The original article listed the 4.14 Linux Kernel. Leap 15 is expected to use the 4.12 series kernel.
Tags: 4.14 beta builds Beta Release bug reports factory factory mailing list hardware support kernel Leap 15 LTS openQA opensuse Plasma 5.12 rolling development model rpm snapshots software deployment testing workload


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Could your manicure be toxic?
A new report has accused certain nail polish brands of mislabeling.
(Relaxnews) - A new report by California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has found significant amounts of one or more of the chemicals formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in polishes that had been labeled "toxic-free."
The three chemicals have been dubbed the "toxic trio," since exposure to them has been linked to birth defects, developmental problems, asthma and other illnesses. In fact, DBP was banned from cosmetics in Europe in 2003 -- although formaldehyde and toluene can can still be used in small amounts in beauty products there.
Out of the 25 US nail care products that the DTSC sampled, 12 claimed to be free of at least one "toxic-trio" chemical -- although out of these ten contained toluene and four contained DBP.
One of the reasons the Cannes Festival is one of the most well known in the world is without doubt due to the red carpet and the walk up the famous ste... More One of the reasons the Cannes Festival is one of the most well known in the world is without doubt due to the red carpet and the walk up the famous steps by the most prestigious stars. The media impact is huge for both celebrities as it is for the labels that dress them. The big fashion houses like Chanel, Christian Dior or Elie Saab must be present and rent suites in the big palaces to best accommodate those who will wear their outfits, whilst the young designers make a great breakthrough this year. Interviews with Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Chanel global fashion, Emilie Legendre, Director of communication at Elie Saab and Virginie Corré, Head of PR at Arzu Kaprol – Didit Hediprasetyo – YDE.
Date 23/5/13, Duration 2:21, Views 3


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Khamzat Khasbulatov said investment required for the construction of one restaurant was $3-4 million.
In addition, McDonald's plans to modernize existing facilities in Russia in 2009 and also invest in the expansion and improvement of production capacities at restaurants, he said.
The company intends to expand its presence in Russian cities where it already has restaurants and also gain a foothold in other populated areas, including small locations, Khasbulatov said.
The executive also said the company had set itself the task of transferring the entire production chain for its Russian division to Russian soil. "Currently, 80% of what we produce [in Russia] is made in Russia. The task is to move the remaining 20% to Russia," he said.
McDonald's fast food chain in Russia includes over 200 restaurants.


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On Wednesday April 26th JR Cigars in Clayton Missouri is hosting its 21th annual cigar dinner for the BackStoppers at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
Foundation Cigars & Highclere Castle to Begin Shipping Senetjer
Foundation Cigars & Highclere Castle to Begin Shipping Senetjer in honor of King Tut’s 100th Anniversary.
Foundation Cigars now shipping CORE LINE – OLMEC
The first shipments will go out to retailers in their home state of Connecticut, as well as Ligero Tobacco House in Buford, Ga., which is home to the only Foundation Cigar Co. lounge in the country.
Foundation Cigars & Highclere Castle Announce Special Blend
Foundation Cigars crafted this rare blend to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and famed archaeologist Howard Carter.
Foundation Cigars Introduces Menelik 6×52 Toro
The Menelik, since its heralded release as an event-only cigar in 2016, has been an elusive brand within the Foundation Cigars portfolio.
El Güegüense JR 50th Collector’s Edition
The list of 50th Anniversary collaborators for JR Cigar continues to grow. Now the company is joining forces with Nick Melillo and his team at Foundation Cigars for the release of a new version of Foundation’s first cigar — El Güegüense.
Charter Oak – Habano
Foundation announced a new edition to the Charter Oak line. Coming late September the Charter Oak will now be offered as well in a rich Habano.
New Release: “The Grasshopper”- a new event-only cigar
Foundation Cigar released a new event-only cigar pack, The Grasshopper.
Historical World Premiere of The Reminders Music Video “FOUNDATION”
The Reminders in collaboration with Foundation Cigars has released a Hip-Hop video to celebrate the heritage and beauty of Nicaragua. This video is an hommage to the traditional craft and roots music and was shot in two days in the Foundation Cigars factory in Estelí. It was the first time ever a music video was filmed on a cigar farm.


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JAMF Software stories
71,000 customers served by Jamf in managing Apple devices
The company is now helping approximately 71,000 active customers succeed with Apple and is running on about 30 million devices worldwide.
Jamf extending key functionality to latest Apple releases
Jamf has announced it is prepared to support and extend key functionality in Apple's macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16 release, which is now generally available.
Jamf shows intent to acquire mobile security firm ZecOps
This acquisition positions Jamf to help IT and security teams strengthen their organisation’s mobile security posture.
Jamf showcases new products to simplify and secure work
At the 13th annual Jamf Nation User Conference, the company shared how its continuous product innovation is helping organisations succeed with Apple.
Your tools, your choice: why allow employees to choose their own devices?
Jamf Australia says giving your team the freedom to work with their digital device of choice could help to attract and retain top talent in a tight labour market.
Jamf introduces new content filtering solution for education providers
Jamf has announced the launch of Jamf Safe Internet, a new offering that looks to deliver a safe online experience to students while offering better management options for admins.
Jamf updates healthcare IT to protect data on Apple devices
Jamf has rolled out new functionality to help healthcare and IT teams protect patient data and streamline clinical access for their Apple fleet.
Jamf unveils new technologies for business security
Jamf has showcased new technologies it has developed to assist organisations in offering an enterprise secure and straightforward environment for consumers.
Jamf releases a new plan for small and midsized businesses
Apple enterprise management company Jamf has introduced Jamf Fundamentals, a new plan built to fit small and midsized businesses' unique needs.
IWD 2022: Jamf on what you can do to break the bias
Both last year’s #choosetochallenge and this year’s #BreakTheBias themes for International Women’s Day should serve as a wake-up call to the IT industry.
Jamf announces integration with Google Cloud’s ZTA solution
Jamf has announced a new integration with BeyondCorp Enterprise, bringing macOS compliance to Apple administrators using Jamf and Google Cloud.
Jamf unveils a range of new features at its 12th annual conference
Jamf has kicked off its 12th annual Jamf Nation User Conference with more than 11,000 Apple administrators in attendance worldwide.
Study finds employees would take a paycut if they got to choose their own work devices
Organisations that provide flexibility in the types of devices employees use could well be making a difference in their employees’ job satisfaction.
Jamf offers same-day support for Apple's latest OS updates
“These new features will help organisations empower their staff with the devices they want and keep their workers secure, while protecting their personal privacy.”
Jamf welcomes Kieran O'Connor as ANZ general manager
O’Connor replaces Jamie Davidson, who spent eight years at Jamf. Davidson plans to move to rural alpine Victoria.
Jamf releases major updates including remote screen sharing and M1 support
Apple enterprise management company Jamf has rolled out new IT management functionality to simplify app deployment and updates.
Apple enterprise management company Jamf merges with security solution Wandera
Jamf has announced the acquisition of zero-trust cloud security and access company Wandera.
Jamf adds compliance, threat detection, and passwordless authentication
“The security needs of enterprise organisations are changing, as their employees demand to work from the devices and locations they want."
Jamf to acquire Wandera for $400 million
“The combination of Wandera and Jamf will provide our customers a single source platform while delivering Zero Trust Network Access for all mobile workers.”
Jamf rolls out same-day support for new Apple OS rollouts
“Organisations should not be limited in their ability to deploy the latest Apple technology based on what their vendors can support.”
Jamf updates teacher and parent support for Mac & other Apple devices
The updates across Jamf Teacher and Jamf Parent apps, which are provided as part of the Jamf School offering, support remote and hybrid classroom environments.
Jamf acquires tools from cmdSecurity to secure macOS enterprise offerings
cmdReporter co-founders Daniel Griggs and Metzger have now joined the Jamf team.
Jamf buys Melbourne-based patch management firm Mondada
“We are confident that this unique technology will significantly expand and accelerate Jamf's application lifecycle capabilities in the future,” says Mondada cofounder.
Jamf extends Microsoft collaboration with iOS Device Compliance
Organisations will soon be able to use Jamf for Apple ecosystem management while using Azure Active Directory and Microsoft Endpoint manager to maintain conditional access.


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The following article was featured in:
Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®
I had bought a home years ago, so I figured I knew what to do when my husband and I started shopping for a new house in the Los Angeles area during summer 2021. Boy, was I wrong.
Continue on to full article...


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Gannett Co.’s USA Today may charge for mobile applications on smartphones and tablet computers, said Lawrence Kramer, the newspaper’s president and publisher.
Gannett has transferred about half of its 82 newspapers to a pay model, leading to a 13 percent gain in digital revenue last quarter. While USA Today’s website isn’t behind a paywall, the newspaper is contemplating plans to charge for access on mobile devices, Kramer said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Street Smart” with Trish Regan and Adam Johnson.
“There is not going to be just one business model anymore,” Kramer said. “If people want it on their cell phone, they may have to pay for it on their cell phone, because there’s a cost to delivering it that way. If they want it on their iPad, we may charge them for an iPad app. Yes, I definitely think in many ways they will be paying for it, and that’s OK.”
USA Today’s mobile traffic was “up strongly in June” with page views more than doubling from a year ago, Gracia Martore, Gannett’s chief executive officer, said during last month’s earnings conference call. Digital revenue at USA Today rose 37 percent last quarter from a year earlier.
Gannett’s newspapers reach 11.6 million weekday readers. USA Today has more than 14.5 million downloads of its apps for smartphones and tablets.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at email@example.com


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Budget wireless service provider DISH may not be as much of a bargain for investors
With 5G communications shaping up to be the next avenue of growth for wireless providers, it is no surprise to industry giants snapping up the wireless spectrum.
Yet, a much smaller player has quietly become one of the biggest bidders for 5G bandwidth, competing with the likes of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile with its plans for low cost phone and wireless bundles.
While as-reported metrics show this company trading at a favorable discount to the market, a quick look at Uniform Accounting may make investors think twice before rushing in.
Also below, the company’s Uniform Accounting Performance and Valuation Tearsheet.
Investor Essentials Daily:
Powered by Valens Research
Over the past decade, the steady consolidation of the telecommunications industry, particularly in the U.S., has many regulators worried about a lack of competitive markets and higher consumer prices.
These longstanding concerns have been ramped up recently following the 2020 merger of Sprint with T-Mobile (TMUS), which has effectively left the U.S. with only three real major telecom players: AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), and the new T-Mobile and Sprint combination.
With smaller companies such as U.S. Cellular now practically irrelevant, many have placed their hopes for a competitor further afield, specifically one like DISH Network (DISH).
DISH has traditionally been a provider of paid television services, offering its 11 million customers programming on national, regional, and local broadcast and cable networks, as well as sports and premium movie channels.
As the potential of 5G communications technology has emerged over the past few years, one of the biggest surprises has been DISH’s foray as a bidder for spectrum space against the telecom giants.
The company has recently discussed a plan to compete with the big three providers by combining its existing low-cost bundle satellite offering with a low-cost phone bundle.
Ironically, DISH helped the Sprint and T-Mobile acquisition go through. The Department of Justice required Sprint to sell its prepaid wireless business to approve the merger, so DISH entered as a buyer for the business, which includes the Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile brands.
DISH’s plans to reshape the wireless business and introduce more competition to one of the country’s most consolidated industries have many curious if they can actually pull it off.
The most interesting piece to this story is, based on DISH’s as-reported forward price-to-earnings ratio (“P/E”), it appears investors don’t have to overpay to bet the company will at least have some success with its strategy.
The as-reported P/E figure, which was as high as 22.4x in 2017, is now sitting at a low of 13.8x, comfortably below market averages. If the company sees any sort of uptake of its wireless business, so the thinking goes, the market will wake up to the cheap discount and the stock could rocket higher.
While this may sound like an interesting investment opportunity at first glance, it’s actually an important case study for how GAAP accounting and as-reported metrics fail investors.
This is because the reality for DISH isn’t as rosy as it seems. By utilizing Uniform Accounting to remove distortions and get to the true operating picture of the company, we can see that DISH’s Uniform P/E is actually trading at 20.9x levels, not the 13.8x as-reported metrics suggest.
This means anyone buying the stock at these levels is paying average valuations for a company now staring down some significant capex spending in the coming years, making the stock look much less compelling.
The casual observer might be led to believe DISH offers a compelling discount at current prices, yet in reality, Uniform Accounting shows investors might be getting less than they bargained for.
SUMMARY and DISH Network Corporation Tearsheet
As the Uniform Accounting tearsheet for DISH Network Corporation (DISH:USA) highlights, the Uniform P/E trades at 20.7x, which is below the global corporate average of 24.3x, but above its historical P/E of 18.9x.
Low P/Es require low EPS growth to sustain them. In the case of DISH, the company has recently shown a 98% Uniform EPS growth.
Wall Street analysts provide stock and valuation recommendations that in general provide very poor guidance or insight. However, Wall Street analysts’ near-term earnings forecasts tend to have relevant information.
We take Wall Street forecasts for GAAP earnings and convert them to Uniform earnings forecasts. When we do this, DISH’s Wall Street analyst-driven forecast is a 2% EPS growth in 2021 and a 30% shrinkage in 2022.
Based on the current stock market valuations, we can use earnings growth valuation metrics to back into the required growth rate to justify DISH’s $45 stock price. These are often referred to as market embedded expectations.
The company is currently being valued as if Uniform earnings were to shrink by 3% annually over the next three years. What Wall Street analysts expect for DISH’s earnings growth is above what the current stock market valuation requires in 2021, but is below that requirement in 2022.
Furthermore, the company’s earning power in 2020 is equal to the long-run corporate average. Moreover, cash flows and cash on hand are almost twice its total obligations—including debt maturities and capex maintenance. All in all, this signals a low credit risk.
Lastly, DISH’s Uniform earnings growth is below peer averages, while the company is trading above its average peer valuations.
Joel Litman & Rob Spivey
Chief Investment Strategist &
Director of Research
at Valens Research


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YouTube Starts Selling Subscriptions — For Its Gaming Channels
We already knew YouTube was planning to launch two paid subscription services. But here comes a third one. Sort of.
Starting today, a handful of gaming-related channels on the world’s largest video site will start selling $4-a-month subscriptions, formally dubbed “sponsorships.”
But these aren’t subscriptions in the usual sense of the word: All of the videos on those channels will continue to be free for everyone, regardless of whether you pay. The sponsorships are mostly symbolic, and give payers small perks like unique icons next to their usernames during live video sessions and access to sponsor-only chatrooms during those videos.
This is the same model that gaming video site Twitch uses to let some of its top streamers make additional dough, at $5 per month per subscriber. At the time when that company was bought by Amazon last year, subscriptions were bringing in an estimated $36 million per year.
Neither YouTube nor Twitch will confirm how the money from their subscriptions is split between the sites and their video makers; however, both companies say the latter group takes home the majority of the money.


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Here we go with another edition of the ever loved TechTalk show on Nightline. Andrew Thomas from DigitalNexa.com joins me to unpack what is hot and what is not in the world of technology!
Never to be too obscure we talked about the EO car and Captain EO!
If you want to have a valuable Apple Watch we have an idea, you will want to hear this.
THE PODCAST is always worth putting on repeat in the car!
The Show Notes.
An APP to create a graphic novel of your life!
The creator of SimCity, Will Wright, has come out with a new app called THRED — and it isn’t a game.
Instead, Wright describes it as a natively built way to browse “the World Wide Web” in a more pure sense. The THRED app is essentially a collection of pieces of content that range anywhere from games, photos, locations and such strung together in a thread in a cover flow-esque browsing experience.
Each thread — and the locations and photos within it — can be the start of a rabbit hole that link deeper and deeper to other threads. Locations lead to other stories that are based on that location, and users can add links to each piece that lead directly to another story, and so on and so forth.
“Really the idea is, we’re trying to collect all the data from peoples’ individual lives, the stuff that’s potentially accessible by [my phone],” he said. “And we want to turn the data into something you want to share, and link to other peoples’ stuff. It has this structure of the Web, but in a format that i think is far more accessible and createable [sic] on a mobile device.”
Great app for following up with people you meet
Secret charger on the apple watch
Handy car to have in dubai!
Facebook or YouTube? Who's winning the marketing video battle
What is uber doing with all this money?
Big number in mobile commerce but shoppers unhappy
The Raspberry Pi was definitely a game changer when it hit shelves at only $35. But CHIP is hoping to make the Pi look positively pricey by comparison. The Kickstarter campaign has already blown way past its $50,000 goal. In fact, at the time of this writing its approaching $500,000. Like the Pi, CHIP is a fully functional computer. The tiny board is home to a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage, all of which power a full-fledged (if light-weight) Linux desktop. Even more impressive is that there's both WiFi and Bluetooth on board. It's mostly aimed at tinkerers and DIYers, hence the I/O pins waiting for your attention, but you could certainly use it as an inexpensive general purpose computer... so long as you're not particularly demanding.
Cyber security gone bad?
Have you ever heard of a cybersecurity firm called Tiversa? No? Well, you'll likely be hearing about it a lot in the coming weeks, because an ex-employee is accusing it of fraud. Richard Wallace, one of its former investigators, has recently testified against the firm in a Washington DC courtroom. During the proceeding, he claimed Tiversa's employees would hack potential clients to force them to pay for the firm's services. The CEO, Bob Boback, would apparently even order them to look for IPs of known identity thieves using Tiversa's close ties to law enforcement agencies. They'd then tell the companies they were targeting that those IPs are breaking into their computers as an additional scare tactic.
Are we getting a Firefox OS phone?
Firefox OS might be in a distant fourth place (or further?) here domestically, but Mozilla sees plenty of value for it in emerging countries. Specifically? Senegal and Madagascar in Africa, where it recently partnered with French telecom Orange to launch the KLIF. And no, you aren't wrong, it's neither a flip-phone or a slider. Nor is it transparent. A Mozilla blog postsays that the main idea with this 3G smartphone is to get more people online in places where they previously couldn't. It's the web outfit following through on a promise it made back at Mobile World Congress in Spain, and the Middle East is where we'll see the initiative pop up next.
Free Music From Apple?
It's no secret that Apple plans on revealing a new streaming music service -- thanks to itsBeats Music acquisition -- some time this year, supposedly at its annual developer conference in June. What has so far been a secret, however, is whether or not that service will be free or paid. While it's been widely reported that Apple plans on charging $8 a month for a subscription, it now appears that the folks in Cupertino could be planning on integrating a free option or two as well. According to ReCode's industry sources, those options include a free trial period of one to three months, a SoundCloud-type service where artists could upload free tunes for non-subscribers, and a new version of iTunes Radio that would feature human-curated playlists similar to, of course, Beats Music.
Facial recognition cane!
Facial recognition technology has many use cases, but none nearly as significant as this next one might be. A group of students at Birmingham City University are developing a smart cane, dubbed XploR, which uses a combination of hardware and software to help the visually impaired easily identity family and friends. The device is powered by a smartphone's face recognition features, GPS and Bluetooth, allowing blind people who use it to detect faces up to roughly 33ft away. If the cane does recognize someone, it then sends a vibrating signal to the person and guides them via an ear piece -- for reference, the images of loved ones can be stored on an SD card.
tried Mashme? Become a cartoon!
Avatars are pretty dull -- at least so far as the creators of MashMe are concerned. That's part of the reason why the Croatian company has spent the last two and a half years developing its eponymous software, which transforms anyone into an animated character on the fly, using only awebcam.
It's basically real-time animation mapping, which is no simple task. MashMe tracks your movements, from sweeping gestures to fine facial detail or expressions, and produces an animated alter ego on the fly. It can then be integrated with the likes of Twitch, Skype, or Google Hangouts.
Uber wants more cash!
On-demand transportation an logistics company Uber could raise another $1.5 billion to $2 billion in funding, adding to an already massive war chest as the company expands into new markets and new verticals around the world.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, the latest fundraising effort could value the company above $50 billion, which would put it in the same league as Facebook in its last private funding round before going public. The new valuation would also once again make it the most highly valued private company in the world by topping consumer electronics manufacturer Xiaomi, which was valued at $45 billion in its most recent round of funding.
Uber has already raised some $5 billion in debt and equity since being founded five years ago, but what’s another $1.5 billion between friends? The company has been growing rapidly, after all, and it continues to experiment with new services and features that could complement its people-moving business while running on the same massive logistics network it’s built around the world.
You have to love lego it is so low tech it is funny
½ million bricks to build!
Google and the food business sort of!
For years now, people who were hungry for knowledge have turned to Google to get a veritable banquet of information streamed right into their homes. As the company announced Thursday, people who are hungry for food can now also turn to Google to have delicious meals brought straight into their homes.


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Posted: Nov 14 2017, 04:46 PM
Group: Featured Blogers
Member No.: 17
Joined: 17-January 12
Rep: 143 pts
WA’s oldest dairy Brownes now in Chinese hands
Tuesday, 14 November 2017 9:40AM
WA’s oldest dairy, Brownes, has been bought by China.
Brownes’ managing director Tony Girgis told staff this morning that the 130-year-old dairy’s current owner, private equity player Archer Capital, had sold the business to a consortium led by Chinese dairy giant Shanghai Ground Food Tech.
Mr Girgis will remain at the company, which employs about 280 people and is WA’s biggest producer of milk and cream and second-biggest producer of yoghurt.
Brownes said the deal “will see Brownes remain an integral part of the WA dairy industry for generations to come, while creating access to emerging overseas markets and the potential for new product development”.
It is understood Shanghai Ground Food Tech, which is publicly listed in China, wants to restart cheese production at Brownes in a bid to meet demand in the Middle Kingdom.
“The consortium was highly attracted to the Brownes Dairy business and operations, its heritage and long history, and the possibilities Brownes offers to grow the Western Australian dairy industry given its strong geographic location on the door step to Asia,” Brownes said.
“The consortium expects Brownes to remain the premier supplier of quality dairy to WA customers and looks forward to continuing to service the domestic WA market.”
Mr Girgis said the deal guaranteed the future of WA’s oldest dairy.
“As it has done for 130 years, Brownes will remain an important part of the WA community and continue to contribute to the sustainability of the local dairy industry,” he said.
“This deal is a significant step in positioning Brownes for growth well into the future and we are excited at the opportunities offered to the business, our suppliers, employees and consumers.
“Not only will we seek to expand into new products such as cheese, but we will also be better positioned to take advantage of export opportunities and promote the WA dairy industry to a much wider audience.
“Day-to-day there will be no disruption to our employees and suppliers and we expect to be able to make more positive announcements in the near future. Furthermore, the decision to retain Brownes’ management provides ongoing structural certainty and is a vote of confidence in the business’s current position and its future direction.”
It is not known how much Shanghai Ground Food tech paid for the company.
Archer bought Brownes in 2011.
Mr Girgis says that the deal guaranteed the future of WA's oldest dairy but do we really have to sell our Aussie companies to overseas concerns in order for them to be viable? I know that local dairies have been under pressure from products sold by Coles and Woolworths but surely there has to be a better way.
“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
“All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.” - John Wooden
Posted: Nov 14 2017, 04:51 PM
Member No.: 3
Joined: 21-July 11
Rep: 66 pts
Yes it is sad Charles. It seems to be happening all too often.
Everybody is Willing:
Some are willing to work, the rest are willing to let them!
The older I get, the better I was.
Posted: Nov 14 2017, 06:21 PM
Member No.: 1
Joined: 20-July 11
Rep: 47 pts
I believe the alleged butter shortage and the giant increase of the price of butter is a direct result of China buying up Australian dairies.
Living In An Elected Dictatorship
Flin's opinions and comments reflect his perception of the facts and not necessarily reality
Posted: Nov 14 2017, 06:45 PM
Group: Active Member
Member No.: 53
Joined: 13-March 12
Rep: 10 pts
That's why people buyor invest in a company, to make a profit from it, our noble leaders haven't yet worked out that that is why foreigners "invest" in Australia. Guess who loses out on the profits?


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Two years were missed due to Covid, but this year the world’s largest toy exhibition was held again in Nuremberg, Bavaria. Of course, we couldn’t miss it either, because building international relations is an important part of the activities of the Kard és Korona publisher company. Invisible was published in Polish in 2019 by Trefl, while last year Dice upon a Time was published by Blackfyre in the Czech Republic. In contrast to 2020, we did not have our own booth, but we managed to hold all the planned negotiations, which were particularly encouraging. Of course, not all of them will become a business, these will be decided by the negotiations and tests that will follow. In addition, there is something on the horizon that has never happened before in the life of the Korona Games, we will provide more information about the details soon!
But such a huge event is not only about business. There are also great moments that come once in a lifetime: we managed to meet Reiner Knizia, the most creative and prolific author in the world of board games, with more than 700 games to his name. In addition, the master is a fairy figure, extremely kind to everyone, I think this comes across perfectly in the pictures. The year 2023 was a great experience in Nuremberg, and we hope that we will be able to report on the new developments in a short time!


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MIDLAND -- A 2009 Lotus Exige previously owned by comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be going on sale in Midland at the end of May.
The car will be featured at the Dan Kruse Classic's 4th Annual Midland-Odessa Auction on Saturday, May 27.
According to their website, the 2009 Lotus Exige S260 Sports Coupe is described as having a 1.8 Liter Inline 4-Cylinder Engine with 257 horse power and a manual 6-Speed transmission.
Only 50 models of the car were made for American use.
The auction will be taking place at the Midland County Horseshoe starting at 10 a.m. You can find more on the schedule here.


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American Apparel & Footwear Association President & CEO Juanita D. Duggan strongly criticized the apparent collapse of a multilateral trade agreement in Geneva yesterday. The 160 member World Trade Organization (WTO) was unable to move forward with a landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), when India and several other WTO member countries blocked action to implement the deal.
Reached at a Ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia last December, the TFA would have reduced trade barriers and eliminated border transaction costs that hinder many routine international trade flows. A recent study by the World Economic Forum estimated that, when fully implemented, the TFA would stimulate the world economy by one trillion dollars.
"Not only does failure in Geneva dramatically damage the WTO," noted Duggan, "but it also removes one trillion dollars from the world economy, including the same countries that blocked the landmark deal. Trade ministers from around the world should save the TFA talks immediately."
Apparel and footwear are some of the most heavily traded consumer goods on the planet. The clothing and shoe industry require sophisticated global supply chains so that today's fashions make their way to consumers all over the world. Reducing barriers helps keep fashion affordable.


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Apple to add Force Touch to next iPhone, report says
The new feature would allow your phone to respond differently depending on how hard you touch the screen.
Lance WhitneyContributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Apple may bring its new Force Touch feature from the MacBook to the next iPhone.
Unveiled at the Apple Watch event on Monday, the Force Touch feature incorporated into the new 12-inch MacBook brings pressure sensitivity to the trackpad. That means you can trigger different actions depending on how much pressure you apply to the pad.
That same feature could pop up on the next generation of iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing "people familiar with the matter." Specifically, the sources said that Apple is planning to add the feature this year, though that isn't a guarantee it will show up. Assuming the information is accurate, however, the feature seems to at least be on the table.
Force Touch sounds like a natural for a touch-driven device like the iPhone. Currently, you must use different gestures to navigate the screen. For example, you need to use a two-finger swipe to zoom in or out of the screen. On the MacBook, Force Touch can detect the difference between a light tap and a deep press. Adapting that for the iPhone could eliminate the two-finger swipe, allowing you instead to employ a deep press to zoom into the screen.
Force Touch is just one feature Apple is eyeballing for this year's iPhone lineup, according to the Journal's sources. The company aims to stick with the current 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively. But it also may add another case color with the introduction of a pink phone.
Details about Apple's plans for this year's iPhone come from Apple suppliers, the Journal said, adding that the company tests different technologies that may not end up in the actual product. Whichever features wend their way into the next iPhones, mass production for some of its parts is expected to kick off in May, the sources noted.
An Apple spokeswoman declined CNET's request for comment.


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The Future of the Jewelry Industry in 2015
No one has a crystal ball to predict the future, which can make business planning a challenge. To help make that task a little easier, we recently spoke with leading members of the industry to hear where they thought we're headed in the coming year and beyond. Obviously, everyone can base their opinions only on their own experiences and observations, but in reviewing their views of the future of the industry, you'll see several similaritiesmost notably that the industry will continue its slow but steady growth. So as you read through these musings, think about how their predictions will impact your business, and what you can do now to take advantage of the coming trends.
13 Minute Read
No one has a crystal ball to predict the future, which can make business planning a challenge. To help make that task a little easier, we recently spoke with leading members of the industry to hear where they thought we're headed in the coming year and beyond.
Obviously, everyone can base their opinions only on their own experiences and observations, but in reviewing their views of the future of the jewelry industry, you'll see several similarities, most notably that the industry will continue its slow but steady growth. So as you read through these musings, think about how their predictions will impact your business, and what you can do now to take advantage of the coming trends.
- Ruth Batson, CEO of the American Gem Society in Las Vegas
- Alan Bell, president of Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Liz Chatelain, owner of MVI Marketing in San Luis Obispo, California
- Cecilia Gardner, president/CEO and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee in New York City
- John Green, president and CEO of Lux, Bond & Green in West Hartford, Connecticut
- Ben Janowski, owner of Janos Consultants in New York City
- Dione Kenyon, president of the Jewelers Board of Trade in Warwick, Rhode Island
- Lee Krombholz, owner of Krombholz Jewelers/Just Like You Designs in Cincinnati
- Joel McFadden, owner of Joel McFadden Designs in Red Bank, New Jersey
- Wendy Yothers, incoming chair of the jewelry design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City
Custom Design Trends
Green: "I think we're going to see customization continue to grow. The design world is going to continue to evolve and become more important. As CAD and as the speed of the process continues to get faster, it's becoming a bigger part of most retail businesses. [Custom design doesn't take] much longer than custom ordering a production piece."
McFadden: "I think we can expect a lot more growth in customization. One of the big changes consumers have become aware of is the time frame for custom. Instead of a custom piece of jewelry taking three to six months, it's now three to six weeks. Technology, CAD in particular, has made customer delivery time viable. And customers are much more aware of this technology and how the industry is using it."
McFadden: "I've been seeing a lot of customers who want to recycle their jewelry. They don't want to buy materials. Many think the prices of gold and diamonds go up and down too much, and they don't trust the value of the material. It's also a non-consuming ideology. They don't want to dig more materials out of the ground."
Krombholz:"I think custom design is going to continue to grow until it hits the ceiling for businesses and they can't take on anymore work. [Our operation is] at the max for custom design. We can't find the crafts people to do quality custom work. There's a real need to find young people to come into the industry and train in the bench area. If custom is going to continue to grow, we need to have skilled people coming into our industry. Education will be critical."
Kenyon: "We're headed for a year of not-wild growth, but the kind of slow growth in line with [current] U.S. economic growth."
Green: "We're in an improving jewelry market [in the United States], albeit it's moving more slowly that we would like. It's not the roaring mid-2000's anymore, but growth will continue."
Chatelain: "Much depends on the state of unemployment. It's currently going down, which is good. More people are working, and more people are making more money. By next year I think you'll see the bigger companies raising their lowest wage earners up. When they do that, there's a snowball effect, and they'll raise wages for their next three levels up. Everyone's wages will be increasing, which will be good for jewelry because mass market consumers will be in the mindset to give and celebrate."
Kenyon: "The U.S. economy is the most stable in the world. It's growing slowly but it's stable, unlike Europe, which is going backward, and China, which is slowing down. Anyone making jewelry for export might experience a slowdown if they're exporting to the European or Chinese markets."
Janowski: "Unforeseeable geopolitical events aside, next year is going to be a better year. The American economy is slowly continuing to grow. We will see better business."
Batson: "Our members are still cautious, but optimistic, about 2015. The retailers in our membership are seeing slight increases for this fiscal year, but I think they're relying more and more on trusted brands and a wide range of price points. Our members have adapted, and have picked up market share from other independents that have gone out of business. In general, they're fairly positive about the market."
Chatelain: "The very highest end of the market will do well, and the lower end of the market is also projected to do well. The medium price points ($200 to $1,000) are expected to increase maybe 3 percent next year, but not much more."
McFadden: "I think the industry is surviving and will continue to grow. It will be slow growth. The cost of operating a business is going up, but if the price of metals continues to come down, it could boost the industry. I think we'll see some independent retail stores closing, but custom jewelers will take over to fill what's lost in the closings."
Bell: "It looks like the economy is going to continue to expand. With employment levels where they are, and the long desired increase in wages manifesting itself in 2015, it's a virtuous spiral upward. I'm optimistic that the economy will continue to move in the right direction, which will help everyone. 2015 should be a great year."
Consumer Buying: Category Trends
Janowski: "While [bridal] has been a critical and well-developed category, marriage rates have begun to decline. People are getting married later and later, or not at all. [According to the Pew Research Center, the median age at first marriage has never been higher for brides (26.5) and grooms (28.7). They also report that just 20 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 are married, compared with 59 percent in 1960.] At the same time, birth rates and immigration are both down. There's been a huge change in how people deal with their lives, and this will have an effect on bridal. Bridal will continue to be important, but it's changed. To be successful, especially in the face of much greater competition, companies will need to develop the image that they're the destination for that type of product; they need to build their image as being a bridal store."
McFadden: "While the drop-off in marriage rates could be a problem for the jewelry industry, I think it's less of a problem for custom design. Marriage is a sign and a symbol of an emotional commitment. For customers who don't value the emotional symbolism of marriage, they're not the type who would go to a custom jeweler. For couples that value the emotional ties, they are committed and more likely to get a wedding set custom designed specifically for them."
Kenyon:"With Baby Boomers and Millennials making up the bulk of the buying public, charitable, cause-related jewelry could grow next year. Millennials are concerned with social issues, and "health-related causes are close at heart for Baby Boomers, as they get older and lose loved ones. But people of all ages like to feel like they're doing good. They want to buy something and know that something they're wearing is doing good. It's a niche market that might not be explosive in growth, but it's one I'd pay attention to."
Chatelain:"I expect to see a lot more wearable tech jewelry. Already there are bracelets that light up to alert wearers of a cellphone call or message, and rings that can unlock car and house doors. It's pretty exciting stuff. Most of the companies in this market are start-ups and still in the process of securing funding and perfecting the technology part of their products. But by next year, I expect to see more of it available at retail."
Yothers: "Wearable tech jewelry is still in the conceptual stage but it's a little closer to implementation. Inventors have wonderful ideas, but the design is tertiary. The pieces function but they're ungainly and ugly. As jewelry makers we know about how people move and wear jewelry, and we understand the emotional and functional contexts of jewelry. Makers need to team with engineers to help with the practical and aesthetic applications for wearable technology. Actual work is happening, and stuff is evolving. I would not be surprised if there are ground-breaking innovations this [coming] year."
Batson: "The Millennial group has a strong desire to purchase estate jewelry with a story and a history. They're interested in refurbishing their grandmother's jewelry. They also have a desire for one-of-a-kind custom pieces, so estate and custom design are doing very well."
Krombholz: "Vintage will continue to be popular. In our store, vintage, both as a design style and as actual jewelry, has been very strong. Our store is based around fine jewelry, and new fine jewelry is more expensive than vintage or estate jewelry. Clients like the combination of a fine piece of jewelry at a more reasonable price."
McFadden: "Couples in same-sex relationships are a massive market for jewelry, and they're growing. They understand and value the emotional symbolism of marriage, and many are finally getting married because they legally can."
Kenyon: "Online buying is forecast to become 20 percent of total jewelry sales by 2020. While this will continue to creep up, I do think that consumers are still going to want to take delivery of a fine, unique piece of jewelry in person."
Bell: "There are a couple of trends that I think will impact the business next year. The first is the price of metal. Prices have come down a lot in the last year. Both gold and especially silver are at price points that make the retail prices more affordable. This bodes well for higher volumes of jewelry being sold. The second trend is that the distance between the makers and the consumers keeps getting compressed. This is beneficial to makers, who now have the world at their doorstep if they want it. The ability of makers to directly reach a consuming audience through the internet will be favorable next year and into the future."
Consumer Buying: Trends in Metals & Gems
Green: "Although there hasn't been a rise in demand for bridal, ladies are buying more yellow gold. If the price of gold stabilizes, I believe we'll see continued growth in yellow."
Chatelain: "Pink gold. The trend started in Europe, where pink gold was highlighted in every jewelry boutique. This will filter through different designers here in the U.S., and finally to more mainstream product. Tiffany already has an anniversary gold that's pink, and more U.S. designers have started highlighting pink gold. Eventually we'll see it more available at mass market price points."
Janowski: "Alternative materials have made jewelry really exciting. I've been seeing some really wonderful and creative stuff made from base metals, plastic, and many other materials coming out of all manufacturing centers, especially Italy, China, and Thailand. It's not fine jewelry, but the line between fine and fashion jewelry is blurred. Now you'll see bronze plated in gold or platinum, and looking great but selling for bupkis. A lot of manufacturers have shifted into that realm and are bringing great skills and abilities to the field."
Janowski: "We're confronting a steady decline in the world production of diamonds. De Beers, for example, has carefully managed what it's taking out of the ground, seeking to maximize price. Its Botswana mines probably only have another 20 years of life. There is some production coming in from Canada, Russia (now the largest producer), and elsewhere, but the gap between production and demand is growing wider. How is supply going to be met? Part of it will be man-made diamonds. Retailers will be showing consumers a natural diamond versus a man-made stone, and the price difference between them, which will be growing. They have many selling points: the stones could be made in the USA, they're not conflict stones, and they didn't harm the environment. People need to start thinking about this issue now."
Kenyon: "Lab-grown diamonds will be an interesting topic next year. I expect to see some debate over synthetic versus real, and whether or not there's a consumer preference because it's easy to prove provenance of lab-grown diamonds. I expect this will appeal to Millennials."
Janowski: "Fine color is disappearing, and good color is expensive. As mines are played out and governments restrict the opening of new mines, the lack of lower-priced fine color is going to become more and more of a problem. Recycling old stones will help, but the price of color is going to continue to be high. But despite the higher prices, I believe fine color will trend well next year. Rarity is a virtue."
Green: "Color has become acceptable again, and we're going to see some growth as long as the prices don't keep going up at a rapid rate. Fine color in particular has gone up tremendously. If pricing continues to escalate, color growth could stop. We could get to a saturation point and customers will go with lower priced options."
McFadden: "My custom design customers are looking for unusual colored stones. They're no longer motivated by sapphires, rubies, or emeralds; they want an unusual stone with cool design elements around it. The internet has opened things up for customers, making them aware of designs and elements they never knew were possible in jewelry. Today's customers know what they want, they just need to know if you can make it."
Legal & Financial Trends
Gardner: The Federal Trade Commission will probably issue updated guidelines regarding the labeling of jewelry products: "These guidelines could impact the way manufacturers label combination gold and silver products. It could impact how colored gemstone dealers disclose and describe treatments of colored stones, and it could impact pearl dealers and how they provide information on their products. We do expect a decision to be made [in 2015]."
Gardner: "I'm seeing an increased interest by the government to ensure our businesses are sourcing materials in a responsible way. The government isn't just interested in the environmental impacts of how companies are sourcing their materials, but also whether or not they're implementing anti-money laundering rules, dealing with legitimate companies, and how money is being used and where it's going."
Kenyon: "Capital is going to continue to be scarce. There aren't too many banks lending to the industry because there are risks around doing business with precious metals and stones. Some companies in the industry have been reluctant to become fully audited or disclose a lot of what banks would like disclosed. The industry can do some things to become transparent, including improving the quality and timeliness of financial reporting, simplifying corporate structure, and demonstrating compliance with all regulations that apply to their businesses."
Kenyon: "Our statistics show that the pace of consolidation has picked up a bit this year. Some of it has to do with the availability of capital to support or grow a business in light of reduced financing availability; some of it is succession driven. This can benefit companies with strong capital bases. I don't see this trend changing next year. While I expect to see more consolidation, there's still plenty of opportunity for those who are creative and run a strong business to succeed."
The award-winning Journal is published monthly by MJSA, the trade association for professional jewelry makers, designers, and related suppliers. It offers design ideas, fabrication and production techniques, bench tips, business and marketing insights, and trend and technology updates—the information crucial for business success. “More than other publications, MJSA Journal is oriented toward people like me: those trying to earn a living by designing and making jewelry,” says Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts.
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Investor news releases are listed chronologically and archived by year. Subscribe to the Venzee email list or RSS feed to receive investor-relevant news as it's released.
A leading Canadian textile importer and distributor has chosen Venzee Technologies Inc. to deliver enriched, error-free product information to retailers.
The Canadian distributor is currently building an international distributor network and has chosen Venzee to help concentrate on growing its business, creating a return on investment and delivering rich, error-free data to its distribution network.
Venzee transforms product information from suppliers and manufacturers into the requirements of retailers, a labour-intensive and costly process that the retail industry still performs using spreadsheets.
Peter Mackay, chief executive officer of Venzee, commented: "Adding global businesses with an expanding network is a testament to our software and how it can grow with any type of business. Over the course of 2018, we will continue to add clients over a variety of verticals to continue Venzee's growth."
Venzee provides high-value customized SaaS (software as a service) solutions to mid-market and Tier 1 enterprise clients around the world. Additionally, it accommodates the budgets of up-and-coming retailers hosted on platforms like Shopify.
According to Statista, in 2016, the global e-commerce industry achieved estimated $1.8-trillion (U.S.) in sales, and is expected to grow to $4.5-trillion (U.S.) by 2021. As e-commerce sales continue to grow at staggering rates, the need for better delivery of product information for businesses is now solved with the Venzee software solution.


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Occidental College's Black Student Alliance host the Black History Month panel, #BlackLivesMatter and Black Panthers Roundtable on Feb. 11, 2016 in Choi Auditorium. The panel discussed activism and featured Black Panthers Baba Sekou Abdullah Odinga and Baba Hink Jones and Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist Dr. Melina Abdullah.
(Photo by Marc Campos, Occidental College Photographer)
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FedDev Ontario investments are intended to support manufacturers
by CM Staff
Nearly $6.5 million to help six local businesses scale up operations and create more than 90 new jobs across rural southwestern Ontario.
WATERLOO — On Feb. 11, Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, announced a total FedDev Ontario investment of nearly $6.5 million to support the growth of six southwestern Ontario businesses.
Equipping southwestern Ontario’s businesses to succeed
Composed of a multitude of smaller rural economies, southwestern Ontario supports the region’s ability to innovate across many different sectors. The repayable contributions announced today will support Algonquin Bridge, Bold Canine Inc., Five Star Tool and Die Limited., Kinectrics Enterprises Inc., Larsen & Shaw Limited, and OWS Rail Car Inc. in scaling up manufacturing, locomotive services, steel bridge production, and pet food capabilities across the region.
In total, these six projects are expected to create more than 90 skilled jobs across southwestern Ontario, while also increasing supply chain spending in the region to help with recovery efforts in response to the pandemic.
“Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our regional economies and a source of pride and employment for communities across southwestern Ontario. With FedDev Ontario’s investments in these six rural innovators, we are building on regional strengths and creating the right conditions for growth in the post-COVID-19 economy.” said Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development.


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Snap “looks tremendously overvalued to me,” said Brian Hamilton, a co-founder of Sageworks, a financial analysis and valuation firm.
Michael Nathanson, senior research analyst at MoffettNathanson, described Snap as a “field of dreams.” Even with rosy growth forecasts, “at $ 22 billion, we’re looking at a stock trading at five to eight times estimated revenues in 2020,” he said before the valuation rose even higher. “The only companies in that domain are Facebook and Alibaba, and they have massive scale. And both of them are profitable.”
There’s no point in comparing Snap’s profits to any of those companies, since Snap doesn’t have any. The company lost $ 514.6 million in 2016 and $ 372.9 million the year before, according to the prospectus it filed in February. It has lost money every year since it began commercial operation in 2011 and has warned it may never earn a profit.
Major I.P.O.s of Internet technology company since AOL in 1992.
The only comparable social media company that continues to lose money is Twitter, and no one at Snap wants anyone to compare it to Twitter. Twitter has struggled to add users and generate advertising revenue, even though it claims a user base of 319 million. It went public in 2013 at $ 26 a share. This week it was trading below $ 16 a share.
So let’s be generous and ignore profit. How about revenue? Snap said it generated $ 404 million in sales in 2016. A valuation of $ 34 billion is about 84 times revenue.
That’s six times as high as Facebook’s price-to-sales ratio, which is 14. It’s 14 times as high as Google’s parent, Alphabet, which trades at just over six times revenue. Amazon trades at a mere three times. Even high-flying Netflix trades at seven times.
Compared with Snap, however, those are mature companies, whose growth rates have slowed somewhat as they’ve aged. As Mr. Nathanson and his fellow research analyst Perry Gold put it in a recent note to clients: “There is something brilliant about going public after only a few years of generating any revenue at all. The sky’s the limit and history is not a guide.”
To justify a valuation of even $ 25 billion, “you have to make some very lofty assumptions,” Mr. Hamilton said. “They would need to grow for the next 10 years at more than 50 percent every year with a profit margin of 25 percent, which is extremely high given that they are now losing money rapidly.” He noted that very few companies had achieved such growth rates in the history of American business.
But let’s ignore revenue, too. This is social media, after all, where “daily active users” and “engagement” are the coins of the realm.
By the end of 2016, Snapchat had 158 million daily active users. By comparison, Instagram, probably the closest comparison and a formidable competitor to Snapchat, had about 30 million users when Facebook bought it in 2012 for what was then considered an eye-popping price of $ 1 billion.
(Facebook had earlier tried to buy Snapchat for $ 3 billion, which its founders rejected — wisely, it now appears.)
And $ 1 billion now looks like a bargain compared to what investors are paying for Snap. At $ 34 billion, each of Snap’s daily active users is worth $ 215, six and a half times per user what Facebook paid for Instagram.
As of January, Instagram reported 300 million daily active users. At $ 215 each, the Instagram app alone would be valued today at $ 64.5 billion.
These are static numbers, and what Snap is selling investors is growth. According to Snap’s prospectus, Snapchat user growth was 48 percent in 2016, about the same as the year before. If it can pull that off again next year, it would reach an impressive 234 million users, though still short of Instagram.
The Snapchat story “is all about growth,” Mr. Nathanson said. “It’s not about economics.”
But Snapchat’s growth slowed sharply in last year’s fourth quarter — just about the time Instagram started its own version of Stories, a popular Snapchat feature where users post a sequence of photos or videos. It added just five million new users after adding an average of 15 million in the first three quarters.
By comparison, 150 million Instagram users are now using its Stories feature. That’s already nearly as many as Snapchat’s entire user base.
How much more can Snapchat grow? Unless it can break out of its youthful demographic, it may already be reaching an upper limit. The Kaiser Foundation estimates that adults age 19 to 34 made up 22 percent of the United States population in 2015. That’s a little over 70 million. Snapchat already has nearly that many users in the United States.


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According to a BBC report, The Netherlands announced new rules to restrict exports of certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Although they did not say it was due to pressure from the U.S. to curb computer chip technology sales to China, they instead said it was implemented on national security grounds.
The Chinese government claimed the decision was “not in the interests of any party” and would impact chip production and supply chains. China said it opposed the U.S.’s abuse of export controls and pretexts to coerce other countries into imposing a technological blockade against China.
The U.S. and China are at odds regarding the supply of semiconductors, especially those targeting supercomputing and artificial intelligence. That chip segment is expected to double by 2030.
The U.S. imposed sweeping export restrictions on American chip-making tools shipments to China to prevent a stronger Chinese military.
But for the U.S. restrictions to be effective, it needs other key suppliers, such as the Netherlands, to join forces. The restrictions must be imposed from suppliers outside of the U.S. to be effective. The Dutch established a requirement that exporting certain advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment would need to be authorized beginning September 1.


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You snicker when you hear an ad for a pill that will vaporize belly fat. You scoff at suggestions that you can work at home and earn more money than Warren Buffett.
But when you hear about a program that promises to significantly reduce your credit card debt, you wonder: Do these debt-relief services really work?
Debt-settlement companies typically try to negotiate with credit card companies to reduce the amount you owe. Rising unemployment has led to a sharp increase in the number of consumers who are behind on their payments, creating a receptive audience for their services. But like a weight-loss product that causes you to gain 10 pounds, some of these programs could leave you even deeper in debt.
Federal and state regulators have brought a number of actions against debt-relief companies for misleading and deceptive practices.
Last week, Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase, said it will forgive the debts of more than 13,000 credit card holders who were allegedly defrauded by a Florida-based group of debt-settlement companies.
The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum against the companies. The lawsuit alleged that customers were told to stop sending monthly payments to their credit card companies and send the money instead to the debt-settlement firm, which promised to reduce debts to pennies on the dollar. Instead of sending the money to credit card companies, the lawsuit alleged, the group used it to pay attorneys' and processing fees.
For some borrowers with large debts that can't be repaid within three to five years, a reputable debt settlement company may offer an alternative to bankruptcy, says Gerri Detweiler, credit adviser for Credit.com, a consumer site. Legislation enacted in 2005 has made it more difficult for some individuals to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which eliminates most debts. Chapter 13 bankruptcy requires you to agree to make up to five years of court-ordered payments, and you may be required to surrender some assets.
Still, bankruptcy offers more legal protection than debt settlement: While you're filing for bankruptcy, your creditors can't file lawsuits or harass you. "I would never suggest someone go into debt settlement unless they've met with an attorney, and the attorney concurs that bankruptcy may not be the best option," Detweiler says.
If you decide to pursue debt settlement, watch out for red flags. Warning signs:
•The company charges a large upfront fee. Many of the debt-relief companies targeted by federal and state regulators demanded thousands of dollars in fees and never delivered on promises. If a company gets most of its payment upfront, Detweiler says, "They don't have much incentive to do a good job for you." Ideally, fees should be tied to results.
•The company claims that debt settlement won't affect your credit report. Not true. While successful debt settlement will reduce the amount you owe, "Your credit will be significantly damaged," Detweiler says. "If you're weighing bankruptcy vs. debt settlement from a credit report standpoint, there's not much difference."
•The company claims it can protect you from lawsuits. "While creditors do settle debts every day, it's an adversarial process," Detweiler says. "You could be sued."
•The company claims it can eliminate all of your debts. These companies provide, for a fee, a document that purports to absolve the consumer from credit card debts because the original line of credit was illegal. Consumers who fall for this scam end up with higher debts, ruined credit and calls from a collection agency.
There are low-cost alternatives to debt settlement. Call your lenders and see if they're willing to negotiate with you directly.
Another option is a non-profit credit counseling agency, says Chuck Bell, programs director for Consumers Union. A credit counselor may be able to negotiate a debt-management plan with your lenders that allows you to repay your debt over time, sometimes at a lower interest rate.
You can find a credit counselor in your area at www.debtadvice.org, the website for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or www.aiccca.org, the website for the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies.
Ideally, Bell says, "You're going to get an independent source of advice, not somebody who is going to profit from your misfortune."
Sandra Block covers personal finance for USA TODAY. Her Your Money column appears Tuesdays. Click here for an index of Your Money columns. E-mail her at: firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandyblock


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2020 was a landmark year not only for Russian retail business as a whole, but for e-commerce in particular: COVID-19 pandemic was a kind of a catalyst for the rapid growth of e-commerce and the shift of retail’s significant part online. Companies had to quickly transform their business processes to adapt to the new digital era when consumers avoided shopping in traditional offline outlets, and also to maintain their competitive advantages related to sales volumes, the number of active clients and the quality of provided services.
The industry’s shock made retailers, even those who had not planned to go online, quickly implement the solutions aimed at efficient functioning of remote sales channels. We witness rapid development of online stores, mobile apps, logistics models and delivery methods; online payment systems are also getting more popular. The lockdown and especially strict limitations, introduced from March to May 2020, helped Russians see online shopping differently, making it routine rather than something extraordinary for many consumers.
The combination of these aspects gave a clear momentum to e-commerce market, which is likely to keep developing in the near future. KPMG conducted a research devoted to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Russian e-commerce market to identify the key trends, drivers and perspectives of its development.
In February-March 2021 we interviewed the representatives of 20 major Russian retailers from various segments. We also conducted a set of interviews with industry experts who shared their assessments and opinions with us.
The full version of the survey is available here only in Russian.
Click the link below to download the Executive Summary in English.


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04 January, 2021
Amid a busy festive period with the imposition of stricter lockdown measures and the approval of the latest Covid-19 vaccine was the news that a Brexit deal had been agreed. The deal, which was agreed on Christmas Eve, marked some form of conclusion to the Brexit process which has been ongoing since the EU Referendum in 2016.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims the UK now has the ability to do things "differently and better". Whilst freight traffic appears to be flowing well, there is undoubtedly a reduction in the traffic levels following Christmas and Brexit stockpiling. As such, the real impact of Brexit and the associated anticipated disruption is expected to arise in the coming days and weeks as businesses revert back to some sort of normal and come to terms with the changes.
That a deal was agreed, albeit at the eleventh hour, provides relief to many as it avoids the disruption that a no deal Brexit would cause. Under the deal, UK manufacturers will have tariff-free access to the EU's internal market, meaning that there will be no import taxes on goods crossing between the UK and the EU. However, there are significant changes guaranteed, including more paperwork for businesses, checks at borders, travel restrictions and different immigration requirements. There is, therefore, likely to be teething problems ahead and preparing for what comes next remains challenging.
The existence of a deal enables businesses to make plans with confidence and the Commercial team at Forbes, who continue to stay up to date with Brexit developments and the impact of the deal, are on hand to help you and your business navigate the waters ahead.
For more information contact John Pickervance in our Commercial department via email or phone on 0333 207 1134. Alternatively send any question through to Forbes Solicitors via our online Contact Form.
Learn more about our Commercial department here


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Nowadays in this fast-moving world, it is hardly impossible to manage time and follow the timetable, teach or learn effectively, and also being there for someone on time. The solution to all this fuss, our reliance on modern technology. Since times have changed, responsibilities and time tables have also drastically changed for those who have other fish to fry. The questions that arise are: Should we really rely on modern technology? Is modern technology the new normal or should we consider the old lifestyle of getting things done? Does it have harmful effects on our society and the new generation? All these questions will be discussed in the following passage.
Supporters of the topic believe that we should rely on technology such as autopilot in modern vehicles. They believe so because it has improved for the better and so that drivers can easily interact with the passengers(mostly children) or complete a task to save time. Elon Musk, owner of Tesla confidently states, “Autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car.” He further states that without this, “a driver alone would not otherwise have” the awareness. Similarly, an avid user of the same technology also states, “I’ve been using this technology since the day I purchased my first self-driving vehicle and it has saved a lot of my time. I usually do my breakfast and go through the news while it drives through the highway.”
However, people against the topic argue that we should not toy around with this technology especially in crowded areas as it could damage public property or result in fatality. James Smith, a senior traffic warden, said, “In the past 2 years there has been an increase in self-driving vehicles and traffic violations. I’ve noticed that most vehicles with the self-driving feature have jumped traffic signals and stop signs. The technology still has room for improvement but drivers should not rely on it completely.” Similarly, Alexandra Clark, an ordinary citizen stated, “We should not rely on modern technology like this until it is foolproof and smart enough of its surroundings. I am devastated at the loss of my only nephew. An owner used the summon feature of his vehicle which rammed the car into the fence and over the child.”
At the same time, advocates of the topic maintain that the world-wide-web had 4.57 billion active users as of July 2020. The use of the internet has also improved our means of communication and has boosted online purchasing and trade. A mother of two and a wife, Sarah Peck, states, “I don’t have a lot of time to go to the supermarket so I purchase whatever I want online. Yes, it is comparatively expensive but it saves a lot of time and I utilize it with my family.” Likewise, the Globe Magazine stated, “Stay indoors during this uncertain time. The internet has always been there for us. It’ll be there when you need to purchase pharmaceutical drugs, it’ll be there when you’re craving for dessert, it’ll be there for your groceries. But most importantly, it’ll be there when you want to connect with your loved one.”
In retrospect, opponents of the topic maintain that we shouldn’t rely on online shopping apps/websites as those users are susceptible to hackers. They believe that dealers online do not believe in the term ‘What you see is what you get’. A parent stated, “My son’s confidence level has decreased because of the advancements in technology. He purchases whatever he wants and relies on online stores even after being scammed numerous times and this has resulted in him being a socially awkward and shy teenager who doesn’t have the confidence to walk inside a store.” Similarly, a once avid online purchasing family stated, “We used to save our credit card information on many online stores. Most of them were renowned brands too. Some dealers used to deliver counterfeit products while others, expired. Some used to have hidden charges and used to charge us extra. Since then, we have realized that we rely on modern technology too much.”
In retrospect, opponents of the topic maintain that modern technology like virtual reality and simulations on simulators is not only a very cost-effective way of teaching and learning but also a great source of entertainment. Prof. Brain May of Oaks University stated, “This is the best method of teaching my enthusiastic learners. The diagrams are three-dimensional which encourages the students to study harder as their concepts are crystal clear. It provides outstanding visualizations that aren’t possible in the traditional classroom.” Similarly, parents of two,12 and 9, stated, “We usually explain our children the subject or topic through Virtual reality and simulations. This develops their interest and find it a fun and effective way of learning.” They further added, “On the weekends, they happily watch a three-dimensional documentary.”
On the contrary, challengers of the topic claim that there is a huge difference between the two teaching methods, and that physical models should be used. A parent of a high school student claims that her daughter should actually see body diagrams and should conduct chemistry practicals rather than ‘seeing’ them. She believes that we shouldn’t rely on VR headsets as they are incomplete and lack reactions, unlike teachers. Similarly, The University of Relations mentioned in their recent research that traditional education is based on personal human communication while virtual reality is quite different; it is you and the software, and nothing else. This can damage the relationships between students and the overall human communication. Which is why we shouldn’t rely on virtual reality.
All in all, every coin has two sides; one positive and one useless/negative. The same is the case with modern technology. But in my opinion, we should be optimistic – not pessimistic – about it, enjoy the benefits that it has brought to us and rely on it if and only if it is safe for us and the society we live in. If it is used appropriately and within the boundaries, relying on it would contribute to the development of society.


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Ryan Doyle and millennial entrepreneur Anthony Varrell open with a look at the latest from the NBA, which Ryan says ‘has been everything.’ If you’re behind on the sports news, find out which teams have been opening a can of whoop ass, and which seem to be lacking some luster.
Is now time to buy DraftKings stock? It has been a wild ride, and investors might have questions about its real-world prospects. An investor can hardly make a move in the space without either having to buy DraftKings or FanDuel, says Varrell. Hear what they have to say though on whether now might be an interesting time to consider buying in.
Also on this episode: should old, ‘dinosaur’ media companies get into the what’s new and sexy of sports gambling or NFTs? News Corp in Australia’s going to try. But do they stand much of a chance of success? Or is the future more creating an immersive experience, Disney does? Hear our thoughts and join in the conversation with comments online.
There’s a new NFT project focused on Kobe Bryant. Ryan thinks it might be one people will fork over a good amount of cash for. Varrell has an opinion on whether digital products like NFTs can have value if the physical product that they’re derived from isn’t kept in the custody of a third party.
And lastly, is in-game betting making sports fans crazy? We’ll find out in this episode of Guaranteed Money. To view episode 30 click here.