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On Friday, X surprised its users by introducing a new subscription plan called Premium+. Priced at $16 per month, this plan offers users the opportunity to get the biggest boost for their replies on the platform. With an ad-free experience, X promises to provide “the largest reply boost” to its Premium+ subscribers. This new plan builds upon the features of the current Blue subscription plan ($3/month) and the Premium Plan ($8/month). Among the listed features of Premium+ are a blue tick and a visible ID verification label on profiles.
Since the announcement of the Premium+ plan, X has faced criticism from users and industry analysts alike. Elon Musk, who acquired X a year ago for $44 billion, has made several controversial changes to the social media platform. Musk’s decision to charge new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features, as part of a trial to reduce spam, received mixed reviews. While Musk has suggested charging all X users, this idea was widely panned as it could further decrease the platform’s appeal to advertisers.
Musk’s Impact on X’s Management and Product
In the wake of his acquisition, Musk wasted no time in implementing significant changes to X. He swiftly fired numerous Twitter executives and took the publicly traded company private. Additionally, he laid off a significant portion of the San Francisco-based company’s workforce, reducing the number of employees from 8,000 to fewer than 1,500. Furthermore, Musk made controversial decisions that altered the platform’s content moderation, reinstated accounts of previously banned extremists, and allowed users to purchase account verification, even though such posts often contained misinformation. Musk defended these changes in the name of free speech, attracting both praise and criticism.
The Plummet of X’s Advertising Business
The past year has not been kind to X’s advertising business, with marketers losing confidence in the platform. To generate revenue from subscriptions, Musk started charging users for features that were originally offered for free, such as blue tick marks intended for authentication purposes. These changes were an effort to make X more financially viable, but they have come at the cost of advertisers’ trust.
In a recent post by Musk, it was revealed that X is exploring the addition of video and audio calling features to the platform. Musk’s vision for X is to transform it into an “everything app” inspired by China’s WeChat, a super app that offers a diverse range of functionalities from socializing to financial management. While this ambitious plan may sound promising, its implementation and success remain to be seen.
Is Premium+ Worth the Hype?
With the introduction of the Premium+ plan, X is attempting to offer a premium experience to its users. However, the controversies surrounding Musk’s decisions and the negative impact on advertisers may make users hesitant to invest in the new subscription plan. While features like a blue tick and ID verification label certainly have their appeal, users must weigh the benefits against the platform’s current state and direction.
X’s Premium+ plan has garnered attention and criticism. Musk’s controversial changes to management and product, combined with the decline in X’s advertising business, have raised questions about the platform’s viability and user trust. Whether Premium+ can justify its price tag and attract a significant number of subscribers remains uncertain. Only time will tell if X can successfully navigate the complexities of its evolving landscape and regain the confidence of its users and advertisers.


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- Starbucks reported fiscal fourth quarter results that came in better than expected.
- While revenue and comps were still negative, other metrics signal a clear rebound from April.
- CEO Kevin Johnson said the recovery is happening faster than expected.
Coffee giant Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) reported Thursday afternoon fiscal fourth quarter results that signal the company’s recovery from COVID-19 lows is unfolding “faster than we anticipated,” CEO Kevin Johnson told Bloomberg TV.
Rebound from lows
Starbucks reported a solid EPS beat of 51 cents versus estimates of 31 cents while revenue of $6.2 billion was better than the $6.06 billion expected. Net income fell from $802.9 million last year to $392.6 million and the company said it believes it missed out on $1.2 billion worth of sales because of the pandemic.
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Here is a full recap of Starbucks’ fiscal fourth quarter report.
While revenue was still lower by 8% year-over-year and global same-store sales were down 9% in the reported quarter, the CEO touted other metrics that show a rebound is underway.
For example, Johnson explained that the U.S. business in April was showing a negative 65% comp rate. Fast forward to September and U.S. comps were down just 4% year-over-year despite 3% of stores remaining closed across the country.
China also signaled a quick rebound from its lows as 90% of its stores in the country were shut down in February. Fast forward to September and the China business is not only showing a positive year-over-year comp but management is confident enough to continue opening hundreds of new stores.
The recovery has been fueled by management’s new mission purpose of providing a “safe, familiar, and convenient,” the CEO said.
Customers want to come back
Starbucks has invested heavily in digital initiatives over the years such as mobile ordering and curbside pickup, the CEO said. But the consumer will always want to visit a Starbucks store for the familiar in-house experience.
So far, around 60% of all Starbucks stores are open for dine-in at some capacity.
“As soon as we open limited seating, customers are back sitting in our stores,” Johnson said. “We do it where they socially distance.”
Starbucks’ management said in its Thursday report that it expects to fully recover from the pandemic-induced woes in 2021. This begs the question if management’s guidance requires an improving position from a health perspective and no further restaurant shutdowns.
Encouragingly, the early months of Starbucks’ recovery succeeded despite rising infection rates in many parts of the U.S., the CEO said.
“We know how to operate in the world of COVID, even before there is a vaccine and therapeutics,” he said. “Certainly we look for that day where there is a vaccine and therapeutics because once that happens, then we think there is a huge wave of demand.”

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Would you like to spend your vacation tired, wet, dirty, and possibly terrified? If so, this might be your perfect getaway.
For anyone who would trade their lawn chair and suntan lotion for a good pair of hiking boots and a hunting knife, your dream resort is about to become a reality.
The proposed Caerau Parc Adventure Resort in Afan Valley, South Wales, announced a partnership with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy. According to FJP Investments, which is funding Caerau Parc, the vacation spot will offer guests numerous outdoor activities. These include mountain biking, hiking, zip lining, skiing, and more.
Visitors can also to test their mettle by completing survival courses developed by the man who made drinking your own urine a must-see TV event.
A representative for the academy told us there will be family, adult, and corporate team-building courses. The academy is also seeking to house its headquarters at Caerau Parc.
Afan Valley Adventure Resort
Afan Valley is already a popular mountain biking destination, with over 90,000 bikers visiting last year, according to a report by Wales Online.
The resort and survival academy will span about 485 acres of forests, streams, and countryside. Activities will be year-round, including skiing, which suggests the runs could be on dry slopes. No date has yet been announced for the resort’s completion.
Visitors will also have access to indoor trampolines, an “aquatic adventure park,” paintball course, rock climbing, and “ninja warrior course,” according to FJP Investments.
Bear Grylls Survival Academy
There’s no word on the specifics of the survival skills courses that will be available. But Bear Grylls’s Survival Academy currently offers single- and multi-day clinics for children and adults.
And if eating bugs and guzzling “gray water” are more adventure than you’re looking for, FJP announced Caerau Parc will have restaurants, cafes, bars, and a five-star hotel. Visitors can also rent one of over 800 one- to four-bedroom lodges on the property that include jacuzzis and smart TVs.
And perhaps most impressively, FJP claims the entire facility will be powered by a 25-acre solar energy farm.


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Amazon may launch up to four tablets in 2012: Report
- Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon.com Inc.is planning to launch at least two new Kindle tablets this year and could launch as many as four, including a larger 10.1-inch tablet that supposed to be shipping in July.
DigiTimes reports the 10.1-inch model could cost between $249-$299 and a 7-inch model planned for a second-quarter launch could cost about $199. A cheaper 7-inch model and an 8.9-inch model could also come on the market and with the new models, Amazon could ship 20 million units in 2012, up from 5-6 million units shipped in 2011.
The cheaper 7-inch model could be priced as low as $169, sources told DigiTimes.
Amazon introduced its Kindle Fire tablet in September of last year.
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Why $44 billion railroad bet is more proof of Buffett's genius
Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 5:56 p.m.
On Nov. 3, 2009, legendary investor Warren Buffett made his biggest bet yet.
His company, Berkshire Hathaway, agreed to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., one of seven major American railroads, for $44 billion. Buffett correctly assumed that U.S. railroads would play a key role in the American economic recovery. Railroads move 42 percent of our nation's intercity freight (measured in ton-miles). This is more than any other mode of transportation of everything from lumber to vegetables, coal to orange juice, grain to automobiles, and chemicals to oil from shale.
Buffett told CNBC that "they (railroads) do it in a cost-effective way and extraordinarily environmentally friendly way. I basically believe this country will prosper and you will have more people moving goods 10 and 20 and 30 years from now, and the rails should benefit."
In the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II, many railroads were driven out of business by competition from the new interstate highway system and airlines.
But trains are no longer leftovers. The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 marked the most significant change in rail policy since the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. It significantly reduced railroad regulation and reversed the industry's decline. The surviving railroads squeezed in capacity, resolved labor issues, and improved reliability.
In April 2011, the Association of American Railroads, a freight industry trade association, wrote: "By many measures, the U.S. freight rail system is the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world."
Railroads offer four main benefits:
They are three times more fuel efficient than trucks. According to a March 21, 2013, Union Pacific statement, a train can move one ton of freight 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
They are environmentally friendly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that for every ton-mile, a typical truck emits roughly three times more nitrogen particles than a locomotive does.
They reduce highway congestion. A single intermodal train, according to the Association of American Railroads takes up to 280 trucks off our highways.
Railroads are the safest way to transport hazardous materials.
Intermodal systems, in which trains carry either freight containers or trailers, which are picked up on either end of the trip by trucks, combines the door-to-door convenience of trucks with the long-haul economic benefits of railroads. It has been the fastest growing rail traffic segment over the past 10 years.
According to the AAR, capital expenditures will reach more than $14 billion in 2013. This is more than double yearly outlays of a decade ago. Railroads are building new terminals in order to make existing rail lines more efficient and to haul different types of freight. Railroads also are taking market share from the trucking business, which is hampered by high fuel prices, driver shortages and regulations that are pushing up costs.
The development of American and Canadian shale operations is creating tremendous opportunities for railroads. Because shale-energy production exceeds current pipeline capacity, our railroads benefit until new pipelines can be built. Politics, regulations and permitting issues have slowed construction of new pipelines such as the proposed Keystone Pipeline.
In 2008, Americans with no upside economic stake got scalped when Wall Street financiers, in pursuit of outsized bonuses, made leveraged bets on mortgage derivatives. Buffett's Burlington bet offered different risk parameters. Everybody benefits from a healthy railroad industry, not just Buffett. As Buffett said to CNBC when he bought Burlington Northern, "Railroad operators cannot do well unless American businesses were producing goods and customers were buying them. ... It is an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States. I love these bets."
Burlington reported record earnings of $3.37 billion in 2012.
Thank goodness railroads are again a meaningful player in the nation's commercial transport system and a key participant in our economic recovery.
Ernest "Doc" Werlin is a local columnist who welcomes suggestions and comments at email@example.com. Read past columns at docwerlin.com.
This story appeared in print on page D3
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Annual Telemarketer Awards rudely interrupted with attractive Visa card offer.
The keynote speaker at this yearís prestigious Telemarketer Awards ceremony was disrupted by an ill-timed phone call from a Citibank operator offering a very competitive rate on a Visa card. The audience grew impatient with the callerís persistence and became further annoyed moments later when a Satellite TV company called to say they had installers working in the neighborhood and were offering three months of free subscription service. Organizers of the Telemarketer Awards say next year they hope to avoid these types of rude interruptions by including their phone number in the governmentís Do Not Call list.
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Most leisure travelers who use a professional travel agent to plan their trip do so because it takes the stress out of traveling, according to a new consumer study commissioned by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).
In the 2015 Traveler Decision Making study, conducted by Lodestar Advisory Partners for ASTA and sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines, 72% of travel agent customers said they use a travel adviser because it just makes things easier. And, they plan to do it again.
ASTA president and CEO, Zane Kerby commented: “This study confirms what we found in another independent study we commissioned last year – when you use a travel agent, you have a better experience.”
Kerby noted as well that: “We know from the U.S. Travel Association that 429 million vacation days go unused by Americans every year. That means that when it comes to using those hard-earned days off, no one has time for a vacation do-over. Using a professional travel agent is critical to taking the risk out of travel planning.”
Of the 3,000 U.S. travellers who took the survey:
- 92% who used a travel agent expect to use one again.
- 72% said agents make travel planning easy.
- 69% said if something goes wrong, an agent is there to take care of it, and them.
- 68% said agents are great for booking special trips.
- 61% said agents have the knowledge to plan a better vacation.
- 59% said agents still have access to better deals than they can find themselves.
A US traveller is defined here as a consumer who took at least one leisure trip in the past 12 months with an overnight stay in a commercial property.
The study found the typical travel agent customer is younger, more affluent, a racial minority, male, travels frequently and most often travels alone. Among the younger generation of millennials 41% used a travel agent in the past 12 months.
Go to http://www.ASTA.org for more.


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We carry the top rated hearing aids from the leading manufacturers in the trade. Processors and screens have easily been the most quickly advancing points of smartphone expertise. Note to Android tablet and Android cellphone readers: to view this digital edition with the most recent interactive options, please ensure you might have upgraded your tablet or Android phone to not less than the Version four.0 Operating System. Another thought offered during the keynote talk at the Wall Street Journal convention with head of Motorola Dennis Woodside and senior vice chairman for advanced know-how and merchandise, Regina Dugan, was a swallowable tablet.
The developers have used silicon and aluminum deposits which supposedly assist create the anti-getting older effect. Empathy is the cornerstone of the tech industry’s masterplan for mainstreaming VR. It’s the killer app” that Silicon Valley hopes will rework VR from a fringe curiosity into a technology that is as deeply embedded in our day by day lives as smartphones and social media. Technology means different things to totally different people, and everybody has their very own set of preferences in the case of such things. The 5 IT traits and innovations within the 2017 Technology Vision will empower individuals to invent and obtain more within the era of the clever enterprise.
Silicon Valley isn’t pouring billions of dollars into VR to offer nerds a greater way to play games and masturbate – and if these are the only actions that people affiliate with the technology, it is useless on arrival. Android Oreo will allow the users to run two apps side by facet utilizing the brand new split display characteristic which is rather like how we multitask in a home windows desktop. The SmartFaucet by iHouse is extremely handy attributable to its characteristics: it has a face recognition know-how.
If the extended goal will not be reached but the primary one is, we will certainly ship all of the rewards to backers however the App growth is perhaps postponed (until now we have raised funds by other means). Amazon’s Underground program is coming to an finish soon, with the shutdown starting on May 31. It presents 1000’s of paid Android apps and video games for free of charge.
The tattoos, developed by Massachusetts-primarily based engineering firm MC10, include versatile digital circuits which are connected to the wearer’s pores and skin utilizing a rubber stamp. While it is so far only in three Wal-Mart stores, this know-how has already been rolled out across Sam’s Club’s fleet. Just like App of the Day, Freapp is another solution to download free applications to your Android app. This new expertise 2012tracks the eyes of a consumer with the help of the entrance-facing cameras, which are usually put in in most cellular units.


text: Zendaya is keeping brands relevant via her Instagram account. She’s become a style icon in her own right, partnering with Law Roach who creates epic look after epic look for the 23-year-old. There’s a reason why fashion houses want to partner with her and she continues to associate herself with various high end brands. She came in third on the list and Lyst revealed, “When she stepped out on the MET Gala red carpet dressed in a light-up Cinderella gown by Tommy Hilfiger – complete with a carriage shaped bag and glass slippers – her look caused a 54% rise in search for the brand.” Fashion companies used to pay advertisers millions of dollars for coverage like this. Now it can happen via social media in under 24 hours.


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- Could Jeff Bezos be first trillionaire?
- Why do CEOs pay themselves $1?
- Does Elon Musk donate money?
- Who has donated the most money?
- Are there any trillionaires in the US?
- How much does Jeff Bezos make 15 minutes?
- How much does Jeff Bezos make a minute 2021?
- How did Jeff Bezos make 13 billion in 15 minutes?
- Who is the richest person in the world?
- How much does Jeff Bezos make a hour?
- Who is the world richest kid?
- How much does Elon Musk earn?
- What is the salary of Jeff Bezos?
- How much does Elon Musk make a day?
- Does Jeff Bezos donate?
- Who will be the first trillionaire?
- Who is richer Bill Gates or Elon Musk?
- How much does Amazon earn a second?
- Who is the richest person in the world 2021?
- How much does Jeff Bezos make in 2 seconds?
- Who did Jeff Bezos donate 10 billion dollars to?
Could Jeff Bezos be first trillionaire?
Even as the coronavirus pandemic rages across the world, the world’s richest are estimated to grow their wealth in the coming years.
According to a report, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos could potentially become the world’s first trillionaire as early as 2026, at which point he will be aged 62, says a study..
Why do CEOs pay themselves $1?
The only reason a CEO takes a $1 salary is because he can pass off the savings in other ways. In the US, capital gains are taxed at a MUCH lower rate than ordinary income, so if the CEO is granted stock options in addition to the $1 salary, his stock options are taxed only at the capital gains rate.
Does Elon Musk donate money?
In just the first four months of this year, Vox.com reports, Musk has donated $150 million to philanthropic causes. That sounds like a lot of money. Vox calls it a “philanthropic spending spree.” It’s wonderful that Mr.
Who has donated the most money?
The Americans who gave the most to charity in 2020RankDonor or donorsAmount1Jeff Bezos$10,150M2MacKenzie Scott$5,734M3Michael Bloomberg$1,600M4Philip and Penelope Knight$1,366M6 more rows•Feb 9, 2021
Are there any trillionaires in the US?
A trillion is such a huge number followed by twelve zeros. That is one thousand times a billion. As of today, there are no trillionaires who live on earth. Such extreme wealth we dont see in our lifetime.
How much does Jeff Bezos make 15 minutes?
According to a report published by Business Insider in 2019, Bezos makes an estimate of $2,489 every second and $149,353 every minute of the day. Earlier this year in January, Bezos reportedly added $13.2 billion to his fortune in 15 minutes.
How much does Jeff Bezos make a minute 2021?
Founder Jeff Bezos (who announced he’s stepping down as Amazon CEO during the company’s last quarterly earnings reveal) has even seen his personal net worth top $200 billion. Apple followed Amazon in the breakdown of revenue-per-minute, pulling in $691,234 every minute of the first quarter of 2021.
How did Jeff Bezos make 13 billion in 15 minutes?
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos added $13.5 billion to his fortune in 15 minutes. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ fortune grew by $13.5 billion in just 15 minutes on Thursday. Bezos’ windfall came after Amazon’s stock price increased by 12% to $12,000 during trading Thursday in New York.
Who is the richest person in the world?
Jeff BezosJeff Bezos is the CEO and founder of both Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, and Blue Origin. With an estimated net worth of $177 billion, he is the richest man in the world.
How much does Jeff Bezos make a hour?
Breaking the amount down more, Bezos is making about $321 million a day, $13.4 million an hour, $222,884 a minute, and $3,715 a second this year. The largest single-day increase in Bezos’s net worth is $13 billion, which he achieved on July 20, 2020.
Who is the world richest kid?
Prince George of CambridgeThe wealthiest kid in the world today is Prince George of Cambridge, son of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, his Duchess. He inherited a whooping fortune, rising to no less than $1 billion.
How much does Elon Musk earn?
Musk was paid about $11 billion last year, by Forbes estimates, all in Tesla TSLA -0.3% stock options awarded to him as part of the audacious compensation plan he inked with the electric carmaker in 2018.
What is the salary of Jeff Bezos?
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos total 2020 pay stays at $1.7 million, with most representing security costs. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Chief Executive Jeff Bezos base salary for 2020 remained at $81,840, the same as 2019 and just a little more than double the median total compensation U.S. full-time employees of $37,930.
How much does Elon Musk make a day?
His wealth jumps $25 billion in just one day. Elon Musk just hit a new milestone: He made a record $25 billion in one day.
Does Jeff Bezos donate?
Jeff Bezos topped the list by donating $10 billion to launch the Bezos Earth Fund. Bezos, who last week announced he was stepping down as Amazon CEO to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects, also contributed $100 million to Feeding America, the organization that supplies more than 200 food banks. No.
Who will be the first trillionaire?
Jeff BezosThe first trillionaire could be Jeff Bezos instead. And, Coronavirus made Bezos even richer as millions of people relied on online ordering and delivery services rather than shopping at local stores. In 2020, the Amazon founder bumped his net worth up by almost $30 billion.
Who is richer Bill Gates or Elon Musk?
In November, Musk raced past Bill Gates to become the second-richest person. Musk has gained more wealth over the past 12 months than Gates’ entire net worth of $132 billion. Tesla’s shares closed Thursday at $816.04, up nearly 8%. The company’s market value has grown to more than $760 billion.
How much does Amazon earn a second?
In contrast, his net worth increased by $67.4 billion on August 12, 2020. Based on this info, Jeff Bezos made around $321 million per day or $3,715 per second. According to Observer, Jeff Bezos earns approximately $149,353 a minute.
Who is the richest person in the world 2021?
Here is a list of the 10 richest people in the world for 2021.Jeff Bezos. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has become a familiar face at the top of Forbes’ wealthiest people in the world list. … Elon Musk. … 3. Bernard Arnault. … Bill Gates. … Mark Zuckerberg. … Warren Buffett. … Larry Ellison. … Larry Page.More items…•Apr 12, 2021
How much does Jeff Bezos make in 2 seconds?
According to Business Insider, Bezos has made $152,207 per minute — and $2,537 per second — based on the year-over-year change in his net worth.
Who did Jeff Bezos donate 10 billion dollars to?
The $10 billion Jeff Bezos gave in February to launch the Bezos Earth Fund, an initiative seeking to combat climate change, has been deemed the single-largest charitable gift of 2020 by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Bezos announced the multibillion-dollar gift and the creation of the Bezos Earth Fund on Instagram.


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By Amy Nordrum
At no extra expense, Ohio University is making a switch that will save more than 77 cubic yards of landfill space, more than 180,000 gallons of water and nearly 450 trees each year. And it all comes down to paper towels and toilet paper.
As soon as the current stock of older products is depleted, the university will switch to 100 percent recycled paper towels and toilet paper in all campus buildings.
The university began purchasing the products from SCA Tissues in early February. The goods are 100 percent recycled from cardboard, office paper and other products. Previously, the university's paper products contained 70 to 80 percent recycled content.
The switch came at the suggestion of Classic Solutions, the distributor that supplies the university's custodial supplies.
"It offered us a better product in terms of sustainability, an opportunity to partner with a good company, and (SCA) was able to match price," Director of Building and Grounds Services Steve Mack said.
The university buys about 30,000 rolls of toilet paper and 13,200 rolls of paper towels each year. With that high volume, the university is able to make a strong statement with its purchases, Campus Recycling Manager Ed Newman said.
"It completes the cycle of not only recycling the material but creating a demand for the recycled product, and Ohio University, as a large buyer, is instrumental in being able to do that," he said.
SCA products also are EcoLogo-certified, meaning they are environmentally friendly based on resources used in the manufacturing process, waste reduction and the impact of the product's lifecycle on air and water quality. SCA has been ranked as one of the most sustainable companies in the world by the World Wildlife Fund and the Ethisphere Institute, an international think-tank focused on corporate social responsibility.
In addition to using recycled toilet paper and paper towels, Ohio University's custodial services also uses green seal certified cleaning products, which are safer for employees and the environment due to low levels of toxicity. The department is also partnering with the Office of Sustainability on the "Get Caught Green Handed Campaign," a campaign that recognizes sustainable practices in the office place.
For more information on green purchasing at Ohio University, visit www.ohio.edu/sustainability/GreenPurchasing2008.htm.


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Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Apple-Backed Imagination Technologies Announces PowerVR SGX545 Mobile Graphics Chip
Says Tony King-Smith, VP Marketing, Imagination: "Combining our many years of experience in the embedded, mobile and PC-based DirectX graphics worlds, POWERVR SGX 545 takes the possibilities of hand-held graphics to a new level by delivering a full DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.x feature set as well as delivering GPU powered OpenCL heterogeneous parallel processing capabilities for the mobile and embedded markets. This makes POWERVR SGX545 a compelling solution for application processor SoC designers targeting the next generation of netbook and MID mobile products demanding exceptional graphics capabilities."Imagination Technologies notes that the design has proven in test chips and has already been "licensed by a lead partner." While the partner is unnamed, Apple was revealed as a licensee and investor in Imagination Technologies in late 2008, and raised its stake in the company a few months later, signaling a strong interest in Imagination Technologies' product pipeline.
The PowerVR SGX545 combined with the Dual Core Cortex A9 ARM processor could be an alternative Apple Tablet option to the NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform released yesterday. It's not clear how this combination would compare to the NVIDIA solution in both performance and battery life.


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DBS has retained the number one spot as ASEAN’s most valuable banking brand, and improved 12 places globally to number 40. This was according a recent Brand Finance Banking 500 report.
The report added that the brand value for DBS has improved significantly over 2017, reaching US$6.5 billion. This makes DBS the first ASEAN bank to be in the top 50 most valuable bank brand ranking and also the first ASEAN bank to cross US$6 billion in brand value.
The report also listed Singapore bank brands OCBC and UOB as second and third place respectively in the ASEAN rankings, with global rankings of 64th and 66th respectively. According to BrandFinance, the “strong growth” for DBS and OCBC is partly attributed to recent acquisitions both organisations made which provided the boost to the revenue base.
According to Samir Dixit, managing director of Brand Finance Asia Pacific, it is also worth highlighting that unlike DBS and OCBC, UOB had a more organic, non-acquisition based growth of revenues and brand value. UOB remains highly competitive in the region as the third most valuable ASEAN bank brand.
If not for the acquisitions made by OCBC, UOB would have been in a strong position to challenge them at second place.
Malaysia & Indonesia banks on the rise
Malaysia bank brands also continued to populate the top 10 rankings, with Maybank maintaining its position as fifth place when compared to the year before. CIMB took eighth place, dropping one spot from the year before. Indonesia bank brands such as BRI and BCA also maintained their positions at fourth and sixth place respectively, but also saw improvements in their global ranking.
Dixit added that the company’s annual brand equity research for the banks indicates that there still exist wide gaps for banks brand strength. This is due to higher product focus and very little brand differentiation. Therefore, banks that will focus on the brand will benefit disproportionately.
While it is heartening to see the rise of ASEAN brands amongst the global rankings and the dominance of Singaporean banks both globally and in ASEAN; Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese banks have also been rising steadily both in value and in brand strength. He added:
This will likely pose some threat in the future to the three Singapore banks.
Overall, ASEAN bank brands more recent growth has also been due to accelerating M&A activities in the region. According to Dixit, these have been providing opportunities for the ASEAN banks beyond its growing domestic market.
The research also indicates ASEAN’s consumers growing affinity for brands and branded goods has also helped set a solid foundation for competitive brands from the region. This is also evident by Indonesian banks such as BCA, Mandiri and BRI making their way into being the top 3 strongest bank brand in ASEAN.
“It’s the strong growth of ASEAN region as a whole and coupled with a consumer preference for home grown brands that is driving the phenomenal increase in brand values of the ASEAN bank brands, which the western banks cannot hope to match,” Dixit added.
View the top ASEAN bank brand rankings here:
Annually, Brand Finance evaluates the brands of thousands of the world’s biggest companies. The results of this analysis are then ranked, with the world’s 500 most valuable banking brands featured in the Brand Finance Banking 500.


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Electric vehicles registrations increased 30% in November 2018 compared with last year, despite changes in the Plug-in Car Grant - which came into force mid-October 2018 - reducing funding for pure-EVs by £1,000, and removing support for available PHEVs altogether.
Plug-in Hybrids remained the dominant type of electric vehicle in November, making up 71% of EV registrations, with more than 3,300 models sold last month-up almost 20% on last year.
Pure-electric models saw more than 1,400 units registered, 70% up on last year, and combined, there were more than 4,800 EVs registered during the month.
Table courtesy of SMMT
The news comes as a boost to the UK's electric vehicle industry, which was concerned that the reductions in grant funding may have impacted upon sales, should they have come along too soon.
It seems as though the market is mature enough to deal with such cuts though, and it is now down to a lack of outright availability of those models available to buy in the UK that is restricting the market now.
More than 54,500 EVs have now been registered in 2018, with a month still to go of the year. December has traditionally been a strong month for EV registrations, so the total figure could be pushing 60,000 units come the end of December.
November shares the second highest market share currently seen in the UK, tied with October 2018 on 3.1%, and behind only August 2018's 4.2% in terms of EV registrations compared to total sales.
The average number of EVs sold in 2018 (for the first 11 months) now sits at almost 5,000 a month, a thousand units up from last year's monthly average for the full year. The average market share is now 2.5%, compared to 2017's 1.9% - another healthy increase.
Looking at the market on a rolling 12-month basis, just over 59,000 units have been sold, from December 2017 to the end of November 2018. That represents a similar monthly average to 2018's to date, and matches the average market share of 2.5%.
Put into perspective, the EV market has grown 30% compared to the a fall in overall sales by 3%. Diesel continues to see significant drops in sales performance, down 17% compared to last year - which had already seen a sustained slump in registrations.
Diesel models now make up less than one in every three new cars sold in November 2018. That's compared to almost half of total registrations being diesel models just two years ago, and more than half three years ago.
Petrol models are taking up some of this slack, now accounting for 60% of new cars registered in November, with alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) - which include EVs, PHEVs, and hybrids - making up 7% of registrations. For 2018 to date, diesel registrations have declined 30%, petrol increased 9%, and AFVs have seen growth of 22%.


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Fundstrat’s Tom Lee On Dealing With Volatility: Stablecoins, And A Road To The Mature Crypto Market
Dealing With Volatility: Stablecoins, And A Road To The Mature Crypto Market
While the cryptocurrency space still has a fair share of its problems, such as scalability issues that are troubling numerous older coins, as well as the lack of regulations and support from institutions, another big problem that remains is high volatility.
There have been many attempts to tackle the problem of price changes, and the most successful one so far has been through stablecoins. However, there are many who believe that stablecoins are only a temporary solution, as they remain partially centralized due to the fact that they are backed by fiat currencies that rest in accounts of various banks.
Are Stablecoins The Way To Go?
As mentioned, the crypto market has attempted to find a safe space in stablecoins, which were always viewed as controversial and risky, until they started receiving attention in 2018. The crypto market crashed right after the biggest rally in its history, which has attracted thousands of new investors. As a result, people were desperate for some form of stability, and stablecoins saw their opportunity.
At the time, they were led by Tether (USDT), which still remains the largest stablecoin by market cap to this day, despite the recent controversies. Stablecoins' largest advantage is that they are backed by a fiat currency. While there are some alternatives to this method of maintaining value, most of the currently popular coins choose to use traditional money to back their tokens.
By following a sensible model where each coin is backed by $1, stablecoins managed to keep their value at $1 even when the market reduced the value of every other crypto, some of which lost as much as 80%. Why is this a weakness, then?
As seen in Tether's case, the entity that has released the stablecoin is the one responsible for backing it up. This means that the company Tether, in this example, needs to have enough USD to back every single USDT that is currently in circulation. The problem arose when Tether failed to provide insight into its accounts, which has caused many to believe that the stablecoin may be worthless.
However, Tether managed to survive the panic selling simply because there are enough people that still believed in it. Even so, the controversy was bad enough to inspire a number of investors to seek out alternatives to Tether. This has led to an entire stablecoin flood, where numerous new coins such as GUSD, USDC, and several others started gaining popularity.
Meanwhile, analysts say that the market still believes in Tether to an extent. While this is not a logical thing to do, the market often does not act based on logic. One of the large forces that control the market behavior is sentiment, which is really the main reason why USD is the currency that most stablecoins choose to go for. While there are numerous other fiat currencies that show far more stability than the USD, the US dollar remains the most popular currency around the world.
Most people use it for online purchases, for example, even if they live in countries that do not use the USD. Online stores use dollars more than EUR, GBP, or any other currency. The same is with Tether — it has a well-known name, a long history, and it did not have incidents apart from failing to provide audits.
Can Other Cryptocurrencies Make Stablecoins Obsolete?
As mentioned, stablecoins are necessary due to the high volatility that still represents a huge issue in the crypto market. Some have even suggested that stablecoins saved the market in 2018, as investors had a safe cryptocurrency to turn to while the major coins were dropping. However, the question remains — can other cryptos reach enough stability to make stablecoins obsolete, or are stablecoins here to stay?
The answer is unknown, however, speculations say that this might happen at some point in the future. Let's use XRP as an example, and take a look at its recent report about the coin's behavior in Q4 of 2018.
According to the report, XRP has grown to become quite a popular and tradeable coin in 2018. The coin sold around $129.03 million in XRP in Q4 alone and $535.56 million throughout the entire year. Furthermore, XRP is currently listed on more than 100 exchanges, and it collaborates with even more banks and financial institutions.
Not only that, but its volatility dropped significantly in the last quarter of 2018, which indicates that the coin is maturing. Many believe that this is what the entire market needs — a chance to mature and find stability on its own. While it was speculated that this might come faster through the introduction of institutional investors to the market, others claim that it might happen on its own over time.
If the crypto world does end up having to take care of itself, another theory is that it will have to evolve and find new solutions to these issues. Whatever the case may be, the reduction of volatility has yet to be achieved, even for the XRP. However, this coin, at least, seems to be on the right path, and it may even serve to point the way to others.


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E-cigs are becoming a real controversy with the tobacco police. They are a nicotine replacement system and probably as addictive, but are they a serious health problem?
Personally, I got off a 25yr smoking habit using one for a month, but that's not what everyone does with them. For those who replace a damaging tobacco habit, they're good, but how many new, young users are starting that might or might not have used cigarettes?
That's the real question?
On the edge of the SoHo neighborhood downtown, The Henley Vaporium is an intimate hipster hangout with overstuffed chairs, exposed brick, friendly counter help — but no booze.
Instead, the proprietors are peddling e-cigarettes, along with bottles of liquid nicotine ready to be plucked from behind a wooden bar and turned into flavorful vapor for a lung hit with a kick that is intended to simulate traditional smoking.
"Vaping," has had astonishing growth — in just eight years or so, the number of enthusiasts around the world has grown from a few thousand to millions.
The Food and Drug Administration plans to regulate e-cigarettes but has not yet issued proposed rules. Right now, the agency simply states on its website that "e-cigarettes have not been fully studied so consumers currently don't know the potential risks of e-cigarettes," including how much nicotine or other chemicals are inhaled, or if e-cigs "may lead young people to try ... conventional cigarettes."
Whether vaping helps regular smokers quit or leads non-smokers to nicotine addiction isn't known. Vaping may be safer — there are differing opinions — but it isn't necessarily cheap.
E-cigarettes: fresh air or smoke and mirrors?


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Toyota recalls matts
Toyota Motor Corporation said it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company's largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall will involve models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the hybrid Prius. Toyota. said it is working to find a remedy and that owners could be notified as early as next week.


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TCL showcased a new type of foldable device concept, which also has a rollable part of the display. At a technology congress in China called DTC 2021, the company presented its crazy new concept. Twitter user Fold Universe captured a fully functional TCL device showcasing the new technology on video.
By the looks of it, the device is probably a pretty early prototype of the ambitious TCL phone. The software doesn’t look to be the best in terms of its optimization to this new form factor. The device itself also looks to be not very polished.


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07 Mar. REBELS WITH A CAUSE:TAG HEUER RAISES THE CURTAIN ON NEWEST BRAND AMBASSADOR: CAMERON DIAZ
March 7, 2012. An exciting partnership between the blonde box-office bombshell and luxury watchmaking’s enfant terrible has been announced in Basel to press and VIPs. The internationally-renowed actress Cameron Diaz takes on a new role : that of TAG Heuer ambassador and muse for the new LINK LADY collection. She appeared on stage wearing a steel and diamond version of this new collection dedicated to beautiful and rebel women. “The Link Lady is modern, sexy and elegant and I’m equally comfortable wearing it on the red carpet or in my day-to-day life" said Cameron Diaz. Her partnership with TAG Heuer will also serve to benefit and raise awareness for programs that empower women, including UN Women, and this is why it has been announced on the eve of the International Women's Day 2012.


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Competition lawyers across the country will be keeping an eye on two recent British Columbia Court of Appeal cases that say indirect purchasers cannot sue for losses they suffered as a result of a price fixing conspiracy, says Toronto lawyer Michael Osborne.
Only direct purchasers have a cause of action for damages under the Competition Act, Osborne says the court has found. (Read Decision) (Read Second Decision)
If the cases, Sun-Rype v Archer Daniels Midland and Pro-Sys v Microsoft move on to the Supreme Court of Canada, the issue will be determined once and for all “as to whether or not we will follow the U.S. federal approach and bar indirect purchaser claims,” says Osborne, who practises competition law as a partner at Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP.
This has been an ongoing issue in Canada for years, and in Osborne’s opinion word from the SCC on it would be an “extremely important” ruling.
“If the Supreme Court upholds this decision it will simplify competition litigation because it will cut out the complexity of the indirect purchasers,” says Osborne. It will “definitely” change the face of how competition law is practised.
“It would have a very big impact on the plaintiff’s class action bar,” adds Osborne, noting the result would be “they wouldn’t be able to find themselves a consumer or consumer group to have a class action anymore, they would have to find a direct purchaser.”
Osborne says the B.C. decisions are “the biggest news in Canadian competition law class actions in a long time.”
Osborne says the bottom line emerging from B. C. is that “when you have a price fixing conspiracy, this raises the price which the producers sell it for, and the, what we call direct purchasers or the people who buy the product directly from the conspirators, pay more money. It’s called an overcharge.
“This case says that only the direct purchasers can sue to recover the overcharge. However, the people who they sold the product to either in its original form or as part of another product – in Sun-Rype’s case, the high fructose corn syrup would have been added to fruit drinks – they would have sold it to distributors, then grocery stores and consumers, all of those people are called indirect purchasers. They didn’t buy it directly from the conspirator, they bought it from an intermediate person in the chain of distribution,” says Osborne.
Sun-Rype says that indirect purchasers cannot sue for the overcharge that they may have suffered as a result of the price fixing conspiracy. So, it limits the liability and the recovery to the first transaction, that is to say the sale from the producer to the direct purchaser and it put the wall there, says Osborne. “That’s it, no more, no recovery below that.”
Osborne says the effect is it will “knock the consumers out of class actions for price fixing conspiracies.”
And here’s a twist: charity contributions, which are typically where the consumers’ awards go, will dry up, he says.
Osborne explains that currently, these class actions are typically configured with everybody in the proposed class, including both direct and indirect purchasers and the consumers. Then, at the end of the day if there’s a settlement, the pie is divided.
But, in Canada, “no consumer has ever been given anything by way of a settlement cheque from one of these Competition Act class actions. Instead they send the money, it’s called cy pres, to charities like universities or consumer groups in lieu of sending it to consumers. So what this really means in practical terms is a fairly nice source of funding for some universities and consumer groups will be cut off. You will not have the forced donation from companies accused of price fixing to the universities and consumer groups.”
However it may not reduce the total liability, or the amount paid by these price fixing conspirators, says Osborne. “What the decision (Sun-Rype) stands for is the working out of a conclusion from a number of fairly well-established points of law. The first is that the Supreme Court has categorically dismissed the pass on defence.”
Osborne described it this way: “Suppose I’m a price fixing conspirator, and someone like Sun-Rype comes to me and says, ‘You made me pay ten cents more a kilo for this sweetener so you’ve got to pay me,’ and I say, ‘No, because you didn’t actually suffer any losses because you passed that overcharge on to your customers.’ That’s the pass on defence.”
The Supreme Court has categorically ruled that out; said there is no such defence. The BC. Court of appeal said it follows that the direct purchaser is entitled to recover on 100 per cent of the overcharge. If that’s true there’s nothing left for the indirect purchasers, says Osborne.
“So, if you can’t use the pass on defence as a shield, you can’t use it as a sword either,” says Osborne. “Because the indirect purchasers' claim depends on pass on, they only have a claim as to losses passed on to them. This case in B.C. is the Canadian version of a famous U.S. case called Illinois Brick which said the same thing.”
Osborne says that in Canada the B.C. decision, strictly speaking, does not apply anywhere else in the country. “What will happen, however, is I would presume that leave will be sought to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. I would be very surprised if the Supreme Court did not agree to hear the case and the court’s decision on this subject will apply and become the law in at least the common law provinces of Canada.”
Meanwhile Osborne says he’s “very excited” by the news coming out of B.C. “I agree with it. I think it’s the right approach. I think it follows from the refusal to recognize the pass on as a defence. That being said, one thing that it does is it basically says that although people may have suffered a loss, this is a loss for which the law will not compensate you. I find that a little bit troubling and that’s going to be the debate.”
Michael Osborne is a partner at Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP. He is a respected and practiced litigator who acts for and advises parties in a wide range of competition matters, a variety of commercial disputes, including contractual disputes, shareholders' disputes, commercial fraud, and employment matters, and also in administrative law and constitutional issues. He can be reached at 416 360 2800 or email him at MOsborne@agmlawyers.com.
Contact AdvocatePR at firstname.lastname@example.org or 416-729-4043 for more information.


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Houston, TX.- Today, Foundation 45 Mitsubishi is seeking additional donations for their upcoming “Queen for a Day Mother’s Day Brunch” for local survivors of domestic violenc
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Foundation Automotive Corp. is pleased to announce the addition of SOUTHFORK Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram to their rapidly growing automoti
Foundation Automotive Corp’s Medved Autoplex Expands into Boulder, CO with Second Hyundai Dealership
BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Foundation Automotive is pleased to announce the addition of Foundation Boulder Hyundai, the 23rd acquisition for the rapidly grow
More Choice and Possibility in Colorado as Foundation Automotive’s Booming Autoplex Acquires First Hyundai Dealership
Foundation Automotive Corp., a fast growing North-American automotive group, adds the first Hyundai dealership as their 22nd store overall and 7th in the Colorado market.
Foundation Automotive Corp Announces Asset Purchase of Chrysler Dealership in North Vancouver 10-1-20
BRITISH COLUMBIA – September 30, 2020 – Foundation Automotive Corp., is proud to announce the purchase of the dealership assets of Destination Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram North
Wheat Ridge, Colorado, August 3 – The two men set their pens down on the table, shook hands followed by generous amounts of hand sanitizer – owing to the pandemic – and th
Foundation Auto Acquires New Gems in Fairfield, Texas – Freestone Auto Group Joins the Foundation Auto Family
HOUSTON, TX. – May 22, 2020 Foundation Automotive, North America’s fastest growing automotive group, is proud to announce that it has completed the acquisition of
Foundation Automotive Corp. Makes Big Strides in USA with the Acquisition of Five New Dealerships in Texas and North Dakota.
Texas, June 20, 2019: Foundation Automotive Corporation, one of United States’ and Canada’s newest and fastest growing automotive corporations, announced today that t
Foundation Auto Looks Forward to a Strong 2019 with Canadian Dealerships Exceeding Objectives & US Growth on the Horizon
Calgary, February 7, 2019: Foundation Automotive Corp. (“Foundation Auto”), one of Canada’s newest and fastest growing automotive groups, announced today that early s


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Lahore Silicon Valley, also known as the Lahore Technology Park, is quickly emerging as a hub for technology and innovation in Pakistan. With a growing number of startups, incubators, and major players in the tech industry, Lahore is poised to become a major player in the global tech scene. In this article, we’ll take a tour of Lahore’s Silicon Valley, exploring its history, ecosystem, success stories, challenges, and future potential.
The history of Lahore Silicon Valley
The tech industry in Lahore began in the late 1990s, with the establishment of software houses and IT services companies. Since then, the industry has grown significantly, with the creation of new startups and the expansion of existing companies. Lahore’s tech industry has been fueled by the city’s large pool of highly educated and skilled workers, as well as its central location in Pakistan.
Lahore’s tech ecosystem
Lahore’s tech ecosystem is made up of startups, incubators, and major players in the tech industry. Some of the most notable startups in Lahore include Cheetay.pk, a food delivery platform; Bykea, a ride-hailing and logistics company; and Patari, a music streaming service. Incubators in Lahore include the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Center for Entrepreneurship and the Plan9 Technology Incubator. Major players in Lahore’s tech industry include Netsol Technologies, a software development company, and Systems Limited, an IT services company.
The government of Pakistan has also taken steps to support the tech industry in Lahore. In 2015, the Punjab Information Technology Board launched the PlanX accelerator program to support tech startups in the region. In addition, the government has established special economic zones, including the Lahore Technology Park, to attract foreign investment and promote the development of the tech industry.
Success stories of Lahore’s Silicon Valley
Several startups in Lahore Silicon Valley have already achieved significant success. Cheetay.pk, for example, has raised over $20 million in funding and has expanded its operations to several other cities in Pakistan. Bykea has also raised significant funding and has expanded into new markets, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Patari, meanwhile, has become one of the most popular music streaming services in Pakistan.
Challenges faced by Lahore’s tech industry
Despite its successes, Lahore’s tech industry faces several challenges. One of the biggest challenges is a lack of venture capital. While there are some venture capital firms operating in Pakistan, they are relatively new and inexperienced. As a result, many startups in Lahore struggle to raise the funding they need to grow and expand.
Another challenge facing Lahore’s tech industry is limited access to international markets. While there is significant demand for Pakistani software and IT services abroad, many companies struggle to break into these markets due to regulatory and logistical barriers. In addition, the limited support from the government has made it difficult for many startups to succeed. While the government has taken steps to support the tech industry, there is still a need for more investment and support to ensure that Lahore’s Silicon Valley can reach its full potential.
Future of Lahore Silicon Valley
Despite the challenges facing Lahore’s tech industry, there is significant potential for growth and development in the coming years. The government of Pakistan has recognized the importance of the tech industry and has taken steps to support its growth. In addition, the increasing availability of venture capital and the growth of international interest in Pakistani tech companies suggest that there are significant opportunities for expansion.
To realize this potential, however, there are several areas for improvement. One key area is the need for more investment in the tech industry, particularly in the form of venture capital. In addition, there is a need for more support from the government, particularly in the form of policies and programs that can help to promote the development of the tech industry.
Lahore’s Silicon Valley is a growing hub for technology and innovation in Pakistan. With a strong ecosystem of startups, incubators, and major players in the tech industry, Lahore is well-positioned to become a major player in the global tech scene. While there are certainly challenges facing the industry, there is significant potential for growth and development in the coming years.
If you are interested in supporting Lahore’Silicon Valley, there are many ways to get involved. Consider investing in a local startup, or reaching out to local incubators or accelerators to learn more about the opportunities available. With the right support, Lahore’s tech industry has the potential to make a significant impact on the global tech scene.


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Earth Class Mail Plans Retail Stores, Raises $13 Million
Earth Class Mail has closed $13.3 million in Series A funding, according to CNET. Ignition Partners of Bellevue, Washington, led the round, and more than half of the money was raised by Keiretsu Forum.Earth Class Mail customers have their mail sent to the company rather than a personal address. Then letter openers, staffed with disabled veterans with Department of Defense security clearance, scan the envelopes and upload images to the Web. Customers then decide which items to have opened and read, recycled, or forwarded.
Earth Class Mail’s users recycle 90 percent of mail received, whereas only 20 percent of mail delivered to someone’s door gets recycled. With the new funding, the company plans to open a chain of retail stores, beginning in Manhattan early this year.
One recent study revealed that many consumers think direct mail accounts for more waste than is actually the case.
ViaPost, which plans to launch soon in the UK, claims to cut carbon emissions from postal deliveries by 20-25 percent.
Energy Manager News
- Battery Storage Giving Businesses a Break
- Could Ratepayers Foot the Bill for New Hampshire’s Pipelines?
- CenterPoint to Acquire Continuum’s Retail Energy Services Division
- LED Projects Must Be Carefully Planned
- Energy Managers Buoyed By Supreme Court’s Demand Response Decision
- Dover, N.H., Saves More Than Projected Under EPC
- Datacenters Underestimating Coal Use
- Transmission Upgrades Give SPP a $240M ‘Bang for the Buck’


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Riot Games itself has become a bit of a meme to its audience over the years. Its fans, who have only entered Riot’s ecosystem for a single game, League of Legends, often joke about the studio’s name having the word “Games” in it while it’s only ever produced the one game.
Sure, there have been board games, hackathon projects, and other small ventures, but the fans have always wanted more blockbuster, genre-defining video games, because that’s the precedent and standard that League set when it launched 10 years ago. And each time a mini-game or some other small project came out, the players would joke about Riot finally “putting the ‘S’ in ‘Riot Games.’”
With the studio’s bombardment of reveals last month at the company’s 10th anniversary celebration for its debut game, League, we spoke with co-founder Marc Merrill about what these new titles mean for him, his company, and what went into their production.
“We’ve been working on these new titles for a long time, and what I’m most excited about is their potential.” Merrill told yourstandard.us. “Each of these games needs to exist. Using League as a data point in the MOBA genre, if you liked the approach we took for it, we’re going to do that for the fighting game community, the card game community, and the competitive shooter community. Whatever one genre’s impossible dreams are, that’s what we’ll do.”
Not for everyone
League is certainly solid ground to stand on, too, and it raised expectations for Riot moving forward. It took popular aspects of the budding MOBA community, including mechanics and features from Dota and various other Warcraft III custom game modes, trimmed out the things players disliked, added its own stroke of creativity, and League was the result.
It captured everything the MOBA community wanted in a game, and it flourished so rapidly that, despite the MOBA community being relatively small compared to things like RTS and FPS games at the time, it went onto become the most popular PC game in the world. At its peak, League had 100 million players worldwide, and just last month, it took up almost 50 percent of all PC bangs in South Korea, vastly more popular than any other game. When looking at future titles, though, Riot wants to make it clear that popularity isn’t what it’s chasing. The goal is simply to offer a service to each genre’s community similar to what League had done—take the best the competition has to offer and combine it with everything they wish they had.
“League was a once-in-a-decade type of success,” Merrill said. “While we would be thrilled if any of the games had the same type of impact as League, the most important thing for all of our products is that they deeply resonate with the niche audience that they are designed to deeply serve.”
One of Merrill’s concerns is that any of these new titles become just any other game. A goal, therefore, is preventing that from happening. With Steam’s robust library of titles now being competed with by other virtual game emporiums, like the Epic Games Store or the Microsoft Store, there are more games on the market than ever before. And they’re sold in more places online than ever before. It’s both an exciting and scary time to introduce a new game into the ether.
There are more eyes on games now, sure, but there’s also a much larger chance that any new game will be swallowed by the bottomless pit of downloadable games. For example, The Outer Worlds, Obsidian’s newest Fallout and Space Opera lovechild, received incredibly high praise from various publications. With its high accessibility using the Microsoft Store’s Game Pass system, many players were able to pick it up and try it out without much of a commitment.
Outer Wilds is another very impressive game. It has raving critic reviews, it’s set in space, and it came out this year, too, not to mention its incredibly similar name. Half the people I’ve spoken to about Outer Worlds weren’t even aware of Outer Wilds’ existence, despite its stellar gameplay and oddly similar characteristics. In the game of popularity, though, Outer Worlds won the day. Outer Wilds likely didn’t see the same success upon its release in spring, despite its 95 percent positive player reviews and almost exclusively eight or nine out of 10 critic reviews. Even though Riot doesn’t necessarily care if millions upon millions of gamers play each of its new games, it wants those within each niche community to pick them up and never stop playing. They are designed to uniquely serve those people, after all, and if they just become another game on the shelf, they’re not doing their jobs.
“There’s lots of games people have on their Xbox account, PlayStation account, on their phone, or in their Steam library that they never play,” Merrill said. “We only ever want to create games that are so compelling for what they’re trying to be that it’s actually worth your time. We’re not trying to build something for everybody.”
Rumors and development
And by that logic, Riot isn’t making these new games for, say, the MOBA community. In other words, there’s no intention to compete with itself, pulling resources and community attention away from its first and flagship title, League.
“We expect these games to broaden and augment the League community,” Merrill continued. “Witness already the global diversity of our community; being able to bring in players of new genres and introduce them to our world is very exciting.”
While six new games and an animated series are certainly a robust catalog of new stuff, there’s no doubt that players have been ruminating on other possibilities as the years have gone on. Rumors of fighting games, for instance, have been spiraling out of the Riot ecosystem since the company acquired Radiant Entertainment in 2016. Who knows if the upcoming fighting game, codenamed Project L, is the same game that those rumors stemmed from? Not to mention the most popular Riot Games rumor of all time, prodded time and time again from posts and the occasional tweet from this article’s subject, Marc Merrill—the long-awaited and long-fantasized Riot Games MMO.
Despite the popularity of this rumor over the years, though, an MMO wasn’t on the docket for Riot’s big six-game reveal/teaser last month. And, according to Merrill, it never was, at least not seriously. If the game wasn’t revealed at the event, it was never close to coming to fruition, and that includes an MMO. But that doesn’t mean other games weren’t ever worked on.
“We enjoy a pretty robust pitch and greenlight process, and we had a pretty solid idea of our slate for a reasonable amount of time,” Merrill said. “That being said, we have canceled a number of titles internally over the years where we just couldn’t get things quite right.”
It would make sense if an MMO ever fell under that category. After all, it’s hard not to imagine Riot wouldn’t have at least considered it. The world of Runeterra, Riot’s IP, is robust and lends itself to expansion and deeper dives that an MMO could uniquely explore. But no studio, not even some of the industry’s giants, have been able to find real success in an MMORPG for over 10 years. Or at least, they haven’t found the same success. The Elder Scrolls Online’s most recent crowning achievement, for example, was hitting a number of total players just over what World of Warcraft could reach in a month in 2008. And by today’s MMO metrics, that’s success.
Therefore, if Riot wasn’t able to effectively figure out how to revolutionize and revitalize the MMO genre, it just wouldn’t work. At least, not in the way Riot wants its new games to work. Merrill has played a strong role in figuring that out, too, as he’s been hands-on with many of these new titles from day one.
“[Co-founder Brandon Beck] and I have been heavily involved in most major steps, in particular with putting the teams together, helping to establish the vision, and overseeing the development progress of all our titles,” Merrill said. “My big project in recent months has been as the vision holder (aka Team Captain) for the League 10 year anniversary & associated announcement. It’s really important to me to help all of our games be positioned in the right way so players know what to expect from Riot. Seeing the positive response to what Rioters have all been working so hard for many years was deeply gratifying.”
“Positive response” is a rather light way to put it, too. Both fans and non-fans of League have jumped on board as Riot and its new titles have stuck to trending on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit for almost the entire month since the event actually took place. Already, things like “Is this game the Overwatch killer?” and other dramatic, fairly over-indulging questions are being asked on the regular as personalities and players have been giving into the hype.
And the hype has been grown with good reason. In the wake of recent Hong Kong-related drama with Blizzard and the ever-ongoing battle of predatory microtransactions by Ubisoft and EA, the gaming community at large has been waiting for another developer to rise up and take the mantle as the next “trusted” dev with an impressive catalog of games. While Riot certainly has its fair share of shortcomings, these new games, as well as the direction the devs have taken with them, might just be exactly what those people are looking for.
Until Riot adds loot boxes to one of them, that is, then all bets are off.


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Apple has declared a special December 2nd occasion in NYC to emphasize its most loved applications and online games of 2019. Fascinating adequate, this is a dwell party and it’s unclear if Apple has nearly anything to announce other than app and sport awards for builders.
Invitations went out this afternoon for the surprise event that will be held in just two weeks in NYC. Curiously, it seems the event will just be to spotlight Apple’s top rated application and sport picks from 2019.
In the celebration invitation, Apple prospects with the tagline “Loved by tens of millions. Created by the most effective.”
Even though Apple commonly livestreams its gatherings (and even bundled YouTube for its Apple iphone eleven celebration for the first time) it’s unknown if this app celebration will be broadcast reside. Apple’s Particular Occasions landing web page doesn’t include things like any information on the December event at the time of writing.
The timing of the party traces up with when Apple generally announces its app of the calendar year, video game of the calendar year, and other leading charts like the most downloaded applications and a lot more.
The most fascinating section about all this is it is the first time Apple will hold a live occasion dedicated just to apps and game titles. And it opted to skip an Oct occasion this calendar year and debuted AirPods Professional and the 16-inch MacBook Professional with press releases.
It would seem quite unlikely but could Apple sneak in a “One additional thing…” at the occasion as a getaway surprise and clearly show off or announce AirTag or one thing else? Perhaps some plugs or far more details on the Mac Professional launch that is slated for December?
This is unforeseen. Apple Function. December 2 in NYC. pic.twitter.com/ok4UtcAylC
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Seems the recession has brought out the more frugal side in younger Americans. The number of young consumers who rely on credit cards is at a new low. In 2007, before the recession, 8 percent of young Americans – the 18 to 29 year old set – had no credit cards at all. At the end of 2012, that number was 16 percent.
That’s good news for those consumers who are better at keeping credit cards out of the equation; however, it’s not such good news for the credit card companies and banks. Not only that, but of those in that age group that do use credit cards, the average credit card debt has dropped from around $3,070 to $2,087.
So if they’re not using credit cards, then what do these younger Americans opt for? Prepaid cards are the better choice for many and the marketing dollars in the financial sector these days are being spent on singing the praises of these financial products, according to John Ulzheimer, a financial analyst,
(T)here has been very aggressive marketing of prepaid debit cards over the past few years targeting young people and minorities.
He says it surprises him little that younger Americans are choosing debit over credit.
Young Consumers’ Debt Loads
It’s true that older Americans are also carrying less debt and much of it is in their credit card debt; however, they’re also adding to their automobile and mortgage debt. Because of that, in the 40 and older sect, their scores have dropped on average 1.8 percent as their DTIs have shifted. And one interesting finding has to do with the debt older consumers are shouldering for younger adults. That one big debt load, of course, is student loans. It’s another reason why younger credit scores are more impressive that those that have been maturing for decades.
The 2009 CARD Act is also playing a role. You may remember the clause that now requires consumers under the age of 21 to have a co-signer or at a minimum, the income needed to support the debt. It’s provided a bit of complication for some and as a result, this is another reason why prepaid cards are the first choice for so many.
Some parents might even have one source of credit card debt on their credit reports and that could be where they’ve co-signed for their kids who are jumping into the American credit system as young consumers. Here’s an interesting dynamic, though: a 20 year old can’t get a credit card without a co-signer or having to jump through hoops to satisfy tough lending requirements but qualifying for a mortgage, while one must still satisfy a number of requirements, isn’t as difficult. It’s an interesting quagmire for young consumers.
The jobs market is playing a massive role as well in this new shift away from traditional credit for young consumers. In 2008, when the recession first kicked in, and through current day, the U.S. economy lost 8.8 million jobs. Only 6.1 million have been regained. The population continues to grow and many job seekers have simply walked away from the job search. Only 58 percent of adult Americans have jobs, the lowest it’s been since 1983.
Strong Money Management or Desperate Times?
Which brings us to another dynamic: many college students are moving back home with their parents following graduation. This is another reason why older Americans are shouldering more debt. For those parents who didn’t shoulder the college loan debt, and instead, their kids did, they too are more likely to have their college students back home.
It’s an interesting dynamic that won’t be able to sustain itself for long. Adult kids living with parents, jobs scarcity, a shift in the debt load – a number of these facts will likely change the horizon of the American credit sector. What’s most interesting is two decades ago, it was a completely different image.
Older Americans were shedding their debt as they planned for retirement. Younger adults were entering a robust job market and were putting their college degrees to good use. If there was any kind of nuclear family dynamic, it usually included the parents moving with their grown children, not the other way around. Young consumers were the ones taking on credit card debt and making payments on student loans.
Overspending wasn’t as big of a problem, nor was massive credit card debt. Economic times were tough at different stages – including the recessions. So what makes this any different? For one thing, the world economy is anything but stable and while the American economy has historically been the model other countries look to, that’s no longer the case. The banks, two decades ago, were trusted institutions. Lawsuits and massive fines levied against them were unheard of. There was a mutual trust and respect. Those days, however, are long gone.
Young consumers simply aren’t in the same environment as their parents were. These days, not only do they not trust their banks, they don’t trust the media and they don’t trust the government. The question is, can all of these dynamics come together to result in the kind of changes we’re beginning to see emerge? The short answer is yes. In fact, lesser goings-on have resulted in even bigger societal shifts.
Ultimately, though, a society must have financial resources that only those banks can provide. Whether it comes sooner rather than later will be determined by which side caves first: the banks that are worthless without customers or the consumers who find buying houses and cars impossible without bank backing. The fact that jobs are hard to come by, saving is near impossible at this point and the lack of other options (the one difference being prepaid cards over traditional credit cards). Time will tell, but despite the obstacles young consumers face today, you can be sure they’re far more savvy because of that leery distrust.
What do you think? Are those young consumers on to something or is this a temporary flub that will work itself out so that the “same old, same old” can reign supreme yet again?
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InsightSquared raises $8M Series B to expand Salesforce analytics biz
Cambridge's InsightSquared — a maker of analytics software for small and medium-sized businesses, focused on Salesforce — said Tuesday it has raised $8 million in Series B funding including new investor DFJ.
InsightSquared has been quickly increasing its market share in sales analytics, and the company plans to use the new round to accelerate its expansion, co-founder and CEO Fred Shilmover said in announcing the new funding.
The firm says its software aims to help small and medium-sized companies make better — and more — data-driven decisions. Along with Salesforce, data sources incorporated by InsightSquared include Quickbooks, Google Analytics, Zendesk and Bullhorn.
InsightSquared thus becomes the first of Atlas Venture's "seed graduates" in tech to advance to the Series B level (not counting Veracode — seed related post: 7 Atlas Venture "seed graduates" in tech).
The company has now raised a total of $13.5 million since its founding in 2010. Other backers have included Salesforce, Bessemer Venture Partners (whose Cambridge office initially incubated InsightSquared) and NextView Ventures of Boston.
Joining the company's board is Court Cunningham, CEO of Yodle. Meanwhile, Mark Roberge, SVP for sales and services at HubSpot, has joined InsightSquared's board of advisors.
Shilmover, a 2010 Harvard Business School grad, previously said his company's product allows businesspeople to "interact with the data and interrogate the data" in a way that's been virtually impossible at smaller-scale businesses in the past.
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With little or no prospect of Google settling a case with the European Union over its shopping service, the tech giant Google might face its first ever European Union fine in 2016.
To date, Google has a mixed record in taking on regulators globally. While there have been many wins, some battles are lost too.
There are only a few incentives remaining for both the parties to end this six-year-long dispute or coming up with a deal that could set an example for the test regulators ability to maintain diversity on Web and Google searches of hotels, flights, and various other services.
Giving up? Not an option For Google.
It seems like Alphabet Inc’s Google has never learned to back down. For using its dominant android mobile OS to remove rivals, Google was hit with a second EU antitrust charge in this month of April.
With three failed attempts at coming up with a compromise since 2010, Google is all set for a war on the allegations that state that Google’s Web search results are favoured its own shopping services. Unless the EU watchdog rests its stance, there is no scope of settlements from Google’s side.
Lesson From Microsoft?
Microsoft sets a perfect example for the companies who want to take on the Commission, said Ioannis Kokkoris, a law professor at the Queen Mary University of London.
There was a time when Microsoft ended up with fines of more than 2.2 billion euros after a decade-long battle with EU.
Last week’s low-key pact between rivals Google and Microsoft to withdraw all regulatory complaints against each other can be taken as a signal that Google might in time choose to strike a deal with Brussels.
And hence by doing so, would avoid any chances of repeating Microsoft’s mistake and by settling at least its dispute with the EU over Internet shopping might also head off possible actions by other regulators.
So let’s see if Google turns out to be smarter than Microsoft or will be it EU on the losing side this time.


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New Delhi: Subway India has added four new desi flavours namely Mutton Keema, Chicken Seekh Masala, Soya Keema and Paneer Bhurji Masala to its Loaded Signature Wraps category for a limited period.
“Popularity of Indian flavours is increasing day by day amongst millennials all over the world. In line with that thought, we have expanded our India menu with four new locally -relevant flavours”, said Shuchi Monga, Head of Marketing, Subway South Asia.
Guests at Subway will also have an option to savour the new flavours in the form of Submarine Sandwiches (subs) and Salads by paying the applicable conversion price. The new flavours would be available till January 07, 2020 at all Subway restaurants as well as on delivery platforms.
Subway India menu has a mix of local and international flavours. The existing menu includes flavours like Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Tikka, Chatpata Chana, Paneer Tikka, Veggie Delite and Tuna amongst others.
Subway began its operations in India in 2001 and currently operates a chain of more than 660 restaurants across 70 Indian cities.


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Cbd unboxing from Koi Cbd of Legendary OG & Review of Sugar Drizzle by Cuttwood.
How are all of you vvvvvvVipers doing out there? We are back with a packed episode for you. Mr. Weedman brings you news on … source
It is a short Tuesday night broadcast but we have enough time to poke through some of today’s reporting concerning the rumors … source
CBD Expert and OXZGEN CBD SVP Cecil Calliste shares invaluable information about what CBD is, how CBD works, as well as what kind of CBD you should … source
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Speaker: Laura M. Borgelt, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy Presented on August 24, … source


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Cardio Catch-Up: Procyrion Raises Nearly $60M As Aortix Creeps Closer To Clinic
The Houston-based cardiovascular device developer has secured renewed support from its investors to fund its pivotal trial of Aortix, a device designed to treat patients suffering from often-fatal, difficult to treat cardiorenal syndrome.
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An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the medical device and diagnostics industries.
Less than a month after it sold off its reproductive health assets, Invitae has filed for bankruptcy. That will not come as a surprise to anyone following the company.


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Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell Thursday:
Starbucks - The coffee chain operator handed in first-quarter earnings and revenue that matched Wall Street expectations as global same-store sales rose 5 percent. But second-quarter guidance trailed estimates. The stock rose as much as 4 percent after the announcement.
Capital One - The financial firm missed earnings expectations, sending shares down more than 1 percent in extended trading.
E-Trade - The stock jumped about 5 percent after it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.
Avon - The cosmetics company's shares rallied more than 14 percent during the regular session on reports that it was in talks with private equity firm TPG Capital about a potential transaction, DealReporter said, citing three industry sources said. Avon shares were last up slightly after hours.
Intuitive Surgical - The robotic surgery company topped analysts' projections as procedures performed by its flagship system grew about 10 percent year-over-year. However, 2014 full-year earnings and revenue fell, sending shares down more than 2 percent following the news.
Maxim Integrated - The maker of analog circuits beat expectations on the top and bottom lines, sending the stock up more than 5 percent.
Questions? Comments? Email us at email@example.com


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In an epic battle of man-versus-machine ping-pong, man ultimately prevails, but the showdown highlights advances in developing human-like qualities in robots.
To celebrate the opening of a Shanghai factory, German robotics company Kuka pitted its one-armed ping-pong-playing robot against German table tennis champ Timo Boll.
Ping-pong has become a popular way to demonstrate agility and rapid reflexes in robots. (And humans, too.) Vietnamese robotics company TOSY debuted a humanoid ping-pong-playing robot in 2007 and a German industrial mechanic recently showed off UHTTR-1, another one-armed robot that also excels in the sport.


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The Food and Drug Administration is continuing to expand the list of hand sanitizers that are toxic and should not be used. The products on this list have been found to contain methanol and/or 1-propanol. These substances are toxic when absorbed through the skin and can be life threatening when ingested.
1-propanol can cause central nervous system (CNS) depression, which can result in death. Symptoms of exposure can include confusion, decreased consciousness, and slowed pulse and breathing.
According to the FDA “Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.”
FDA is asking consumers to review the list of the contaminated hand sanitizers to see if they are currently using any of flagged brands. The agency is asking anyone who is in possession of the flagged hand sanitizers to dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers and urging consumers not to flush the remaining product.
Hand sanitizer recall: A new contaminant warning as more products added to the FDA list


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Dow – the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world – has been commissioned to produce a sustainable, fabric wrap to encircle the Olympic Stadium in the build up to the games.
The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide – and will help the stadium become the visual centrepiece of the London 2012 Games.
Installation will be completed by spring 2012, with Dow allowed to advertise on the wrap until one month before the games.
In line with its environmental commitments, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said the wrap would include resins made by Dow’s Performance Plastics Division and will require fewer raw materials to manufacture.
It will be up to 35 per cent lighter and have a lower carbon footprint when compared to conventional materials.
Other sustainable elements of the wrap include UV-curable inks replacing conventional inks to reduce emissions during the printing process and eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOC).
The wrap will include post-industrial recycled content and the hardware used to hang the wrap will be recycled in Europe following the Games.
George Hamilton, vice president of Dow Olympic Operations, said the company is committed to finding a sustainable post-games use for the wrap and is investigating several options.
Hamilton explained: “Our goal is to provide solutions that help make the Olympic Games more sustainable, safer and that will help improve performance.
“We are providing this wrap as a sustainable solution for the Games and we look forward to celebrating its completion with Olympic fans around the world.
“We are proud that the wrap will have a lasting and sustainable legacy, and one that will improve quality of life long after the closing ceremonies.”
In July 2010, Dow announced its official Worldwide Olympic Partnership as part of The Olympic Partners Program (TOP).
LOCOG chair, Sebastian Coe, welcomed the announcement: “The stadium will look spectacular at Games time and having the wrap is the icing on the cake.
“I am delighted that Dow as one of the newer worldwide partners of the Olympic movement will be providing it and importantly doing it in a sustainable way.
“It reflects our vision and is a real statement of intent from Dow about their commitment to the Games.”
Also in the UK today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to London.
City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.
London.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.
Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.
Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.
City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.


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AppAdvice and Lifelike Apps are teaming up for a unique contest exclusively for our readers. Between now and Sunday, March 20, we are seeking video reviews of the popular Craigslist viewer app, Lifelike Craig HD. The winning video will be posted on AppAdvice, and the winner will receive a brand new iPad 2! The top ten runner-ups will also receive prizes.
Lifelike Craig HD breathes new life into the popular Craigslist website. It replaces the plain text and vanilla backgrounds long associated with the site, and instead presents its listings much like a newspaper. The end result is visually appealing and a more streamlined process of searching the classifieds.
The app will soon be upgraded to utilize the iPad 2′s new cameras.
Interested applicants should submit their video reviews onto YouTube, then tweet about them too. Make sure each tweet includes @appadvice and @lifelikeapps.
The winning video will be announced on Tuesday, March 22 and featured on AppAdvice.
- Contest is open to Lifelike Craig HD users only
- The video should walk the viewer through the main features of the app and feel like a review (not just a description)
- The video cannot show the “Personals” category of Craigslist and should preferably showcase a category with images
- Entries must be posted on YouTube and tweeted @appadvice and @lifelikeapps by Sunday, March 20 at 11:59 p.m. PDT
- Lifelike Apps will select the winner, with AppAdvice posting the winning video on its website on March 22
- Contest is not open to employees or associates of either AppAdvice or Lifelike Apps
- Winner will receive $499 from Lifelike Apps via Paypal, which can be used to purchase a Wi-Fi iPad 2 16GB
- Winner and ten runner-ups will be awarded promo codes for Lifelike Cards HD, Lifelike Alarm Clock and Weather HD and Lifelike Clock Pro


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The BlackBerry Q10 is available on numerous Canadian carriers (Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, SaskTel) and this iconic QWERTY was apparently the device loyal users were waiting for. On launch day we reached out to the carriers for feedback on sales numbers, but most replied back with the usual “response has been well received” and “customer demand is high.”
Now 3-weeks after launch, analyst Brian Modoff from Deutsche Bank is reporting the Q10 on Canadian soil is meeting expectations. Madoff contacted 30 stores in the UK and 30 retail stores (Rogers, Bell, TELUS) and report stated that the “BlackBerry has done a better job in Canada.” While no specific sales numbers, only that it’s “selling well,” “sold out” or stores having “limited stock.” The quick study suggested that Canadians are deeply committed to the brand and “it was almost a foregone conclusion that handsets would sell well in this geography.”
“The HTC (2498TW) One, Samsung [Electronics (005930KS) S IV, and [Apple (AAPL)] iPhone5 were the most recommended phones. In Canada, the Q10 was selling well in a majority of the stores we contacted. It was sold out in three and had limited stock in several others due to strong sales… Again it appears that Blackberry has done a better job in Canada. The sales representatives were much more effusive about the Q10 and as a result, sales are likely better in this region. Given the captive audience in Canada, we think that it was almost a foregone conclusion that handsets would sell well in this geography. In the UK, sales representatives were less inclined to discuss the Q10 and only few said the phone was selling well. In sum, this seems similar to the Z10 launch and we think the fact that the Q10 is still getting decent sales airtime in Canada is constructive, especially in light of the recent SIV launch. Overall, we were positively surprised with the results of the Canadian portion of our survey. We thought that Blackberry would be challenged to remain relevant on their home turf, given the recent launch of the SIV. We still think the company has serious challenges in front of them in terms of declining service revenues, managing two OS platforms and migrating a user base over to an unfamiliar base. While Canada was incrementally positive to the overall story, we believe that the US will likely be a better measure of the company’s longer term outlook.”
True sales numbers will come out when BlackBerry reveals their fiscal Q1 results on June 28th. This will include the BlackBerry Z10 – which at last count was above 1 million units sold – and the BlackBerry Q10. Additional carriers, like WIND Mobile and Videotron, will soon bring bringing the new QWERTY to their customers.