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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
In an age when artificial intelligence and computer vision can determine the specific contents of virtually every image captured, you can easily find out what type of flower you’re looking at or filter all the cat photos in your library. That’s not exactly life-changing stuff, of course, but changing lives is just what Healthy.io, wants to do.
The company transforms your smartphone camera into a clinical-grade medical device through urinalysis — one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis.
Healthy.io uses color recognition, computer vision, and AI — in conjunction with a urine sample kit and testing strips — to allow what could be termed a “medical selfie.”
“One of the challenges of at-home clinical-grade urine testing is ensuring that regular users, who may not be tech savvy, can successfully conduct the test in any environment with an arbitrary phone,” CEO and founder Yonatan Adiri told me. “Through rapid prototyping and repeated user testing, we have developed a test kit and smartphone app that has achieved more than 99 percent usability across age groups ranging from 18-80.”
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So how does a user conduct a test at home with nothing more than the sample kit and a smartphone?
“The process for the user is very simple. We like to say ‘If you can text, you can test’,” Adiri said. “The user simply opens the app and is walked through the process step by step — aided by our chatbot nurse named Emily. The user opens the kit, fills the cup, dips the stick and places it on our patented colorboard. After waiting for 60 seconds (timed within the app) both the colorboard and dipstick are scanned, similar to how a QR code is scanned. The image is normalized and data points are sent to our cloud, where they are then classified into the correct clinical result.”
Healthy.io’s solution is CE and ISO 13485-certified. The dipstick measures 10 parameters and indicates a range of infections, chronic illnesses, and pregnancy-related complications.
Of course, smartphone cameras and sensors vary wildly, as do lighting conditions. How is Healthy.io ensuring a clinical-grade result under such variable circumstances?
“The image normalization and classification both pose serious technical challenges,” Adiri said. “We knew we needed to develop a highly accurate calibration method and sophisticated computer vision algorithms and to understand the phone/image pipeline (how different smartphones manipulate the image) and generate more than 1 million correctly tagged images across the color spectrum to train our algorithms.”
That data, combined with AI, is how Healthy.io manages to deal with differing conditions and hardware.
“It’s the combination of our user-centric design and cutting edge computer vision, paired with a rigorous clinical approach, that has enabled us to turn the camera into a urinalysis device, equivalent to current devices used at the doctor’s office,” Adiri said.
When it comes to the list of medical problems the system can detect, Healthy.io isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Urinalysis has been around for a long time, and it offers accurate results for a range of diseases.
“It is important to first note that we haven’t tampered with the standard urine dipstick,” Adiri said. “It has been a tried and tested diagnostic tool for decades and is well established across many clinical pathways. We test for ketones, leukocytes, nitrites, glucose, protein, blood, specific gravity, bilirubin, urobilinogen, and pH. These indicators span a wide range of pathologies, from urinary tract infection to ketosis, kidney disease, health in pregnancy, and bladder cancer.”
The company has plans to add additional tests soon, and it has an interesting take on the future of smartphones and their use in at-home health care.
“We are bringing an albumin:creatinine ratio test to the market soon, which is critical for the 76 million Americans (people with diabetes, hypertension etc.) that need to get their urine tested for signs of chronic kidney disease every year,” Adiri said. “We see a leap forward in smartphone hardware that happens roughly every four years. Our urinalysis product would not have been possible five years ago because the image quality of smartphone cameras simply wasn’t good enough.”
The latest innovation — 3D imaging — has been driven by the augmented reality industry, which will impact mainstream consumers via smartphones long before it converts the masses to 3D glasses.
“We are using these 3D capabilities to bring standardization and accuracy to chronic wound care,” Adiri said. “Diabetic ulcers, pressure wounds, and similar issues cost about $50 billion every year in the U.S. alone. Today, they are still largely assessed by eye or with a simple paper ruler, which is not only inaccurate but makes it very difficult to coordinate treatment between nurses and doctors. Our next product is tackling this exact problem.”
Healthy.io is not currently available as an off-the-shelf product, but it does save those in need of regular testing several trips to a medical facility.
“We think the greatest value lies in making testing more convenient and accessible to the patient while enabling doctors to receive the results of the urinalysis using existing medical records and CPT codes in a reliable fashion,” Adiri said. For example, women with at-risk pregnancies who need to get their urine tested several times a week can have kits sent to their homes and automatically share results through their electronic medical record. This saves the patient a trip while maintaining the diagnostic flow required and trusted by doctors.
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General Motors is recalling nearly 60,000 Saturn Aura midsize cars because the automatic transmission shift levers can show the wrong gear. It says it has known about the problem for more than two years.
The problem, caused by failure of the transmission shift cable, has led to 28 crashes and four injuries but no deaths during the past seven years, GM said in a statement issued Tuesday. The Auras can roll away unexpectedly because the driver may think the car is in park when it’s in gear.
In November 2011, GM covered the cars with an extended 10-year, 120,000-mile warranty because of the problem. But drivers had to experience trouble with their shifters for the coverage to kick in. At that time, GM thought the extended warranty was sufficient to handle the problem, spokesman Alan Adler said.
GM is already dealing with the delayed recall of 2.6 million small cars over a deadly ignition switch problem. Two congressional committees, the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating how GM handled that problem, which it knew about for at least a decade before deciding to recall the cars in February.
GM says at least 13 people have died in crashes linked to the switch problem, but at least 53 wrongful-death lawsuits are pending against the company.
Trade deficit drops 3.6 percent in March
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in March as exports rebounded to the second-highest level on record, led by strong gains in sales of aircraft, autos and farm goods.
The deficit declined to $40.4 billion, down 3.6 percent from a revised February imbalance of $41.9 billion, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The February deficit had been the biggest trade gap in five months.
U.S. exports rose 2.1 percent to $193.9 billion, with exports to Canada and South Korea hitting all-time highs. Imports also rose but by a slower 1.1 percent to $234.3 billion, reflecting increased shipments of cellphones, clothing and other consumer goods and increased demand for heavy machinery and other capital goods.
Weaker sales slow home price gains
U.S. home prices rose at a slightly slower pace in the 12 months that ended in March, a sign that weak sales have begun to restrain the housing market’s sharp price gains.
Data provider CoreLogic says prices rose 11.1 percent in March compared with March 2013, down from February’s 12.2 percent year-over-year increase.
On a month-to-month basis, prices in March rose 1.4 percent from February. But CoreLogic’s month-to-month figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal patterns, such as warmer spring weather.
France says GE offer for Alstom inadequate
French President Francois Hollande says that an offer by General Electric Co. for troubled French engineering company Alstom is not good enough and wants the U.S. company to come up with a better deal.
The $17 billion bid for Alstom’s energy activities has prompted resistance within the French government, which is struggling to revive the country’s industrial base and stay globally competitive.
Alstom calls GE’s offer practically perfect and is ready to accept, but the company bowed to government pressure to wait amid discussion of other options.

domain: news


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Toyota Yaris Cross, the smallest SUV in the clan has been recently revealed by the brand in Europe. The brand has based the all-new SUV on the Toyota Yaris hatchback that is available across European countries. The brand further promises that the smallest SUV under its portfolio has been specifically designed keeping in mind the European customers and will get an all-wheel-drive technology equipped to the hybrid power engine.
The SUV measures 4,180mm in length while the wheelbase stands at 2,560mm which is similar to the Yaris hatchback. The brand has equipped the small SUV with authentic Toyota styling with certain bits and pieces borrowed from the Toyota C-HR as well as the recently updated Toyota Harrier. The Yaris Cross will be positioned under the brand’s portfolio below the Toyota C-HR compact SUV.
The overall profile of the SUV imparts it a crossover-inspired outlook while the prominent wheel arches further add to its sporty character. The brand has equipped the SUV with chunkier 18-inch alloy wheels though those are expected to be made available with the highest-spec trim only.
Coming to the cabin details, the SUV has been imparted with fine interior bits complimenting its sporty exterior profile. The cabin further features ambient lighting while the dashboard features a floating infotainment unit. In addition to this, the interior profile of the SUV matches with that offered to the Yaris hatchback. The boot is expected to feature an adjustable cargo floor while the brand is expected to launch it in multiple colour schemes adding to its USP further.
The brand has equipped the Toyota Yaris Cross with a hybrid engine that features a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit mated to an electric motor that powers the front-wheel driving system. The small SUV is capable of churning out a maximum power of 116HP while the all-wheel-drive system is activated whenever the sensor detects a loss in the grip while tackling different terrains.
The brand is expected to launch the Toyota Yaris Cross in the European markets followed by other countries at a later stage. Once launched in Europe, the SUV will compete against the likes of Euro-spec Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.
Toyota Yaris Cross Photos


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Jan 28 2013, 9:36pm CST | by Luigi Lugmayr
Super Bowl XLVII isn't for another six days, but is it already safe to call a winner?
According to a Madden NFL 13 simulation run on Xbox 360, the Baltimore Ravens will beat the San Francisco 49ers 27-24. Although the results are just from a videogame, EA Sports' Madden NFL game continues to be one of the most accurate Super Bowl predictors. The game has accurately called seven of the last nine Super Bowls, and was only two points off from predicting the exact finale score of the 2009 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's been uncanny how spot-on the Super Bowl simulation been the last few years," Anthony Stevenson, senior director of marketing for EA Sports, told The Hollywood Reporter. "We've run simulations throughout the playoffs as well and we've certainly done better than analysts have. This highlights how great of a gameplay engine the Madden franchise has and how realistic it is."
Madden '13 also predicts that quarterback Joe Flacco will be named the game MVP after completing 19 of 27 passes and two touchdowns.
Get EA Sports' complete prediction:
The Super Bowl airs Sunday on CBS live from New Orleans. Which team do you think will win?
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
Source: TV Guide
Luigi is the founding Chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at firstname.lastname@example.org. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.
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Hot sauce spices up JaxPort promotional campaign
The campaign is aimed at companies it wants to bring to town.
JaxPort is pouring on the hot sauce to promote the port's growth.The Jacksonville Port Authority is distributing 5-ounce bottles of spicy sauce with "Much Hotter Than Your Average Port" stamped on the label.The bottles are part of a marketing campaign costing $5,000 to $6,000 that also covers the expense of running sauce-themed advertisements in maritime trade publications. The campaign started last year.JaxPort spokeswoman Nancy Rubin said ports competing for business typically use photos of cargo ships and similar images. The concept behind the hot sauce is to capitalize on the port's expansion "with a zingy, hot campaign to go along with that," she said.The sauce is sold by Half Moon Bay Trading Co. of Atlantic Beach, which imports it from Costa Rica. Half Moon Bay has done similar private-label deals with a couple dozen companies, said Tom Nuijens, vice president of marketing. He said the Food Network and Cooper Lighting of Atlanta are among the customers."I think it's unique and it stands out," he said.Rubin said JaxPort ordered 500 bottles and distributed about 300 bottles so far. She said the campaign is aimed at companies JaxPort wants to bring to Jacksonville.The bottle's label boasts of recognition Jacksonville has received from various publications and organizations for overall business growth and port expansion.Of course, spicy food can cause heartburn. JaxPort had to swallow the fact that Half Moon Bay Trading Co. doesn't import its hot sauce through Jacksonville. Nuijens said that would be the company's preference if there were a direct shipping connection between Costa Rica and Jacksonville.He said Half Moon ships the sauce to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale and then transports the sauce by land to the company's warehouse in Atlantic Beach.


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Nokia is to be commended for sparing everyone the groans a mini-tablet announcement would have caused. Instead of launching itself into that quickly-flooding category, the company decided to focus on what it is good at: budget-priced phones.
At the Mobile World Congress event today, Nokia announced several new Windows Phone 8 Lumia devices, including the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, as well as budget phones called the Nokia 105 and Nokia 301.
The Lumia smartphones are similar in design to Nokia’s premium Windows Phone 8 devices, the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 822, but feature less expensive hardware. The Lumia 720, for example, features a 1GHZ processor and 512MB of memory, while the Lumia 520 has a smaller 4-inch display. The 720 will sell for €249 and the 520 will sell for €139. Both will be out in March.
The really interesting portion of Nokia’s announcements was the reveal of very inexpensive feature phones the company hopes to push in developing nations such as China.
The Nokia 105 will sell for just €15 and offers the bare minimum of features. It offers support for phone calls and SMS, and also features an FM radio, flashlight, and 35 days of standby battery power. The Nokia 301 is a small step up and offers a camera and more feature phone perks such as social media apps. It will retail for €65.


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New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours
Anandtech took a closer look at the new iPad's 42.5 Wh battery and discovered the battery is fantastic for those using the device as a mobile hotspot. In a series of tests, they ran the Verizon WiFi+4G iPad from a full charge down to zero with the screen off. Total time was an impressive 25.3 hours on a single charge.
Overall, the battery performs as expected. The retina-equipped iPad has a run time that's slightly less than the iPad 2, and you'll get an hour less juice on LTE than WiFi.
[Via The Verge]
Anandtech took a closer look at the new iPad's 42.5 Wh battery and discovered the battery is fantastic for those using the device as a...
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Update 14.3.4
- Pixelmator 2.2 available with over 100 new features and improvements
- DabKick for iPhone lets you share photos, watch videos and now listen to music in real-time
- Google Now added to search app on iPhone, iPad
- GateGuru for iPhone has been updated and greatly improved


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Indian Tax Solution
GST Registration exemption-New items been added to list of handicraft goods.
CBEC cross-empower State Tax officers for processing & grant of GST refund
No GST on advance payment for small taxpayers with annual turnover less than Rs. 1.5 crores.
Form GSTR-4 for quarter July to Sep, 2017 can be submitted till 15.11.2017.
Time limit to file FORM GSTR-5A for July, Aug, Sep extended to 20.11.2017.
Time limit for filing of Form GSTR-6 for July, Aug, Sep extended to 15.11.2017.
Time limit to file Form GST ITC-01 for July, Aug, Sep extended to 20.11.2017.
Central Goods and Services Tax (Ninth Amendment) Rules, 2017.
New items been added to list of handicraft goods for IGST exemption.
GST not payable on inter-State supplies of taxable services by exempt persons.
IGST: Cross-empowerment of State Tax officers for processing & grant of refund.
Notification on extension of facility of LUT to all exporters issued.
Clarification on issues related to furnishing of Bond/Letter of Undertaking for exports.
Eighth amendment to CGST Rules, 2017.
Extension of time limit for submitting the declaration in FORM GST TRAN-1 under rule 120A of the Central Goods and Service Tax Rules, 2017.
Unexpectedly high transitional input tax credit claims of Rs 65,000 crore by businesses is now a huge headache for the Govt
With the deadline for filing Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns for August coming to an end in less than 48 hours, only 8 lakh taxpayers have filed their GSTR-3B- a short summary return, at the end of Monday, said sources famili ...


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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
More Good News from the States
Prices jump more than forecast - Report shows inflation remains persistent, with annual rise of 4.3%.
The pace of inflation rose in January, according to a closely watched government report Wednesday that showed price pressures were higher than Wall Street expectations. The Consumer Price Index, the government's key inflation reading, rose 0.4% in the month after a 0.4% jump in December. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 0.3% rise in January. BBC Headline for this "US inflation AT 0.4% in January."


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Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine’s five EU neighbours.
Ukraine was one of the world’s top grain exporters before Russia’s 2022 invasion reduced its ability to ship agricultural produce to global markets. However, the flood of grains and oilseeds into neighbouring countries reduced prices there, impacting the income of local farmers.
The EU in May stepped in to prevent individual countries from imposing unilateral bans and imposed its own ban on imports into neighbouring countries. Under the EU ban, Ukraine was allowed to export through those countries on condition the produce was sold elsewhere.
The EU allowed that ban to expire on Friday after Ukraine pledged to take measures to tighten control of exports to neighbouring countries.
EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday countries should refrain from unilateral measures against imports of Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Slovakia and Hungary immediately responded by reimposing their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. They will continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian produce.


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It’s been seven years in the making - the longest wait for a new model in the Commodore’s 35-year history - and it will also be the last as we know it.
Holden has confirmed the Commodore badge will live on beyond the new model’s 2016 horizon - but that car will likely be a four-cylinder, front-drive sedan sold globally but adapted for local conditions.
Holden is due to release the first pictures of the new 2013 Commodore in Melbourne today [SUNDAY], but we have an exclusive photo illustration of the performance flagship “SS” that will lead the Commodore’s export revival to North America, where it will also race as a Nascar for the first time.
Holden has loaded the new Commodore with technology. Due in Australian showrooms in June it will be able to park itself via sensors in the front and rear bumpers, and warn the driver of a crash in stop-start traffic.
The new Commodore will also be available with the internet music service Pandora for the first time, and drivers of top-line models will be able to see their vehicle speed and other key information reflected into the windscreen in a digital “heads-up” display.
The “new” model is in fact a major update of the Commodore released in 2006. Rather than create a new car from the ground up, Holden remodeled the front and rear appearance and added technology.
The V6 and V8 engines are carried over from before but the new model is expected to be about 10 per cent more fuel efficient due to the use of weight-saving aluminium in the bonnet, boot and underbody, said to trim 40kg from the car’s overall mass.
Holden is hoping for a reversal of fortunes with the new model after the Commodore posted its lowest sales ever last year - in a record new-car sales market. It is banking on some buyers coming back to the brand one last time before the Commodore is replaced by a new global car to be built alongside the Cruze in Adelaide until 2022.
Holden has not said what shape the 2017 “Commodore” will take, but News Limited has been told it is a four-cylinder front-drive sedan similar in size to a Toyota Camry. The boss of Holden Mike Devereux promised last Friday that the future model would be called a “Commodore” – but it is unlikely Australians would warm to the iconic badge appearing on a four-cylinder front-drive car.
Live updates on today’s Holden Commodore reveal on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling


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The global energy crisis has led to a spike in natural gas, heating oil, propane, and power prices, making the cost of heating a home this fall/winter very expensive. As a result, Americans are panic buying cords of wood and stoves to deflect soaring fossil fuel prices.
Bloomberg spoke with US firewood vendors who said sales are booming ahead of winter. They reported the price of a cord of wood is skyrocketing.
At Firewood By Jerry in New River, Arizona, a cord of seasoned firewood -- roughly 700 pieces or so -- goes for $200 today. That's up 33% from a year ago. At Zia Firewood in Albuquerque, the price is up 11% since the summer to $250. And at Standing Rock Farms in Stone Ridge, a bucolic, little town in the Hudson Valley that's become popular with the Manhattan set, the best hardwoods now fetch $475 a cord, up 19% from last year. - Bloomberg
Randy Hornbeck, the owner of Standing Rock Farms in Stone Ridge, New York, said his sales are already 27% higher than all of last season. "Everybody wants firewood," he said, calling the start of the cold season a "crazy one."
Some of the increased demand Hornbeck is speaking about comes from white-collar workers moving out of metro areas to suburban or rural locations over the last 18 or so months and have discovered their homes are outfitted with stoves and or fireplaces. The price for heating a suburban home is much higher than an apartment in the city, and perhaps with soaring energy inflation, wood is the cheapest way to heat a home (at the moment).
Besides the price jump in firewood, wood stove dealers are reporting overwhelming demand. "You can't get a stove until at least April," Lakin Frederick, an employee at Central Arkansas Fireplaces in Conway, a suburb of Little Rock.
Customers have told Frederick that the spike in energy prices, such as heating oil, natural gas, and propane, is the reason why they're resorting to woodburning this year. He added wood has become scarce in his area because "there are not enough people who are cutting and supplying wood right now."
Bloomberg points out several firewood booms in US history:
Over the course of American history, there have been any number of booms in the firewood business. One of the earliest episodes came during the British siege of Boston at the outset of the Revolutionary War. That winter, the price of a cord -- a centuries-old benchmark measuring 128 cubic feet -- soared to $20, the historian David McCullough documented in his book "1776." That's the equivalent of some $635 in today's dollars, according to calculations by the website in2013dollars.com. In more recent times, just about every major spike in energy prices in the past half century has triggered a rush into woodburning among some segments of the population. These fevers invariably fade as soon as the energy crisis does. -Bloomberg
Today, the energy crisis is felt worldwide will inflict more financial pain on working poor families as cold weather sets in. The Biden administration is attempting to cool red hot inflation by releasing strategic petroleum reserves to arrest crude prices, which is likely to backfire.
"Everyone is extremely concerned about how they are going to pay for the cost of home heating," said Brian Pieck, the owner of House of Warmth Stove and Fireplace Shop in New Milford, a town in rural western Connecticut. He said that concern had led people to panic buying woodstoves, adding his sales for woodstoves over $2,800 are up 50%. "Our manufacturer is working feverishly around the clock."
Hornbeck's wealthier customers in the Hudson Valley are buying firewood no matter the cost. He has already sold 3,300 cords of hardwood and will deplete reserves by February. Some of his clients are already locking in orders for next season.
According to EIA figures, just 1% of US households use firewood or wood pellets as their primary heating source, and about 8% use them as their secondary heating source.
A global energy crisis has metastasized and pushed the world into panic buying fossil fuels ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter thanks to ambitious green policies.


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After dropping off a parcel in a home in Marsworth, southeast England in the United Kingdom, a delivery driver who worked under an independent delivery service left the property with a puppy. Identified as Levi Pislea, the 22-year-old delivery driver was convicted by the British court in stealing a miniature schnauzer in April last year.
According to Court News UK through CNN, Richard Guttfield, owner of the puppy named Wilma, found out that his 11-month-old dog was missing on April 27 in his home. He realised that his dog was missing when the Amazon delivery arrived, prompting him to contact Amazon right away.
As for Pislea, he was questioned by his FastUK manager regarding the miniature schnauzer. The delivery driver denied about Wilma and the break-in on the garden where the puppy was taken. However, an app was able to trace his steps during the theft, showing what really happened — he really did go into the garden. His manager immediately reported to the authorities after discovering Wilma in Pislea’s home.
Guttfield’s 11-month-old dog named Wilma. Image Source: Central News via Mirror UK
After four days, the miniature schnauzer was able to return to its owner and Fred, Guttfield’s second dog
“It’s so wonderful to be sitting here with a cup of tea with my pups together,” Guttfield posted on Facebook.
Court News UK reported the delivery driver continued to deny claims of theft even at court, saying he just found Wilma a mile away from Guttfield’s house. Despite deinal, the High Wycombe Magistrates Court sentenced him a 12-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a £705 (around A$1,200) fine.
“Pislea lied when he said he hadn’t been near the garden where the dog was — a lie that was proven by the tracker data of his steps. And it is clear that the garden was secure, meaning the dog could not have got out on its own,” said district crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Andrew Morgan.
“He denied any knowledge of the dog when he was directly asked about it, and made no effort to reunite it with its owner over the four days that it was in his possession, all of which indicated his intention to keep it.”
The post Delivery Driver Stole Puppy After Dropping Off Amazon Package, Tracking App Revealed his Steps appeared first on Trendingpod.


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Colombia Now Exports Clinical Cannabis To Canada, U.K.: NPR
Posted On October 7, 2019
The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF has actually gone down 54% because its Oct. 16 height, the day prior to grown-up entertainment use cannabis flower and THC and also CBD oils were legalized. CBD does not include the substance that obtains individuals high. Aurora’s financials for its FY Q3 were quite strong compared with previous quarters also. It virtually doubled marijuana sales from FY Q2 thanks in large part to its acquisitions of two other companies, MedReleaf and also CanniMed.
Sales for adult-use cannabis commenced on Oct. 17, 2018. Canada prepares to take advantage of the cannabis industry. Cannabis has spread its roots globally as well.
In addition to the comprehensive International Marijuana Supply Index, we provide a family of indices to track Canadian licensed manufacturers. Daniel Walker, head of the Cannabis Regulation Group, a subsidiary of Bobilaw Pedestrian Legislation in Toronto, said he was stunned the study located such a high degree of constraint around marijuana use at the office as well as examined whether Canadians are well educated about their companies’ marijuana plans. The marketplace share for dried out cannabis flower began to dwindle in 2018 as more customers moved from burning in the direction of removes and also concentrates which are usually vaped via gadgets and can be added oils to foods, beverages, and also skin-care products.
CannTrust created internet earnings of CAD$ 12.6 million for the quarter upright September 30, 2018. This number was still high enough to earn the firm a spot in the top 5 Canadian marijuana producers by income, yet it is significant since it does not include any kind of portion of the duration after which recreational marijuana use came to be lawful in Canada. If the company sees that figure move higher in future records, capitalists ought to not be shocked. We have actually talked about how regulations are essential in the cannabis market.
If the company sees that figure action higher in future records, capitalists should not be amazed.
Analysts approximate that in some established UNITED STATE markets, vape sales are down as high as 30%, with many marijuana customers going back to use of less lucrative flower as well as oil products.
Unfortunately, things aren’t relocating quick sufficient to satisfy a number of excitable growth forecasts, which’s ultimately bad news for Canadian pot stock investors.
Given that the mid-1990s, Colombian courts have upheld the right of individuals to possess up to 20 grams of cannabis, though a government mandate last year banned people from using medicines in public.
Establishing the plan for this growth in sales is our next-door neighbor to the north, Canada. Despite the fact that Canada isn’t expected ahead anywhere near the USA in regards to accumulated annual marijuana sales, it came to be the very first developed country on the planet to green-light recreational cannabis in 2014.
Alberta alone made up almost a 3rd of total Canadian marijuana sales, despite provinces such as Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia having a much larger population. Particularly, districts such as Ontario experienced prevalent shortages greatly because of marijuana operators being incapable to stay up to date with need. As required by the Marijuana Act, the amended regulations will certainly enter pressure on October 17, 2019, nevertheless, it will certainly take time, afterwards best online mail order marihuana provider in Canada day, prior to new cannabis products become available for acquisition. Since the legalisation of cannabis in Canada, the cannabis market has seen a surge and has become a prominent worldwide market vehicle driver. New laws that will certainly enter into force in Canada by October 2019 will certainly imply licensed vendors can sell cannabis oils, edibles and also tinctures.
It adheres to Canopy Growth as the second-largest cannabis firm in the world with respect to market capitalization as of this writing. Aurora flaunts a solid worldwide existence, having actually bought Berlin-based Pedanios GmbH and also having gotten a supply contract with a subsidiary called Pedanios to the Italian cannabis market also. Regardless of the stringent guidelines around advertising marijuana, as well as tourist bureaus’ reluctance to jump on board, there are currently some companies that pair pot with locations to remain. Bud and Breakfast is a Colorado-based business, yet supplies lodging with free of charge marijuana in Canada. The Tourism Market Association of Ontario (TIAO), identified by the federal government as the voice of tourism, said lots of concerns still stay around the marketing of marijuana from a tourism lens.


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Apple seeking $2.5 billion from Samsung
Apple filed a brief in its infringement case against Samsung and argued the Korean company should pay Apple a combined total of $2.525 billion, according to FOSS Patents. The amount includes $25 million in royalty damages and another $2.5 billion, which includes the amount Samsung has unjustly gained and Apple has lost because of Samsung's copycat devices.
Breaking it down, Apple asked for $2.02 per unit for the "overscroll bounce" '318 patent, $3.10 for the '915 "scrolling API" patent, $2.20 for the "tap to zoom and navigate" '163 patent and $24 for the trade dress and design patents.
Apple was less generous in the payment amounts when it addressed Samsung's claim that Apple infringed its wireless standard essentials patents. If Samsung prevails in its patent infringement case, Apple offered to pay the Korean manufacturer a half-cent for each infringed standards essential patent. This disparity is due in part to the standards-essential nature of Samsung's patents, which must be licensed under fair and reasonable non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
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Software Updatesmore updates
- Dropbox adds file/folder renaming and Office document editing to iOS app
- Vizzywig 8xHD price tag now a very affordable $49.99
- Automatic targets teen drivers with License+ service
- Dropbox adds support for TouchID
- YouTube for iOS gets updated with full support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
- iOS 8.0.1 update now available (Updated -- Don't update!)


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Getting Set For Japan's Rebound
This has been a cruel year for Asian stock markets. In the past few weeks, the Tokyo Stock Exchange has plunged back into the deep malaise that has characterized much of its nearly eight-year-long slump. And exchanges across much of the rest of Asia have suddenly found themselves reeling as a series of currency crises sweep the region. Even Hong Kong's stellar Hang Seng Index has stumbled. In this Special Report, BUSINESS WEEK's Asian correspondents take a look at the markets and come up with a surprising conclusion. While things seem dark now, the future may not be as bad as the doomsayers proclaim. This story details how government plans to deregulate vast sections of the Japanese economy could give many companies' earnings a surprisingly robust boost. An accompanying story shows that even with its travails, East Asia remains one of the world's fastest-growing regions.
It's as if the Tokyo stock market is stuck in a parallel universe. While many bourses around the globe have doubled or tripled this decade, Tokyo has been a virtual black hole by comparison. Since its peak in late 1989, the total capitalization of the Tokyo Stock Exchange has fallen from $5 trillion to $3 trillion--even after a 36% rise in the value of the yen against the dollar. The total value of stocks on the New York Stock Exchange, meanwhile, has reached $9 trillion, almost double the gross domestic product of Japan.
Any way you cut it, the 1990s have been a nightmarish ride for the world's second-biggest equity market. A fragile banking industry burdened with $236 billion in bad loans and an economy that's been growing in fits and starts since 1992 have triggered one rout after another. Now, a string of gloomy indicators, including weak consumer and capital spending, falling industrial production, and the sixth straight month of weak readings on the index of leading economic indicators, suggest that Japan is decelerating once more. The economy will be lucky to grow 2% in the fiscal year ending next March. Throw in a widening racketeering payoff scandal that has implicated Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Nomura Securities, Yamaichi Securities, and others (BW--July 21), and it's no wonder investors are skittish.
The weeks of disheartening news have easily wiped out the Nikkei stock average's earlier gains this year and depressed it to 18,740, down 9% since June (chart). And the government shows no signs of being willing to mount the "price-keeping operations" that have used public money to buoy the market in the past. So when will the Tokyo market snap out of its funk? Probably not this year. Yet that doesn't mean that global investors should shun Japan. Indeed, a rising number aren't. Despite hard times, foreigners have been moving in and now account for a record 10% of the market. That's because many pros see Japan's economy as on the cusp of a transformation that could snap the Nikkei back to 21,000 by mid-1998.
IN LOCKSTEP. To the bulls, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's plans to overhaul Japan's protected and overregulated domestic economy spell opportunity. A shakeup would create new winners and losers as wealth is transferred from one sector of the economy to another, business costs are lowered, and new markets blossom. If Japan can push deregulation and get back on a growth path, its stock may end up emulating the U.S. recovery from the bear market of the '70s, observes Kazuhisa Okamoto, CEO of Barclays Global Investors Group in Tokyo. In America back then, everything from energy to finance was regulated. But as industry after industry was streamlined and deregulated, the seeds of the 15-year bull market in America were sown.
This prospect is tantalizing enough to spawn a reevaluation of Japan. In the 1980s, when a robust economy and easy money drove the market skyward, stocks within industries tended to move in lockstep. It rarely mattered which companies you bought as long as you got the sector right. But that doesn't hold today. Pros now try to lock onto companies likely to outpace the market by dint of their global competitiveness, unique technology, innovation, or adaptability. "It's a stockpickers' paradise right now in Japan," says Paul J. Fraker, a Japan specialist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York.
Consider the lucky souls who late last year looked beyond a Nikkei sell-off and foresaw a rebound among blue-chip Japanese multinationals. Many investors made a killing as Canon, Honda Motor, Sony, Toyota Motor, and other big exporters stormed back to health on the back of the yen's decline since mid-1995. Many of these blue chips remain in favor (table). But multinationals are not the only game worth watching. As Hashimoto's efforts to free up the economy get under way, such coddled industries as finance, transportation, and retailing should also produce pleasant surprises. With Japanese indices still heavily weighed down by ailing banks, such "new economy" issues may stand out even as the broad market appears to be treading water.
The makeover of Corporate Japan won't happen overnight, however. Strategists and money managers expect to see a choppy ride in the months ahead. Continued strength in the dollar could hit investors with currency losses--and drive them toward mutual funds that hedge their foreign-exchange exposure. The Japanese economy may also produce some more unpleasant moments. Hashimoto has given up on the huge public-spending programs that were supposed to buoy the economy starting in 1992 but have instead produced budget deficits of Italian proportions. Last spring, he slammed on the brakes, raising the national sales tax from 3% to 5%, eliminating income tax breaks, and cutting spending. The moves are hitting profits, which are expected to advance 6% in the year ending next March, against last year's 17%.
Given the dim outlook, investors are betting that Hashimoto has little choice but to try once again to get the economy moving. One way will be to continue pushing exports, even if that sparks new trade frictions with the U.S. But a more powerful force could be the loosening of the government's very visible hand. The Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development estimates that deregulating utilities, airlines, trucking, telecommunications, and retail distribution alone could boost GDP growth by 6% over 10 years.
Hashimoto is advocating deregulation because Japan must obtain higher returns from its $10 trillion in household savings to finance the care of a rapidly aging population. His biggest move so far has been to speed up the timetable for the "Big Bang" shakeup of Tokyo's capital markets by 2001. Big Bang will ease restrictions on overseas bank accounts, lower barriers separating banks and brokers, slash stock trading commissions and insurance premiums, and open more of the financial marketplace to foreign money managers.
The outcome is expected to be the emergence of a more Western-style financial system. In it, fund managers and other investors will demand far higher returns and accountability from corporations. Japan "is in the early stages of structural revolution that will result in higher returns on equity and a more shareholder-friendly environment," figures Michael Metz, chief investment strategist at Wall Street's Oppenheimer & Co.
Signs of this revolution are appearing with increasing frequency. Toyota Motor Corp. and heavy equipment maker Komatsu Ltd., for example, have begun using excess cash to repurchase stock now that the government has lifted tax burdens that prevented buybacks. Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co. are expected to follow suit next year. A corporate governance movement is also emerging. To rid itself of yes-men and build a more American-style board of directors, Sony Corp. is downsizing from 38 to 10 directors. New rules have prompted Toyota, chip-equipment maker Advantest, and Orix, a big leasing company, to issue stock options for the first time in order to encourage their managers to improve earnings.
Companies have begun giving more information to investors. In the past, they rarely broke out sales or profits by divisions. Companies and banks also booked equity holdings at acquisition costs rather than prevailing market prices, a practice that often inflated the strength of their balance sheets. That's now set to change under new accounting rules expected to be in place by 2001. But some companies are already improving their reporting. In July, audio and video manufacturer Pioneer Electronic Corp. overhauled its organization and accounting into three segments: home products, car-navigation gear, and business systems. As a result, investors for the first time will be able to gauge earnings coming out of each unit.
Japan has also experienced a sea change in stock valuation. With the market down, average price-earnings ratios now are running in the high 30s. While this is nearly double the estimated 1997 p-e of 20 for the Standard & Poor's 500 index, it is still half of what it was at the Tokyo market's peak. Measured by price to cash flow, however, Japanese stocks look even better. Trading at an average multiple of 10, notes HSBC James Capel strategist Jason James, they "have started to come in line with foreign markets." What's more, market liquidity is improving as a growing number of banks and corporations sell blocks of each others' shares they have held to cement business ties.
In picking stocks for Japan's new economy, many money managers start with globally diversified multinationals. Many are among the world's most efficient companies. For example, Toyota's stock has cooled off in recent weeks from its record highs because of weak auto sales at home. Still, it continues to be a ferocious competitor. It has cut costs by $800 million a year, is expanding capacity in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and wants to double its profitability by early in the next century. Electronics stocks are also hot. Strong earnings have kept Stephen Silverman, manager of the Merrill Lynch Pacific Fund, true to Canon despite a 30% rise in the price of its American depositary receipts this year. But many others are fans of Sony, whose ADRs remain in high demand even though their price is up 46% in 1997 on booming sales of digital video cameras and PlayStation video games.
BILLION DOLLAR BABIES. What's encouraging some pros even more is the turnaround at Sony Pictures Studios under the leadership of new chief John Calley, who took over last November. A string of strong titles including My Best Friend's Wedding, Men in Black, and Air Force One should produce $1 billion in box office sales by Labor Day. Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Discover & Co. analyst Takatoshi Yamamoto estimates that Sony's earnings per share will jump 32% in the fiscal year ended Mar. 31--and another 10% in fiscal 1998--and thinks the company has a good shot at beating the forecasts. Yet Sony still trades at a price-earnings ratio of 29.
A handful of high-tech players with a proven technology edge and strong pricing power are also drawing global interest. One to watch is Tokyo Electron, a leading manufacturer of steppers--devices that help make semiconductors. Tokyo Electron is expected to benefit as chip producers shift product to next-generation, 64-megabit memories. Another company is Kyocera, the world's largest maker of ceramic packaging material that encases semiconductors. It is enjoying strong profit growth from brisk personal computer sales globally.
There's more to Japan than auto and electronics exporters, however. And that's where deregulation comes in. One big beneficiary should be Japan's consumer finance companies. With Tokyo money-center lenders still working off their bad debts, many of these finance companies have targeted small companies that the big banks won't handle. Take Shohkoh Fund & Co., a Tokyo-based finance company that trades over the counter. It has been building its loan portfolio at double-digit rates yet has managed to keep nonperforming loans to a minimum through careful screening. It also charges nearly 30% on loans--a neat trick, since Japan's discount rate is only 0.5%. It's no wonder that its share price, and those of rivals Nichiei Co. and Shinki Co., have climbed an average of 39% in the past year. However, their price-earnings ratios remain at 30 or less.
Another favorite is Orix Corp., an auto and office-equipment leasing company that's getting into financial services. Brown Brothers' Fraker thinks the company is a miniature version of GE Capital Corp. and believes Orix will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of financial deregulation. Orix' pretax earnings are expected to rise 10% in the year ending next March, to $344 million. But J. Brian Waterhouse, an analyst with HSBC James Capel, recommends Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan Ltd. It recently formed an alliance with Swiss Bank Corp. that will shore up the capital base of the Japanese lender by $1.5 billion just in time for the Big Bang.
Retailing stocks are also winning a widening following. The Ministry of International Trade & Industry is considering a proposal to change rules that protect mom-and-pop retailers from malls and chain outlets. The betting is that the government will eventually ease the regulations, opening the way for big foreign and domestic retailers to open American-style superstores across Japan. Not waiting for MITI to move, UBS Securities analyst Kenneth Egusa is urging his customers to snap up Isetan Co., an upscale retailer that already boasts the industry's highest operating profits per square foot. With a p-e of 46, Isetan isn't cheap. But if the Japanese ever get serious about allowing retail expansion, Egusa argues, the company seems poised to cash in on sales to affluent suburban families.
RARE DOGFIGHT. Transportation is another industry heading for a shakeout--and new winners. Japan Airlines Co., for instance, is struggling with bloated costs, price competition on international routes, and new domestic rivals. Among them is Skymark Airline Co., a domestic carrier to be launched by discount travel agency H.I.S. Co. Skymark would be the first new airline since the 1950s and is promising to cut fares in half to compete with JAL and other carriers on its high-volume Tokyo-Sapporo route. As a result, H.I.S., which is traded on the over-the-counter market, has become a stock to watch. In addition to its airline hopes, the company's core business selling package tours and discounted airline tickets is expected to grow 20% annually this year and next.
While there are still plenty of pockets of misery in the Japanese stock market, a changing economy is beckoning. With so much bad news in the air, it takes guts to gamble on Japan right now. For those with a long-range perspective, however, there still are plenty of pearls to be found down deep in Tokyo's stormy market.


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Rainier Fruit Company Anticipates Bee Better Certification
SELAH, WA - Picking blueberries might not be what every consumer is doing nowadays, but they can certainly "pick" them at the grocery store. Rainier Fruit Company is making consumers proud to put its blueberries in their baskets by announcing its 100 percent organic blueberry operation is on track to earn the title of Bee Better Certified™ in July of 2020.
“Rainier Fruit has been family-owned and operated for five generations and it goes without saying that we would like to last another five,” stated Mark Zirkle, President of Rainier Fruit Company, in a press release. “The need to sustain our fields and pollinators is crucial to that goal, which makes involvement in programs like Bee Better Certified a natural choice, as well as an exciting one.”
Alongside the Xerces Society, the 100 percent family-owned and operated blueberry grower planted nearly 150 acres of wildflowers amongst multiple ranches over the last three years in an effort to help attract, protect, and sustain native pollinators in their fields.
“It’s pretty simple; if we don’t protect the bees, we don’t have fruit to sell,” said Tyler Johnson, Rainier’s Blueberry Commodity Manager. “The Bee Better Certified seal also gives today’s source-conscious shoppers confidence that their purchasing decisions are benefiting pollinators and conservation-minded companies. This certification will not only cover our blueberries but also expand to include other crops in our portfolio as well. We’re looking forward to another exciting and innovating blueberry season as we work toward multiple certifications, integrate new genetics into our program, and take our 2020 organic blueberry crop from June through September for another season.”
One such way that The Xerces’ program helps the environment is by creating habitats to protect wild pollinators.
“By building new habitats and limiting threats, such as pesticides, the team at Rainier Fruit is creating resilient farming systems that benefit pollinators and many other beneficial insects they rely on,” said Cameron Newell, Bee Better Certified Program Coordinator. “We are proud of the habitat work that Rainier has done across many of their ranches and we are excited to see them embrace Bee Better Certified.”
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for how our industry is looking to innovate its categories.


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The 60m superyacht J'ade is the first CRN's new launches with a focus on innovative features
Video from the 2013 World Superyacht Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, which recognises the best yachts delivered in the last year
Video from the 2013 World Superyacht Awards in Istanbul, Turkey, takes viewers right into the action of the glittering awards ceremony.
Picture of Loretta Anne, the 47m superyacht built by Alloy Yachts, winner of the Motor Yacht of The Year category of the World Superyacht Awards
The desire for speed seems to be part of mankind's DNA, especially when it comes to battling the elements at sea and here we present five yachts designed to satisfy this desire
Rainbow: 'this yacht from another era has achieved the stringent certification levels of the 21st century'
The extraordinary sailing yacht Rainbow, built by Holland Jachtbouw, brings further élan to the J Class revival while introducing some very distinctive innovations of her own
Perfect winds and a custom course on Race Day Two at the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous in the BVI's. The race was challenging with interesting results and a tied first place.
Featuring the longest, fastest and newest; both world-wide and in the US, and not forgetting the top explorer, sailing and classic superyachts and luxury yachts in the world.
yachts for sale
This stunning 88.5m six-deck Oceanco was launched last year and has now come on to the market with an asking price of €230 million. Facilities include helipad,7.5m swimming pool and a dedicated 3D cinema
View Nirvana yacht specifications and images
in the magazine
CRN's latest launch J'ade is chock full of wow-factor features for a 60-metre yacht.
The June 2013 issue of Boat International is on sale now – purchase or subscribe today
Latest brokerage news
23 May 2013
Andrew LeBuhn at Camper & Nicholsons has listed the famed 34.14m expedition yacht Fortrus for sale
23 May 2013
Burgess have been appointed exclusive central agents for sale of the 70m motor yacht, Tankoa S70, under construction in Genoa, Italy.
23 May 2013
Vesa Kaukonen at KK Superyachts has signed Leopard's 27m open motor yacht Walindi for sale
All the latest sailing yacht articles, including sailing yachts for sale, news and features.
All the latest information about mega yachts, including mega yachts for sale, news and articles.
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Caption: SINGLE COMBAT Wild Oats
XI and LDV Comanche left the other supermaxis in their wakes.
The Mark Richard's captained Wild Oats
and Bells Loyal are meeting for the first time in anger since last year's Sydney to Hobart.
Among the products being featured at Walmart are Wild Oats
Marketplace Organic, which adheres to USDA guidelines for organic certification and includes canned vegetables (88-cents per 15-ounce can) and a full range of spices starting at $2.48.
is unveiling nearly 100 pantry items under the Wild Oats
label over the next several months, adding to the 1,600 organic food items it already carries.
Hassan and Khan stated that the wheat plant height was affected by the wild oat
, Avena fatua L., density.
The Bloomberg report notes that an entity named Wild Oats
Marketing LLC has applied to open grocery stores, using the address of Yucaipa on Sunset Blvd.
In claiming all three milestones, Wild Oats
XI emulated the feat it achieved in 2005 and becomes the only yacht ever to secure two trebles.
Sherell, who has worked for Gilliland 17 years going back to their Wild Oats
days, says Gilliland wanted to model Wild Oats
after Henry's Market, a farmer's market-style grocer that Wild Oats
had acquired, and brought the idea to the board.
Excluding the estimated impact of the Wild Oats
acquisition, adjusted net income was $51.0 million, the company said.
After it was announced in February that the company intended to buy Wild Oats
for $565 million, Whole Foods' chief executive and cofounder John P.
The assets were acquired by Whole Foods as part of the $565-million Wild Oats
Word on the Little Rock retail scene has Wild Oats
Natural Marketplace establishing a location at the Promenade at Chenal project under construction in west Little Rock.
, the Boulder, Colorado-headquartered natural foods chain, sold 44% more frozen spinach in the two weeks after the outbreak than in the same period a year earlier.
Availabilty: Wild Oats
, Whole Foods Market and most other health food stores.


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Redmi K40 Gaming Edition Camera
Redmi K40 Gaming Edition will be officially released today, and the official pre-release of the long-awaited information has come to an end. This morning, the official Redmi cell phone began to preview the imaging aspect of the machine, saying that the Gaming Phone should also do a good job with the camera and seriously make a full-scene flagship camera.
The company also brought a new technology this time. Redmi K40 Gaming Edition will debut new technology that Xiaomi flagship is not used yet. The new technology, the official did not directly announced, but sold a shutter, called the “Light Catcher”, is a bit professional camera technology, the specific tonight launch will reveal.
Furthermore, official Weibo also shared Redmi K40 Gaming Edition camera sample challenging to fine night photography under complex lighting. Excellent clarity, balanced and full-color lighting, no glare, sharp details of roadside daisies, several times magnified, stamens are clearly distinguished.
Besides, Redmi K40 Gaming Plus is equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 1200 flagship processor and is expected to be equipped with 8GB of RAM, with a 5065mAh battery capacity and support for 67W fast charging.


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The mogul says the social network broke several terms of the sale agreement. A court battle is likely to ensue.
After weeks of telegraphing the move, Elon Musk is officially attempting to walk away from his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter and take it private.
“Mr. Musk is terminating the Merger Agreement because Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement [and]appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement,” writes Musk’s legal team in a letter to Twitter chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde. The missive, also filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, came late on a summer Friday afternoon.
As stated in the letter, Musk’s complaints relate to his demand that Twitter supply him with various kinds of user data so that he could perform his own investigation of Twitter’s bot problem. Twitter provided some data, but said it couldn’t provide all the data requested because of user privacy concerns.
Musk agreed to buy Twitter for a price of $44 billion on April 25, a sum that many saw as very generous given Twitter’s struggles to grow its user base and revenue. And that was before tech stocks began tanking in May. Twitter’s stock sold for $51.70 on the day the deal was announced but had fallen to $36.81 per share by Friday’s close.
Now it seems likely that the Musk-Twitter saga will play out in the courtroom. Even if Musk proves that Twitter materially broke elements of the sale agreement, he may be on the hook for $1 billion in breakup fees. And the consensus among legal experts is that Musk’s complaints don’t meet the bar set by the agreement, which said that the deal must go forward, barring any major changes to Twitter’s business.
“The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement,” tweeted Twitter chairman Bret Taylor in response to Musk’s letter. “We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.”
This article first appeared i www.fastcompany.com
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By Peter Nurse
Investing.com — Stocks in focus in premarket trade on Wednesday, September 16th. Please refresh for updates.
Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) stock fell 6.4% after reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is joining the SEC in making inquiries into fraud claims made against the electric truck maker after a report by the short-selling investment firm Hindenburg Research.
- General Motors (NYSE:GM) stock rose 4.4% following reports that the car manufacturer is set to announce plans to put into production an interchangeable “family” of electric vehicle drive systems and motors.
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) stock fell 1.5% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Trade Commission is preparing a possible antitrust suit against the social media giant. A number of celebrities, including the likes of Kim Kardashian, have boycotted its Instagram platform.
FedEx (NYSE:FDX) stock rose 8.8% after the delivery giant reported the highest quarterly revenue in its history late Tuesday, prompting a bigger-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday amid a pandemic-fueled surge in e-commerce shipments.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) stock rose 0.9% after the tech giant raised its quarterly dividend by 10%.
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) stock rose 2.1% after the software company posted better-than-expected results for its fiscal third quarter, helped by robust demand for its cloud-based creative tools during the coronavirus pandemic.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) stock fell 0.9% after a report by the House Democrats criticized the aircraft manufacturer over design errors and a lack of transparency in the wake of the two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) stock climbed 1.4% after President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the tech giant was “very close” to a deal over the popular video app TikTok.
- Kohls (NYSE:KSS) stock rose 0.2% after the retailer said it has cut about 15% of its corporate jobs, in an attempt to save about $65 million in annual expenses.
- Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) stock set for its debut after being priced at $120, for a valuation of $33 billion. Jfrog (NASDAQ:FROG) stock also starts trading later Wednesday, after pricing its IPO at $44, above its $39 to $41 price range.
FedEx, General Motors Rise Premarket; Nikola Falls
By Reuters – Sep 16, 2020
MILAN (Reuters) – Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) rolled out the Portofino M, a modified version of its top-selling gran tourer, on Wednesday as the Italian sportscar maker pursues a rapid…
By Investing.com – Sep 16, 2020
By Christiana SciaudoneInvesting.com — XPO Logistics (NYSE:XPO) popped after Fedex reported breakthrough results and Credit Suisse (SIX:CSGN) raised its price target.
By Investing.com – Sep 16, 2020
By Christiana SciaudoneInvesting.com — Casino stocks slumped after Roth Capital downgraded Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN).
Wynn fell 5%, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd…
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In the run-up to the event kicking off Keighley has teased some of the inbound announcements that are in store for fans.
One of the biggest reveals of the night will be the first look at Call of Duty Vanguard next-gen gameplay.
The gameplay footage is dropping after the official unveiling of Call of Duty Vanguard last week.
Revealing the news Keighley tweeted: “Wednesday, see the first raw, real next-gen gameplay of @CallofDuty Vanguard during @gamescom Opening Night Live.
“Don’t miss an extended level play through with special guests Laura Bailey (@LauraBaileyVO) and @SHGames”.
Keighley also revealed that there will be “special news updates” for Genshin Impact during ONL as well as an “extended look” at gameplay for the PS5 Death Stranding Director’s Cut.


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Back in a podcast interview in May, Nevada resident and long-time EV enthusiast Bob Tregilus mentioned to me that he thought he saw Tesla work being done on a site nearby (just outside of Reno), presumably work related to the Tesla and Panasonic’s Gigafactory. Indeed, it seems Bob was right.
Reports are out that Tesla has indeed broken ground on a Gigafactory site outside of Reno. The news comes from an anonymous source in Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval’s office. A press conference by the Governor about a “major economic development announcement” is planned for tomorrow, so it may not be long until we have more details. However, the official deal may not be nailed down for another week or so.
Regarding the Gigafactory: “That’s a go, but they are still negotiating the specifics of the contract,” the source told CNBC on Wednesday afternoon.
However, that doesn’t conclusively mean that Nevada is the last contender. Tesla previously announced that it might break ground on two sites in order to be absolutely sure that one of them was completed.
The Tesla Gigafactory has probably been the biggest cleantech news story of the year, so despite little information from Tesla since the concept was unveiled, there has been a pretty steady stream of stories about it. As we wait for more information about the Nevada Tesla Gigafactory site (if it is indeed coming in the morning), here’s a quick summary of top stories I’ve seen about the Gigafactory:
1. First of all, I think it’s worth noting that the original Gigafactory site rendering seemed to be based on a photo of the Reno Stead airport. Also, practically since the discussions began, many of our readers have contended that Nevada looked like the most likely location.
2. The Gigafactory could produce the equivalent of the entire world’s 2013 production of lithium-ion batteries, and about ⅓ the world’s 2013 production of graphite.
3. Panasonic expects to be Tesla’s sole producer of batteries at its first Gigafactory.
4. With the Gigafactory, Tesla will be producing more-American-made cars than Ford.
5. Thanks to the Gigafactory, moving off grid could be reaching a real tipping point.
6. The Gigafactory should allow for the production of 500,000 Teslas by 2020, mostly the Tesla Model III. Production should begin in 2017.
7. Once any major Gigafactory announcement is made, the interwebs are going to go crazy.
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Lower Burrell Save-A-Lot to close on Saturday
The Save-A-Lot grocery store in Lower Burrell will close on Saturday with no one set to take over the supermarket at the intersection of Logans Ferry and Greensburg roads.
Developer Joseph Ferraccio of Allegheny Township confirmed on Wednesday that he sold the Save-A-Lot and surrounding property last June to First Commonwealth Bank. According to Westmoreland County deed records, the property was turned over in lieu of going through the foreclosure process after the partnerships that owned the land defaulted on loans.
“We're downsizing a bit, I guess,” Ferraccio said of his development corporations. “It was a business decision. It was time to move on.”
The property was valued last year in deed documents at $1.3 million. For more than 20 years, Ferraccio has strived to transform the 20-acre parcel into a thriving commercial center.
That began in the early 1990s when Ferraccio opened a Shop 'n Save on the property, which is near a key intersection commonly called the Parnassus Triangle that connects Kinloch, Plum's Logans Ferry Heights and New Kensington's Parnassus neighborhoods.
In 2000, he changed the supermarket into one of the region's first Save-A-Lot stores.
The future looked bright in the mid-2000s when B&J Supermarkets Inc., one of Ferraccio's corporations, sold a parcel to a developer that built a Walgreen's pharmacy beside an existing McDonald's restaurant.
In 2007, the Parnassus Triangle intersection was reconfigured, streamlining the flow of traffic. The same year, Ferraccio announced plans to build Sonic drive-in restaurants in the Alle-Kiski Valley, including possibly near the Save-A-Lot.
But Sonic never materialized there, and development at the site stalled about the time of the 2008 recession.
“The Save-A-Lot's closing is going leave a huge void for a lot of residents here,” Lower Burrell Councilman Joe Grillo said. “You hate to see it happen. Hopefully, we can get another grocery store in there.”
Shortly after obtaining the property, First Commonwealth listed it through #1 Choice Real Estate for $5.6 million, including a $540,000, 1-acre parcel that could be bought separately or omitted from the total sale.
First Commonwealth regional spokesman Rich Stimel could not be reached to discuss the bank's plans for the property.
Rand Hudson, the Realtor with the listing, said the property has generated interest from several developers, none of whom has committed to buying it.
The most likely outcome, he said, would be a big-box retailer filling the 25,000-square-foot supermarket and renting out its surrounding property to smaller retailers.
“It's a great redevelopment opportunity,” Hudson said. “With its proximity to the major roads there, it could be a very successful location.”
The earliest a buyer could open a development on the property, according to Hudson, is 18 months after Save-A-Lot's closing on Saturday.
Ferraccio is hoping his Lower Burrell customers will begin shopping at the Save-A-Lot in Allegheny Plaza, Allegheny Township.
Other local Ferraccio grocery stores have included the former Shop 'n Save in Lower Burrell's Hillcrest Shopping Center and a former Save-A-Lot in Harrison's Heights Plaza.
“I used to have five Shop 'n Saves,” Ferraccio said. “Then we went to seven Save-A-Lots. Now we're down to two.”
Four Boys Inc., another Ferraccio partnership, was responsible for creating Allegheny Towne Center in Allegheny Township. That shopping center includes a Giant Eagle supermarket, Wendy's restaurant and a district court office.
An undeveloped portion of Allegheny Towne Center valued at $350,000 also was turned over to First Commonwealth in 2013, but Ferraccio said he still owns part of the development.
“We're still doing the Sonics,” he said, including the Sonic at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. “And we've got some other real estate projects.”
Lower Burrell Council, according to Grillo, has no plan to assist with the redevelopment of the Save-A-Lot property.
“That might be something we would look into, though,” he said. “We're always trying to sell our city, and that spot could be big for Lower Burrell.”
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Q2 2022 - (released August 2022)
SA's quarterly Private Equity & Venture Capital magazine
Growing unicorns through catalysing co-investment
by Michael Avery
At the end of 2021, Africa saw close to US$5bn invested in tech start-ups. Fintech, especially, has seen one of the largest expansions with $2bn of that investment geared towards the industry. There is not only an abundance of new start-ups, but a keen interest from foreign venture capitalists, large corporates and banks. Africa is finally being put on the global VC map.
Eight South African-founded businesses have received investment from Endeavor Catalyst Fund – globally, one of the top three best performing early-stage venture funds in the emerging and underserved markets (i.e. outside of the US, China and India). Endeavor Catalyst is the rules-based co-investment fund of Endeavor Global – the largest global community of, by and for high-growth entrepreneurs, with presence in 40 markets.
Endeavor announced the final closing of Endeavor Catalyst Fund IV, a $292m venture capital fund, through which it plans to continue to invest in the companies led by Endeavor Entrepreneurs globally. The closing of Endeavor Catalyst Fund IV represents Endeavor’s largest fund to date, surpassing the fund’s initial $200m to $250m target. The community of Limited Partners (LPs) behind Endeavor Catalyst IV includes iconic founders like Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Marcin Zukowski (Snowflake) and Kevin Ryan (DoubleClick, MongooDB), as well as more than 100+ of Endeavor’s own entrepreneurs.
Africa is one of the fastest growing VC markets globally, and it's growing by 200% annually. But South Africa's share is still only 0.15% of the global venture capital market for entrepreneurs.
South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Kenya are leading the way in Africa.
Alison Collier, Endeavor South Africa’s MD, says that the growth rate in VC in South Africa over the past year was 300%, while Nigeria was 350%, almost 50% more than the average global growth rate. And the international market is starting to see the opportunities that exist in Africa, but there's still a significant amount of upside.
For Collier, the difference between VC ecosystems in Latin America and Asia boils down to proximity and maturity of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“LatAm is probably 10 years ahead of Africa when it comes to VC,” says Collier. “And, in some ways, that makes it easier for us in South Africa and Africa because one can learn from Latin America. We can learn from what we're seeing in India.
The entrepreneurs and the tech enabled entrepreneurs – who really are the high growth entrepreneurs – are starting to emerge and mature in South Africa, Nigeria, and a number of the other markets in Africa. And the international markets are seeing the commercial opportunity that these investments offer and are starting to allocate capital in these markets.”
A combination of factors unique to the local market helps South African entrepreneurs over and above the demographic drivers of the African continent, which will have the most consumers and the youngest population by 2050, providing an enormous spending power and consumption base.
“The macroeconomic timing is very exciting for the entrepreneurial businesses that are being built,” explains Collier, “but South Africa is very fortunate in that we have very strong corporates. We see a large amount of SaaS businesses that are being built in South Africa, and these entrepreneurial SaaS businesses are typically very easily transferable [and able] to sell their solutions to more developed markets, where there's a very long runway and significant incremental sales opportunities. South Africa forms an amazing first market launchpad where one can build a product and test it with local corporates that are very similar to the international corporates that one will sell to at a later stage.
“The costs of setting up a business here in South Africa are significantly lower than the costs of setting up a business in a developed market like the US or the UK, because the talent here in South Africa represents incredible value for money,” says Collier.
The South African-founded businesses that count Endeavor Catalyst as their LP are all stand-outs in their categories. Aerobotics, Clickatell, Entersekt, Go1, MFS Africa, Ozow, SweepSouth and TymeBank – with more than half of these investments made in the past 12 months. To be eligible for investment from the Catalyst Fund – a cheque size of up to $2m or 10% of the round – they require the entrepreneur to be raising an equity round of +$5m from a qualified lead investor, and must have passed an Endeavor International Panel Selection.
“[These businesses] need to work through Endeavor’s selection process. You get selected locally and then internationally, which is very similar to an Investment Committee process for a VC. And then once you've been selected internationally as an entrepreneur or business to join Endeavor, you become an Endeavor entrepreneur, and what's interesting about that selection process is we tailor the IC’s to suit the particular business.”
That Endeavor process is quite different from a traditional VC, which has a standard IC who reviews all the businesses that they work with. Rather, what Endeavor does is shift the different mentors or panellists, as they call them, around to ensure that they have got the right experience – both geographically to industry, as well as the level of their career – to match with what they are looking to review. And Endeavor does this across its global mentor network, which is 5,000 people strong.
“It's a wonderful set of ex business experts and really successful entrepreneurs that are selecting these businesses that we then invest in,” says Collier.
And then the second piece, as Collier tells it, is that as Endeavor, the fund is looking to drive the growth of these high-growth businesses to stimulate the economies and the emerging markets in which they operate.
“In addition to that, we're looking to support the VC ecosystems, so we don't lead any of these rounds,” says Collier. “We always stay on the same side of the table as the entrepreneur, and part of the work or service that we do towards that end for the entrepreneurs is to work with them to find the right lead that will be the best lead to grow their business strategically in whichever market they're looking to move into.”
It’s a model that has proven to be incredibly effective at finding and scaling unicorns so far, and looks set to expand South Africa’s presence as a VC-backed, technology-driven scale-up hub into Africa for years to come.
This is an extract from an interview first published by Business Talk


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Welcome to our Apple Breakfast column, which brings together all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy summary. We call it “apple breakfast” because we think it goes great with a morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s great if you want to read it during lunch or dinner as well.
What is the most important Apple product? Financially, of course, the iPhone makes more money than any other product category—Mac, iPad, and all the wearables and services divisions—combined. But in terms of securing the loyalty of the customers who buy these iPhones, there’s an argument that iOS is even more important. People buy an iPhone not because it has the best specs or the most innovative design (which is debatable to say the least), but because it offers the most user-friendly and user-friendly experience, thanks in large part to the operating system.
With that in mind, of course, the annual release of a new full iOS update is to be expected even more eagerly than the release of some new iPhone phones, which are probably similar to the previous generation phones. Well yes and no. It’s worth watching the software announcements at WWDC, and a particularly tasty iOS update can make you feel like you’ve got a new iPhone without spending a dime. But there’s a difference between important and interesting, and boring software updates are just as important to Apple’s health as brilliant ones. iOS is like an indoor plumber or a cricket umpire: it’s best when she’s invisible. If I’m forced to think about the sewers, or the LBW law, or my security settings, then you haven’t done your job, which is to silently do things in the background.
This week, a credible report claimed that Apple has changed its strategy for iOS 17, this year’s update, from bug fixes to feature additions. What experts previously expected as a “technical update” aimed at improving performance, now apparently boasts several “nice” features, including some of the most requested ones. Applause, general merriment, a running ribbon parade, etc.
I’m far from raining on someone’s parade, but I’m not entirely sure that’s a good idea. I’d rather see Apple focus their energy on making sure everything works the way it should, rather than adding a bunch of extra stuff that could go wrong the new way. Not that iOS is particularly error-prone in its current form. While “it just works” is mostly cited satirically now, Apple products remain the market leaders when it comes to simple reliability. But there are some problems, and I would like them to be less. (Or less. Can you see how important it is to get the basics right?) Take Siri, for example. Would you rather Siri be able to respond to a wider range of queries, or would it respond more reliably to current ones? This is what I was thinking.
The problem is that by introducing a new version of iOS, Apple is trying to please two different groups at the same time: iPhone owners, who will end up using the software every day for a year without knowing anything about it, and these sages like the current writer, who rant, analyze and dwell on everything that has changed. The phrase “tech update” is mostly used pejoratively, and an update without a flagship feature will be met with the equivalent of a raspberry in the column on every major tech site. But I’m arguing that a common flagship new feature like iOS 16’s much-touted customizable lock screen does less to increase world happiness than a simple tweak like SMS passcodes automatically appearing above the keyboard. One is trying to change how you use your iPhone, while the other is trying to make your life easier.
With that in mind, I’m ready to make a promise. If iOS 17 turns out to be a repair update, I’ll refrain from writing heated complaints about it. Who is with me?
Trending: breaking news
Okay, everyone hates Apple’s AR headset, and that’s haven’t even sent it yet.
Apple Watch Ultra Action button this is exactly what the iPhone 15 lacks.
Now you can download Apple Music Classical, but there are some unexpected restrictions.
Apple Pay later finally available, but only for “randomly selected” US users
Apple Acquires ‘Content Awareness’ Startup AI video compression.
We are going to meet Chip B1? The leak claims that Apple’s next chip will be dedicated to the iPhone 15 Pro’s buttons.
Podcast of the week
You can watch every episode of the Macworld podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own website.
Software updates, bugs and issues
iOS 16.4 released with new emoji and critical security updates. We have 3 reasons to upgrade right now, plus some great hidden features.
Scary Mac Stealer malware went for iCloud passwords and credit card details.
Apple has finally fixed a heavily exploited Webkit error on older iPhones.
Perfect timing, iOS 17 inevitable: it’s easier to install beta versions of Apple.
Apple has already started testing macOS Ventura 13.4.
First iOS 16.5 Beta arrived with “minor” changes as the iOS 17 launch approaches.
That’s where we ended up this week. If you would like to receive regular news updates, subscribe to our newsletters. You can also follow us on twitter or on Facebook to discuss the latest Apple news. See you next Saturday, enjoy the rest of the weekend and stay Eppley.


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Local commercial real estate weathering economy’s volatility – DON FENLEY @ CORE DATA
By DON FENLEY
TRI-CITIES, Tenn. – Despite a transactions slump, concerns over bank reactions to stress from a spat of bank failures, and inflation fears the local commercial real estate outlook is positive. Here’s the 30,000-feet view.
The area has experienced steady economic growth in recent years, and this has created a strong demand for commercial real estate. Currently, the vacancy rates for commercial properties in the area are low, and this trend is expected to continue.
One of the key drivers of commercial real estate demand in Tri-Cities is the region’s strategic location. The area is situated at the intersection of several major highways, which makes it a prime location for businesses that need to transport goods and services. Additionally, the region’s low cost of living and high quality of life makes it an attractive destination for businesses and professionals alike.
As the economy continues to grow and the demand for commercial real estate in Tri-Cities remains strong, it is likely that property values will continue to rise. This could present attractive investment opportunities for those looking to enter the commercial real estate market in the area.
The short-term view is messier.
April’s Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors (NETAR) Commercial Market Report and transaction tracker shows negative numbers across the board. But it’s not all bad news. For instance, although the three-month trend comparison lags last year, it has seen steady growth since the first of the year. It’s one of those cases where progress is the decline of the rate of decrease.
The most active sectors were industrial, office, retail-commercial and multi-family, which continue to be in the center of a vortex that consumes a lot of oxygen in the local commercial market.
Jerry Petzoldt, chair of the NETAR Commercial Committee, said the industrial sector is seeing increasing pressure. “It suffers from the same inventory shortage dynamic that we see in the residential sector. It’s driving higher rents and prices for those industrial listings.”
Progress on the submarket level is often overlooked, but it’s important because small businesses are at the core of local economies. One local city’s retail status was benchmarked when the economic development department took to the streets and for an inventory of small businesses in mixed used centers. John Rose, Economic Development Director for Kingsport, said they counted 246 in the walking tour of centers with two or more units. The icing on the cake for the commercial real estate walkabout was those centers had a 91 percent occupancy rate.
So far this year, the multi-family has accounted for the most locally tracked transactions (28) followed by office (22) and retail commercial (21).
Residential investment properties – both single-family and multi-family – have been active. The number of single-family investment properties has declined during the past two years, while the number of apartments and rents have increased, and more is on the horizon.
There has been a recent decrease in multi-family and rental demand. Some apartment complexes that used to have waiting lists have dropped that notice from their websites. Others are offering incentives for new renters and referrals. And the response to some of the build-to-rent townhome projects has yielded only half occupancy.
The region’s labor market remains robust and has yet to show signs of softening. Consumers are tightening the purse strings, but not to a point that has retailers concerned.
So far this year the active commercial inventory on NETAR’s Commercial Multiple Listing Service (CMLS) and Flex are down almost 20%. New listings are down 37.6%, and year-to-date listings are down 21.8%.


text: Nokia, one of the world's leading cellular phone manufacturing firms has gone to extremes into the marketing of their N-series cell phones, bundled with a new album by India's top singers. The album, by Rabbi Shergill a top fusion artist has his new album released bundled with the new N-series Nokia Phones. This is hailed by some to be the next step for the digital music . . .


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UBS downgrades Colgate citing higher valuations
Reuters Market Eye - UBS downgrades Colgate Palmolive India Ltd (COLG.NS) to "neutral" from "buy", saying the stock has well outperformed the consumer sector since October 1, 2012.
However, UBS says it remains a believer in Colgate, raising its target price to 1,720 rupees from 1,600 rupees.
"Colgate India is one of the most fundamentally sound companies in the consumer space, and that its brand strength and competitive management will continue to drive growth and margin expansion," UBS says in a note dated Thursday.
Colgate has risen 27.7 percent since the close of September 2012 compared with the BSE FMCG index's 5.5 percent rise in the same period.
Colgate shares fell 1.1 percent to 1,524.75 rupees.
(Reporting by Abhishek Vishnoi)
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A former ValleyCrest executive stakes his claim in the northwest and looks to build a West Coast company.
Leaders from the Top 100 discuss the biggest challenges facing their companies and how they’re solving them. Turns out, their solutions work for landscapers of any size.
The best way to market your company is to do high-quality work.
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Manufacturers have spent time and money updating their compact excavators.


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Update 6/11: Microsoft has confirmed that all Xbox Live services have been restored.
The original story follows.
Microsoft Xbox Live service is generally quite reliable, but seems to have had more issues than usual lately. In May, there were numerous Xbox Live issues over the course of a few days, causing headaches for Xbox gamers who just wanted to play their games. And in the age of digital media, even playing games offline can be tricky when an Xbox console isn’t always connected to the company’s online services.
Last month’s Xbox Live outage issues have finally been resolved, but the service has been down again since Saturday, June 11. Microsoft specifically flagged two areas of Xbox Live that are currently not working. As of this writing, anyone trying to take advantage of Xbox cloud gaming, available through their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, is completely unable to do so. Not only that, but Xbox gamers are reporting difficulty launching games and connecting to Xbox online services in general.
The good news is that Microsoft is aware of the issue and is working on a fix. Most of the time, Microsoft is able to resolve Xbox Live service issues relatively quickly, so hopefully fans don’t have to wait too long for the issue to be resolved. However, there have been instances in the past where Xbox Live issues have dragged on, as was the case with the May issues, but hopefully we don’t see a repeat of this and the issues are resolved. rapidly.
Is Xbox Live down today?
It’s a bad time for Xbox Live to be down because it’s a huge weekend for Microsoft and the Xbox brand. While E3 2022 is canceled, Microsoft will be hosting an E3-equivalent presentation called Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on Sunday, June 12 at 10 a.m. PT. The showcase is expected to last around 95 minutes and will focus on a variety of upcoming games being developed for Xbox consoles. Some heavy hitters are expected to make an appearance at the show, so Xbox fans should be sure to tune in.
Unfortunately, if these Xbox Live issues persist, Xbox gamers may have difficulty watching the showcase on their console. Xbox Live service issues are unlikely to last that long, but we’ll see what happens. We will update this article as soon as Xbox Live services are fully restored.
MORE: Xbox Free Games With Gold For June 2022 Should Be Exciting For Fans Of A Certain Genre


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Google faces new round of Android malware
Again yanks malware-infected apps from Android Market as hackers try trickier tactics
Computerworld - For the second time in three months, Google yanked dozens of malware-infected smartphone apps from the Android Market.
The 34 apps were pulled over the weekend and Tuesday by Google after security researchers notified the company.
Google acknowledged giving some Android apps the heave-ho. "We've suspended a number of suspicious applications from Android Market and are continuing to investigate them," a Google spokeswoman said in an email reply to questions late Tuesday.
As in the March episode, when Google removed more than 50 apps, the newest round consisted of pirated legitimate programs that had been modified with malicious code and then re-released to the Android Market under false names.
But there was an important difference to this campaign, said Kevin Mahaffey, co-founder and CTO of Lookout, a San Francisco firm that specializes in mobile security.
"These apps have the ability to fire up a page on the Android Market," said Mahaffey, adding that the hackers can send commands to the smartphone telling it which Market page to display.
He speculated that the attackers probably intended the new feature as a way to dupe users into downloading additional rogue apps that would have malicious functions, just as a hijacked PC is told to retrieve more malware. "They seem to have been designed to encourage people to install additional payloads," Mahaffey said.
Mahaffey said it was impossible to deduce hacker intent from the malicious apps' code, but he believed the criminals took the new path because social engineered attacks -- those that rely on tricking victims into installing malware rather than depending on an exploited vulnerability -- are more difficult to defend.
"Social engineered attacks are much more subtle, but very powerful because they're hard to protect against," said Mahaffey. "It could be they changed because either [the attackers] believed exploits were a dead giveaway, or they found this more effective."
Lookout and AVG Technologies of the Czech Republic uncovered malicious apps on the Android Market and reported their findings to Google. According to Mahaffey, Google pulled the apps "almost instantaneously."
It's unclear how the attackers planned to turn a profit on the new campaign of rogue apps.
"They could do things like listen in to all the banking transactions [conducted using the smartphone]," said Omri Sigelman, the vice president of products at AVG Mobilation, AVG's mobile security arm, in an interview Tuesday.
Both Mahaffey and Sigelman said that the same group responsible for the March malware was behind the most recent attempt to infiltrate Android phones.
The new rogue apps contained what Mahaffey called "Droid Dream Light," a stripped-down version of the DroidDream code used to infect apps in March.
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