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The rising demand for locally sourced food has placed some major cities in an awkward position. While farm-to-table eating interests many consumers in major urban centers, their location away from rural areas can sometimes make it difficult to obtain the right ingredients. To fix this supply problem, in recent years enterprising farmers have been moving into cities to cultivate their crops in unconventional places. Gotham Greens, for instance, operates four rooftop greenhouses located throughout New York City, including one that resides atop a former toy factory.
According to the company, these facilities annually produce more than 20 million heads of lettuce and other greens that are sold to local restaurants and retailers like Whole Foods. Nevertheless, not all urban farming startups have found the same success as Gotham Greens. Last year a company called BrightFarms ditched its plans for a rooftop farm in Washington, D.C., after spending ten months trying to get the proper permits for the project. Another startup, FarmedHere, ran a greenhouse in a former Chicago box factory until the company shut down for six months in order to revamp its strategy. The CEO of BrightFarms even went so far as to call city rooftop farming “a foolish endeavor” due to high operating costs and regulatory hassles.
Given these negative factors, some startups are doing what cost-conscious citizens have been doing for years: moving out of the big cities and into the suburbs. BrightFarms built a greenhouse in suburban Virginia for $8.5 million, 20 percent less than the projected price of their location in the nation’s capitol. Along with concerns about cost, flavor is also an issue for urban farmers. According to a buyer for Whole Foods, “It is more difficult for hydroponic growers to achieve the same taste as soil-grown products or herbs.” Despite these sticking points, venture capitalists continue to pour money into urban farming startups. BrightFarms has raised around $35 million from investors, comparable to Gotham Greens’ haul of $30 million. While venture capitalist interest in this industry is unlikely to cease anytime soon, the coming years may see them transition to more “suburban” farming.
- In what ways can an urban farm benefit a local community?
- Should agricultural startups focus more on farming in suburban areas or within big cities?


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Leading memory products manufacturer Micron Technology reported a strong Q2 2014, driven by favorable structural changes in the industry, as well as positive market conditions and solid operational execution. At $4.1 billion Micron’s revenue grew by 1.6% sequentially and 97.6% annually (last year did not include Elpida earnings), and its net income more than doubled sequentially. DRAM revenues were flat sequentially as both sales volumes and average selling prices remained stable. NAND Flash revenue grew by 11% sequentially on account of a 35% increase in sales volume which was partially offset by an 18% decline in average selling price.
In 2012, macro weakness, the demand-supply imbalance, intense competition and declining selling prices lowered Micron's top line growth and impacted its profitability. However, increasing consolidation in the industry, rising demand from non-PC markets, and improving memory product prices returned the company to profitability in fiscal 2013. Micron has performed strongly in the first half of fiscal 2014 and is confident of retaining its growth momentum for the rest of the year.
The company maintains a favorable outlook for the memory industry conditions for the rest of the year. With a large and diverse memory product portfolio across a number of end-market segments, and the second largest installed manufacturing capacity, Micron is in a strong position to benefit from the improving industry dynamics.
Excess manufacturing capacity, combined with soft market demand, lowered the profitability of memory products in 2012. However, the industry consolidation in 2013 improved the demand-supply balance considerably. With manufacturers holding back supply and improving macro environment fueling demand, the market dynamics in the industry are improving.
Normalizing Conditions In The DRAM Market
PCs have traditionally been the major buyers of DRAM, and a slowdown in the PC market has considerably impacted DRAM demand. However, the rising proportion of mDRAM (a low power DRAM product used in mobile applications) sales in total DRAM sales is driving growth in the industry. Additionally, the DRAM market has consolidated considerably in the last two years, with loss-making companies exiting the business, which has removed the excess supply from the market.
The fire at Hynix Wuxi fab last fall resulted in significant reduction in inventory across the DRAM supply chain, in particular for the PC and mobile segments. The declining inventory level across the industry drove DRAM demand and stabilized the declining average selling prices. Prices for DRAM chips made by Micron,
Micron claims that the DRAM capacity has normalized as the Hynix's Wuxi fab is back online. Despite this capacity recovery, DRAM market conditions remain favorable and inventories in the channel remain relatively below normal levels.
Like other market players, Micron is focusing on leveraging its existing technology road map to deliver more advanced devices to its customers. Capital spending in the DRAM market in the last few years has been more focused on technology migration rather than on building new wafer manufacturing capacity. More advanced tools are swapped into existing production lines to manufacture devices at finer geometries.
For 2014, Micron estimates the DRAM wafer production to decline by mid-single digits and total industry bit supply growth in the low to mid 20% range. Lower supply and customer inventory across channels will lead to an overall stable supply situation in the future, as will the reduction in Micron’s DRAM manufacturing capacity, as it transitions its Singapore fab from DRAM to NAND production,.
NAND Is The Most Rapidly Growing Memory Product
During its analyst day conference last year, Micron declared that NAND products are the most rapidly growing and the most elastic piece of the memory market. The rising global mobile shipments and increasing demand for SSDs are the most important trends driving current demand for NAND Flash products. According to iSuppli, NAND shipments for tablets are forecast to reach 12.3 billion Gb by 2014.
In the NAND space, a significant portion of the capital spending by Micron is being utilized for transitioning the additional fab capacity from DRAM to NAND. In addition, the company is investing even more in building greenfield cleanroom floor space and an early pilot line for 3D NAND. The company now has essentially all of its Singapore operations running in NAND which it believes gives it real benefits in terms of operational efficiency and cost going forward.
Micron projects NAND industry supply growth in the low 40% range for 2014, which includes a 10% growth in industry wafer production and the remaining supply growth coming from technology transitions. It estimates a similar growth range for 2015 but forecasts growth to slow down beyond 2015 as 3D production becomes more predominant and there is a subsequent reduction in wafer output, given the additional back-end capacity required for 3D NAND.
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It may be August but Autumn is officially here.
We're not gauging that meteorologically or astronomically - no, we're judging that by the fact that the Pumpkin Spiced Latte is back on sale from today at Starbucks.
The High Street coffee giant has announced that the popular drink is now being served - the earliest date it has ever been offered to customers.
This will come as good news to fans of the drink but it is seen by many as the signal that autumn is very much around the corner, if not already here.
A company spokesperson confirmed with Business Insider that August 28 is the Pumpkin Spice Latte's launch date for all customers, making this year the first time ever that the drink has appeared in this month.
Internal documents seen by Business Insider show that in addition to the PSL, Starbucks also plans to bring back the Salted Caramel Mocha and the Teavana Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte, which was first introduced last year, on August 28.
The other drinks are to be introduced at a later date.
This will be the 15th year that Starbucks has offered up the Pumpkin Spice Latte.


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Yesterday, it was unseasonably warm here in Detroit, making it up into the mid-50s. The chance to get out of the house certainly helped break up the winter malaise.
The sun didn’t have much to do with it I’m sure, but spirits were higher on the stock market than they’ve been in quite some time. Let’s get into the headlines.
S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller HPI
Home prices were up 0.3% on a seasonally-adjusted basis despite being flat overall in September. Across the 20-city index, the rate of annual appreciation slipped 0.4% to 5.1% in September.
The index was fairly uneven. Phoenix saw gains of 0.9% as did Las Vegas in September. Atlanta and Tampa also saw strong performance. On the other hand, Seattle and San Diego have seen prices fall over the last three months.
On a yearly basis, Las Vegas is out in front with gains of 13.5%. Meanwhile, San Francisco prices are up 10%. Despite recent drops, Seattle is still close behind, up 8.4% on the year. New York and Washington, D.C. trailed the field at 2.7% and 2.9% annual price growth, respectively.
FHFA House Price Index
The monthly rate of appreciation in prices according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency was slightly better than that in the S&P index, up 0.2% on the month and rising 6% on the year. However, monthly growth missed expectations and the annual figure is the weakest since January 2017.
Prices in the Mountain region were up 1.3% in September and have gone up 9.5% since the same time a year ago. Meanwhile, the Pacific region took a step back, down 1.1% on the month and rising only 5.5% on the year. The Mid-Atlantic region is bringing up the rear in terms of yearly growth at 4.1%. It was up 0.4% in September though, beating the overall index.
Consumer confidence had a bit of a dip in November, falling 2.2 points to come in at 135.7. However, this isn’t far from the highest levels the index has seen. The current conditions component was up 0.8 points to 172.7. Meanwhile, expectations for the future were down 4.1 points to 111.
When looking at current conditions, 1.2% less consumers see jobs as hard to get, bringing the total to 12.2%. Meanwhile, 46.6% of consumers say there are a lot of jobs available, making for a 1.2% rise.
On the future expectations side, fewer people see their incomes rising in the next six months. They’re also was positive about the number of jobs opening up in the near future.
Inflation expectations were up 0.1% to 4.9% in this sample. Meanwhile, 74.4% of consumers think interest rates will climb the next year, up 1.2%. In terms of buying plans, 6.4% consumers are planning to buy a home soon. Finally, only 35% of people see the stock market rising over the next year.
MBA Mortgage Applications
It was a big week for mortgage applications which were up 5.5% overall. The number of refinance applications rose up 1%, while the bigger boost came from a 9% increase in those looking to buy a home.
The percentage of applications to refinance reached its lowest level in 18 years, down 0.6% to 37.9%. Meanwhile, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed conforming mortgage fell 4 basis points to 5.12%.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
In another preliminary reading for the third quarter, analysis revealed the economy grew at a rate of 3.5% for the quarter, in line with expectations. Inventories contributed 2.27% to the total GDP growth. Meanwhile, net exports were a bit bigger weight on the numbers, pulling 1.91% away from the overall number.
Consumer spending was only up 3.6%, versus 4% on a seasonally-adjusted basis in the last estimate. This made the contribution of consumer spending go down 0.2% to 2.45% of the GDP number. Meanwhile, prices for consumers are judged to have risen 1.7% on the quarter in the latest numbers.
Residential investment had less of a detrimental effect on GDP in this revision, as it was seen to have only dropped 0.1%. Meanwhile, business investment contributed 0.35% to the overall GDP number, a bit more than the first testament. The government contributed 0.44%, slightly less than the last time this report was issued.
International Trade in Goods
The U.S. goods gap widened by $1.2 billion in October to $77.2 billion. Exports fell 0.6%, while imports were up 0.1%.
On the export side, at $140.5 billion, these are up 7.8% from last year. Exports of food, feeds and beverages were down 6.9% to $10.3 billion and are down 2.8% on the year. Exports of capital goods and cars fell along with consumer goods and industrial supplies. This broad downturn is thought by analysts to possibly be an effect of the ongoing tariffs between the U.S. and other countries.
Imports were up 0.1% at $217.8 billion in October. These have risen 10% on the year. Consumer goods imports were up 3.5% to $57.4 billion. Car imports in particular were up 2.3%. Meanwhile, there seems to be less money being poured into businesses as capital goods imports were down quite a bit.
New Home Sales
It wasn’t a good month for new home sales in as they came in at 544,000 on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. This is down 9.7% for October. Offsetting this a little is the fact that that there was a total of 50,000 more sales counted in upward revisions for August and September.
Sales of new homes have been in decline, down 12% on the year and falling from a high of 712,000 last November. Prices were also down 3.6% in October and have fallen 3.1% on the year at a median of $309,700 in October. Builders are slowly beginning to discount prices to get a sale. Prices may have further to fall as there is suddenly 7.4 months’ worth of supply in market if sales were to continue at their current pace.
In the regional data, sales in the South were down 7.7% on the month and Hurricane Michael may have had something to do with that. But there were more severe declines in the Midwest and Northeast, while the West also saw a drop.
Initial jobless claims were up 10,000 to 234,000 last week. This is a higher-than-expected number and the four-week average was up 4,750 to come in at 223,250. This is the highest it’s been since July.
Continuing claims weren’t any better. They were 50,000 higher at 1.71 million. Meanwhile, the four-week average of continuing claims was at 19,750 to come in at almost 1.668 million.
Personal Income and Outlays
Personal incomes were up 0.5% in October. Sole proprietors made more money and there was more interest earned, but wages and salaries were only up 0.3%.
On the consumer spending side, this rose 0.6% in October. Perhaps people were working to get a jump on their holiday spending. There was also a 0.7% increase in spending on services.
The Federal Reserve pays a lot of attention to this report in judging the effects of inflation. Prices are up 0.1% in key categories and 0.2% overall. On the year, inflation has risen 1.8% in core categories while up 2% overall. Both numbers came in slightly lower than expected.
Pending Home Sales Index
In a bad sign for future readings of existing home sales. This measure of homes with a purchase agreement in place for sale was down 2.6% on the month to an index level of 102.1.
Peeking at the regional data, pending sales are weakest in the West, down 8.9% on the year. The Midwest and South are also showing with the Northeast being the only region to show a slight yearly uptick.
In a bit of general mortgage news, the FHFA announced changes to the limits for conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac that will apply from now through 2019. The increased limits mean more buying power feel looking to purchase and the chance to take more cash out if you’re looking to refi. Loan limits for FHA and VA loans are expected to be announced soon.
Turning back to mortgage rates, they were relatively flat last week. This has been a nice respite from what had been a steady climb higher. If you’re in the market for a purchase or refinance, it’s a good time to lock your rate.
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rates 0.5 points paid in fees was unmoved last week at 4.81%. This is up from 3.9% at this time a year ago.
Looking at shorter terms, a 15-year fixed mortgage with 0.4 points averaged 4.25% last week, up a single base this point. Last year, the rate was 3.3%.
Finally, the average rate on a 5-year treasury-indexed, hybrid adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) with 0.3 points was up three basis points on the week and has risen from 3.32% last year.
The market was optimistic about the idea of a trade deal between the U.S. and China taking place at the G-20 summit. This good feeling flowed over so that the market had its first good week in a while.
We’re winding down to the final weeks of the Fantasy Stock League. If you haven’t looked in a while, the uptick might make it a decent day to look at your portfolio.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 199.62 points Friday to close at 25,538.46, up 5.16% on the week. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 closed at 2,760.17, up 22.41 points on the day and 4.85% on the week. Finally, the Nasdaq was up 5.64% on the week after rising 57.45 points on the day to finish the week at 7,330.54.
The Week Ahead
Monday, December 3
ISM Manufacturing Index (10:00 a.m.) – This index measures the general direction of manufacturing within the U.S. The qualitative survey of purchasing managers looks at production, new orders, order backlogs, inventories and supplier deliveries, among other factors.
Wednesday, December 5
MBA Mortgage Applications (7:00 a.m. ET) – The mortgage applications index measures applications to mortgage lenders. This is a leading indicator for single-family home sales and housing construction.
Thursday, December 6
International Trade (8:30 a.m. ET) – International trade is composed of merchandise (tangible goods) and services. It’s available by export, import and trade balance for six principal end-use commodity categories and for more than 100 principal Standard International Trade Classification system commodity groupings.
Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. ET) – New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing trend suggests a deteriorating labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smooths out weekly volatility.
Friday, December 7
Employment Situation (8:30 a.m. ET) – The employment situation report measures unemployment in the labor force as well as the sentiments of workers about the job market.
Consumer Sentiment (10:00 a.m. ET) – The University of Michigan’s Consumer Survey Center questions 500 households each month on their financial conditions and attitudes about the economy. Consumer sentiment is directly related to the strength of consumer spending.
There aren’t as many economic reports this week as last week, but as usual, we get a key report on manufacturing as well as the number of jobs added to the economy in the first week of the month. We’ll have it all covered for you in next week’s Market Update!
Although informational, we’re aware that this isn’t the most scintillating reading. We’ve got plenty more home, money and lifestyle content to share with you if you subscribe to the Zing Blog below. Are you looking to get a start on that holiday shopping? Check out our holiday gift guides. Here’s one with some great gift ideas for children. Have a great week!
If so, subscribe now for tips on home, money, and life delivered straight to your inbox.


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Cement companies eye further price hikes
Cement companies are likely to exit fiscal year 2021 with better-than-expected volume growth. Aided by pent-up demand and a favourable base, analysts see cement manufacturers posting double-digit volume growth in the March quarter.
In fact, according to the estimates of ICICI Securities Ltd, the industry is likely to post the highest ever quarterly volumes of around 105 million tonnes with 20 to 22 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth. However, investors should note that volume growth, particularly in the March quarter, is also helped by cement firms’ push to meet year-end sales targets by reducing prices.
Nonetheless, the sector’s demand outlook seems to be bright for fiscal 2022. Research house Macquarie Capital foresees 13 per cent demand growth in FY22, thanks to the government’s infrastructure focus, healthy rural demand and a potential recovery in urban housing demand. “Against this backdrop, we expect our covered companies to deliver superior 14 to 24 per cent growth,” it said in a report on 30 March.
With the prospects of rising demand and ongoing input cost inflation, cement companies are likely to announce another price hike of at least Rs 10 per bag. One cement bag weighs 50 kg.
The latest dealers channel check by Elara Securities (India) shows that after a price hike of Rs 10 to Rs 16/bag in the March quarter, cement companies may take another increase in April. “Cement firms attempted price hikes of Rs 5 to Rs 35 per bag across pockets in early March, and prices over the month have been stable in most markets despite year-end pressure. As per market intermediaries of South India, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, cement firms may attempt a price hike in the range of Rs 10-30 per bag in April," said the domestic brokerage house in a report on 29 March.


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Yamaha starts deliveries of YZF-R15 V4 within days of launch
Yamaha Motor India has recently announced the launch of its new-gen YZF-R15 V4 in the country. Along with the new sportsbike, the company has also launched the Aerox 155 scooter in India. Now within days of launch, the company has initiated deliveries of the new sportsbike to the Indian customers.
The motorcycle has been priced in the range of ₹1,67,800 to ₹1,79,800 (ex-showroom). At this price, it is at least ₹10,000 costlier than the model it replaces.
The new R15 V4 has been offered in India in five different colour shades. Also, one of the key highlights of the bike is the use of some first-in-class features such as the Traction Control System (TCS) and Quick Shifter. It also gets a new LCD instrument cluster inspired by YZF-R1 with Gear shift indicator, and Track & Street Mode.
On the outside, the bike has also received a fully revamped styling that takes inspiration from the new Yamaha YZF-R7. The new front fascia has been created to give it a big bike look and improved aerodynamics. The motorcycle has also finally graduated to the premium upside-down front fork which replaces the telescopic fork setup. At the rear, it continues to come suspended on a preload-adjustable monoshock. The motorcycle rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and uses a single disc brake at both ends.
At the heart of the bike sits a 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine featuring the Variable Valve Actuation system. The engine is known to deliver 18.1bhp of maximum power and 14.2Nm of peak torque. The transmission includes a six-speed gearbox.


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Software update lets users take higher quality pictures and dictate photo and video captions.
Google I/O: 10 Key Developments
(click image for larger view and for slideshow)
Google has begun distributing the second software update for Google Glass, the company's widely publicized but still-scarce Internet-connected eyeglasses.
Following the XE5 revision issued in early May, which added some notifications, enhanced sharing and improved speed and battery life, June's update -- XE6 -- improves the camera.
The Glass camera takes 5-megapixel pictures and is capable of recording video at 720p. Its updated software takes several pictures in rapid succession and combines the data. Google claims this results in better pictures taken in low light and high-dynamic range (HDR) photos in bright settings.
HDR pictures are created by combining multiple images taken with different exposure settings. The effect -- vibrant, saturated colors -- was trendy a few years ago, when it had to be done manually. Now that it's built into many smartphones, it's less impressive.
Google associate product manager Sophia Yang has shared a series of images captured with Glass using the new software. The photos demonstrate that at least in some cases, HDR represents an improvement.
The software update also adds the ability to create photo and video captions using the speech-to-text technology available through Glass. When users share a photo or video, they're presented with the option to add a caption. By tapping the touchpad on the Glass frame, users can speak their caption and see it almost immediately transcribed. This could come in handy as a human-assisted form of facial recognition.
More sophisticated forms of facial recognition appear to be possible using Glass. Lambda Labs, for example, has announced that it is beta testing a facial recognition API for Glass.
However, Google last week said it wouldn't approve any Glassware -- third-party Glass apps -- that supports facial recognition. "As Google has said for several years, we won't add facial recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place," the company said in a Google+ post. "With that in mind, we won't be approving any facial recognition Glassware at this time."
Glass developers who are capable of implementing facial recognition on their own should be able to do so without Google's approval by rooting Glass and installing their own software.
According to Yury Pinsky, a product manager at Google, the XE6 update also improves Glass's on-head detection system, which turns the device off when it's not being worn. In addition, it brings changes to the cards used in Google Now for sports and adds a new card for birthdays.
Building A Mobile Business MindsetAmong 688 respondents, 46% have deployed mobile apps, with an additional 24% planning to in the next year. Soon all apps will look like mobile apps – and it's past time for those with no plans to get cracking.
Top IT Trends to Watch in Financial ServicesIT pros at banks, investment houses, insurance companies, and other financial services organizations are focused on a range of issues, from peer-to-peer lending to cybersecurity to performance, agility, and compliance. It all matters.
Join us for a roundup of the top stories on InformationWeek.com for the week of September 18, 2016. We'll be talking with the InformationWeek.com editors and correspondents who brought you the top stories of the week to get the "story behind the story."


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Apple Pay has been double-charging some Bank of America customers on transactions, according to CNN’s Samuel Burke.
Burke used Apple's new mobile-payment system on Monday, the day of its highly touted rollout, to make purchases with his Bank of America debit card at Whole Foods and Duane Reade. Those purchases appeared twice on his bank statement the following day. Some Twitter and Reddit users reported experiencing the same problem. Like Burke, they were all Bank of America customers.
Burke reported that he called Bank of America for help, but was told it was a problem with Apple. Burke said Bank of America directed him to Apple's help line. Apple, however, reportedly told Burke that there was “nothing they could do about it,” as the company does not keep a record of transactions for security reasons.
Burke said he eventually got Apple and Bank of America on the same line in a three-way-call. He did not disclose any details on what was said during the three-way call. Though he was ultimately refunded his money by Bank of America, the bank maintained that the problem was with Apple Pay, Burke said.
Later, Bank of America tweeted that it was working to fix the problem:
Bank of America confirmed to The Huffington Post that it will refund all customers affected by the issue and cover any overdraft fees.
"We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to correct the issue. All customers have been made whole," said Tara Burke, a spokeswoman for Bank of America. "We are always here for our customers and resolve any issues they have."
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When it comes to questions about Apple Pay, Bank of America directs its customers to call its customer service number. Apple's FAQ also tells users to reach out to their banks for any problems with statements.
For what it's worth, a HuffPost reporter recently used Apple Pay at McDonald's with an American Express credit card and experienced no double-charging.
Update: An Apple spokesperson responded to HuffPost with an emailed statement: "We're aware of a Bank of America issue impacting a very small number of Apple Pay users. They're working on a fix that will be available shortly and reversing any duplicate transactions."
Bank of America spokeswoman Tara Burke added that the issue affected "only about 1000 transactions."
How to vote
Vote-by-mail ballot request deadline: Varies by state
For the Nov 3 election: States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus. Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting. Visit your state election office website to find out if you can vote by mail.Get more information
In-person early voting dates: Varies by state
Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day. But your state may let you vote during a designated early voting period. You don't need an excuse to vote early. Visit your state election office website to find out whether they offer early voting.My Election Office
General Election: Nov 3, 2020
Polling hours on Election Day: Varies by state/localityMy Polling Place


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(Bloomberg Opinion) – HBO Max starts in just two days and has the potential to be one of the best streaming TV apps on the market. The only problem is that consumers seem to have no idea what it says.
In a survey conducted by Morning Consult and the Hollywood reporter earlier this month, around 2,000 US adults were asked to choose from a list of TV shows and film titles that they believed will be available on HBO Max, a new Netflix-like service launched by the WarnerMedia division of AT&T Inc. The results should alarm company executives:
As the graph shows, hardly any of the respondents knew that HBO Max would be the exclusive streaming destination for the hit sitcoms “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory” – coveted content rights that WarnerMedia reportedly has more than 900 million US dollars -Dollar has spent safely on the new service. The respondents also did not realize that DC Comics films and “Sesame Street” were on HBO Max.
HBO has been a standalone force for so long that most people just don’t realize it shares a parent company with Warner Bros. studios and other television channels like Cartoon Network, TBS, and Turner Classic Movies. This is a shame, since the same survey found that including such content would increase the likelihood that many consumers would sign up. The most meaningful answer: Most of the respondents did not even believe that “Game of Thrones” – the first series in HBO’s entire 47-year history – would be accessible via HBO Max, although it contains “HBO” the name.
The confusion can be forgiven to consumers. The Americans’ previous experience with streaming TV apps shows that nothing is intuitive and that everything is difficult to find. For example, ESPN + is not a digital replica of regular ESPN. It is a completely different product. And “Friends” has been available on Netflix for years, so young people may only know it as a Netflix show. With no knowledge of HBO’s ownership and WarnerMedia’s recent dealmaking, there is no obvious reason why Central Perk is in the same block as Sesame Street, just around the corner from Westeros on the HBO Max streaming continent. To make matters even more confusing, it costs streaming regular HBO (via the HBO Now app) and signing up for HBO Max do exactly the same thing – $ 15 a month.
Disney +, which has logged in more than 50 million users since its launch in November, does not share the HBO Max brand problem. The only thing that respondents seemed to know for sure is that “The Mandalorian” is not part of HBO Max. And that’s probably because Walt Disney Co. has successfully restored “Star Wars” as a Disney property, although it has only owned the franchise since 2012. The same applies to Pixar and Marvel. For this reason, the biggest problem with Disney +, which focuses so closely on superheroes and child-friendly programming, can be a strength.
The biggest challenge for other streaming services could be building loyalty when viewers are not entirely sure what to expect. Moving away from the appointment display on cable television means that while we remain true to certain series and trilogies, we don’t necessarily know (or take care of) which networks or studios they are connected to.
For WarnerMedia, it is certainly still a big advantage to keep using the HBO name for its new product – people are immediately prompted to expect great content (and hopefully the quality will not be affected if they try to use the Netflix production factory Keep up). . At the same time, it is difficult and expensive to tell consumers what HBO Max is. This is especially true when part of the content is temporarily licensed by competitors like Disney’s “The Mighty Ducks” and “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”, thanks to distribution agreements before the streaming wars. (Remember, “X-Men” is Marvel, not the DC Extended Universe.)
HBO Max could give other apps a run for their money. But how can it be easily explained that it is like normal HBO, but all these other things that you will probably like as well, but cost nothing extra? Good luck with fitting into a convincing advertisement.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editors or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Tara Lachapelle is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist who specializes in entertainment, telecommunications, and broader deals. Previously, she wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News.
You can find more articles like this at bloomberg.com/opinion
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© 2020 Bloomberg L.P.


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“We had China actually be way more forceful of their thought to ban cryptocurrency. That’s created a retail deleveraging,” Crypto investor Mike Novogratz advised CNBC’s “Squawk Field” Tuesday. “Numerous crypto occurs in Asia, plenty of it’s Chinese language centered so we’re seeing massive liquidations, so it’s arduous to name a backside.” Subscribe to CNBC PRO for entry to investor and analyst insights on crypto and extra: https://cnb.cx/2BT2E7y
Crypto investor Mike Novogratz advised CNBC on Tuesday that bitcoin faces near-term uncertainty after falling under $30,000, however he maintained a long-term constructive outlook.
Bitcoin has struggled previously two months, after notching an all-time excessive in April close to $65,000. The weak spot in current days comes as studies indicated China took additional steps to limit bitcoin mining within the nation, and because the nation’s central financial institution put strain on monetary companies to restrict crypto-related service choices.
Bitcoin briefly turned constructive simply after midday ET. Earlier Tuesday, it had briefly gone unfavourable for the 12 months when it dipped under $29,000.
“We had China actually be way more forceful of their thought to ban cryptocurrency. That’s created a retail deleveraging, ” Novogratz mentioned on “Squawk Field.” “Numerous crypto occurs in Asia, plenty of it’s Chinese language centered. So we’re seeing massive liquidations, so it’s arduous to name a backside.”
“We’ll see if it holds on the day. We’d plunge under it for some time and shut above it,” Novogratz mentioned, referring to the $30,000 value stage, which some technical analysts noticed as a key help stage for bitcoin.
“If it’s actually breached, $25,000 is the following massive stage of help. Pay attention, I’m much less pleased than I used to be at $60,000, however I’m not nervous,” added Novogratz, founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital, a crypto-focused monetary companies agency.
Bitcoin on Tuesday was down greater than 50% from its April all-time excessive. The cryptocurrency has had larger drawdowns earlier than, like when it ran as much as a then-record excessive close to $20,000 in December 2017 after which misplaced greater than 80% of its worth, sinking under $3,500 per token.
Novogratz mentioned he doesn’t anticipate a crash of that magnitude once more.
“The ecosystem is a lot extra mature. The quantity of gamers which might be shifting in are a lot extra mature. Each single financial institution is engaged on their very own crypto mission, how they’ll get bitcoin to their wealth shoppers,” Novogratz mentioned. “I believe plenty of shoppers that didn’t purchase it the primary time will see this as a possibility to purchase it and become involved.”
Some crypto buying and selling platforms in Asia have allowed massive leverage ratios as much as 100-to-1, for instance, Novogratz famous. The Chinese language authorities’s crackdown on that sort leverage is a long-term constructive, he mentioned. “Perhaps not within the brief run, but it surely’s a superb factor,” he added. “That’s what’s created this extreme volatility that we’ve seen.”
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Former Washington Post employee Brian Krebs, who runs a blog about security, has been making a song and dance over the last few days over the fact that representatives of Wipro, an Indian outsourcing company, did not respond within three days to his inquiries about a security issue at the company.
A new paid subscription news service will be announced by Apple on Monday, with The Wall Street Journal as a partner, despite the Cupertino company taking 50% of the subscription revenue as its share. A subscription is expected to cost US$10 per month.
Media outlets which throw their lot in with Apple's mobile news app will see plenty of traffic but little in terms of revenue as a result, a report claims.
Does this mean smart traffic lights? For example, in Macquarie Park (the technology hub of Sydney) traffic light changes take[…]
Telstra had a badly run down copper distribution phone system.NBN has a large chunk of their network on an antiquated[…]
Just sell the whole thing to Telstra already. It can't get any worse.
I have no words to describe this development.Are they out of their minds?!In what universe would you choose to run[…]
There is a 25/5 speed tier, which used to be the default that all the ISPs were using, but then[…]


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In the previous part of this series, we looked at some possible reasons for Fiat Chrysler’s (FCAU) dismal Wall Street performance in 2Q17 so far. In the week ended June 9, Tesla stock (TSLA) continued to rise for the third consecutive week. The company’s stock rose 5.1% to settle at $357.32 on Friday. In the second quarter so far, Tesla stock has risen about 28.4%, much higher than just the 2.9% gains witnessed in the S&P 500 (SPY) benchmark.
The company had a market cap of about $58.7 billion as of June 9. With this, Tesla has become the most valuable US auto company, surpassing the market caps of General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company (F).
Is the sky the limit?
In 2017, Tesla stock has stunned its critics with impressive year-to-date yields of 67.2%. Investors’ high expectations from Tesla’s upcoming Model 3 and the huge fan following of CEO Elon Musk could be some of the key reasons for these gains.
According to a report by the Guardian published last month, Elon Musk said that the company’s “market cap is higher than we have any right to deserve.”
On June 6, during Tesla’s annual stockholder meeting, Musk gave an indication that Tesla’s new crossover Model Y could be on the roads by 2019. The company expects Model Y to be more popular among auto buyers than Model 3.
Tesla is likely to begin initial production of Model 3 in July 2017. Timely deliveries of Model 3 could continue to drive optimism among investors about Tesla’s potential to execute its long-term plans. However, in the short term, investors may eye Tesla’s 2Q17 production and delivery figures. Any weakness in production and delivery growth rate could potentially reverse the short-term trend in Tesla stock.
Key support level for Tesla stock
The 14-day RSI (relative strength index) on Tesla’s daily stock price chart is at 77.20, suggesting strength in momentum. On the downside, no key support lies above the $280 price level.
Visit our Autos page for previews of auto companies’ 2Q17 earnings results.


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Where are Amercians spending their surplus money…health care, recreational and leisure activities, consumer goods? The answer may shock you.
Events of 2020 Moved Medical Students to Political Activism
When doctors put their patients first, what consequences may they face?
CDC report finds that wearing face masks and limited or ban indoor dining did little to stop the spread of Covid.
Montana Senate Considers Bill to Promote DPC.


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September 01, 2007
Gill-Ladd hired as senior manager
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine has hired Annika Gill-Ladd as senior manager, joint sponsorship. She had been a sales & marketing assistant at Medical Education Collaborative.
There's a reason pharma lags on the programmatic adoption curve: It's a heavily regulated industry, and there are concerns around privacy.


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Tag Archives: tech demo
Sat, Dec 15, 2012 | 18:46 GMT
A couple new videos for Agni’s Philosophy, Square’s Luminous engine tech demo, have popped up. The videos show various changes being implemented to the characters’ appearances. Square Enix first demonstrated the tech at an after-hours E3 2012 event. Have a watch below via AGB. Thanks, manamana.
Fri, Aug 10, 2012 | 04:37 BST
Crysis 3 is looking remarkably sweet thanks to the advances Crytek has made with CryEngine 3. Don’t take my word for it; the video through the break goes into detal on some of the graphical highlights of the new tech.
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 | 09:12 BST
Ten years on from the release of the original Dawn tech demo, nVidia has released a follow up called A New Dawn, featuring the same winged fairy but with all the power of a decade of graphics development behind it. You can download the tech demo here, but be warned, it’s an 800MB executable and took over an hour over Australian ADSL. The accompanying blog post details some astonishing increases in performance, like 571 times the number of triangles used to build the environment.
Wed, Jun 06, 2012 | 19:15 BST
Tue, Jun 07, 2011 | 22:12 BST
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 | 09:40 BST
Developer Trinigy has released a one-minute video demoing its Vision game engine for NGP.
Tue, Jan 11, 2011 | 06:25 GMT
Sat, Aug 07, 2010 | 21:58 BST
Peter Molyneux has said at this point, Milo is not thought of as a “release” project and furthermore, it’s “contentious” of Lionhead to do a game about a boy in the first place.
Tue, Jun 29, 2010 | 21:48 BST
Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg has confirmed that Milo & Kate is still in development and is merely a product not slated for release this Holiday, despite earlier reports claiming the Kinect title would never ship.


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Singapore Airlines extend digital customer service channels and launch a beta chatbot to process incoming requests from passengers.
The AI chatbot called «Kris» will be available on Singapore Airlines’ global official Facebook page and shortly is announced to appear on singaporeair.com.
Visitors to the company’s Facebook page will get the possibility to communicate with Kris via Facebook Messenger, sending inquiries to the bot regarding the upcoming flights.
Now the chatbot works as a beta, but it is continuously acquiring new skills. The travel chatbot can send messages in English concerning the rules of carrying baggage, check-in for a flight, book tickets online and other travel features with children.
Operating on the data accumulated over a long period of time, Kris AI chatbot was trained to answer the questions on popular searches from the site singaporeair.com, as well as to the questions that most often come to the reservation service.
Kris gradually got the skills of dialogue, as a result of learning to quickly and efficiently provide users with the necessary information. Singapore Airlines are continuously working on improving their own digital solutions, so they involved a team of full-time specialists.
Marvin Tan, senior vice president of Singapore Airlines customer service, says that customers are dramatically changing their preferences.
Thanks to Kris, the company can get and implement feedback into real changes, not only through contact centers and e-mails in communication with passengers.


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Blackpool is sporting a resurgence in adventurous activities for locals with the new Clip ‘n Climb franchise joining ventures such as the ever popular Ascent and the soon to be opened Coast Riders Roller Rink in offering affordable year round family friendly fun for residents.
So what is it? Clip ‘n Climb is exactly what is says on the tin. Wearing a harness you ‘clip’ into the custom designed TruBlue auto belay device and ‘climb’. Climb a whole series of themed challenges, rising over 25ft, including the 8.5m vertical drop slide, set to be the highest of all Clip ‘n Climb centres in the UK.
The brainchild of Kiwi climber Tim Wethey and Irishman John Targett, Clip ‘n Climb has been opening its doors all over the globe, so you can expect thrilling tests of skill and nerve. The trials in the 2,500 sq ft unit will be unique to the brand and incorporate elements not generally seen in your average climbing haven. Dry ice will add atmosphere, the Speed Climb will generate adrenaline, while the Twister and Stairway to Heaven will bring the fun.
Who is it for? Everyone! Kids parties, team building, family events, couples day out… the centre is set to cater for all ages and abilities from 5 years and up. And this is just for the visitors. Opening in March, the enterprise promises over 30 new jobs and, if you follow their new Facebook feed, to support other local businesses as suppliers. I for one am particularly excited at the prospect of a Wallings ice cream after a fun but gruelling climb.
Fylde Council has approved the plans laid out by a local business partnership consisting of Anne and Ben Wade, successful entrepreneurs and ice-skating stars, Olympian Karen Barber and sandgrown’un Daniel Whiston from Dancing on Ice. Daniel is “very excited about Clip ‘n Climb as it has such wide appeal”. The venture, based in Whitehills Business Park, is part of a 714 acre business community with easy links to public transport and major traffic routes. Clip ‘n Climb Blackpool is expected to open in March 2017.
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NEW YORK — Do you make better coffee than the best drinks at Starbucks? According to a new survey, half of Americans feel they have what it takes to be a barista. This is good news given the well researched benefits of coffee.
The poll of 2,000 Americans looked at how people like to personalize their favorite beverages and found that 54 percent think they could make it as baristas by customizing drinks. Whether they’re good servers or not, most think they know what it takes to make a tasty drink. The poll finds people are more likely to experiment with their cold drinks as opposed to hot ones (71% vs. 62%), while others customize their smoothies (55%) and coffee (49%).
Thirty percent of respondents claim they’re loyal to their usual drink order, but 45 percent like to mix it up sometimes.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Dutch Bros, the research also found half of Americans will select random drinks to try when they’re craving something different from their usual orders or try to create something based on their preferences.
Coffee cafe regulars
Nearly half the poll have a coffee spot that they frequent more than once a week, so it’s no surprise that 65 percent are likely to try a drink recommended by their barista. People also get new drink recommendations from their friends and family (48%) and three in five like to repay the favor, saying they enjoy coming up with creative drinks for their loved ones to try.
When it comes to their drink preferences, nearly a fifth of respondents found their go-to beverage while browsing social media. While 35 percent like to order their drink straight off of the menu, a quarter of respondents like to order a custom drink, and 31 percent do both.
“Customizing your drink is simple, fast and delicious,” says Kayla Barton, Dutch Bros director of research and development, in a statement.
As for customizations, people are most likely to change their toppings (71%) above all else. Sixty-five percent would also adjust their drink’s temperature, the amount of ice, or sugar level. When they swap the milk in their drink, Americans’ favorite substitutions include almond milk (48%) or coconut milk (43%). To make their drink a little more interesting, people are most likely to add whipped cream (39%), honey (38%), or vanilla extract (37%).
Top it off?
Respondents also weighed in on their favorite toppings for specific drinks. Forty-four percent believe honey belongs in tea and some people enjoy adding whipped cream to their coffee (35%) or smoothies (34%).
However, there can be happy accidents too – 23 percent have accidentally ordered the wrong drink and it became their favorite.


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UK-based Midland Regional Printers have confirmed the upcoming installation of their first blanking and die-cutting machine, a Sanwa 1060 S.C.B. Axia.
This new machine will enhance the die-cutting capacity of the Nottingham-based packaging manufacturer, and will work in conjunction with their existing Sanwa, Heidelberg Easymatrix and platen die-cutters.
Catherine Tew, Marketing Director, Midland Regional Printers, stated, “This latest investment marks a significant moment in terms of growth for Midland Regional Printers. We have been working with brands to redesign their plastic packaging into cardboard due to the consumer appetite to reduce single use plastics.”
The Axia is specifically designed to die-cut and blank solid and corrugated boards with a running speed of 8,000 sph. It boasts edge-to-edge registration accuracy and automatic feeding, providing versatility, productivity, and efficiency.
Matt Seaford, Sales Director, commented, “The new machine will enable improved lead times for our existing customers due to the blanking, and open up new markets thanks to improved efficiencies. This is ideal for our customers moving their packaging back from the Far East.”


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Photography stars as young as 9 get their winning images displayed at the Vice President's Residence in Washington, D.C.
CNET heads to San Diego for Comic-Con, America's pre-eminent entertainment geekfest.
A YouTuber with access to special-effects software "Bruckheimers" up a BBC nature documentary series with lightsabers, lasers and things that go BOOM.
A new project to develop hoverbikes for the US Army Research Laboratory could bring humanity one step closer to a real-life "Star Wars."
An unexpected announcement in the Bethesda E3 showcase: The developer unveiled its first ever Fallout mobile game.
The Donald is running for president, but he could be just as likely to win "meme generator of a generation." CNET's Eric Mack says the Internet needs to step up its game first.
Competitive gameplay in video games has gone from niche to near-mainstream sport in just a decade.
Sling TV is a new $20-per-month live TV package with 16 channels, including ESPN, AMC, TNT, CNN, History, HDTV and the Disney Channel. How does it work, how can you get it -- and will it let you quit cable?
The Japanese game maker is hosting an online-only press conference to talk about its Wii U game console, 3DS handheld and other future plans.
In a video for the Big History Project video contest, Gates shares his insights on how humanity is unique from all other life on Earth.
Yahoo will be the exclusive online home for a game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars on October 25.


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SA digital publishing company, Nine80 Digital that primarily targets Africa’s youth demographic has launched a new entrepreneurship magazine called StartUp Mag South Africa.
Known for its large youth reach on the continent in countries such as South Africa , Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Nine80 Digital has set its eyes on South African and African startups. StartUp Mag South Africa aims to create a platform that inspires more Africans to start businesses and to help existing entreprenuers looking at growing and scaling their businesses.
StartUp Magazine will share content ranging from business news, interviews, lists, financial advise, opinion pieces and more ! The platform can be accessed on www.startupmag.co.za , Facebook and Twitter. Entrepreneurs who would like to share stories of their projects can email email@example.com
Locally, StartUp Mag South Africa will join platforms such as Youth Village SA , SA Hip Hop Mag , okMzansi , SA Music Mag, Kasi Lyrics, Diski365, Fresh Hip Hop Mag and more !


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While electricity is a cheaper fuel for cars, the initial cost of an electric car is roughly $19,000 higher than a comparable gas-powered car, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. This is often reduced considerably by manufacturer rebates and a federal tax credit of $7,500.
Is an electric car actually cheaper?
The study differs from some reports that show it’s cheaper to drive an EV than a conventional car. For example, a 2018 study from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found the average cost to operate an EV in the U.S. was $485 per year compared with a gasoline-powered vehicle at $1,117.
Is it worth me buying an electric car?
The answer is yes, in the long run, you absolutely save money. When you buy an electric car there is a high up-front cost, but your electric vehicle ends up costing less over a lifetime. … What’s more, electric cars don’t cost a lot to run, with big savings on fuel costs, servicing and car parking.
Why you shouldn’t buy an electric car?
EVs, while expensive to purchase, may be cheaper in the long run because the vehicles require less maintenance and aren’t bound by fluctuating gas prices. However, the drawbacks, including range anxiety, price, recharging length, and high chances of motion sickness, may outweigh the pluses.
What are the disadvantages of electric cars?
Disadvantages of an Electric Car
- Recharge Points. Electric fuelling stations are still in the development stages. …
- The Initial Investment is Steep. …
- Electricity isn’t Free. …
- Short Driving Range and Speed. …
- Longer Recharge Time. …
- Silence as a Disadvantage. …
- Normally 2 Seaters. …
- Battery Replacement.
How long do electric cars last?
Consumer Reports estimates the average EV battery pack’s lifespan to be at around 200,000 miles, which is nearly 17 years of use if driven 12,000 miles per year.
Are electric cars selling well?
Sales of electric vehicles are booming. … After almost a decade of hype, there are some signs that the electric-vehicle revolution is finally coming to pass. There were 19 EVs for sale in the United States in the first half of 2021, plus many more hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
Is electric or hybrid better?
The main attraction is that electric vehicles benefit the environment more than plug-in hybrids, since they don’t use any fuel at all. … Additionally, electric vehicles help drivers save more money than plug-in hybrids do, since they don’t use any fuel. They also offer a longer electric-only range than plug-in hybrids.
Why are electric cars so expensive?
The biggest reason electric vehicles cost so much is pretty simple: They have big batteries, and batteries are expensive. Through our research, we’ve found cost estimates vary wildly, but a safe ballpark figure that a car maker will pay is $150 to $200 (£112 to £150) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of capacity.
Do electric cars lose charge when parked?
Electric cars do lose charge when parked.
This is mostly minimal, and you can even change a few settings on your car to minimize the loss of battery power even more.
Do electric cars work in extreme cold?
All vehicles, whether they run on gas or kilowatts, become less energy-efficient in cold weather. … Frigid temperatures also limit an electric car’s regenerative braking function, which recovers energy that would otherwise be lost during decelerating or stopping and sends it back to the battery.
Do electric cars need oil?
An electric car doesn’t require motor oil, as it uses an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. Traditional gas vehicles need oil to lubricate several moving pieces in their combustion engines. … Thus, regular oil changes aren’t necessary for electric vehicles.
What maintenance do electric cars need?
An electric motor requires much simpler maintenance than an internal combustion engine. With no friction between any moving parts or exchanges between liquids and gases, it needs neither lubricant nor exhaust. This means no oil, filter or exhaust system changes. All this can be taken off the cost of the car’s upkeep.


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By Pádraig Hoare
Cyber criminals are using the EU’s incoming general data protection regulation (GDPR) to target email users in a sophisticated phishing scam, gardaí and cybersecurity experts have warned.
Airbnb customers are among those who have fallen victim to the scam, where criminals send fake GDPR notices to customers asking them to confirm login or personal information via online links so that they can continue to use the service being provided.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau said that while there are no reports of any incident reported in Ireland to date, a number of incidents have been reported throughout other parts of Europe.
European detectives have already identified a string of scams involving the sending of fake notices which allege to be from Airbnb asking customers to update details to continue their agreement, gardaí said.
The bureau advised before responding to unsolicited emails, to ensure that the email address used to send the message is genuine. It advised never supplying banking or financial information via email, and to delete and report it to a bank if such an email was received.
Cybersecurity expert Ronan Murphy said the criminals wanted to exploit the millions of emails being sent out by firms related to GDPR before the law is implemented on Friday.
The chief executive of Cork-based Smarttech247 said: “The criminals who are the architects of such scams are like well-oiled machines when it comes to putting them in place. This will be a blanket campaign across Europe to try and target anyone who is receiving GDPR-related emails.
“They usually have teams that will target users in a specific country, but this time, they will flood Europe targeting millions of people, because the GDPR is relevant to all EU citizens.”
A survey from KPMG of Irish chief executives found a third see the issue of a cyberattack as a case of when not if, with just under half confident in their ability to identify new cyber threats.
Just 44% were confident in their levels of preparedness, while 56% feel able to manage external stakeholders in the event of such an attack.
The GDPR was ratified in 2016, following four years of negotiation, replacing the existing directive on data protection.
Unlike an EU directive, which can be implemented over a certain time, the regulation is made law once it begins tomorrow, meaning penalties can be imposed from day one. The regulation is designed to harmonise data-privacy laws in the EU and to protect citizens’ data privacy.
It not only applies to organisations within the EU, but also to firms that do business inside member states.
If companies fail to comply with the regulation, they can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover, or €20m.
Mr Murphy said there would be a “ferociously long bedding-in period” with a large number of firms and organisations not ready for the law. “I’m afraid we are still far behind. The regulation is very broad with a lot of technical details. How the EU enforces the law remains to be seen.
“I have no doubt regulators will be looking for the scalp of a big firm or organisation, such as a tech giant or a university, which historically have been very lax with user data because there is so much of it. That will be the acid test,” he said.


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The layer 1 blockchain Aptos just launched on binance and major exchanges this week ,could Aptos be the next Solana? or is there something fishy going on with adapters? , did you know that a new and highly anticipated layer 1 blockchain recently launched both its mainnet and token this token was listed on major exchanges like binance ,coinbase ,bybit, kucoin and so on.
What is Aptos?
This is a layer 1 blockchain that is here to solve all scalability problems Aptos promises to be the fastest blockchain processing up to 160 000 transactions per second sounds pretty amazing so is it the new Solana Destroyer there's a lot of speculation but one thing is for sure this new blockchain has industry-leading Engineers that have been working on it for four years straight what they have built is a network that can consistently upgrade ensuring longevity and sustainable ability of the Aptos blockchain and the applications developed on it.
Let us try to create the most essential layer 1 blockchain for everything web3 the blockchain is extremely fast and scalable allowing smart contracts to run smoothly Aptos has a fund that will fund developers and builders on the Aptos blockchain but we believe the Speed and Performance of Aptos will also attract new developers and builders in itself one major amazing invention on Aptos is the use of an entirely new programming language called "move" according to Aptos it's way safer and more flexible to work with when compared to other options , there are only two projects using this programming language and that's Aptos and Siri Network Siri Network are direct competitors to Aptos,
Next amazing feature of Aptos is the consensus protocol itself they have built a high Assurance Byzantine fault tolerance consensus protocols , it's basically how it handles issues and stuff in the blockchain while it's doing things basically while it's multitasking they have also implemented the fourth iteration of the protocol called hot stuff wich is actually the protocol that Facebook was going to use folder official blockchain dm3 the new and improved protocol has been going through heavy testing on a private mainnet with diverse operators and zero downtime.
Now there is a very interesting thing about this protocol with the latest improvements blocks are committed in as few as two network round trips making sub second finality the common case essentially what this means is that transactions are processed and confirmed pretty much instantly on the aptos network the blockchain team is not just a bunch of nobodies the guys behind it are genuine people who have been working in the industry for many years and have made a name for themselves on top of having an All-Star team these guys have serious backing by big players Venture capitalists like FTX, multi-coin capital ,Parify, paxus and PayPal and many many more and they raised over 200 million dollars from their private sales.
Tokenomics of Aptos
Moving on to the tokenomics of Aptos the Aptos Foundation presented a summary version of the Aptos protocol tokenomics before it's launch but a more
comprehensive explanation of Aptos tokenomics will be coming soon I believe aptos has around a billion coins in total but we don't know exactly how many of these coins are in the hands of the Venture capitalists at the moment we're also not sure how many tokens are actually in the circulating Supply itself , Aptos community members complained that after should be more transparent about their tokenomics which is critical to the coin's performance this coin is said to have a valuation of 60 billion dollars and that is how it was priced when listed on exchanges this morning due to this initial High valuation a huge dump followed as soon as trading was enabled leaving retail investors who bought into the hype at listing totally wrecked I believe those early investors the VCS are the only ones holding majority of the tokens in circulation right now hence the dump in the beginning about 20 million of Aptos circulating Supply was also allocated as airdrops to early Network participants now I'm a bit curious about the way they are Distributing their tokens over email instead of automatic through the blockchain but anyhow that's how they're gonna do it I think Apple's network will provide new features and development in the crypto space but i think buying into tokens like this could be dangerous price could continue to dump at the moment we're not certain what will happen to the price next or how big the selling pressure is going to be so that sums up Aptos and its launch the soon to be safest and most scalable layer 1 blockchain.


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Lenovo has updated its device upgrade roadmap and, well, it doesn't look good
Lenovo updated its device upgrade roadmap recently and it’s bad news for owners of its Phab devices. Neither the Phab, Phab Plus, Phab2, Phab2 Plus, nor the Phab2 Pro will be updated to Android Nougat.
While this might come as a disappointing revelation for owners of the original Phab from 2015 (which launched with Android Lollipop), my heart is really going out to the poor souls who bought a Phab2 Pro — the “world’s first Tango-enabled smartphone.” This was launched with Android Marshmallow, last November (i.e. after Nougat was already available), for $500.
Lenovo hasn’t been the strongest performer in terms of software rollouts in recent years, something which will hopefully change once it ditches its Vibe UI for stock Android, but it’s nonetheless a surprise to see that not a single phone from that series will receive a single major Android update.
When it comes to Lenovo’s low-cost handsets on that list, like its Vibe series, the lack of an update might be more easily swallowed. But the Phab2 Pro… really? Not only was it an expensive flagship, but it was billed as a handset built with the future in mind. It’s Tango-compatible — a technology that’s even now still in its infancy — and Lenovo writes on its website that the phone “opens the door to an amazing array of next generation games, conveniences, and more.”
If that door was ever open, it seems like another has just been closed. On the handset’s owners’ faces. Hard.
If you’re keen on your Android updates, for now, you might want to avoid Lenovo. Let us know what you think of the recent news in the comments below.


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With six months still to go before the doors to the next edition open, Home Textiles Premium by Textilhogar, which is set to run from 22nd to 25th September at Feria Valencia, already has more than 70 companies signed up to exhibit.
For Máximo Solaz, the show’s director, “the sector is responding and is clearly excited by the textile offering returning to Valencia and by the potential implicit in the show running alongside Hábitat”.
Valencia, 9nd March 2020.- The prospects are looking good for Home Textiles Premium by Textilhogar. Spain’s textiles show par excellence already has 70 confirmed exhibitors, six months ahead of opening day. The fair is slated to run from 22nd to 25th September at Feria Valencia.
The figure means the event has already achieved almost 75% of its expected occupancy and confirms the excellent response from the industry to what is a key edition of the fair given that it marks the return of the textiles offering to Feria Valencia after five editions in Madrid and, also, that it will be running together with Feria Hábitat Valencia.
In that regard, according to the event’s director, Máximo Solaz, “we are aware that we need to carry on working on marketing initiatives, focusing on introducing new exhibit areas and making it easier for the industry’s leading operators to take part, so this great news regarding stand bookings tells us that the sector is on board with our strategy of continuing to expand the fair in pursuit of new opportunities for growth.”
For Solaz, “the textile sector’s return to Feria Valencia and the synergies that can be established through the fair taking place together with Hábitat will open up new business opportunities for our exhibitors, both in Spain and internationally. The textile industry has understood this, as have bodies such as ATEVAL – Home Textiles From Spain that are helping drive the fair’s growth”.
Companies that have already confirmed they will be exhibiting at the fair include Abece Casa, Aitana Textil, Aitex. Altran Solutions, Amr – Industrias Texteis, Antonio Ferre, Antonio García Gb Grup, Arce Textile, Artex Sociedad Textil, Artica Textile, Ateval – Home Textiles From Spain, Athenea, Aznar Textil, Belnou, C & D Fabrics, C2 Home Decor, Cañete, Casa Moda, Casper Dos, Comercio Y Distribución De Tejidos De Mediterráneo, Comersan, Cotoblau, Cotopur – Kamasana, Creaciones Euromoda, Destiny Decor and Digital Walls.
Others that have committed to the Valencia event are El Caballo Casa, Encama Fabrics y Encama Home, Equipo Drt, Eysa, Enguitex Home, Eysa Confección y Eysa Protect, Textiles Para El Hogar, Fernando Cerda Blanes E Hijos, S.A., Francisco Jover, Froca, Globaltex Home, González Lladó, Hijos De Antonio Ferre, Imext, Industrias Bitex, Industrias Murtra, Jover, Ka International, La Ventana De Colores, Levantex, Level Fabrics Tejidos De Decoración, Manuel Revert, Martina Home by Enguitex Home, Muance, Murtra Decoration Systems, Penalba Soler, Pepa Pastor, Pielsa, Rafsol, Rioma, S.Gramage Hogar and Santa Amalia Alta Decoración.
Other names on board already include Tejidosignifugos.Com, Texathenea, Texeclean, Texere, Textil Antilo, Textil Batavia, Textil Casa Moda, Textiles Frau Pérez, Textiles Joyper, Sg Hogar, Textiles Olcina, Textiles Soler Santamaría, Textiles Vilber, Tuvatextil, Vilber and Yebane.
New designers’ and textile editors’ sections
One good example of the enhanced scenario for the upcoming edition of Home Textiles From Spain is that the showcase is opening up to new segments of the industry such as textile designers, who will have a dedicated space within the new ‘Home Textiles Designers Area’.
Equally, textile editors have also welcomed the new prospects that will open up as a result of the fair taking place in Valencia in September together with Hábitat, with which it shares synergies, especially in terms of contract specifiers and professionals.


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The U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter of 2022, surprising economists and renewing fears that a recession is just around the corner amid high inflation.
Real gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services in the economy, decreased at a 1.4% annual rate in the first three months of this year, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Thursday morning. This disappointing negative economic growth followed a GDP increase of 6.9% in the fourth quarter last year.
“The decrease in real GDP reflected decreases in private inventory investment, exports, federal government spending, and state and local government spending, while imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased,” the BEA report said.
A record-high trade deficit accounted for the largest hit to GDP, subtracting 3.2 percentage points from overall economic growth. Exports of goods fell sharply while imports of goods and services rose, showing that consumers are still spending but doing so on goods purchased from abroad. It’s also the case that businesses are restocking inventory after supply chain disruptions last year, which may account for the increase in imports, economists told CNBC.
An increase in COVID-19 cases, continued pandemic restrictions and disruptions in some parts of the country, and a decrease in government spending on COVID-19 assistance programs each contributed to the decrease in GDP, according to the bureau.
There was some good news in the report. Personal consumption expenditures increased at a 2.7% rate. Of particular note is that spending on services increased from 3.3% last quarter to 4.3% in this quarter, showing that the U.S. is transitioning away from the pandemic economy, where people were buying goods like groceries, instead of spending money on services, like restaurants.
Business investment increased at a high 9.2% rate, with companies investing in equipment and intellectual property products, showing that U.S. businesses are still growing even though the overall economy shrank.
Still, negative economic growth is a step in the wrong direction for President Joe Biden and national Democrats, who are facing massive losses on Election Day based on voter dissatisfaction with the economy. While unemployment remains low, Americans say that higher prices caused by inflation are making it harder to buy gas, put food on the table, and afford to travel or spend money on entertainment.
While GDP may be revised upward next month when the BEA releases a second estimate for the first quarter based on more complete data, the fear for Democrats is that high inflation and slow economic growth would raise the specter of stagflation just before the election.
It remains to be seen whether the trade deficit and lingering effects of the pandemic are temporary drags on the economy, or whether inflation will cause long-term stunting of economic growth, triggering the next recession.


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UNITED DEVELOPMENT COMPANY AND CORINTHIA HOTELS SIGN AGREEMENT TO MANAGE AND OPERATE CORINTHIA DOHA IN GEWAN ISLAND
Al-Khater: “Partnership with Corinthia Hotels falls in line with UDC’s development strategy”.
Al-Othman: “The reputation of Corinthia Hotels in the hospitality sector is the main motive for choosing it to manage the new landmark hotel in Gewan Island”.
United Development Company (UDC), a leading Qatari public shareholding company and master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Island, signed an agreement with Corinthia Hotels to manage and operate Corinthia Doha which will be located in UDC’s newest flagship real estate development; Gewan Island.
The agreement was signed in Corinthia London last February 27th, in the presence of UDC senior officials; H.E. Mr. Turki bin Mohammed Al-Khater, Chairman and Mr. Ibrahim Jassim Al-Othman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of The Board. Representing Corinthia Hotels at the signing were Mr. Simon Naudi, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Paul Pisani, Senior Vice President of Development.
Under the agreement, Corinthia Hotels, a limited company incorporated under the laws of Malta, will manage and operate the first Corinthia Hotel in Doha which will be constructed by UDC.
Corinthia Hotels currently operates a group of luxury hotels in major cities including London, Lisbon, Prague, Budapest, Malta, Tripoli, Al-Khartoum, St Petersburg, Rome, Brussels, Moscow, Dubai and Bucharest among several others in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Corinthia Doha is therefore poised to be a prominent structure in Gewan Island, overlooking the Island’s planned golf course and beach club.
Corinthia Doha will be established on an area of 13,000 sqm and will comprise 110 guestrooms, a banquet hall and outdoor patio with a 1000 people capacity, an all-day dining and specialty restaurants in addition to a luxurious spa facility.
Commenting on the agreement, UDC Chairman H.E. Mr. Turki bin Mohammed Al-Khater said: “This project is part of Gewan Island’s development plans and will ensure the Company’s sustainable growth and the creation of new opportunities and revenue sources over the long term.”
H.E. Mr. Al-Khater also highlighted that partnership with Corinthia Hotels which boasts an extensive experience in managing and operating hotels worldwide, falls in line with UDC’s development strategy to support Qatar’s real estate sector and underscores the importance of constructive partnerships that support the national economy and facilitate foreign investment.
For his part, UDC President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of The Board, Mr. Ibrahim Jassim Al-Othman, said that the leading reputation of Corinthia Hotels in the hospitality sector and its success in providing luxury hospitality services and facilities, and spreading its Mediterranean heritage culture internationally, are the main motives for choosing it to manage the new landmark hotel in Gewan Island.
Mr. Al-Othman also added: “Driven by UDC’s mission and vision, the agreement with Corinthia Hotels lays solid foundations for UDC's expansion plans through investments in vital sectors such as real estate and hospitality that aim to optimize and sustain good shareholder value. This is further evidenced by the growth witnessed in the tourism movement in Qatar as a result of recent various government incentives, which in turn bodes well for UDC’s planned developments in its flagship projects; The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Island.”
Further echoing their excitement to be operating in the Qatari market, Mr. Simon Naudi, CEO of Corinthia Hotels said: “We are delighted to have signed an agreement with UDC to manage a luxury hotel in Gewan Island which promises to be a magnificent location. The energy, vision and quality of resources assembled by UDC for this project will ensure that Corinthia Doha will be another landmark property that will enrich our portfolio and will equally add value to Doha’s hospitality offerings.”
Gewan Island, UDC’s latest real-estate project, is situated next to The Pearl-Qatar, spanning 400,000 sqm. Once completed, the Island will accommodate 3,500 residents and a similar number of daily visitors. Gewan Island will be home to 714 residential units, including 641 apartments, 20 standalone villas located along a placid beach in a quiet and gated seaside community, as well as 21 beachfront villas with private beach, 26 waterfront villas that are equipped with private pontoons for private boats and 6 island villas, in addition to 11,000 sqm of retail spaces and several multi-use buildings.
Gewan Island will feature in addition to Corinthia Hotel, a golf course with a beach club, an air conditioned ‘Crystal Walkway’ outdoor promenade, parks and green areas, which will play a major role in attracting various new brands to Doha. The Island will also be home to entertainment facilities, a sports club and a mosque.
UDC is a leading Qatari public shareholding company with a mission to identify and invest in long-term projects contributing to Qatar’s growth and providing good shareholder value. UDC activities cover a multitude of vital investment sectors including real estate development, property management, infrastructure and utilities, maritime & hospitality related businesses.


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The Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday commissioned three mobile cargo scanners to checkmate importation of arms and ammunition and other prohibited items into the country through seaports.
The commissioning covers the ones installed at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, as well as Onne port respectively. Each of the scanners has the capacity to process and scan over 500 containers in a day.
Recall that In July 2020, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved $18.12 million for the purchase of the cargo scanners and were delivered last year December to ease port operations and eliminate 100 per cent examination, which used to fuel corruption between stakeholders and examination officers at the ports.
The contract was actually awarded to a company named Messrs Airwave Limited inclusive of foreign components, and a local component of N3. 255 billion inclusive of five percent VAT.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new Nuctech Mobile Scanners for the Customs, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed commended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for granting approval for the Procurement and Installation of the Scanners and also the training of 120 officers of the NCS.
She said the project would no doubt aid the NCS in the delivery of its mandates, in line with the key priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
According to her, the scanner has the capacity to detect prohibited import concealed in cargoes, and that it will enable more cargoes to be scanned and also bring about the desired efficiency and effectiveness in the cargo examination processes.
“The commissioning of these three non-intrusive scanners is in line with efforts to expedite Customs operations and achieve its mandate of ease of doing business, trade facilitation and preventing port congestion.
“These three scanners will help increase revenue for the government and improve national security.
It will also help enhance the remote audit trail of goods within the port system,” she said.
She implored the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), port terminal operators and all stakeholders in the port to cooperate with NCS to take full advantage of the scanners.
“The commissioning of the three new scanners today, is a milestone in the Service’s efforts to expedite Customs operations, achieve ease of doing business, facilitate trade, prevent Port congestion, increase revenue generation to government and improve national security.
“I therefore implore the management of the NCS to collaborate with the scanners contractor, to ensure proper maintenance and full utilisation of the scanners within the 30 months provided in the contract agreement, as well as enhanced capacity building and training 120 NCS scanning officers,” she added.
She said that efforts are being made to procure more scanners for the seaports, land borders and airports in the country, saying the essence is to improve efficiency and generate more revenue to the government.
Also speaking at the event, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), said the scanners commissioned is an intervention, pending the commencement of the Customs modernization project that will deploy 135 scanners, adding that by 2023, there would be scanners all over Nigeria.
According to him, as part of the reform strategy of the present administration, the Service was compelled to adopt technology as the linchpin for trade facilitation, adding that by recognising its strategic importance, the Service has chosen to embrace it in its entirety.
“Our modernisation project seeks to automate all our processes and procedures, of which the inspection of imports and exports is fundamental. We know that to remain competitive our ports have to be more effective and efficient.
“As trade increases in volume, so must our capacity for facilitation. Efficient cargo management and the full automation of Customs and other regulatory processes is guaranteed to bring down the cost of clearing, and ultimately the prices of goods in the open market, an occurrence that will be beneficial to consumers in Nigeria.
“We also understand that technology should be deployed in a manner most suitable to our needs and environment. This is why we have developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of these scanners. Our SOPs provide all stakeholders with a working guide as to their individual responsibilities,” he explained.
However, he said from Customs officers, clearing agents, shipping companies, to terminal operators, roles are defined to show who should be doing what, where, how and when. He said it is the spelling out of these roles and how they should be performed that would ensure that the Service get the maximum benefits from using these non-intrusive examination equipment.
“As the lead agency in trade facilitation, we are constantly in the business of re-inventing ourselves. Not satisfied with the achievements of the past, our focus is on making the present great and the future greater. However, because we acknowledge the importance of partnering with other relevant government regulatory agencies, we have created windows that will enable connectivity to our systems.
“Where physical joint examinations were previously conducted by all relevant agencies, the scanning process will not only reduce the stress associated with positioning, off-loading and taking inventory of containers. It will store recorded images in a safe format easily accessible by all agencies from the comfort of their offices. It makes the auditing of transactions using these images easier and will definitely checkmate attempts by non-compliant traders to cheat the system.
“The challenge of security is of immense concern to all well-meaning citizens. Since we know that a good number of items which pose a threat to national security find their way through our various entry points, we believe that the equipment that is being commissioned today will greatly enhance our capacity to defend our dear nation,” he said.
“Unlike previous attempts at managing scanners, our officers have been trained up to level 2 maintenance capability. This ensures that the day-to-day management of these machines will be proficiently handled by our officers who have been trained and certified by the manufacturers to carry out basic maintenance”, he added.
“As we approach phase one of the e-customs modernization we shall see the deployment of scanners to all sea ports, airports and approved land borders.
“We shall also witness the launch of a central data management system when live feeds from our ports and borders can be viewed and monitored from our headquarters,” Ali said.
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The largest US automaker, GM, plans to abolish about 15 percent of US jobs, including a quarter of its employees. The announced reorganization measures include the closure of five factories in North America.
In the future, GM plans to focus on increasing the production of electric and hybrid cars in electric drives and gasoline. This means that it looks to the future, although currently low oil and gas prices among Americans are again very large and expensive vehicles.
The company reported that for such measures, they have decided to provide a positive cash flow and prepare to change the tastes of consumers and the new market conditions.
Last year, the CEO of General Motors with $ 22 million in salary
US President Donald Trump was in the morning when a message came from a company involved in adjustments against migrants, Barack Obama's previous government and the investigation of the Russian case and the attack on GM has not yet come forward to comment.
Trump has been praised for two years for also making US auto companies increase production and open new jobs in the US. Due to the introduction of customs duties on steel and aluminum imports, US car production has increased.
General Motors: In the summer comes Airbnb for cars